Mid-Autumn Festival

Sorry for the lapse as I am sure you were all on the edge of your seats just dying to know about the last of the holidays I am posting about. Searching the internet this is what I found about the Mid Autumn Festival celebrated by the Chinese:
The joyous Mid-Autumn Festival, the third and last festival for the living, was celebrated on the fifteenth day of the eighth moon, around the time of the autumn equinox. Many referred to it simply as the "Fifteenth of the Eighth Moon". In the Western calendar, the day of the festival usually occurred sometime between the second week of September and the second week ofOctober.This day was also considered a harvest festival since fruits, vegetables and grain had been harvested by this time and food was abundant. With delinquent accounts settled prior to the festival , it was a time for relaxation and celebration. Food offerings were placed on an altar set up in the courtyard. Apples, pears, peaches, grapes, pomegranates , melons, oranges and pomelos might be seen. Special foods for the festival included moon cakes, cooked taro, edible snails from the taro patches or rice paddies cooked with sweet basil, and water caltrope, a type of water chestnut resembling black buffalo horns. Some people insisted that cooked taro be included because at the time of creation, taro was the first food discovered at night in the moonlight. Of all these foods, it could not be omitted from the Mid-Autumn Festival.The round moon cakes, measuring about three inches in diameter and one and a half inches in thickness, resembled Western fruitcakes in taste and consistency. These cakes were made with melon seeds, lotus seeds, almonds, minced meats, bean paste, orange peels and lard. A golden yolk from a salted duck egg was placed at the center of each cake, and the golden brown crust was decorated with symbols of the festival. Traditionally, thirteen moon cakes were piled in a pyramid to symbolize the thirteen moons of a "complete year," that is, twelve moons plus one intercalary moon. I tried a mooncake last week and was wondering what the orange thing in the middle was. I'm glad I didn't eat it. Mooncakes can be found everywhere right now...the gas stations, Starbucks, restaurants, etc. I tasted one at a Starbucks. It was pretty good however, it was just a small piece so I don't know if it had an egg yolk in it or not.

Another Singapore Holiday

Yesterday we learned about Hari Raya and today I'll find out what Deepavali is. I'm just curious to know about these holidays that are celebrated here. Avery gets several days out of school for these next month. I could have just looked these up for myself and not shared with y'all but I thought y'all would be interested as well. It also gave me three days of topics for my blog. Deepavali, which falls on the night of the new moon in October or November, is the Hindu Festival of Lights. It celebrates Lord Krishna's victory over the demon of darkness. In the past, oil lamps were used to decorate Singapore's streets and houses, but today electric lights are used. The Singapore visitors website states that Deepavali, the most important date of the Hindu calendar, occurs on one day during October, and in the ethnic quarter of Little India, the festivities last practically for the whole month of October. Deepavali is the Festival of Lights, and marks the defeat of the evil King Narakasura by the Lord Krishna. All round the world, Hindus celebrate this day as the triumph of light over darkness, and of good over evil. It marks the new beginning for Hindu devotees, and is a great time of rejoicing and renewal. During this time, Little India throbs with evening roadside stalls, booming music and strings of colourful lights. Shoppers throng the streets in search of the perfect sari to wear, or to fill their baskets with Indian foods and spices. Hindu homes are lighted with oil lamps , and offerings of sweetmeats and garlands of jasmine are placed at the family altar. The streets and temples of Little India are lit up with streamers and fairy lights lining the streets and forming arches and gateways to the night bazaars. The reference to Little India indicates a part of town. Singapore has very distinct districts such as Little India, Chinatown, Queenstown, etc.

