Home Sweet Home

FINALLY!!  We have just received word that the owners have accepted our offer on the condo we want!  I'm so happy to finally have a place to call home. After many outings with our realtor, we changed our minds on the location and decided to stay in the city.  As beautiful as it is on the water, it would be difficult for me to get around without a car.  So, we are now going to move into the Holland area for any of those that know Singapore.  Heavy expatriate area so we will surely be by some fellow Houstonians since there seems to be a large group from our city living here.  And the condo is much larger so we'll have plenty of room for any adventurous travelers!  Now, we are onto finding furniture.  You would think that would be a somewhat easy task but when my tastes lean more towards Pottery Barn and this entire country is all West Elm (contemporary), it has been frustrating to say the least.  But I have resolved myself to just getting the basics to get by since the whole point of this adventure is to save money.  So we are off to Ikea against everything in my make up!! 

The pictures below are not very good of our place but kind of gives you an idea.  The first is just the building and we will be on the top floor.  The next is just one from the inside looking towards the balcony off the living room and third one is from the balcony looking in... keep in mind, ours will not look nearly this fancy and with a lot less furniture!  The last one is the view off the balcony.  Once we get situated, I'll send more "real" photos. 

We also just received our membership to the American Club which we are super excited about.  This was also what helped tip our decision on staying in the city.  We were invited to brunch a week or two ago with some friends and realized what a great gift our membership was and that we definitely want to take advantage of it.  They have great restaurants, great work out facilities, a pub, a slot machine casino, spa, and a great pool where lots of folks hang out with their kiddos.  I'm planning on hitting the Pilates studio when I get the green light from the doctor so I can work on my MILF status.  If you are unsure of what a MILF is, just google it! HA!  We also think it will be fun to take the girls there on the weekends with all the other families for some pool time. 

We are also excited that Kelsey is coming in three weeks for a two week visit!  She has already given us her list of things she has researched that she wants to do.  I'm hoping her dad gets to take off some time since her 7 month pregnant stepmother will be somewhat limited in her mobility!  I'm growing by the day so I can only imagine what I'll look like at that point.  She has also figured out the drinking age is 18 in Singapore so she has tasked us to find someone her age that she can party with at night.  I am officially uncool and having a difficult time wrapping my arms around that .  I'm sure if I wasn't pregnant then it would be different, right???? 

Well, that is pretty much it for now.  I don't have many new "findings" this week but I'm sure there will be plenty more to come in the future.  Joe and I did go to see the musical "Chicago" with one of the guys he works with and Joe's Singapore wife.  While Joe was traveling back and forth every month to Singapore, he and Cletus hung out at this bar next to their hotel and became regulars.  Connie owns the bar "Bambooze" and joked often that she was his Singapore wife.  So it was nice to finally meet her and she is hilarious.  I"m looking forward to hanging at her bar one day and meeting her real husband.  Good times!

Random thoughts...

It has been a great week since my last post and have been able to experience Singapore more closely. It has been fun and interesting to see the culture differences from what we are all used to having.  From silly stuff like Heinz Ketchup, Ranch Dressing and Crystal Light to more important things like napkins!  I never knew how important these items are to me.  In Singapore, napkins are a luxury.  Many places don't offer you one and some will charge you to have one.  One of the things they are known for here are Chili Crabs (see picture).  They are these huge Sri Lanka crabs which are cooked in this awesome chili sauce that you dip these bread buns in.  It is VERY messy and worth it but they don't give you any damn napkins!  We got one small wetnap and you could go over to these sinks and wash your hands as needed.  So crazy...

Joe and I have also been venturing out with the car.  Although he drives to work everyday, he has not been out in the city much.  I'm telling you these people drive crazy.  And motorcycles don't have to drive in the lanes.  You can be driving side by side in cars going down the road and then a motorcycle can sneak up between you at any time.  Scares you to death and I have yet to figure out how there are not dead bodies and bikes lying all over the streets.  We have nearly hit four or five and have only been driving two weeks! 

We have finally hit the jackpot with grocery stores and have found the real deal.  They have a lot of American products and depending on the area, will depend on how many you can find.  They are always busy and the home delivery service sounds even better after you have gone.  However, it is one of those things you have to go and experience a few times so you can figure out the brands that you want.  Most of the grocery stores are located within malls so it is like going to the Galleria and doing your grocery shopping.  Parking in garages and then finding your way to the store.  The one thing they have mastered is the grocery carts.  You have to put a coin in to release the cart and then you have to return it to get the coin back.  Alleviates a lot of random carts being strewn around the parking lots. 

