恭禧發財 (Happy Chinese New Year!)

Gong Xi Fa Cai as they say here!


There is so much going on here I decided that I needed more than one post about Chinese New Year (CNY).  First let me say that this is the biggest celebration that I have seen yet in this country and to tell you the truth we are always celebrating something!  


The Christmas decorations were down and CNY ones up before you knew it.  Actually, we got back from our visit to the states and we were in a whole other celebration mode.  It is a very exciting time here in Asia.  Lots of red and gold, treats, festivities, lights, happiness and so much more.  Yes, everyone here seems happier!  Unlike the "stress" of Christmas (why is that anyway) CNY is relaxed and full of fun, laughter, and celebrating.


Chinese New Year is the new year celebration based on the Lunar calendar.  This year is the year of the Dragon.  (The hubby is a dragon)

E sitting on the dragon!

There are so many traditions with CNY that I wouldn't even know where to start.  (Not to mention, I really don't know them all.)  I know that treats and eating are a big thing.  The grocery stores have been filled with goodies!  All kinds!  From cookies to candy to some strange looking chinese treats that I am sure include some sort of fish.  One of the ones that may have become one of my new favorites is "mochi".  


Mochi is a rice candy that is made from glutinous rice and is pounded into paste and molded into shapes.  Not sure why I like it.  It kind of sticks to the roof of your mouth and is extremely chewy.  Maybe it is the interesting flavors like red bean or coconut etc.  Maybe just because it is different.  


I came upon this treat stand in our local mall.  It was selling "Taiwan Goodies".  This place is popular!  They sell mochi as well as these little square looking bags that have jello treats in them.  Yes, Jello!  Not sure how they keep it from melting; maybe it is more like a knox block (remember those?).  They come in every flavor under the sun!  They also let you taste as many as you want.  After riding our bikes to the mall E and I started sampling.  Oh, so dangerous!  We tried so many, they all started tasting the same.  I had one that had a cherry in it.  They have everything from coffee to durian.  

Taiwan Goodies!

 Small selection of goodies.  (Round ones are mochi)

 Peach jello treat in a bag.  Humm!

 Mochi treat (Red Bean and milk flavor)

 Red Bean mochi treat out of the wrapper (not too appealing, eh?)

The inside.  You can't judge a book by its cover.  This thing was tasty!

(I might have to go get more!)

So not only is it a public holiday (everyone has Monday and Tuesday off), but everyone has a celebration.  E's school had a big assembly today.  All of the Mandarin students performed either a song, poem, or skit.  Even the Mandarin teachers put on a show.  Not so bad actually, but sitting there in the smeltering heat for an hour at 9am wasn't too much fun.  (they don't have a/c in the common/assembly area)  Not sure how they get the kids to sit there an watch for that long either.

Was going to post a few videos of the performances, but they are way too long to share.  Instead, I'll end with a personal CNY message from E!

Want to know more about CNY or find out what your chinese symbol is check out

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_New_Year

(Thanks Wikipedia!  Not sure what I would do without you!)

A fun filled week!

First, did anyone notice that I changed the look of my blog?  And, the most important part is that I added a time clock.  Everyone is always asking what time it is here.  So, now you can just look at the blog and see the day, date and time.  Easy!  

Its been a busy couple of weeks since the hubby has been out of town.  E and I have been doing projects, visiting, and preparing for chinese new year.  We've been trying to fill our time with fun things to do.

Our first project was planting a garden.  A couple of weeks ago we went to a local garden store and got our supplies.  We also purchased a Malasyian lime tree or a calamansi tree.  So beautiful and full of fruit.  It is supposed to reproduce fruit and we hope it will!  It has lost some leaves, but we hope that is just because of the move to our balcony.  We've been watering daily as instructed.

So, we got our pots prepped and planted cucumber, zinnias, jalapenos, basil, and zucchini.  We still have tomatos, mint and some other flowers to plan.  Just need to get some additional supplies.  

Our pretty new lime tree all decked out for Chinese New Year!

In less than a week our tiny seeds have sprouted and are very happy in their new balcony home!  I am already dreaming of going out to my balcony and picking fresh vegetables.  One thing that brings so much joy.  It really is just the simple things.  These little plants somehow make me feel connected to my old life back in the US.

 Zucchini plants

Cucumber (left) and Zinnia (right)

Our little garden corner, complete with an American flag.

We've also been playing with Legos.  Aren't you excited?  We've branched out beyond the plans that came with the set and have built some pretty exciting things.  (or so se think!)

 Stable for our horse (notice the swinging door)

 Rapunzel's castle.  

See Flynn Ryder sitting on his horse at the bottom of the castle?

 Rapunzel looking out her window.

We even built it with a removable roof.

Rapunzel relaxing on her bed.  See the fireplace in the corner?

I think Mom had as much fun with this project as E did!

