Rambling of a Temporary Housewife

Day 4 of playing housewife (excluding the weekend), and I don't know what to do with myself. My days consist of hitting gym classes, running errands (dry clean, bank, maintenance appointments), reading (finishing up book #3 in 4 days), grocery shopping, and cooking for J every night.

Rewinding 1 month back, I resigned from Roche Shanghai and gave my 1-month notice. It was a hard decision to leave a company (my tenure from Genentech transferred over) that I was with for quite a while, which I enjoyed working at. However, we like Singapore, J's job is going well here, so we wanted to settle here, and traveling back and forth between Shanghai and Singapore wasn't appealing as a long term set-up (a 6 hour flight one way), so I had to make the decision to put what makes J and I happy first. I've never had time off between jobs for the past 9 years of my working life, and now I have 1 month off before starting work again. I definitely appreciate this opportunity to unwind and travel for leisure, but it is a strange lifestyle to me. I just think I can identify with myself better with a job rather than without.

Luckily, I have our weekend trips to look forward to. And J, being the supportive husband he is, tries to entertain me after work by taking me shopping and to the movies, even after an exhausting day of meetings for him. This weekend is a 3-day weekend for J due to Singapore's national day (1-month weekend for me), we are taking off to the Margaret River wine region of Perth, Western Australia. I'm really excited as this will be my first time in Australia, ever.

We'll fly into Perth (4.5 hour flight) and drive 3 hours down to Margaret River. We're staying on the beach the first night and moving into a cute bed & breakfast the second and third nights. Margaret River is well known for the wineries, as well as its stunning caves. Here are the ones we plan on visiting: http://www.discoverwest.com.au/western_australia/margaret_river_caves.html

In preparation for the wine we're about to acquire, we also bought a wine fridge at the wine sale yesterday at Carrefour. We figure we can always sell it when we leave Singapore.

Anyhow, I better get to my spinning class now. I will update with photos when we get back!

Last Night in Siem Reap

Written on the last night...

This morning we visited the silk farm. We saw how eggs turned into cacoons, and cacoons turned into colorful silk scarves and table runners. I never knew how raw silk was extracted vs. fine silk, and how labor intensive it is to dye and weave different colors of silk together. In Cambodia, everything is made by hand, yet they only sell each scarf for $2 USD!

After the silk farm, our guide took us to visit a local monestary. It was close to lunch time, so we saw the nuns preparing food for the monks. Near the monestary, located on the outskirts of Siem Reap, where we didn't see one single tourist except for ourselves we were able to see how Cambodia villagers really live. Houses are built on stilts to ensure they don't flood during the raining season, which lasts from August to November. They get 3 meters of rain a year! We saw people interacting at local markets and kids running around without shoes. Cambodia is so poor, yet people are so friendly, nice, and well-mannered. I heard it is different in Phnom Penh, the capital, perhaps Siem Reap is considered rural and only acquired footprints due to Angkor Wat, but I hope the innocence never gets lost!

After visiting the village, we went to 2 markets prior to heading back to the hotel. The markets are filled with trinkets, souvenirs, and silk products. Our guide advised us that the rule of thumb is to always slash the price by 50% upon your first offer. He was absolutely right, and we successfully bargained for some books, silk table runners, magnet for mom since she collects them, and a bell for Amy, who collects bells. We're always on the hunt for magnets and bells everywhere we go.

After a morning of walking in the heat, it was nice to get back to our hotel, especially we had a 3.5-hour couple's spa package awaiting us. I thought I would never say this, but 3 hours of spa is TOO much! I got really restless towards the last hour during the facial. Once we finished with spa, we got ready for dinner at Meric, where we had dinner on a swing table. Most of the menus at restaurants in Cambodia serve both international cuisine, as well as Khmer food. I had langoustine for the first time infused with coconut cream. It was quite good. Josh had the onion coated grouper with beet dressing.

We were pretty tired after dinner but thought, heck, it's our last night, so we headed out and walked around the night market before calling it a night.

Tomorrow morning, our wake-up call is at 5am to catch a 7:45am flight back to Singapore! We are starting to miss our bed a bit, but so sad to leave Siem Reap. We want to come back again, and I can honestly say that this is one of the most amazing and unforgettable trips I've taken.

