Singapore Science Center

It's been an interesting week!! Thursday was thanksgiving, but they don't officially celebrate the holiday out here since it's American. Jacob had taken the day off since our shipment from home finally came. It feels good to be surrounded by a few more personal things like pictures and more toys & books for Juliana!

Today, we decided to try the Science Center...very inexpensive to go to and lots to see. We knew that Juliana wouldn't be able to fully appreciate it since she's a bit too young, but it was something new to try and didn't break the bank in the process.

Fortunately, the center was only three MRT stations away and a short ten minute walk after getting off. Outside the entire building are water fountains and benches to sit and relax. Then, when we went to purchase tickets, we caught sight of Water Works (small educational water park that's part of the science center). Juliana way eyeing it too, so we chose to go there first.

She thoroughly enjoyed herself, especially in the water maze! Luckily, we were prepared with extra clothes too, since she was drenched by the time she was done exploring.

After the water park, we walked through a few of the many exhibits in the center. We started with the Marina area, because Juliana enjoys water and fish so much. She was fascinated with the tanks and all the different types of fish. I could have left her in front of the tanks for hours and I don't think she would have made one noise for hours!!!

Since there are too many exhibits to see in one visit, we had to pick and choose what to see this time around. After the fish, we walked to the Human Body exhibit and enjoyed the enlarge parts of the body!!

This was a massive nose if you couldn't tell and Juliana was picking the gigantic nostril!!!! And below is the massive ear, since that seems to be one of her favorite words lately.
When we tried to put Juliana behind the skull, she freaked out! I think she was afraid of the big cutout, so I decided to make a fool of myself instead! Eventually, she did allow dad to put her behind the muscular man cutout that's below.

After we had enough of the science center, we stopped by IMM to pick up a few groceries and our Christmas tree! It's so sad...less than two feet tall, fake, and decorated with a snowman, a couple bulbs and some fake snow. But it's better than nothing and at least brings a little of the holiday season into the apartment. A tropical Christmas is not something I ever thought I would be experiencing, but we'll enjoy it with my mom while she's out here and try some new things instead of the normal Christmas routine that we're used to.

The day ended with a fabulous dinner prepared by Jean at home and a relaxing evening. We're beginning to understand exactly why Asians either stay at home or shop on the weekends...going out is exhausting! Between the crowds and the heat, we end up tired about two hours into leaving the apartment. Tomorrow will be spent by the pool after mass!!!

Fun in the water at IMM

I am getting very stir crazy lately, so I've been spending tons of time on the internet researching activities to do with Juliana and on my own, places to go see and playgrounds to visit. Since everything is so expensive, I'm also trying to find some stuff to do that's either free or fairly cheap. When I left the apartment early this afternoon, I still had no idea where I was headed, but I ended up at IMM. I've been in this mall about a dozen times now, but I've never gone to the second or third floor. I don't know why, I guess I just never needed to. I saw on their website that there was an outdoor playground on the third floor, so I figured Juliana and I could check it out.

It was a huge area outside the mall with both a playground and a small water park. I wasn't prepared for the water, but oh well! I just took her clothes off and let her play. She had such a good time!
Juliana and this little boy were playing with each other for a little bit...I think Juliana was flirting! It was adorable, she kept trying to follow him around.

This older boy was playing with the stream of water to make it go in different directions and she was fascinated! She also took a nice gush of water to the face, but handled it just fine...she came rushing over to me to pick her up, so I got soaked as well! But it didn't last long, because she wanted to get back down and play some more.
After lots of fun in the water park, she stuffed her face with some yummy cheese sticks! I find this picture so cute, even though her eyes are closed.

Well, it was a good afternoon and something new to do. There are tons of indoor and outdoor playgrounds, so I will have to check as many of them out as possible!!

As for the rest of life, not too many things have changed. I signed up for an online TESOL course and have started working on those units and reading up on jobs in Singapore. I hope that once I finish this course, I will be able to find a job that's a good fit!

First day away...

This picture was taken last night of our cutie pie continuing her pursuit of breaking into the wine cabinet! She's getting so much stronger every day now and much more confident with herself.

