Reflection

It's funny how it's not the New Year which causes reflection in my head, but it's birthday's. It might be because my birthday is so close to New Year.

Hi, yes, another long absence and I don't even bother being polite. Forget the niceties, lets just get right into the nuts and bolts of it.

I have a friend who is having major health issues at the moment and I have to admit it has rocked me to the core. Someone I have known for about 35 years, who is not part of the family. She is a vibrant woman who has done loads of travel and very rarely stops. One of those people who swims at lunch, walks in the jungle after work, then heads home to make pesto and hummus. Basically makes the rest of us 'normal' folk feel like sloths. So when she suddenly can't walk more than 300 meters, can't drive herself around and can't make pesto, it's a shock to say the least. Luckily she is mentally resilient.

Why am I telling you this?

Because it has made me think. Yep, I can do that at times.

It has made me think about that one step forward, five back thing that happens. And now I shall share my pearls of wisdom with you about why I think we get impatient like that. I am an expert you know.

I have decided that that is what happens when one is impatient with a situation. I think that if you can take that situation as it is and are doing what you can within your powers, then you feel that you are slowly forging forward. If you are impatient with where you are at then any roadblock or set back seems huge and makes it feel like you are losing ground and doing a fantastic backwards slide.

This is how I have felt during alot of what has gone on over the past few years. I have been so desperate to get out of whatever mindframe/situation that we have been in that I have felt very much like a 'victim' by which I mean out of control of what is happening and not being able to make any head way.

At other times I have embraced where I was at and accepted things for what they are and then it doesn't seem so bad. I think everything is a process, and if you try to circumvent it, that's when the backwards stuff comes in. Easy to say in hindsight.

"love is in the air, love is in the air." Radio distracted me for a minute.

It's birthday time here I have been down this past week or so. Not majorly, just feeling like I am a slave to the boys, which I know isn't true. But I haven't set myself up with things for me. I think that is part of feeling guilt and of not having control of the situation, therefor feeling like I don't deserve anything for me. Especially as it would mean asking more of hubby, not that he would object and doesn't but that's not a solution. I want some independence back.

So, time for a job. Something nice and flexible from home. Something that enables me to gain control, make decisions and feel that I am gainfully contributing, even if it is only to my own well being. Hmm, just reread that sentence and wonder if I am very selfish or feel like a lot of mothers, who are at a cross roads and starting to rediscover the joys of life outside of motherhood.

Wow, where did all that come from? I think I should be on Oprah with my retrospective clarity.

I think it is certainly time for me to go and get on with the day. Afterall that's what I have been saying.

Carpe diem.

Life gets busy and time for blogging disappears

Hello,

I know, I know, my blog has fallen by the wayside, but I have just been sooooo busy (lying by the pool) and just haven't had a chance.

Actually we have been a bit busy. For the last month we have had hubby's mum (Nana) here, which has been both good and exhausting. Always tiring showing someone around, but at the same time rather envigorating. It is also nice to explore and share this wonderful city with someone who hasn't been here for about 36 years. It's changed quite a bit. To be honest I think that the modernity of the city was rather lost on Nana. But we found it impressive all over again and realised hosw much we enjoy it here.

Why is it that people forget to bring good walking shoes when they travel? The best way to see Singapore is by foot, but we couldn't do much walking and true exploring until a new pair of decent walking shoes were purchased. So in the final week of Nana's stay we had to cramm quite a bit in.

There was the complusary visits to Chinatown, where much shopping was done and of course dinner at Maxwell food court, which has to be a highlight for us. Hubby and I are suckers for a good nosh up at the local food courts. Nana enjoyed it, I think.............

We also did the walk around Clarke Quay down to Marina Bay Sands, which is where the big new casino is. This place is really mad. I have to say. The architecture is just spacey, and there is something new being created all the time. It really is a bit more like urban art than boring old buildings.

Marina Bay Sands - Casino, hotel and exclusive shopping centre

The Durian.

Nana was also required to join us on a trip to Phuket for a week. It were bliss. We rented a villa and it felt like we were in the country. The occasional sewerage waft was testament to that. They had these wonderful upright bikes with baskets on the front which we used to go to the beach, which was about 15 mins ride away. Max fitted in the basket just right. Responsible parenting at it's best.
We were near Layan beach which for the most part ws totally deserted. Perfect. It had a little wave which was just enough to make swimming fun. It reminded me how much I love the sea. We really did'nt spend enough time on the beach. Next time I am not leaving it. The lure of shopping got the better of us.

Layan Beach

Coconut Beach

So, a car was hired and off to explore the more populated areas. Kamala beach and Patong beach are lovely, but over crowded. Not necessarily with people, but with sun loungers and umbrellas. Boats and other watersports cluttered up the ocean, and if this is your perfect holiday then, you would be in heaven.

Patong the shopping was fun. The first day was the best. We felt like we had landed in shopping paradise. Wandering the markets and bartering is exhilerating, helped along with a beer or two at lunch. We ventured back twice more, but it wasn't the same. It felt a bit forced by that point. 