Minnie

7/24/10

Hand-made silk traditional Khmer wedding outfits at the silk farm

Monastery on the outskirts of Siem Reap

Last night's dinner at Meric, Hotel de la Paix

Angkor Wat

Second day in Siem Reap

Travel notes from the second day...

Today we got an early start and saw the sun come up in Angkor Wat. Since we got there early and beat the crowd, it was so nice to have the temple all to ourselves. It took the king 37 years to build Angkor Wat, including 3000 elephants, 15,000 laborers, and tons of limestones, sandstones, and lava stones. It is breath-taking, especially to know that it's been erected for over 1200 years. This temple was abandoned and the jungle flourished over it. In the late 1800s, when a french man, Henri Mahout was following and catching a butterfly, he stumbled upon the east gate of Angkor Wat and opened it up to the world.

After that, we went to Ta Phrom, which is also known as the jungle temple. This temple is especially famous because a scene from Tomb Raider was filmed here with the sprawling tree roots growing and extending down the west side of the temple.

After an extremely hot morning, J and I headed back to the hotel to cool off in the pool and have some lunch pool side.

After lunch, we visited the Bayon temple. It is known for all of the buddha faces decorated on the top of the towers. This is when it started to pour heavy heavy rain. It was hard climbing up and down the deteriorated steps, as well as hold an umbrella and making sure our cameras and phone stayed dry.

After Bayon, we toured Beantey Srei, the "pink temple." Of the hundreds of temples in Angkor, this temple is constructed with the best quality stone, pink sandstones. The carvings on this temple are also more intricate and withstood the nature better. This temple is Hindu rather than Buddhist, and the mythical characters are so vivid and tell the stories of Prana - the creator, Vishnu - the protector, and Shiva - the destroyer, according to Hinduism.

For dinner, we enjoyed some delicious French food at Abacus, recommended by ABOUTAsia, the tour company we used, which 30% of the proceeds go toward "I Am Cambodian," a non-profit org that supports Cambodian children to goto school. We then met up with a friend of Josh's from high school whom he hadn't seen in 15 years. Him and his girlfriend are on a long holiday traveling throughout southeast Asia. After 15 years, they meet in Cambodia. What a small world!

Looking forward to our 3-hour spa appointment tomorrow!

Minnie

7/23/10

Angkor Wat from the hind gate

Ta Promh, the jungle temple

Cooling off at the hotel pool

Dinner at Abacus

First Day in Siem Reap, Cambodia

We just got back from Siem Reap, Cambodia last night, and what an unforgettable trip! Josh and I were saying on the flight back that we would definitely return to soak in more of the incredible history and people. It is one of our wishes to be able to take another trip there and do some community work while travel the less travelled paths.

Everyday during our visit, I had to try really hard to remember all of the things that were told to us by our guide, a native Khmer who has gone through the terror of Khmer Rouge. His tales were incredible and we really enjoyed the personable and private tours. I'd like to share with you some of my travel notes I jotted down daily, over the 3 days we were there.

I am so impressed and I've only been here for 20 hours. Being able to visit Siem Reap is a surreal, privileged, and humbling experience.

We have a private tour guide and driver with us the whole time, and lucky for us, our guide studied history in university, so everywhere we go, not only do we get to see the mesmerizing sights, we get valuable history lessons. His name is Bunat, he's married with 2 kids, and he lost his father, a math teacher, to the Khmer Rouge when Bunat was only 7. The Khmer Rouge regime lasted from 1975-1979. Bunat's only in his 40s, but he looks like he's well into his 50s. I can tell the hardships he's been through from his dark, sunburned, and patchy skin, and the wrinkles and sunspots on his rough hands.

Though I don't know many Khmers, just from getting to know Bunat and hearing him talk about his people, the Khmers have been around since the 6th century, and through time, have persevered and exude great pride for their mythical and unique culture that has captivated me since my arrival.