Today was the first time I left Juliana for more than an hour since we've been here in Singapore and I wasn't sure how she would be with Jean. I decided to do some errands and just enjoy some "me" time since I've forgotten what that was. I left right after Juliana went down for her morning nap and came back int he afternoon to a very happy child! The report was that she slept well, ate her lunch and was having fun playing around with Jean. I really didn't expect there to be any problems, I guess I'm just going to take a while to adjust to this new situation. All I've known for the past 13 months was being Juliana's mom 24/7 and now I'm handing over some of those daily responsibilities to someone else. It was nice when I got back though, because she was all excited to see me and came rushing over for me to pick her up!

I just received these pictures from our landlords...they were taken way back at the beginning of November, the day after we moved into the apartment. It was during our first visit to Botak Jones and I wanted to share, because she looks so adorable.

Shopping at Raffles & Suntec City

It was very muggy today, so we decided to do an indoor activity and what do they love most out here? Shopping of course! We headed to Raffles and Suntec City since we hadn't visited these malls yet.
Raffles City Shopping Centre was another enormous mall, with a few nice water fountains (three, called Ballo, Momentum and Vitality at Water Court) on the ground floor, lots of high end stores and plenty of Christmas decorations already up for the season. We'll return to see the shows that they have in the upcoming weeks to celebrate the holidays. There is also a very nice market that I plan on returning to, since their deli section had some normal looking meats!

Juliana enjoyed the fountains the most (of course) and continues to get lots of attention from everyone. She was very cute today in her Chinese top that was passed down to her from our landlord's daughter. There are matching pants, but they are still a little too big for her.

While walking around, Juliana and dad decided to stop and make a new friend. They were so cute together...reaching out to each other, talking in their own little language and trying to play with one another's toys! I don't think our daughter is going to have much trouble making some other friends out here.

After we had enough of Raffles City, we decided to head out towards Suntec City Mall. On our walk over, we got to see some beautiful views of the city as well as City Hall and the Esplanade. Some of the buildings out here are a sight to see and I can't wait to return to explore the area a lot more. We walked through a nice little park and let Juliana walk around in the grass.
There are so many parks in Singapore and we haven't had a chance to visit more than the Chinese Gardens. This little stop just showed us how much Juliana enjoys being outdoors. She experiments with how different the grass feels from the tress and bushes and loves playing with leaves!!

So, anyway...after our short stop, we continued walking over to Suntec City Mall for more shopping and air conditioning. Again, lots of Christmas decorations!! The best part of this mall is that the top floor is completely geared towards children and families. There is a gigantic Toys 'R Us as well as plenty of other toy stores, clothing shops and play areas. Jacob ended up buying Juliana a new toy for her stroller! The picture below was a Precious Moments nativity set displayed in one of the corners.


One thing we did miss (well, we saw it from afar) was the Fountain of Wealth, which has been the World's Largest fountain in the Guinness Book of World Records since 1998. Can't wait to see that!!!

On another note, people keep asking me how the people our here feel about Americans and the new choice for president. While my political beliefs are quite clear, I still find it interesting to listen to the reasons why or why not people here agree with electing Obama. Some of the answers are rather amusing, for example, "I am proud for Americans in general. I hope he's the medicine America needs. He is our Abraham Lincoln. Our JFK. He is something millions can believe in and look up to. He is the American dream." I'll keep my opinions to myself...

As for the general consensus, I think the picture says it all. There was a store in the mall and the entire outside was covered with these posters. People out here are just satisfied with the fact that this choice for president will lead to a very different America than we have known for the past eight years. Many changes in the future and the economy out here is always going to be affected by the U.S. economy.

Finally, our end to the day was very nice! Our landlords invited us out to dinner with their family and a friend visiting from Japan. All four of us went (including Jean) and they brought us to a club that they are members of...beautiful by the way! It was a Chinese restaurant and the fare included broccoli, fried rice with shrimp & pork, Peking duck, sweet & sour pork, a crispy yam & vegetable dish (don't know the name of this one), and dessert. It was quite a meal! We had a very good time and lots of good conversation. It was also the first time we've gone out as a family with Jean and although I wasn't too sure how it would go, things turned out well. Juliana was well behaved for the most part, but she started to get fussy after about an hour and Jean simply picked her up and told us that she would walk around with her. Our landlords two daughters and maid joined them and they played in the indoor playground while the rest of us enjoyed the rest of our meal. It felt a little odd at first not being the one to take care of Juliana, but I must admit, it was also nice to be able to relax and enjoy ourselves without worrying about whether or not she was okay.

