Preschool Singapore Style

It is really hard to believe that we have officially been here a week now!  Although, it seems like we have been here much longer.  We have done so much that each day is an accomplishment.


E started school bright and early Monday morning!
We attended an orientation on Friday morning (our 2nd day here) and met her teacher and several of the other students in her class.  I could tell that the Eton house was going to be a great place for our family.  Friday evening we were invited to a "Sundowner" at the school.  I would call it a low key "happy hour" in US terms.  They provided snacks and drinks (yes, some alcohol too).  We met several other parents there and we seemed to congregate with those other newbies.  All of the "new to Singapore" families had their kids with them so we were all hanging out around the playground.  The other parents probably had their kids with a sitter or their live-in help.  We met people from all over the world!  Scotland, US, India, Australia.  It is most definitely a melting pot!


When Monday morning came around E was ready to go.  She hopped out of bed and completely got herself ready.  I was shocked!  She got dressed, brushed her hair (that's a big one), brushed her teeth and everything.  Just a little excited maybe?  Too bad that didn't continue the rest of this week.

E in her new Uniform

So, off to school we went!  We cabbed it the first day (good thing as it was raining) and E jumped right in.  (not surprising)  She was chatting with the others not long after we got there.

Day one of school was a huge success!

The rest of the week I walked E to and from school.  We got our expedite package Monday afternoon thank goodness as the BOB stroller was in there.  What a life saver!  Walking 3/4 of a mile with a 4 year old isn't much fun, especially if you are in a hurry.  

I must say, I really enjoy the walk.  On the way to school we talk about what she likes about school (playing in the kitchen there), what she did the day before, and what she is going to do at school that day.  It's nice to have that time to just chat.  The walk back home for me has been a nice meditative thing. I think about everything and think of things to write here.  I have found it a great way to start my day.  Elliot wants to start riding the bus and I have signed her up (starts in a couple of weeks), but I still think I might walk her 1 or 2 days a week.

So, the walk to school is a beautiful one.  It takes about 15 minutes at a decent pace.  We walk though a nice neighborhood.  Check out one of the houses we pass.  So cool!

Modern Singapore Home (our home isn't quite this big - ha, ha!)

We also pass a really nice playground (Arthur Park).  The city is very clean and they expect everyone to "do their part".  

Got to love these signs!

Isn't he cute! 

Being the pet lover that I am, these signs make me smile every time I pass them!

We make it to school and E joins her class.  Such a good morning.  

The Eton House International School

I will say it is pretty humid out and the walk to school leaves you sticky and hot, but I think I am actually getting used to it.  Just a smidgen.  The benefits of that morning walk far outweigh everything else!

早安

Singapore Life Tidbits

Well, we are on day 6 here in Singapore and we have learned a lot!  I wanted to let everyone know what things are like here and after just a few more weeks I will probably forget my first impressions.  So, here are some things that have been interesting!


Carseats - they don't use them here like they do in the US.  I'm not sure what the law is, but some people don't even use them in their own cars!  We have been cabbing it pretty much everywhere we can't walk and we put in E there without the carseat.  Not sure how you would do it when you have to shop and cab it everywhere.  Lugging a carseat with you everywhere would be next to impossible in some cases.  Several families that we met got a car just so that they could put their kids in carseats.  Not sure if I will get used to this!


Power - Not sure that every place is like ours, but in order to use an outlet you need to power on the outlet.  Every outlet has a power switch.  Strange when you are used to just plugging things in.  I'll need to do some sort of research on why this is.  The power outlets take a different kind of plug here as well.  They also have a different voltage, so even with an adapter any motorized things don't work.  We can charge out computers with an adapter, but can't run a hairdryer.  There are converters, but not  sure how they work or how well.  We don't have any, but could use one!


