The real holiday

So, the All Blacks won. Congratulations! Should be good for the NZ psychie and NZ'ers everywhere. But that is all the comment I can make as I didn't watch the game. I had a much more adventurous weekend.

Saturday was 'D' day for my root canal, and I had to go to a whole 'nother country to get it done. Well I didn't have to but chose to. I had spoken to two girlfriends about it here and they were most distressed that I was going over to Malaysia by myself to have this done. I put on a brave face and said that I was just going to catch a taxi over and then back again, easy! What I was astonished by, was the fact that neither of them knew that there was a taxi service which did this. And that it was only $10 SGD per person in a shared taxi or $40 SGD for the whole cab, one way of course.

And it was that easy.

I went to Queen Street, near Bugis, which is where all the local buses and Taxi's leave from for Malaysia. 10 mins wait and off I go. It took an hour from getting in the taxi to the taxi depot in Jahor Bahru (JB). Easy as. The best bit for me was not having to get out of the Taxi and go through customs, then get back in the Taxi drive across the causeway, get out and go through Malaysian customs and then get back in the taxi and head into town. Which is how it goes if you do the trip in the bus. Yes, it is cheaper, around $3.00 one way, but it adds about 40 mins to the trip, if not more depending on the time of day.

Upon arriving in JB, I was promptly ripped off. No international travel is complete without being conned. I hadn't been to JB for about 10 years and while trying to get my bearings a taxi tout got me. 10 MYR (Malaysian Ringgit) to a shopping mall. Well, hell why not, I had no idea where I was. Turns out the mall was around the corner. If he had been on the meter it would have cost about 3 MYR, and yes they do use their meter. Oh, he just got me at a weak moment.

Shop I did. Well I wandered around the mall and tried on many clothes and shoes. But no go. But McDonalds was good for lunch.

I then ventured out just in time for a tropical downpour. Actually it was good timing, not that I knew this. I needed to be at the dentist in 30mins and thought I may as well find a taxi since there was no point in walking. Turns out that the dentist is in JB, but greater JB. About a 30min ride from central where I was.

Yay, made it.

Other than the tradition of taking my shoes off at the door, the clinic was fine. Clean, modern and everything I needed or I should say the dentist needed.

As I lay back in the chair, with the drill whining in my ear, I realised that I felt like I was on holiday. I had had a whole day without my son. This is the first time in over 2 years. It was liberating.

Since when did going to the dentist become relaxing and not nearly as fearsome as I remembered it to be. Lucky, I get to go back another 2 times.

The return trip was equally easy. I did have to get the receptionist at the dental clinic to tell the taxi where I was headed. It is hard to talk when half your face is numb. I was home about 8pm.

All in all it wasn't nearly as traumatic as I expected.

Long over due

Hello,


I did the most awesome exercise class on Tuesday and still can't walk properly. I just thought you'd find that amusing. 


There is this bunch of women who meet on a Tuesday morning at the botanical gardens here and do a class. It's about 6 women and an instructor, almost like a PT session but heaps cheaper. 


The instructor made me (us) run (I don't run), push up's moving from side to side, lunges. Frog jumps, what the hell? They suck and I am sure that's why I'm still sore, it is Thursday as I write this. Rowing with bands and all sorts of other unbearable torture. 


The bit that a lot have people would have disliked, is the fact that it is at 9am in the morning and the temp is already 30 with 80-90% humidity. 


It was a total shock to my system. I haven't done anything proper (well ever) but in terms of exercise, since before I had my son, so about 3 years ago.


I LOVED IT and will be going again and every time I hurt afterwards I will think of my personal trainer back in NZ. What a legacy she left me with. 


Otherwise it's all ok here. Hubby's work is trying to kill him and it maybe working. He has had a very full on week with 3 late nights and now he can't get out of bed cos of the flu. He has to get out of bed cos he has to have a dr's cert to have a sick day.


He sagely informed me that it was the 'Man flu' as he sat in the middle of the lounge while I was attempting to mop the floor around him.


My son is a delight today, but I won't go on as I may jinx things.


Off to Malaysia on Sat to get my tooth fixed. Seriously infected root canal a couple of weeks ago, which caused my face to swell. 


It's a 3rd of the price to have it done in Malaysia compared to here. I just hope that doesn't mean they only do a third of the work. 


The monsoon season seems to have arrived early. We are having daily thunderstorms (which I love). I am not so keen on the rain, but umbrella's do work here. That's a novelty. I will know that I have assimilated, when I start using an umbrella as a sun shade. No, not a parasol. 


Other ground breaking news is that the Nana, Hubby's Mum, is coming to visit. Should be interesting. More on that as it unfolds. Ok, time to go and do stuff. 

Picture of Mum with her suppurating abscess. Drawn by hubby with embellishments by son.

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.

