Matt and I had our first Mandarin lesson last night, and we actually learned how to say, "I
eat fish head curry," "You eat fish head curry," "He eats fish head curry," etc. The title of this post is the "I" form.
Who would have thunk that we would learn that in the first lesson?!
That's just about all we learned, unfortunately. We learned that there are four tones in Mandarin. We learned two ways to say angry, fanu being more angry than shengqi.
There were about 12 people in our class. It seemed as though they were all Singaporean other than us two and this other Anglo lady. Some of the people were Chinese and embarrassed that they didn't know Mandarin. The Indian lady assumed the Thai dudes were Chinese and couldn't figure out why they wouldn't already know Mandarin.
Other than Chinese...today was my last day of my two month long vacation. I am excited to start work, but I'm nervous. What if I forgot how to go to work everyday? Who's going to clean? Who will cook dinner? Who will shop? Do laundry? We might have to call Maria...
There's apparently a problem with my working papers. It appears that someone applied for a letter of consent to allow me to work back in April. If only I knew, I wouldn't have spent all that time looking for a job! The only problem is that the Office of Manpower said that the company didn't list their name with the application. I think it was probably just a mistake, but it's causing me problems! Now, rather than getting paid, I am volunteering my next three days. That sucks. I mean, I'm so happy to help the world.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Three Little Monkeys
Yesterday Matt and I went for a great walk in East Coast Park - out on the Bedok Jetty (which we would call a pier). Then we went up the park and ended up in Siglap, the area of shops and restaurants near our house. Matt got his hair cut at the barber that is pictured here. :)
BTW, did you see the story in the Sunday Times about emoticons? I'm totally into them.
Anyways, back to our exciting life...Today Matt took a day to hang out with his beautiful wife before her life totally changes and she starts working on Wednesday. We made sure to sleep past the bug guy and made it out of the house at the crack of 12:30. We took the MRT to Braddell, which is farther than I have traveled on the red line in the past (very exciting).
We found some Indian Muslim food. Th
at's really what it's called. And then we got in a cab to go to Mc Ritc
hie Reservoir Park. This was the first thing in Singapore that has not be super well marked and signed, but we found our way. It's basically a big lake (unclear as of yet if it's natural), and there are great paths and beautiful trees and wildlife around it. Other than Bukit Timah this is the first natural beauty I have seen here. Both Matt and I enjoyed it much more than Bukit Timah. We approached the start of the trail, and we saw a guy sitting on a bench, and he was surrounded by monkeys. That was very much just the beginning. Matt and I estimate that we saw between 30 an
d 50 monkeys. We saw amazing little slithering things called skinks (not to be confused with skanks). We saw at least 20 turtles and a whole lot of huge lizards. We ended up doing 10 km, and it took us about 2.5 hours. Other than the minor fear I had in the middle as the thunder erupted over and over again, it was so beautiful and way fun. There's also a treetop walk that we'll do sometime, but apparently it's closed on Mondays.
I am posting some pictures, but please click
here for the rest.
BTW, did you see the story in the Sunday Times about emoticons? I'm totally into them.
Anyways, back to our exciting life...Today Matt took a day to hang out with his beautiful wife before her life totally changes and she starts working on Wednesday. We made sure to sleep past the bug guy and made it out of the house at the crack of 12:30. We took the MRT to Braddell, which is farther than I have traveled on the red line in the past (very exciting).
We found some Indian Muslim food. Th
at's really what it's called. And then we got in a cab to go to Mc Ritc
hie Reservoir Park. This was the first thing in Singapore that has not be super well marked and signed, but we found our way. It's basically a big lake (unclear as of yet if it's natural), and there are great paths and beautiful trees and wildlife around it. Other than Bukit Timah this is the first natural beauty I have seen here. Both Matt and I enjoyed it much more than Bukit Timah. We approached the start of the trail, and we saw a guy sitting on a bench, and he was surrounded by monkeys. That was very much just the beginning. Matt and I estimate that we saw between 30 an
d 50 monkeys. We saw amazing little slithering things called skinks (not to be confused with skanks). We saw at least 20 turtles and a whole lot of huge lizards. We ended up doing 10 km, and it took us about 2.5 hours. Other than the minor fear I had in the middle as the thunder erupted over and over again, it was so beautiful and way fun. There's also a treetop walk that we'll do sometime, but apparently it's closed on Mondays.I am posting some pictures, but please click
here for the rest.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Knocked Up
Don't get excited. I'm not knocked up - just talking about the movie.
After organizing and re-organizing our stuff yesterday, we realized we don't have enough stuff to fill our home. We have many shelves and drawers, and too many are empty. How do people fill complete houses?
Last night we went to Vivo City, which is - yup - another mall. We met up with Matt's boss for a movie and dinner. He has four kids and a wife who are in the states, so he's left in a quiet house here in Singapore. We went to see Knocked Up. First of all, let me share a bit about the movie experience in Singapore.
1) You have assigned seats. In Israel you get assigned seats too, but there no one sits in their seats. Here, you must sit in your seats.
2) You can get first class movie tickets. You can then sit in more comfortable seats which recline, and you have waiters and waitresses who bring you food. There is much about having the right credit card, the fanciest car, the most expensive...and this fits right in.
3) It's freezing. I don't know if I've mentioned that it's hot here, but it is. When you go in the movie theater, though, you need a jumper, as they would say. It's really cold.
4) There were
about 25 minutes of commercials before the movie even started. They even have a commercial about how movie piracy is bad.
Anyways - we loved the movie. Matt and I both thought it was hilarious. It's stupid funny, and it also raises a lot of great issues that we think about often. What makes a good relationship/marriage? What changes in your life when you have kids? Do all of your hopes and dreams really go out the window? Can you tell that Matt and I aren't ready to have kids?
After the movie we went to this hilarious restaurant. Mostly what we talked about is how easy it is to have kids in Singapore, and how it's a great time/place to do it, since there's nothing else to do.
Back to the restaurant. It's called Imperial Herbal, and apparently it's involved in a great debate/business split. It was in a hotel, and the hotel got renovated, and then apparently the restaurant split between the owner and the chef. We went to the owner one (who claim to also have the chef). We actually sat in this hilarious lounge (our table is the one right under the photographer). It's a place that has herbal remedies and weird food. I had soup that is good for my complexion, and we also had some egg whites with dried scallops in a potato basket thing, and we had some tofu and eggplant. It was a pretty funny experience. Matt's boss, Dave is super nice. We had a great time with him.
Bad news for Matt. We realized that you CAN play Settlers of Catan with two people, and it's still pretty fun. It's definitely more based on luck and if your numbers come up, but it scratches my itch to play. Unfortunately for him, I made him play before the movie as well as until two in the morning. We probably shouldn't have opened that door...
We went to the Bedok Wet Market this morning, which is the wet market by our house. It has tons of fruits and vegetables as well as seafood, meat, chicken, Eddie Bower clothes, hawker stalls and just
about everything else. We got a huge bag of rambutan for $2 (sing). We got lots of other fruits too.
Then we saw Splinter!!! It was the first time I have seen her in a week and a half! I missed her. We played for a while.
My mom just got back from Mexico - visiting with our cousins there. She and all of her first cousins had a great time. I can't wait to hear about it.
After organizing and re-organizing our stuff yesterday, we realized we don't have enough stuff to fill our home. We have many shelves and drawers, and too many are empty. How do people fill complete houses?
Last night we went to Vivo City, which is - yup - another mall. We met up with Matt's boss for a movie and dinner. He has four kids and a wife who are in the states, so he's left in a quiet house here in Singapore. We went to see Knocked Up. First of all, let me share a bit about the movie experience in Singapore.
1) You have assigned seats. In Israel you get assigned seats too, but there no one sits in their seats. Here, you must sit in your seats.2) You can get first class movie tickets. You can then sit in more comfortable seats which recline, and you have waiters and waitresses who bring you food. There is much about having the right credit card, the fanciest car, the most expensive...and this fits right in.
3) It's freezing. I don't know if I've mentioned that it's hot here, but it is. When you go in the movie theater, though, you need a jumper, as they would say. It's really cold.
4) There were
about 25 minutes of commercials before the movie even started. They even have a commercial about how movie piracy is bad.Anyways - we loved the movie. Matt and I both thought it was hilarious. It's stupid funny, and it also raises a lot of great issues that we think about often. What makes a good relationship/marriage? What changes in your life when you have kids? Do all of your hopes and dreams really go out the window? Can you tell that Matt and I aren't ready to have kids?
After the movie we went to this hilarious restaurant. Mostly what we talked about is how easy it is to have kids in Singapore, and how it's a great time/place to do it, since there's nothing else to do.
Back to the restaurant. It's called Imperial Herbal, and apparently it's involved in a great debate/business split. It was in a hotel, and the hotel got renovated, and then apparently the restaurant split between the owner and the chef. We went to the owner one (who claim to also have the chef). We actually sat in this hilarious lounge (our table is the one right under the photographer). It's a place that has herbal remedies and weird food. I had soup that is good for my complexion, and we also had some egg whites with dried scallops in a potato basket thing, and we had some tofu and eggplant. It was a pretty funny experience. Matt's boss, Dave is super nice. We had a great time with him.
Bad news for Matt. We realized that you CAN play Settlers of Catan with two people, and it's still pretty fun. It's definitely more based on luck and if your numbers come up, but it scratches my itch to play. Unfortunately for him, I made him play before the movie as well as until two in the morning. We probably shouldn't have opened that door...