We were there in the evening and did take a walk down the notorious sex district. It was a buzz. Not good, not bad just thrumming. We got caught in a torrential downpour and had to find a bar to wait out the rain. Pina colada's were required and my son was fawned over by the "ladies".

Our son did get to feed and pat an elephant which were huge highlights for him. He is even talking about wanting to be an Elephant when he grows up. We is only 2!

Ok, I have spent much longer then I anticipated writing this, actually I was trying to insert some photo's but it doesn't seem to want to play, so I'll attach them instead.

Sorry for the abrupt end to this, but there are things I need to be doing.

Hope everyone is well and in a festive mood?

Holiday, what holiday?

Yay, we went on holiday. It's taken a few days recovery. Travelling with a 2 year old is intense. He has needed recovery too. The journey up was rather uneventful. We went to Tioman island which is an island 54 kms off the West coast of Malaysia. We caught the bus up to Tanjung Gemok, about 4 hours bus ride from Singapore. The travel agents will quote you 3 hours, but remember that there is 2 lots of customs and inevitably there will be a late comer which we all have to sit and wait for. Yep. Not the best when you have a toddler who you know is on a time limit. From Tanjung Gemok to Tioman it's about a 2 hour ferry ride. Again, you will be told that it is an hour and a half, but take that with a grain of salt.

We stayed at the Berjaya Resort. It was easy. The food was reasonable and they had everything you could possibly want. You didn't have to leave the resort, which is good as Tioman is not a huge, happening metropolis. It is a tropical paradise, perfect for beaching, snorkeling, diving and other water sports. On that note, I was very impressed that they banned jet ski's and other fast motor boat sports, all in the name of conservation and preservation.

Here is a dump of the photo's that we took.

This was the 2nd pool. It has a shallow paddling pool for little ones. The other pool had two water slides and a pool bar, but my son liked this one.

Ahhhh.

Caters to families.

The room was basic, but had air conditioning, fan and a TV.

This is what we looked out on from our room.

Perfection. The island you can see is called Renggis Island, lots of snorkeling happens there.

What a beach.

Obligatory palm tree.

My son didn't really grasp the idea of the beach holiday, which didn't make it a restful break. But it was a break none the less. Hubby got go snorkeling for 4 hours and that was his holiday. Bless. He swam with sharks and everything. I snuck in a few chapters of my book. It was wonderful to swim in the sea.

Oh, god. There are lots of celebrations going on in Singapore at the moment and there is constant drumming going on outside our windows. Starts at about 3pm and goes until 11pm. Frazzling.

The journey back wasn't nearly as smooth as the one over. The ferry was 2 and a half hours late and no one kept us informed, so we spent the time at the ferry terminal to afraid to go and explore in case we missed the ferry. This then meant that the bus was late and so on and so on.

We learnt a couple of things. 

Number 1.My son gets car sick and chose to show us by throwing up on my husband. We couldn't change either of them until the bus stopped, about an hour after the event. It wasn't pleasant.

It was after 10pm by the time we got home that night, and were shattered. It was a rough day. 

Number 2, take the plane. There is a plane that gets you to the island. It takes about an hour from Singapore to Tioman, which is a good thing with a toddler. Take the plane, take the plane.

Ok, have been distracted by the drums. Am off.

It's time to travel

One of the bonuses of coming to live in Singapore is the access to south east Asia. We have been here 6 months, geesh time flies, and haven't dared leave the island. Well, hubby has been to Malaysia for bike rides, but that's not fun. Ok, not my type of fun.

When I was 9 years old I visited Singapore and Malaysia with my Mum and some of her friends. One of the places I remember visiting the most was Tioman Island. I think this was partly because I had to keep a daily journal and on Tioman I wrote a story about the Pumpkin eaters. What the? I know.

They were tiny jellyfish that had a dark spot in the middle. A bit like a seed. Yep, I still have no idea why they were called Pumpkin eaters or why this particular story stuck in my mind. But it has and it did.

As an aside, the person who corrected my journal daily (the point of the exercise was to keep my spelling and grammar up as we were travelling for an extensive period of time), was American. This has confused me no end as most of my schooling was conducted in Australia or New Zealand where they follow the Queen's own. I was always getting bad results from spelling tests and it wasn't until I was much older that I realised there was a difference, that it started to make sense for me.

So where was I?

Huh, that's right. It's time to go a hunting. Pumpkin eaters here I come. I have talked hubby and my son, the latter has very little choice, into going up to Tioman for the weekend. Ok, so I don't have anything booked and will be getting onto that after I have finished gossing to you, but I am excited. I love a good weekend away. And to the beach, lovely.

I wonder if the monkey is still there that bit me (true story) about 25 years ago? I'm sure I don't really need to re-visit that adventure.

Now, just to make sure you are feeling me, I have 'borrowed' a couple of photo's off the net. Well, I don't have my own as we haven't been yet!