Working and Enjoying Company

Pretty bad picture choices, but short of time - they describes us well.

Not sure all guests are happily here in Malaysia. One is playing nurse and housekeeper, the other is playing patient, with a nasty cold or some bug she picked up on her travels on the way here.  I am working to support our habits.

Right now I am hold up in my car because the rain is coming down so hard I will be thoroughly soaked if I take the 4 steps from the car to the building. Not sure I can outwait the rain or have to succumb  to the rinse cycle I will manage to experience.  The two house guests (now that the ill one has risen from the blankets) were going to check out the waterfalls.  I sure hope they do not have the same weather pattern I have here.  Likely not.

Tomorrow I am taking them to two of my schools to meet the children and read some stories to them.  Both schools are excited about the new people Madam Frances has promised.

Arrival of House Guests Today

I guess you can gather that my pending hosting is very much a big deal to me.  I have had tons of house guests in my humble home here; but these foreigners from faraway lands are the FIRST ones to grace me with their presence and learn about how life works here.  It is always easy to 'put up' a friend who knows how things work here and what not to expect.  But people who have just completed an 'upscale biking trip' will be in for an eye opener, me thinks.

When we all began working here and stayed over at each other's homes, we knew that we needed to bring a towel, something to sleep on, and whatever other conveniences were needed (like a glass and a plate or bowl).  Now that I am established, I have ratty thin towels for guests too. Very chi chi huh?  You quickly learn to not buy a thick jumbo towel. It will never dry!  So, these gauzy things I found, that look very much like something for the rag bag are the ticket.  I am still searching for a linen towel - none to be found in Malaysia, but maybe some day in Singapore.  Ahh yes, then the bathrooms. I have three in total, but only one with hot water.  Each bathroom sink dribbles a sad little trickle of water from the faucet. I am told this is to be expected. They will learn why there is a huge bucket beside the sink.  There is a water drain in the floor there, which I cover with the bucket to be sure no skeeters come up that way; plus if two people need to use that particular facility, then the recovery from a flush takes about 10 - 15 minutes. The bucket can be filled from this tap on the wall and take over.  Which makes me wonder why that tap has pressure and not the sink tap. But I can't get an answer for that one. I am counting on the guests to share or use cold.  Can't think of any other way to do this. I tried to get hot water in one of the guest bathrooms upstairs and it was like trying to rebuild the house. Drilling through concrete covered brick walls for water lines and then power lines was not something any service people were willing to consider without my landlord's approval. Well, I could do that. Not easily - the landlord does not speak a word of English. Now I have discovered that the landlord does not speak a word.  He is dead.  Sorry I opened that can of worms.  Now, acting like I did not discover that one, I just check my bank account monthly and see that the funds for rent have been transferred, so I will play dumb, have no hot water in the guest bathroom, and continue on my merry way.

The house sparkling clean, bed linens clean and fresh, hand sanitizer pump bottles on anything that has a shelf, and a google map to Changi makes me think I am ready for this insane journey with Momar to fetch the ladies.  Even have two bottles of white wine chilling in the fridge.  Never been a fan of white wine in the past, but what the heck, I even drink cold water here and count my blessings when I find some.  I  roasted some red peppers on my wee barbecue, so a snack of cheese, roasted peppers, and my hidden treasure of President's Choice black olive tapinade shall accompany the vino.  Now to find some bread to put this all on. If not, then I will  just dispense forks!

A friend's adventure

I have a dear friend from Calgary who is on her own adventure. Discovering herself, the beauty, abundance, and scarcity in the enigmatic land of the Mexican Baja, she has been writing and taking photos. She has asked me to post an address here in case any of my readers find her adventure appealing to their armchair traveller's palate.


http://photoshare.shaw.ca/messages/viewthumb/26962277380-1327638996-21892/preview/page/1/15/

Enjoy

The Generous Spirit of Malaysians

My house is a mess.  I am trying to get all the books name plated before Monday as they will otherwise be lost within the school libraries if I don't.  In the midst of this mess, the friendly hello at the gate took me away from what I was doing.

It tastes as good as it looks

THE GENEROUS SPIRIT OF CANADIANS

Once again, my Friday was blessed with abundance.  This time, after taking a moment to give my weary dogs (feet) a chance to be revived with my Thai reflexology therapist I arrived home to the Malaysia Pos tooting his horn at me as I began to shut my gate.  I was delighted - the box from Jennifer that was posted MONTHS AGO.  No, not the box, but another one just as precious.

