New York Thoughts

A few thoughts...

I absolutely love New York. From the second I arrived I remembered (not that I really forgot) how freaking amazing that city is. People all have agendas and opinions. They don't walk into you - there's something about planning two seconds ahead that just doesn't exist in Singapore. The food is unbelievable. The flowers are gorgeous (even if they're only for a few months per year). Did I mention the food is amazing? Also, it is special to be around people who have known me longer than a year. I might have not understood how nice this part actually is.

Basically Matt and I spent the last few days indulging in friends and food. 

Friends - We got to see Harry, Liz and Michael, Flyer, Jack, Whitney, Jeremy and Terese, Lilly, Stephen and Liz, Rachel and David and Ruthie. It was so great to see so many people we love.

Food - We ate Harry-made fish and great veggies, an amazing brunch at Rosewater, including cod cakes and beet salad and challah french toast (does it really mean you break passover if you eat Jewish food at restaurants?) and excellent pear ginger juice and hot apple cider. Then there was vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips at Cones. Matt got jamba juice. We got Magic Hat #9 at Dive Bar on 96th St. Then we had amazing penne and gnocchi with tasty salads and wine at Genarros. Finally we topped it off with Brooklyn Lager at Abbey Pub. That was all one day, basically. Then this morning we went to Good Enough To Eat and had pumpkin french toast and a great omelette. Finally, we got a bagel, cream cheese and lox from Zabars. Do you understand why I feel totally sick and have a huge tummy right now? 

Hair - I realized something really important. I would rather not bring hair product and have terrible hair for a few days than check my bag for the airplane. I think I should probably care more about how I look, but I'm certainly happy I didn't have to check my bag.

Cats - We just got an email that the condo that we live in has rounded up cats, and thank goodness our Kitty is okay, but unfortunately Mustache Man and some of our other friends aren't so lucky - and they're all gone. That is very bad news.

Birthdays and Deaths - Not that this is the least important so it should be last, just that it's the most awkward part to write. Matt's 31st birthday was yesterday. Also, his grandfather passed away. That is very bad news also. Matt will be spending tomorrow with his grandma and family.

The Great Baby Tour

Since we last spoke, we had two seders - one with Matt's family, and one with my family, we got our teeth cleaned, got eyes checked, visited people, ate food and traveled.

Details...

We got to meet up with Marla and Allen in Birmingham. It was the first time we saw them since their wedding in October. Now they're buying a place, married and living a life of real people. Scary!

Tuesday meant that Melanie rented a car and drove to Cleveland and Matt flew to Baltimore. I got to see Seth and Emily's beautiful new baby, Arielle, and also spend time with Mike and the parents.  It was great to see everyone, and Seth and Emily look unreasonably together. I cannot say that I denied the Bell's Amber that I saw as an option at the bar.

Wednesday morning I woke and drove back to DTW. Then my mom met me and took me to the train station in Windsor. Matt trained down to DC and saw friends from grad school. I took the train from Windsor to Toronto and got to see Eli at the train station. I stayed with my brother's new roommate, Neal, whom I met for the first time when I arrived, and never saw again the whole time I was there! I got to meet Shana and Daniel's beautiful baby, Joseph (and Shana's two new friends). It was so fun to hang with Eli and Shana, and the baby fit in very nicely. Thursday Shana and I went around the city, saw their new house, sat in the park, and enjoyed the gorgeous weather. I then got to see Tamara for dinner. Thursday, Eli took me to the airport and I flew to New York where I met up with Matt. I met Matt and Harry in the park playing with Harry's beautiful Jack (just like Joseph and Arielle). Jack plays fetch very well, and we tired him out by playing catch with a baseball and having him try to catch it each time...it was sort of sad and mean of us. We had a lovely dinner with Harry.

The only minor problem was at 3 am when I needed to get some water and go to the bathroom. Jack was growling and seemed like he was going to attack me if I walked out of the bedroom. I had to wake Harry up to calm him down. Oops.

Sorry this is so boring - it's actually be amazing to see so many people we love, but it's not that exciting to write about! Pictures coming soon...

Michigan

We left on Friday morning, flew for 18 hours (with a few minutes in Tokyo - literally only enough to grab sushi) and arrived in LA on Friday morning. I cannot wrap my brain around that. It's particularly challenging since I am on antibiotics, and it's hard to time it right! That date line will throw you.

We had a wonderful day in LA (pictures to be uploaded when I'm not blogging from bed with a sleeping Matt next to me). We got to meet Lederman's fiancee - Alona, and we loved her. We got the see the whole Lederman crew, Schwartz, and my friends Amy and Jess. We are so thankful that so many people went so out of their way for us!

