The prospect of cooler temperatures, tall pine trees, red spotted newts, blooming hydrangea, sandboxes and cheaper everything is too much for the Aldous Adventurers to handle. Missing our beloved family, friends, Market Basket (we certainly hope the current situation is resolved soon), station wagon and cozy “red house” in the woods is killing us! To keep our mind off of New England (and our impending 21 hour plane and 6 hour layover) we have attempted to stay busy, busy, busy.

Highlights:

Mama and the children hit up Sentosa Beach and the Port of Lost Wonder.

 

Michael’s  generous colleagues sent him home with a bag of mangoes and of mangosteen (shown below). This delicious fruit is dubbed the Queen of Fruits. Once you crack the skin, and peel back the brightly colored flesh, you find very  melt- in- your- mouth, deliciousness.

To keep little minds occupied (and out of air conditioning) we  bid adieu to our friends at the Singapore Zoo. Some of favorites this time around . . .

 

We walked along Boat Quay and Clarke Quay one final time. We enjoyed fish briyani and prata with sugar on Circular Road. We completed the afternoon with a Singaporean ice cream sandwich. Kids had peppermint. Mama and Daddy had durian!

  

Although warned by the locals to save our SGD and skip this one tourist attraction, we threw caution to the wind and boarded the Singapore Flyer. It was a little dull, as expected, but we timed it right and were able to watch National Day practice parades and fireworks – bonus!

      

 

Monday was a public holiday in honor of Hari Raya. As folks celebrating were feasting with family, we escaped the heat at yet another indoor playground … this one was complete with glow mini-golf. Our first time golfing as a family proved exciting and competitive. Maggie Lou’s short game is pretty good – she managed to get two hole in ones!

   

Here is a picture of the LIU team’s send-off. We are very thankful for all of the thoughtful parting gifts – LIU you will me missed! Check out our new batik sundress & shirt.

                    

And finally, we spent our final evening with good friends and good food. We look forward to more adventures with our CDP friends!

 

As we we wait to start our journey back home we  find ourselves conflicted about leaving the Lion City. We are saddened and excited. The Aldous Advnenturers are so grateful for this opportunity – and Mama and Daddy are hopeful about the positive impact this experience may have on the children’s developing outlook on the world, adventure and the idea of “other.” Although the children are over the moon excited to go home, they intermittently ask about where we are going next. Only time will tell!

Until next time …

再見/再见 Singapore!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Say it ain’t so! Our time spent 2 degrees north of the equator is quickly coming to a close. We are continuing to take every opportunity we can to learn new things, spend time with new friends and enjoy our Asian adventure. Will Maggie Lou & Jack remember this? We certainly hope so, and although it’s inevitable, we’ll get a little sad when we’re back home and a band-aid will no longer be  a “plaster,” and a shrimp will no longer be a “prawn.” Soon catching the MRT will be a memory and we will go months instead of minutes without visiting a mall.

No more bunk beds … lots of boxes. Sniff, sniff.

The packing has commenced, and the furniture we purchased was easily sold on the Craigslist of Singapore. The reality of a long plane ride is rearing it’s ugly head, and as we prepare we cannot help but reflect. We can’t say enough good about this city. The blogosphere and travel writers who paint this place as sterile and “lacking,” we feel, are using a very narrow lens (one, maybe lacking in forming relationships with Singaporeans) in which to view this modern marvel. It’s not perfect (is anyplace?), but we were certainly glad to call it home, albeit temporarily.

Highlights from the last two weeks:

We went to a landmark restaurant in Little India, the Apollo Banana Leaf, with Michael’s colleagues. Maggie Lou tried her hand at eating with her hand, Jack made friends by making sure everyone had a  matchbox card and Mama and Daddy devoured their food! Mama is still dreaming of the fish head curry.

The children and Mama adventured to the Science Center, yet again. We were all excited to see the Human Body exhibit. Unfortunately, the kiddos got spooked and decided they were too frightened to go in, much to Mama’s chagrin. We carried on though – and saw parts of the center we had yet to see during previous visits. They must not be my children as they declared “the maths” room was their favorite!

