Newman 4 in Singapore

Inside of Village Home

2011-09-13T04:00:00.000-07:00

This an inside shot of what Village home #3 looked like on the inside.

Home #3~ FAVORITE picture!!

2011-09-08T23:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, it does not get any better than this!!!! What a great photo!!!! The older brother riding a bicycle that is MUCH too big for him, toting the baby brother on the back of the bike (and the baby brother has on no pants~~shirt only!!

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!!!

Home #3 Village Children

2011-09-08T23:41:00.001-07:00

I love these pictures!! Precious innocent children......

Home #3

2011-09-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

So the children of Shelter of Love climbed the guava tree and picked lots of guavas for eating!! I tried, but it was a bit hard and seedy......PE and Baby Girl enjoyed!!! Most of the children hung out under the house during the visit. I went under there and was surprised how COOL it was under there!!! Nice and breezy too!!! SO THAT'S WHY Cambodians all sit under their houses!!! Ok, now I get it~~I have experienced it.

Before leaving, the group formed a big circle and we all sung some songs, as the village children came to see what was going on!!!!

Village #3 Home

2011-09-08T23:16:00.000-07:00

So now the last village to visit......this was the home of a bother, Jun Tu (Ellis' good friend), 13 years old, and his sister,15 years old. I was invited to go inside this house, along with the house parents, and sit on the floor and talk (really listened, since I don't understand Khmer!!!) with the mother. Notice in the pictures that the inside floor is just strips of bamboo placed together. The only items this mother had in her home was her bicycle and some cooking items like pots, pans, etc. There were several family photographs attached to the walls of the home, and I did spot some broken pieces of mirrors she had displayed I guess so she could look at herself! And I did spot a comb and brush. That was it.

I was surprised to see that neither Jun Tu or his sister did not run up to hug their mother, who they had not seen since last summer!! In fact, Jun Tu came in the house for a short time when I was sitting in there, but he never made eye contact with his mother or even spoke to her!! I found that so strange and my heart felt funny. I asked Jun Tu's house mother about this. She said, "The Cambodians do not hug much. They don't show affection. Maybe he doesn't feel close to his mother." I felt so sad for the mother and for Jun Tu when I heard this!! I wonder if he feels his mother does not love him, since she gave him up five years ago? Wonder what he thinks of his mother? Wonder if Jun Tu knows what it feels like to be loved? Oh this worries me so much! I can not imagine not feeling like you are loved by your mother!! I have talked to Americans who have experienced the feeling of not being loved by their mothers, and it is TERRIBLE!!!! What a hurtful feeling...... On the other hand, Jun Tu may not have these feelings at all!!!! Maybe I will try to talk to him about it.......(he really does not speak English!!!). Hmmmmmm.......

Now Jun Tu's sister did talk with her mother briefly. I watched her as she walked around the inside of the small house. She looked at few pictures that were clipped on the walls made of palm fronds. Then she looked in some of the pots in the kitchen to see if there was anything in them.......again my heart ached as I thought of times when I had been away from home as a teenager (like when spending the night at a friend's house, or going off to summer camp), and I remember when I came home, my parents were always so glad to see me!! They would prepare my favorite dinner and my mom would have even prepared a cake or cookies!!

Do the children at Shelter of Love feel unwanted or alone? Or does the good life they live there at the Shelter erase those feelings? They are provided with a safe place to live with brothers and sisters who love each other, and plenty of food to eat, and an education through the college years!! But I just can't help but wonder their true feelings inside their heart..........

Praying Mantis

2011-09-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

Baby Girl is following in her big sister's footsteps, loving animals of all sorts!! She found this Praying Mantis and played with it for quite a while. Funny, the Cambodian children from Shelter of Love did not want to TOUCH the Praying Mantis!!!

Pictures of Village #2

2011-09-08T22:44:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of the visit to Village #2. Notice the beautiful banana trees!

Every Day Village Life

2011-09-08T21:11:00.000-07:00

Children playing in the dirt was the scene at this home.......no beds, no sheets, no extra clothes, nothing to sit on but a pieced-together wooden floor, no building blocks, no balls, no dolls, no books, no crayons, no board games, no tricycles or scooters, no X-Boxes, no Leapsters, no TV or computers. The children find ways to entertain themselves. They play in the dirt and mudpuddles, climb trees, run, play with the cows and water buffalo, look for insects, sleep, sit, and just watch the people go by.

Second Village Home

2011-09-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

The second village home we visited belonged to two children, Leng and Lem. This picture is of Leng and her brother (her brother still lives with the mother). Leng was so happy to see her brother!! She kept hugging him and her smile was bigger than ever!! THis house was where Leng and her three siblings and parents lived before Sue Singleton took Leng and Lem to the Shelter of Love. The inside of the home was about 7 feet by 5 feet, and SIX people lived there!

Eating Plants

2011-09-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Savoon, one of the house parents at Shelter of Love, shows me the stalk of a palm frond and explains to me that Cambodians eat this part of the plant. He also showed me a plant growing in the water and told me people use that plant when bathing because it gives your body a good smell. I smelled the plant and it did smell good!! It is just so amazing to me how these people really do live off the land......Do you think you could survive living totally off the land???!!!

Lunch Time!!

2011-09-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

After leaving the first village, we stopped for a picnic lunch! We spread out tarps and everyone sat and ate RICE, quail, and cucumbers (the house mothers prepared pork for my family just in case we did not choose to have the quail, so gladly we ate the pork!) The quail consisted of the whole body except for the head, which include the legs and feet.......Ughhhhhhhh!!!

After the picnic, the children ran around and waded and splashed through the water! This picnic site was much different than a picnic site I WOULD CHOOSE in America!! All of the children had a good time, so that is what mattered!!

Notice: Ellis' sweet friend Jun Tu keeps close tabs on her. I love it beause it gives me a little "break" from parent duty!!

Village People

2011-09-08T01:55:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite part of going to the village......looking at the beautiful people. Under the tough, dark, aging, sun-burned skin and under the ragged, filthy, stinky clothes, there is a person JUST LIKE YOU AND ME!!! They smile, they laugh, they cry and they have feelings just like US! They have dreams, they have nightmares, just like US! More importantly, they are beautiful people who are surviving each day by collecting and consuming only what they need for the DAY to just make it through the journey of life one more day.......