So, here are my top findings this week:

• It is very important to keep your toes well pedicured and always wear slide on shoes.  It is expected to remove your shoes before entering homes.  As we have been out looking at places to live, Joe learned the hard way that tennis shoes are not that convenient.
• Be kind to the Asian drivers back in the states!  They are confused by all the straight streets and roads!  They are used to people running into their lanes and sneaking up on the sides of their cars.  Should clearly explain the stereotype.
• Don't ever listen to the young Asian kid at the video store for movie recommendations.  Zombieland is not an awesomly funny movie.
• And most importantly, keep napkins in your purse!

I think that is it for now!  I hope everyone is doing great!

Decisions, Decisions...

Let me start off by saying, if you guys could all move here, it would be incredible!! I'm starting to understand why people like it so much...


Joe and I spent Saturday looking at places to live and our realtor gave us a better glimpse into Singapore. We went into this thinking we wanted a "landed house" which is basically a townhouse in our standards. While these are great in the sense they give you lots of space, they are much older with old appliances usually and most do not offer common areas with a pool, gym, etc. Therefore, we are leaning heavily towards a condo.

The condos here all have private entrances so the elevators (or lifts as they say here) go directly to your front door and you must have a card to gain access. With the condo, you have all the amenities that you need and it also gives you an opportunity to meet other families. We have found that most of these complexes are full of expats and families and most do commune near the pools and BBQ areas. Additionally, the majority of the condos are NEW and have good appliances which is kind of a big deal to me since we enjoy cooking.

One of the areas that we were shown is called Sentosa Cove. It is a small island off of the big island and it is BEAUTIFUL. This is where all the big attractions are located. They have amusement rides, casinos and nature parks. All of this is located on one side of the island and the other side is residential. It is an up and coming area so at this time, there are not a ton of residents however they are moving in quickly. We are pretty much sold on this area and are planning on going back to look at a few more condos. They are a little smaller however your balconies overlook the ocean or marina and you would feel like you are on vacation everyday. We are looking at a 3 or 4 bedroom plus the helper quarters. To give you an idea, the houses here start at around 15 million. Not sure what those people do for a living! Below are a couple of shots of the views from the condos. Nice, huh?

In comparison, city living would give you view of the business parks. Sentosa is only about a 5 - 10 minute ride into town. Coming from Houston, big whoop! Everyone tells you how nice it is to be walking distance to the malls and such but with twins and the prices at the malls, I don't foresee myself heading out shopping all that much. I see Joe and I taking the babies for walks along the beach (there is a pathway that goes right along the waterfront), bike rides and sitting out at the BBQ pits with the other families sharing martinis. Seems to be more our lifestyle than being in the hustle and bustle of the city. You'll have to comment and give me your opinion. By the way, there is a private bus in the area that takes you directly to a shopping area for last minute essentials. Other than that, most people who don't have cars order their groceries online and they are delivered directly to you. NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE!

One of the other luxuries we are looking into is a "helper". Most of the helpers live with you which was giving us a weird feeling, but after speaking with a lot of other people, this is actually the norm. They help with cleaning, cooking and taking care of the children. For all you parents out there paying for daycare, a helper here costs about $500 a month, working 6 days a week. Is there any question on if you should have one?!

All of the housing has a helpers quarters which is no bigger than a walk in closet and is basically a bomb shelter without windows. I was having a VERY hard time imagining someone having to sleep and live in a closet with nothing more than a cot and a fan but it has been explained to me that this is truly a luxury for them. They come from very poor upbringings where most have a bucket to sit on for a chair and bathrooms are more or less non-existent (they do get a private bath in the condo). Here is a picture althought not a good one. I'm standing in the entrance taking the picture if that gives any frame of reference.

I have a couple of good leads from families moving back to the states so I will be interviewing a couple of helpers that could start in June. This would give me a chance to acclimate and set up expectations before the girls get here. Wish me luck!

I am heading out this week to look at a few more places and hopefully make a final decision. It looks like we will be able to move in at the beginning of May which is great since our stuff should arrive around the 11th. I'll update later on our final decision!

So have I convinced anyone to move here???!!! COME ON AND LIVE ON THE ISLAND WITH US!!

Doctor... Check... Entertainment... CHECK!

It is crazy to think we have not even been here a week yet and have already found our doctor. She came recommended and we went to meet her earlier this week. We love her! I was worried that I wouldn't like anyone as much as my Houston doctor but I've got to say, she may have beaten her in the running. She is thorough, informative, had a great nurse and to top it off, hilarious. I will be meeting with her every two weeks since I'm high risk and she wants to monitor me closely. I'm now in the warning phase of "pre-term labor". So basically, that just means I get to take it easy, lay by the pool and be waited on. She didn't really put it in those terms but that is how I took it. Anyway, the babies look great and exactly on schedule. They are definitely taking after their mother in the leg department!