Drains - This may be a strange one to post, but to me it is fascinating.  So, all of the sinks etc. drain to another drain pipe in the floor of each room.  So for example there is a drain in the floor of the bathroom and the drain from the sink drains to that drain.  When you run water from the sink you can hear it in the drain on the floor.  (not sure I am explaining that well).  The other cool thing is that if you get water on the floor it all drains to the floor drain.  Last night I gave E a bath and she sprayed water all over the floor.  Since the floors are angled just a bit, all of the water drained down the drain.  I just had to clean up a few drops.  Kind of smart if you ask me!


Ovens - From what we are told ovens don't work very well here.  Has something to do with the humidity and the heating element.  Ours was fixed in the first few days and is working great.  They don't have big ovens here either.  Honestly, I'm not sure that some of my baking sheets will even fit in the oven here.  As long as we can make cookies I think we will be fine!  Although right now I am completely envious of my old neighbor Linda's new large double ovens!


Grocery Shopping - This is an interesting experience and I have only really done it once.  First, everything is very expensive!!  For example a box of Newman's Own popcorn is S$8.20 or $6.82 US.  Best to not buy the imported brands for sure!  The other strange thing is the name of the grocery stores.  The main one is called "Cold Storage".  That seems like such an odd name to me although I am sure if someone from here came to the south Harris Teeter and Piggy Wiggly would seem even stranger!  The good thing is that if you buy at least $100 - $150 worth of groceries they will deliver it!  Thank goodness since getting all that in a cab and up 14 stories would be a pain!


Clothing - I am sure that I will have a ton more to talk about here, but the one thing that amazes me is the fact that a lot of people wear jeans here.  In a climate that is constantly hot and humid it seems odd.  Not kidding, we were waiting in the queue (line) for the cab Friday in the middle of the day and at least half of the people were in jeans!  Maybe after our bodies get used to the climate we will be in jeans too.  Although, coming from a girl who typically doesn't sweat; I am sweating here!


No A/C - I am constantly amazing that there are many restaurants and stores that don't have A/C.  Much of the city is open air, meaning that everything is integrated with the outdoors.  In the US south everything is pretty closed off and air conditioned.  Everyone even opens their doors and windows in the cooler parts of the day here.  We tried that one morning, but within an hour I felt like I couldn't breathe and it was hot and stickly.  If you know me I am pretty cold natured, but this wasn't like what I know.  Put yourself at the beach in late August on the southeast coast with all of the doors and windows open.  That is pretty much the same.


Scents - Ok, I like nice smelling things as much as the next guy, but really!  Asians love scents!  I first noticed it on the plane.  I love those Singapore Air girls, not only are they beautiful, but they pay attention to every detail!  Although, they might need to lay off on the perfume.  Several had a lot on and different kinds.  Then as you walk around the city you notice that everyone wears some sort of scent.  I quit wearing perfume several years ago and now any scent about knocks me out.  The thought is that it is so hot here and deodorants don't work.  (That's my hubby's philosophy)  Although, I really doubt that the hubby will start wearing cologne.  Oh yeah, it's not just the perfume/cologne side of things.  There must be a thing about disinfectant here as well.  All of the soaps (hand soap etc)  all have this disinfectant smell.  The halls smell like it and all public places do.  Ok, a year ago I switched to all organic unscented cleaners and I know that clean doesn't have to smell that way.  Guess that philosophy didn't catch on here.  I guess I'll eventually get used to it.


Disclaimer:  These are just my perspective and are not meant to offend anyone.  Please take my comments with a grain of salt if you must.  (I felt that I needed to put this in here for some reason.)


That's pretty much what I see now.  I'll try to remember to post other interesting tidbits if anyone is interested.
Till later!

Moving to the other side of the world

It's hard to believe that two weeks ago we were packing up our stuff to ship over to Singapore.  So many changes in a couple of weeks!  So we did get our Singapore sea shipment off that Tuesday, just hoping that we didn't forget anything major.  Wednesday was the day from Hell I swear.  Not only did they pack the rest of the stuff, but they moved it to our uptown condo all in the same day!  It was an exhausting day.  Amazingly, by Friday we pretty much had mostly everything put away.  Good thing as we had to pack for our trip to Singapore on Tuesday 8/9.


