Last weekend Kingsley competed in the TriFactor race in Singapore. Not only was this his first Triathlon in (hot humid) Singapore but it was his first Olympic distance Tri as well. He did exceptionally well finishing his - 1.5K swim, 40km bike, and 10k run - in 3hours 19 minutes.
Right after crossing the finish line! He was drenched and slightly delirious but thrilled to have finished.
We have two new 4 week old kittens in the house. They are good friends now but they hated each other in the beginning. They are from different litters so pretty much tried to kill each other every time they were together for the first few days. I actually had to keep them separated and supervise/referee all of their interactions for a few days.
Miss Molly is full of personality, fearless and very playful. When she wants to cuddle she sits at your feet at squeaks and chirps at you till you pick her up.
Ed is a little bit shy and nervous of new situations. He was initially terrified of his new sister who pretty much beat him up constantly for 3 days. Now that he has learned to hold his own and fights back - they are great friends but will likely never be BFF's.
Last weekend we enjoyed a great evening picnic with friends to celebrate Singapore's 47th National Day. There is a new park by our house called Gardens by the Bay East which has a fantastic view of the city. Kingsley and I often walk there (5min from our house) in the evenings after dinner or go for early morning or late evening (during the daytime is just too hot!) runs along the promenade. It was a perfect location to watch the fireworks.
Lots of other families enjoying picnics in the park
We were obviously not the only ones with the great idea to catch the fireworks from the park. The entire pathway was lined with tripods and cameras.
Only in Singapore would you find hundreds of families enjoy a picnic in the park and a fireworks show and at the end of the night find not one piece of litter anywhere. The trash bins were all filled to capacity but the park was spotless!
Singapores population has been on the decline for a while. A recent study published stated that they are trying to get the birth rate up from 1.15 to 1.85. How do they plan to do this? Watch the video below!
One of the best parts about visiting Seattle is having the chance to reconnect with special friends and family. We dont always get to see these people as often as we would like but I have found that it makes the time we do spend together that much more special.
Gulay and Ian at Umi Sake House
Brian and Kim at Luc - French Bistro in Madison Park
Shelley (far right in above photo) and I began working at Calidora together 7 years ago. Over the years we have become a close friends as well. She is now moving to California to start a new job - we are all very sad to see her go but also happy for the new adventures and opportunities she will have there.
The timing of this trip to Seattle made it possible for me to be at her going away party at the Black Bottle restaurant in Seattle. It was a very special evening.
Look how much this little guy has grown in the last few months! This trip to Seattle was very special because Kingsley finally got to meet and hold Zeke. According to my calculations this means Kingsley has now officially held 3 babies since we first met 8 1/2 years ago.
I love that I was able to witness this monumental day! My Dad taking his first tandem flight with Kingsley. My Dad played it pretty cool so if he was nervous he didnt show it. I also know it meant a lot to Kingsley to be able to fly him.
They had a perfect launch and a short but fun flight.
With so many massive skyscrappers being built all over Asia it was a shock to see how few tall buildings there were in the Seoul skyline.
Our only non-Korean meal on the trip was a fantastic little Japanese restaurant. We ordered whatever the chefs recommended and the food (all seven courses) was amazing.
I really know so little about the Korean War but I was impressed to learn that 67 Countries supported South Korea during the 1950 -1953 war. This is evidently a World Record and is something South Korea is very proud of. This monument with photos from the war and the flags of every nation who gave their support is proudly displayed right outside the city hall in the heart of Seoul.
One of the tiny shopping streets. One could spend A LOT of time exploring all the little alleyways but best to bring a compass (AKA google maps) with you - it's so easy to get turned around!
Although I did get lost in the city (no wifi access in those crazy alleys) I was able to find my way home by catching a taxi and showing him my hotel card with the address written in Korean (BTW that is a VERY important travel tip and has saved me many many times).