We went to the Bedok Wet Market this morning, which is the wet market by our house. It has tons of fruits and vegetables as well as seafood, meat, chicken, Eddie Bower clothes, hawker stalls and just
about everything else. We got a huge bag of rambutan for $2 (sing). We got lots of other fruits too.Then we saw Splinter!!! It was the first time I have seen her in a week and a half! I missed her. We played for a while.
My mom just got back from Mexico - visiting with our cousins there. She and all of her first cousins had a great time. I can't wait to hear about it.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Landlords
After playing tennis (I won 6-2, 4-2, and then we had to stop, because our hour was up) this morning, and then making yummy omelettes, our landlords came over. It was hilarious.
They are a super nice couple. They used to live in this apartment, but it seems as though she didn't like how far she had to walk to get places - Singaporeans hate walking - so they moved a few minutes away. She had so much energy and was giving me tons of advice.
She told me to relax about how some of the furniture isn't in perfect condition. They won't charge us for it.
She told me to go to the air con at the club house to read the newpaper or a book (then I don't have to waste my own air con). This reminded me a lot of my grandparents and their place in Florida.
She told me about some of the churches in the area, and she had literally never heard of a Jew. She could not comprehend stopping at the end of the Old Testament. Not believing in Jesus?? WHAT??!!
She told me about renting the multi-purpose room at the clubhouse for our parties. I don't think we know more than ten people in Singapore. I'm pretty sure they can fit in our apartment.
She invited us over for dinner, and her husband invited us out for seafood at the beach.
They were hilarious.
It's raining for the fifth day in a row (at least). I love rain here. Yay.
They are a super nice couple. They used to live in this apartment, but it seems as though she didn't like how far she had to walk to get places - Singaporeans hate walking - so they moved a few minutes away. She had so much energy and was giving me tons of advice.
She told me to relax about how some of the furniture isn't in perfect condition. They won't charge us for it.
She told me to go to the air con at the club house to read the newpaper or a book (then I don't have to waste my own air con). This reminded me a lot of my grandparents and their place in Florida.
She told me about some of the churches in the area, and she had literally never heard of a Jew. She could not comprehend stopping at the end of the Old Testament. Not believing in Jesus?? WHAT??!!
She told me about renting the multi-purpose room at the clubhouse for our parties. I don't think we know more than ten people in Singapore. I'm pretty sure they can fit in our apartment.
She invited us over for dinner, and her husband invited us out for seafood at the beach.
They were hilarious.
It's raining for the fifth day in a row (at least). I love rain here. Yay.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Unreasonably Disheveled
It's been raining all day. I actually love rain in Singapore, because it means that it's not outrageously hot. But...I can't understand that when it does rain - why I am always disheveled, and no one else is!?
I am always slipping all over the place (nearly fell twice today), wet and uncomfortable, and generally internally bitchy. On the MRT today, my umbrella was dripping all over the floor. It was POURING outside. Maybe 8% of the people in the train had umbrellas, and they were all dry! There were no other drops of water on the floor of the train. I don't understand!
Also, when it's sunny, why is it that I'm always sweating my ass off, and everyone else just goes about their business? By the time I get to the MRT, I want to chop off my hair, strip off my clothes, and jump into a cold pool. Obviously people can see all the sweat dripping down my back. Why does no one else have it? How do all of these ladies have long, heavy hair, and they all wear it down everyday!?
I think that in New York it's okay to look disheveled. No one really looks at you. No matter how disheveled I looked in New York, I still looked like one of the most normal people on the Subway. There is always someone lookin' a little worse. In Singapore this is not the case. Everyone is well dressed. There's never that smelly guy. No one even lights up a cigarette on the subway - EVER. I don't know if those people exist in Singapore. Maybe they all live far off the MRT lines.
In addition to my observations of my maiming of the train, I also spotted a goiter. I'm really almost sure it was a goiter. I saw one in my science book in Mrs. Parker's biology class in 9th grade. It was my first live goiter. I figured this guy has some sort of high blood pressure and therefore can't have ANY salt, and apparently nothing else has iodine in it.
My last observation on the train was a woman who had a constantly disapproving look, and it really looked a lot like the look my Bubby used to have. She was just looking at everyone and disapproving about something they were doing/wearing/thinking.
I am always slipping all over the place (nearly fell twice today), wet and uncomfortable, and generally internally bitchy. On the MRT today, my umbrella was dripping all over the floor. It was POURING outside. Maybe 8% of the people in the train had umbrellas, and they were all dry! There were no other drops of water on the floor of the train. I don't understand!
Also, when it's sunny, why is it that I'm always sweating my ass off, and everyone else just goes about their business? By the time I get to the MRT, I want to chop off my hair, strip off my clothes, and jump into a cold pool. Obviously people can see all the sweat dripping down my back. Why does no one else have it? How do all of these ladies have long, heavy hair, and they all wear it down everyday!?
I think that in New York it's okay to look disheveled. No one really looks at you. No matter how disheveled I looked in New York, I still looked like one of the most normal people on the Subway. There is always someone lookin' a little worse. In Singapore this is not the case. Everyone is well dressed. There's never that smelly guy. No one even lights up a cigarette on the subway - EVER. I don't know if those people exist in Singapore. Maybe they all live far off the MRT lines.
In addition to my observations of my maiming of the train, I also spotted a goiter. I'm really almost sure it was a goiter. I saw one in my science book in Mrs. Parker's biology class in 9th grade. It was my first live goiter. I figured this guy has some sort of high blood pressure and therefore can't have ANY salt, and apparently nothing else has iodine in it.
My last observation on the train was a woman who had a constantly disapproving look, and it really looked a lot like the look my Bubby used to have. She was just looking at everyone and disapproving about something they were doing/wearing/thinking.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
The Oven is Arriving
When I got to Singapore there were a lot of new things. I came in a cab that drove on the other side of the road, to a new complex, in a new (HOT) place...it was all new. When I came into our apartment for the first time, it actually looked really comfortable to me. The furniture was okay, the bathrooms were big and complete, there was a lot of natural light. All in all, I was very fine. When I went to see the kitchen for the first time, however, I looked around, and I asked Matt, "Where is the oven?" He said, "Hm. I don't know. I guess I didn't look for one."
Apparently most Chinese people don't use ovens, since just about everything is fried, so most Chinese kitchens don't have ovens. Hm...
We had decided to keep a vegetarian kitchen while we were here. This choice was confirmed by my earlier prawn experience. I guessed that most of the baking I did was probably chicken, so we would be fine. We probably would be fine...if we wanted to do without roasted potatoes, crispy tofu, banana bread, pies, kugels and lasagna. Turns out we're not so interested. We miss them. We bought a small oven, and it's on it's way to its new home in our kitchen.
Yesterday I finished an amazing book that my brother suggested to me. It's called A Fine Balance, and I HIGHLY suggest it. The characters were so colo(u)rful, and the book is able to be interpreted on so many different levels. It makes me want to go to India, and it makes me never want to go to India.
Last night we went to dinner with Arkadi - the guy who we met on the diving trip who sent us the pictures. We're planning our next dive trip. We'll have to figure it out well, since he doesn't get vacation days, and I start my job on Wednesday and don't have a ton of vacation days...It will probably be in northern Malaysia, and island in Thailand, Bali or the Philippines. I don't think we can lose between those choices.
Today a woman from the Jewish community was nice enough to have me and another woman who's new to the community over for a visit. She told us a bit about the community and ways we can get involved. Sounds like wonderful people and good stuff going on - but not too much. Then I met Matt for lunch and we had AMAZING Indian food at a food market by his work. Then I went to get diving advice from the dive shop. They're so nice.
Apparently most Chinese people don't use ovens, since just about everything is fried, so most Chinese kitchens don't have ovens. Hm...
We had decided to keep a vegetarian kitchen while we were here. This choice was confirmed by my earlier prawn experience. I guessed that most of the baking I did was probably chicken, so we would be fine. We probably would be fine...if we wanted to do without roasted potatoes, crispy tofu, banana bread, pies, kugels and lasagna. Turns out we're not so interested. We miss them. We bought a small oven, and it's on it's way to its new home in our kitchen.
Yesterday I finished an amazing book that my brother suggested to me. It's called A Fine Balance, and I HIGHLY suggest it. The characters were so colo(u)rful, and the book is able to be interpreted on so many different levels. It makes me want to go to India, and it makes me never want to go to India.
Last night we went to dinner with Arkadi - the guy who we met on the diving trip who sent us the pictures. We're planning our next dive trip. We'll have to figure it out well, since he doesn't get vacation days, and I start my job on Wednesday and don't have a ton of vacation days...It will probably be in northern Malaysia, and island in Thailand, Bali or the Philippines. I don't think we can lose between those choices.
Today a woman from the Jewish community was nice enough to have me and another woman who's new to the community over for a visit. She told us a bit about the community and ways we can get involved. Sounds like wonderful people and good stuff going on - but not too much. Then I met Matt for lunch and we had AMAZING Indian food at a food market by his work. Then I went to get diving advice from the dive shop. They're so nice.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Pictures from our trip to Malaysia
We forgot our camera when we went to Pulau Dayang two 
weekends ago. Our friend, Arkadi sent us his pictures. I am uploading a few here, but to see the rest, please click 
here.
weekends ago. Our friend, Arkadi sent us his pictures. I am uploading a few here, but to see the rest, please click 
here.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Matt Quoted all Over the Place
We all know that Matt is smart, fun, cute, and even sometimes funny. Did you know, though, that he is also famous!?Christian told us last week that he saw Matt quoted in the Wall Street Journal. With a little more snooping (okay, googling), I saw that during the week of July 9th, regarding the economy in Singapore, he was also quoted in the following media (all links to his reference):
The Daily Times (paper in Pakistan)
Fresh Plaza (for people who grow fruits and veggies)
Fund Supermart (for people to make better investment decisions)
Yahoo News Asia
Bahrain Tribune
Quoted in Bahasa by some paper in Indonesia
I'm so proud!!!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Bangkok
WARNING:
This is long.
