Weekend in Borneo

Matt and I got a rare treat over the weekend - a getaway without the kids! We love our maid Lea and she is terrific with the kids, often anticipating their needs exactly when I'm thinking of something, so we trusted that she would have no problems keeping them for two nights. Plus, I left about half a dozen phone numbers for her and alerted all my friends and neighbors that she'd be flying solo for the weekend. So while she and the boys camped out here, Mama and Daddy hopped a two-hour flight to Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. It's a gorgeous place!

We are normally budget hotel travelers since we're usually on the go nonstop during vacations and don't take advantage of the facilities, but this time we chose to splurge a bit and pick a resort with no reasons to leave. The Shangri-La Rasa Ria was the perfect place....tropical, beautiful, relaxing, and inviting. This is the main lobby where we sat on couches with iced tea and cold towels while they checked us in.

Live traditional music welcomes the guests all day by these talented guys on the big instruments. No idea what they're called but the music is calming and immediately makes you feel like you're on vacation.

Our home sweet home for two nights. I tipped them off that we were celebrating our anniversary (a little late, but who's counting?) so they left us a nice surprise. We were on the first floor so we could walk straight out the door, across a lawn, and right onto the beach.

We were also fortunate enough to be joined but the Denton family from Singapore! I never got a picture of all of us together, but we stole Blake away from Camille and their 2-year old son Pierce to go water skiing.

Matt had a great time on the wakeboard, skis, and slalom while I enjoyed the scenery from the boat.

Unfortunately we weren't able to do any watersports in the cove in front of the hotel because of jellyfish everywhere! The boat driver took the guys into the mouth of a river to ski since it was free of jellyfish but we saw hundreds of these guys in the water. Matt and I sailed several times in the little Hobie cats and it was fascinating to watch these float around (and good reason not to tip the thing over!).

We spent our first evening in one of these gazebos watching the sun go down over the water.

The happy vacationers! We usually miss this special time of day because it inevitably coincides with bedtime.

Going...

...going....

....gone!

A look back at the resort in the twilight. It was really well done with beautiful landscaping and a huge powdery beach in front.

We met up with Camille for dinner (Pierce was in bed and Blake was unfortunately sick) at the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. Love how they give everyone aprons to protect against the wild cooking.

On Saturday we went straight to the 400-acre nature reserve. I was hoping to see some true Borneo wildlife and while we weren't able to just wander around or anything, we did the most exciting part - got up close and personal with some young orangutans in rehabilitation at the reserve. They stay in this reserve until they're older and more equipped to fend for themselves in the wild, then get transferred to a halfway house before release into the jungle.

On our way up the trail we saw some huge white butterflies.

At the orangutan feeding area, a ranger called out for them and spread some fruit out for them to dine on. There are six juvenile orangutans in the reserve and we got to see three of the little guys.

The first guy dug right in and enjoyed everything before the next two rushed him off.

One little guy was begging the ranger for a drink from a bottle!

This guy was scooping a specially mixed formula from a hole in the tree. I saw a can of enfamil in the orangutan kitchen so I guess they still get powdered milk. He would dip his hand in, watch it drip out a bit, then suck it off his fingers.

Yummm....what a sweet face!

After they had all had their fill, they played around in the vines for a while then slowly wandered back into the thick jungle. It was a real treat to watch them from just a few yards away!

Here's one guy having a ball swinging from vine to vine.

Afterward we spent the rest of this gorgeous afternoon on the beach and at the pool. The weather was perfect for us. The temperature and climate are exactly like Singapore at the moment but we got a delicious breeze off the ocean all day that made it completely enjoyable to be outside all day.

I spent several hours in this chair enjoying the warm sun, cool water, and a good book. On the left side of the pool you can see the water slides in the kiddy area. Ben would have loved it so we kept thinking of how much fun it would have been to have the kids with us, but it was so wonderful to not wear a watch or be concerned with naptimes or mealtimes. It's not often we get to wake up when we want, eat whenever we choose (and without interruptions!), and completely relax without worrying about anyone else.

Saturday night we enjoyed a terrific dinner at Coast, their flagship restaurant right on the beach.

After we had both gorged ourselves on our meals and declared we couldn't eat another bite, the staff surprised us with a dessert sampler. I thought it was the dessert demonstration tray but the ENTIRE thing was for us. Before I even thought of taking a picture, I had already inhaled half of the chocolate fondant cake and Matt had polished off the fruit tart. We also had (clockwise from the bottom left above the cake) creme brulee, espresso soup (sounds gross, but think melted espresso ice cream), vanilla panna cotta, several little cookies and cakes, ice cream and sorbet, watermelon something, and lemon tart. We shamelessly ate almost everything!

This morning we ran across this interesting fruit at breakfast. It's aptly named snake fruit and had a nice, crunchy texture but not a lot of taste. Still worth the picture though.

After breakfast we packed up and headed to the airport to come home to our babies! It was a great day to leave because it was pretty hazy so we didn't feel like we were missing a great day at the beach. In this picture you can just barely make out Mt. Kota Kinabalu, elevation around 13,400 feet.
Both kids were napping when we got in so we had to wait a while longer to see their beautiful faces, but there were 4 very happy people in this house all afternoon. We love our kids to pieces but a little time away as a couple was much needed and greatly appreciated. Hopefully we won't wait three more years before we get to do it again!

