Sunday in Singapore

October 28, 2007

Wow! What a Sunday! First of all, it is so good to have Rick home! I missed him so much and am thrilled that he is back to explore Singapore with me!

I also talked with Chelsea this morning (Saturday night there). You may or may not know that this week she was diagnosed with mono and strep throat. She is one sick little girl. You can only imagine how hard it is to be WAY OVER HERE knowing she is so sick. The doctor gave her an antibiotic for the strep but said the only thing to do for mono was REST. If you know Chelsea, you know how active she is and always in the middle of everything. SO this is going to be very hard for her. He told her that if she rested and took care of herself she could be pretty much over mono in four to six weeks! If she didn’t, she could rupture her spleen! She IS trying to rest a lot. She talked to the dean at her college and her professors and they all seem to be sympathetic to her. Pray that they will be patient with late work and missed classes. Chelsea did go to spend the weekend at my sister’s house. She lives about thirty minutes away. I think the change of venue did her a world of good. By the way, today is her 19^th birthday! If you’d like her address, email me and I will give it to you.

Back to our day here. We went to a new church this morning. The name of it was Community of Praise Baptist Church. They have a webpage at www.cpbc.org.sg. It was a great service and an incredible sermon. I hope to tell you more about that tomorrow. The Lord really spoke to me through His word.

After church Rick and walked a couple of blocks to the Great World City mall. We found a nice restaurant to eat at (a little more upscale than the food courts we have been eating in). Rick ordered a “set meal”. That is like a soup, an entrée, rice (of course), and a dessert. His set meal also included JELLYFISH – I tasted it and it was kind of like the kraut salad my mom used to make! I ordered a chicken dish cooked and served in a little clay pot! It was absolutely delicious. They brought Rick’s dessert at the end of the meal – mock bean soup. Yes, it was some kind of beans mashed up with a sort of dumpling (more raw than cooked) in the middle of it. I wanted so much for it to taste like what it looked like – sort of a raspberry pudding. It didn’t. Oh, well, so much for exploring!

After lunch, Rick and I walked around this FOUR story mall and were absolutely amazed. It was so much fun. We didn’t buy anything but, hey, looking is half the fun.

Tonight we are home catching up some email and just resting.

Rick is home!

Rick arrived home about 2:30am Tuesday morning. It was so good to see him and he was wide awake. So we stayed up talking until nearly four. We had a lot of catching up to do since he had seen all of the family and had many greetings! He slept until 8am and then jet lag woke him up. So we got up for awhile and then jet lag hit him again and we took a nap! He can use that jet lag excuse for a while!

About 3pm we finally got out and decided to try out a new mall. Now that he is here we can ride the bus since he can figure out which one to get on. WE went to the mall called Vivo City. It is the largest retail mall of the city – a three story huge shopper’s heaven. And there are stores here you would recognize: GAP, Gloria Jean’s Coffee, Toys R Us, and then some you wouldn’t know. We walked around quite a bit and then decided to eat. There was a “food court” there with many different kinds of Asian food. I settled on something I recognized – fried rice, sweet and sour pork, green beans and honey chicken. It was absolutely delicious. Afterwards, we walked around a little more and found a coffee shop we thought we could relax in. It was nice and the seating was very comfortable. We talked for awhile and then I realized the Rick’s jet lag was kicking in because it was after 6pm. So we found our way out of the mall and to the bus stop.

At home we caught up on a little email and then made a few phone calls to check up on sick family members.

Today (Wednesday) Rick has been to talk to the lawyer about our registration. We are still being processed but seem to be on the final end of it. Keep praying that this will soon be finished so that we can start looking for an office and an apartment. I know that you have already been praying for those two locations so hopefully, as soon as we get the green light, we will find exactly where God wants us.

My birthday

I turned 53 today and proud of it! What a day! You all must have been praying because it was a great day. It started off a little stressed because my alarm didn’t go off. I was meeting my friend, Lisa, at church. I made it there via taxi and was not too late so that was good. We had a great worship service and an even better S.S. class (we went to early service and S.S. after).

Then Lisa took me to a really neat place for lunch. It is called “The Vilage”

It was a very unique restaurant with lots of different things to try. We split a salad and a peppered beef, mushroom, and cheese crepe! AND Watermelon juice. Delicious!