This may contain content that is unsuitable for children under the age of 13.
Our weekend in Bangkok was a weekend of firsts.
It was the first time...
Melanie was in Thailand.
Matt went to a Thai/Chinese wedding.
Melanie had a massage.
Matt and Melanie saw women shoot ping pong balls out of their vaginas.
We met up with Christian, Vi, Maichi and Payton in the Bangkok airport. It was a SAIS (Matt's grad school) reunion of sorts. We were all there for John and Veena's wedding. John and Veena met at SAIS, and they essentially invited any of their friends from the region to their wedding. We met up with Linda, another SAISer who lives in Bangkok, and we had our first Thai meal in Thailand.
We then checked into our hotel and went to get our massages. We had signed up for the Thai Traditional Massage - all six of us in the same room (Linda had to go back to work). I was scared out of my mind. They said that for the Thai massage your whole body gets twisted and rubbed and pulled. It was true. They start with the feet and move their way up. It is sort of like someone is doing yoga for you - with your body. I obviously hated the beginning, because my feet are so ticklish that I have a hard time putting sandals on myself, but when we were deep into it and I was trying to get myself to think about something pleasant, I realized that I wasn't enjoying it (though I really tried!). I think I just don't like to be touched, since I jumped each time she went to a new part. Matt enjoyed it, and I think he may have even fallen asleep during the back part. All in all, we were there for two hours, and my calves hurt so much at the end I didn't know how I was going to put on heels for the wedding!
After the massage, we took the BTS Sky Train back to the hotel. (If you click on that link, you should know t
hat the Thai love their king, and their king loves yellow). We got a chance to relax AND play one game of Settlers of Catan before the wedding. At the wedding, John and Veena looked like they were having a great time, and we got to see/meet lots of SAIS people. Since we had gotten 3 (Matt) and 4 (me) hours of sleep the night before, we crashed.
Saturday, Christian, Matt and I woke up at 10 to 6 and went out to the Damnoen Saduak floating market - about two hours outside of Bangkok. We took a boat through the winding channels. The truth is that it was really fill
ed with tourists (I would say about 70% of the people were not from there), but the idea of it was really neat. The people there live on canals, and they all get around by boat - the customers and the shop owners. The fruits were just beautiful. I thought of my brother who appreciates amazing fruits and Tom, Matt's dad, who loves rambutan.
Matt and I then went to Khao San Road, which is the center for backpackers who stay in Bangkok. (We were staying in the Four Seasons for a treat of a weekend!). We got some lunch in this veggie a
lley. It was such great food, and it was about $2 American. I love cheap, good food. We saw about a thousand Israelis, lots of the clothes that the Israelis who travel to Thailand wear when they get back to Israel, and Matt got felafel. We walked in the crazy heat to the Grand Palace. I didn't have any pants or long skirts in Thailand, so I was able to borrow one at the entrance. This is one of the most important places in the world for Buddhists, so it was important to show respect. The architecture was absolutely amazing. The colors, the different designs, the detail - it was mind blowing. We got to see the Emerald Buddha, who was a little guy on top of a lot of gold detail. The whole complex was just overwhelming.
When we tried to get a cab out of there, none of the
m would put on the meter, and they would say, "200 bhat plus one stop." Apparently they like to take you to shops where they get commission if the tourists buy things. We had to walk for about ten minu
tes before we could find an honest taxi!
We had a chance to relax and enjoy the pool and hotel for a few hours. Again, we were beat from waking up so early. It was three out of four days that Matt woke up before six!
We then met Phu, Ryce, Vi, Maichi, Linda, Adam and Christian for dinner. Ryce is Thai and just ordered a whole lot of food for us all. It was unbelievable. We ate great curries, noodles, fish, shrimp, and I can't even remember what else - but it was all so tasty! We then headed over to Phat Pong, which is the gross area of Bangkok (according to Melanie, but Matt would just say that it's local culture and I shouldn't impose my judgement). I had wanted to see these Thai girl shows where they do crazy things with their vaginas. I feared that it would be disturbing, but I was so curious (and Matt seemed to be flexible about the issue), that I figured I might as well check it out. We went into the back alleys, and there were TONS of strip clubs/show joints. It reminded me a bit of the Red Light District in Amsterdam, but it was much more like Time Square. We chose one, walked up the stairs, and there were about 8 women dancing topless around poles. Before too long (we must have stayed about 20 minutes), we saw the following "tricks":
1) A woman shot a ping pong ball out of her vagina.
2) A woman blew a whistle with her vagina.
3) A woman blew darts out of her vagina to pop balloons in the air.
4) A woman blew out candles on a cake...with her vagina. Yeah, people were singing happy birthday.
5) A woman pulled out a string of razor blades from her vagina.
I need to learn more about this trade in Thailand. The truth is that it was pretty impressive (granted I had never even thought to try those things...it seemed like it wasn't the easiest thing to do!). If this is a good way to make a living, and these women can leave when they want, then I'm happy for them. If they, though, get taken by pimps at young ages and aren't able to leave, or they don't get much of the money that people spend at the bars, then it is absolutely not okay. All in all, Matt was amused, but not in love, and I was very uncomfortable. We then went to a bar close by, and it was a much nicer atmosphere. We met up there with Heather and Jeremy, Heather being a SAISer too. Then we went to another bar on a roof top on the 64th floor. The view was pretty cool, but we had a person who didn't have the right shoes, so they wouldn't let him in. I hate places like that - where you have to wear the right clothes and be that cool to be let in. Give me a break. We're not that important - and neither are you.
Finally, we went to another bar that was close to our hotel. It had a great atmosphere, live music, and a 5o something year old lady who was dancing her ass off! It was hilarious. We then crashed again.
Sunday we met up with another SAISer, Noy. She and her husband, just bought a beautiful house in Bangkok. We ate more Thai food and got to see her pad. Then we went off to the airport...
All in all, I would love to go back to Bangkok. Near our hotel I didn't get the best feeling of the city, but once we started walking around in other areas, it is so clear how rich the culture is (and how good the food is!). There is just so much to explore. It was interesting to me to see how different Bangkok is from Singapore. It is just so clean and organized here. The language thing is also something I appreciate more now that I'm back in Singapore. I didn't realize how easy we had it! In addition, since we came home, we have seen that there are violent protests in Bangkok over the current prime minister situation. We had no idea while we were there!
In other, but unhappy news, our phone company that gave us our American phone went out of business. It is possible that we will no longer have a phone soon. I'll keep you posted.
Click here for the complete album of pictures from our weekend.
This is long.
This may contain content that is unsuitable for children under the age of 13.
Our weekend in Bangkok was a weekend of firsts.
It was the first time...
Melanie was in Thailand.
Matt went to a Thai/Chinese wedding.
Melanie had a massage.
Matt and Melanie saw women shoot ping pong balls out of their vaginas.
We met up with Christian, Vi, Maichi and Payton in the Bangkok airport. It was a SAIS (Matt's grad school) reunion of sorts. We were all there for John and Veena's wedding. John and Veena met at SAIS, and they essentially invited any of their friends from the region to their wedding. We met up with Linda, another SAISer who lives in Bangkok, and we had our first Thai meal in Thailand.
We then checked into our hotel and went to get our massages. We had signed up for the Thai Traditional Massage - all six of us in the same room (Linda had to go back to work). I was scared out of my mind. They said that for the Thai massage your whole body gets twisted and rubbed and pulled. It was true. They start with the feet and move their way up. It is sort of like someone is doing yoga for you - with your body. I obviously hated the beginning, because my feet are so ticklish that I have a hard time putting sandals on myself, but when we were deep into it and I was trying to get myself to think about something pleasant, I realized that I wasn't enjoying it (though I really tried!). I think I just don't like to be touched, since I jumped each time she went to a new part. Matt enjoyed it, and I think he may have even fallen asleep during the back part. All in all, we were there for two hours, and my calves hurt so much at the end I didn't know how I was going to put on heels for the wedding!
After the massage, we took the BTS Sky Train back to the hotel. (If you click on that link, you should know t
hat the Thai love their king, and their king loves yellow). We got a chance to relax AND play one game of Settlers of Catan before the wedding. At the wedding, John and Veena looked like they were having a great time, and we got to see/meet lots of SAIS people. Since we had gotten 3 (Matt) and 4 (me) hours of sleep the night before, we crashed.Saturday, Christian, Matt and I woke up at 10 to 6 and went out to the Damnoen Saduak floating market - about two hours outside of Bangkok. We took a boat through the winding channels. The truth is that it was really fill
ed with tourists (I would say about 70% of the people were not from there), but the idea of it was really neat. The people there live on canals, and they all get around by boat - the customers and the shop owners. The fruits were just beautiful. I thought of my brother who appreciates amazing fruits and Tom, Matt's dad, who loves rambutan.Matt and I then went to Khao San Road, which is the center for backpackers who stay in Bangkok. (We were staying in the Four Seasons for a treat of a weekend!). We got some lunch in this veggie a
lley. It was such great food, and it was about $2 American. I love cheap, good food. We saw about a thousand Israelis, lots of the clothes that the Israelis who travel to Thailand wear when they get back to Israel, and Matt got felafel. We walked in the crazy heat to the Grand Palace. I didn't have any pants or long skirts in Thailand, so I was able to borrow one at the entrance. This is one of the most important places in the world for Buddhists, so it was important to show respect. The architecture was absolutely amazing. The colors, the different designs, the detail - it was mind blowing. We got to see the Emerald Buddha, who was a little guy on top of a lot of gold detail. The whole complex was just overwhelming.When we tried to get a cab out of there, none of the
m would put on the meter, and they would say, "200 bhat plus one stop." Apparently they like to take you to shops where they get commission if the tourists buy things. We had to walk for about ten minu
tes before we could find an honest taxi!We had a chance to relax and enjoy the pool and hotel for a few hours. Again, we were beat from waking up so early. It was three out of four days that Matt woke up before six!