Morning call was at 3:30am for our flight that departed from Singapore at 6am. Today we visited a temple called Preah Khan, and passed by a Cambodian wedding. We only heard the loud celebratory music, but didn't see anybody from the wedding party. It was 38 degrees, Celcius out and it was really hot. In the afternoon, we visited the Angkor National museum and saw loads of articrafts stolen/taken away from various temples. These articrafts are mainly the heads of big statues, such as buddhas and demons. They were stolen from temples in the middle of the night, cut off by electric saws. Then the bandits would try to smuggle them over the Thai border via trucks that carried rice. These stolen statues can be worth $5000-$10000 USD if sold in the black market. Given the fact that an average Khmer farmer makes $800-$1000 USD a year, they can feed their family for a long time from these deals. When the police at the border discovered these stolen statues, they were returned to Cambodia and placed in the national museum.

After the museum, we visited the outskirts of Angkor Wat briefly just to get some sunset photos, but we will visit the grounds in detail tomorrow. Our driver and guide were so amazing that they prepared a sunset picnic for us. We sat by an amazing spot by the moat that protected the temple, and listened to Bunat tell us about the Khmer Rouge. It's a sad page in the Cambodian history. Because of the ruling of Khmer Rouge, Cambodia's prosperity and peace took a great fall, which explains why the country is so poor now. If you are interested to learn more about this, I'm reading 2 great books by Luong Ung, "First They Killed my Father," and "The Lucky Child." I highly recommend these books, as it took me less than 2 days to finish the first, and I haven't been able to put the 2nd book down.

At night we watched performance of the traditional Apsara dances. Apsara means ladies from heaven. Their dances are elegant, with restraint, and I couldn't take my eyes off of the glitzy costumes! It was a dinner and show with traditional Khmer food. Khmer food is a hybrid between Thai and Chinese. I find it to be lighter and healthier.

Tomorrow, we will be visiting more temples. Being in these ancient temples sends thrills down my spine. It is an overwhelming feeling to know how long they have existed, and one day, I have the privilege to stand with them. I cannot wait!

Minnie

7/22/10

Preah Khan, the first temple we visited, built over 9th-12th century.

For more photos, please see facebook. :)

T-5 days

In 5 days, Josh and I will celebrate our 1-year anniversary. It's been a year full of exciting milestones. From the wedding, honeymoon, to purchasing our first home together, then accepting jobs abroad and moving to Shanghai (for a very short while), and now Singapore. Nothing seems impossible when we do it together. I'm so lucky to have him (and he's luckier to have me. It's true!).

I've been such a slacker when it comes to post-wedding related duties, including selecting/compiling our photos. Now that I have some down time prior to starting work again (I will elaborate later), I put together some favorites to reminisce one of the best days of our lives. Enjoy!

Leaving for Siem Reap in 30 hours!

Kuala Lumpur

In the past 2 weeks, I visited Kuala Lumpur and Beijing for the first time in my life.

First, J had meetings in KL, so I thought, heck why not, air fare was so cheap, the airline had a promotion for S$1/way, I kid you not, with S$35 in taxes, I would say it would be wasteful to not take advantage of. From Singapore to KL is a mere 55 minute flight away. Malaysia is an Islamic country, but also has great diversity. It was neat to visit mosques and different temples. The standard of living is much lower than Singapore so things are much cheaper, and the food is even better than Singapore, in my opinion! Public spaces and amenities aren't as streamlined, almost reminds me of China with a middle east feel. Here are the pictures to do the talking...

Saying hello to J's colleagues at the hotel bar

Patrona Towers from our room

Dinner at Tamarind Hill - Burmese & Thai fusion. Yum!

National Mosque staff fitted us for our robes to enter the mosque. I had to cover my head, J did not have to.

We also visited a Hindu temple

Since the Hindu temple was around Chinatown, we took a stroll through Petaling Street, where counterfeit goods filled every vendor's booth. Then we saw 2 trucks arrived with at least 10 cops confiscating the goods booth by booth. It was quiet and solemn, they must have taken at least 1000 purses.

They will probably end up at the cops' wives

After walking around for hours, we each got foot reflexology massage for $15/hour. Complimentary, was the fish spa, which I was NOT a fan of. Here's Josh getting ticklish -

We returned to Sing on Saturday, and less than 48 hours later, I was getting on the plane again. Next stop, Beijing!