It was freezing, though.

Then we met up with my cousin, Lori, hopped on another plane and took the red eye to Detroit. here we are - 9:32 in the morning, and I super wish I could fall asleep for just two hours!

Unfortunately we had news that the kitty did not adjust to her new habitat well - not eating, only hiding, and meowing like the world was ending. Fensy (her friend who is taking care of her) has taken her back to our apartment at night. Poor kitty went looking for us in our bedroom. But...at least she's making friends. When Fensy went to go check on her, she found her with another cat IN OUR APARTMENT both eating. Oy ya yoy.

Anyways - welcome to America! This is the longest (by four months!) that I have been away. (Matt's not even close - he was away for his entire Peace Corps experience).

Packing and Leaving

Tonight we're packing, and tomorrow morning (at 3:45 - if you can call that morning) we're leaving.

Packing for the states is totally different than anywhere we have gone since we moved here. No sunscreen, hats, flip flops, diving cert cards, sarongs and stuff like that.

Instead, I realize that I have absolutely no winter clothes. All of my pants are moldy (but will be fine after a wash at home). Literally all of my close toed shoes other than my sneakers are moldy (and getting thrown out). We don't really know what we can bring home. Basically it's t-shirts and underwear - and random gifts and a lot to read on the plane.

It's been a totally different experience to pack for this trip.

Tonight was our last Singapore meal (and probably last good meal until after Passover - or after we stop keeping Passover). We went to our favorite Thai restaurant and had an excellent red curry, pad thai (try going to a Thai restaurant with Matt and not getting Pad Thai - GOOD LUCK!), and an excellent papaya salad that was so not spicy (I told her to make it spicy for an ang mo - a white person), but was sooooo good. I think I ate too much, but I can't think of a better last meal. There are plenty of things to complain about life here, but the food is definitely not one of them. I will miss the food so much if/when we ever move from here. (When - mom - don't worry).

Tonight we also gave the kitty to Fensy, our neighbor. Fensy has loved the kitty since she was born, and she is like a mother to all of the strays in our complex. They're probably so super healthy because of her. She is living in Singapore while her daughter goes to the Canadian school. They're from Taiwan and so amazingly wonderful. Fensy has offered to take the kitty while we're gone, but I must say it was heart breaking leaving her there. I know Fensy will take amazing care of her, but I'm worried she'll jump out of the fourth floor window!! (She's super sweet and cute, but let's be honest - she's not brilliant). I will miss her so much! Is this what it feels like when new moms go to work for the first day? I held in my tears.

We'll catch you on the flip side!

Peulat Tzevet

This is a thought from last week.

When I worked at camp, we had to put the kids to bed before we had staff programming. Basically the programs would be at 10pm, and there would be "shmira" (guards) that walked around until staff curfew - to each cabin just to make sure everything is okay. That's sort of like babysitting patrol at Michigania, but they actually go to the cabins to check on the kids.

I never thought that this was how life was - I thought it was just one of those camp things.

Well, I learned that I was wrong. On Thursday night I watched the Kite Runner with some ladies in the Jewish community here, and they all have kids. We met at 9pm, after their kids were in bed. I don't know if their maids were "watching" the kids or if it was their husbands, but I realized that we had a peulat tzevet (staff program)!!

In other news...
Matt and I went to this boardwalk in Pasir Ris Park, which is about 20 minutes from our house (five MRT stops away). We saw big and small crabs, big fish, big and small mud-slickers (a few were even six inches long!). It was pretty cool. It was a mangrove walk. I think I find that stuff interesting, because it's so different than what I saw growing up. We did not have mud-slickers -which are essentially fish with legs, so they can go on the land or water. I remember finding tadpoles in the Orley's pool, but that's as far as it got.

Also, tonight we held the third UHC (Reform Jewish community here) family program. It was on Passover, and it went really well. We learned about the parts of the seder, decorated matzah with chocolate (that was a kid's idea), wrote psalms, sang and learned the story of Passover. The other two programs were on Shabbat and Purim, and we have one more this year - on Israel for Israel's 60th birthday. It's actually a really fun thing for me to do, and the community seems to really like it - and they're all getting to know each other. It's a really positive part of my life here.

Matt's First 31st Birthday Party

Most likely we will celebrate in New York and Detroit also, so this was the first (his birthday is the 26th).

Tonight Matt had a birthday party. Basically, we feel super lucky that we have been here less than a year and we have met so many amazing people. About 30 people came, and they included just about all of my favorite people I have met since we got here. I also love that they got a chance to meet and talk to each other.