We then met Phu, Ryce, Vi, Maichi, Linda, Adam and Christian for dinner. Ryce is Thai and just ordered a whole lot of food for us all. It was unbelievable. We ate great curries, noodles, fish, shrimp, and I can't even remember what else - but it was all so tasty! We then headed over to Phat Pong, which is the gross area of Bangkok (according to Melanie, but Matt would just say that it's local culture and I shouldn't impose my judgement). I had wanted to see these Thai girl shows where they do crazy things with their vaginas. I feared that it would be disturbing, but I was so curious (and Matt seemed to be flexible about the issue), that I figured I might as well check it out. We went into the back alleys, and there were TONS of strip clubs/show joints. It reminded me a bit of the Red Light District in Amsterdam, but it was much more like Time Square. We chose one, walked up the stairs, and there were about 8 women dancing topless around poles. Before too long (we must have stayed about 20 minutes), we saw the following "tricks":
1) A woman shot a ping pong ball out of her vagina.
2) A woman blew a whistle with her vagina.
3) A woman blew darts out of her vagina to pop balloons in the air.
4) A woman blew out candles on a cake...with her vagina. Yeah, people were singing happy birthday.
5) A woman pulled out a string of razor blades from her vagina.
I need to learn more about this trade in Thailand. The truth is that it was pretty impressive (granted I had never even thought to try those things...it seemed like it wasn't the easiest thing to do!). If this is a good way to make a living, and these women can leave when they want, then I'm happy for them. If they, though, get taken by pimps at young ages and aren't able to leave, or they don't get much of the money that people spend at the bars, then it is absolutely not okay. All in all, Matt was amused, but not in love, and I was very uncomfortable. We then went to a bar close by, and it was a much nicer atmosphere. We met up there with Heather and Jeremy, Heather being a SAISer too. Then we went to another bar on a roof top on the 64th floor. The view was pretty cool, but we had a person who didn't have the right shoes, so they wouldn't let him in. I hate places like that - where you have to wear the right clothes and be that cool to be let in. Give me a break. We're not that important - and neither are you.
Finally, we went to another bar that was close to our hotel. It had a great atmosphere, live music, and a 5o something year old lady who was dancing her ass off! It was hilarious. We then crashed again.
Sunday we met up with another SAISer, Noy. She and her husband, just bought a beautiful house in Bangkok. We ate more Thai food and got to see her pad. Then we went off to the airport...
All in all, I would love to go back to Bangkok. Near our hotel I didn't get the best feeling of the city, but once we started walking around in other areas, it is so clear how rich the culture is (and how good the food is!). There is just so much to explore. It was interesting to me to see how different Bangkok is from Singapore. It is just so clean and organized here. The language thing is also something I appreciate more now that I'm back in Singapore. I didn't realize how easy we had it! In addition, since we came home, we have seen that there are violent protests in Bangkok over the current prime minister situation. We had no idea while we were there!
In other, but unhappy news, our phone company that gave us our American phone went out of business. It is possible that we will no longer have a phone soon. I'll keep you posted.
Click here for the complete album of pictures from our weekend.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Two Apartments...In One
If we were making Aliyah to Singapore, then our lift would have come today. Since we just moved here, our shipment that went over sea came today. We kind of forgot that we were still getting all this furniture, and we were quite satisfied with what we had. Oops. Now we have an extra queen sized bed, an extra kitchen table, three extra book shelves, four extra chairs and a nice leather recliner. We'll have to figure it out. If we ever move out of our totally furnished apartment into our own place, then we'll be set (if it's 400 sq feet and we're okay with it looking like a college dorm room - and our apartment in NYC).
Matt had a good day in KL yesterday. He had successful meetings and enjoyed business class and talking to his nice boss.
Today I went to my new job to meet with the president. She said that the hiring has to pass the exec committee, which is meeting next Thursday, but she said that basically I'm hired. We're working out some sort of deal with salary and vacation. I will be taking more than a 60% pay cut regardless (which is NUTS!), and the cost of living actually isn't much less here than it was in NYC! She was really inspirational, and I can't wait to get to know her more and meet the other women who are involved. The organization is really exciting, and the two people I have met who work
there are really nice. They're also redoing my job description to make it more appropriate for my skills and experience. It was a bit more entry level than I am, and I'm excited about the changes. I'll see the final next week. I should start August 1st.
Sarah Goldfein came over for lunch. We had a big salad. It was good, and it was so good to see her again. She is leaving Singapore tonight, though, so no more Sarah. :(
I gave Splinter a red ball (like something a kid would glue on a mother's day card) to play with, and she went nuts. It was so cute. I think I might be in love with her. I don't like it, though, when she sneaks into our house...I video taped her playing with the fuzzy ball, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to upload video to the computer. After googlin
g, apparently I'm not the only one, but I think there's a solution (I just have to find it...).
Back at the homestead (Michigan), my mother just got back from a trip with a couple of Random Railies (okay, cousins from Israel) to Niagara Falls and Toronto. They seemed to have had a great time.
Matt and I are heading to Bangkok tomorrow morning, so there will be no blogging until Sunday night/Monday.
Matt had a good day in KL yesterday. He had successful meetings and enjoyed business class and talking to his nice boss.
Today I went to my new job to meet with the president. She said that the hiring has to pass the exec committee, which is meeting next Thursday, but she said that basically I'm hired. We're working out some sort of deal with salary and vacation. I will be taking more than a 60% pay cut regardless (which is NUTS!), and the cost of living actually isn't much less here than it was in NYC! She was really inspirational, and I can't wait to get to know her more and meet the other women who are involved. The organization is really exciting, and the two people I have met who work
there are really nice. They're also redoing my job description to make it more appropriate for my skills and experience. It was a bit more entry level than I am, and I'm excited about the changes. I'll see the final next week. I should start August 1st.Sarah Goldfein came over for lunch. We had a big salad. It was good, and it was so good to see her again. She is leaving Singapore tonight, though, so no more Sarah. :(
I gave Splinter a red ball (like something a kid would glue on a mother's day card) to play with, and she went nuts. It was so cute. I think I might be in love with her. I don't like it, though, when she sneaks into our house...I video taped her playing with the fuzzy ball, but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to upload video to the computer. After googlin
g, apparently I'm not the only one, but I think there's a solution (I just have to find it...).Back at the homestead (Michigan), my mother just got back from a trip with a couple of Random Railies (okay, cousins from Israel) to Niagara Falls and Toronto. They seemed to have had a great time.
Matt and I are heading to Bangkok tomorrow morning, so there will be no blogging until Sunday night/Monday.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Melanie Employed!!!
I got the job offer from AWARE. I am so happy!!!
They're a great organization, and I can't wait to be a part of it.
Matt flew off to Kuala Lumpur today for work. He's very fancy.
Happy day here in Singapore!!!
They're a great organization, and I can't wait to be a part of it.
Matt flew off to Kuala Lumpur today for work. He's very fancy.
Happy day here in Singapore!!!
The Trailing Spouse
I went to a presentation last week on Trailing Spouses. They are people that follow their spouse to another place (in her presentation it was about international placements) for their work.
The presentation was part of a professional women's group here in Singapore - nearly all ex-pats. I had no idea what I was signing up for, but the topic looked pretty applicable, and I have taken every opportunity possible to meet new people and find new networks for job opportunities. Thank the goodliness that I wore a skirt. When I got there (it was at the shmancy American Club, I should have known...) I saw that it was a cloth napkin, chair cover dinner. Anytime you have knives here or napkins, you know you're in for something good. I thought it was just some academic talking. The food was excellent. I met some nice ladies at my table. A woman told me a story about how she accidentally toasted a gecko in her toaster and then ate the toast only to realize later that it must have had essence of roasted gecko. That was funny.
Anyways...the presentation. The woman who presented had herself been a trailing spouse in Chicago eight years ago. She's Aussie. She is still a trailing spouse, but at least she is a trailing spouse with a phd.
I learned:
Most women who trail their husbands are unhappy. Most are really bitter towards their husbands.
5% of women are able to work in a job that that is within their predetermined career while they're on location.
Most women who are happy work, and many start their own businesses or write or do something else that is portable.
Most wake up around 9 months and freak out.
30% had masters degrees or higher.
84% previously had careers.
80 something % of international postings fail. The number one reason for them failing is "family issues" or "family not fitting into host country." When companies consider relocating someone abroad, the 9th item that they consider is whether or not the family would be a good fit.
I could go on - it was SUPER interesting, but SUPER depressing. I have to think that I'm not like most of those spouses in that I tend to do something when I'm unhappy. I'm not one to wallow or be a victim, so I think that puts me at an advantage. I am also luckier than most, because we are in Singapore, which is English speaking, I can get a work permit, and it's generally really accepting of foreigners.
All in all, I think we'll be okay.
I did, however, have about an hour when I was planning my flight home...