This one was posted from Viet Nam.  My cycling friends who organized a book buying blitz for my kiddies in Malaysia.  But jeepers, when I took the parcel from the man I almost tipped over.  This is not 20 books.  After he left, I cut open the treasures to find probably 60 - 80 books, games, flashcards, teacher resources, and even prizes for the students to earn.  AND, tons of Canadian pens for me. Those I intend to stash in a secret compartment so that I have them to myself.  It will be so much fun to have the senders here to witness the glee when these books are taken to the schools.  (two of the cyclists are coming to visit in 2 days)

Now I know what I will be doing for the next couple of days; making and pasting name plates that indicate the donors to this Ulu Tiram Tavelling Library.


Here is what is in my living room right now!

Whining sometimes pays off

After my 'is that curried veggies' statement every day, it appears I wore Yeet down. Today, with the familiar 'hello' at the gate, I was greeted with curried veggies with all the last week ingredients PLUS okra, which I love!. Also found a long thing in the mix so took it and chewed it only to discover it must have been a substantial piece of ginger. Definitely cleared any sinus congestion that might have attempted to settle in.  There are some other little things, kind of tomato shaped, but not sure they are tomatoes.  I don't care - I know it is only vegetable based, so whatever they are, they will be consumed.

Room service once again in KT for your viewing pleasure.

The presentation was nicer than what you see here. I could not help myself, I tucked into it as soon as I got it to the table.  

Bon Apetit and lucky me

slow learner, late bloomer, out of step with the world......

I think these can describe me to a certain degree. One thing I constantly do is watch a movie that others watched a couple of decades earlier. Last night was jut one of those. Singapore channels are featuring various Academy Award winner movies and last night's treat was Slumdog Millionaire.  I had always intended to watch it, but never got around to it.  I was determined, even though it did not begin until 10 pm.  I made myself a nest on the sofa and even thought I might just sleep there for the night if I dozed off. There was no dozing. I was dashing to the washroom on a few occasions - at the beginning when I thought I cannot watch this one.  Some little urchin was in a raised outdoor squatter when the village was raided. He knew he had to get out but someone had barred the door shut. Only exit was through the 'hole'.  OMG, my imagination got the best of me when I saw him rise from this pool of you know what. I was gagging, wrenching, and running.  I gave it one more chance after that one, always ready to cover my eyes quickly if needed.  A good length of time passed before the street children were being exploited with drugging them unconscious and then pouring acid into their eyes.  Again to the washroom.  However, after those incidents I am proud to say I stayed there for the entire movie. It was a fabulous movie - for those who have not seen it, make a point of doing so.  I love how he knew so many things. He was simply a very observant person.  I wonder how many of us can claim the same.

Maybe I will get around to watching the pirated movie (I purchased here) of The King's Speech.  I have watched it about 3 times already, but spend too much time laughing over the English subtitles provided in an English speaking movie. They are so amusing because they are never the right words, making them hilarious. If I could figure out how to turn off the subtitles I am sure I would enjoy the intended movie one day.

My latest addiction is watching something called India A Love Story. It seems to be on rather frequently - kind of a Bollywood soap opera. I am fascinated with the scenery and most of all the fact that the visual and audio are out of synch.  Never looks like the people are actually saying what is being said.  And that is what I do for fun in the sun.

Dinner delivery in K.T.

I am getting very spoiled. Today, my neighbour, Katherine, who is the eldest daughter of my very kind friend was again dispatched to come call through my gate with another plate of fine food.  I scurried to the gate  to see what was for dinner.  I saw asparagus peeking out, yummy! And then not sure what the rest was I quickly asked "is it curried veggies"?  No, was the reply - but just the same very tasty.  Then I spied another vessel of something kind of orange peeking through the opaque package. Is that curried veggies I again asked. Again, no, it is pineapple.  She patiently watched me accept the news that there were no curried vegetables tonight - now two nights in a row!And they all know how much I loved the first experience of this treat.  Katherine explained to me that her mother told her to tell me 'curry is not good for you in this hot climate to eat every day, you must eat it sparingly'.  Well, thought I, what about the Indians and Malays here? They eat it every day.  But not to question a wise fabulous cook and food carrier, I accepted my parcels and took myself back indoors out of the mosquito zone.  Oh, the food was again fabulous.  Here is a photo  I took to show you how I dine here.

