The Advance Guard Visits

We really enjoy having visitors and love having the opportunity to show them around Singapore. So we were very happy to learn that sister Kay's finance Pat was coming for a visit as part of a multi-country trip to Asia. May 1 is a public holiday so we had a 3-day weekend to do some exploring and some things we had not done before. And since Kay, Mom & my aunt are visiting in October, we teased Pat about being their "advance guard".

There are certain things that are de rigueur (and fun) to do when visiting Singapore. The Quays (Robertson, Clarke, and Boat) are a great walk and opportunity to people watch. Checking out Parkview Square (aka "Gotham City") is fun for people who like interesting buildings. We also like walking through the various ethic enclaves: Chinatown, Little India, and Arab Street.

What was new this time, was a side trip toward the Malay Heritage Center where we stumbled onto the Malay Arts Festival. The dance performers were going through a dress rehearsal, preparing for the opening ceremony. However, due to the H1N1 concerns, we all had our temperatures taken before we could enter the compound, and were given a bright green sticker to put on our clothing to let everyone know that we were "safe." Look at the photos below and the video to see some of the various costumes and part of the opening dance number rehearsal.

We also ventured out into the interior and walked the MacRitchie reservoir "tree top walk". It is a fairly long hike with some trail and stair climbing required to get up to the top of the rainforest canopy. But once you are there, the suspension bridge and view are spectacular. There are plenty of directional signs and the trail is paved and extremely well maintained.

Even with the excellent views, it was a little disappointing for Pat. There were all these signs about not feeding the monkey -- and we hadn't seen a single simian! But on the way back to car park, Pat's wish was fulfilled. We saw an entire family of monkeys playing in the trees across an access road. Better still, the papa decided to cross over to pick up some of the wild fruits that were dropping from the trees where we were walking.

No trip to Singapore is complete without trying some of the local seafood so we took Pat over the the East Coast Park. You are 'spoit for choice' among the many options. Pat opted for chili crab (even messier than the black pepper crab), served with both steamed and fried buns for dipping into the sauce. During his visit, Pat also got to try some Peranakan food, the local "nonya" cuisine that is a wonderful blend of Chinese and Malay cooking that's hard to find outside of this part of the world.

Who's next?

Lessons Learned

Today marks the passing of 525,600 minutes since leaving Texas to move to Singapore. With a tip of the hat to Jonathan Larson it's an appropriate time to 'measure the year.'

It's been remarkable, truly a spectacular opportunity that we've tried to make the most of at every opportunity. Even a year later, we find ourselves amazed and interested in all aspects of life here -- both the obvious and the seemingly mundane (ref: Keeping It Clean). My Singaporean co-workers occasionally ask if we are bored living on such a tiny island with no seasons. Far from it!

It's all just so darn interesting: there is always an opportunity to learn something new or see things from a different perspective. With this in mind, here are some of the "lessons learned" from our past year living here.

1. We can now almost always understand the Singaporean ways of speaking English and a tiny smattering of Singlish vocabulary. The accent and cadence/phrasing is different, in ways marginally similar to the way Caribbean English is spoken. We still don't have the "lah!" (an audible explanation point) down quite right, and we probably never will.
   
   
2. We know our way around rather well. It's been interesting to see how this has developed. It started with major destinations and subway routes. It then expanded & filled in more as we got familiar using the buses. Walking adding more detailed awareness and understanding. Starting to drive in November helped expand the size of the area we know. I remember how clueless we were as to the relative location of the various housing locations we were looking at a year ago.
   
   
3. Driving on the left takes about two months to get comfortably proficient. It takes about 2 weeks before you (mostly) stop turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal. Even so, we remind each other to "drive past the median" when making a right hand turn. (And BTW it's not difficult returning to the US and driving on the right.)
   
   
4. Driving on the left has nothing to do with how one navigates sidewalks. Unlike Japan where "walk on the left" is strictly adhered to, in Singapore the sidewalks are "the wild west". People walk on either side and groups of people will walk 3 or more abreast and it's a game of "chicken" as to who will yield to whom. (see item 6 below.) This is probably the #1 comment that our visitors have made during their visit.
   
   
5. On the other hand, there is remarkable discipline when it comes to observing crossing lights. Compared to the USA, there is very little jaywalking. Some may think it is because of the traffic police and the cameras that are just about everywhere, but I think the major enforcers are the taxi drivers. Did I mention that cars have the apparent right-of-way over pedestrians? (And over means over - if pedestrians don't get out of the way, e.g. at driveways or after the walk light turns red.)
   
   
6. There's a difference between 'kiatsu' and 'kiasu'. The former is a Japanese mind-body energy therapy technique. Kiasu is an aspect of Singaporean culture. It mean "must not lose" or "cannot be second". Like making sure you are first to get into the subway to get a seat -- when the car is empty. Or pushing (slightly) to get on an escalator first -- only to stop suddenly at the top to decide which way to walk. (Lesson learned is to leave 2 steps clear behind a person who does this.) It's an aspect of the uber-competitive culture in Southeast Asia and we've learned not to interpret it on a personal level. In fact, sometimes it's the needful.
   
   
7. We are "pledges" in the overseas community. To a few of our friends in the US, the idea of living overseas is a scary choice and they consider our living half way around the world as dangerously adventurous. (Never mind that living in Singapore is practically like living in the Epcot exhibit on Southeast Asia - clean, beautiful, etc.) However, some of our friends and acquaintances here have been living outside their home countries for more than 15 years and in some rather unusual places. "What, you haven't lived in Uzbekistan? Drop and give me twenty!" "This is your first posting? How wonderful. Now get me a beer!". Hey, at least we've got a year under our belts now (and there are new pledges arriving every day.)
   
   
8. Actually, both the Singaporean and overseas community have been most welcoming, kind, and generous. Thanks to Raye's interests and activities, we've met some wonderful people from all over the world. (Even some fellow Texans-from-Ohio.) It's wonderful to be sharing each others cultures, traditions, foods, personal histories, and (of course) our shared Singaporean-and-beyond experiences. We are making friends that we know we will keep in touch with no matter where on the planet we all happen to be.
   
   
9. The Internet and the many forms of communication it supports makes keeping in touch with family and friends incredibly easy. We are so appreciative of everyone's support and efforts to include us and inform us with things that are going on back "home". Skype, Magic Jack, e-mail, Facebook, and of course this blog have been been wonderful 21st century tools for making the "distance" seem much smaller than 9,722 miles. And we especially appreciate our family and friends who have invested the time (25 hours each way) and airfare to share a bit of our adventure with us.

How do you measure a year in the life? When it comes down to it, it's really the last two items: In the life of friends.