Long day, but very enjoyable and some wonderful new experiences! We thoroughly enjoy spending time with our landlords, which I know probably sounds crazy to people back home since this is typically not the case. And Juliana adores their two daughters!!

Juliana's first steps!

Well, this one needed it's own post of course!!
JULIANA FINALLY TOOK HER FIRST STEPS!
Yes, she has tried off and on in the past, but she officially took her first steps yesterday. She had managed one or two, but they were mo9re like lunges, so they didn't count. But last night, while Jacob and I were playing with her, she took four full steps before sitting down. It was so amazing!! Then of course, we encouraged her to keep trying and she did. A few more steps here and there and then she took about 9 or 10 this morning! Even the families back home got to see via web cam. She's remarkable!

Juliana is also playing catch with us now. Actually, Jean got her going on it yesterday afternoon and now she loves playing catch with her little Winnie-the-Pooh ball. She was showing off those skills this morning too with Nana, Great Nana and Jessica! She's so proud of herself whens he does something new and I love seeing the look of satisfaction on her face when we applaud her. And what a chatterbox she is turning into...she has been talking so much the last several days, I just wish I could understand what she's trying to say to us.

Our New Maid

OK, so our new maid, Jean (I thought it was Jane and I was wrong!) moved in last night. When her previous family dropped her off, I felt so bad for her, because it was so impersonal and quick. Jean was crying, because she has spent the last year and a half of her life living with these people and taking care of their daughter. She must have apologized to Jacob & I ten times for being upset!! If that was me, we all know I would have been sobbing!

So the experience so far is....interesting, somewhat awkward at times, and a major challenge for me. Can you imagine me putting the control of cleaning and maintaining the house into someone else's hands?? I can't even fathom it!! (and yes, I know Britt, that you can't either!) It's been one day and I'm already having a hard time just letting go and allowing her to do her job. She's also great with Juliana, but again, that feels kind of weird too. I feel strange sharing the responsibility of her with someone else, someone new. I guess that's because Juliana was never in daycare, so this is really the first time Jacob & I are trusting someone we don't know to take care of our daughter. Another learning experience, as if we haven't had enough lately. I'll keep posting about how it goes!

On another note, I may be taking the TESOL course next month. Since Jean flies home for the holidays on the 10th and the course goes from the 6th to the 16th, I wasn't able to sign up without having someone to watch Juliana. But thanks to our amazing landlords, Juliana has a place to go for those days so mom can earn her certificate. The instructor wants to meet with me and set me up to observe an ESL class before signing up and spending that money without being completely sure about it. I hope it works out!! I would finally be able to put my degree to good use!!

Other news...my mom arrives for her visit in four weeks and I am looking forward to that! And our shipment from home should be here in a week or two at the most, yay!! It will be our own little Christmas, because I forgot half of what we packed. Juliana will think we bought her all new toys and books (although I know she's too smart for that)!

Hope all is well back in the US...miss you all.

Doctor's appointment

This morning was Juliana's first appointment with the pediatrician out here. I was very nervous, because I didn't know what to expect and she still isn't feeling good, so I had a list of questions. It's hard to leave behind such an amazing family doctor that you trust completely and have to start fresh (that doctor would be Claudia, the BEST!).

I had to take a cab to the Kinder Clinic, since I had no idea where it was and didn't want to bother trying to find it on my own this time. The two women at the front desk were sweet, helpful and very accommodating. There were three children ahead of Juliana, but the doctor still managed to see her within five minutes of her scheduled appointment. He was very good with Juliana...patient, gentle and obviously loves children. He took the time to explain to me more about his practice, other doctors that would be on-call should I need to bring Juliana to someone after hours, and plans for upcoming immunizations. He also put her on some medication to clear up her congestion and the beginning of two ear infections. What I liked most was that he decided to take a minimalist approach and use the mildest medications first in order to avoid side effects...something we were doing with Claudia as well. Although the medications out here address the same problems, they aren't exactly Tylenol or NyQuil, so he didn't want them to bother her stomach. Another big difference? When you check out, the nurses give the medications and instructions to you right there, instead of having to get a script and take it to a pharmacy. Thank God for that, because that would have been another difficult task!!!!