Spectacularly bad day

I wasn't going to write this one, but not much else has happened since, well quite a lot has and I am sure I will get sidetracked and write it all anyway. This could be a mammoth read, time waster.

I love Friday's. It's the day of the week that always makes me feel positive and brings promise. It's the day that I think is good for pancakes for breakfast or bacon and eggs. I am not saying that I make this all that often on a Friday but sometimes I am inspired to do so. It's a good day for a treat. It's the end of the working week.

Last Friday was like all the others. Actually not really, and thank goodness for that.

I take my son to an ANZA playgroup on a Friday morning. They hold it at an indoor gym and it is a great place for the kids to run, climb and be active. It really is a bit hot for that outside here.


Couldn't find any pictures of Go Go Bambini, so I found you a map of it's location.


I enjoyed the playgroup initially and joined ANZA to meet other expats living here in Singapore. I hoped that it might help ease my transition. However I have found it sadly lacking........you know what? That's another blog all on it's own.


Playgroup was rather uneventful this week and I cam home felling rather disheartened. But that's ok as I had plans for the afternoon.


I have booked our first beach holiday since arriving here. Actually I think it may be our first beach holiday in about 3 years, and had to make the payments that afternoon. 


Being still new in Singapore, I still have to plan out my adventures so that I know where I am going and how to get there, especially with my son. If by myself I am much more likely to just rush out and take it as it comes, with the knowledge that if I get lost then I can catch a cab etc. But I have the leeway to muck around a bit. With my son, he has a limited tolernace for the buggy and if I let him walk then I have to leave about 3 hours before I have to be somewhere.


The other issue that we have to sort out is banking. Hubby joined us up with ANZ here as it was easy for us to get an account. What we didn't know is that it is classed as an overseas bank and they don't have NET's cards which work on the local network. NET's cards are like eftpos cards in NZ and Australia. So most things we do we pay for in cash. The other thing about ANZ is that they have a tie in with the other overseas banks but not with the local banks, which means there are limited ATM machines you can use.


Taking all of that into account I headed to Raffles Place, where I know there is an ANZ branch and then a short walk to Robinson Road to pay for the holiday. Mission accomplished.


I alight at Raffles Place and head to the ANZ. First obstacle was that they were under renovations. That's ok though as they have put an ATM machine just across the square. I find this machine. All going well. Only to find that the machine had temporarily run out of $50 notes (they don't have 20's here) and was only issuing $10 notes. How annoying since I want to withdraw $2000.00, but if that's the way it has to be so be it. Other wise I am going to have to get on the MRT and go to another station (where I know there is another machine), get the cash and then come back again and head to Robinson Road. I start with drawing. Only to be told that the maximum limit at this machine is $400 at this time. I KNOW that you can with draw up to $3000.00 per day here. I try to make multiple with drawals, but you know, these machines are hard to trick. Son starts screaming at this point as he wants out to run around and it is nearing 5 pm. I have to make payment by 5.30. 


There are a lot of banks around this area, but unless you know where they are it can be difficult to find them. Especially as I needed a specific type of bank.


Eventually I found a Maybank which I know takes my card. Cool. It is on Robinson Road, even better. To get to it, not so cool. There were roadworks on every corner and I had to use the MRT under pass. Which mean steps with a buggy. 


Off I trot. Get the money and then off to make payment and I still have about 20 mins. All good. Get to the travel agent. They are on the 8th floor and to get to the lift there is a flight of stairs. I mean 20 or so. With a buggy. I had no choice but to leave the buggy outside, unlocked, while we went to make the payment. My son used the climb to exercise his vocal chords. It was a bit like yelling in a public toilet.


Payment made. The lovely travel agent informed me that we could have got the same deal a bit cheaper had I gone to the Golden Mile (which is the place where all the buses sell their tickets from), I actually knew this but just wanted an easy, organised trip this time. Trying to get the confidence up about travelling with a toddler.


Got the tickets and got out. Buggy was still there. Crime rate is low here. I am not saying there isn't any, but on the whole it's a pretty trusting place.


Getting back to the MRT was where it all fell apart for me. I hoped that there was another entrance I could use to get underground and to the MRT because on the way over all the steps had been downwards, which meant going back was all upwards. I go to the entrance I had come out of and there was no way I could cross the roads. There were workers directing people underground and all the crossing where blocked off. Helpfully, there was a sign at the entrance to the MRT letting me know that this was not an entrance for people in a wheel chair of with wheels and that for this service you had to cross the road and use the lifts over there. 


Yep. That did me. I love irony, but not at my expense, well just not all the time at my expense. So, while I was struggling up the stairs, with peak hour workers heading home, I lost my footing and found myself sitting on the ground. My son was fine in the buggy, but I was done. You know, just over it all. I had gone out to do a simple task and it wasn't meant to be.


It's moments like that, that remind you you are still new in a huge city and it really does take a while to figure out how it works and how easy it was in your previous city because you knew it.


Now, I am totally ready for the holiday. 