Afterwards we had a pecan praline frappacino from “The Coffee Bean”

The Coffee Bean is a lot like Starbucks (which we also have here) but cheaper. Remember that $6.90 Singapore dollars would be about $4.50 U.S. dollars PLUS Starbucks doesn’t have the Pecan Praline! And after all, it was my birthday!

Lisa and I sat and talked a long time today (just getting to know each other better.) I told her all about my family and she just let me rant on and on about them. I hope she is around when they all come to visit.

We also took in a movie and enjoyed some Singapore shopping!

I wanted to thank you for praying for me on my birthday. It could have been discouraging not to have Rick here (and I do miss him) but Lisa took out a big chunk of her day to make my birthday a special one.

By the way, Rick will be home tomorrow night around 1am. Please pray for him to have a safe and comfortable journey. There’s nothing about a twenty hour flight to look forward to except the fact that you will be home.

I’m sure we will have tons of adventures next week as we start looking for an office. Please pray that we will find one easily and within the company’s price range.

out on the town again

I got my laundry together yesterday to take it in. I had a pretty big bag full. Let me just stop and say right here – please remember to appreciate your washer and dryer today. It is so nice to have them right there in the house with you. So when you go by them today – pat them and say a prayer of thanks that you have this convenience IN your home. I took a taxi to the shopping center where the laundry we found was. It was $27 (about $19 U.S.) worth of laundry. I have to go and pick it up today.

Another couple on our team arrived over the weekend and they were over their jet lag enough yesterday to go exploring with me. I took a taxi to the apartment they are staying in (which by the way was beautiful) and then we took the bus and MRT to a part of town I had not been in. We were looking for a specific store they had heard about and eventually found it. It was good to know, because this is where we will probably get our appliances. We ate at McDonald’s (yes, we have those here) and just walked through the market. There was so much to see.

I got home before 5pm (which is good because the taxi fares go up after that and it is much harder to find a taxi that isn’t hired out already). Got all comfortable in my place and warmed up leftover pizza from Saturday. What a treat.

Only a week before Rick comes home. You can’t imagine how glad I will be to see him. I have really missed him. Thank you for praying me through this time of separation.

Hari Raya

Today is Hari Raya! “Hari Raya” is the Malay term for the Muslim festival of Eid ul-Fitr. It literally means “Day of Celebration”. It is a time to reconcile and renew relationships with others.

During the Muslim month of Ramadan leading up to Hari Raya, it is mandatory for Muslims to fast from dawn to dusk. All Muslims except the young, old or infirmed must fast. This is the celebration of the breaking of that fast. Widely, markets, or “Ramadan bazaars” are held in many areas around the country, where all sorts of traditional Malay delicacies are sold for breaking fast.

On the eve of Hari Raya, Muslims will recite a special phrase in mosques. In some communities, there will be congregations reciting it from house to house. Here, big promotions and price discounts are given at shopping centers. Decorations are hung in public areas and Hari Raya songs will be played throughout the city.

Many people also traditionally return to their hometown generally from big metropolitan cities to rural areas.

Usually on the eve of the celebration, family members, especially mothers and housewives, will be busy preparing food, cakes, sweets, cookies and various delicacies to be served on the day of Hari Raya. Other family members will help in other chores such as decorating and cleaning up the house.

Muslims will attend Eid prayer in the morning and congregate later to meet and greet one another. Once the prayer is done, it is also common to visit the grave of their loved ones. During this visit, they will clean the grave and recite a chapter from the Qur’an. All these are done in hope that their loved ones are blessed by God and they are spared from the punishment of the grave.

The rest of the day is spent visiting relatives or serving visitors. Hari Raya is a very joyous day for children for this is the day where adults are extra generous. During the night, there are often celebrations with sparklers and firecrackers.

In many ways, it is a lot like Christmas!

Hard Rock

The big news is that our company got its application approved yesterday! This is BIG. Now, we can get our employment passes (when Rick gets back) and start looking for an apartment and for an office.

