Happy New Year!!!

Well Christmas 2008 has come & gone. For being half way around the world & missing our loved ones so, we managed to have a very nice holiday together & with some new friends. We kicked off our celebrating at Treetops, where we currently live, on the 23rd with the staff's Christmas carols & then a nice "set" Christmas meal at Treetops Sunshine Cafe. (Set meals out here are several pre-set courses for a set price.)

On Christmas Eve Adam came home from work with a lovely fruit basket & chocolate log cake from 3M. Then our doorbell rang & we found Santa & a small choir to sing to us & deliver us cookies on our doorstep. We enjoyed a Christmas Eve dinner at La Fondue with way too much good food. Then we strolled Orchard Road,(main drag by our place with TONS of shopping, restaurants, bars, and more shopping) as it was busting at the seams with everyone out on the town celebrating the holiday or just the fact that they didn't have to work the next day. The holiday decor & lights were gleaming and it was Christmas all around. After we hopped on the MRT (subway) & took it to St. Andrew's cathedral for a late night Christmas service that included beautiful carols. Getting home was long as the typically crowded MRT & Orchard Rd. was even more packed. Once home we did our family's tradition of opening one gift each, Lucky even got one!

Christmas morning started with fresh cinnamon rolls ala Lisa & Pilsbury, (yes, you can get them out here, but you will pay $12 SGD for the sweet treat) and room service delivery from the Sunbird Cafe of a Cafe Latte for Lisa & Pineapple Smoothie for Adam. We spent the rest of the morning opening all our lovely gifts from each other & our families. Thank you everyone for spoiling Adam & I & especially Lucky! After opening our gifts we got the true gift of speaking with all our much loved and greatly missed family. Then it was play with our gifts, hit the Treetops gym (had to work off some of my homemade fudge) & then another family tradition of "snackies" & bubbly (sparkling grape juice for Lucky). I was able to find most of our favorites out here: veggies & dip, bread & cheese, even sausage & crackers, the one challenge was cocktail sauce for the shrimp....thanks Denise for your homemade recipe. After all this Adam & I were ready to lay around & watch some sappy Christmas movies on TV, but we had the honor of being invited to some new friends home for a very nice Christmas meal. So back on the train (while trying not to be crushed in the Christmas crowd) to our friend's home in the north part of the island. We ate like kings and queens on their large balcony. We had grilled T-Bone, Chix, twice bake potatoes, veggies, bread, rice, not to forget the lovely appetizers & great wine. We spent the rest of the evening snacking on fudge & chocolate, chatting about our home country's politics/economy & all of our missed family & friends. Then we were serenaded by a Singaporean friend of theirs with Christmas music on his violin.

Once home & turning in we thought of all of you just starting your Christmas celebrating and once again counted our many blessings. We may not have physically been with you, but we were in spirit. We hope you all had a Merry Christmas and most of all a VERY Happy New Year. May you all be blessed with a bright & healthy new year ahead of you.

Lisa, Adam, & Lucky
(Below are pictures of the above holiday events)







P.S. The video is of the very crowded Orchard Road all decked out for Christmas.

Merry Christmas from Singapore!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! We miss you all greatly and will be thinking of each and every one of you while we our counting our blessings this Holiday Season.
Much Love-Lisa, Adam, & Lucky





















*Thanks Diane & Sandy for adding a little Christmas cheer to our apartment

Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo

We celebrated Hari Raya Haji on December 8th by going to the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo with our good friends Jeni & John.

Hari Raya Haji, or the "pilgrimage festival" marks the end of a Muslim's pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. It is also known as the Festival of Sacrifice which commemorates Prophet Ibrahim's test of obedience in sacrificing his son Ismail. In Singapore, Hari Raya Haji is a public holiday.

We got to see a lot of cool animals while riding an open tram through the park. Then we enjoyed a burger and some tribal fire dances afterwards. It was a good Hari Raya Haji!

Lisa's Bump

Hello All,

Here is the monthly update of Lisa's growing belly. We had a Dr. appointment today and everything looked great!

Relaxing in Thailand

Here are some additional photos and videos of our recent trip to Thailand. We took full advantage of the resort and the island, indulging in everything the resort and the island had to offer. Some highlights were our massages at the resort spa, doing water aerobics one morning, and using the swim-up bar at the resort. You could grab a seat and order a beer and some nuts and other snacks while still in the water...which reminds me of my favorite Thai joke: Did you hear about the two nuts walking along Patong Beach? Evidently one was assaulted.

Thank you, thank you very much. Now, on to the photos and videos....