The presentation was part of a professional women's group here in Singapore - nearly all ex-pats. I had no idea what I was signing up for, but the topic looked pretty applicable, and I have taken every opportunity possible to meet new people and find new networks for job opportunities. Thank the goodliness that I wore a skirt. When I got there (it was at the shmancy American Club, I should have known...) I saw that it was a cloth napkin, chair cover dinner. Anytime you have knives here or napkins, you know you're in for something good. I thought it was just some academic talking. The food was excellent. I met some nice ladies at my table. A woman told me a story about how she accidentally toasted a gecko in her toaster and then ate the toast only to realize later that it must have had essence of roasted gecko. That was funny.
Anyways...the presentation. The woman who presented had herself been a trailing spouse in Chicago eight years ago. She's Aussie. She is still a trailing spouse, but at least she is a trailing spouse with a phd.
I learned:
Most women who trail their husbands are unhappy. Most are really bitter towards their husbands.
5% of women are able to work in a job that that is within their predetermined career while they're on location.
Most women who are happy work, and many start their own businesses or write or do something else that is portable.
Most wake up around 9 months and freak out.
30% had masters degrees or higher.
84% previously had careers.
80 something % of international postings fail. The number one reason for them failing is "family issues" or "family not fitting into host country." When companies consider relocating someone abroad, the 9th item that they consider is whether or not the family would be a good fit.
I could go on - it was SUPER interesting, but SUPER depressing. I have to think that I'm not like most of those spouses in that I tend to do something when I'm unhappy. I'm not one to wallow or be a victim, so I think that puts me at an advantage. I am also luckier than most, because we are in Singapore, which is English speaking, I can get a work permit, and it's generally really accepting of foreigners.
All in all, I think we'll be okay.
I did, however, have about an hour when I was planning my flight home...
Monday, July 16, 2007
Pulau Dayang
Matt and I are very glad we are not and never were refugees that had to travel with too many people on a scary boat in the middle of the night.
Friday evening we met a bunch of people at the dive shop near Matt's office. Though Singapore is about 26 miles wide, and 12 miles long, and we were going from the south to the north, AND it takes less than a half hour to get anywhere in Singapore, it took us about two hours to get to the Malaysian border. Once you get close, you see hundreds of people getting off their buses and walking towards the border. It actually was pretty orderly, but it was funny to see so many people walking through - not exactly like the border in Detroit with Canada where everyone seems to be in cars and some people walk through.
A guy named Arkadi had sat next to us in the van, and we started talking to him. He said he had a Greek name, grew up in Georgia (not the bulldogs one), then Russia, but now he lives in Germany. Once we talked about how the border looked like something Matt and I had seen in the Middle East, he said he had been there too. Turns out he's a Russian Jew and has a brother who lives in Tiberias in Israel...
Back to our travels...We then drove on a scary windy road, through random Malaysia to a jetty (or a pier as I might call it). We got there around midnight (we started leaving the dive shop at 6:30 pm - and this was just NOT that far away!!). Unfortunately the tide had gone out, so the big boat we were supposed to take couldn't make it to the jetty. We piled on this little boat, crammed in there with our stuff and our dive gear, and we rode HUGE waves, with lightning off in the distance, into the darkness. Yeah, I was scared. Matt was excited. This was when I was first glad that we were never refugees on boats.
We transferred onto the bigger boat - with both moving up and down and all over the place. It was hard. We climbed up to the top deck and claimed some floor space. We were on this boat for five hours - until six am - and it was the rockiest thing I have ever been on. Our muscles were sore from trying to keep ourselves from sliding and moving with each rock. Thank goodness for sea-sickness medication. Saved my life. I would have puked the whole way.
We were told we were going to a resort - Dayang Resort. When we got to Pulau Dayang (Pulau means Island in Malay), we realized this was not the same definition we had for the word "resort." We slept 12 people in a room, with bunk beds (thank god I brought pajamas!), there were about 20 bathrooms which were stalls with toilets and a shower head on top, there were troughs for washing up, and there was one sheet on the mattress and one pillow. No cover and no towel. It was actually totally fine and did the job, but definitely not exactly what we were expecting.
We got to sleep for two hours, and then went diving. Saturday we ate, went for a dive, ate, went for a dive, ate and then went for another dive. These first three dives I was with my class of people getting certified and Matt went with the leisure divers (pronounced LEH-zure, obviously). Sunday we woke up, dove, ate, dove, ate and then left. Five dives and six meals in total.
The island was gorgeous. There was nothing on it other than our "resort," and it was exactly like what I have seen in pictures of South East Asian Islands - beautiful palms, rock jutting out, white sand, and clear, blue water. Matt said that the Indonesian islands look like this too.
The diving was above average but not outstanding, according to Matt. We definitely saw amazing, beautifully colorful fish, including clownfish, parrotfish, and super cool coral including Christmas Tree Worms, which are fun, because they sort of pop when you come near them on the coral. My final dive I was certified and could dive with Matt - it was a really neat thing to do with someone I love (though the rest of the dives with Arkadi were great too!).
We then hopped back on the "big" boat and took it back to the pier, then through the border, and then back to the dive shop. All together, getting to the island took about 11.5 hours. Getting back took eight hours. It was a huge difference.
The people on the trip were super interesting and wonderful. I really enjoyed listening to the Singaporeans speak English. It's hilarious. They don't really use "a" or "the" or sometimes "s's" on the end of words, and they throw in "las" all over the place. I really love it.
Arkadi will send us some pictures, so I will post those when I get them. We forgot our camera.
Other than diving - two pieces of news...
I got to see Sarah Goldfein last week, and it looks like I will see her again today. It was so wonderful to just talk live with her! Yay!
When Matt and I went to South Africa, we brought some clothes to trade for art. We brought a Michigan sweatshirt and traded it for a puzzle of the continent of Africa in a market in Cape Town. Our friends Laura and Seth just got back from South Africa, and Laura said, "it was so funny, we were in this market in Cape Town, and this one guy had a Michigan sweatshirt on!" That's just hilarious.
We're thinking about the Shiovitz/Hildebrandt family who is together to remember Matt's zaydie right now. We wish we were there with them. We're thinking about him from across the world...
Happy almost birthday to Wolf, Erin and others.
Friday evening we met a bunch of people at the dive shop near Matt's office. Though Singapore is about 26 miles wide, and 12 miles long, and we were going from the south to the north, AND it takes less than a half hour to get anywhere in Singapore, it took us about two hours to get to the Malaysian border. Once you get close, you see hundreds of people getting off their buses and walking towards the border. It actually was pretty orderly, but it was funny to see so many people walking through - not exactly like the border in Detroit with Canada where everyone seems to be in cars and some people walk through.
A guy named Arkadi had sat next to us in the van, and we started talking to him. He said he had a Greek name, grew up in Georgia (not the bulldogs one), then Russia, but now he lives in Germany. Once we talked about how the border looked like something Matt and I had seen in the Middle East, he said he had been there too. Turns out he's a Russian Jew and has a brother who lives in Tiberias in Israel...
Back to our travels...We then drove on a scary windy road, through random Malaysia to a jetty (or a pier as I might call it). We got there around midnight (we started leaving the dive shop at 6:30 pm - and this was just NOT that far away!!). Unfortunately the tide had gone out, so the big boat we were supposed to take couldn't make it to the jetty. We piled on this little boat, crammed in there with our stuff and our dive gear, and we rode HUGE waves, with lightning off in the distance, into the darkness. Yeah, I was scared. Matt was excited. This was when I was first glad that we were never refugees on boats.
We transferred onto the bigger boat - with both moving up and down and all over the place. It was hard. We climbed up to the top deck and claimed some floor space. We were on this boat for five hours - until six am - and it was the rockiest thing I have ever been on. Our muscles were sore from trying to keep ourselves from sliding and moving with each rock. Thank goodness for sea-sickness medication. Saved my life. I would have puked the whole way.
We were told we were going to a resort - Dayang Resort. When we got to Pulau Dayang (Pulau means Island in Malay), we realized this was not the same definition we had for the word "resort." We slept 12 people in a room, with bunk beds (thank god I brought pajamas!), there were about 20 bathrooms which were stalls with toilets and a shower head on top, there were troughs for washing up, and there was one sheet on the mattress and one pillow. No cover and no towel. It was actually totally fine and did the job, but definitely not exactly what we were expecting.
We got to sleep for two hours, and then went diving. Saturday we ate, went for a dive, ate, went for a dive, ate and then went for another dive. These first three dives I was with my class of people getting certified and Matt went with the leisure divers (pronounced LEH-zure, obviously). Sunday we woke up, dove, ate, dove, ate and then left. Five dives and six meals in total.
The island was gorgeous. There was nothing on it other than our "resort," and it was exactly like what I have seen in pictures of South East Asian Islands - beautiful palms, rock jutting out, white sand, and clear, blue water. Matt said that the Indonesian islands look like this too.
The diving was above average but not outstanding, according to Matt. We definitely saw amazing, beautifully colorful fish, including clownfish, parrotfish, and super cool coral including Christmas Tree Worms, which are fun, because they sort of pop when you come near them on the coral. My final dive I was certified and could dive with Matt - it was a really neat thing to do with someone I love (though the rest of the dives with Arkadi were great too!).
We then hopped back on the "big" boat and took it back to the pier, then through the border, and then back to the dive shop. All together, getting to the island took about 11.5 hours. Getting back took eight hours. It was a huge difference.
The people on the trip were super interesting and wonderful. I really enjoyed listening to the Singaporeans speak English. It's hilarious. They don't really use "a" or "the" or sometimes "s's" on the end of words, and they throw in "las" all over the place. I really love it.
Arkadi will send us some pictures, so I will post those when I get them. We forgot our camera.