Just Some Rambling

The last 2 weeks have been eventful, to say the least. Several new experiences, good and bad, but there's a first for everything, and I'm happy to report that we are happy, healthy, and alive!

Last weekend was our diving trip to Tioman. We had a blast. We met the other divers at the dive company Friday at 7pm, then the company chartered a bus to drive us towards the Malaysian border. It took about 3 hours to get to the border, then after customs, we took a ferry to the island. We arrived at the resort in about 2 hours, checked in, and called it a night. Saturday and Sunday were filled with dive after dive, so we did a total of 5 dives in 2 days. We were so bummed that we couldn't find our underwater camera case before we left, so we couldn't take any underwater photos ourselves. However, our dive master brought a camera down so I'll post those pictures once I receive them. Saturday night was filled with Carlsberg, red wine, vodka, and scotch. Enough said. It was so fun hanging out with our new friends from France, Italy, Singapore, and the states.

We met up with a couple also from northern CA for dinner last week, and we visited a restaurant in Robertson Quay that served hamburgers, Thai, and Indian all at once. I had Pad Thai, Josh had a burger, and Lisa and Adrian had curry. That's the funny thing with Singapore, if you think San Francisco is a melting pot, this place is exponentially more so!

This past weekend was meant to be relaxing and filled with sports. Saturday morning, I went to my spinning class, then was on my way to cheer J on in his corporate tennis tournament against Microsoft. They were playing at the Yio Chu Kang tennis club which was bout 7 MRT stops away from Paragon, where my gym was. It took just about 20 minutes to get there. After the game, we were heading to lunch with people, and Josh started getting severe cramps in his legs. The cramps started in the calves, then went to his hamstrings, and eventually, even his toes and arms were cramping up. It was so bad that we had to get off the subway and he was laying on the platform due to pain. I tried to stretch him out but the cramps were continuous and getting worse all over his body. I was terrified. I had never seen him so helpless and in so much pain. The MRT station called the medics for us and we were on our way to the ER in an ambulance. During this whole time, I was making Josh drink sports drinks to replenish his electrolytes, and at one point, he drank pure salt water. After resting in the ER for 2 hours and being checked by the doctor, he was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis because his myoglobin level was very elevated due to muscle damage. It's normal for myoglobin to elevate during exercise, but not to this degree. Too much myoglobin can become toxic and eventually cause acute renal failure. They wanted to admit Josh right away to give him sodium bicarbonate IV. After some discussions, we were able to get discharged and implement aggressive oral hydration at home, but had to come back to the hospital for a blood work follow-up the next day. When we got home, Josh played king for the night, and I was at his service. He drank at least 7 liters of Pocari Sweat and water. He was feeling much better, but definitely milked it and ordered his servant around. The next day, we returned to the doctor and we were so happy that his myoglobin reduced drastically and the doctor cleared us. Moral of the story - do not play tennis for 4 hours in 90 degrees and 90 % humidity. Thank God he's ok now!

I also watched my first World Cup game last night at our British friends' place - England vs. Germany. What a tragic loss for England! World Cup is huge here, it's huge everywhere else but the U.S., every bar, restaurant, public squares all have their plasmas on when a game is going, it's quite an atmosphere!

Last thing, there's a big change in my life right now, I will elaborate on a later date. No, it does not involve babies.

Just a few photos before I sign off -

The gang in Tioman, relaxing at night. I had to wear my glasses at night because I dropped one of my contacts! Your vision gets better (things appear larger and closer) in water though, so I was fine seeing underwater.

Taken from the jetty just before boating out to our dive site

Not the Bora Bora beach we were at last year, but had its own tranquil serenity. We enjoyed it!

Jess bought this and I had to snap a photo. It was actually very yummy.

Shortest Workout Ever!

Just experienced my first full on tropical thunderstorm. It is powerful.

