Back Home In Singapore

How good it was to sleep in our own bed, in clean sheets and be as warm as toast all night. My first task in the morning was to visit the Dr and arrange a referral to an orthopaedic surgeon to investigate the ongoing pain in my left knee. Then we completed lots of loads of washing and had a night-in eating left overs from the freezer and an early night. You just can't imagine how good it is to sit in a chair that has a back support. How we longed for a deck chair last week (or as our Kiwi mate calls them 'dick chairs'). How domicile we've become in our Serangoon nest.

Happy not to leave the house again all the next day either day until we called in on the local hawker stalls across the road for dinner on the way to the airport to collect Adrian. We were there in plenty of time and watched in anticipation as all the passengers headed to the luggage carousel. But Adrian did not appear amongst them. We waited and waited and I approached the Information Counter thinking maybe he had missed the flight when at last he appeared. He had been detained by Immigration because he had been unable to fill in the card with our address. We hadn't bothered to tell it to him since we were meeting him. He didn't have it in his phone and wasn't able to phone anyone. He even went back and bought a local SIM card for the phone but was still unable to contact us. Eventually he convinced them that we were waiting for him and they let him through. Lessons for us all in that experience.
They have this amazingly mesmerizing 'Kinetic Rain' Christmas display at the departure level of Terminal 1. The photos really don't do it justice but we remember how the drops moved seemingly in time to the carols.

I had a swim on Monday morning, first exercise I have done in almost a week. Where does the time go? I've decided to buy a guitar, inspired by Judie who took one on our Nepal trek, so took Adrian, my resident guitar expert, with me to the heart of guitar retail under the  Peninsula/Excelsior Hotel. He was mightily impressed with the options and it didn't take us long to choose one. 

Meanwhile we let Eric sort out new hand phones as the ones we have been using since Aust are no longer functioning fully. How quickly technology changes. At home I started practising on the new guitar and it took no time at all before my fingers were hurting. Adrian has been fantastic showing me guitar chord websites and iPad apps.

Christmas Day is just not the same in Asia. Lots of businesses remain open and the place feels much the same as on any other day. We called the Darwin branch of the family on Skype about their lunchtime as they were hosting a group from church at Koolpinyah. In the late afternoon we talked to most of the rest of the Caddy family who were gathered at Judy's. We went to the Grand Pacific Hotel for an International Buffet Lunch but it didn't live up to our hopes. From there we took a trip on the Singapore Flier for wonderful views across the cityscape. 

My fingers are still hurting, Adrian promises me it will soon get better and I think if I can remember this it will motivate me to keep playing and not get slack on practising. We went to Chinatown for a look around in the evening and had dinner there.

When Boxing Day dawned, we followed the family tradition of seeing a Tolkein movie. Where in the past it was the new release of one of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, today we saw the first of The Hobbit story. Eric booked us in on line and to our very pleasant surprise he had mistakenly selected the Premier seats so we had reclining chairs, food and drinks on demand and blankets. I could get used to this way of going to the movies.

In the evening we went to Lau Pa Sat for a feed of satays, Adrian's Asian favourite from when he was about 10 yrs old, then the Limpy one came home and the boys walked along the river front to the Crazy Elephant Blues Club.

Well, letting those lads out together was a mistake. Adrian spent most of the day with his head in one toilet and Eric was sitting on the other. It couldn't get much worse, but thank goodness we have 2 bowls. We had planned to spend the day at Sentosa Is but with these 2 in the shape they were in, I could remain on the couch with my legs up and just turn the music up each time they make unpleasant noises. In the evening I did take Adrian to see the Fountain of Wealth at Suntec City but believe it or not, it was closed for maintenance.  The 1998 Guinness Book of Records listed this as the largest fountain in the world. Adrian thought he was recovered but to be honest he was still not flash and didn't enjoy the train trip so we caught a taxi home and got the driver to do a lap of Orchard Rd to see the Xmas lights. 

I had to get myself to the National Skin Clinic on Fri morning just for a 6 monthly check-up. He found a mark that he wants removed, I tried to postpone it until I have dealt with this sore knee but he got me an appointment later this month so I am to return in about 3 weeks. Its just precautionary though, nothing to worry about I'm sure. Hopefully my knee will have settled down by then. 
In contrast to the flash stores and sparkling lights of Orchard Rd, today Eric and Adrian went to Mustafa's Store in Little India to check out the other side of Singapore. Between them they found some bargains and Adrian then had to stuff them all in his bag ready to fly home. 

We had a chicken murtabah for dinner, one of my favourites, and it now rates highly with Adrian. He'll have trouble finding one of them in Darwin though.  We took him out to the airport and saw him quickly processed through Immigration this time.

This time last year we had just arrived in Singapore. In the days that followed we met our new NZ and Aussie work colleagues, had some MAE orientation, signed up for work permits, opened new bank accounts and signed a lease for an apartment in Serangoon. Thank goodness we can just relax this year. 

We watched 'The Sapphires' and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.  Its full of great soul music and the mighty voice of Jessica Mauboy. It also had a positive message, and a wonderfully different take from the usual patronising view, of Aboriginal life. 

The beginning of the new work year looms. Eric spent most of Monday meeting the new staff at his Punggol Branch today while I stayed home editing pictures from the trip, practising on the guitar and sewing. it's NYE and tonight we are having dinner with Judie (from the Nepal trip) and Carolyn (colleague from Kovan) then heading back to The Crazy Elephant. From there we should get a good view of the firewiorks if I can stay awake that long. Mum turns 89 tomorrow and is on her way to visit family in Brisbane, later in the year she is planning on a visit to Singapore. I hope my knees are still serving me well at that age.