I'm not sure if they have any "wants", their focus is on their "needs" for survival. They live off the land, one Cambodian friend explained to me. They eat frogs, bugs, birds, fish, rats, crickets, stalks of Elephant Ear plants, stems of palm tree fronds, and sometimes drink water from the rivers. Water from the rivers is the same water they bathe in and sometimes use the bathroom in that water. My friend said, "As long as there is water (from the rain), Cambodians can survive. If no water, we can not survive."

It really makes you think.........

Ellis the Explorer

2011-09-08T01:47:00.000-07:00

Ellis spent time in the village exploring around and made herself right at home! She even climbed the steps and ventured into Luke's home!! Her good friend Jun Tu stayed close by to make sure she did not get into any trouble!!

TIA (This Is Asia)

2011-09-08T01:43:00.000-07:00

TIA~~ This Is Asia....as one of my Singapore friends would label a situation like this!!! Only in Asia would you see a sick girl with an IV pole "rigged up" so that she could walk around outdoors in her village. This girl came to see all the excitement in the village!!

Presentation At Village

2011-09-08T01:31:00.001-07:00

The children from Shelter of Love did a presentation for the villagers. They sang songs and then role-played the story of Jesus. Next, the house parents of Luke spoke about Luke and gave an update of what all he had been doing in the past year. Luke's father was emotional...I saw him wiping tears away. The father was proud of his son, even though they really don't even know each other at all.......

First Village- Luke's Home

2011-09-08T01:10:00.000-07:00

Luke is a precious six year old boy who lives at Shelter of Love. Luke's mom died during childbirth, as many Cambodian women do (lack of doctor care, nutrition, etc.). When Luke was a few days old, he was dying. There was no milk for him since his mother died.

Luke's father was trying desperately to care for the newborn, but could not. So he rode his bike (holding newborn baby Luke) from the village all the way to Shelter of Love. The journey took him about half a day to do! He begged Sue Singleton (founder of Shelter of Love- a NC lady!!) to take the baby. The baby was not named yet, and the father could not even remember the exact day the birth had taken olace!!

How could Sue Singleton refuse this few day old baby boy??? She took him to the doctor and the doctor told her that he was in fact dying, and was terribly dehydrated. So Sue bought some baby formula (something most Cambodian mothers can not afford), and fed him. Next she put him in a warm bath and washed him, then cuddled him tightly in a blanket. So now at 65 years old, Sue Singleton was a "new mom" again!!! Sue kept Luke at her home for about a year before moving him to the Shelter of Love.

Months later after Luke's father had given his son to Shelter of Love, he made another journey to the Shelter to inquire if the baby lived or not. One of the house mothers said quietly, "Come with me....". She led the father to a room with a crib that held a precious little healthy baby who was sleeping so peacefully. The father just smiled a great big smile........

This is a picture of Luke's home, Luke and his father, and the couple that are squatting (I believe) are Luke's grandparents.

Village Road

2011-09-08T00:55:00.000-07:00

On the road into the village, we passed a young boy (maybe about 10 or 12 years old) herding cattle. This is a sight seen all over Cambodia.

MORE Village Homes

2011-09-07T23:03:00.001-07:00

Just some village homes for you to see....

Village Homes

2011-09-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

The village homes are much different from the homes in the "city". The village homes are more rustic, and are made from plam leaves!! Many people live in these tee-tiny one room dwellings. The average "village woman" has SIX children. The siblings take good care of each other. It is quite common to see a 5 or 6 year old carrying a baby brother or sister! Amazing to me!!!

It is the rainy season in Cambodia now. Most of the land in the village is flooded. When people want to get out of the house, they have to wade through the water to get to the road.

Of course there is no running water, no bathrooms, no showers, no electricity! CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE???!!!

Some homes have a well, where they get water to drink, cook with, and to bathe with. Most Cambodians boil the well water before drinking, but some don't..... How do they boil the water? They use wood and start a fire and put the pot on top of the fire! (I'm not sure how they start the fire....will find out!)

First Village Experience

2011-09-07T22:15:00.000-07:00

During the summer, all 53 of the children and 4 house parents who live at Shelter of Love do home visits. This means that they all load up into three vans and travel to the various villages of where the children are from. The children see parents (if they are living), aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends. I asked to go on one of these home visits, and it worked out that a home visit was planned for that week (which was last week, on September 8.

So we loaded up the vans, all of dressed in dark pants and Shelter of Love tee-shirts, and headed off to the one hour trip to the first village. We were off to visit three villages.

We drove on the highway for about 30 minutes, then turned down an orange-dirt muddy road for another 30 minutes. As we bumped and squished down the road to the village, I was amazed at the beautiful palm trees that lined the road.

I hope you enjoy these pictures. It was an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING experience. WOW. Words just can not even justify this experience and what my eyes saw and what my heart felt. ENJOY.........

TO MARKET..... TO MARKET.....

2011-08-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

On Saturday the girls and I visited the local market, THE ONLY place to buy fruits, vegetables, and meats in town! Going to the market is always an EXPERIENCE!! PE and Baby Girl held their noses due to the sour smells in the air. They just could not handle the raw meat and seafood smell that lingered in the air! We saw lots for sale! Live baby chicks, pig heads, various animal body parts and organs, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Personally I love going to the market, as each time I go it is truely a learning experience and very "eye opening" to see how the Khmer culture lives. All I can say is W O W !!

FROGS 4 SALE!!!

2011-08-27T23:53:00.000-07:00

Two children came by the school the other day selling fresh fried FROGS!!!! The teachers were very excited and bought quite a few to eat for lunch! Baby Girl asked me to buy a frog for her and, like a good Mommy, I DID! She ate the frog and enjoyed it.......(she got the love for strange food from her Daddy)!!

FLAT TIRE

2011-08-26T07:21:00.000-07:00

This morning we had a flat tire on the double jogger stroller ~~walked to school with a flat tire.....got it fixed. Now this afternoon a different tire is flat! That will be the task at hand Saturday morning!! (The tires are getting HOLES in them......?????!!!!!).

LOTS OF CHANGES

2011-08-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

We will have a new bus (van) driver beginning next week! Also, this weekend, the walls between the two side by side classrooms will be knocked down to make a larger classroom. The "administrator" of the school promises it will only take two days and school will resume on Monday. Can you believe that?? NOT ME!!!! Will be interesting........

UPDATE!!!!! The wall was knocked down over the weekend and now we have a much larger classroom!!! WOW!! I never imagined the work could be done in two days!!!! YEAHHHH!!

HIRING NEW TEACHERS

2011-08-26T07:14:00.000-07:00

Two teaching assistants were hired this week. They are Sue Singleton's former English students. One of the girls assisted me all week~~she was awesome!! Next week another teaching assistant will begin. The idea is to train them to be teachers!! The school is growing fast. When I was here in March (2011), there were about 35 students. Now there are about 70!!!!!! The school has been open for almost one year. Next week will be the last week of the school year. The new school year will begin September 12th.

MAKING A DIFFERENCE?????

2011-08-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder if you are really making a difference? I was just thinking that yesterday, and it was as if someone read my mind! One of the teachers shared with me that my timing on this trip was perfect....that there are changes they are making in the school and they need my guidance and input. WOW! I felt revived! I am glad to be here and be able to share the gift I have been given....of EDUCATION!

The time I chose to come to Cambodia was the ONLY time this fall I could possibly come~~juggling plane fares and availability. Just arriving back from a three month holiday in the good ole USA, I only had TEN days to get over jet lag, unpack my FIFTEEN suitcases (filled with Christmas and birthday gifts for the girls~~and a year's supply of clothing, shoes, etc.....), and get on the plane AGAIN this time heading to Cambodia for a month with the girls. I knew it would be a difficult task, but I knew I could do it.....it really was God's timing. It wasn't MY timing. God's timing is not always convenient or comfortable. Sometimes it is not even what WE want......but He has a plan for all of us, and we have to trust in Him and know that we will be taken care of.

POT LUCK DINNER WITH TEACHERS

2011-08-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

Last night I hosted a pot luck dinner with the teachers from the school. There are seven of us. We had vegetable soup, spicy (green) long beans, green beans, some kind of other greens ~~no one could tell me what it was in English!!, and RICE, RICE, RICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone had a great night of fellowship and it was lots of FUN!! I will host a pot luck dinner every Friday night while in Cambodia.

Baby Girl's New Friend

2011-08-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

This is Issac! He and Baby Girl love playing together every afternoon at school!

MOST INTERESTING SIGHT IN WEEK 1

2011-08-26T06:41:00.000-07:00

The most interesting sight in week 1 in Kampong Thom, Cambodia, was a man with a towel wrapped around his waist, sweeping his front yard with a broom! The front yard was pure dirt/sand~~no grass. He was sweeping the yard like he was sweeping a porch!

Our Cook, MON

2011-08-23T23:24:00.001-07:00

Mon is our cook. She is an awesome cook!!! On Monday night we came home to steamed chicken, delicious green beans that had a "pickle" taste to them, and rice. We stopped on the side of the road to buy a small loaf of fresh french bread to go along with the dinner! MMMMMMMMMmmmmmmm, good!!!

On Tuesday night, Mon cooked tomatoes stuffed with pork!! How delicious!!! And of course, RICE!!!!

I can't wait till we get home at night to see what Mon has cooked!!!! It's always a surprise and it is always delicious!!!

More Changes in Class Size!!

2011-08-23T23:17:00.001-07:00

I am now also teaching a class in the afternoon. These are the oldest students, ranging in ages 9-16!!!!!! It's a true one room school house and I am the teacher!! These students attend local school, and are only attending Clever Child International School for the "summer session". Their English is pretty good. WOW, what an easy group compared to my morning class!!!!!! This is like teaching first grade (only because they are just LEARNING English~~they are ALLLLL very smart students!). The first day I modeled writing for them~~I wrote about myself. Then I had the students draw a picture of themselves and then write about themselves, so I could learn more about them! We worked on spelling various words using letter blocks, and then played a game of identifying items that were "same" and "different". Later, I read them the story, Danny and the Dinosaur (An I Can Read book), which they loved!! They laughed at Danny riding on the dinosaur!! Today we will work on rhyming words!! I love teaching!!!!!!!

Changes in Class Size!!

2011-08-23T23:05:00.001-07:00

After observing a full day at school, the teachers and I all agreed that
"Classroom 1" needed to be divided!! There were 18 two, three, and four year olds in a room that was about ten feet by ten feet. I could not even move around the tables to get around in the classroom!!! SOOOOOOOOO.....I will teach half of the class!! That will be my morning class. I am teaching the ABC's, numbers, colors, shapes, and counting. We sing songs and move around. THESE LITTLE ONES HAVE SOOO MUCH ENERGY!!! It's just like having 9 Ellis' around!!!! They pop up and down, run out the door, constantly are into my teaching material, have to go potty, need a drink, and anything else you could imagine!!! I am totally WORN OUT at 11:00 when class is over!!!! The children are learning English, so they speak to me Khmer all the time and I just nod my head or say "OK"......I have no idea what they are telling me....and they don't really know what I am saying!!! One thing I know is that when hug one of these beautiful Cambodian children,and give him a smile, I have made his day!! And when he smiles back at me, he has made MY day!!

DAY 2- School

2011-08-21T23:18:00.000-07:00

The school hours are 8:00-11:00 for the first session, then 2:00-5:00 for the second session. The walk to school was very short~~about 6 minutes. All of the teachers greeted us and welcomed us back for another visit. The children were precious!! This is Baby Girl's first school experience!! She had a good day, but did a lot of scribbling, and the other children did a great job of coloring in the lines!! She also learned to write the letter "D". She did okay with that, but then scribbled all over her paper! Guess that was more fun!! I will save her work to note how much progress she makes while we are here.

We walk "home" for the lunch break, then walk back to school for the second session, then back "home" at the end of the day.......to rest, relax, shower, and get ready for the next school day!! Tomorrow morning I will start teaching a set group of children. Excited!! Gotta get busy planning!!!!

DAY 1 - Shelter of Love

2011-08-21T23:06:00.001-07:00

Today we went to church at Shelter of Love (you can google to find out more information), and had a great time. Of course the service was in Khmer so I didn't understand it!! Ha, ha!!! The girls had a great time playing with old and new friends.

After dinner, I took the girls on a stroller ride around the town. You would not believe the STARES I got! First of all, we were WHITE. Second of all, THE STROLLER!! To see causasians walking around town in this area is not so common, and the people in this area do not own strollers! Many people stopped to "talk" with us and take a look at the girls! We even had little girls and boys riding bikes follow us almost all the back to where we are staying!

It's amazing how deeply you can communicate with someone by just eye contact and a smile! I love Cambodian people!!

After our stroller ride adventure, we took showers, and were IN BED by 7:30!!!! Sooooo tired!! I think the heat played a part in our lack of energy, since it was 110degrees yesterday!!!!! It is really hot. My body is constantly wet. It is not such a great feeling!

2011-08-21T22:59:00.000-07:00

We flew into Phenom Penn, and our driver took me to a grocery store to stock up!!! There is no grocery store in Kampong Thom. This province is about a three hour drive from Phenom Penn. So it is waaaaaayyyyyyy out in the countryside. The local market has fruits, vegetables, and meats for sale. The market is quite an eye opening experience........it's not easy for me to shop there. Sometimes it is difficult to even find TOILET PAPER! WHY??? This is a third world country in Asia! It's amazing that as Americans we don't realize what "luxuries" we have that we take for granted!! In America, we really do HAVE IT ALL!!

We have a cook that will cook our dinners for us while in Cambodia, for $25 a week~~you can't beat that!!

MISSION TRIP

2011-08-21T22:43:00.000-07:00

My girls and I will live in Kampong Thom, Cambodia for ONE MONTH!! This is a dream come true for me....to live the life of the Khmer people and imerse myself in their culuture. I will be working at a school every day teaching and training teachers. My top priority on this visit is to implement a science curriculum. PE and Baby Girl will attend school where I am teaching. I brought my wonderful baby jogger double stroller with me so I could push the girls to school to and from school. This makes life a little easier, as I don't have to worry about them walking along the busy streets, dodging orange clay mudholes (it's rainy season here~~so lots of standing water).

I have been sweating uncontrollably since we arrived 2 days ago!! There is no air at the school, or at Shelter of Love (a center for children who either have no parents or parents who can not take care of them). My face is literally dripping and it feels as if someone is pouring water down my back.........EEEEEEKKKKKKKK!!! I bet I smell good too~~ha, ha!!!

NEW SCHOOL YEAR, 2011-2012!!

2011-08-21T22:39:00.000-07:00

PE started school on August 15, 2011. She is going to the same school where she was last year, EtonHouse International School. PE is in FIRST GRADE!!!!! I can hardly believe it!!!! She has an awesome teacher this year from South Africa. She is excited about this school year, and has already made new friends!

HELLO AGAIN!!!!!

2011-08-21T22:33:00.000-07:00

Sorry EVERYONE for not keeping up with my blog!!!! I have not blogged in almost TWO YEARS!!!!! I got really busy in Singapore with various organizations and activities and made AWESOME friends, so that left me no time for blogging!!! I will try now to keep things updated. It makes it so much easier for me to do it this way rather than sending lots of different emails to everyone!!!! So, as of today, Monday, August 22, I will try to blog on a regular basis!!!

Visitors: ChiChi and TaTi

2009-11-03T08:07:00.001-08:00

Our good friends, ChiChi and TaTi, came to visit in September. Our family enjoyed their visit so much and we all had a great time and made lots of good memories together! The girls loved it~ PE enjoyed ChiChi and TaTi walking her to school and picking her up from school daily. In the afternoons, PE and ChiChi played school, wrote plays, and performed puppet shows (PE is holding up a prop from behind the black chair). (And Baby Girl was constantly trying to get in all of the action!) Baby Girl enjoyed brushing TaTi's hair (see the orange rake in the picture) with a play plastic hand rake and loved listening to him read stories!!

Visitors: Orchard Road

2009-11-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

We took a walk down Orchard Road so ChiChi and TaTi could get the feel of the big city of Singapore. Mall after mall after mall line Orchard Road with all the big designer names and tv screens playing movies and tv shows shine on several of the mall facades. There was lots to see: the wide sidewalks, variety of cultures and ethnic groups, tons of traffic. Our visitors eagerly took in all the sights and smells of Singapore!

Visitors: Night Out on the Town

2009-11-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

One night we went out to the famous Raffles Hotel and then to Halia, one of our favorite restaurants located right in the middle of the lush greenery of the Botanical Gardens. We had a special table reserved for the evening, and the food and wine were divine.

Visitors: Singapore Flyer and Merlion

2009-11-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

We took ChiChi and TaTi to ride on the Singapore Flyer so they could see the city from a "bird's eye view"! We also visited the Merlion statue and took a river boat cruise around the downtown area. While we were sightseeing LOTS of people wanted to get their photos taken with the girls, and one guy wanted his picture taken with ChiChi and I!! We laughed about that and thought it was funny he wanted his picture taken with us!

Visitors: Zoo and Bird Park

2009-11-03T00:09:00.000-08:00

We started our day at the Singapore Zoo with "Breakfast with the Orangutans". As we ate we got to see the orangutans up close and had our picture made with them! After breakfast TaTi and ChiChi took the girls to see a big snake and PE touched it (YIKES!). We had great fun at the zoo! ChiChi and TaTi's favorite part was looking at the gardening area and discovering what plants, fruits, and veggies grow in this part of the world! And of course, ChiChi LOVED viewing all of the various orchids!

We also ventured to the Bird Park and Night Safari (at the zoo). The birds were very friendly and enjoyed sipping on the sweet drink we offered them! Baby Girl stuck her finger out to a bird and the bird bit it!! She was okay, I think it just scared her!!

Visitors: Hawker Stand on East Coast

2009-10-27T20:18:00.000-07:00

Singapore is known for "hawker stands". They are ALL OVER Singapore! Outdoor vendors are set up and offer breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which include a variety of food (Chinese, Muslim, Indian, Malay). The prices are reasonable (you can eat a meal for as little as $2.50 Sing~~ $1 US) and the food is ready immediately. The girls and Daddy love the food, especially Baby Girl! You can see in the picture she is eating and eating and eating! We were all finished and she just kept eating~she tried food from everyone's plate!! The only thing I will eat at a hawker stand is Singapore's signature dish: Chicken Rice. Eating at a hawker stand is a unique experience in Singapore~it's not the most sanitary experience and napkins are not given with your food order, you have to buy them! There are always lots of Singaporeans eating at hawker stands so sometimes you have to wait for a table. I did learn not sit where I saw a balled up kleenex, because that is how Singaporeans "save a seat"!!

We took ChiChi and TaTi to the hawker stand on the East Coast, at the beach near our house and they enjoyed the food and the experience.

We had such a great time with our visitors and they promised to come back to Singapore again!!

Pottery Jungle

2009-10-27T20:10:00.001-07:00

I went with a group of friends to a shopper's paradise!!! We visited the Pottery Jungle, where they have a dragon kiln that they fire up a few times a week! The kiln is ~~years old. It is so large that you can WALK INSIDE of it! We were told that the custom before firing the kiln is to light candles and incense and pray. It was a wonderful day looking at all of the gorgeous Asian pottery for sale!! I even bought a bowl to go on our dining room table!

Walking Tour: Arab Street

2009-10-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

I participated in a 3 hour walking tour of the Arab Street area and learned so much information about Singapore! The streets were lined with colorful shophouses (a store on the bottom level and apartments up above) that sold exotic perfumes, prayer rugs, jewelry, and food; all that catered to the Malayan and Islamic communities. I visited the grounds of the old Royal Palace and toured the Sultan Mosque (the building with the big golden ball shape). In order to go inside the mosque, men and women had to be covered from neck to below the knee~~(little skin could be shown)! Muslims are required to wash their bodies 5 times a day, each time before they pray! Individual prayer rugs are incorporated into the carpet design inside the mosque, which allow every person to have their own space and thousands can be in the mosque at once! The Sultan Mosque sits on the street facing Mecca, therefore it is not aligned with the buildings on either side of it. Did you know that when Muslims are buried, their head faces toward Mecca?

PE: School and Ballet

2009-10-27T20:04:00.000-07:00

PE began taking ballet classes in September and she LOVES it! She will participate in a class performance in November so I hope to post pictures of that!

PE's school celebrated Children's Day with lots of stations set up for the students to play various games. They tossed rings, balanced an egg on a spoon while walking on a balance beam, got tattoos, and ate lots of snacks! I volunteered that day and had a great time being involved and getting to know some of the children in PE's class!

Bugs, Bugs, and MORE Bugs!

2009-10-27T19:57:00.000-07:00

Daddy brought bugs and all kinds of "dried creatures" home from Thailand for us to sample (they really do eat all kinds of creatures in Thailand!!). Of course PE and I would not DARE to taste, even after Daddy cooked them!! One person in the family did try them and she seemed to enjoy tasting them~~(YUCK!!) Baby Girl enjoyed the bugs and she loved getting all of the attention from the family as she continued to sample different ones!!

Artists Hard at Work

2009-09-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

The girls LOVE to paint!! On this day, we talked about making new colors by mixing colors!

Baby Girl Loves to Play

2009-09-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

Baby Girl loves to play at various parks, with toys, and with friends! Everytime we pass a park and she spots the playground she screams "PLAYYYYYYYYYY!!!" She can climb like a monkey and climbs to the top of a slide and then slides down by herself! Last week she even climbed on top of the dining room table and she was so proud of herself!!!

Baby Girl is beginning to enjoy listening to stories now and likes to look at books! If she spots me sitting down, she will grab a book and come over to me and say, "Book Mommy, book Mommy". I love it!!

Baby Girl: Dress Up Queen

2009-09-01T08:06:00.001-07:00

Baby Girl LOVES to dress up and put on crowns, fancy outfits, and high heel shoes~ of course!! (I don't know HOW she can walk in the high heel shoes!!!??? She loves to put on family members' shoes and parade around the house!

PE: The Rock Climber

2009-09-01T07:17:00.001-07:00

Last week I went with PE's class on a fieldtrip to a rock climbing wall! What a fun and exciting adventure this was! The first time PE attempted rock climbing, she climbed up about ten feet. Once everyone in the class had a turn, the instructors asked if anyone wanted a second turn~~and guess who wanted a second turn??!! PE began climbing and did not stop!! She went all the way to the top as I watched in awe and could hardly believe my eyes! (Then of course my eyes filled up with tears because I was so proud of her!!) Only four children in the class made it to the top~~so this was a real accomplishment for her! PE loved this adventure and wants to do it again!

PE: School in Singapore

2009-08-07T02:04:00.000-07:00

PE's teachers are He Laoshi (Mandarin teacher)and Miss Lisa (English teacher). Baby Girl loves to go to school to drop PE off and then later to pick her up! She likes to carry PE's bookbag around the house and pretend that she is going to school too!

PE: School in Singapore

2009-08-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

PE started pre-school on August 3, 2009 at Schoolhouse by the Bay. The school is a big yellow and white building nestled in with tall lush palm trees. PE rides her bike to school every day while I walk with her. She is in school from 8-12. One day she has the Mandarin teacher (who does not speak any English) and the next day she has the English teacher (from Australia!). What an adventure!! Every morning she gets up excited about putting on her school uniform and riding her bike to school! It takes us about 15 minutes to get to school from our house via bike or walking.

Summer in the Good Ole USA!!

2009-08-05T19:21:00.001-07:00

Aunt Jen and Cousin visited us for six great weeks of fun and adventure in Singapore! We flew HOME to the USA together. We had a wonderful summer back in North Carolina visiting friends and family!!!! It was really a breath of fresh air. Words can not even explain how wonderful it was to be back in AMERICA. We visited family from the mountains to the coast and treasured every minute of it! PE learned to boogie board in the ocean and also learned how to swim!! Baby Girl tried to do every thing that her big sissy did! What a fun summer! We really do miss NC!!

Singapore: Pictures of the City

2009-08-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

These are just a few pictures of the city of Singapore. It is a beautiful place.

Chinese and Japanese Gardens

2009-08-05T19:15:00.000-07:00

It was another hot hot day in Singapore when we ventured out to the gardens. The architecture was breath-taking and the flowering bushes were gorgeous! The girls had fun climbing on the bridges and the different statues that were around the gardens. They were all dressed in Asian attire for the occasion! Lots of people stopped us to get their picture made with the girls.

Bird Park

2009-08-05T19:12:00.001-07:00

The hi-lite of the day at the Bird Park was feeding the birds!! PE and Cousin had fun doing this......until the birds began jumping on their heads!! Baby Girl did not get a chance to feed the birds by herself, but maybe next time!! The girls had fun climbing around in the giant bird cage (for kids of course!!).

Children's Garden at the Botanic Gardens

2009-08-05T19:08:00.000-07:00

What a fun day we had with Cousin at the Children's Garden! The girls went across a swinging bridge, enjoyed the sights and sounds of the waterfall, climbed up in an enormous treehouse, and enjoyed watching turtles in a creek. Before we left, the girls played in the small water park and then had a snack while sitting on a tree trunk! It was a fun day but a very hot and humid day in Singapore!!

Thailand: City of Patong

2009-08-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

The next several entries recap our vacation to an island off of Thailand, Phuket. We hired a driver to take us to Patong for some shopping and eating since Patong was about an hour from the Mariott Resort. The city was busy with cars and motorcycles buzzing by. Most of the Thai people travel by motorcycle. Sometimes we even saw a whole family piled onto one motorcycle!! We shopped and shopped~we bought knock off brands of the latest styles of pocket books, Tiffany jewelry, American movie DVD's, wooden vases made in Thailand and clothes! With some barganing tips from Robbie and Perry, Jen and I were able to get some good deals (especially Aunt Jen with all of her big name pocket books!!). We had a nice dinner right on the beach with our feet in the sand! The girls had a great time running all around on the beach after we ate dinner. Aunt Jen took the girls to use the restroom, which she had to pay $$$$ for them to use~~not only was the money issue a shocker, but the restroom facilities were!!

Thailand: Mariott Resort, beach pictures

2009-08-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

The beach at the resort was absolutely divine! The sand was a beautiful color and the water and sky were gorgeous with all of the various colors mixed in. I took the girls for a late afternoon photo shoot, which you can see the natural lighting was unbelievable! Oh what a paradise!

Thailand: Mariott Resort

2009-08-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

When we arrived at the hotel, Thai women met us with orchid leys to put around our necks and refreshing fruit drinks! The lobby was an open floor plan with no doors or windows!! The wooden furniture was over sized and painted in teal green. The furniture had the "chabby chic" look. It was beautiful! The ground around the resort were unbelievably green and clean. It was such a relaxing and refreshing place away from the hustle and bustle of the city of Singapore! Everyone was very friendly here and we even learned some of the Thai language, with the help of Uncle Robbie!! One of our favorite things to do at a restaurant was to ask for an ice cold wet washcloth to rub over our faces! Oh it felt so good in the hot humid weather!!

Thailand: Mariott Resort Pool

2009-05-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

WOW!! What a great pool at the resort! PE and Cousin loved sitting on the large stone turtles in the pool! Baby Girl insisted on walking in the two foot pool rather than riding in her float! ALL of the girls (including Daddy!!)had fun going down the slide! What a fun time for the children as well as the adults!

Thailand: Maya Bay

2009-05-15T01:12:00.000-07:00

We took a boat trip to an island called Maya Bay. We spent the day playing in the water with the tropical fish and snorkeling. It was a very hot sunny day, so the coolest place to be was in the water!! For lunch, we were served rice, baked chicken legs, pineapple, and watermelon~~oh so delicious on a HOT day on a deserted tropical island!

Thailand: Patong Beach

2009-05-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

We spent two different evenings at Patong Beach for shopping and eating. This was a busy and crowded area with LOTS of shopping and restaurants. The beach was incredible. One night we ate at a restaurant that was outside, right on the beach. The warm breeze was blowing,the sunset was incredible and the girls were playing in the sand on the beach.

Thailand: Elephant Ride

2009-05-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

We all rode elephants in Thailand! As I sat up VERY high on the elephants back holding wiggle worm Baby Girl, I got really frightend when I saw a valley we had to go down into and then up a tall hill! All I could think of was "What if I fell off this elephant?" It's not a like a horse, where you could jump off if you had to!! I looked ahead and saw Aunt Jen and Cousin, so I figured if they survived this obstacle, I could!! Later I told Aunt Jen this and she said she felt the same way, and she looked ahead and saw Uncle Robbie, and she thought "Well if he made it down the valley and up the hill, then certainly I can!" Daddy and PE seemed to enjoy the elephant ride the most~~their elephant took a short cut and trudged through some water.

Thailand: Monkey School

2009-05-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

We visited the Monkey School and watched these monkeys monkey around!! One monkey was playing with PE and ripped PE's headband off of her head!! The monkey twirled it around and around because he was so proud of himself for getting a new toy! PE cried and cried because she wanted her headband back! One of the trainers was able to get it back for her! One of the monkeys kept stopping his performance and running over to Daddy!! Daddy wasn't so sure why that monkey would not leave him alone! We all had fun watching the crazy monkeys!

Phuket, Thailand: Mariott Resort

2009-05-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

We went to Phuket, Thailand for a five day vacation. We stayed at a beautiful resort and when we arrived we were greeted with orchid leys and tropical drinks. The Thai food was delicious and the beaches on the tropical island were beautiful. Thailand is the "Land of Smiles" and the people lived up to their name~ Everyone was so friendly. One day we watched a wedding ceremony performed on the grounds. That was a lot of fun to watch! The Thai men played the drums and the Thai women danced!

Singapore Flyer

2009-05-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Singapore Flyer is the world's largest ferris wheel, standing 165 meters tall. Just about any place you drive in the city, you can see it! We always play a game in the car to see who can spot the Singapore Flyer. One day we were driving along and Baby Girl screamed,"I TEE, I TEE!!". When we are driving near it, if you look closely you can see the people inside the capsules! At night it is lit up with neon changing colors. Our "first visitors" rode this with us and on the way up Uncle Robbie and I both admitted we were very afraid of heights!! WHEW, we both survived the Singapore Flyer! Riders ride in an enclosed glass capsule so it really is not THAT scary!!

Swimming Pool

2009-05-10T14:54:00.000-07:00

A day at the local swimming pool was fun for the kids, but left two moms very tired after keeping up with three little ones!! Baby Girl will not stay in a float! She wants to walk around inside the pool all by HERSELF!! The baby pool is about 2 feet deep, and it is about the size of 3 standard pools. It is a great pool for babies and toddlers and even adults!!

East Coast Park

2009-05-10T14:50:00.000-07:00

We spent an afternoon at the East Coast Park on the beach. There was a warm breeze and the sun was beginning to go down. Everybody was SO SANDY!!!! Baby Girl put her whole face in the sand! The cousins are having so much fun playing together!

Riverboat Cruise

2009-05-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

We cruised up and down the Singpore River and learned that Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore in January of 1819. Today the river is lined with historical buildings, neo-classical bridges, skyscrapers, and restaurants. PE, Baby Girl, and Cousin all had a turn driving the riverboat!!

Melting Pot

2009-05-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

Singapore prides itself on the fact that over 4 million people of different nationalities, cultures, and religions can live in one small country and get along together. As we are out and about the city, many people want to have their picture taken with our children!! They seem to be facinated with blond hair, blue eyes, and very fair skin! We look so different to them and THEY look so different to us! It is interesting to see the various nationalities represented. WOW, what a learning experience!

Merlion and Fullerton Hotel

2009-05-10T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Merlion, half lion, half mermaid, is a massive 8.6 meter icon located at Marina Bay. The animal details are significant in relation to the discovery of the island of Singapore. The statue that spurts out water is believed to protect Singapore. The famous Fullerton Hotel sits behind the Merlion.

First Visitors to Singapore

2009-05-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Our first visitors, Aunt Jennifer and cousin Fleming, arrived late April and will be here through May!! Uncle Robbie joined us too for about ten days!! What FUN we are having with family around!

Another Zoo Trip

2009-05-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the zoo recently! We saw the polar bear show this time, which was a lot of fun! The bears waved to us and we enjoyed watching them catch LIVE fish and eat them as a snack. The white lion was very active pacing back and forth. The lion was massive and a little scary! We visited the kangaroos and could even reach out and touch them! They were very comfortable with us around. We ended our day at the zoo with the girls playing in an over-sized bird cage and then of course we had to have some Ben and Jerry's ice cream to cool us down!

Easter Bunny

2009-05-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

"Does the Easter Bunny come to Singapore?", PE asked. "Of course he does!", I replied! And yes, the Easter Bunny did come ALL THE WAY to Singapore! The girls got lots of candy, eggs, and of course new bathing suits and cover ups! What an exciting morning we had!

Singapore Zoo Night Safari

2009-04-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the Night Safari ready for excitement and adventure! The girls loved watching the fire show, where men swallowed fire, spit fire, and twirled batons with fire on the ends! PE and Baby Girl were amazed!! We went on a tram ride through the zoo to see the animals in their habitats at night! Baby Girl especially liked seeing the lions! While there, Daddy and PE paid money to stick their feet in a tank of fish and let the fish eat the dead skin off their feet!!!! YUCK!! Daddy tried to get me to do it, but I just could not even entertain the idea!! No thank you!!

Playgroup at the Newman House

2009-04-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

We hosted a playgroup at our house last Thursday. This group is American Women's Club members that meet every Thursday afternoon. We hosted the party in our front yard!! Lots of toys to play with and goodies to snack on kept the children (ages 1-5years old) entertained! What a HOT DAY~~about 32 degrees Celsius! Everybody had a fun time!

Flowers at Singapore Botanic Gardens

2009-04-03T23:51:00.000-07:00

The flowers at the gardens were absolutely beautiful. I had so many photos I wanted to share, so I just added another post featuring the gardens!

Singapore Botanic Gardens

2009-04-02T05:10:00.000-07:00

The Singapore Botanic Gardens were absolutely breath taking! We saw all sorts of unique flowers! Lots of people were having picnics and playing on the grounds. We ate at a restaurant in the gardens and enjoyed the atmosphere of the lush green plants. The dinner was fantastic~~we had great food, nice wine, and delicious dessert!

Bird Park

2009-03-22T05:25:00.000-07:00

We spent a day at Bird Park and saw beautiful birds and flowers! PE and Baby Girl loved looking at the Penguins and Owls. We searched and searched for Parrots that PE wanted to see, and when we finally found them, not one of them would talk to us! PE was so disappointed!! I told her they were probably tired of talking~~maybe next time they will talk to us!!

A Day in Chinatown

2009-03-22T02:00:00.000-07:00

The girls and I spent a WHOLE day in Chinatown. We bought a watercolor painting of Singapore and met the artist. PE had her picture made with him. Later for a snack, we bought bananas from a lady selling them on the street. We shopped, had lunch, and then bought a few pieces of furniture at antique shops in Chinatown. What a fun day!

Little India

2009-03-22T01:52:00.000-07:00

We spent the afternoon in Little India. As soon as we got there, Daddy bought a cocoanut and Ellis drank the milk out of it! We ate lunch and we had delicious bread, beans, cooked vegetables, and RICE! EVERYBODY eats rice in Asia!! We went to Mustafa Centre to do some shopping~~there was so much to see and it was very crowded! I decided I need to go back there sometime by myself so I can do some serious shopping!!

We visited Sri Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu national monument in Singapore. We had to take our shoes off before entering the temple. One of the photos shows all of the shoes outside the temple! There were interesting paintings on the walls and ceilings, and the aroma of insense filled the air.

Making Cookies

2009-03-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

One day PE made chocolate chip cookies for Daddy to take to the office. YUMMMMMMMMMM! Everytime I turned around she was dipping her hands in the cookie batter!! She did share some of the batter with her little sister, who decided that she LOVED eating cookie dough too!!

Allie and Almond

2009-03-22T00:59:00.000-07:00

The dogs are enjoying our family being at home more while we are living in Singapore! They love the company of PE and Baby Girl as they play outdoors.

Sentosa Island

2009-03-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Going to Sentosa Island, an island off of Singapore, was an exciting experience for us all! We began by watching the dolphin show and the girls even got to pet a dolphin! Next we visited the aquarium and the girls and Perry touched Sting Rays~~YIKES!! I stood over to the side and made pictures!! PE played at a waterpark for little kids while Baby Girl took a nap in the stroller! The island was absolutely beautiful and the beaches were unbelievable. It was a very hot day at the beach, about 32 degrees Celsius!

A Day at the Beach

2009-03-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

Last week one afternoon the girls and I spent the afternoon at the beach not far from our house! The girls had fun playing in the sand and I had fun making pictures of them! We met a group of students from India that were visiting schools in Singapore and they enjoyed making pictures of the girls and playing with them on the beach. Perry Elizabeth drew a jellyfish in the sand (see the picture)!!

Singapore Zoo

2009-03-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

The Singapore Zoo is fabulous!! Perry and I had as much fun as the girls did!! We started out by having breakfast with the Orang Utans! That was really entertaining! We saw lots of animals and PE and Baby Girl fed a giraffe! What fun!

School

2009-03-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

PE will begin pre-school in August at Eton House International School. The school is only 4 blocks from our house. She will wear a school uniform and hats MUST be worn (for sun protection) when the students go outside to play. If PE forgets to take her hat to school, she will not be allowed to go outside and play!! UT~OH! The school offers Mandarin (a form of Chinese language) for 45 minutes a day. PE is excited about eating breakfast and lunch at school in the cafeteria, which is located out doors!! (see the picture above)

Friends

2009-03-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

When we go play at the various parks we meet lots of friends, all from different countries! The girls have found that even if new friends don't speak the same language, they can still play together!

Restaurant at Boat Quay

2009-03-09T19:26:00.000-07:00

We ate at a great Thai restaurant in Boat Quay. We had delicious spring rolls, mango salad, chicken on a stick, and Perry ate octopus soup. The best part was dessert~~sticky rice with mango and white sauce~~YUM YUM!! One of the pictures shows PE giving Baby Girl a piece of octopus, but she was not at all interested in trying it! The manager of the restaurant enjoyed holding the girls!

Boat Quay

2009-03-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

Boat Quay (pronounced "Boat Key") is an area downtown on the river front that is lined with sky scrapers, shops, and restaurants. There was lots to see and do in this area! Each restaurant had live tanks of crab, shrimp, and fish that you could choose for your dinner. PE and Baby Girl enjoyed looking at all of the sea creatures in the tanks!

P.E. and Her Pets

2009-02-24T05:54:00.000-08:00

P.E. has decided she needs some pets (other than our dogs, Allie and Almond). So she finds large snails outside in our yard and she puts them in her bug catcher for the day. At the end of the day, I make her let them go so they can (hopefully) live a peaceful life. Yesterday P.E. found this teeny tiny baby lizard. As she played with the lizard she realized that when she held it up by it's tail, the tail came off!!! She showed off her new "pet" to the neighbors! Playing outside is her favorite thing to do!!

Singapore

2009-02-24T04:58:00.000-08:00

Singapore is a country and a city all in one! It is a tropical island off of Malaysia. Singapore is a beautiful place~warm climate, sunny, bright, cheery, beaches, city life.....There is a lot to do here! 4 million people live in Singapore! The downtown is composed of tall skyscrapers and lots of lush green trees and plants to add a touch of character to the hustling and bustling of a large city.

Fun Times Outdoors

2009-02-24T04:42:00.000-08:00

Since the weather is about 30 degrees Celsius year round (that is about 88 degrees Fharenheit) we are able to play outside in our shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops in FEBRUARY!! Just about every day we go for a stroller ride or P.E. rides her bike and Baby Girl rides in the stroller. There is a great bike/walking path that runs right behind our house that is about one kilometer. The path provides beautiful scenery of lush green trees, a river to the left, and the sounds of all kinds of birds chirping away. We also frequent several playgrounds close to our house. Each playground is differerent so that makes it fun to visit different ones. P.E. and Baby Girl are really enjoying playing together and it is so much fun for me to watch them interacting together!

Baby Girl: Eating with Chopsticks!!

2009-02-24T04:36:00.000-08:00

Baby Girl has become quite an expert with using chopsticks to eat!! She loves to do this and Daddy loves to give her lots of different kinds of foods to sample!!

PE: The Artist and Biker Chic

2009-02-22T11:07:00.000-08:00

PE loves to "do art". We have her art easel and art supplies set up outside the back door. She is enjoying painting a variety of pictures using tempera paint and watercolors. Sometimes she uses crayons or ball point pens to draw. She likes to make books and "write stories".

PE has been learning to ride her new bike with training wheels. She has finally learned how to use the BRAKES......so now she does not have to run into me or into baby girl's stroller!!!!! Tonight she was able to make it up (very small) hills and has learned how to coast downhill while using the brake when needed. She is getting to be a fast-paced biker chick! The stroller had to move quickly to keep up with her tonight!

Dogs: Allie and Almond Joy

2009-02-22T11:01:00.000-08:00

Allie and Almond are now out of 30 days of quarantine~~Yeah!! We missed them so much! They seem to like their new home. When they are outside, they pant continuously due to the heat. When they are inside, they enjoy lying on the cool granite floor. PE loves to play outside with Allie and Almond, and they enjoy her company!

Chinatown

2009-02-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

We spent the evening in Chinatown, which is located in the heart of downtown Singapore. What a vibrant and bustling part of town. The girls were amazed at all of the sights (lots of lights and lanterns) and the potpouri of smells from outdoor restaurants. PE picked out two dresses Daddy bought for her (we got one for baby girl too). PE wore her new "Asian dress" on Saturday, slept in it Saturday night, and wore it again Sunday!! The dress makes her feel like a princess........I told her I had to wash it and then I will let her wear it again! The people in Chinatown were very friendly and wanted to ooh and aaahh over the girls.