So, what amazed me the most about this doctor was how concerned he was about Juliana. In the middle of our conversation, she became very upset out of the blue and started crying. I couldn't figure out what was wrong and she wouldn't eat or drink anything. We went into the waiting room to get a dose of medication (same thing as Tylenol) to calm her down and then the doctor came out to check on her and finish our conversation. Then, late this afternoon, he called me just to make sure she was doing all right...surprising! I'm just glad it went well and that I don't have to continue searching for another doctor. In the near future, she will start to get some immunizations, ugh!! That's hard enough as it is, so at least we can go to a clinic that's comfortable and friendly.

After a long nap this afternoon, Juliana was in a good mood and very playful. She's been so sick lately, so it was nice to see her smiling face and hear her laughing so much!! Check out the adorable pictures :-)

Off to the Zoo!

Today's adventure was to visit the Singapore Zoo! This zoo uses the "open concept" idea for the animals, which means that the animals are kept in large landscaped enclosures with moats to separate them from people. The more dangerous animals, such as cheetahs, jaguars, etc. have glass enclosures to protect visitors. The zoo itself is enormous and averages at least 1.5 million visitors a year. For those of you interested in more about it, here's the website: http://www.zoo.com.sg/index.htm. It's hard to explain how large this place is and even though you can't make out the map very well in the picture below, it can at least give you an idea of how much there is to see. Definitely will have to take several trips to get it all in.
The first half hour or so was pretty miserable, because our poor daughter was not feeling well. She's still getting over her cold and it was very hot out. But after she settled in and cooled off a bit, she seemed to enjoy the sights.

Both Jacob & I were overwhelmed with everything there is to see. You don't know which way to look, because there are animals everywhere! Juliana's favorite part actually seemed to be the plants, of all things, but there was plenty of them.

About two hours into our visit, I was absolutely exhausted, which made it difficult to enjoy what I had been looking forward to most: the giraffes, zebras and flamingos. It's amazing how close you can get to the animals and they are so beautiful! I put some pictures of the animals on the shutterfly page for those of you interested.

The orang utans were also
a sight to see. The zoo uses "free ranging areas" to create a natural environment for the orang utans to swing around in. Other points of interest was the Cat Country, which allows visitors to get up close and personal with lions, jaguars, pumas and leopards. I was inches away from a gorgeous leopard relaxing in its enclosure.

I look forward to returning and being better prepared for the heat the second time around. Lots of fluids, snacks (because the ones inside the zoo cost a ridiculous amount of money) and a bathing suit for Juliana. There is also the Rain forest Kidzworld that we didn't have a chance to visit and I know Juliana would have really enjoyed it. It has rides, a water play area, a carousel and lots of other activities for kids.

Overall, the trip may have started a little rough with Juliana being a little miserable, but it ended up being a nice afternoon. We're learning more about how to properly prepare for an afternoon outing, specifically what to bring along and what to leave home. We have almost been here for a full month now and I am amazed at how fast the last several weeks have gone. There is so much to do out here, but we certainly will have the time to visit most of it!

Bugis Junction

Phew, we're exhausted!! Started our day with with a trip to Holland Village and were very disappointed. This area is built up in all of the tourist books and websites as a "must see" area of Singapore...not so great. Basically, the majority of the area is restaurants, cafes and food courts, with a few shops mixed in. Definitely the place to go for a night out, since there are lots of bars with happy hour, but not necessarily a real family friendly area. After our short visit, we decided to get back on the MRT and head to Bugis Junction.
To refuel, we stopped for a bite to eat at Hip Diner USA by Billy Bombers, mainly because of the name and the fact that I saw how nicely the place was decorated in red, white and blue (the flag was on the ceiling)! The waiter was very enthusiastic about serving actual Americans too, making it a point to show us all of the different burgers on the menu and how they came with "real french fries" (because of course, that's all we Americans eat, right?).

