My Singaporeversary

Yesterday marked one year exactly since I moved to Singapore (Matt arrived one month before me). I probably learned more my first year of college, or even my first year of grad school, but I feel like I have learned so much and grown so much in this past year. When I stopped to think about it, it totally blew me away.

1) Matt and my relationship (how do you write that correctly?)
In New York (and DC and Michigan, and particularly when I lived in Israel), Matt and I had more separate lives. We had many separate friends, separate activities, and we were pretty separate people. This isn't to say that we didn't love each other a lot, spend a lot of time together, and learn a great deal from each other, but we were just not as much of a unit as we are here.

In the past year, all of this has totally changed for a variety of reasons. I have heard that moving abroad makes or breaks a couple, and I am extremely happy to say that it has made us. We share one life here, maybe too much of a social life, and we depend on each other way more. In NY there was always someone else we could each turn to if need be, and here it's not that way. I love my friends here, but the ones that I'm closest with have only known me for 6 - 10 months. That's not a lot. Another big reason is that I'm not as Jewish here, and the Jewish community that we are a part of - Matt likes (which we can't say for New York), so it's something we get to share rather than something that drives us apart.

All in all - this year has made us so much closer, and we enjoy our time together on a whole different level.

2) Traveling
In the past year, I have traveled to Pulau Dayang (Malaysia), Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong, Melaka (Malaysia), Siem Reap (Cambodia), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), big trip to Thailand including: Chiang Mai, bike trip to Chiang Rai, Bangkok, Khao Sok National Park, Krabi, then back to Phuket (Thailand) a few weeks later, Perhentian Island (Malaysia), Michigan, Cleveland, Toronto, New York, and Petoskey/Harbor Springs.

That's a lot for one year. Granted we used to travel a lot when we lived in the States, I didn't find that places we went as exciting as the places we're going while we live out here (imagine that). I could never have guessed that I would be so lucky to go to all of these places, and I know that there will be more before we leave Singapore. I have to say that the traveling has been the best part of living out here (though we have not gone ANYWHERE since we got back from the States!).

3) Eating
I have eaten more and more different things than I have ever eaten in my life. I have kept kosher or been vegetarian for nearly all of my life, so I have had my first:
Chili crab
Yummy prawn in butter and garlic
Fishball noodle
Prawn mee (prawn noodles)
Peanut pancake (the best)
Malay food
Dim Sum (including the yummy soup/pork ones that explode in your mouth)
Pork
The best curries
The best salads (papaya and mango)
And SOOO much more good food

4) Asia in general
I have learned an insane amount about Asia. When we moved here, I literally had no idea where Singapore was, what language they spoke, etc. Now I can look at a map and quickly identify countries and cities (I could even draw a map!). I know the languages they speak in different countries, I know the currencies they use, I have learned a bit about their economies and histories. When we were in Geylang the other night (with the prostitutes), I could even identify where the girls were from based only on their looks. That is quite an accomplishment.

Matt and I weren't able to have conversations about Asia before - now I'm not great at adding things, but at least I know what he's talking about.

5) Jobs
I learned a whole lot from my two jobs I have had here - and my lack of jobs.

I learned that I do not want to not work (at least while I don't have kids).

I learned that I'm pretty sure I don't want to work in an NGO in Singapore. At least not a local one - maybe a multi-national one. I learned a lot about women's issues in Singapore from working at AWARE.

In my current job, at Moody's, I have learned an insane amount. I understand a lot about debt markets, finance, big companies, Bloomberg, excel...I have learned more than I can even comprehend. Other than my first job, I have probably learned more in the past 6 months there than at any of my other jobs.

6) Three weird things that have happened this year
A lambchop appeared on my stoop.
I fell in love with two cats - Kitty and Splinter.
I started working in a corporation.