On the way home, we were talking about how lucky we are. Sometimes it feels lonely here, because no one other than Christian (who didn't know me that well before...) knew me before I got here/as a Birnholtz/as an individual/etc. But tonight I just felt so lucky that there are so many people and amazing potential relationships waiting for us.

Now if we only had the time to hang out with them all!

Picture of the day

I wonder where you can go to get this degree...

Noodles

Last night I met Tenley and Raqvind in Chinatown. We walked in the touristiness and rain for a bit, and then Tenley found a noodle place with red doors (that was the only description she knew, but somehow we found the right one!). It's a place that makes their own noodles, and they do it right in front of you. The guy said that one ball of dough (which really isn't that big) can split up into 32,000 pieces. I have no idea how it works, though. Makes no sense to me that the dough just splits when you throw it into the air. Anyways - in this picture, the craziness is actually lots of thin noodles.

On another note, after that I watched the Kite Runner with a few ladies. It was amazing. I forgot how good the story was (from the book). It's unbelievably touching, and the way they did the movie was just excellent. It was beautiful. Recommended if you haven't seen it yet. I think crying has made me sick, though - my throat hurts now. Hopefully it's just a stuck lump from the movie and it will go away.

On yet another note I'm a few days behind in American life, because I listen to NPR most emailed stories, but I always listen the next week. Right now I'm listening about the anniversary of MLK's death. They do such a great job with this stuff (NPR). Maybe because I'm nostalgic for the US (or have PMS), but it has been so moving to listen to people speak about what it was like to be at MLK's last speech and to see a black man run for president. Also they played people's reaction to the news of his being shot, and it was so devastating. It seemed like many people didn't know where the movement would be without their leader (and his speeches sound so inspiring - do people speak like that anymore?) - yet it really is impressive how different this country is from the 60s. Usually I'm not too proud to be an American, but that made me feel good.

It's a GIRL!!!

Seth and Emily had a baby girl!! I think it might have been born on Monday night, but with the time difference I'm thoroughly confused. Moral of the story is that the baby looks exactly like Seth (I can see the fro forming), and the baby and Emily (and Seth, I supposed) are all said to be doing very well. In the pictures, Emily looks like the baby just appeared there in her arms. She looks amazing!

Her name is Ariel Brooke. (picture included).

Sad that there isn't too much going on in our life in Singapore right now, but I'm excited for all of my friends who are having babies!!

In Singapore:
The kitty is hilarious - including climbing drying racks with her wrists, pushing things off of high places, jumping to the highest place in our house (and not knowing how to get down - picture included).
I decided to try to work out in the mornings, but in order to do that without sweating all day, I have to turn on the air con when I'm getting ready. This is against my principle, and I'm dealing with that issue.
It started to get SUPER hot again, but it's still raining everyday. Weird.
I made two excellent Thai dishes these past few days and also a Thai banana cake. Yum.
I have been learning Gemara with my friend, Rachel. I am enjoying that a lot. I miss studying Jewish text.
We are basically just looking forward to our trip to the US next week!!

My Favorite Part of my Week

I love the wet market. I thought I would take you through my weekly Saturday morning at the market.

I walk about 7 minutes in the hot sun (and last week past a decomposing cat), towards the market which is at the bottom of a HDB complex - or a huge complex of public housing buildings (remember - 85% of people live in public housing - not like the US!).

Note = the exchange rate right now is about S$1.40 to US$1.

When you enter the complex, you see a whole bunch of hawker stalls (including this area where my dad was getting prawn noodles in October. Click on the picture to enlarge it - there is so much going on there!). If you walk through the four rows (back to back) of hawker stalls - including pig organ soup, rice porridge, chicken rice, fish ball noodle, and just about every other local food you could imagine - you arrive at the market.

This particular morning, I first had toast with kaya butter and iced tea with only a little bit of sweet condensed milk.

After that, I went to the side of the market that has actual stores. I got eight light bulbs (S$1 each).

Then I went to the store next door that has just about every food you would ever want, and I got tapioca flour and rice flour and coconut milk.

Then I walked through the meat, fish and chicken part of the market (including piles of pig faces, cow's legs, and totally unrecognizable body parts...). I end up at the first fruit guy. I bug green apples for me for S$.40 and red apples for Matt for S$.50.

Then I cross to the next stall - the super veggie guy. He stands on a platform and has just about every vegetable you would ever want surrounding him. From him I got cauliflower, green onion, carrots, pea pods, cucumbers, bok choy, tomatoes and probably other stuff. A HUGE bag of veggies was S$9.

Then I go to this guy and his wife that don't have the best food, but they're so nice, and they always try to name everything in English, so I buy from them each week. I got ginger, red peppers, baby corn, sweet peas, garlic and probably other stuff (S$4).

