Three More Days

Hi all,

It seems like the time since Thailand has gone by so quickly. We only have 3 more full days left in Singapore! Delaney wants to go back to the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel because they had shelled peanuts there. She loved the fact that she could throw the shells on the floor. She also liked her virgin Singapore Sling (she better for 15 dollars!) We are going to head to the zoo tomorrow for one last walk. We have one or two more playdates with friends here before we have to say good-bye. We are going to do our best to stay up all night Wednesday so acclimate our bodies back to the other side of the world's time.

Delaney had a birthday party here. Her friend Lauren shared it with her, as she turned four on Monday. It was at a placed called Go-Go Bambini which is an indoor playground. The kids had a lot of fun. As soon as pics are uploaded, I will post them.

We went out with the adults last night to a Mexican restaurant. We had a ton of fun. The daiquiris were great. Then, they made Derek do a tequila shot. He handled it much better than I did when it was the girls' turn.

Delaney has walking pneumonia. She started with a cold about 2 weeks ago, and as of Wednesday it wasn't any better, so I took her to the dr. Not too impressed with him because he made me make the medical decision of whether or not to have bloodwork done. Isn't that why he went to school for umpteen years??? I decided not to and she's been on antibiotics since Wednesday. She's doing much better, so hopefully we'll all stay well for our 25 hour journey.

Classes have been keeping me busy. My Phoenix class ends officially tomorrow, but I am finished. I hope that I am done with Phoenix classes for good. There's a chance that I will have to take another, it just depends on what the state of IL has to say about it. I may need to take a reading methods class, but I had one in my undergrad, so I hope they take that into consideration. I can't handle another 3 weeks stuck on the computer. On the other hand, my math class, which I am taking through a WI uni, is great...very relaxed.

I know Derek did a post about life in Singapore....where we live is not filthy! It's definitely cleaner here than in the States. Trash is not found everywhere.

The spitting is an issue, even in women's restrooms. I've had to shush Delaney a couple of times when she asks what that noise is coming from a stall or why is that lady spitting in the sink???

People do not move out of the way. They stop in the middle of everything and people have to go around them. I got used to it, but it's still annoying.

Most people (85%) do live in HDB flats. They are definitely cheaper than private residences, but they are still pricey compared to home. We heard today that a 3 bed/2 bath can go anywhere from $275,000 - $480,000 Singapore (about 180,000 - 375,000 US). The closer you are to the city center the more you'll pay.

The public transportation is amazingly clean and efficient. It took some getting used to not having a car to hop in and leave, but it's not bad. We get taxis b/c some places we go it can take an hour and half to get there by bus and MRT and it only takes 20 by cab. Taxis aren't expensive either, but they do add up if you use them all of the time!

I do like the weather. It took a little getting used to the humidity, but I don't mind it so much anymore. In fact, I have worn jeans on some days and not gotten hot! I also love the fact that there are 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of dark. My body clock is perfectly set!

I have really liked having a housekeeper three times a week!!! Our apartment is never dirty...maybe disorganized, but not dirty!

Milk here is expensive...it works out to over 6 dollars a gallon...and you Americans complain about the high gas prices (yes, we will join your complaints soon!).

I will miss Larry, our lizard. We saw him last night heading behind the air con. I can't remember if I told you that Delaney and I caught one in the house before Thailand and set him free outside. The poor guy was stuck in the sink and couldn't use the amazing feet to get out. We used a bowl and cardboard to get him and then released him by the pool. Only a day or two later we saw this other lizard. I always kind of thought there were two...this one is not the same as the other b/c he's much larger.

Delaney's become quite the tennis player. She and Derek go out about every night. She can stand b/n the service line and net and consistently hit balls over the net. The great thing about her is that she switched b/n her right and left hand, so she may never have to learn a backhand! Watch out Maria!

Delaney is infatuated with High School Musical. She's probably seen it 15 times since Stacie and Paul brought the movie over. She also listens to the soundtrack nonstop. Derek caught her doing one of the dances the other day! The main character is Gabriella. When I told Delaney that Aunt Jess (my best friend) had a little girl named Reese Gabriella, Delaney decided that she would call the baby Gabriella, like Gabriella Montez on High School Musical. She's gotten to the point that she even quotes lines! Too cute, but a little scary....my seventh graders last year loved this movie!

Gotta go get some shut eye as it's past midnight! I will post when we land!