Jacob got a cheeseburger with cheese fries and I got a grilled chicken burger and Juliana ate my fries. Of course I took pictures, because it just looked so good after seeing all of the Chinese, Malay, Japanese, Indian, etc. food all around us.

On the way out, I had to make a stop at the lovely cutout of the newly elected president. I think my political views are rather obvious! The people of Singapore seem to be very supportive of Obama (unfortunately), but I'm not too sure that most of them even understand why. In my opinion, most people are simply obsessed with the idea of a major change in the political structure of the US government and less interested in exactly how he will be making those changes. There are always complaints about the US getting involved in the problems of other countries, but that is still what matters most to the rest of the world. So, as a result, the general consensus in our area seems to be lots of support for Obama and high hopes for the changes he intends to make in the upcoming years. UGH.

(PS: there was also a McCain cut out off to the side, so I guess they were prepared for either outcome!)

Anyway, now that I'm done blabbering about politics, I can get on with the rest of our day. After our late lunch, we decided to walk around Bugis Junction, which is know for being Singapore's first glass-covered, air-conditioned shopping area. It kind of reminded me of Fannuel Hall in Boston, with all of the little shopping carts lined up down the street. The picture to the left shows a view of the glass roof housing all of the retail stores, shop houses, and even a movie theater. All of the merchandise being sold at the carts were unique, such as handmade bags and totes, wooden toys, embroidered pillow cases, hand painted hair accessories, and so much more. We ended up getting Juliana a small musical instrument with bells to shake around and make more noise!!

Towards the center of the shopping area was a water fountain, which I knew Juliana would enjoy. There happened to be a little Chinese girl playing in the water as well (and completely soaked) who was entranced with Juliana. She kept wanting to bring her into the water with her and hold her hands. It was adorable!

Once we headed back to the apartment, Juliana was tired from all of the excitement and heat, so she got her bath and went to bed. Jacob and I decided to enjoy the evening out on the terrace since it wasn't nearly as hot as usual. I think we're beginning to feel more settled in our new place and getting used to all of the changes in our daily lives. We do look forward to our maid starting this week in order to gain a little couple time again! I think what I like the most is the fact that our family time is a lot more meaningful, especially since there's less of it now. Jacob works long hours, so by the time he gets home at the end of the day, Juliana is about ready for bed. Weekends allow us to spend time together, go sight seeing and reflect on our experiences. I know that in time, this opportunity will help us grow both as a couple and a family.

Missing home

There's no place like home...
Dorothy's got that right!

I knew it would happen, time and time again, but it has been especially hard this week to be far away from home and from all of the people and places that are familiar and comfortable. Each day, I wake up in our new home and remember that today will be another step in our journey here in Singapore. I've had some tough moments, when all I want to do is book a ticket back to the US, pick up my belongings and go. Of course, I would never do that, but the idea is still always lingering in the back of my mind. I know that my emotions are perfectly normal, but that still doesn't make them easy to cope with. My saving grace is of course Jacob and Juliana...they are my "home." I guess I just wish I could add a few people to that list, to make this transition a lot easier!

During dinner the other night, Jacob and I were talking about what we missed from home, specifically material things. It's amazing how easily you become attached to your belongings and how the idea of living without them is simply absurd. Then, you pack everything up into a ten by fifteen foot storage unit and start a new life halfway around the world...certainly brings a lot of clarity as to what really matters in life. Yes, we miss a lot of things from home, but I think we were both surprised at how easy it is to let it all go and move on. If we could go back, we probably wouldn't have made such a big effort to keep and store so many of our belongings. In hindsight, we see that most of it really doesn't matter as much as we thought it did at the time. Things can always be replaced (well, most things!), but life experiences and relationships cannot...how many times have you heard that?? This opportunity is a once in a lifetime chance to explore a part of the world we would have never visited otherwise. It's a chance to immerse ourselves in a different culture, learn new ways of life and meet people from all around the world. She may not know it yet, but Juliana is getting an opportunity that most children never have. These are the thoughts that help me cope with the heartache of leaving behind my family and friends.