Then I swing around the back side of the market to the Thai area and get my Thai ingredients (lime, chillis, lemongrass, etc.). She usually just charges me S$2 no matter what I get.

Then to the pineapple guy (S$2/pineapple) and he convinces me to get mangoes and some bananas. This is the most expensive stop (TWO pineapples, three mangoes and about 12 bananas) S$10.40.

Then I can swing by the flower people if I'm feeling it (usually a bunch is between S$2 and S$3). Today I passed that part up.

This week I needed grated coconut, so I went to the coconut grater lady. It's a minimum of S$.50, which is about 3/4 cup of FRESH grated coconut. In New York this is SO much money, and who knows where it comes from! She grated it right there for me!

Onto the tofu ladies who never understand me, though I buy the same thing each week - someone always has to translate for me. Two of the hardest tofu - for frying. It's S$.80.

Finally, the egg guy who sells 10 eggs for S$1.50, S$1.60 S$1.70 or S$1.80 depending on the size you choose.

On my way out I had to stop back at the guy who has everything in the shop at the beginning to get more red peppers and look for more healthy limes.

I then went to the random lady who seems to be a 7-11 without the 7-11 and get milk.

Penultimately, I went to the fruit guy in the hawker market to get cut fruit for me and Matt (watermelon, honeydew and cantelope).

Finally one more stop at the peanut pancake lady - two for S$1.20. It's basically a fluffy pancake with a mixture of ground peanuts and sugar in the middle. It's quite a treat.

Then the hot walk back with the HEAVIEST bags - but such great food for the week!

Jer - though you're traveling and most likely not going to read this until you get back, this one is for you, because you might be the only one interested in this much detail.

I'm posting one of the pictures Shana sent of her baby boy, Joseph, who is having his ritual penis cutting this Saturday morning (past that time here, but not yet there in the US). I'm sure he'll be fine, but I hope Shana survives!!

Why Would you Kiss Someone if you don't LOVE them??

In my Spanish class last night, we got six pictures that we had to put in order. Then we had some phrases about time and some action phrases.

The pictures were a couple's story - meeting, going for coffee, a movie, spending time on a beach, and actually the last one was the guy dying (?) in a hospital bed and the woman by his side. The last one was weird, but the rest made sense.

The phrases were - getting married, falling in love, meeting, spending the weekend together, moving in together, calling on the telephone, etc.

The times were - last month, two days ago, yesterday, last weekend, last night, etc. This, by the way, made for a VERY fast story of love, since 50% of the activities happened in the last week!

I was working with a nice 23 year old Singaporean Chinese guy. He's sort of the class clown - not ever prepared, but totally knows what he's talking about. Reminds me a bit of Chris in high school. Super nice guy. So we start putting the pictures in order, and I put the cuddling on the beach before getting married (let's be honest, who does that after you get married?). He said, "I think that they shouldn't touch like that until they're married." I said okay.

Once we started writing, I wanted to say that the woman called the guy, and he said that would never happen in Singapore. Never.

Then, we made up a first date for them where they went to a cafe and talked until dawn (las tantas). Then I wanted to write that they had their first kiss. He said, "But they haven't fallen in love yet! Why would you kiss someone if you don't love them." At this point I wondered if he was really a 23 year old boy. I said - you should check out American universities. This stuff happens all the time!!

It was the end of our working together nicely when I wanted the couple to live together before they got married. I spilled the beans and told him I lived with my husband before we got married - and it was even my mom's idea (how could your parents be okay with that!?).

I knew Singaporeans were conservative on this front, but I had no idea that it was soooo different than the States. He was totally floored by my ideas.

It's a BOY!!!

On Saturday night in Toronto and Sunday morning in Singapore, Shana pushed a huge item out of her body - she had a baby boy!!! So far I haven't seen pictures, so I can't tell you how cute he is, but she said that all of his digits are in tact and that he's beautiful - big lips and curly black hair (pretty much exactly like Daniel).

This is another one of those times where I'm dying to be closer to family and friends.

I can't believe that I'm not going to be at the bris of my best friend's baby. We have talked (not so seriously...) about having kids since we were young, and now it's happening, and I'm so far away - I can't really be a part of it. Pretty sad.

I do feel lucky that I will be able to meet him when we're in the States in a few weeks.

I have now lived in Singapore for an entire human gestational period plus one month - and now it has been proven.

WAY TO GO SHANA!!! I'm so proud of you, and I can't wait to meet your son. (And I'm pretty confident that you will not have time to read my blog anymore!!) :)