Other than diving - two pieces of news...
I got to see Sarah Goldfein last week, and it looks like I will see her again today. It was so wonderful to just talk live with her! Yay!
When Matt and I went to South Africa, we brought some clothes to trade for art. We brought a Michigan sweatshirt and traded it for a puzzle of the continent of Africa in a market in Cape Town. Our friends Laura and Seth just got back from South Africa, and Laura said, "it was so funny, we were in this market in Cape Town, and this one guy had a Michigan sweatshirt on!" That's just hilarious.
We're thinking about the Shiovitz/Hildebrandt family who is together to remember Matt's zaydie right now. We wish we were there with them. We're thinking about him from across the world...
Happy almost birthday to Wolf, Erin and others.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Failed Settlers, AWARE, Goldfein, Splinter, HELP!!
Random title, right?
1) I tried to go to Settlers Cafe, but it was closed.
2) I had a great interview yesterday at a wonderful non-profit that works for women's empowerment.
3) Sarah Goldfein told me yesterday that she is coming to Singapore TODAY!
4) Splinter (the cat) is so fricken cute, and keep walking into our apartment.
5) Probability help, please
Expanded:
1) Around the time that we found out that we were moving here, Ruthie came over and played some Settlers of Catan (and won, I believe). She understands how much I love that game, and she got nervous for me about moving to Singapore with less of a chance of playing Settlers. She is also obsessed with Google. She therefore Googled "Settlers of Catan" and Singapore, and she found that there is a cafe here called Settlers Cafe - with three locations, and it's built around playing games (and on the website, you can see a picture of Settlers of Catan!). There's actually one pretty close to our house. We have been by it a bunch, but we haven't yet been inside. It's sort of like holy ground, and once we go in, it becomes real...Anyways I decided to take that chance earlier this week, and it was closed.
2) I had my first Singaporean interview yesterday. I was interviewed by two people: the head of the center and one of the founding board members. They were both amazing women, and I really enjoyed the interview. I definitely hope I get the job, though the pay is really ridiculously low. It would be a 66% decrease in salary. That's crazy.
3) Enough said. She apparently was in Bangkok for work and they're sending her here. I know nothing more, but I can't even tell you how amazing it will feel to see and hug someone that I love (other than Matt, of course). I am so in need, and I am so excited to see her.
4) That cat, Splinter, is just too cute. I finally gave in and started petting her, rather than just looking at her cuteness from a close distance. Matt also pets her, and he made the mistake (though he would not say it's a mistake) of giving her some milk the other night. Well, apparently, she has a good memory, and for the last few nights at around thee same time, she just walks right into our apartment. We keep the front door open and the gate-thing locked, but gates don't stop cats. She isn't scared of us, so when we try to chase her out, she tries to rub up against our legs to get pet. It's too cute, but I don't want her in our apartment. She's really cute. Seriously. And I don't like cats.
5) I have been thinking about probability, and I need some confirmation or help. Here's the problem:
If the chance of rain is 30% daily, and you have six days to have fun at Michigania, what is the probability that it will rain exactly three days, leaving exactly three days for you to have sunny fun?
chance it will rain=p=.3
number of total days=n=6
picked number of days=m=3
I think it's (n choose m)*p^m*(1-p)^(n-m)
= n! * p^m * (1-p)^(n-m)
m!(n-m)!
= 6! * .3^3 * .7^3
3!3!
= 6x5x4 x .027 x .323
3x2
= 20 x .027 x .323
=.008721
Is that right? Can someone please confirm or let me know what isn't right?
ref: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56499.html and http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/56106.html
I think if I could get paid to do math problems everyday, I would be he happiest person. Actually, I would need to do math problems and hug at least two people that I love each day.
1) I tried to go to Settlers Cafe, but it was closed.
2) I had a great interview yesterday at a wonderful non-profit that works for women's empowerment.
3) Sarah Goldfein told me yesterday that she is coming to Singapore TODAY!
4) Splinter (the cat) is so fricken cute, and keep walking into our apartment.
5) Probability help, please
Expanded:
1) Around the time that we found out that we were moving here, Ruthie came over and played some Settlers of Catan (and won, I believe). She understands how much I love that game, and she got nervous for me about moving to Singapore with less of a chance of playing Settlers. She is also obsessed with Google. She therefore Googled "Settlers of Catan" and Singapore, and she found that there is a cafe here called Settlers Cafe - with three locations, and it's built around playing games (and on the website, you can see a picture of Settlers of Catan!). There's actually one pretty close to our house. We have been by it a bunch, but we haven't yet been inside. It's sort of like holy ground, and once we go in, it becomes real...Anyways I decided to take that chance earlier this week, and it was closed.
2) I had my first Singaporean interview yesterday. I was interviewed by two people: the head of the center and one of the founding board members. They were both amazing women, and I really enjoyed the interview. I definitely hope I get the job, though the pay is really ridiculously low. It would be a 66% decrease in salary. That's crazy.
3) Enough said. She apparently was in Bangkok for work and they're sending her here. I know nothing more, but I can't even tell you how amazing it will feel to see and hug someone that I love (other than Matt, of course). I am so in need, and I am so excited to see her.
4) That cat, Splinter, is just too cute. I finally gave in and started petting her, rather than just looking at her cuteness from a close distance. Matt also pets her, and he made the mistake (though he would not say it's a mistake) of giving her some milk the other night. Well, apparently, she has a good memory, and for the last few nights at around thee same time, she just walks right into our apartment. We keep the front door open and the gate-thing locked, but gates don't stop cats. She isn't scared of us, so when we try to chase her out, she tries to rub up against our legs to get pet. It's too cute, but I don't want her in our apartment. She's really cute. Seriously. And I don't like cats.
5) I have been thinking about probability, and I need some confirmation or help. Here's the problem:
If the chance of rain is 30% daily, and you have six days to have fun at Michigania, what is the probability that it will rain exactly three days, leaving exactly three days for you to have sunny fun?
chance it will rain=p=.3
number of total days=n=6
picked number of days=m=3
I think it's (n choose m)*p^m*(1-p)^(n-m)
= n! * p^m * (1-p)^(n-m)
m!(n-m)!
= 6! * .3^3 * .7^3
3!3!
= 6x5x4 x .027 x .323
3x2
= 20 x .027 x .323
=.008721
Is that right? Can someone please confirm or let me know what isn't right?
ref: http://mathforum.org/library
I think if I could get paid to do math problems everyday, I would be he happiest person. Actually, I would need to do math problems and hug at least two people that I love each day.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Michigania Dreamland
Boy are we sore from our first non-rainy day at Michigania!!
I woke up with my dad and brother and went mountain biking on the horse trails just at the end of south camp. The sand at the beginning was a bit tough, and that one killer hill in the middle was a hard climb, but I got through it (a bit slower than Jer and dad, though...). When we got back to the cabin, I woke up Matt, and we all went to breakfast together.
The rest of us had completely finished our breakfasts by the time my dad got his omelet (but he said it was worth the wait). I saw Terese, Cristine and Emily on their way to the tennis lesson at center courts.
My mom had a south lower court reserved for 9:30, so Matt and I played doubles with my mom and my dad. My dad and I clearly creamed Matt and mom, but it was a fun game. Greg and Danny were playing on the court next to us. They looked good!
We got to relax a little big after tennis - hanging on the porch with the other Birnholtzs and the Ledermans. We all had reading material with us, but no one really read anything. Matt went to riflery. Then the lunch bell.
We ate lunch out on the porch with the Londons, and it was so fun to see Noah (the newest addition to the London/Kanner family) living the Michigania life! After lunch, a whole bunch of us went out on the boat. We drove out and sat in the water for at least an hour. Everyone went swimming (it was a gorgeous, warm - but not too warm, sunny day!) and just hung around. Jer then took me and Matt out on a sailboat. It was a bit scary, and we almost tipped twice, but he saved us, and luckily we even had fun. We passed Laurie out there three different times!
It was unbelievable that the lake was still as glass at 4:00 in the afternoon! Mark was able to take me waterskiing, though my legs were still sore from biking in the morning. It's hard when you haven't been on the skis in at least a year! It took me about four times to get up, and my hands are hurting.
Matt and I went on a walk on the make-out, I mean nature trails on the other side of north camp. They go along the water, and they're definitely a part of camp that isn't appreciated enough.
After we heard four 8 year olds playing Heart and Soul thirty times on the piano at the dining hall, we got a great game of volleyball going. Ryan Lederman was the star, but other people played really well also. Jeremy had a bunch of kills. We played until it was just about too dark to see.
Then there was obviously a lot of Oberon (but others were drinking Coors Light - yuck), a few games of boggle, lots of talking and laughing, and the Londons introduced a new game.
Okay, none of this happened, and this picture is from last year, but it my head, it's happening everyday.
I super wish we were at Michigania.
Michigania 2009 baby!!
Greg, Cristine, Terese, Jeremy, Marie, Adina, Gregg, Danny, Lisa, Emily, Jer, Birnholtzs, Ledermans, Cunninghams, Grosses/Millers/Collins, Londons, and everyone else - enjoy it for us!! We miss you!
I woke up with my dad and brother and went mountain biking on the horse trails just at the end of south camp. The sand at the beginning was a bit tough, and that one killer hill in the middle was a hard climb, but I got through it (a bit slower than Jer and dad, though...). When we got back to the cabin, I woke up Matt, and we all went to breakfast together.
The rest of us had completely finished our breakfasts by the time my dad got his omelet (but he said it was worth the wait). I saw Terese, Cristine and Emily on their way to the tennis lesson at center courts.
