Day 3 in Singapore: The American Club, Arab Street, and more

We arrived at the American Club in time for a 9 AM breakfast. Kathy Tan and Farida Mallal were dear friends at SAS back in the day. Kathy completed her schooling at SAS and will start her 38th year as a teacher next fall. She now has an 8 month old grandson from her eldest daughter and her husband (both SAS alumni), and her second daughter just graduated from Columbia with a Ph.D. in Education. Farida retired a year early to care for her brother who was very ill. She is just as beautiful and funny as ever! She spends a great deal of time in LA and Seattle with her nieces and nephews. She and Kathy had a great trip to Vietnam and were full of ideas for my next adventure! We chatted away for 3 hours before Kathy had to leave to get her end-of-the-year folders done. I do not envy her that work! I called Susan Studebaker Rutledge after brunch, and got caught up with her family. She and Greg are now business owners, and all is going well even in these tough economic times. It was really good to hear her voice, and I hope to meet Asia on my return trip.

Di and I headed to Arab Street...to shop again. We now hold records of 12 and 13 hours of continuous shopping, looking, and learning! We did manage to find many sales even though the stores were packed. We listened to Friday worship, and shopped with all the Muslim ladies. I found 2 blouses and exquisitely embroidered table runners to take home to friends in the US.

We dropped off our purchases and headed to see "Unmistaken Child" at the cinema. It was a true story filmed over a year or more concerning the search for a child who was the reincarnation of a much beloved Tibetan monk. The Dalai Lama is finally shown blessing him before the child must go to live in the monastery to be trained. The photography was unbelievable, and the story quite interesting.

We (Di, Rosemary, Nicholai, and I) had dinner in a vegetarian buffet where the profits are used to support local artists, dancers, and musicians. What is most unusual is that you pay what you want for the dinner. It is very busy, and reservations are required...and, yes, the food is that good. We ended the night with a walk to Chinatown between rain storms.

Saturday I was up and packing and praying that my suitcase was not overweight. I got to the airport and lined up to check in...too early. The manager said it would be another 20 minutes, but I continued to wait in line...where would I go with all of my heavy luggage??? He helped me be #2 at the check-in counter. My suitcase weighed only 18.5 Ks...under the 20K requirement. He looked at my carry-ons and said "You didn't buy enough." Little did he know that my 2 carry-on bags almost weighed the same as my suitcase.

It was a miserable ride home with lots of babies and kids screaming and crying, people talking and yelling, and obnoxious smells coming from some very ill passengers. BUT it was pouring rain when I got home, and it was COOL, at least 20-30 degrees cooler than Singapore! I got my laundry done, packed for Bali, and fell into bed. I was back in Tian Mu with (heavy) gifts, and we had a lovely time watching Adra's dance recital. The Ks had a tough week with terrible colds and stomach problems, but they are recovering and looking forward to the last week of school. I'm ready for my classes tomorrow, and I will head to Bali on Wednesday morning. What a life!

Day 2 in Singapore: Little India

Di and I arrived in Little India in time to cruise around KK Market and eat a breakfast of Roti Prata (Zam Zam Muslim Food Stall) and Ginger Tea (from the drinks man right next to our table). They were both on my list of things to eat, and I was very ready to chow down. KK Market is where I used to shop, but it is quite grand now. Please notice the premium goat meat stand among the market stalls. The little Indian man who used to pick his toes, then wrap curry mix "for two chickens" in a banana leaf could not be found. He obviously was not grand enough!

I include pictures of the shops in Little India where we shopped after breakfast. We were picking up lovely Indian tops for US$7. I also picked up a pink sarong that will become pillows when I get home. Note the flowers strung for worship, and hung in the shops for good fortune. They always smell so good, and are so lovely. The temple that is pictured is in the neighborhood. The streets and shops seem incongruous in a high rise city that looks like NYC in all other ways.

I must tell you that Singapore was having a heat wave, believe it or not. They have not had as much rain as usual this season, and the temperature was climbing into the mid-nineties. Talk about working up a sweat with little effort!