      

  

A popular food center VERY close to our building has been under construction – the opening kept getting pushed back and we were worried we would miss it completely, but at last it opened. Lau Pa Sat is now a favorite dinner spot – we met up with friends recently and ended the night with a Tropical Fruit 101 lesson!  The small round smooth fruits are longans (dragon’s eyes), the red, coarse fruit are lychees and the, spiky, red fruits in the botton photo are rambutans.

 

Mama and Daddy had one last date night in Little India – biryani at Tekka Market and shopping at Mustafa (a 24 hours complex that houses EVERYTHING you would need under the sun). People had encouraged us to check it out – although we didn’t buy anything it was an experience we won’t soon forget – very crowded, very stocked and a bit claustrophobic. Mama was good after 20 minutes.

 

The children spent their afternoons this past week at the Canadian International School’s summer camp: Science, Art & Soccer series. They finished with a trip to the ArtScience Museum.

We finally scooted around East Coast Park. We watched the simulated water ski park, attempted to play in the sand (it was very polluted) and indulged in our last chili & black pepper crab. We have decided eating crab in Singapore is so messy that eating lobster back home is going to seem super clean and easy.

Some of the things we will certainly miss:

 

Just lounging in the pool!

The past two weeks links revealed:

Miss from NH: the sandbox, swings, the Birch Hill pigs, cheaper alcohol, cheaper bacon, having pets, lots of picture books, the grill

Miss from Singapore: scooting inside the mall, elevators, escalators, clean subways, sliced fish porridge, laksa, real dim sum, Andrew & Family, Nick & Rachael, the East Coast

Mama has writer’s block. Not sure what to say about the Island of the Gods, other than we want to go back. Relaxing, majestic, fun, beautiful all seem trite in the face of such a glorious island. Even the pictures don’t do it justice, but we will try anyway … grab a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, it’s going to be a long one!

We arrived in Bali on Sunday night – we spent most of Monday enjoying the pool and exploring the grounds.

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On Tuesday the children checked out the Kids’ Club while Mama and Daddy hit the spa – we enjoyed an Aquatonic Pool treatment and Balinese massage. So. Very. Amazing. After two hours in the pool, we felt totally relaxed and ready for more! Later that night we enjoyed Indonesian cuisine and took in some traditional music and dancing.

From the left: Kids’ Club (learning about making  Canang Sari, daily offerings in woven coconut leaves), shell and sand art, Jemima our newest pen-pal from Australia, Mama & Daddy at the spa, dinner at Padi, Jack and Maggie Lou joined the band – check out Jack in the “udeng,” the traditional Balinese headress.

On Wednesday we went into Ubud where we learned about the Batik process, went to a locally renowned wood carver’s compound, and saw some lovely rattan. We also visited a Luwak Coffee Farm. Luwak Coffee is unique to Indonesia.  The coffee beans have been selected by civets (a cat like mammal) ingested and defecated, yes, defecated. The beans are then collected, cleaned and bleached by the sun. The coffee was actually quite good.

Above: Dotting the cotton and silk blend with hot wax, tools including stamp and jantings.

Below: Luwak coffee, Maggie Lou and Daddy sampling coffee, cocoa and tea, “poop beans,” civet, Manis Artshop and Wood Carver’s Compound, oiling an elephant carving, Michael’s new souvenir and Mama’s new bowl.

  

  

   

 

Out the window driving through Ubud District we saw lots of rice, lots of kites and lots of beautiful woven offerings and decorations

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We stopped for lunch in the jungle, riverside.

    

On Wednesday Mama and Daddy checked out the infinity pool overlooking the Indian Ocean. Speechless . . .

       

The whole family enjoyed the river pool, higher up on the hill. More exploring . . .

                 

Later that night Mama and Daddy took advantage of the fine dining, famous Rock Bar and the serene setting. Check out the DJ’s perch on the cliff, spinning records in the jungle … crazy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were are a few monkeys around the resort …

On Friday we hit Kubu beach. The surf was too rough for swimming. We explored and played in the sand. Note the huge lava rocks and black sand.

    

Then, sadly, we left Bali.