We had 8 pieces of luggage to check on our way to Singapore.  Took some finagling to get all of our bags checked and on their way, but we did it!  Then it was off to Newark and then Singapore on an 18 1/2 hour flight. 

The flight was fairly uneventful.  E passed out as soon as we got on the plane, before we even took off.  She slept for at least 8 hours (yeah!).  Only 10 more hours to go.  The hubby also slept, but me? Oh no, I couldn't seem to get comfortable and the man snoring next to me didn't help.  I am sure that I got some shuteye, but not as much as I probably needed.  Lots of movies and some meals and  we were there.  It was pretty amazing actually that the time went as good as it did.  


Singapore Air is pretty nice!  They customized meals for E and the entire plane is nothing less than business class, so everyone has lots of space.  On demand movies, lots of snacks, and great amenities got us through.


We arrived at Changi International airport just before 6am.  We were pretty tired, but a cup of coffee helped.  We gathered our many bags and hung out for a bit (who is up at 6am?) then took a BIG cab to our new home.  Our agent met us there to get us the keys to our new place.  


By the time we got inside I was feeling the jet lag.  We met our new landlord Able, and I am sure that he thought there was something wrong with me.  (those crazy americans!)  I was so exhausted that I couldn't even focus my eyes.  We got our stuff inside and our agent took Scott to the grocery store.  That afternoon we all took a nap.  The kind of nap where your body doesn't even move because it is so wiped out!


Our agent also arranged for a mattress to be delivered that same day!  He is amazing!  So we ventured out for the first time that evening to get some bed linens and we were set.  By the way, Singapore beds are not the same size as they are here in the US.  They are actually 5 inches shorter here.   (Can't use US linens)  I thought it might be an issue, but it wasn't.  We were pretty comfortable, but I can't wait for my pillow to get here!  E liked her new bed on the sofa.   She slept pretty good until she woke up at about 2am.  It took about 3 days for her to adjust, but I think is adjusted now.


So, we survived and are in our new home!  Now we just need to figure everything else out!

Good Night Singapore!  (The view from our new home!)

My Library of Life in the Queen City

Well, time is ticking by and we have just about a week and  a half till we are on our way to Singapore. The movers come next week and this week has been filled with going through everything in the house and deciding where it goes.  (Singapore, uptown condo, trash or donate/give)  Word of advice to everyone, do not accumulate!  One day it will be your turn.  My new rule of thumb;  if you don't have a purpose for it currently, you don't need it.  (refer back to my post on stuff)

We also had our international immunizations this week.  Now that the hubby is feeling better he was cleared to get the shots. (ones that he probably needed a while ago)  Luckily, little E only had one to get.  They give a lot more shots now with childhood immunizations than they did when we were kids.  I had 2 and the hubby had 3 shots.  We are also taking Typhoid pills over the next week and the hubby has Malaria pills ready to take when he travels to India.  I didn't think the immunizations would be a big deal, but let me tell you, the day after I felt like a train hit me!  I dosed up on Tylenol and within 24 hours I felt better.  Thank God, for I still had a lot to do!

Not only has my week been filled with immunizations, sorting, purging, and packing up, I have been busy with gathering documentation and paperwork.  I have gotten the medical records for both the hubby and E.  Me on the other hand, I decided that I will have to use my own mind as my medical record.  Being in the healthcare industry, I should know how this all works, but to my demise I never really realized how proprietary everyone's data is.  Honestly, it is my data, but I guess they own it since they collected it.  I thought that the EMR (electronic medical record) would change that, but from what I understand it doesn't.  What I didn't know, was that each healthcare provider must release their own medical records.  That doesn't seem like a big deal till you realize how many doctors you have seen over the past 22 years in a city.  I couldn't possibly get records from everyone I have seen.