The last picture shows Singapore's newest gambling casinos...three hotels with a large ship across the top of all three. It is truly ugly, and I was shocked to see it in the heart of downtown along one of the loveliest shorelines in the world. What must the Merlion think!!!

We took a shopping break to go to the Asiatic Cultures Museum. They were featuring a multi-million dollar exhibit of Mongol jewelry that was simply one of the most awesome museum shows I have ever seen. All of the jewelry work...cups, archery rings, blade handles and point covers, turban pins, necklaces, head pieces...were owned by a couple from Kuwait. It was extremely impressive, and I began to learn about the Moguls who ruled India.

Back we went to Little India to drink lots of fresh lime juice eat spinach paneer and a mixed grill...loved the spinach, did not like the mixed grill...although Di and friends eat at "The Banana Leaf Apollo" often. We'll stick with the tried and true next time. We hurried off to Mustafa's to buy lots of curry powder and have a look at their other offerings. Trust me when I say we bought only curry powders and lots of Indian snack foods. Thus ends another day in the Indian neighborhood. We hurried back out to Holland Village to check off the items on Di's errand list and pick up my take-homes. Then it was back home to our nightly wine and chat....

Majulah Singapura

Singapore is as magnificent as ever! I arrived at midnight, but Di and I managed to chat until 2:30 AM. We are both early risers, so 5 hours of sleep found us up and drinking coffee and chatting away. Our very first stop was the Singapore American School via the MRT. We headed straight to the Alumni Office as I wanted help getting data at our expatriate family survey website. The new acting director, Lauri Coulter, was most gracious. She grew up in India, and now has a daughter at SAS. I think she and Junia Baker will be able to get my survey address online and in the semi-annual newsletter. Lauri took us to the primary area so we could surprise Kathy Tan, one of Kevin's first teachers at SAS. She was clearly surprised to see us, and arranged to meet for breakfast at the American Club Friday morning, Vesak Day in Singapore. We left to find the cafeteria and the ever-smiling Mr. Ho. His digs are sure different...think uptown!...and he wears a white chef coat now. It was Wednesday, and much to my delight, it was still curry day in Mr. Ho's cafeteria! What a treat! We wandered around and found the clothing store, and bought Ch an SAS t-shirt. Ch clearly belongs at SAS. Everywhere we went, the students were extremely polite and helpful...what a great campus! We said our "good-byes" and were handed an SAS alumni bag with a copy of the book written by Coach Jim Baker. It was terribly heavy, but you can bet the book made it all the way back to the K's house in Taiwan.

Di and I wandered off to Holland Village, my favorite shopping center in the old Singapore days. It is still thriving...I shopped three floors and had a pedicure before heading home on the bus, thanks to Di's great directions. Di went off to pick up Ning, her adorable granddaughter at school. They headed to the American Club to buy Garth a birthday cake. Ning spent all her time at her "desk" making a birthday card, and Di could hardly pry her off the chair and out the door. They enjoyed a hot pot dinner, and I jumped a bus to the Esplanade. Singapore has built 2 theatres, fondly referred to as the twin durians, as the double roofs do look like that smelly fruit! It was Singapore Arts Festival time, and I was privileged to see the Twin Clouds performance group from Taiwan, a very avant garde dance/gymnastics group with incredible staging effects. I got to meet Rosemary, an Aussie resident of Singapore for over 18 years, and her visiting Aussie friend, Nickolai. We enjoyed the show together, and they made sure I got on a bus going in the right direction. Di and I arrived home about the same time to end our day with a glass of wine together.

