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...