As for material things, I never imagined that I would feel the way that I do now. Now, I feel like I have always put way too much value in my "stuff" and how quickly I got caught up in the "keeping up with the Jones'" philosophy. I mean, does it really matter what kind of car you drive? Or how green your lawn is? Or how many expensive things you have hanging on your walls? NO! Sadly, a big part of American culture is the obsession with image. People work hard to make money in order to have more stuff...so sad really. I realize that I am being general in my blog about this, because there are many people who live their lives very differently than the majority and strive to focus on what is truly important in our lives, what God intended for us to value. I don't want to offend anyone, I'm just venting away about all those racing thoughts in my head. For me, I hope that as I grow throughout this journey, I hold onto these ideals and learn to live a more simple life. As parents, Jacob and I want to display to Juliana that life is not all about money, success and materials, but about experiences, relationships and learning from our mistakes as we grow. Humans are not perfect and thank God for that! Otherwise it would be a pretty boring life.

"When you've come to the edge of all light that you know and are about to drop off into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing one of two things will happen: There will be something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly”
Patrick Overton

So sick

So, we are all officially sick over here in Singapore, ugh. Jacob had it first, then me and now Juliana...and she is so miserable. I'm just starting to feel better, so I don't have a whole lot of energy, but you don't get a choice as a parent, right? The last two days have not been all that pleasant and my poor daughter has been sneezing like crazy and unable to sleep soundly even though she's exhausted. It's times like these that make you miss home the most when you're so far away...the comforts of having friends and family around to help out and an amazing doctor (and friend!) to go to with a long list of questions. Miss you Claudia!

I did make it out this morning to the pharmacy in hopes of finding something to give Juliana besides the Tylenol I have. What was I thinking? Either the boxes are in Chinese or the salesperson doesn't understand what I'm asking for...I ended up buying a few things that looked to be for children with colds and headed home to read the instruction booklets to see if any of them were useful. Ended up giving Juliana something, but I'm not convinced that it really did anything for her at all, but we'll try again in the morning.

In my desperate attempts to help her in any way possible, I finally got around to scheduling her well visit with a pediatrician out here that came highly recommended. So we will be going to the Kinder Clinic on Thursday morning for a check up, immunizations (I hope) and a consult to see what to do next time she gets sick.

At the end of the day, I'm sitting here thinking (again) about what we just did in moving out here. It continues to amaze me that we picked up our entire life and moved halfway around the world...we actually did it. Jacob & I, two people who usually take the safe road and I certainly have been known to reject change in the past, decided to just close our eyes and leap. Every single aspect of our lives has changed and we're slowly adapting to a new lifestyle. I'm not too sure that I could ever fully get used to living like this, but we'll manage for however long we're out here and hopefully make some great friends along the way!

P.S. Even though she's sick, she's still adorable!

Chinese Gardens

The nice part about today's outing was that it didn't coast anything to do...just a ride on the MRT. Two stops down to the Chinese Gardens and the weather was perfect (besides being HOT, but that's nothing new).

The Chinese Gardens were built in 1975 by Yuen-chen Yu, an architect from Taiwan, but intended to make visitors feel like they were walking through ancient China. The picture above is an arch entryway that leads into two courtyards and a fishpond. We happened to catch the fish as they were being fed! There is also a Live Turtle and Tortoise Museum, but we decided not to visit that.

When we first walked in off the MRT, you immediately see the seven story Pagoda that is a focal point for the gardens. It's a beautiful structure that you can walk up and visit, which we did not due to having the stroller and seeing all the stairs. We ended up visiting the Twin Pagodas instead and Jacob & Juliana walked up to the top. These two structures are just off land, built into the shore. Juliana had a good time crawling around in the grass and looking at all of the trees and plants around us.

There are a bunch of mini gardens to visit, but we only managed to see a few. My favorite was the Garden of Abundance which was filled with twelve stone sculptures of the twelve different Chinese Zodiac animals There was also four small bridges that represent blessings, such as love & romance, luck & prosperity and feritility.

All together, it was a relaxing day, but we were all exhausted from the heat by mid-afternoon and decided to head back to the apartment. We will return again soon to visit the Japanese Gardens, just over a short bridge from the Chinese Gardens.