Random pics from the week:

          

    

 

Funny Bali bloopers:

On the flight to Bali an airline attendant announced (in a mixed Dutch and French accent) that someone on board had “a severe allergy to peanuts.” She unfortunately left out the “t” – leaving everyone on board, including Maggie Lou and Jack, in complete stitches. The children now  repeat the phrase, in their best accent, cracking us up. Parenting fail, but laughter is good for the soul, right?

Travelling with a little “Messi” definitely creates community. People from all over the world  attempted to talk football with us … not knowing much about it, we would just smile and say GO ARGENTINA!

Maggie Lou learned about “putting things on the room” – after purchasing “free” (according to Maggie Lou) smoothies for she and a friend. Cute, but not cute. 140,000 rupis later, she now understands about what “free” means!

Jack decided to put on dance performance at the one of the restaurants, showing off his best hip hop moves. He should have put an “udeng” down to collect some rupi.

During lunch one day we saw a monkey eating the offering right off the statue. Good haul – mini bananas, hard boiled eggs, dried ramen noodles.

This week’s chains revealed:

Miss in NH: full kitchen, Munchkins at the drive through, Atlantic Ocean, Seacoast Science Center, The Works Health Club

Miss in Singapore: Buddha Statues, Peekaboo (indoor playspace), garbage chute, water slides, proximity to Bali.

***Three weeks left in the Lion City!***

School’s Out for Summer! School holiday is in full effect – pool time, playdates and staying cool are our daily goals and we’re getting pretty good at accomplishing them!

                       

While scooting around Marina Bay, we saw an identified flying object. The kids thought this was cool. Mama thought it was creepy, note the camera.

It’s been hotter than even Singapore standards dictate – so when not in the pool we’ve sought shelter at indoor playgrounds! Peek A Boo, Cool-de-Sac and HO2T.

      

Last weekend we searched the island for margarita’s of all things … we spent a glorious afternoon with friends and ended the day at food street in Chinatown. And, let the record show that Aileen is the best prepared mom to keep kids happy in a restaurant. She set up a “kid corner” complete with playmat, playdo, blocks and LOTS of stickers

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In efforts to beat the heat, the kiddos had their first Singaporean haircuts … they loved it – movies were playing and treats and stickers were handed out left and right. Oh, yes, and Maggie Lou decided to put a little purple in her hair to mark the start of summer!

                                           

Lastly, as Mama has shared with some folks back home, clothes shopping in Singapore can be hard because of the sizing. There is an abundance of cute dresses all over the island, but often Mama’s arms don’t quite fit in the holes, or a zipper won’t make it all the way. Mama has grown accustomed to this, however, FELL head over heels for this Marimekko patterned dress that was on sale, but alas it wouldn’t work. Mama took the picture for posterity – a little reminder of her numerous shopping experience for her virtual scrapbook. Feel free to laugh.

     

This week’s links revealed:

Miss from NH: Alaina, NESN, the sandbox, road trips, Nemo,

Miss from Singapore: nasi lemak (Michael), sleeping on the top bunk (ML), scooting to the Merlion (Jack), grocery delivery (Mama), living on top of a mall

Stay tuned for Week 22 – posted from BALI!

 

 

 

 

This week’s highlights involve a child-free night rug shopping in Kampong Glam, a lazy father’s day, adventures in durian eating and deciding on the next phase of Michael’s career.

 

 Note: the picture on the left is the “leaning tower of beerza.” ML and her friends at school decided Dads would like it. Michael’s response, “well, it is a Canadian school.”

Our friends, Colin & Aileen, arranged a durian eating night for us, but we were unable to attend. Aileen, however, kindly brought us the goods later that week. Note: In the last picture we’re eating it outside, and I opted for gloves! It has a creamy, custard-like texture and a sweet, carmelized onion taste. The smell is pungent and it lingers. People have described the smell as “rotting flesh,” but we (at least the kids and Mama) have grown to love it.

Below are the warnings not to carry durian on the MRT (subway) and buses, respectively.

                                                   

 

                 

As the mama’s dug on the durian, Andrew and Jack had a ball playing together.

                                        

Jack finished up school. Here he is with his teachers Ms. Qistina and Ms. Harvin. His classmates created a beautiful and very large going away card! Jack will miss Whitelodge.