September/October - Time for Festivals

Back home I know that now starts the all the fall carnivals and such, like the Scarecrow Festival in Chappel Hill, various church bazaars, etc. Well, it is Festival Time here in Singapore too. However these festivals are very deeply rooted in religion, faith and nationalities. Not knowing really what they were about I thought I would do a little research on the internet and share with you as well. The first one I looked up is called Hari Raya. Across the street from the office on Beach Rd. they have been constructing a huge tent and stage area for this fesitval. This isn't just an oridnary tent. It has metal truss-work and arches. It is about a football field in length. Then the stage setup was just as elaborate. The last few days you could hear the music and if you looked out the window you could see people rehearsing dances and their songs. This is what one website says about the celebration: Hari Raya Puasa or Hari Raya Aidilfitri, is one of the most significant celebrations for Muslims. It marks the culmination of Ramadan, a month-long fasting period and a time for abstinence, reflection and worship. This year, the streets of Kampong Gelam and Geylang Serai will be lit from 22 September to 31 October. A great time to experience and be immersed in the essence of Malay culture, visitors are in for a treat with the colourful festive bazaars and numerous food stalls offering traditional handicraft, Malay fare and invigorating music and performances. I also found that the term Hari Raya literally means the "day of celebration". During Ramadan Muslims may not eat or drink between sunrise and sunset. When Ramadan is over, Muslims celebrate with feasts and gifts. In May, Muslims celebrate Hari Raya Haji, which marks the annual pilgrimage to Mecca. So know I know...and so do you too!

Did I Hear What I Thought I Heard?

I was listening to the radio today in the car. Since there isn't a country radio station here in Singapore I was listening to their version of a rock station. A rock station that played the Macarana song earlier. Anyway...the song I was listening to at the moment of surprise was Gwen Stephani's Hollaback Girl. If you arent' familiar with the song the word Sh*t is used frequently. Back in Houston the radio stations bleeped out the word however here I was very surprised to hear them play it without the bleeps. Here everything is scensored...the news on TV, the newspapers, TV shows, etc. that's why I was so surprised. Even the dj's say somethings that have surprised me as well. Maybe things have changed since I was here 3 years ago.

A Pirate-y Thing For Ye!

Lauri got me started on this priate stuff. Take the quiz and get yer own Pirate name:

My pirate name is:

Dread Pirate Kidd

Like the famous Dread Pirate Roberts, you have a keen head for how to make a profit. Even though you're not always the traditional swaggering gallant, your steadiness and planning make you a fine, reliable pirate. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

School Moms

Most of the functions dealing with getting parents of the kids together for coffees and such are scheduled during the morning or at a time when I am at work. You see it is very uncommon for the expat wives to work here. I feel like I am the only one. There may be some that teach at the school, but who knows. However last night there was an evening get together so I took advantage of the opportunity and went. Now I am not the PTA mom, let's meet for coffee and let our kids play mom or the teacher's helper-homeroom mom. Nothing against all that but I work and I love my job. So I wasn't sure if I would have anything in common with these ladies who don't work and whose kids are in school all day but they still feel the need for a live-in domestic helper. I was presently surprised. One of the ladies husband works for the same company I do. Another was from Houston and her husband works for Exxon-Mobile. There were ladies there from California and Japan too. Some had been in Singapore for 2 years and some 2 weeks. It was a nice evening and I really hated that I had to leave early. Hopefully there will be other events that I can go to and get to know some of them better. I'm sure having a network of other ladies to ask questions of and possibly answer some as well would be nice.

We Are A Part Of History

...well at least that's what the announcer said at the very first basketball game Singapore has ever had. They now have their own team called the Singapore Slingers. Looking for something fun for Avery and I to do I bought us tickets. Not just any tickets but court-side seats. No way could we have ever afforded (or least spent the amount for) those seats at a Houston Rockets game. They were about $30 each. The game was played at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It's a nice place but they aren't set up with the food vendors like the Toyota Center or Reliant Stadium. They had two areas open that were run by 7-11 with hotdogs and chicken sandwiches. No beer or wine can be brought into the arena which takes a little bit of the fun out of it. The game was good. I was worried that the team would be a group of short Chinese guys but I was wrong. It was mostly Australian guys. They will be playing all season against other Australian teams. Their mascot is of course the Merlion. They even had a cheer squad. I think they were called the Slingers Girls. They actually did cheers however even sitting as close as we were we couldn't hear them. They need to put them over the PA system. Avery actually had to catch the ball at one point to keep from getting hit. I think we will try to go again. The Slingers won which was even better. I'll add some pictures when I get home.

Starting to Feel Like Home

Well we got some more of our furniture delivered Monday. They delivered the sofa set and the dining room table and chairs. At first I thought the chairs were not covered in the fabric that Rob and I selected but it's starting to grow on me. The pictures below show the red that I thought we picked out but in real-life they don't appear to be that bright. Anyway...not much else to write about so I won't bore you. Oh! I actually heard a contry song on the radio. Their Rock 98.0 station plays Rascal Flats! I can deal with that. I wonder if they take requests???