SINGPASS and BOTAK JONES

Ah, another fun-filled day in Singapore! This morning, I had to walk over to the local community center to apply for a Singpass, otherwise known as "Singapore Personal Access." It allows me to transact with the government online, which I needed to do in order to have a Foreign Domestic Worker. Yes, Jacob and I have officially hired a live-in maid and her name is Jane. She is transferring from another expat family that is returning to their home in Australia. But, it's not just a simple process to hire a foreign domestic worker. First, you have to apply for the singpass in order to take a tutorial and exam online. Next comes the paperwork, which is not nearly as complicated in our case since Jane is already living in Singapore and has her working pass. We simply need to sign off as her new employers (approved by the Ministry of Manpower), obtain insurance for her in our name and set up monthly payment for both the government and her personal account. The exam was basic common sense, making sure we understand what we're getting ourselves into. So, the next step is to fill out all of the paperwork to submit to MOM and wait for approval!

Dinner this evening was delicious! We returned to Botak Jones, which is where our landlords had taken us the weekend we moved in. I couldn't help but take a picture...

Yes, that says, "Authentic American Food!" We have been missing food from home and in dire need of something normal for dinner. Their menu features things like Bar-B-Que Chicken Wings, Chips & Salsa, Cheese Fries, Burgers, Sliced Beef Sandwich, Fish & Chips, Hot Dogs, and steaks. The choices tonight were Cajun Chicken for Jacob and Black Pepper Chicken for me. The first thing we were both grateful for was some white chicken...tender and juicy, no skin. Botak Jones is not stingy on portion sizes either and you get a lot for your money. We even enjoyed some Heineken beer with our Authentic American meal!!

After ordering your food, they ask where you will be sitting in order to bring the food over (it's set up like a food court, a big area lined with different "hawker" stands as they call them). Jacob's response: "Not sure yet, but we're not hard to miss" to which the man said, "No sir, you will be easy to spot." We stick out like sore thumbs out here!!

Food is definitely one of the material things I miss most from home, next to my car. Some of my favorite snacks are hard to find out here or incredibly expensive. Juliana seems to be doing just fine with the food though, always willing to try something new...I could learn a lot from her!

So as you all eat your yummy American foods, think of us!

FOLLOWERS

To all of my family and friends, please become a "follower" of this blog!! Then you can send me comments and it helps so much. Thanks Kathy :-)
There is a link below my profile box to click on to do so. I love you all and miss you all so much!

Delivery!

Ah, the convenience of delivery. Getting errands done here in Singapore is a HUGE chore, especially without a car and pushing a stroller everywhere I go. I never imagined that I would miss simple stores like Market Basket, Wal-Mart, Barnes & Noble, etc. as much as I do. Not only are things cheaper at home, they are also easier to purchase when you have a trunk to load up with bags.

Since I was getting sick and tired of making a trip out to the store or restaurant every single day to grab some food for Juliana and I, then all three of us for dinner, I decided to look into delivery. Most of the grocery stores deliver with no fees if you spend a certain amount of money...not hard to do considering the cost of food out here. The only catch is that a lot of places don't accept credit cards (which we rely on way too much at the moment), so I had to look around and find a store that would take our Visa. Shopping online for groceries just seems very strange to me, but I gave in to the convenience and placed an order yesterday afternoon. It arrived today around 5pm and the delivery man unloaded my bags into the kitchen. I realize this may not seems like all that big of a deal to most people, but considering my past and the fact that I'm American, it was all just so strange.

Unfortunately, the one problem with delivery is that it doesn't include produce or fresh bread...items that we couldn't live without back home. So I will have to go out again to pick some up. I miss my car so much!!

That's right, we're white

Hello all! I've been filling my time with exploring the area and shopping of course. I'm getting tired of shopping (can you believe it was possible??), but there isn't a whole lot to do when you're new and don't know a whole lot of people. I have started searching for playgroups, swim lessons and other activities for Juliana and I to do during the week. She gets bored very easily and it is a big challenge trying to keep her...she looks happy!