The little discs on the left are some kind of veggie burger things that taste wonderful. So with the baguette I just purchased, I loaded the tomatoes and burger things on top and made sandwiches. Yummy!

I have still not found a way to pay her for this. She will not accept any money - says she does it because she is my friend.  So, as her friend I need to find a way to give to her.  I am going to ask Katherine if they have a microwave. If not, I guess this friend will appear with one.  A small price to pay for food service like this.  I am going to have to look into this kind of service back home. Jenn - are you available in 2013?

Skeeters Abound

Just when I was thinking  that I have managed to build up a defence against the little nasties - mosquitoes, I stepped out of my house last night to receive my Xiao Bai Cai and fresh mangos from my generous neighbour, and in the few minutes this took, I came back into the house with a dozen or more mosquito bites.  Looks like they actually have a season here, just like back home.  The nasty thing about them here is that they are so tiny, you cannot see them in swarms as you do at home. You cannot see them land on you; I think they just flit past and take a nip on the way, because my right arm and both legs are covered with bites this morning. grrr.

Although there are always reports from Singapore that Dengue Season is all seasons, I think that there are peaks during the year, and we are now in that peak.  Not soon to forget last February and March when I first arrived and looked like I had a serious case of small pox which evolved into a hospitalization for Dengue Fever; I will be sure to spray and repel the little guys this year.  I have not had more than a few little bites when my spray wears off and one manages to take a nip during this past year. But again, like last year, I can see my reactions to them plus their numbers increasing.  Guess this is something to take note if you plan to visit me.  Don't come in February or March if you tend to get mosquito bites. As for those of you who don't seem to react to the bites it is probably because of the research that has been reported here.  Seems that genetics plays a big role in that.  It is not that some people react more strongly to the bites, it is that some people don't get bitten at all.  While the others, such as myself, become the banquet table for dengue ridden bugs around here, and West Nile Virus ones back home, others do not get bitten.  Wearing scents and perfumes does not affect their appetite. Who you are does. Sure glad I now have screens between them and me.  I wonder which category my soon to arrive guests fit into?

Drivers and Expectations - Rant or Report

I am wondering how this pick up at Changi will go next week.  Luckily, I will be going with the driver,  have a Singapore phone number, and hope that my friends have recorded that number.

I gave this driver to my friend this weekend, and it turned into quite an event by Sunday night.  She was due to land at Changi at 4:00 pm Sunday.  Her terminal was not one of the 1, 2 3, or 4 - it was only called 'budget'. But that was only the small problem of the issue.  At 5 pm I got a call from her at the airport asking where the driver was. I was not part of this trip, so said I would call him and find out.  He replied; unfortunately, in very poor English, telling me something about the causeway and 'big jam'.  I called my friend back and reported this. She too had the same message but could understand less than I so needed to confirm what she thought. Over the course of the next few hours, there were many phone calls between her, me, and the appointed driver.  She had only been able to text message me, so ended up buying a Singapore phone and was able to talk.  However, with all the calls, her minutes were quickly diminishing, we went back to texting unless either of us had an important message. Finally, by 7:45 I suggested that she find another cab, even though the driver kept saying 'tell her to wait, I come, I come'.  I said I will call him once more (because for some reason I seem to understand him better than she) and get a report of his ETA and current location.  Now, during this call, with my firm voice expressing my disappointment with the whole situation, he admitted he was in JB.  Good grief, he needed to be in Singapore!  Turns out also, that he took some other job and then dispatched his friend to pick up my friend! Looking after my own interested first, I assured him he would not have the job next weekend for my friends because of this, and I received a great deal of sorry, sorry, I don't do that to you.  But at that time, we had a problem.  Another 30 minutes pass, and still no driver at the airport, with my 'driver' in JB telling my friend at the airport, soon, soon, he come, to Terminal 1.  NO NOT Terminal 1, Budget Terminal!  By 8:30 I admitted defeat, and told her to hail a cab and forget the goon.  She agreed.  Fifteen minutes after that, I called her to see if she managed to get a cab, and guess what? She was in the driver's friend's vehicle, heading to JB.  I am not even sure how he recognized her, or she him. His English is worse than my other driver's.  As I stayed on the line, I heard her asking him 'where are you taking me'.  His reply was 'airport, can can'.  That is all she could get from him. I told her to ask if his name was Ibrahim. She did, he responded affirmative.  Ahh, the friend that helped on my own journey a month or so ago.  He eventually got her to JB crossing, with my original driver waiting with his chariot to transfer the fare, and through a driving monsoon, arrived at my home at 10:30.  With the rains diminishing, off she went for her own home about 2 hours north west of here.  We had a brief chat about the experience, with an amazing good humour on her part.  I said I had watched the news during this fiasco, and discovered that there were record border crossings today due to the Singapore air show.  So, after her browbeating her driver (which he probably didn't understand anyway) she did feel a bit bad, since it really was out of his control regarding timing.
So, you can imagine what kind of feeling I have right now, wondering how it is going to work out with my own friends arriving at night to a foreign land, expecting Western service. I know the women's professional golf finals are in Singapore that weekend, so certainly hope that Malaysians do not decide to watch it. That could be a nasty problem at the border for us.