The Big 4-0!

Saturday was my hubbie's birthday...it wasn't just any old birthday ... it was the BIG 4-0! It was sad not being there to help him celebrate! However we have such great friends that they all took him out to dinner on his birthday Saturday night. Sherrie & Joe invited him, Blair and Cristie out for dinner. They all went to the Melting Pot. I've never been but I've heard about it. Rob and Blair said it was wonderful. They were there for about 2-1/2 hours. I'm glad that he went out and celebrated his birthday even though Avery and I couldn't be there too. We will do something for him when he gets back over here.

So sweetie...I hope this is a wonderful year for you...here is a year full of birthday wishes just for you!

HaPpy BiRtHdAy

And wonderful memories of your brother John on what would have been his birthday too. We miss you!

The Price of Wine

You know that bottle of Berringer White Zinfendel that you can get at HEB for about $5? Here that same bottle is S$26, or about $16.50US. Any form of alcohol...beer, white, liquor is a lot more expensive here. So when we had dinner and two glasses of wine for S$12.50 per person you know that is a good deal. Avery and I had dinner at the Brittish Club with Zoe and her two little ones (Liam & Katie) and another family they met there. Normally when you go out to eat you can expect to pay about $14 for a margarita, $10 for a beer and about $12 for a glass of wine. Granted being a member of the Brittish Club means that you have paid some form of membership fee and probably monthly dues as well so if you factor that in the price of the meal it might just be about the normal price if not more. However, we went as guests so I thought it was a good deal. The other really cool thing was there were monkeys sitting right outside were we where sitting. They were soooo cuuutttteeee! Avery took a picture with my cellphone but I can't figure out how to get the pictures off my phone to add to my post. There was even a baby one. Zoe said one time they were there the monkeys were "pinching" the pringles off the tables...translated to American English I believe she meant they were swiping the potato chips off the tables. Back to the subject of alcohol...anyone that comes to see us will have to visit the duty free shops in the airport to help us stock our bar.

Hair & Humidity

Well...I cut my hair. I didn't cut it...I went to a hair salon and had it cut. For those of you that know me you know that I had short hair a couple of years ago. I started growing it out so I wouldn't look like a guy when I wore my cowboy hat during rodeo (Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo). However, I haven't had a good hair day since I got here. It was depressing me. You know when your hair looks like crap, you feel like crap. At least I do anyway. The climate here is very tropical. I know back home in Houston we had hot weather and 100% humidity but it's just different here. So, anyway...now my hair is short again and rather than being flat, stuck to my head it has body. I was kinda nervous going to get it cut. I didn't know who to call. I'm one of those people that find a hairdresser they like then stick with them forever...well until you move to Singapore! So I searched around the internet and saw they had a Toni&Guy Salon. That was a name I recognized so I went there. I think she did a good job. I'm happy with it. Now let's see if I can remember how to style it in the morning.

What do you do with a Night Club during the day?

In Singapore you turn it into a flea market! Sunday Avery and I went to a place called Zouk's Free & Easy Flea Market. When we got there we could tell it was a night club. Looked pretty nice. It was free to get in so guess what that means? It means it was PACKED. After looking a what a few of the people there were selling it looked more like an indoor garage sale to me. I guess that is what a flea market is all about. I've been to Canton, TX and it wasn't like that. It was so crowded that you could hardly walk around..you had to squeeze your way through. I don't see how anyone sold anything. Anytime you stopped to look at something you were constantly being bumped by the other people trying to get by. Avery and I did manage to purchase a few things...we are girls so of course we had to buy something. We found a guy selling jewelry so be bought a few pairs of earrings to "share". I also found a cute necklace. After one trip around we left. We then headed over to Orchard Road. We went to this demo they were having in front of one of the malls and bought this thing you can plug into your computer and top-off your EzLink Card from home. Then we went over to Borders Books store and bought two books: one on the different Hawker stands and the different types of foods and one one SHOPPING in Singapore!