Yeah, thunderstorms happen, down pours go on for a while, then they stop, and the sun's out to play again. That's what happens in tropical settings. But today in Singapore, it never stopped! It's been pouring with heavy thunder since J left for work (at 8am), and at 11:00 am, I thought, it can't be that bad. On my day off, I wanted to be productive and catch the 11:15am spinning class and do a little bit of shopping on Orchard before coming home to cook and study for my test tonight. I packed up and stepped out with my umbrella. In 3 seconds, I was already wet, EVERYWHERE. I skipped over a few puddles and saw at least 3 rivers that didn't exist yesterday in front of me. There was another man in a suit following behind me because he couldn't figure out his own course! Hilarious. I turned around and he had to pretend he was figuring things out on his own! After 10 minutes, I only made it no more than 100 feet from the house and thought, what if this rain just doesn't stop, even if I make it to the gym, I have to fight my way back after having showered, etc. So, I decided to book a cab (because in the rain, cabs are scarce and it's too painful to stand and hail without knowing when you'll actually get one). The cab came fairly fast, I hopped in and the driver asked where I was going. Paragon on Orchard, I said, it's REALLY close. I thought he didn't want to drive far in the rain because he wasn't getting moving, so I kept emphasizing how close it was. Finally he said, I KNOW, but it's flooded everywhere, and I would have to drop you off a few blocks away and you have to walk in. There are probably only 10 blocks between my house and the gym, and if he can only drive 5 blocks, and I still have to get soaked and walk, it's just not going to happen. So I got out of the cab and up the elevator I went. I'm home and finished this posting, and it's only 11:28am. Shortest work out ever! Maybe if it stops raining later...

Our Calendars Lately

So much to do and so little time! That's how we've been feeling as we make everything we want to do become reality, yet trying to keep balance with work and enough rest so we don't burn ourselves out.

I was in Shanghai for 10 days and got back to Sing last Friday. It was a busy and productive trip with visitors from other headquarters, meetings, and processes roll-outs. Since my boss who usually takes care of hosting these things was on vaca in South Africa (*jealous), I had more to do than usual. It was great meeting up with some old friends and hanging out with some new ones. Having great company made this trip so much better than the last. Shanghai has a couple days off this week due to Duan Wu Jie - Dragon Boat Festival, so I'm studying for my scuba test and supervising the maid (she's new) at the same time as I type. It's nice to have some down time before this weekend, when we're off to Tioman Island, Malaysia for 6 dives. The last time we dived was on our honeymoon in French Polynesia, and everyone tells us we started our diving career with a bang there, and anything after would be hard to compare. And yes, diving in the Tahitian Islands was beyond awesome, but I can appreciate diversity. We don't have to see sharks, whales, and octopus everytime, it's also worthwhile to savor the pretty little thing nature has to offer. We've gotten our gears ready, but still need to locate the under water camera case in one of the boxes...

Some other things we've been up to - Josh has met several good tennis partners, so he's been playing tennis a couple times a week. Golf is not as easily accessible and affordable here, so tennis has substituted golf for now. Though, we found a spot nearby that has in-door golf, where they simulate a full course (or 9-hole if you wish), and the cameras calculate your data precisely, with a ginormous screen for you to look ahead. I'm not knowledgeable enough in golf to decide if it's yay or nay, but according to Josh, it's pretty cool! On my end, I finally joined a gym, Fitness First. The reason it took some time to search for one is that gyms are pricey here. We're looking at something comparable to LA Fitness back in California, for $150/person/month. That's more than what we were paying for the Bay Club in San Francisco! However, keeping healthy is priceless, as long as it's within our means, it is a spending that's a must in my book.

Even though we've only been away for less than 2 months, it feels longer. We miss home from time to time, mainly the people and the comfort. We may be planning a trip home this year around Thanksgiving timeframe. We'll keep y'all posted! For now, sending lots of greetings and warm hugs from the far east your way! Back to the diving planner calculating pressure group, total bottom time, and decompression limits...and the house smells like pine sol.

Just a few photos from Shanghai -

Best way I've eaten foie gras - lightly pan seared on both sides, served with a heavily stewed chunk of daikon, a few drizzles of truffle oil, topped with some radish slivers. At Moonsha, Bund # 5.

So gorgeous - The Bund at night taken on my phone.

Braving the World Expo with 400,000 visitors a day. Spain pavilion.

Admiring the China pavilion from afar since the wait to enter was 4.5 hrs. I'll go back to the expo another time during the week, at night. That's the only way to not cringe for lack of personal space.