I also checked again with people around here for taxi service while I am at work. My friends will not want to sit in my house all day waiting for me, and my driver is not exactly reliable.  I wanted alternatives.  Everyone gave me the information I knew already.  Sure, just go to the taxi terminal (in downtown Kota Tinggi). You can do this, but in the heat it is not exactly a fun stroll. About 8 km, and then travelling back past my house would make it grim.  Plus, trying to ask for a destination could be a challenge with many of them.  The other option was happily given me. At the end of the road where I live (less than a km from the house) there is a bus stop - going in both directions. Either wait for a bus  - very fast (they come every hour or so with no real schedule) or flag a cab, which also would take about the same time.  You cannot call a cabbie, they don't speak any English. And the locals do not call them either. You just go to the terminal.  I am not sure why you would find your way to a terminal and then take a cab. If you can get to the terminal, why would you need a cab?  No one could answer that. So, it looks like my driver and I better get along, if my friends want to be mobile.

This is how things work in this part of the world. And Singapore is no better. You cannot call a cab there. You have to queue up at a taxi stand and wait for your turn, when a cabbie arrives. You have a better chance if you are staying at a hotel - there are usually cabs waiting for patrons of the hotel. But only if you are a patron.  AND, you have to know where the heck the hotels are and you have to know where the taxi queues are too! Better not be in a hurry.  But who is, over this way?

New Crop of little Gordies

I keep trying to remember to keep track of the pattern of new little Gordons. However, the only time  I think of it is when I see a batch of little guys fluttering by my eye bravely - not knowing the 'rules of the house'.  These little invaders do not know what Gordon and I have established as a cohabitation guideline.  Gordon has the run of the house when the lights go out at night; and I have the run of the house during daylight hours. That cusp, when I arise in the morning, is when these little gaffers dance and prance before me without knowing they are not supposed to be there.  Gordon knows his place during those hours - on the ceiling, high on the wall, or outside on the patio roof.  These guys have been spotted dashing up my french doors, seeking cover behind various items hung there when they see my watchful eye, and then cavorting wherever their desires take them - out of my reach.  Guess I need to do a google search and see what the gestation period of a gecko is, and how often they go through that cycle.  Today, two of them were playing tag on my Ronald McDonald poster calendar.I guess I can resolve this invasion by picking up the papers I have strewn about my computer desk. Seems they like this kind of decor for making some sort of nest to hide in.  Note to self - tidy up the computer area.


It's Friday here. A morning with a mentee who is new to teaching. I never have to wonder what the topic I need to address at that school. Any resources, suggestions, or modelling can be done. All are needed and welcomed.  This afternoon, a journey to Batty Pahat for a meeting.

Lats night gave me a giggle. The lack of communications between people never ceases to amaze me. A colleague, who needs to be in Hong Kong this weekend drove to my place after work yesterday. She has left her car at my place and I gave her my 'driver's' number to contact to catch a lift. They arranged a time to meet at my place so he could drive her to Singapore that night in order to catch an early morning flight today.  I explained to her that clear simple messages are crucial. Upon her arrival she advised me that the hotel I used previously (that she arranged with the driver this time) was not available. She had found a different hotel. He arrived; she explained that the hotel was changed; he had no idea where that hotel was.  They would be arriving in the dark, neither knowing the destination, and a GPS that was not loaded with Singapore roads. I quickly printed them a google map and sent them on their way.  Our phones do not work in Singapore. Changi Airport is HUGE. Four terminals that are each the size of a city. Also, for her return trip, she did not know the terminal for the flight arrival. Seems her ticket only stated 'discount terminal'; not a terminal number.  I don't know how they managed last night, but I did think to call them as they were arriving at the border crossing (just before she lost reception) and mentioned that she should ask at the airport which number terminal the discount airlines arrive/depart and then e-mail this information to me, which I will pass on to the driver before he leaves to pick her up.