More Pictures

I just got more pictures from Mr. Scott, who took some excellent shots of Ben's party. Look at this happy little partygoer! He's such a good little guy, especially now that he can freely explore the entire house.

Ben was really excited about his new Mickey Mouse hat from the Dunlaps, straight from Hong Kong Disney. He had just finished his hot dog, in case you're wondering why he has ketchup all over his face.

Ben was in deep discussion with Miss Lou Anne...maybe because Elyse was sitting in his favorite place?

Ben was getting ready to blow out his candles. He's probably wondering why he doesn't hear Happy Birthday anymore after getting it 3 days in a row.

I had to give him a little help because this boy can't blow to save his life. He still makes a "fffff" sound which doesn't help in blowing out candles, blowing bubbles, or any kind of annoying instrumental toy. Maybe that's a blessing for me!

Thanks to the Dulaneys for taking and sharing such great pictures!

Two Year Anniversary

Exactly two years ago Saturday Ben and I arrived in Singapore to start our overseas adventure. Matt had been here for several weeks and I waited to make the trip until our shipment had made it across the Pacific and been unpacked, which turned out to be the best decision because it didn't feel so foreign to move when I got to spend the first night in my own bed. Nevermind that I had to take a cold first shower because I didn't know you had to turn on the hot water switch outside the bathroom, because I learned all those things with time.

Overall, I still think it has been a great move for us as a family. I can't think of any time in our lives that we could use domestic help more than with two little boys underfoot and I've been able to stay home and raise them myself. It is such a blessing to see all the firsts and experience the wonder of babies turning into little boys. We have all gotten to travel more than we ever expected (and still hope to do lots more) and expose both kids to new cultures and languages. Whether they retain anything or not, they should both be able to speak Mandarin much better as adults having heard it frequently as children while they can still distinguish intonations that older ears can't hear. We get to spend our weekends exploring, playing, or relaxing as a family because there is little yardwork or housework requiring our attention. We have made friends from all corners of the world, eaten (and become addicted) to food I'd never even heard of before, and learned the geography and history of the Southeast Asian region that seems largely ignored in the US.

Here are some of our favorite things about Singapore (in no particular order):

• great transportation - taxis 24 hours a day, buses, subways...it's easy to get around. Unless it's raining.
  
• ERP (electronic road pricing) in every single car. Many popular roads are toll roads at certain hours of the day but there are no toll booths, only tall gantries over the road that charge your card without slowing down traffic. The drawback is that you have to have a cashcard with funds inserted into the reader or you get a ticket, meaning you have to remember to take the card out and go to a 7-11 to add money before you park or drive through a gantry. Let's just say I've gotten a few tickets.
• Smart parking garages! The parking is also paid by the ERP so you never have to wait in line to get out or dig around for cash. Most garages also have signs indicating how many open spots are on each level and even red or green lights over each space so you can look down an aisle and see if anything is available.
• No weather forecast. It's like groundhog day...every day you look out the window and know it will be hot, sunny, and might rain. No guessing, no seasonal wardrobes, no bundling kids up to go outside.
• Grocery delivery. Free! Daily!
• Fresh seafood everywhere. Mostly shellfish, which I love.
• Full-service gas stations. Asians are NOT do it yourself people. In cases like this, it's really nice. Other times, not so much (read below)
• Beautiful, lush greenery everywhere. I've always compared Singapore to Manhattan mixed with Honolulu. Think big, densely populated city with huge trees and beautiful landscaping (minus the beaches and mountains, unfortunately).
• Fantastic restuarants. There are more than we could possibly visit here but we love to explore and find interesting new places. Very few are chains so they're all unique and many are outdoors. I am thrilled about a Chili's that is opening soon, though, so I still love my good ole American chains!
  
• Hawker stands. The Singapore version of fast food without the drive-thru. You can get a great meal for $3 US dollars. I had no idea how much I loved noodles and how many varieties exist.
• Full-time domestic help. It's very well regulated here so the maids have a nice life and a large community to gather with on their days off.
• Skype! Every expat lives for the webcam calls back home.
• The expatriate community. Singapore encourages workers from other countries to bring their expertise here so there is a huge community of expats from all over the world. It doesn't feel so far away from home when you can still celebrate your own holidays with fellow Americans.
  

But everything has its downside:

• Our families and friends are 10,000 miles away. That's not a weekend trip and it's very expensive. We have to compress all our time together into a few short weeks at the end of the year.
  
• There is a 13 or 14 hour time difference between Houston and Singapore.
• We only have one car so I've had to adjust to life with 2 kids and public transportation most of the time.
• Singaporeans are NOT do-it-yourselfers. There is no Home Depot or Lowe's here where you can find all kinds of hardware or yard equipment. You have to call a contractor or handyman who knows which tiny store carries what you need and then pay him to do it. That's the complete opposite of a Texan! And no one has pickup trucks so you have to call another handyman to move your big items.
• Singaporeans also don't like to fix things, just patch them up. Really irritating when I look at all the leaks in this house. Things are made of brick and concrete here so it's a little more complicated to look inside the walls compared to sheetrock.
  