Grateful for Timeless Friends

Tonight after work, I visited my friend Alice, whom I went to elementary school with back in the late 80s in Taiwan. I also got to meet her boyfriend, Stephen (soon to be Fiance, I hope, I loved him and she loves him too) for the first time. Since we decided on a night in, Stephen brought us Shanghainese take out, and we had so much fun reminiscing childhood stories. We caught up on the last 20 years of our lives that we lived separately in the U.S. and New Zealand.

Alice was my first ever BFF. We were attached by the hips in elementary school. I remember fondly how we walked home from school hand in hand, every single day. We did everything together and were super protective of each other. Our parents knew each other too, as her dad was a physician, like my dad, and doctors know each other in Taiwan, especially when they're similar in age. In fifth grade, when I had a tiny cyst in the upper right corner of my forehead, it was Alice's dad who operated on me.

When my family moved to the States in the early 90s, Alice's family moved to New Zealand. During our adolescence, we lost touch. I thought about her from time to time, but was too caught up in my immediate circles in high school and college to reach out. After 18 years of no contact, in 2009, I received a post card sent from Alice, and it was stamped as sent from New Zealand to San Francisco in 2004. The post card took 4 years to get to me, after being forwarded by different people and being returned to the post offices numerous times, as I had not lived at 1 address for more than 2 years since I started college. What a tenacious postcard to find its way to me and not get lost. It was fate. I was jumping up and down with joy to know that she had tried to contact me, yet sad to think that she probably thought I never wanted to respond to her. I immediately emailed her at the address she jotted on the post card, but I didn't hear from her. Apparently, her email had changed, but at that time I didn't know.

a few months passed by, and one day I decided to search for her on facebook. AND I FOUND HER! I was so happy to see her profile picture and glad it was a very clear shot of her face, not some random photo or artistic blur. I found out she moved to Shanghai to work in banking after college. And of course, I wasn't going to let her slip through my fingertips this time. She is one of the best people I know with extreme integrity and passion for life. Though we had missed the last 20 years of each other's life, we picked up right where we left off. Talking about the shenanigans in grade school feel like yesterday. One of the sweetest things for me, is to hear an old friend, a friend who has known my family, including my dad, talk about my dad. It reminds me of the carefree and privileged childhood I had. It puts a smile on my face. It makes me miss my dad, but it's the good memories that I cherish and smile for. Alice is that old friend, a friend through time, a timeless friend, who is here to stay. I'm so grateful I found her and it is obvious that we will not let each other skip out on any part of our lives again!

Alice and I recently

I'm So Excited, and I just Can't Hide It!

Josh and I are shouting and rocking to Pointer-Sisters' " I'm So Excited." We're doing our happy dance because we just booked our trip to Siem Reap, Cambodia to witness the magnificence of Angkor Wat!!! I'm SO STOKED! I've wanted to travel there for years, and it is finally happening, just an 1.5 hr flight away next month. Besides the pure excitement of seeing one of the world's 7 wonders, I'm also looking forward to this unforgettable experience because it will be the trip we take to celebrate our 1-year wedding anniversary. Time sure flies!

Now I just need to book our hotel: La Residence D'angkor or The Sothea? Input and suggestions welcomed!

On a different note, I'm heading back to Shanghai this Wednesday and looking forward to lots of face to face time with some colleagues from Nutley, Basel, and Beijing. Will try to update via VPN. Thank God for VPN!

Dessert time, I'm out! :)

First weeks in Sing

Just when I started to let go of my habits and expectations such as can't always customize my coffee to a T, concept of deodorant is non-existent (don't worry, I brought 6), and that diet coke here tastes different, in exchange for what I soak in everyday living in foreign countries, which outweigh any of the minor discomforts being outside of the U.S., my mom and aunt decided to pay a visit and brought back all of the familiarities that I've been missing. They've just left for the airport this morning, and boy, do I have the blues. :(

Being in Singapore has been easy, especially after 2 weeks in Shanghai. Everyone speaks English, the MRT rocks, and people here just feel more on the same page. It's quite neat to see the colonial buildings, hear old Asian cab drivers speak perfect English, and explore this cutting edge city. The internet is faster, mobile phone more clear, and the systems here are extremely efficient. The only thing is, it is HOT, 90 degrees with 90% humidity. It feels like Hawaii in its hottest month, ALL THE TIME. The great thing is ac is everywhere and you can walk from building to building without going outside and get to your destination. It is a huge melting pot, yes, you melt from the heat, but I'm referring to the diversity in people here. Because of its location, there are people from all over the world, which means the diversity in food is great, and SO delicious. However, Singapore is surprisingly expensive. Rent is comparable to NYC and everything else costs just as much as California!