MONSOONS and Darkness

Nothing new again - a nasty monsoon to drive through.  But much easier than the old route.  Also forgot to close my driver side window, but at least this time I was coming home.  Muddy water is kind of refreshing on the face.  Arriving home, I found it in darkness.  Not night but, with black windows and deep covered patio, not a lot of light gets in; especially through dark rain clouds outside.  But the fridge contents were not soggy, and the power is restored.
Guess that makes this a good day.

Xiao Bai Cai

well, my spelling of that one was a bit off!  This is the Mandarin word for Bok Choy.  In any case, my lovely neighbour sent her daughters over once again last night with a plateful of Xiao Bai Cai for me because I had mentioned how much I love the stuff.  And definitely prepared far better than I can do.  I really need a lesson in how to do this.  Also a huge jar of cut up fresh pineapple too.  I am not going to starve, that is for sure.
Another message accompanied my treats.  We are apparently without power today. I guess it was very nice of them to warn us, but I wonder how the fridge is going to manage for a 10 am to 6 pm outage?  Guess I will come home to see the answer to that one.  And also hope that it is only that long - and not longer.

nothing very new here

Had a visit with the neighbour who began this journey with me over a year ago. He has opted to move into a small concrete apartment somewhere near his schools, so we had a last tea break before he moved.  It has been good for both of us to have a western ally in this foreign land. But equally good to move on and fit into our communities.  I know he will be back for tea breaks again, but also know that he will be driving home, instead of walking out of my gate into his own.  He assures me that he will return to drag my luggage down the stairs when I too vacate.

Valentine's Day here is not celebrated like at home. No little cards for the kids to practice their writing, no chocolate hearts in the shops, no red paper and white paper doilies to make their own Valentines. Poor little gaffers.  Here is one for all of those who did not receive their own today (or tomorrow back home)

ORIGAMI AGAIN!

THIS TIME, Ulu Tiram was the lucky recipients of my artistic skills. We made origami hats, and then the students mingled among each other with a letter in the cuff of their hats that others could see and then make the sound of the letter.  The wearer had to determine what the letter was by the sound the others made.

Not a quiet game, but lots of fun had by everyone. Here are some of the girls making their hats.

most turned out better than my own effort.

ORIGAMI SHIRTS!

WONDERS never cease.  I taught the students in year one how to make origami shirts after reviewing the 'sh' sound with them. They were able to come up with a huge number of words, correctly spell, and pronouce all sorts of words beginning with and having the 'sh' sound in them.

For fun, I taught them how to make an origami shirt and then add buttons and decorations to these shirts once completed. Even had a student teach another student - which I captured in video too.  Origami shirts are about as advanced as I can manage - so don't be looking for anything beyond that on this blog.

Here are a few of the artist's creations.

 This little guy asked me if I had a boyfriend - when I said 'no', he asked why?  Also advised me that he has a girlfriend. I think he pities me.

Here is the student who then taught other students how to complete the project

 This young lady is one of only 3 girls in the class - always does her work quietly and efficiently

This little guy is a high achiever - like many of these students.  He always knows the answers when asked a question.

I spent about 2 hours trying to make origami pants yesterday when I got home. I think I will give it a pass - I know my limits.

Seagrass

I am trying to figure out why a person would eat this stuff. I have googled as best I can here with the internet intermittent, but cannot find a photo of what I was given.Therefore, I cannot find why I would eat it.  All accounts for seagrass tell me what critters underwater eat the stuff. And the biggest fans of the seagrass seem to be dugongs.

Here is a photo of the stuff in my fridge.

This stuff is the texture of a mung bean sprout and the taste of a cucumber as well. I like that, but the look of it kind of creeps me out.  It is as long as a bale of twine, so you have to cut off a section in order to have a serving on your plate.  I am sure Ry has seen his fair share of it growing underwater.  Maybe he can give me an insight.

This guy is kinda cute, huh? Sort of looks like a manatee.

Another day another dollar (or ringgit)

Spent my day at a school where the mentees are learning that I will train them to input data into the wiki - not enter it for them. And they are learning well. Even amazed at how easy it is once they make the effort.  Tonight, more e-mails from others actually sending me their updated schedules. They will be surprised to see that they will now be entering it all into the wiki too.

