A Sakura Story

Tian Kee & Co Coffee Shop

This little coffee shophouse just opened up a short distance from our place along the Kallang River so my friend Bonnie (who sadly is moving back to the US soon) and I met there last week to check it out and enjoy a cup of tea.

One of the unique items on the menu is the Rainbow cheesecake. Judging by the number of people ordering it at the cafe, it seemed to be quite a popular item. Evidently it is a "healthy" cheesecake that is made with yogurt.

Bonnie and I were the only Ang Mo's (Caucasians) in the cafe so we were pretty impressed with ourselves for finding one of the new cool hang our spots which only the young and hip Singaporeans know about!

0 comments Labels: Living in Singapore |

Expat Forums

I am sharing this post from Kristy Rice's blog - 4 Kids, 20 Suitcases and a Beagle
She basically summarized what goes on in the Facebook expat forums that I have joined since moving to Singapore. Don't get me wrong these forums, like the Singapore Expat Wives are an incredible resource for newcomers.

Want to know the best place to find the best:
Favorite food item from your home country?
Tailor?
Ladies Night location?

Any and everything can be found on the Expat forum...that being said with members from all over the world with all very different viewpoints there are (often) heated discussions. And when things get heated it seriously brings out the crazy in people. I have to admit watching people from all walks of life ranting about the most random things can be pretty entertaining to observe from a distance. Kristy's blog perfectly captured the randomness that can occur during Expat Facebook Forum rant below:

The Facebook Group

What the, when the, how the?

Sally: Just wondering if anyone knows where I can find rose scented, gluten free, Japenese taco shells? My two year old son can’t live without them, we were able to get them in London but I can’t find them here?

Xian: Lulu Supermarket – in Saudi

Doug: Look at this adorable picture of a seal swimming in a glass box in the desert. Isn’t it adorable! It did tricks for us for fish.

Jennifer: That’s disgusting. This shouldn’t happen. Fish do not belong in the desert. Fish belong in the sea and on the plates of five star restaurants. You should be ashamed of yourself. I can’t believe your attitude! I’M SO CROSS I’M GOING TO START TALKING IN CAPS LOCK. Here’s my 20 page dissertation on why fish do not belong in the desert.

Raul: Where can I buy tickets to see the fish in the desert?

Jill: I saw someone driving so badly today. It was so bad I took a photo as I was driving to prove it.

Sally: I still can’t find rose scented, gluten free, Japanese taco shells. Does anyone know how to get to Saudi? Can I drive in Saudi? I heard a rumour I can’t drive in Saudi? Is there a Wholefoods in Saudi, obviously not fully stocked but just the gluten free macrobiotic items.

Mo: I would like to adopt a dog

Joe: I rescued this dog yesterday. Have this dog.

Mo: Not that sort of dog. I want a dog with lots of hair that will need to sit on the couch in the air-conditioning throughout the summer eating home made treats.

Joe: My dog is the best dog, why you no want my dog. You very bad person. You don’t deserve dog. I rescued it but I can’t keep it because I’m allergic. I’m holding a fundraising dinner at my house tonight, please bring two bags of dog food and 1000 US dollars.

Adam: Here’s a picture of my dinner tonight. Why do you think the meat is green?

Xian: Did you buy the meat at Lulu?

Saba: I ate green meat once

Shirley: Don’t eat the green meat. You will die. Definitely, no doubt about it. Dead.

Mel: Batter the meat in breadcrumbs.

Ted: When I was young we always ate our meat green, just eat the meat.

Chantel: It’s bad that you eat meat.

Moha: I could never eat meat.

Matt: Did you eat the meat?

Sally: Is the meat gluten free?

Khala: Has anyone heard from Adam?

Deborah: We are moving to Doha and I am looking for school places for my five children. We arrive on Tuesday, which school is the best one?

Mona: I’ve been very very sick lately, someone suggested I see a doctor, where do you find the doctors?

Xian: Lulu supermarket – Saudi

Jill: Seriously, hazard lights, in the fog? I’ve taken another photo while I was driving to show you how bad it was!

Adam: Does anyone know what time I have to be at work tomorrow?