Speaking of 22 years, that is how long I have been here in the Queen City.  Amazing isn't it.  Am I really that old?  It doesn't seem that long ago that I left college and the small town I had lived in all of my life and pulled up in front of my new apartment with a small UHaul containing everything I own.  I had no furniture except a bed.  I was 21, young, naive, and wide eyed with a huge world in front of me.  That first summer I met some great people, some of which I still keep up with.  I love friends and I like to collect them like favorite books on a bookshelf.  I like to go back to them and read them every now and to reconnect.  And, when I have lost one of my favorites I am sad and long for that book so that I can feel it's comfort and enjoy it's company.  

22 years of a life well lived in a great city!  

This past week E and I visited a pottery painting studio.  We each painted something to take with us on our Singapore adventure.  And we surprised Daddy with a cool mug that E painted.  I made my own mug to commemorate my years spent here.  Now every time I drink out of it I will be reminded of the place I became an adult; where I learned to be a nurse, a banker, an IT specialist, a gardener, a scrapbooker, a cook, a handyman, a pet owner, a homeowner, a girlfriend, a wife, and a mother.  And became the adult I am today.

Life is a sum of all your choices. ~ Albert Camus

No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth.  ~ Robert Southey

A Blue Perspective

I looked up at her, not sure I understood anything that she was saying.  She said it with such conviction and intensity.  She was obviously moved by the words that she spoke to me.  I can usually tell what she is saying (most of the time).  We have spent so many years together that I don't remember life with out her in it.  


I could see the car was packed with everything and they were all ready to go, even the little one.  I went to the car door to take my place, but she didn't open it.  She just looked at me with tears in her eyes.  Why was she so upset?  I have seen her this way before many times, but she would always feel better and that smile would come back to her familiar face.  The one I know so well; the one that that looks at me like I am the best thing that happened to her.  I move to the other car door and it was closed too.  I see the little one in her seat through the window waving and saying something to me.  Her lips were moving, but I couldn't hear the sounds.  She doesn't seem to be upset.   


I turn from the window and look up at her.  She looks at me, gets down on her knees and holds my head with her hands, tears streaming down her face making that stuff around her eyes drip black down her cheeks.  Then I heard those familiar comforting words that she often says, "I love you Blue".  Then she said something else that I didn't understand and got in the car, closing the door.  
Wasn't I supposed to be in there?  
Wasn't that where she wanted me to be?


I watched the car drive away down the street.  As I watched her leave, I felt a hand on my head pet me.  I looked up and saw the old man smile and say "Come on Blue, let's go for a walk."  


My favorite words!

He never makes it his business to inquire whether you are in the right or wrong, never bothers as to whether you are going up or down life's ladder, never asks whether you are rich or poor, silly or wise, sinner or saint. You are his pal. That is enough for him.

Jerome K. Jerome

Roots

Hanging out in PA this weekend with my family has been great! When I'm here lots of memories come flooding back. Being the fact that we cleaned out some of my parent's house and having a 2 day yard sale seems to bring on even more memories. We came across so many things: 45 records that we listened to as kids, pans that my Grandma used to can with, and my first baseball mitt that all of my sisters and I used (we all signed it too!) As we sold, friends stopped by too! Some I hadn't seen in quite some time.

While sitting in church last evening waiting for mass to start my day reminded me that my friendships and The paths my life has taken reminded me of roots. Each path we take leads us to new experiences and new friends in our lives that ground us and and make us who we are. It all made me smile and realize that I was about to sprout a new root and branch out.

As I sat, I read the gospel reading of the day and I got chills. It was all about seeds growing roots! The gospel reading was the parable of the farmer who dropped seeds on the path. A bird picked up the seeds up and dropped them on rocky ground, within thorns and on fertile soil. On the rocky ground the seeds flourished and then quickly died when the sun became hot. The seeds in the thorns tried and tried to grow, but were constantly choked out by the invasive thorns. And the seeds on the fertile soil? Of course they grew and prospered. The seeds bore much fruit and established itself. Life is just like growing seeds!