And on the home front.  I was again greeted by the neighbours with another armload of treats.  More of the seaweed. This time in a marinade, that is very tasty.  And some of the cookie cigarettes (that is how I describe them) that I indicated interest in yesterday. But I did not want a huge jar of them. I know myself, I would eat them all.  So, a civilized jar today came to my door. Gonna now make a copy of Vivaldi for my little neighbour who enjoys the music as much as I do.  I hope she has a CD player. I am not parting with my own just yet.

Internet is slothish tonight, so lets see what happens

I stalk my son's Skype and what did I see today?  On Surface!. Yay.

We had a chat and I feel better. It does not take much to placate this old bird. Lucky Levi gets Uncle Dude at his birthday party celebrating 4 years.  I wish I was there, but in spirit I am.

Also had a lovely visit with my neighbour and her children.  Her daughter told me that she loves the music I play in the afternoons. I play Vivaldi's 4 Seasons at a rather large volume.  The entire complex can hear it. Now I am happy to know who will get the ghetto blaster I bought here with the CD I had to find only in Canada.  What Canuck mother would not be doing cartwheels if her 15 year old daughter loved listening to Vivaldi?  I must admit I was one of those 15 year olds, and my own mother thought I was daft.  But I think most would be ecstatic.

Dining on chicken brown rice, cabbage and heavenly Korean mushrooms.  I am concerned. I actually like this meal.  Had a second helping. And topped off with some seaweed salad complements of Yeet.

Bon Apetit and Bon Soir, shortly.

dining and travels

Meeting Karen at Cold Storage, it was fun to watch her enthusiasm of finding all the Western foods that I remember fondling lovingly for my first trip there.  She wanted everything, just as I did on my first trip.  Settling on a cartful of treats, we then stopped in at a local coffee shop for our frozen coffee treat and took turns having ice cream headaches as we slurped them far too quickly.  Now, with cars in different areas of the parkade (car park here) we tried to figure out a plan as to how to get to our friends place. Driving here is not an easy feat.  You cannot get across a main thoroughfare because there are not through intersections in most places. That is what we needed to do, but worse yet, her parkade exit took her out somewhere completely different than my own.  Trying to describe where we were was not an option. There are very few street signs, and when there is one, you have to drive past it fairly quickly, and then try to read what it says (they are in Arabic, English, Chinese, and Malay - never in the same order). Somehow, after phone calls to each other, we both ended up at a correct spot across the main road, and tackled the rest of the trip separately. Ending up at our destination at the same time, I took the driveway to the condo entrance.  Perched on a cliff, with cars buzzing past my tailend, I waited patiently for nothing.  Seems I was at the wrong entrance.  No way out, as a curve on the road was behind me, and cars travelling at lightening speed came around that curve. I finally took the chance, and backed out of the perch, flew up the road, did a u-turn, and joined Karen.  All the while, our host was up in his condo; laughing at what I had managed to get myself into.  The gates opened - at the correct side of the building, and in we went.

We all managed to fill our bellies amply with Chez Papa's find foods.  For some odd reason, three of us chose steaks.  Not that the French are noted for their ability to prepare a grilled steak; but they seemed to dominate the menu choices. Mine was fine. Not a Canadian version of a backyard grilled one. But fine just the same. Then, back to friends for overnight. We had planned a scrabble match, but everyone was too full of food and tired too. Early morning rising, and off to Singapore. Our hostess bravely took the opportunity to try her skills at driving to Singapore. None of us are allowed to take our cars out of the country, but she does not have the same rules. We amused the first border guard when he asked the purpose of our trip. We had assumed he would think; 'four old broads going shopping for the day', and that is exactly what he was thinking. And he was right.

I wisely took my MRT card (rapid transit) that I bought on my first trip down there.  The others were not willing to part with that much cash (a mere SD10) to top it up, so they opted to buy a day card.  Not a good choice; they were constantly at the machines buying a new ticket each time we used the transit. I breezed through with my pass, and still have lots of credit on the card.

I was the only one with a Singapore phone, so that was a useless feature. We ended up staying together in a clump; otherwise we would never find each other to return to the car.  Not a good plan; we had a to shop for whatever the first person to claim the route was looking for. Turned out; everyone shopped for things I have bought on previous trips; so we returned to all the haunts I was at before.  Deduction from that journey was: Shop in pairs; it is easier to keep track of each other; and everyone take a Singapore phone! That whole excursion ended about 4:30, and then back to host and hostess condo for evening at pub and next morning watching some natives stick spears into various parts of their bodies without causing wounds and punctures. I took the opportunity to bid my farewell and got back on the road to Kota Tinggi.