Mo: I want to adopt a cat

Joe: Here’s a cat for adoption, I rescued it yesterday. I would keep it but I’m allergic.

Vladimir: Looking for an arabic teacher, must be young, single, attractive and have own car. Arabic not essential.

Eve: Looking for a daycare centre, must be peanut free, and sensitive to lactose intolerance, any good recommendations?

Roxanne: How old is your child Eve?

Eve: No child yet, planning on getting pregnant in October 2017.

Joan: My husband was offered a job at Shell as the leading ladder holder, how much should he get paid?

Robert: I’m the leading ladder holder at Shell?

Sally: For Sale – Household goods – moving back to London. Items for sale: IKEA bed, IKEA dining room table, IKEA tv cabinet, IKEA shoes, IKEA underwear, IKEA toothbrush, IKEA soap and ten unopened packets of rose scented gluten free Japanese tacos.

0 comments Labels: Living in Singapore |

First New Years in Singapore

One huge perk of living in Asia is that we have taken advantage of time off work around the holidays to explore some pretty amazing places in the world. We have spent New Years in New Zealand, India, Vietnam and the Philippines, and these have all been incredibly memorable in very different ways.

However, we have never spent a New Years right here in Singapore. It was extra special having my parents around to ring in the new year and watch the fireworks with us. We started off the evening going to a lovely Japanese restaurant called Issho Izaka located at the new Kallang Wave mall, which is about a 7 minute walk from our house, where we shared the Japanese hot pot dinner for four. Later we walked down the road to visit our friends who were throwing a big New Years Eve party at their newly renovated condo in Costa Rhu. At midnight we walked a short distance down the road to the Gardens by the Bay East and got a spectacular view of the fireworks. Kingsley and I love to walk in this park almost every evening after dinner and it is usually very quiet and empty.

On New Years however the park was bustling with families who came from all over Singapore to view the fireworks. Lucky for us it was a short 5 minute walk back to our condo after the fireworks. Meanwhile we watched hoards of people desperately trying to catch a taxi back to their homes as the public transport in Singapore shuts down after midnight. I heard rumors of people waiting till 4am to finally catch a taxi to get home. I cannot think of anything more unappealing!

2015 New Years was a quiet and simple year than previous, which meant we had time to slow down, focus and contemplate on the important things in life like family and friends and all the many many things we have to be thankful for!

新年好 - kung hei fat choi

2015 Fireworks in Singapore from Lynn Wood on Vimeo.

0 comments Labels: Living in Singapore |

Puri Mas Christmas Dance-Off

This year was a special Christmas for me as it was the first Christmas that I have spent with my parents in the last 4 years. It was wonderful being at the Puri Mas resort as they had the whole day planned out for the guests with many different Christmas events. The morning starting with a champagne brunch and lots of traditional Indonesian sweets and cakes as desserts. Meanwhile Christmas music such as Frosty the Snowman and I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas were playing at full volume which somehow made the experience just that much more festive since it was 85 degrees and we were melting from the humidity.

Sipping Champagne and wishing our family and friends from around the world a Merry Christmas via Skype and email.

We then spent the afternoon relaxing by the pool and I snuck away for a Tibetan bowl massage which is said to alleviate prolonged physical and emotional pains, and improves the overall condition of your body through sound. I found it incredibly relaxing and put me in such a peaceful and mellow mood for the day.

Later all the guests convened in the ballroom for a cocktail hour and to watch a beautiful dancer perform a traditional Indonesian bird dance.

Indonesian Bird Dance from Lynn Wood on Vimeo.

That evening we had a multi course dinner with several hours of dancing as entertainment. The dancers were all staff members at Puri Mas which was impressive. The guy from accounting was dancing next to the laundry guy who was dancing next to the bug exterminator (nicknamed "the killer") and everyone was having an incredible time.

Puri Mas staff dancing from Lynn Wood on Vimeo.

We also watched some traditional Indonesian dances and Indonesian stick fighting.

Traditional Lombok Dance - Puri Mas from Lynn Wood on Vimeo.

