Children's Garden

Last Sunday while in Singapore, we we went to the Children's Garden which is in the Botanical Gardens. WOW! It has a children's cafe with little chairs, an iron tree sculture made of children, and the gardens are incredible. They are educational as well. A spice garden, a fruit section, a photosynthesis section and then water fountains and climbing structures....really really sweet.

Little India dinner

On Saturday night, Devin and I had the rare opportunity to have some adult time on a double date with Pete and Michelle. They have a live in helper, Marlin, and she stayed with the kids while we went out. We went to Little India in Singapore where I had never been. OH my I LOVED IT! Seriously, you walk down the side walk smelling incense, seeing the most beautiful women dressed in sari's, shining, glitter, silk...smelling so good...resturants wafting the flavors and smells that can almost make you fall over they are so delicious, carts with fresh, crisp vegetables, stores filled with sparkling bangle braclets and henna tatoos...oh pure delight. We ate dinner at a resturant on a corner- the road rumbling with life. We sat at a table outside practically in the street, but gently lit. Pete ordered for us as the menu was about 25 pages long...Indian food is one of my favorite pleasures- so how could I choose off a menu that big??? We had Chatta, palak panneer, mutton, lentils, naan with herbs, yougurt sauces, mint sauces, spicy and sweet, saffron rice and Kingfisher beer oh my! Then we strolled around and for fun they took us to this backpacker spot they had stumbled on...on the back patio surrounded by bamboo I looked up and watched Devin drink a beer the color of the northwest and thought....where am I Oregon....oh no Asia!!!! Fun night- best food ever...and great dear new friends.

Anna's 5th Birthday Party

We returned to Singapore this Saturday for our freind, Anna's 5th birthday held at the American Club. We are so grateful for our new freind's Michelle and Pete Deininger. They are a taste of comfort, home, connection, adventure, family and freindship. They kindly had us over for the night after the party. Anna and Nevi have such fun and they had a sleepover...not only in the same room. When we parents came home from dinner out- the girls were curled up together in the same bed sound asleep!Wish I had a picture of that~ Thanks for a great Birthday party, Anna!

another home cooked meal

So last week, I attempted to cook a classic Malaysian Chicken Noodle soup recipe.I did exactly what I read and soaked the fresh noodles, but for some reason they did not seperate instead they began to look like gray molding clay. My first real Asian cooking oops....right into the trash they went ooops!
Needless to say- I steamed some rice and the soup because a classic Malaysian Chicken and rice soup! We had Bok Choy, yellow peppers, carrots, green beans, and egg in it. Then the sauce is oyster sauce, soy and grated thai garlic. You add the sauce to the soup as you like for taste...and then of course I cooked up some roti cause it is good all day everyday! Nevi asked for three servings- woohoo!

Some differences between Singapore and Johor Bahru

My sweet Mom emailed me a good question today. As I wrote, I realized I should just post my response to her...to you...just in case anyone was wondering.

As for the difference between here and Sing….Oh where do I begin? Singapore is clean, buildings are kept up, roads are developed and smooth, people drive with more care, there are endless things to do especially with children, there are western/european/international people everywhere…so many expats and people who choose to live there…endless restaurants, the water from the tap is safe to drink, the public transportation is awesome- buses amazing and a Metro system all over the island. It is EXPENSIVE to live there. Grocery stores carry all the things we get at home. There are so many rules and regulations that the place is completely safe…you can walk anywhere at night even as a woman and nothing will happen to you. Drugs are non existent because if you are caught with them you are put to death. Not kidding. Fines for drunk driving are over $2000 first offense. So it is clean, safe and vibrant.
Johor Bahru- just across the bridge- struggles. This is third world living. Buildings are abandoned because no one can afford to keep them up, buildings are crumbling, or molding or or simply empty. The police takes bribes…so you get pulled over and they say pay a ticket and then the next breath say or pay me now. So if the police can be bribed than anything is possible. People work so hard and make almost nothing. I just found out that one of the drivers here at the resort who drives Nevi to school, Subra who has six children at home makes R1200 a month driving. 1200 ringgit equals about $300 USD. Yes, it is cheap in our standards to live here…but raising 6 children on $300 USD a month is desperate really. There is only one main road that leads North and South…it is in ok repair, but needless to say with so many commuting to get to work…nightmare. Another driver, who I adore- we call him Catfish…he drives 60 KM each day to get to work. Takes him over an hour. Johor Bahru wants to improve- they are trying to build new roads and overpasses to ease the hassle, but the construction takes forever and sometimes does not get completed. There are a few bridges which literally just stop and drop off- no money to continue. With the lack of funds and the lack of regulations, crime is much higher. People can steal and put food on the table even though they also work their asses off to provide for their families. It is not safe for me to walk alone in some places…it is not safe for our family to be out in random places after dark. We are fine in Taman University area here…but not so much down town. It is not unheard of for westerners to be pulled over driving and wallets stolen… but here where we are living I feel absolutely safe- I just do not get out as much as I would like too.
Also with my inability or desire to drive on these crazy roads with crazy drivers…I am trapped. Unlike in Singapore, free as a bird to go wherever I want when I want. So it is a mixed feeling. I love having the more authentic, truthful experience of Malaysia. But from my mother perspective my life would be so much more free, easy and independent if we were living in Singapore. Nevi would have way more friends, we could explore, I would not feel so isolated…but alas in Singapore we would feel like we were just living in a place really similar to home. See the bittersweet? So here is the lesson- to be grateful for exactly WHERE YOU ARE.

Grocery

A few more turns down the road brings us into the Taman University area. We are lucky to live near a university as there needs to be groceries etc for all the students and professors. So here are the two places, we can grocery shop. The yellow building is called Giant and it is contained in the University Mall. Now let me inform you, malls are everywhere here. I am not talking about places like Pioneer Place or Chestnut Hill Mall or Lloyd Center...not that glamourous, but non the less real malls. EVERYONE loves shopping or just hanigng out in a mall. In fact, it is what you do- you might not be buying things, but you meet friends at the mall, you bring your children to play on the indoor play structures, you bring your whole family on Sunday to eat at the food court, you spend your free time wandering and window shopping, you exercise here by walking, you socialize over coffee and kaya toast (kaya is coconut spread with butter on toast)...I am amazed by the mall culture. It is not as much about consumerism as it is about having a place to go, connect, be with others. Now granted, there is shopping and buying happening too- but so different than the US. As I understand it better, I will try and explain more.
The red sign shows the Justco the other place to grocery shop. Justco is like a Fred Meyer or a Costco...it has a grocery section, but also clothes, hardware, kitchen stuff, linens- you name it. The other day we did our weekly shop- filled a grocery cart for $50 USD. Amazing how inexpensive food is here? Now why is it so expensive in the US of A?????? The other picture is just an example of the scooters and taxi's. Doesn't look so crowded or scary in a still photo but trust me- even in this little area...crazy drivers!

Taman Pulai Flora

This is the little shophouse area called Taman Pulai Flora that is very close to where we live- in fact I can even drive her myself- imagine that! So look closely....the neon pink sign is our laundry place. We do not have access to a washer here so we bring our laundry out. The laundry bag is placed in a scale, and we are charged be Kilo...last week we had a full bag and it cost us R18 = ringgit 18= @ $6 USD. Fabulous! Ok and then next door with the yellow umbrella's is our favorite resturant. The people who work there are intrigued with us...we are trying to learn Malay and they help us...they think it is amazing that people who stay at Pulai Springs Resort actually like local food...and we do! Ok then the third picture just shows you what the other shophouses look like down the street. Very quaint and simple- just my style.