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!

Be brave

Yesterday, when I was at the supermarket buying yet another 6 pack of green tea and beer, I met a lovely lady who had just arrived in Singapore. She has just been here a month and has a daughter younger than my son.

Anyway as women do, we got nattering. I think when you are in a new place you tend to forget some of you inhibitions and respond more favourably to new people. So chitter chatter we did outside the local mall. My son and her daughter were causing mischief, chasing a ball all over the place. I find people's reactions to Max being boisterous very interesting. I think that us westerners are a bit more chilled and do encourage our children to be kids, compared to the local community.

Am I getting side tracked again, at least it's not by food.............. Nearly lunchtime, what shall I have?

I actually had a point to today's blog, but it has totally escaped from my mind. No great feat.

Uh ha. We were talking about play groups and the need to socialise our children. She (for the want of a better label and no offense intended), said that she had put her daughter into one of the costly centers in the mall. She said that she found it a bit restrictive as she had to be with her daughter and also the way that it was run was very education focused. Flash cards etc for 18 month olds. Her daughter gets bored and gets up to explore after about 2 mins and the teachers are most distressed by this.

I talked about my son going to a local play group in an HDB near where we live. It really is the polar opposite of what she has for her daughter. It is loud and the kids are kids. You drop them off for two hours. Yes, they do do painting and my son is certainly learning his ABC's along with Mandarin, but it's not so strict. Also the children are a great mix of cultures and I like this. She was interested and I will be introducing her to the school.

The interesting thing is, that it depends who you meet in the first few weeks of being in Singapore that influences how you live here. I was fortunate enough to meet a wide cross section. Some people wouldn't consider putting their children in the local system and others do. But I had access to a lot of information that other people haven't bee introduced to. Like the HDB schools and the local health insurance.

So, if you are interested in finding out about local schools, head down to the closest HDB and wander around. You will find the schools or look for the associates office.

Check out this website for health insurance, local health insurance. I was completely daunted by the website, so I just phoned the number and someone came to visit me and talked me through it. It was easy.

Another place that I have found useful information is the community centers. Have a look at their website and trawl around to find the closest one to you and see what they have to offer. They have classes in yoga, line dancing etc. Here is their link Community Centres.

So, be brave and jump in boots and all. Go exploring and have fun.

Oh jeeze and a tour

Well, since I last blogged it's been hell on a biscuit here.

My son has been sick and very miserable with it. Flu, I think. Basically it didn't matter what we did, he wasn't happy or comfortable. It makes for a long hard week. Thank fully he sleeps through the night, but oh god, the days are heel. We have been living on a diet of......well pizza and other healthy choices.

Hush! I know pizza isn't healthy or a food group in it's own right.

I have been so shattered that instead of sitting down to write, I have been doing the thousand yard stare. Seems to be my natural look these days.

Instead of date night this week, we headed to the pool for pizza and red wine. It was the best evening. Armed with the laptop, the iphone (hubby's), the boring phone (mine), two buckets for the wine (just really large glasses) and pizza (I wonder how many time I can write that in my blog?), we made our way to the pool. It was empty and peaceful, just what we needed. No hustle and certainly no bustle. It were bliss.

Saturday dawned bright and full of promise. Every morning is like that. Off to the markets. I am loving the markets. Good chicken, good veges and nice flowers. I always feel so domestic after filling up the fridge with yummy fresh food and flowers on the table make it complete or something like that. And I got a photo, not a great one, but one nonetheless.

See, there it is.  I am standing by the fish section and looking back to the fresh chickens.

Hmm, I might have to have a chat with Hubby and see if he can give me some of the footage he has shot on his wanderings. Later.

Today was epic. We had a visitor who had spent years here, but hadn't been back for about 20 years. Honest to go this place is totally un-recognisable compared to then. It was the compulsory walk down the river to the new Marina Sands. It is rather impressive. See, I stole a photos off the net for you and also one of the performing arts centre, otherwise known as the Durian (you will see why).

The Durian

Marina Bay Sands.

That was more than enough for the day, but nope, wasn't quite done yet.

It was a wonder down Little India. Little India, is usually packed on a Sunday afternoon. There is a real vibrancy and liveliness. It's great. Trawling through the shops and discovering all the little goodies that are on offer. And the food, yep back to that again. I had an exquisite palak paneer (home made cottage cheese in a spinach sauce). Yum. And the bit that made it taste better was using ones hands. Soooo good.

I have a couple of photo's which I took. See, I am trying to get the hang of this visual aid.

Colourful buildings in Little India (actually the place we had lunch)

Now I am done. Well almost. Hubby has just dashed off to the local food court to get some soup dumplings. Oh goodie.

Son had one final meltdown to finish off the weekend, but that was solved by early to bed. Hubby went for two bike rides (YES, two) this weekend and it only rained on one of them. That's some kind of progress.

Right, that's me over and out.