  

This week’s links revealed:

Miss from NH:  Picking Blueberries, driving, ORPP, Grammy & Grampy,  Sushi Boats

Miss from Singapore: ML’s friend, Saisha,  Sentosa Island,  Driving in Taxis, Curry Puffs and Chicken Wings for breakfast (Michael), Pure Yoga (mama)

Random pics:

Lastly, Michael has accepted a position as Director of Product Research for the Life Company and will be based in the Dover office. We are all very excited to be staying in New Hampshire and supporting Daddy in the next phase of his career!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This week’s hits & misses:

Saying goodbye to some of our buddies as they take off for summer holiday is hard to do! There is a great group of families at Marina Bay Residences and they will sorely be missed!

Zaffron Kitchen – AGAIN! This has been the only destination (meaning not within walking distance) restaurant we’ve revisited numerous times. As we enjoyed our (most likely last) creamy daal and tandoori gobi from this family friendly establishment, Michael and I savored each bite and reveled in completing a pitcher of Tiger Beer while the kids played between taking bites of Indian spiced fish sticks!

Jack has started Hip Hop Dance classes. He is smitten with his teacher, Jose. To quote Jack “He’s a real cool guy with cool moves.” Mama agrees – he has the patience of a saint (as well as amazing rhythm and flexibility;)! Photo credit: Ryder’s Dad!

                  

                

Mama and Daddy suited up to join team Sharknado compete in the Lion Dash – an 8k (despite being advertised as 5k – errrr) obstacle course. It was super hot, sorta challenging and extremely fun! We were happy to enjoy the morning in the jungle with new friends.

 

        

               

Maggie Lou had butterflies in her stomach all week as she prepared for her performance in “The Licious Girls.” The last unit of inquiry in SK5 (ML’s class) has been about “performance.” They wrote, created and executed short plays with minimal guidance from their teachers. The final product was cute and totally kid driven.  Maggie Lou was fantastic and had a huge smile the whole time. After enjoying the plays we all danced in a conga line! The program was closed by Vice Principal Henderson and Principal Hoff handing out awards. Maggie Lou was awarded with a “thinker award” because of her knowledge, problem solving and creativity.

Random pics:

Our lack of “dress up clothes” has resulted in an emptying of the closet every afternoon. Maggie Lou and Jack have played both “Indian woman gets married”  and “Scientist Supermodels,” as of late … pictures are too cute not to share.

    

   

This week’s links revealed:

Miss from NH: Lee Church & Sunday School, our friends – Nathan and Zoey, playing Playdo at the Red House, running on gravel (Michael), The Lee Library, and the Candy Bar

Miss from Singapore: Hawker Centres, “boys talking on the bus,” (ML was very entertained riding on the bus with the 4th & 5th grade boys), Singapore Zoo, visiting Buddhist Temples, Fish Head Curry (Mama), the pool, Whitelodge (Jack’s school)

Lastly, we booked our trip home. We are scheduled to sleep in our own beds on August 1st – Happy Birthday Grammy! Woo hoo!!!!!!!

 

 

**This post is dedicated to Cousin Hannah!**

Both Jack and Maggie Lou’s schools have recently hosted art shows. Maggie Lou’s was casual (stop by when you have a chance), whereas Jack’s was the real deal (wine, snacks, programs, speeches). Here are a few choice pieces from their respective collections.

            

The art show has done wonders for Jack’s interest in overall pen- to- paper activities. Just a few weeks ago Mama overheard this gem of a conversation while the kids painted at home.

Maggie Lou: “Wow, Jack. That’s great. That’s looks like a Jackson Pollock.”

Jack (crumpling up his painting): “ERRRR. I hate art!”

Now he walks around talking about color wheels and Aborigines. He smiles when ML suggests painting or sculpting and he even chose colored pencils over toy cars the other day … who knew!?

  

Over the weekend we visited the aquarium and were blown away. The colors, lights and overall feel of the S. E. A. aquarium made for a wonderful trip. Here are some of the highlights:

           

          

                                 

 

     

The remainder of our time this week has been spent re-acclimating Daddy to Singapore time – his narcoleptic bouts were getting to be a bit much  – and preparing for our long weekend away in Malaysia. Next stop: Penang!