I have also been introduced to the entertainment mecca! There is an area here called Clarke Quay and it was great. It is kind of like the San Antonio Riverwalk on steroids. I didn't get any pictures but I found some online that gives you an idea. I'm pretty when our visitors come in town, this is where they will want to kick back with a cocktail or two. Oh, and the last picture is a cooling system that they have put in that cools the whole area. It is hard to tell, but it shoots cool air through those seven holes if you can find them. Houston should take notes.

We ate at a Mexican restaurant and it was awesome. Joe had smoked salmon soft tacos and they were oddly great! There are a ton to choose from so my plan is to take it slowly and eat myself across Singapore. Another place we saw is a bar called, "The Clinic". It looks like a doctors office with tables and benches made out of hospital beds and wheelchairs for seats. You can order cocktails and they are brought to you in an IV bag. Pretty funny.

Three more things I have learned or need to learn so far:

1. They work off of the metric system, so figuring out what equals what is very confusing. Cooking will be a challenge. However, I will say it is much more pleasant getting on the doctor scale and having kilo's pop up rather than pounds!
2. Washing clothes using Celsius versus Fahrenheit is challenging. I shrank our first load of laundry to fit our babies not knowing what setting to use.
3. When they tell you that you are close to the equator... listen. I went to the pool for a little over an hour and figured I would not be out there long enough to need sunblock. WRONG!

Anyway, that is all for now! I thought one of the best parts of being in control of this is that I wouldn't have to post pictures of myself which is very true! However, I keep getting asked how big my stomach is so I will have Joe take some so you can see the progression. Crazy!

Love you all!

SINGAPORE OR BUST!

Hi Friends and Family,

I thought I would try out this blog thing and share our experiences in Singapore and even more importantly, our babies. It has been quite the road for us getting to where we are but we are super excited about our future and the adventures we will encounter.

We landed on April Fool's Day but thankfully, we did not experience any fools and it was pretty uneventful which is always good. So far our adventure has been quiet as it has taken us several days to recover from the jetlag. One thing I can tell you is that Singapore is beautiful and clean. We have ventured out and found the shopping paradise that everyone has warned me (Joe) about and it is overwhelming. It is like a little New York with the lights, music and people. Now if we can figure out how to afford to buy anything, then life will definitely be great.

Our temporary apartment is nice and we have all the amenities we need to get by until our stuff arrives around May 11th. I have posted a few pictures below that shows you what it looks like (I haven't quite figured out the uploading deal on the pictures so they are kind of mushed together). We are hoping to meet with a realtor this week to find our permanent house and then I can fill my day getting organized and doing my housewife duties. Right now we have a maid service that is doing it all so I am really living a life of luxury!

A few things I have learned so far...

1. Singlish is the language spoken which is a mix of English with a Singaporean twist. It is going to take a while to decipher what they are saying but I figure I managed Joe's accent so surely I can get this one down too. Who knows what we'll sound like when we make it back to the USA!
2. Driving is nuts here and you feel like you are in Mexico. Just close your eyes and hope for the best. The even scarier thought is that Joe just received his Honda CRV and will now be part of this craziness. Please keep us in your prayers!
3. It is a non-tipping society so it is not necessary to leave a little extra. It makes the higher prices seem a little easier to swallow. Cristl would love it because she wouldn't be asked to figure out the tip!
4. Television is a little to be desired. No more Grey's Anatomy, 90210, Melrose Place, and the most dreadful... no more FOOD NETWORK! Joe told me they had it which I guess was a ploy to get me here. Kind of like when he used to give me back massages and then we got married...
5. Grocery stores... I'm not even sure what to say about this yet. We have yet to figure this out. Spaghetti and peanut butter and jelly is all I have been able to come up with so far. I'm hoping I can take a class on shopping and cooking.
6. It's hot! Definitely Houston weather but the nice part is there is a breeze. It didn't take me long to figure out why everyone carries umbrellas even when it is not raining. My signature "black" clothing may finally have to change. I know my mother will be disappointed about that! :-)

So after our first few days, I do foresee great fun! I know it is necessary to become apart of the Singaporean culture and not try to make the culture fit into my world. It is a beautiful part of the world and there are so many new experiences that we will get to encounter. The people are beautiful and we have not even made an inch into the society yet. My biggest hope is that my metabolism will start to follow theirs as they are all skinny so surely they have tapped into something here!! HA!

More to come...