Chinatown

Sri Marimmian Temple 

In front of Buddhist temple.

Shannon and Hannah inside temple.  

These Buddhas lined the entire walls inside the temple.  There were thousands of them.

So today I went exploring chinatown with my new friend Shannon.  We had a great time, until the bottom fell out of the sky.  We walked around lots of cool stands, ate a nice lunch outside, and went to a buddhist temple.  We wondered around the temple for more than hour.  It was amazing!

It is not snowing in Singapore

Our weekend

• We ate Thai food.

              

• We had brunch with friends and drank German beer. 

 (My gang sign is a  w for Weiss)

• We laid by the pool, happy not to be in a NY snowstorm.

• We had tiger prawns at a white guy hawker center.

Hawker center stall.  Look at the picture and point to what looks good.

Tiger prawns, noodles, and some greens.  You don't know what you are eating half the time.

• More pool time.  Sad for our cold NY friends with out power. 

• Went to brunch with some friend at Ion Orchard.   

Greg in front of Ion mall.

Me enjoying a mango snow ice after brunch.

• Met new friends.
• Went to Greg's bosses house and met his adorable three year old twin boys.
• Went to sleep by 9pm every night.  

Dating in Singapore

So there are many ways to meet new girlfriends here; bars, friends of friends or on an expat discussion website.  I have been checking these out for the weeks prior to coming to Sing and thought, "Do people really do that?"  Its like a personal add for friends.  Threads include 20 something crew, expat wives, new to Singapore, and so on.  I like to think of these as match.com for newcomers here.  I have always encouraged my friends to join dating sites so felt like it was time for me to put my money where my mouth is and started exploring the  match.com  of Singapore for some new friends.  


  I was a little scared reading some of the threads, much like my friends feel when exploring new mens profiles.  Then I came across a 29 American female, new to Singapore, stay at home wife, from Texas.  I have to admit I felt a little bit like a loser when I pressed send to reply to her message.  


So I am learning much like match, you find friends you are interested in and email them.  If they like you they email you back.  Next, you might exchange numbers and text.  Finally, you get to meet them in person.  Today was that day for me!  I went on my first friend date!  



 I thought for sure she would be crazy, weird, or that sake a large asian man who would kidnap me.  Shannon just moved here from Texas and was a teacher there too!  I was so surprised for my dating experience to go so well on the first try.   We met in a mall, a  large public place, important for a first date.  We had a coffee, saw a movie, and got a mani/pedi.  Great day!  Also, Shannon showed me around one of the grocery stores. 

Black chicken????

Tons of fresh seafood!

YAY for my first date and first new friend in Sinapore!

More happenings:

• Greg and I went to a Greek restaurant for dinner where plates were smashed and people danced on tables.  Here is a very unclear video, but you can get the jist.

• I will have my first chili crab tonight!  Its a Singapore specialty!
• We have a couples lunch date tomorrow!
• It rains everyday here.
• Cabs are cheap.
• In case anyone was worried, I am beginning to  adjust to the daily maid service.  Its been tough, but I think I will be ok. 

                                            

Mall Madness and Chicken Rice

So remember that game, Mall Madness?  I loved it and played it religiously with Sarah Ellis, Britney Cantrell, and Annie King.  Well, Mall Madness was totally made in Singapore to look like all the malls here.  Multi level malls are everywhere.    I was in one today and I swear I heard the ladies voice from the game, "There is a sale at the Electronics Boutique."  


Cell phone arrival tonight!  Singapore is shady and you can't get anything done unless you are a local.  I spent four hours trying to figure out a stupid phone and it took Greg's co worker five minutes! I am learning fast and will ask before trying to do much on my own.  


Very important first today.  My first Singapore chicken rice.  Greg has been raving about this stuff since his first trip here.  His co worker (same guy from above) took us to a local hawker stand.  I learned here  they do not call them napkins.  You say tissues and you have to bring your own.   The chicken rice was wrapped in paper and was delish!  You know its a good hawker stand if there are no white people around.  

Greg getting his wife some chicken!

My first chicken rice and grass drink and of course, tissues.

More fun things from today:  

I went to Ikea.  I rode in a taxi all by myself.  I played bejeweled for an hour while waiting for the cell phone store to open.  I made a friend date for Sat and Monday, with two different people!  I got invited for coffee with an ex pat women's group.  I payed 45$ for a dress at Forever 21!  I started unpacking while listening to lots of country music.  

If you are reading this, be sure to leave me some comments.  Its will be more fun to keep this up if I know people are reading.  

oops meant to include these in the post

Cute little boat in Clarke Quay.

Greg, super jet lagged at Cuba Libre!

I didn't overdose on Advil pm.

We are here!  Here in Singapore.  Our first day was a huge blur.  Part jet lag, part excitement, and part because I took four Advil pm's on the plane.  I guess that mixed with four glasses of red wine tells you what I did the entire flight.  It wasn't all my fault though, Greg was dispensing them.  And apparently for the few short minutes before I passed out I was Kristina Wiig from Bridesmaids (colonial women churning butter on the wing).  Whatever it takes to get me through a 19 hour flight is Greg's motto. 


We are staying a cute LITTLE service apartment.  Just think of it as a hotel with a teeny tiny kitchen.  No storage space for anything!!  I am headed out today to find baskets, crates, bins or anything to hold all the six suitcases of belongings we brought.  The place is centrally located and walking distance to a lot of shopping.  Greg and I did a little exploring yesterday, got some pretty good ramen for breakfast and found our local grocery store.  Ok stop the track.  Yeah, the grocery store.  Wine: 38 $  Creamer for coffee: 14$  Paper towels: 10$ for one roll!!!  We came from NYC, I didn't expect to be this shocked about prices.  Hopefully, it is just the expensive expat grocery store in the middle of the city and we will find a cheaper one.  


My dear darling husband came home from work and took me to Clarke Quay.  www.clarkequay.com.sg/  It is like The Grove in LA or Barefoot Landing in Mytle Beach.  Very touristy but cute and on the river.  We had drinks at a Mexican restaurant and dinner at a Cuban place.  I was too tired to eat but apparently they don't have take out boxes in Singy.  So now I am sitting here at 6 am waiting for the continental breakfast to ease the hunger pains.  Oh yeah, Greg and I both slept 8 hours straight last night.  Fell asleep around 9 and woke up 5!  YAY us!  Busy day ahead and need to get a cell phone asap.


Things I am asking today:  

• Do Singaporeans use napkins? 
• Where can I get cheap wine?
• Does it rain this much everyday?
• Where to get a manicure today?