Later all of the guests were so inspired by the dancing we were somehow cajoled onto the dance floor a lead through an enthusiastic rendition of "Hands Up, Baby Hands Up". As you can see Kingsley and I are (NOT) naturals...

Hands Up - Lombok Puri Mas Dance from Lynn Wood on Vimeo.

0 comments Labels: Indonesia |

Indonesian Gastro Delights

We ate some amazing meals at Puri Mas but here are a few of our favorites. On our last night of our vacation, we ordered the Rijsstafel Set Dinner which was a delightful eight course Indonesian meal. A few of our favorite dishes were the tender young bamboo shoots in curried coconut sauce and the lamb cooked in coconut milk, chilies and turmeric. But truthfully everything was excellent and it was fun to have a chance to taste so many different Indonesian meals.

Another favorite item on the menu at Puri Mas, which I enjoyed so much I ordered three nights in a row, was the Cumi Bumbu Bali - whole small baby squid with Balinese spices. I asked the chef for the recipe for the sauce that the squid is cooked in and below is what he wrote down. I haven't had the time or courage to give it a try yet but one of these days I will look forward to testing it out!

0 comments Labels: Indonesia |

Learning Lombok

Though Kingsley and I have been to Bali many time and absolutely love Bali, I really enjoyed our time in Lombok. Bali has many more five star hotels and fancy restaurants but it is also overrun with tourists and the traffic is almost unbearable. I personally loved the simple natural beauty and quiet pace of life in Lombok.

Lombok and Bali are very close neighbors, you can even see Mount Agung in Bali across the water in the photo below. However, interestingly the two islands are separated by an imaginary boundary know as the Wallace Line which marks the division of Asian and Australian flora and fauna. Lombok's fauna has more in common with Australia.

Lombok is also a melting pot of cultures with 70% of the islands population being Sasak which are the indigenous people of Lombok who follow the muslim religion. The remaining population are Hindu. Both of these cultures have many religious ceremonies, dances and traditions but the two cultures live harmoniously together. In the Kampung (village) in the Keradangan Valley where we stayed in Lombok there were Balinese Hindu and Sasak living side by side. Driving through this village one day we say a muslim tradition called "funny soccer" where the men dress up in womens clothing and play sock in a muddy wet field while the whole village watches and cheers them on. On another day we visited a Hindu temple and observed a formal Hindu ceremony take place.

0 comments Labels: Indonesia |

Puri Mas Beach Resort

Puri Mas Beach resort is where we spent the second half of our Christmas getaway. Coming from the slightly more rustic Gili Meno island, the fact that there was aircon in the rooms automatically made this place heaven on earth for Kingsley and my Mom. I think they both spent the first 8 hours of our time in Puri Mas lounging in our air-conditioned rooms.

Puri Mas has an interesting history, it started out as a dream house to retire for the dutch owner Marcel de Rijk who was a world champion ballroom dancer and the Vice President of the World of Dance Council. In his travels he fell in love with Lombok and began to build his dream home in 1987 during that time he also began offering free classes to teach the locals how to ballroom dance. This dance instruction has been a huge success in Lombok with many of his students going on to compete internationally. Here is a short you tube clip showing last years Dance Festival in Lombok.

Marcel begins teaching the male and female students without partners due to many students being of muslim faith, only later on when they progress are they matched up with a partner. That is why you will see the room with men and woman dancing on either ends of the room.

We were fortunate that Marcel was at Puri Mas while we were visiting so we had a chance to get to know him and his passion for dancing and the Indonesian people. He is truly a incredibly kind and generous gentle soul.

Back to the 80's.... when Marcel was midway through building his home in Lombok, the Indonesian government changed the rules and in order to continue building his dream home he had to make it into a hotel, so he did, and that was the start of Puri Mas. As more suites and rooms were added it has grown into a beautiful world class beach resort. Marcel has an amazing eye for art and beauty and the resort was absolutely filled with some stunning artwork from all over the world. Below is a short summary video of the beautiful resort he designed.

We really couldn't find a single fault with this hotel. The staff were incredible, especially the manager Sara. The rooms and restaurants were amazing. This place may rank as one of my top ten favorite hotels in Asia. My only advice is book ahead as this place is often fully booked throughout the year.