Glad I made that choice. I was dragging my butt when I finally got home to my castle in the countryside.  Stopping in at Jusco on the way; I picked up a few eats, and tossed together a salad (now that is a treat here!) and the every present chicken from the deli and settled into the sofa for a bit of TV. In bed by 9, and now up with the roosters and dogs roaming about, I am happy to know that I can stay home and get a report of the native spear entertainers from others.

What did I buy in Singapore? More minutes on my phone sim card.  Big spender huh? But for your amusement; one of the gaggle of women had been to Canada over Christmas and she found something called an Ahh Bra on the shopping channel. She actually bought some and loves them. We all want them, but cannot get them here. I saw some ad on Singapore channel for Belvia bra - available exclusively at 7-11 and Guardian pharmacy.  Can you imagine 4 women going into 7-11's in Singapore and asking for a bra? Where is the fitting room in a 7-11? They thought we were daft! Finally, in the last shopping centre we were hanging out it, we found a Guardian and asked the question again. This time, we found a clerk who actually knew what we were talking about.By that time, my buddies were beginning to think I made the who ad up in my head.  Anyway, she began to pull back her blouse to show us her Belvia bra, and then 'felt up' our friend who was wearing her Ahh bra, advising her she had bought the wrong size.  After all this; she tells us they are 'finish, finish'.  Meaning, they are sold out and awaiting more delivery. Taking my e-mail address; she will contact when there are more, and I will alert the others - another shopping trip to Singapore is in the near future. Perhaps.

I think I will see if anyone is working today - and get myself a massage. Oh yes, I found CLAMATO juice at Cold Storage, so you know what I will have after my possible massage.

Sunday

Heading to JB today to meet my friend at Plaza Pelangi.  A mall that has a 'wanna be' Capers sort of store.  My mission is to find some things that might be kind of North American for my guest arriving in a few weeks. My friend's mission is to find anything (which is everything) she can't find in Batty' Pahat. The mall is just down the road from our friends place that we invited ourselves to for the night. Dinner in some French restaurant called Chez Papa. I will report the event after we go.

After an evening out, a night's sleep; we head to the taxi man to cross the border to Singapore.  I guess I better figure out my mission for that jaunt.  I know I have things to do over there, so will plan the route and execute it tomorrow.  I feel rather extravagant. Two fine dinings in two days!  I intend to return to the Black Sheep in Singapore for the Lamb Shank feast.

TGIF

I really should not be complaining. But this week has been intense.  Now that it is Friday, I can look forward to a weekend - with an extension.  Monday and Tuesday next week are some kind of National Holiday AGAIN. So, I guess whining is not an option, huh?

Friend from 'Batty' Pahat might be coming down here on Sunday. The two of us are hoping to take some JB friends to dinner in 'thank you' for their hospitality given us on different occasions.  Other than that, my plan is to have Yeet and her family for tea some afternoon this weekend.

Got the wiki working so that members can all edit and upload files.  I am beginning to think I am a bit of a techno queen.  I won't be taking a poll on that subject though.

Now - work!

AWOL Nana

Yesterday while tutoring my mentees at a school in using a wiki, I found an e-mail from my daughter. No message - just a subject line "can you call my cell?"

Not exactly the kind of message one wants to read; but luckily I have Skype minutes and had enough internet to make the call.

What I found was better than I had envisioned in my mind. Maybe not better than she wanted; but better than I had created with my imagination.

With her mother AWOL at the equator, her husband AWOL in Europe; two children managed to be ill enough to drag her weary butt to the hospital to see what was the matter.  I somehow found this message only 4 minutes after delivery; called her, and discovered that #1 child was diagnosed and prescribed, and #2 child was supposed to give a urine specimen in a cup. She is only 10 months old.  With the threat of a catheter, I told her to ask the hospital for popsicles. Not exactly nutrition or medication, but a great way to get a liquid into a baby and then wait for the liquid to travel out again. It worked.

After a message in my inbox accounting the day and the next morning I felt relieved that all was coming back to normal. A smile on my face makes me remember that mother's words 'two children are no more trouble than one - you just set the yardstick lower'. At times like this, not sure that philosophy really hits the mark.