It is so important for us to create fertile soil. With fertile soil as the foundation of our lives we have the best opportunities to grow, learn and branch out to places we never thought we would grow. Personally, having God in my life is my fertilizer. He feeds me and provides me with the things I need to make me grow strong, so that I can handle whatever life throws my way!

So, is your soil on rocky ground, within the thorns or where the seed can grow and prosper?

Matthew 13:1-23
"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field." (Matthew 13:24 CPDV)

Diagnosis, Home Sale, Moving Date, Blue - Whew that's enough!

Well, I know you all have been wondering how the Willis family is doing these days.  Much better!  Although, it has been a long couple of weeks we are moving right along and I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!


So, the diagnosis!
After much testing, the doctors have diagnosed the hubby with Mono.  No, he didn't have the typical symptoms, but all of his lab results point to this.  Not to mention, his most recent lab test revealed that he was positive for Parvo as well.  (they are retesting the Parvo part to make sure that it wasn't a false positive).  How the heck he got Mono I'm not sure.  We believe that all the travel he has been doing had something to do with it.  E and I are going to try and get tested today.  (Just to be on the safe side since he didn't have typical symptoms) The doctor recommended that he rest and not do any contact sports or bike riding for a while.  This will prove to be difficult for him for sure.  Not to mention that we can't kiss and he can't drink either!  The poor guy is going to have to find some sort of outlet.  Maybe yoga?  I keep telling him that he would really like it.  Not to mention it is something we can do together.  Time for a lifestyle change.  Not going to be easy for my outdoorsy guy!


Today the house goes on the market!  We have cleaned up, cleared out and make this place look picture perfect!  We are praying that the right person walks in the door and says "this is just what we are looking for"!  It is a great home and we will really miss it.  We have deliberated on the list price and we think we have priced it well.  Now we wait!


The big question these days is:  "When are you moving?"
We are working on that and don't have a set date yet, but do have a date range.  We are guessing that it will be sometime after August 11th and before September.  Elliot's school starts August 15th, but Scott isn't supposed to travel till mid August due to his illness.  As well, we need to get our immunizations before we go and can't travel for 2 weeks after we get them.  


The movers are coming to pack and move our stuff the first week of August.  We will have 2 moves.  One for Singapore and one for the local move to our uptown condo.  After that we will be unpacking and setting up the uptown condo.  We're pretty excited about that part.  We love the condo uptown and it is going to be fun decorating it.  The Singapore stuff will be shipped off in 2 shipments.  One: Expedite ship - which will take 2 - 3 weeks to arrive in Singapore.  This will be the things that we need right when we get there.  Two:  Container ship - this will take any where from 8 - 10 weeks.  We have decided to ship some of our furniture since that we have a place and determine what will fit and what will look good there. 


That means that we have the rest of July to enjoy our life here and continue to cull out the items in our house.  We still have a lot of stuff to go through and determine where it goes.  (condo, singapore, trash, donate, storage)  We make a visit to goodwill almost every week and I have started to sell some of the stuff that we can get rid of now.   


Tomorrow my sister, E and I will be taking Blue to go live with his Grandparents in Pennsylvania.  I have cried my tears and made my peace with him leaving.  I still get choked up when I think of him not being by my side, but we are ready!  Honestly, I think Blue is ready too.  This will be retirement for him.  A slower pace with quiet time and friends that will love him well!  I don't think it will really hit me though, till we pull away on Monday and head back home.  I think I pray for some strength on that one!  God knows I'll need it!


I would say that is enough!  It has been a crazy few weeks and I am ready to move forward.  Singapore awaits us with opportunity, adventure, and a new life!

“There are things that we never want to let go of, people we never want to leave behind. But keep in mind that letting go isn’t the end of the world, it’s the beginning of a new life.” — Anonymous