The funniest thing about being here is that we feel like a spectacle. I'm thinking of making up some t-shirts that read, "That's Right, We're White!" Every time we go out, we feel like people are constantly staring at us. Now, part of that is also because of Juliana and how people's eyes are constantly drawn to her cuteness and the loud noises that she likes to make in public. When I was talking to someone about feeling like people tend to stare at us a lot, she was telling me about how rare it is to see a white family, especially with an infant, in this part of Asia. Imagine that!! We are the minority out here for sure! So, I'm beginning to get used to it and try not to make too much eye contact. It's pretty obvious when I walk by a group of people and someone says something in their own language to the rest of the people and they all turn to starer at us walk by. Hmmm.......

Well, on that note, I'm done for the night. Missing home, missing NORMAL food and definitely missing the convenience of having my own car to get around!

The apartment

This morning was wonderful! After waking up in our new place, we had breakfast out on the terrace. Juliana seemed to enjoy the fresh air and the view.


So, I promised some pictures of the place and here they are. To the right is a view of the place from when you walk in the doorway. We are on the 14th and 15th floors of the building, the penthouse :-) None of the pictures we took really do the place justice, but at least everyone can have an idea of where we'll be living for the time being. This afternoon, Jacob actually walked around the apartment with the computer to give a tour to my mom and Nana. Gotta love those web cams!!! So if you feel like a tour, give us a call.

I don't really have any good pictures of the bedrooms upstairs right now. But, there are three bedrooms and two full bathrooms upstairs. The master bedroom is at the top of the stairs to the left. The whole back wall is an enormous closet with sliding doors and they are mirrors as well, so it makes the room look a lot bigger. The bathroom has a shower and a tub to give Juliana her baths in.

This is the dining and living room area. It's a lot bigger than it looks and both walls are lined with windows. All of the furniture came with apartment, including a nice 42" plasma TV that we forgot to take a picture of! Juliana gets to watch Playhouse Disney every morning on a really nice TV and she can't touch it like our old one since it's mounted on the wall...big plus!!

Just to the right, there is a doorway to the kitchen. I'll show that another time since those pictures came out blurry. The landlords just had a new sink and counter top installed as well as a new microwave and convection oven. Just off the kitchen is the laundry room, small bedroom (which is considered the maid's quarters) and bathroom. Fortunately, this apartment has a dryer unlike our temporary housing, which is very exciting for me since it eliminates how much I have to iron. YAY!

Here is the view from the other side of the room. That cabinet next to her stroller is a wine & liquor cabinet. It's pretty nice, with a wine rack inside and storage for glasses. Of course, we've already added a few bottles to the rack!!

The other cabinets are part of the entertainment center, which takes up that entire wall. Lots of storage space and low drawers to store some of Juliana's toys. I also requested a small throw rug for the floor in from of the television for her to play on.

Below is the doorway leading out to the terrace. The previous tenants left some of their plants and trees, so I'm hoping that I can keep them alive! The landlords said that they used to have a canopy out on the terrace, but due to the strong winds, they couldn't keep it up. It gets pretty hot out there during the late morning and early afternoon when the sun is directly overhead, but it's really nice in the early morning and late evenings.

The picture below is part of the view from the terrace. It's so different living in an apartment like this in the middle of a city after both of us grew up in Windham, NH, surrounded by trees. But it's pretty quiet, considering it's the city and our neighbors don't seem to make a whole lot of noise.

Well, that's all I have to show for now. I'm sure we'll have plenty more in the future, especially once we start to fill the place with some unique purchases from around the area. Plus, our overseas shipment should be coming some time in December, so we'll have some stuff from home to add! All three of us were in much better moods this weekend knowing that we can finally settle in to Singapore. We even had our first "home cooked" meal last night. Nothing special, but it was a nice change from constantly having to eat out.


After our long day of walking around at Jurong Point, which is one of the many shopping malls around, Juliana was exhausted as you can see! She simply passed out on Pooh :-)

Can't wait to share more with everyone! One little tidbit of exciting news (and not-so-good news for me having to chase her around even more!) is that Juliana figured out how to get up and down the stairs! She was so proud of herself the first time she did it. One of my goals this week is to get a couple safety gates for the place though, so she doesn't hurt herself!