A Few Good Ideas

There are a few things that I've notcied so far that they really got right over here. I'm sure there are others but this is what I have noticed so far:

1. When you are driving down the road and you come to an area that is marked off with yellow stripes, you can't stop there if the traffic light turns red, or there is traffic and you just slow down to a creep. These areas are marked so that you don't block traffic from some parking lots, business exits and side streets from entering the road way. No more rude drivers that rather than leave enough space for you to pull out they pull right up to the bumper of the car in front of them...never mind the light is red and they aren't going anywhere anyway. I know you can relate! Think about the last time you went to leave the grocery store parking lot in an area where there is a lot of traffic...wouldn't it be nice for there to be a nice wide painted area reserved for you to pull out into when the traffic is backed up. OK...I know there are some of you here thinking...yeah, right...like a painted section of the road would keep...what would keep drivers from ignoring it and pulling to a stop right over it during heavy traffic? Well, here the penalties for breaking the law are strict, they don't mess around. Civil liberties...we don't need no stinking civil liberties.
2. On a lighter side...how many times have you gone shopping and there wasn't a shopping cart available? They were all scattered about the parking lot. Well here you have to put $1 (they don't have $1 bills they have coins) into a slot on this mechanism attached to the handle on the cart (here they are called trolleys) to release the cart. After you are done with the cart you put it back, when you latch it to the cart in front of it you get your $1 back. Now isn't this a good idea? If shoppers didn't care enough about loosing their $1 you can bet that the kids in the area would be staking out the parking lot to put the carts back to get the $1. Kinda like when we used to return glass Coke bottles for candy money when I was little. I think it's a great idea. Before I knew you got $1 back I thought it was just another way Singapore had to get money out of you.

Our stuff is on it's way

Well Rob was able to get our personal items shipped out yesterday. Not everything made it as we were over our 1000 lb. weight limit. I'm excited and looking forward to seeing what all he sent. I have some idea but there's no way to know exactly. We still have clothes in suitcases because I refuse to go spend money on clothes hangers when I knew I had 100's of them at home. I hope those are on their way. We have moved up from paper plates and now have regular dishes. However, we are still using plasticware until our shipment arrives. I had to sacrafice my golf clubs and our bikes so that he could send all of my scrap booking supplies. I needed new golf clubs anyway and bicycles can be found cheap here too, about $30.

New dishes: See that little sticker on the top of the plate? Each piece had on on it. It took me FOREVER to peel them all off.



At lunch today I walked to the post office then after that I walked over to Sim Lim Square to find a cheap Skype phone. (Sim Lim is a huge multistory mall with nothing but electronics...a geeks wonderland) I found one for about $25. It connects to the computer via USB cable. They have wireless ones and even ones that you can travel with and make calls anywhere there is a wireless connection. But Rob is sending our webcam that has a built in microphone so I wan't just the basic model. Anyway once I got home I plugged it in. About an hour later Rob calls! It's really COOL. We can talk over the internet for FREE. We talked for half an hour, clear too. I could see Rob because he has a webcam, but he couldn't see me. I got to sit there and talk to him while I watched him get ready for work. So .. if you have friends, family or co-workers and you want to talk to them for free, get yourself a microphone or webcam and download Skype. We even bought a local number so when we are all over here in Singapore, family members back in Texas without a computer can call us using a regular phone. It's free for them and next to nothing for us. Pennies! You can Skype us at weissfamilyinsingapore

Going to miss my sweetie's Birthday!

Everyone out there, please join me in wishing Robert a Happy Birthday. It's the big 40!! and I'm going to miss it!!! :-(

Sorry honey! Wish Avery and I were there with you!

Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm

While in some cases Singapore is very high tech. For example, they have eZLink cards that you use for the bus or to buy a Big Mac; and they have Cash Cards which allow you to park in parking garages, use the ERP lanes and shop for groceries. Both of which can have funds added at 7-11, online, or at AXS Stations. These AXS stations look like teller machines but you can pay bills at them, buy movie tickets, buy airline tickets and much more. They are all over the place. Singapore has some of the coolest cellphones I've ever seen. My daughter can do her homework online then drop it into her teachers drop-off box without ever having to sharpen a pencil. So why then can I not find something as simple as a make-up mirror with a light???? This is my mission. I have looked at every store I have been to. Remember now, shopping here isn't as easy as pulling into the parking lot at the nearest Wal-Mart or Target. No, you have to first of all select which store out of the thousands of stores that are near by, drive there, park in the parking garage (car park here) and fight your way through all the other people that have also gone shopping at the same time. Shopping is the national pastime here. I've seen some pretty interesting stuff while on my quest, but not what I'm looking for...the search goes on.