The resort also had 2 baby elephants on site that they fed every morning. Here is a photo of Adam getting up close and personal with Amy and Sara:



After breakfast one day, we camped out by the pool for some sun and relaxation:



Right beyond the pool was the beach which was great - we both swam in the ocean and cruised up and down thatched roof "stores" looking for more bargains. Here is a picture of Lisa as the sun was setting:



There was also an open air bar that we really liked. Each night there was a band performing and they took requests, so we took advantage of that opportunity:



On our last night, we watched the sun set for a last time on the beach and Adam reflected on the experience:

Thailand Tours

After spending 1.5 days lounging around the resort, enjoying the pool, beach and great food, we ventured out on a few tours. Lisa took a Thai Cooking Class offered at our resort. She learned how to prepare 3 dishes that I hope to try soon.

Adam went on a snorkeling trip that had 3 main stops. The waves were very choppy (which is why Lisa took the cooking class instead) but the snorkeling was great. I saw tons of cool fish, coral, and sea anemones. Our first stop was Monkey Island:



The second stop was the beach where they filmed the movie "The Beach." Leonardo was not there the day I visited, but I did get to snorkel and enjoy the surroundings.



The next day Lisa and I both went on a cultural / shopping trip. We stopped at Patong Beach which is home to a lot of markets. We got a lot of great buys and really enjoyed talking to the shop owners and haggling for the best possible price. Here are a few photos of Lisa at the market and of Adam taking a break from the heat:





If you ever happen to talk to this bartender, just know that I let her win those first two games of "Connect 4" - sneaky move Supattra!

Our next stop was a temple - there are 29 of them in Phuket - for some more photos:



After the temple, we went to a Batik factory (they die cloth for clothing, art, etc.) and then to a cashew factory. They gave us a quick tour and let us try all kinds of cashews and other products. Our favorites were the sesame/honey cashew and the cashew apple juice. Here is a picture of Lisa outside of the factory and then a video of the factory / store:





Our final stop was the "World's Largest Jewelry" store where we had a lot of fun browsing.

Thanksgiving in Thailand

Lisa and I spent Thanksgiving this year in Phuket, Thailand. It is about a 90 minute flight direct from Singapore. Luckily, we arrived before the Bangkok turmoil started and our vacation was not affected at all.

We absolutely loved Thailand - our resort, the tours, and everything else were really great.

Below is a video of Lisa right after we checked in at the resort:



The next morning, Lisa snuck up on me looking out at the lagoon:

Miscellaneous Photos

Here are a few photos from the last few weekends.

Lisa and I went to St. Andrews Cathedral last Sunday - it is a really nice structure and has some great stained glass.



The next two photos are of Lisa as she gets ready to head out on the town and during one of her "Skype dates" with friends and relatives back home.

Christmas Decorations

Hi All,

Here are some photos of our apartment community and the surrounding roads. The main road is Orchard Road and they really go all out with the Christmas decorations and lights. The third image is a video of Adam during one of our frequent walks.

Happy Halloween!

On Halloween, we had about 30 kids from the apartment complex come trick or treating. To prepare, we carved a pumpkin for the occasion. Click the video below to see Adam in action.

Lisa's Bump

Based on popular demand, here is a picture of Lisa's growing belly. This picture was taken on November 5, 2008.

Penang, Malaysia

For the Deepavali Holiday weekend, as well as Lisa's birthday weekend, we took a little trip to the island of Penang in Malaysia.

Deepavali is known as the festival of lights and is celebrated by Hindus all over the world. The festival is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil and light over darkeness.

Here are some pictures of the flowers and cake Adam spoiled Lisa with and of our relaxing weekend away.

Driving in Singapore

Adam has been driving for about 5 weeks now. Here is a picture of him in his car. It is a Cefiro and is actually pretty nice. The car comes equipped with a GPS system, which, depending on the day, is either his best friend of the bane of his existence. A few interesting things about driving in Singapore:

• You drive on the left side of the road. This is fairly easy to get used to - the challenge is when you are at a stoplight and there isn't any traffic to follow. Then you really have to think about which way to go while turning.
  
• Singapore uses an ERP system here. ERP stands for Electronic Road Pricing. Every car has a built-in card machine. You have to buy a card and add money to it, and then put it in the machine. Your card gets deducted money each time you pass under a "toll". It is also how you pay for public parking spaces.
• The ERP system is pretty sophisticated - charges actually differ depending on the time of day (more expensive during rush hour). Adam has seen people literally pulled over on the side of the road to wait until the time changes and the rate goes down. By "side of the road" I mean "in my lane" and by "pulled over" I mean "stopped randomly."
• The gear shift and turn signals and window wiper controls are all on the opposite side here, too. Adam has turned on the wipers many times while trying to signal for a turn.
• There aren't many traffic police cars here. Evidently the speed limit is enforced by speed cameras. The saucy minx on his GPS system helpfully points these out and also always announces when he is about to go over a "flyover" (overpass).
• Pretty much everyone backs into their parking spots. The parking spots are also very narrow. Parking is actually probably the biggest challenge Adam has encountered while driving here.
  