• Mailboxes are one way. You have to go look for outgoing mail at a drop box somewhere other than where you receive your mail.
• There are no outlets in the bathrooms here and very few in the rest of the house. Do locals not like to plug things in?
• Drivers are terrible. Not angry and crazy like Houston drivers, but pretty ignorant and dangerous here. And taxis will stop on a dime on any street so drivers have to be much more alert.
• Groceries and alcohol are very expensive. It still hurts to pay 2 or 3 times what we'd pay back home for the same things, but we've found local alternatives to several of our favorites and we consider ourselves lucky that we can find our favorite orange juice and cereal most of the time.
• There is construction EVERYWHERE. It's noisy. It blocks roads. It's 24 hours a day. But thank goodness we no longer live on the edge of a high-rise condo under construction! I have enjoyed the quiet in this house every day.

Overall, we love Singapore and have had a great two years here. The time has really flown by, mostly thanks to our wonderful friends here who have shared in our lives and our children's lives. We have met some unforgettable people and thank goodness many of them will also be returning to the Houston area eventually so we'll get to stay in touch down the road. This marks our original halfway point in our overseas adventure and we look forward to what the next few years have in store for our little family!

Happy Birthday Ben!

Wow...I can't believe our little guy is already 3 years old! Where has the time gone? But what a blessing that we could celebrate his birthday wholeheartedly this year because the actual day of his birth was anything other than something to celebrate at the time. On his first birthday (when Ben was about 8 1/2 months old corrected age) I wanted to completely forget the day since he wasn't old enough to eat cake or clap or enjoy a party, so I booked our tickets to fly to Singapore over his birthday and it was like the day never existed since we lost it in transit. On his second birthday, I was pregnant and having a baby in the hospital was still so fresh in my mind so we had a small get-together but I still couldn't totally enjoy the day. This year, however, there was nothing to keep me from enjoying my special little boy and rejoicing in the miracle (and terror) of his birth. Every mother loves her child and thinks he or she is the most amazing creature in the world, but I secretly know that my little Ben is extra special because of all the challenges he faced from the moment he was born and how he turned out to be such a sweet, happy, creative, and loving little guy.

We managed to stretch his birthday celebration over 3 days to make it count this year! Ben and I made cupcakes to take to his school, but he lost interest and washed dishes instead. This is one domestic little boy....he loves to sweep, mop, and clean. He will have a lucky wife someday!

Before he went to school on Thursday, we made a quick stop at the dentist for a checkup and Ben was so good that he got a full cleaning! The dentist scraped the plaque, polished his teeth, and flossed while Ben watched a movie and was curious about everything but totally unbothered by the whole process.

Then on to school to share cupcakes with all his little friends. As you may have noticed, he is the only blonde kid in his class :)

The kids sang happy birthday in English and Mandarin. I missed most of the English song but here's the rest...

Mmm....cupcakes....

Ben's classmates are so cute and well-behaved. Every kid asked for seconds.

That afternoon Ben tried out our new sprinkler, which is strictly for entertainment purposes since our yard can be hand-watered in a few minutes.

Both boys loved it and were naked most of the afternoon playing in the wading pool or just with the hose.

On his actual birthday (Friday), Ben woke up and opened a few presents. He got some books from Grandma and Grandpa and swings for the porch from Grammy and Grumpy, and after all that excitement he didn't ask to open the presents from us so I just put them back in the closet for a rainy day.

Ben loved the musical card from Grandma and Grandpa.

What do you do when the birthday boy asks for a breakfast of cupcakes? Give the kid some cupcakes!

I was going to take him out for lunch and to his favorite playground, but instead Ben just wanted to ride the bus. He was so excited!

We got hot dogs and french fries at Carl's Jr. and caught a double-decker bus home. Now this was one happy boy.

And finally...the big party on Saturday. We had Ben's friends and their parents and some of our friends over for hamburgers and hot dogs, but I'm not sure which of our kids had more fun! Alex LOVED getting attention from so many new faces.

He also talked to his girlfriend Cameron who didn't seem to share his excitement.

Ben and the older kids painted outside and blew bubbles while the 5 crawling babies explored the house. It was quite a houseful!

Ben got into his artwork and had to make several trips to the bathroom to clean up. Thank goodness for washable paints!
Unfortunately I got no pictures of his cake or group shots, but our good friends the Dulaneys took some great pictures so I'll share them whenever we get a look at them. It was an ice cream cake and we didn't have a lot of time to organize before it started melting so we just blew out the candles and started dishing it out.

And in other news this week, Alex has cut his top two teeth and is finally happy again! He's crawling and pulling up everywhere and finding all kinds of new, interesting things at home.

This morning he took quite a knock on the head when he fell on the printer...poor little guy has a big goose egg over his left eye. And look at the remains of that breakfast - it was watermelon, papaya, and a banana pancake before those hungry little hands got a hold of it!

Silly boys playing together. They are so much fun!