My mom had a south lower court reserved for 9:30, so Matt and I played doubles with my mom and my dad. My dad and I clearly creamed Matt and mom, but it was a fun game. Greg and Danny were playing on the court next to us. They looked good!
We got to relax a little big after tennis - hanging on the porch with the other Birnholtzs and the Ledermans. We all had reading material with us, but no one really read anything. Matt went to riflery. Then the lunch bell.
We ate lunch out on the porch with the Londons, and it was so fun to see Noah (the newest addition to the London/Kanner family) living the Michigania life! After lunch, a whole bunch of us went out on the boat. We drove out and sat in the water for at least an hour. Everyone went swimming (it was a gorgeous, warm - but not too warm, sunny day!) and just hung around. Jer then took me and Matt out on a sailboat. It was a bit scary, and we almost tipped twice, but he saved us, and luckily we even had fun. We passed Laurie out there three different times!
It was unbelievable that the lake was still as glass at 4:00 in the afternoon! Mark was able to take me waterskiing, though my legs were still sore from biking in the morning. It's hard when you haven't been on the skis in at least a year! It took me about four times to get up, and my hands are hurting.
Matt and I went on a walk on the make-out, I mean nature trails on the other side of north camp. They go along the water, and they're definitely a part of camp that isn't appreciated enough.
After we heard four 8 year olds playing Heart and Soul thirty times on the piano at the dining hall, we got a great game of volleyball going. Ryan Lederman was the star, but other people played really well also. Jeremy had a bunch of kills. We played until it was just about too dark to see.
Then there was obviously a lot of Oberon (but others were drinking Coors Light - yuck), a few games of boggle, lots of talking and laughing, and the Londons introduced a new game.
Okay, none of this happened, and this picture is from last year, but it my head, it's happening everyday.
I super wish we were at Michigania.
Michigania 2009 baby!!
Greg, Cristine, Terese, Jeremy, Marie, Adina, Gregg, Danny, Lisa, Emily, Jer, Birnholtzs, Ledermans, Cunninghams, Grosses/Millers/Collins, Londons, and everyone else - enjoy it for us!! We miss you!
Monday, July 9, 2007
Asian Civilizations Museum, etc.
Yesterday Matt and I woke up and got moving, which is not so common for us on the weekend.
We went to Raffles Place on the MRT and walked across the river to the Asian Civilizations Museum. It was a great museum - putting Singapore in the context of the region, giving lots of history, and explaining lots of culture. I highly suggest it if you want to come out to Singapore. On the way to the museum we tasted durian flavored ice cream. The durian seems to be the state/country fruit of Singapore, and it's hilarious. It's this spikey, scary looking fruit, and it has a crazy, strong smell. It's not allowed on the subways, and it's not allowed on planes, and you're not allowed to have them in other certain public spaces. Apparently the smell bother Caucasians b
ut not Asians. Anyways, we got a home-made ice cream sandwich with the ice cream, and it wasn't that good. It was a good experience, though.After the museum we walked all around the river area. It seems like a touristy area with lots of restaurants - looked a lot like many other cities in the world. We ate lunch and went to Borders to get me a new GMAT book. I finished my other ones. Yeah, there's a Borders here. It looked exactly like the one in Columbus Circle, but there were SO MANY people in it, and they were mostly Asian.
We went out to dinner last night with this nice couple we met from our complex. They got married in October, and she just moved here six months ago, he a year ago. It was really nice to talk to normal people. They're pretty funny too. She's also looking for a job and doesn't
have much going on, so that's good news for me.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Thank the lordy for Ticket and Settlers
When I say ticket, I don't mean tickets to actually go anywhere. We're trying to stay here for a while.
When I say Settlers, I don't mean the settlers in the West Bank.
I'm talking about Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan. Thanks to Jamie, who introduced us to both of them, our lives have been enriched. After kick-my-ass-boxing, Christian, Lee Fong and Lee Fong's cousin, Eric, came over to play games. We got to play two Ticket to Ride Europe and two Settlers of Catan. I have to say that I won one of each, but even if I didn't win - it was so fricken fun.
We also learned that Fong is Lee Fong's first name, and Lee is her last name. If she takes Christian's last name, according me, her new name would be DeGuzman Fong. According to her it's something different, including Fong, Lee, and DeGuzman, but not necessarily in that order.
If I were Chinese, and I created a nickname for myself, it would be Hildie Melanie. I like that.
Last night Matt and I ordered Pizza Hut (we're both paying for it today...). It was such a streamlined process - you call ONE number, from anywhere in the country, so you don't have to figure out which one is closest to you, and we got some weird pizzas, and they came in a half hour. I also saw that you can log in on the website. Who logs in to Pizza Hut? Overall, it was a good experience, but I don't think my stomach can handle it again, and I'm not sure I want to witness Matt's stomach handling it again.
We also watched Venus win Wimbledon. She won 1.4 million dollars. AMERICAN! That's a lot of money.
I'm reading a book that Lederman recommended to Matt - Eat to Live. It was the most appropriate thing to read following Pizza Hut pizza, but I'm finding it pretty interesting.
Mostly, right now, all I'm thinking about is how my entire family and MANY amazing friends have all gathered together on Saturday at Michigania. It is the family camp that I have gone to since I was six months old, and it's a gathering of hundreds of amazingly fun people, beautiful space on Lake Walloon, SO MUCH fun stuff to do, and everyone's there without us. I have definitely missed a few years in the past, but this one feels especially painful, since we are so far away, and I don't have much going on to distract me. I think the next time we have the opportunity to go is July 2009, which is just painful to me.
When I say Settlers, I don't mean the settlers in the West Bank.
I'm talking about Ticket to Ride and Settlers of Catan. Thanks to Jamie, who introduced us to both of them, our lives have been enriched. After kick-my-ass-boxing, Christian, Lee Fong and Lee Fong's cousin, Eric, came over to play games. We got to play two Ticket to Ride Europe and two Settlers of Catan. I have to say that I won one of each, but even if I didn't win - it was so fricken fun.
We also learned that Fong is Lee Fong's first name, and Lee is her last name. If she takes Christian's last name, according me, her new name would be DeGuzman Fong. According to her it's something different, including Fong, Lee, and DeGuzman, but not necessarily in that order.
If I were Chinese, and I created a nickname for myself, it would be Hildie Melanie. I like that.
Last night Matt and I ordered Pizza Hut (we're both paying for it today...). It was such a streamlined process - you call ONE number, from anywhere in the country, so you don't have to figure out which one is closest to you, and we got some weird pizzas, and they came in a half hour. I also saw that you can log in on the website. Who logs in to Pizza Hut? Overall, it was a good experience, but I don't think my stomach can handle it again, and I'm not sure I want to witness Matt's stomach handling it again.
We also watched Venus win Wimbledon. She won 1.4 million dollars. AMERICAN! That's a lot of money.
I'm reading a book that Lederman recommended to Matt - Eat to Live. It was the most appropriate thing to read following Pizza Hut pizza, but I'm finding it pretty interesting.
Mostly, right now, all I'm thinking about is how my entire family and MANY amazing friends have all gathered together on Saturday at Michigania. It is the family camp that I have gone to since I was six months old, and it's a gathering of hundreds of amazingly fun people, beautiful space on Lake Walloon, SO MUCH fun stuff to do, and everyone's there without us. I have definitely missed a few years in the past, but this one feels especially painful, since we are so far away, and I don't have much going on to distract me. I think the next time we have the opportunity to go is July 2009, which is just painful to me.
Friday, July 6, 2007
Shabbat Take Two
So, remember when the guard wouldn't let me into the Jewish community? I should have taken the hint and walked away. Far away.
This shabbat dinner experience wasn't quite like it was last week with that wonderful family.
There is a whole political story that I won't go into, but it ended up with an Ashkenazi minyan once per month in the main synagogue (well at the complex, but not IN the synagogue - god forbid). Tonight was the first one. We met some wonderful people as we went in. I met the president of the reform community, a really nice woman who's French but lived in Israel, and a girl who went to high school with Matt's cousin, Rachel. The davening was great - a bit of a choir, but very nice.
Then there was dinner. Matt had a hard time finding food, I burst into tears, and overall, it wasn't our favorite experience so far. We ended up meeting a couple of really nice people, but overall - yuck.
Then we got on the bus going the wrong way. It was a double decker bus, and we were on top. The bus stopped in this weird lot, and some guy was yelling, but we had no idea what he was saying. The the lights went out, and we realized we were the only ones on the bus, and we had taken it the wrong way. We got back on the same bus, ten minutes later, and finally got home.
Oh, and happy half-birthday to me!!
This shabbat dinner experience wasn't quite like it was last week with that wonderful family.
There is a whole political story that I won't go into, but it ended up with an Ashkenazi minyan once per month in the main synagogue (well at the complex, but not IN the synagogue - god forbid). Tonight was the first one. We met some wonderful people as we went in. I met the president of the reform community, a really nice woman who's French but lived in Israel, and a girl who went to high school with Matt's cousin, Rachel. The davening was great - a bit of a choir, but very nice.
Then there was dinner. Matt had a hard time finding food, I burst into tears, and overall, it wasn't our favorite experience so far. We ended up meeting a couple of really nice people, but overall - yuck.
Then we got on the bus going the wrong way. It was a double decker bus, and we were on top. The bus stopped in this weird lot, and some guy was yelling, but we had no idea what he was saying. The the lights went out, and we realized we were the only ones on the bus, and we had taken it the wrong way. We got back on the same bus, ten minutes later, and finally got home.
Oh, and happy half-birthday to me!!