Some things that are not very popular among other drivers are:

1. Using your turn signal
2. Staying in your lane (lots of drifters)

Some things that evidently are very popular are:

1. Honking at Adam
2. Riding mopeds in between lanes

Lucky Update

Hello All,

We had an appointment with Lisa's doctor today for a checkup on Lucky. Everything went very well and we are still on schedule for a March 23 due date. Lisa discusses her progress in the attached video.

Home Sweet Home

Here are a few videos of our apartment. We live at Treetops which is a serviced apartment and really enjoy it here.

Hot Beatz

Lisa and I went to a concert at the Singapore Symphony Orchestra last week. It was called "In Beethoven's Chambers" and took place at the Victoria Concert Hall.

They performed two pieces and we really enjoyed it. The amazing talent of the musicians brought back fond memories of Adam's mastery of the recorder in 6th grade - "When the Saints Come Marching In" was a crowd favorite.

The attached video shows Adam prior to the show and the pictures show the surrounding area, including a statue of Sir Stamford Raffles.

More Pics from the bus tour

Here are some more pictures from the city tour we took during our Holiday. The first is of the double- decker tour bus. The second is of Adam standing behind a waterfall at the Botanic Garden. The final picture is of Little India.

Selamat Hari Raya

Today was a national holiday in Singapore - Selamat Hari Raya which marks the end of Ramadan.

Adam didn't have to work so we took a Hippo Bus Tour all around the city. Two of our favorite stops were Clark Quay and the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Check out the attached videos for some commentary from Lisa.

Quick Pic

Here is a picture of Adam and Lisa before we went out for a nice dinner last weekend.

Adam's Birthday

Adam had his birthday on September 20 - he is assuming that all of your cards were somehow lost in the mail or confiscated by the customs office.

Anyway, the staff at Treetops helped celebrate by bringing him a card, cake, and a bottle of wine. Here is a picture of them giving him his gifts. The balloons in the background were courtesy of Lisa. The video below shows Lisa surprising Adam with another cake that morning.

Day in the Life

Hi All,

Thanks for visiting the blog and submitting your comments. Let us know what you would be interested in hearing about.

I thought I'd give an overview of a typical day for us in Singapore. We usually wake up around 6:30 or 7. Adam gets ready for work and then we head down to have breakfast at the Treetops (our apartment complex) cafe. They usually serve hashbrowns, eggs, toast, fruit and some more traditional Asian dishes.

After that Adam jumps in a taxi and heads to work, about 25 minutes away. Next week he will start driving - we just need to get the GPS fixed on our rental car first. Adam works in the Yishun area of Singapore which is farther north. For the last week, he has been interviewing candidates for his new department - a team of internal consultants for one of the 3M businesses in the APAC region. He hopes to extend offers in the next few weeks and have his new team members start in mid-November.

While Adam is working, Lisa spends time keeping the apartment in order and exploring the neighborhood. She has already made some friends that live in the same building or have spouses who work at 3M, and they went to a local botanical garden and a shopping mall this past week.

At 6 pm, Adam gets home from work and we try to figure out what to do for dinner. So far, we have stayed in the immediate Orchard Rd. area for meals but are looking to explore more of the island in the next few weeks.

Greetings from Singapore

Today is September 17 and we are pretty much settled in Singapore.

The flights over went very smoothly. We flew from Minneapolis to Vancouver first on Northwest. Then we switched to Singapore Airlines and flew to Korea for a 1 hour refueling stop and finally arrived in Singapore at 1 am.

It took a few days for us to get over the jet lag, but now Adam is at work and Lisa is enjoying everything about our new home. Each morning we wake up about 6:40 am and have breakfast together. Adam then takes a cab to work and Lisa explores the local Orchard Road area (Orchard Road is where a lot of the shopping and restaurants are located). Everything is very convenient and modern - we found a few grocery stores that have a mix of local and American products and have stocked up on the basics.

Hopefully you will all be able to view the interview of Lisa. This was taken right after breakfast poolside at our apartment complex.

First Posting

Hello All,

Check out our new blog. Lisa and I will keep this up to date so we can stay in touch with everyone.