I also decided to try "hot yoga" for the first time this week.  I was a bit intimidated by the pure name of the class.  Not to mention, I haven't done yoga in several years.  But, in keeping with my New Year's resolution I needed to go!  So it wasn't as bad as I thought.  Yes, it was HOT!  But I didn't mind it.  For someone who doesn't sweat, I did!  Actually, it was kind of refreshing.  Crazy to think that when I walked outside it was cooler than it was in that room.  As I rode my bike home from my yoga class I was so much more aware of my surroundings.  I could hear the birds and the wind.  I just felt good!  Not a bad start.  Hopefully I can keep it up!  

Also, I have been meaning to show this to all of you.  A very popular thing here are outdoor exercise areas.  It baffles me why you would want to exercise in such humid heat, but a lot of locals do.  They have them in the parks, at most apartment buildings, and all over the place.  Here is what I am talking about:

This photo was taken later in the morning, but in the early morning and evening it is packed!

The place is even equipped with outdoor showers.  Although that seems kind of gross to me again it is very common here.

So, until next time.  I will have a great treat for you; we are heading to Chinatown for Chinese New Year this weekend.  I know it will be crazy, but we can't wait to see it!  We'll have lots of photos for you.

Happy New Year!

We're back!  It's been a month already since we left for our trip to the states, yet it really doesn't seem that long ago.  It has been a great month and, by the way, Happy New Year!


So, for everyone reading my blog for the first time I start with an apology!  I usually try to have my blog be fun and thought provoking, but today I just needed a place to vent!  I don't want to be the type of person that I always complaining to my "new" friends, so I decided to put out my frustrations here.  Oh well, again sorry.


First, let me start by saying that our trip to the states was great!  When we first got there it was cold and I loved it.  Hard to believe since I am the coldest person you will ever know.  Even here in Singapore I am wrapped up in a blanket when I watch TV.  The cool air was sooo refreshing.  It was so much fun wearing my boots and wool socks.  I just loved it!  It was also great seeing all of our friends and family.  That first week I realized how much I missed everything.  Conveniences, conveniences, conveniences!  I enjoyed my Target trips, Chick-fil-a, Taco Bell, dishwasher and just driving a car.  I almost got a little depressed thinking about the fact that it was so great to be back.  Singapore and the US just don't even compare!


The second week was all about seeing family.  We did our usual 6 hour drive to GA; remembering how long that drive can be.  Not to mention sitting in one place for that long after flying for 24 hours the week before wasn't easy.  My back was begging me to stop!  We had a great time visiting the hubby's family.  It was so nice having everyone around us.  Then it was 6 hours back to NC.  


By the 3rd week we were tired!  Driving and seeing everyone was becoming exhausting!  By that last week I was craving to be back home in Singapore.  Here we don't know many people and a lot of our time is spent just hanging out.  Since we don't have a regular sitter we don't do much as far as "going out".  I was amazed that I just wanted to get back and be back in "MY" life here.  


I think I am at a crossroads of really making Singapore my home.  I was just thinking the other day that maybe it is best to flexible and relish in the things that you have that aren't tied to where you are, but what makes things feel like home.  So this year will be about doing what I love to do.  Yes, there will be travel and new and exciting things, but with that there will be sewing projects and time together.  This year I am going to make bread!  Last year I had a bread maker, but this year I am going to do it all by myself!  For some reason it seems so intimidating to me, but I know it isn't that hard.  I have such wonderful memories of my Mom making bread every week.  I loved to watch her and be a part of it.  Those days are gone to most, but I really want that for myself and for E.  So, put that on my list of new years resolutions.  I also want to get back in shape.  If my painful back will cooperate, I think I can actually do this.  Might take me all year, but I will get there!


So, it is good to be back, but it is still hard some days.  Today is one of those days.  It is E's first day back to school (which you would think would be great).  I started the day with laundry.  E even said it was time as her laundry hamper was full.  So, I got started.  Remember, it takes several hours to do one load of laundry here.  I got the first load in and all went well till I put the machine on dry.  I must have missed something because before I knew it; it was washing that load all over again!  I caught it before it went too far.  Oh well, now laundry will take 3 days instead of 2.  I also began following up on all of our medical claims here.  Since we have been here E has had tons on asthma episodes.  She has been sick pretty much the entire time we have been here.  Yesterday the hubby brought home the rejection letters on our international insurance.  The max had been met on E's medication allowance.  We had only been here for 4 months!  Lord, what will the next year look like.  Thank God we kept our US insurance!  We will be carting back a bunch of meds with us from the US this summer.  With how the day was going, I decided that I would book a massage using a Groupon I had recently purchased.  Since the places here don't open until 11am or later I realized that I would never get to use it unless it was a weekend and the hubby was home or I got a sitter at $15+ an hour.  Oh well, yet another thing to work out.  Lastly, the hubby just left for Hong Kong today.  Then it is on to Bangkok and then London.  Another week and 1/2 as a single Mom.  Now I really need that massage!


Ok, I should feel lucky that we are all healthy and are having such an amazing opportunity, but I guess we all have days where nothing seems to be going right.  After writing it all down my frustrations seem petty and small.  I guess "life is just like a box of chocolates; you never know what you are going to get."


Happy New Year everyone!  And if this is the first time you have read; please come back!  It really helps to know all of you are out there reading.  And feel free to comment!
Miss you all!

James 1:2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.