Another trip around the sun. Another year over and a new one just begun. Another year closer to the end my friends. No wait, scratch that. New Year's is supposed to be light and beginning. Refreshing and positive. Let me start again. I've been blogging for three years now. Aside from making me realize that of… Continue reading 2015
Category: Singapore
One of Those Days
We take the city bus to school. There are two busses we can take and we only go 5 stops so naturally, we see quite a few other kids on the bus. The school is not that large and the uniforms are unique (red and green plaid shirts with a green collar). So even if… Continue reading One of Those Days
Christmas in December. And November. (And October?)
Why not blend these two evolving holidays into one big, happy holiday season where turkeys and pilgrims and shepherds and Santas merrily dance around a decorated cornucopia of traditions?
The Help
Having domestic help in Asia is the norm. Unlike the US, where domestic help is the stuff of sit-coms poking fun at the rich or tabloid fodder for how out of touch celebrities are with their help, in Asia, helpers can be found in any middle class home. It is part of the culture. Some… Continue reading The Help
You Can Never Be Too Careful
At the start of summer, an article about secondary drowning had gone viral, usually accompanied with pleas from well meaning friends to "please read. You can never be too careful." Like a good mother, I read it. A couple of weeks ago, an official from some environmental government agency and one of the guards from… Continue reading You Can Never Be Too Careful
A Moment of Living in the Moment
Besides hearing that Singapore is "Asia-light," the other most common thing people would comment about is the heat. Singapore is hot! All year long! Really hot! You don't get a break! It's the same - hot, hot, hot - all year long. Hot. "Do you think you will like that?" Wait...are we moving to the… Continue reading A Moment of Living in the Moment
Asia Light
When we first learned we were moving to Singapore, expat friends said, "oh, Asia-light." It has the reputation of being a bit antiseptic, where traditional culture and charm, have been abandoned for modern sleekness and conformity. It's Asian but it's a Western-Asian, lacking some of the unique identities of it's less developed neighbors. And so,… Continue reading Asia Light
Singapore 101
So far what I've learned about Singapore comes from ridiculous amounts of trips to grocery stores and malls. But I think it was Anthony Bourdain who once said the joke about Singapore is that there is nothing to do but eat and shop. So I'm basically a local and this is what I've come to… Continue reading Singapore 101
Settling In
We've been in Singapore almost 3 weeks. We are out of the hotel and every day I feel more and more certain we picked the right place to live. We have three beds, a couch, TV and Internet, toys and boxes of clothes we will never wear here. There are dishes all over the… Continue reading Settling In
The Realities of Moving
We are officially moved out of Shanghai. I'm not sure how to gauge when we are officially "moved in" to Singapore, but I'm sure it's not yet. We are currently living a hotel. A very nice hotel, but a hotel nonetheless. It gives you the feeling of being on vacation but you're not. This coupled with… Continue reading The Realities of Moving
Kathleen Siddell 