I Feel Whole Again!

Being from Texas having a car (or truck) means a lot! It gives us our independence. We are free to hop in the car and go for a drive whenever we feel like and go wherever we want to go. I'm sure people from some other states and more urban areas don't fully understand this feeling. Well yesterday I got my car. It looks just like the silver one below. I love it. I would have loved just about anything at this point as long as it had 4 wheels. Don't get me wrong, public transportation in Singapore is wonderful. They have taxis, the bus and MRT. All of which are very affordable, taxi's being the most convenient and the highest price. That's they way I've been getting around since I've been here. You just stand along the side of the road and give the "taxi wave", they stop, you get in and they take you to your next destination. Only downside...when it rains you cannot get a taxi. You can't even call and reserve one. They will tell you they are too busy and to call later. So this morning when it was raining as I left for work I was happy to be behind the wheel of my own car. Glad not to be standing on the side of the road holding my umbrella and doing the "taxi wave" while dodging the road spray as the buses drive by.

Saturday - Got a lot done

Today was pretty productive. After Avery took off to meet her friends at the mall I headed to Orchard Rd. Mission: to find dishes. We determined that our blue and off-white one's not only wouldn't match, but they would use up a lot of precious cargo weight. The ones I found are very unique looking. They are brown and the glaze on them is textured, not just a smooth glossy finish. They have an unusual shape as well. After buying the dishes and spending a small fortune on sheets I went to Mustafa's in Little India. I finally had the time to wonder all over the store by myself. The place is HUGE and they have EVERYTHING there. I should have waited to buy my sheets there. They had aisles of sheets. The sheets sets here are different. In a set you get a fitted sheet, pillow cases, a bolster cover and sometimes a duvet (quilt) cover. It wasn't until I opened a package that I knew what a bolster was. If you are unaware too, it's a long cylinder shaped pillow. Not sure what it's for? Lower back pain? To elevate your feet? Not sure. It was hard not to buy more than I could carry. I will be back.

Anyway...later that evening we went to dinner at One Rochester. VERY NICE. We were there as guests of one of the owners. We were there for 4 hours. We had a wonderful 5 course meal with a different wine with each course. Surprised I am able to type!! It had a very unique setting. The restaurant is nestled in the trees, you can't see it from the road. The seating is very informal and comfortable. You feel like you are at home away from home. We sat in the Garden area outside. Most of the seating is on sofas and chairs, but they set up a table just for us. The main building used to be accommodations for the military officers. The rooms were called: The Living Room, The Playroom, The Library, etc. Each of them felt like you were at your own hone. The seating is very intimate and personal. I love the place. The drinks were wonderful. We had all different types of wine during dinner. Afterwards we tried several types of Martinis. We had Peach, Watermelon, Chocoalte and Lychees martinis. They were all wonderful. The hospitality and the food made it one of the most memorable evenings I've had here. Here is the link to their restaurant: One Rochester.

First Night That Felt Normal

Last night I met my co-workers and their families at the Hard Rock Cafe for one of their son's birthday. It was nice to relax and visit with everyone. Having something to eat that tasted like good ol' American food was nice too. My parents happened to be having dinner right around the corner so afterwards I walked over there and had a margarita with them. I was meeting Avery at the movie theatre when she got done with gymnastics so my parents gave me a ride over to the Great World City Shopping Center. Avery met me there. We saw "Monster House". It was a good show. The movie theatres here have assigned seating. I bought our tickets online and was able to select which seats we wanted at that time. Glad I didn't pick them closer to the screen than I did as the screen was huge and we would have been way too close.

Yesterday afternoon most of our furniture that we picked out was delivered. It will be another two weeks before our new dining room table and chairs and our sofa will be delivered. They make it to order. Here is a few pics of what we have now. It still looks a little bare. I can't wait for Rob to ship our personal items over so we can decorate some.

Shelving for all our pictures and knick-knacks.

Desk in the area we are setting up like a study.

Wicker Bed in the "Guest Room".

New tables and TV cabinet in the Living Room. Still waiting on the sofa set we picked out.

Table in the entry. We have two big mirrors to hang above it.