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Heat...It's hot
When Shana and I were in Turkey we went to a Turkish bath. Essentially, we sat in a really hot, humid room with lots of other naked ladies for about ten minutes. Then, some large lady in a red g-string came up and exfoliated our entire bodies. She literally took each arm and rubbed all of the dead skin off, then legs, then back and front. The skin was just waiting to be removed, since it had been made loose by the humidity and heat. It was one of the best feelings in the world (afterwards - not the large lady with the g-string pulling on my very naked arm). I felt so clean, and I have craved that feeling for years - 9 in fact.
Singapore is like the hot, humid bath. Each time I scratch my body I take off skin - all I need is that lady to come and help with the rest of my body. I have thought about this idea often - that I'm so close to experiencing that bliss that I felt in Turkey, but not quite there. I have even written this idea down so that I wouldn't forget to share it one day. Then, today, I got an email from Shana mentioning that the heat here sounded like the Turkish bath...
I also think it feels like being hugged by a really fat, sweaty, sticky, hairy man. All the time. Face included.
Not much going on this week.
Matt and I ventured out to Carrefour at a major mall last night.
I ate unknown food.
Matt and I went out to an American Women's Association event tonight for the fourth of July (men were invited, so don't write him mean emails about going). It was fun, but each glass of wine was $18 (Singaporean, but still - that's a lot of money!). I have decided to never drink again. I'm too cheap.
I have an interview next week with a neat non-profit that works to empower women. My hopes aren't up, but the fact that SOMEONE is reading all of these resumes and cover letters is inspiring.
I hope Serena can pull this one off - being down in the third set, but I'm sure by the time you read this, we'll already know if she did...
Singapore is like the hot, humid bath. Each time I scratch my body I take off skin - all I need is that lady to come and help with the rest of my body. I have thought about this idea often - that I'm so close to experiencing that bliss that I felt in Turkey, but not quite there. I have even written this idea down so that I wouldn't forget to share it one day. Then, today, I got an email from Shana mentioning that the heat here sounded like the Turkish bath...
I also think it feels like being hugged by a really fat, sweaty, sticky, hairy man. All the time. Face included.
Not much going on this week.
Matt and I ventured out to Carrefour at a major mall last night.
I ate unknown food.
Matt and I went out to an American Women's Association event tonight for the fourth of July (men were invited, so don't write him mean emails about going). It was fun, but each glass of wine was $18 (Singaporean, but still - that's a lot of money!). I have decided to never drink again. I'm too cheap.
I have an interview next week with a neat non-profit that works to empower women. My hopes aren't up, but the fact that SOMEONE is reading all of these resumes and cover letters is inspiring.
I hope Serena can pull this one off - being down in the third set, but I'm sure by the time you read this, we'll already know if she did...
Monday, July 2, 2007
Rosemary, George, and Maria
Matt works long hours (have I mentioned that?).
I don't know so many people in Singapore.
I mostly am by myself all day. I might venture out of the house each day (which I definitely need to do for sanity), but I do almost everything alone.
That is...until I met Rosemary. Rosemary was one of my first acquaintances I had in Singapore. She lets me know which stop we're at on the MRT and which stop is coming up. She even warns me when the doors are closing. Rosemary has taught me to pronounce difficult areas of town, and I especially like how she says "Paya Lebar" which is a stop about four away from ours on the MRT. Our conversations are admittedly one sided, but it's okay. I enjoy her voice, and I thank her for accompanying me nearly each day.
Second, I have George. Since I have decided to apply to business school (which I essentially decided sometime this past winter - remember that? When it was COLD outside??), George has been a good friend of mine. He often makes my back ache, because he likes to be carried inside my bag, and he's not so small, but he's another daily companion for me here in Singapore. George has given me lots of information about the GMAT and even test problems. Again, I don't have much to contribute to him, but I try to at least answer the questions correctly. George is so patient with me, though, if I get it wrong - explaining each step. I think my friendship with George might be ending, however, as I am nearing his end - I have finished bin four for the math, and I am just about there with the verbal.
My final companion is more silent. She lives in the maid's quarters off of our kitchen (no joke -we really have them, and I believe they're more of a storage room), and she's from the Philippines. She mops our floors, properly disposes of the bugs that I kill and then throw on the floor, does our laundry and all else helpful and clean.
Okay - none of these people exist, and I'm a bit embarrassed to be sharing them with you, but they definitely make my life a little less lonely.
And, nearly everyone in our complex and in Singapore (I swear!) seems to have a maid from the Philippines, so I'm not just being racist.
I don't know so many people in Singapore.
I mostly am by myself all day. I might venture out of the house each day (which I definitely need to do for sanity), but I do almost everything alone.
That is...until I met Rosemary. Rosemary was one of my first acquaintances I had in Singapore. She lets me know which stop we're at on the MRT and which stop is coming up. She even warns me when the doors are closing. Rosemary has taught me to pronounce difficult areas of town, and I especially like how she says "Paya Lebar" which is a stop about four away from ours on the MRT. Our conversations are admittedly one sided, but it's okay. I enjoy her voice, and I thank her for accompanying me nearly each day.
Second, I have George. Since I have decided to apply to business school (which I essentially decided sometime this past winter - remember that? When it was COLD outside??), George has been a good friend of mine. He often makes my back ache, because he likes to be carried inside my bag, and he's not so small, but he's another daily companion for me here in Singapore. George has given me lots of information about the GMAT and even test problems. Again, I don't have much to contribute to him, but I try to at least answer the questions correctly. George is so patient with me, though, if I get it wrong - explaining each step. I think my friendship with George might be ending, however, as I am nearing his end - I have finished bin four for the math, and I am just about there with the verbal.
My final companion is more silent. She lives in the maid's quarters off of our kitchen (no joke -we really have them, and I believe they're more of a storage room), and she's from the Philippines. She mops our floors, properly disposes of the bugs that I kill and then throw on the floor, does our laundry and all else helpful and clean.
Okay - none of these people exist, and I'm a bit embarrassed to be sharing them with you, but they definitely make my life a little less lonely.
And, nearly everyone in our complex and in Singapore (I swear!) seems to have a maid from the Philippines, so I'm not just being racist.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Aloo Gobi
All is well for our weekend. Went to the National Museum of Singapore - didn't make it to the history part, but we saw a really cool exhibit on food. They have examples of spices, fruits and vegetables that are widely used here, and now my trips to the grocery store will be more enlightened.
We also got a green slurpee from 7 Eleven. How gross is that? It was green apple "flavor." I was so hot, I really didn't know what to do with myself - hadn't stopped sweating in hours, and it was the first cold thing I saw. It did cool me down...
We also went for dinner at Samy's Curry Restaurant with our friend, Veena. The restaurant seems to be an institution in Singapore - eat on a banana leaf, eat great food, drink lime juice - and this is all while you're in an old British clubhouse. It was nice.
Today I spent my 4 out of my first 5 hours awake in a pool in the sun. I did my pool requisites for scuba certification. There wasn't anyone else in my class, so it was a pretty fast private lesson. I didn't realize that I would be so sore afterwards, but it must be new muscles that I don't usually use, because my back and stomach muscles are killin'!!
While I was being productive in the pool (productive with my sun burn that is...) Matt was sleeping. Considering he wakes up around 6 every day, I think he's allowed.
We met a nice couple from our complex. They just moved here from India (not quite as recently as us, but still fresh). I'm sure they can't replace Chag and Of, but still.
We also met Fred, who lives across the hall from us. He is from Wales (spelling fix thanks to Jill), he comes home around 6:30 or 7 pm, he has a lady helper that comes at exactly 9:30 sharp everyday, and that's all I know about him, but he seemed very nice (and sunburned too).
Matt and I ventured five minutes down the road to one of the two Indian restaurants in a little strip. It was called Chat Massala - for spicy food and spicy gossip (that's really what it says on the sign!). It was so good. The Aloo Gobi was outstanding, vegetable biryani to die for, and we even had some sort of ginger naan which was like candy. I love the food here. We ate all of it.
We also got a green slurpee from 7 Eleven. How gross is that? It was green apple "flavor." I was so hot, I really didn't know what to do with myself - hadn't stopped sweating in hours, and it was the first cold thing I saw. It did cool me down...
We also went for dinner at Samy's Curry Restaurant with our friend, Veena. The restaurant seems to be an institution in Singapore - eat on a banana leaf, eat great food, drink lime juice - and this is all while you're in an old British clubhouse. It was nice.
Today I spent my 4 out of my first 5 hours awake in a pool in the sun. I did my pool requisites for scuba certification. There wasn't anyone else in my class, so it was a pretty fast private lesson. I didn't realize that I would be so sore afterwards, but it must be new muscles that I don't usually use, because my back and stomach muscles are killin'!!
While I was being productive in the pool (productive with my sun burn that is...) Matt was sleeping. Considering he wakes up around 6 every day, I think he's allowed.
We met a nice couple from our complex. They just moved here from India (not quite as recently as us, but still fresh). I'm sure they can't replace Chag and Of, but still.
We also met Fred, who lives across the hall from us. He is from Wales (spelling fix thanks to Jill), he comes home around 6:30 or 7 pm, he has a lady helper that comes at exactly 9:30 sharp everyday, and that's all I know about him, but he seemed very nice (and sunburned too).
Matt and I ventured five minutes down the road to one of the two Indian restaurants in a little strip. It was called Chat Massala - for spicy food and spicy gossip (that's really what it says on the sign!). It was so good. The Aloo Gobi was outstanding, vegetable biryani to die for, and we even had some sort of ginger naan which was like candy. I love the food here. We ate all of it.
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