What Josh and I have been up to here -

working, processing immigration paperwork, apartment hunting, getting together with friends, exploring different MRT stops, and trying different cuisines.

Here are some photos from mom's visit.

At Long Bar, Raffles Hotel

Enjoying my first ever Singapore Sling

With mom and aunt at Raffles Hotel

Hanging out in Clark Quay

Serving up my Turkish ice-cream. So good, less sweet, a little chewy like mochi, and he does tricks!

Bar named Clinic, wheelchair seats, IV drips drinks, etc.

Dinner at Long Beach in East Coast - pepper crab

First time eating bamboo clam

Local favorite - kaya with toast. Kaya is made of coconut and eggs with consistency like marmalade. It is not too sweet and great with a cup of local coffee (kopi).

Going up to Equinox for brunch with mom and aunt

View from the 70th floor

Until next time!

Common Sense Is Not What We Have In Common

The weather in Shanghai is quite pleasant this time of the year. Big wide streets and handsome architectures greeted me as I hopped in my cab and headed to my hotel. Before I could get oriented with the fact that I only had a 1-way ticket this time without a departure date to report on my immigration card, the cab driver asked where I was from and immediately asked "Do you Americans think of the Chinese highly now, with the changes done for the World Expo?" I was taken aback by the question, as I wasn't quite sure how to get started on answering it. My self-defense mode took over and I blurted out, "wen-ming!" "Wen" directly translates to literature, "ming" translates to bright. Together, it is used to describe advancement and cutting edge. I knew that was what he wanted to hear, but here's how I really felt, after 2 weeks of pondering and over analyzing...

The office in Shanghai is located in the high tech park filled with professionals and nice office buildings. However, I find it interesting that Roche occupies level 2 and 8 while Pfizer is right in between. The orientation process was minimal and after 30 minutes of signing documents, I was at my desk staring at my laptop back in business. I really enjoy my local colleagues, they are nice and eager to learn. During lunch, they asked me to join them to the cafeteria where free food is served to the employees. When I got there, I held on to my compartmentalized platter and the hair-netted cafeteria workers went on scoop after scoop and I had no idea what was being served to me. I saw some tiny crabs, some veggies, and some ground meat. I happen to be one of those people that scrutinize nutrition facts and ingredients before I consume, so this to me was definitely out of my comfort zone! The food was however quite tasty, but knowing how tasty MSG is, I never returned to the cafeteria again.

Working and living in Shanghai is quite a character struggle daily. The values and morals that were instilled in me since childhood, are constantly challenged and ignored. I constantly have to remind myself that just because I think it is common sense, it is not what I have in common with everyone. People of different upbringing and background have different ways of lives. Different is not always bad, but it sure takes some effort to convince myself of that and get used to. Sometimes I find myself questioning whether or not I really want to get used to it. For example, the first day getting on the campus shuttle to goto the cafeteria, I was being cordial and staying out of the way of the large crowd (lack of line formed). A few girls seemed inpatient and got in front of me while a few others mumbled "you want to get on or not!" I definitely learned my lesson that day and started getting more aggressive in lines, whether for the taxi, the grocery shops, or coffee stands. I started to get things done faster now that I had a backbone! However, for some reason, I felt down about this at the end of the day. It is not how I was raised. I want to be nice, kind, and patient, but if I were that way, I would end up last. I started questioning integrity, ethics, and peace of mind.

Before I bore you with too much detail, let me lighten it up by a couple of photos, and I shall continue my rant on some subsequent posts!

The China study management team

Huai-Hai Street at night (in the French Concession)

After my first 2 weeks in Shanghai, I was so excited to head to Singapore, where Josh and I fell in love with the island and its city.