Family time in Tien Mu

One of the blessings I have had on this trip is the time I have gotten to spend with the Kreilings, in particular Adra and Christian. I've met so many of their wonderful friends from all over the globe. I've been to A's basketball games while K is coaching. I have seen the play for which Ch was in charge of cuing lights and microphones. I have had so many wonderful adventures with Ca I cannot even recount all of them. Attached are pictures of the basketball games (A's team improved so much they soundly beat the unbeaten team their last game!), piano recital (before and after (they are the tallest), but definitely not allowed during the recital...and my camera battery went dead again at the most inopportune time!), and dinner out (be it Indian or Thai or local cuisine). A and I have cooked and cooked and cooked. I love listening to them play the piano, but Ch is just a phenomenal musician who is already writing his own compositions.

I spend 4 days in Singapore next week with Dianne Peterson, so stay tuned for more adventures. I will return on Saturday night, and take the slow train to Tien Mu on Sunday to see A's dance recital. And then it's on to Bali....my time is running out....

Day 4: Last Morning in Beijing

Maria and the driver picked me up for the short trip to the Lama Temple, the most famous Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Beijing. You walk through a series of Buddha houses. Each worship house contains different Buddhas. Most who entered lighted incense and prayed before entering. The incense was planted outside in containers as each worship house is made of wood. The last Buddha house contains the worlds biggest wooden Buddha statue carved from a single trunk of a white sandal wood tree. It was spectacular, but, of course, I was not allowed to take pictures inside the worship houses. This worship house could also be opened on all four sides so that the head monk could teach and preach to the students/monks. Behind this impressive worship house was a place for women to pray to Quanlin, a female Buddha, and other Buddhas. As we left, Maria asked if I wanted to spin the prayer wheels and make a wish. They are located on all four corners of the temple. Two had been moved as they were in the process of doing renovations. Of course I spun every single one of them and made my singular wish! We walked the two blocks on both sides of the streets outside of the temple. I was looking for a lotus seed bracelet, but could not find one in my size. I left with silk lotus flowers and Chinese roses (peonies) for my home in CC. Thus endeth the Beijing adventure.....and I would dearly love to be able to return some day.

Day 3: The Summer Palace

The Summer Palace was probably my favorite tourist stop. I have always wanted to see the Marble Boat built by the Empress Dragon Lady with the funds she was supposed to use to build the first Chinese Navy. The grounds are impeccable. The covered open walkway (probably 1/2 mile in length) toward the Marble Boat contained over 1200 DIFFERENT original paintings. When I asked why, of course the answer was because she could. She also was the Empress who had to have 128 dishes prepared for her evening meal every day...because she could. The walk also features stones that are supposed to represent the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. I must tell you the picture of the stone is the Dragon, my birth year. You will note one side of the summer house features windows of similar sizes, but all shapes are different. The inside pane lifts up so a lantern could be lighted in every window each night the Empress was in residence. The outside glass remained immovable so that protected both the Empress and the lighted lanterns.

We climbed to the top of the hill...many steps, many different levels...I had to stop and pant at every level, but I made it to the top! Not many people did, and there was no Mao calligraphy when I got to the top. I'm certain the Dragon Lady was carried to the boat and to the house at the top of the hill where she could see over the entire garden and lake (after all, she did have bound feet). This dragon lady walked, and I was really glad I did. The summer house was beautiful and the sights were memorable. Maria pointed out the hill to the left of the Summer Palace across the lake where the top cadres can go for a holiday. Some things in China have not changed from the centuries of dynastic rule to the present Communist government. There is still a great deal of distance and privilege to be enjoyed by those who rule versus those who do not. The boats...either pedal or long boats...were not being rented out on the day we were visiting because it was too windy. The marble boat seemed to need some renovation, but I was still very glad I got to see it.

We left the Summer Palace to finish up the gift shopping, and met Susie at the end of her long day. Susie recently spent 4 weeks in Vietnam touring the big cities and beaches on her own. She is planning on seeing the Shanghai Exhibition, and will visit friends in Italy. I paid her for her guide services, and she presented Candace and me each with a silver necklace with 2 pearl drops. It still brings tears to my eyes when I think of how kind she was to me, and what personal difficulties she was undergoing. I highly, highly recommend her if you are going to China and need a tour guide: zeng_susie@yahoo.com. My day ended with an MRT ride by myself!!!