This was the highly anticipated week of Mama and the kiddos being alone in the Lion City.  Daddy backtracked home via London to participate in some face to face interviews. As nerve wracking at it seemed from the outset, it’s been fine. The children have been angelic (well, sort of), and after having done this drill for a whole year prior, the only thing that is different is the scenery (and the fact that Mama is not worrying who will come start the generator should we lose power). I have been missing Nemo though. He kept me company back in Lee when Daddy was on the road and these nights alone in bed have been a little unsettling.

                            

Daddy made sure to incorporate some play into his week and caught a Sox game with some buddies.

 

The weekend leading up to Michael’s departure was full of the mundane. We spent a good chunk of Saturday at a (a new to us) mall quite close to the kids’ schools. Maggie Lou was invited to a bowling birthday party – her first time big ball bowling. She had a blast hanging with the fourth graders and thoroughly enjoyed her root beer float.

Mama is getting a little tired of taking pictures of our food, but we want to preserve, in photograph, some of Singapore’s signature dishes. Here are some of the things we have been scoffing down. Apologies for the poor pictures – I leave the food styling and photography to other family members (Thom, Minta, Hannah. . . ).

 

Curry Puff: curried chicken and potato in pastry. An “anytime snack” and a popular breakfast choice.

 Jack and Mama had fun discovering yet another indoor playspace. This one was the best yet, and not just because there is a bistro attached. Cool-de-Sac is a great spot where parents can sip lattes and eat decent food (that’s where mama had the mussels laksa) while the kiddos run wild. It offers great equipment to climb, run, play on, as well as has an art center, lego center, dress up center with stage and disco ball, and a zip line! Jack dressed like Spiderman and liked the slides the best. We’ll be  coming back here with Maggie Lou and Daddy.

               

 

This week in “things you probably won’t see in Lee:”

The first three are our “haunts” in the basement…

Mama was ignorant to squat toilets. For those who are like me and need a tutorial please note:  in other cultures folks squat to go potty! Most public bathrooms in Singapore offer at least one squat toilet. We (the Aldous collective)have all “tried” – some have had more success than others, and Jack sometimes has to be talked out of squatting (it’s a bit time consuming and sometimes laundry producing being an amateur, and all). It’s been great to be reminded that most basic things can be done differently!

 

 

 

The children were at 50% this weekend, so we laid somewhat low . . . a few swims, some more shopping (we’re embarrassed to admit it, but we’ve really taken to the mall culture) and exploration of Haji Lane in Kampong Glam.

Kampong Glam is  the Muslim and Malay center of Singapore. It’s small, but teeming with textiles, carpets, mosques and interesting boutiques. We took in the sights, sounds and smells. We strolled down Haji Lane – a little narrow street, not open to vehicles and lined by bustling shop houses that have been converted into hip shops full of “vintageeverythingmongers” and quaint bars and cafes. Mama took advantage of the Mother’s Day weekend and found a newly crafted necklace (reminiscent of contemporary Singapore Architecture) and a vintage maple leaf pin.

 

                             

 

      

Another notable building we passed on the way to Kampong Glam was ParkView Square. We have been staring at this building since we’ve moved here (we see it from the highway) and have been impressed with its fresh, art deco look. Michael had learned that the locals refer to it as the Gotham or Batman building and he said there is a bar in the building with a unique twist. Mama had to find out more …. check out the “Angel Bar.” Hint: there is a 3 story wine chiller inside!

         

On Vesak Day, celebrated this year on May 13, the family headed over the City Hall. Our plans to explore were scrapped on account of the heat and we quickly (bad habit, i know) hopped into a mall. This mall was special – no clothes, no handbags, just electronics and collectible toys — a nerd mecca. We checked everything out and now know where to head should we be in need of new gadgets or old toys! On the way out we took in the old fire department, the old police station and Parliament -and walked home via the river.

    

Later that night we met up with a dear friend’s husband who was in town on a business trip. He came armed with goodies for the children – thanks Pribble & Hubbell Family!

Daddy has been busy preparing for his job interviews. A lengthy process, he’s been burning the midnight oil with conference calls and skype interviews to Boston (EST).

A few things you probably won’t see in NH:

And a few parting Mother’s Day pics: