i like you, singapore

today was an epic fail.

my days go like this: decide to go somewhere/run an errand. figure out the address. google map it and figure out how to get there by public transit. write it all down because i don't have a cool phone. get the gear together. time it so we leave right after sage is fed and napped. spend usually an hour getting to where we need to go. navigate hot, steamy weather, baby, and singapore. hop on a bus/train or cab if it's really a doozy, come home and regroup. it's kind of a production to even run one errand.

today is hari rayah, one of the few public holidays that the president's home is open to the public. wonderful, i thought. we'll go walk around the gardens and maybe peek in the house. wrong. we waited in line for an hour with thousands of people, but decided to jump ship when we weren't even halfway to the front. all that planning, routing, and sweat for a roast chicken sandwich at starbucks because i was starving after waiting in the gargantuan line. also of note, i had to change outfits three times today because of snot, poop, and pee from my adorable daughter. just keeping it real!

but, as i was hauling my stroller through the afternoon rain, i didn't really mind that nothing worked out. i actually really like singapore so far. of course there are moments when i'd pay good money to be able to drive to target in five minutes. there is so much to do and see, and as long as i never have to lay eyes on a cockroach in my apartment, i think singapore and i will be good friends.

but just in case, i've adopted abbie's mantra: i can do hard things.

not easily impressed

sometimes you have to win her smile

twenty seven

happy birthday nate!

dinner at lawry's because birthdays mean steak

nate is a lover of all things salty, but one of the few sweet things he loves is rice krispy treats. i made him a personal batch from mcdonald's butter packets, asian marshmallows, and corn flakes.
classy...that's how we roll.

geylang serai

it's almost the end of the season of fasting for ramadan, meaning the hari raya celebration is soon. we ventured over to the malaysian geylang serai area to go see the markets and festivities. muslims fast during the day for ramadan, but as soon as the sun goes down, the markets are a zoo with everyone vying for food...and not just any food. we played it safe with lamb and chicken kabobs, but other enticing specialties were whole roasted quail on a stick, shark fin soup, catfish cooked in a banana leaf, octopus balls, and a bazillion fried choices {who knows what's under that fried layer}.

bird nest? syrup? corn? the juice flavors were so intriguing/gross to me

i realized today why we get so many stares when we bring sage out...besides the fact she's a white baby, nate's coworker told us that singaporean babies stay inside at home until they are six months old at least.
with all the change that's happened in her little life, i think we've created a monster. she gets bored and fussy if we stay at home all day -- she loves looking around at new things and being outside. we love our buddy.

jellies

botanic gardens

this day started rough. the second i walked into the entry hall of our apartment building, sage started screaming bloody murder. every person within earshot came out to see why that baby was crying...the taxi stand man, the front desk woman, everyone. i was told by at least three people to "feed the baby!" ah, unsolicited public opinion about my child who ate five minutes ago. if you don't wave a bus down at the bus stop, it doesn't stop. at all. i missed two buses because i was either wrangling the stroller or looking down to calm sage. what should have been a twenty minute trip to the gardens took about an hour, but we made it!

the national orchid garden inside the huge botanic garden is something like the largest display of tropical orchids in the world. it was so beautiful -- immaculate gardens and vibrant colors.

cried the first half, slept through the rest. poor baby...we were both drenched in sweat by the end

newton hawker center

hawker centers are big, cheap, open-air food courts that are all over singapore. this time we tried chicken rice and pineapple juice.

the merlion

when i feel brave enough, sage and i go explore. wah wah, i know, first time mom. but timing everything perfectly is tough sometimes. as previously mentioned, there are no nordstrom mother's lounges here. i wish!

week one

we've lived here for a little over a week.
here's my list...

pros:
- european yogurt, in all its unpasteurized goodness
- so much diversity
- people willingly give me a seat on a crowded train
- eternal shorts weather
- learning that singapore fumigates incessantly for bugs (cockroaches are my worst nightmare)
- the miracle of air conditioning
- gorgeous vegetation/plants/flowers

cons:
- not baby friendly (as in i am being forced to become a ninja at changing diapers mid-air in sweaty, dingy, random bathrooms, wear my child as opposed to heaving my stroller through public transit, and feeding the babe is a whole other story...)
- a pint of ben & jerry's is $14.95
- no wearing outfits more than once between washing -- i'm always sweaty

nate's list...

pros:
- lunch for $2
- street food, a.k.a. hawker centers
- there is a floating soccer field
- taxis are cheap
- public transit is efficient and clean
- it's warm all the time

cons:
- it's warm all the time

two months

her preferred sleeping position.

this little girl is my sidekick.
she has been so good lately.
she sleeps on me as i trek her around the city.
she smiles all the time.
i am so glad she's ours

national day

august 9th was singapore's fourth of july, national day. nate had work off, so we met up with a few of my friends from high school who happen to be living in/visiting singapore. we ate lunch at this gorgeous tea salon, then went up to the sky deck of the marina bay sands hotel. incredible views!

a true dad carries his wife's girly diaper bag

sager mostly hung out in the moby wrap.

throngs of people waiting for the president's address, grand parade, and fireworks.

we ended the day with indian food with some new friends. mmm.

konichiwa

proof we were there

we are a fam.il.y.

we stopped in los angeles for a long layover so sage could meet her great grandparents and see cousins, aunts, and uncles.

grandma ilene and grandpa tom

grandma marti and grandpa john

with great great grandpa boyce

then flew to seattle for a few days of the same...

grandkat and grandad

grandma kay

grandma susan was the saddest about sage going to singapore...

this baby is loved

the move

we said goodbye to things we love in chicago: our little park and the people...

ate the best pizza of our lives...

and watched (then napped) our life get packed away

then hopped on a plane!