Many of you must have really been praying for me yesterday because I had a GREAT day! The day before was a little depressing so I NEEDED a day out and a friend. Before coming to Singapore I had met Lisa in the states at a conference. We had spent a few days together and knew each other cordially. I had written her when I knew we were coming to Singapore because I knew this part of the world was also her assignment and she lived in Singapore. So… that’s how we knew each other.

Since arriving we had been trying to get together. In fact, we did get together one night. She was one of the girls who took Rick and I to the Chinese gardens that first week we were here. (Of course, Rick and I were in serious jet lag and don’t remember much about that week. Thank goodness we took pictures!) Anyway, Lisa and I planned to meet at a mall yesterday and do some shopping and then go to a movie. That was the plan.

I left the apartment about 1:30 because I had to go to Queensway Plaza Shopping Center to pick up some contact lenses I had ordered. I took a taxi there and got there just fine. There’s not very good “shopping” in that particular mall – it is mostly business type shops (places to get name cards made, trophies, oh, and contacts!) So I left there and got in another taxi. I told him Singapura Mall (which was not correct, but he corrected me by saying – “you mean, Plaza Singapura”. I said yes, that was right. So we drove a little while and he dropped me off at the taxi stand in front of a big mall. I went in and walked around for awhile. Then I decided to have a cup of coffee. At the Haagen Dazs, if you bought one cup of coffee you got the second cup free, so… PLUS Haagen Dazs was at the front door of the mall so this seemed like a good place to meet Lisa. I had bought a Reader’s Digest, so I just sat and enjoyed my coffee and read my Reader’s Digest (the Asian version).

In a while, Lisa called. She had been taking the written driving test here (not easy) and had passed and was ready to celebrate. Where was I? I told her where I was and she said okay, I’ll meet you there. In about thirty minutes, while I was on my second cup of coffee, she called and said that she was by the stores I had said but didn’t see a Haagen Dazs. Come to find out, we were at two different malls. My taxi had dropped me off at Centerpoint Mall – NOT Singapura. Lisa was at Singapura Mall. So I said, sit still and I’ll come to you. I got in the cue at the taxi stand which had a line of about twenty people in it. We were all waiting for a taxi. Luckily it was the time of day when many taxis were coming our way and I got in one about twenty minutes later. I got to Singapura Mall and met Lisa and boy, did we have fun.

Lisa is a big time shopper and she took me to one of her favorite places to shop in Singapore. It is the $2 shop – everything in there is $2 (that would be $1.40 for us). It had some WONDERFUL things and it was really fun trying to figure out what half of it was. It all came from Japan and I have never seen so much stuff. I wish I could have taken a picture. Definitely a place to do stocking stuffers for Christmas!

We had wanted to go to the movie but after looking over what was on, nothing really stood out as something we wanted to spend time seeing. So we decided to go eat instead. Lisa had been wanting to go to the Hard Rock Café here in Singapore but couldn’t find anyone who would go with her. Of course, I’m all for it. Love music and would enjoy some “western world” familiar food. We took a taxi there and the waiter put us right up front, he said, for the concert later. We didn’t pay much attention to that but went on in and sat down and ordered. The food was good (and expensive) but it was all fun. We even shared a delicious dessert. THEN about 9:30 three young men from the Philippines got on stage with their acoustical guitars and began the “concert”. They were absolutely fabulous. They played songs from the 70s (Bread, James Taylor, Eagles, etc) and sang in three part harmony. They sang so smoothly and the guitar “picking” was just fine! Lisa and I sat there mesmerized until about 11:30. After midnight, taxis start getting harder to find so I thought we better hit the road. We left after the second set and there was still one set to go. If Rick had been there we would have stayed for the third set. Oh, well. We did find out that this group called Acoustic Trip is there every Wednesday night and Friday night so we will definitely go back – even if it is just for coffee! What a treat!

So this tired little girl drug in after midnight last night. Had a great time and I know it was because you all were praying. Thanks. I needed that!

On another note, you can check out our company website . You'll have to email me to get that address.

Down with a cold

Well, I believe I have concerned some of you since I have not written over the weekend. Would you believe I caught a head cold and have just not felt like doing much. I am feeling much better today. I managed to get out Saturday and have lunch down at the local coffee shop plus some delicious tiramisu coffee – but I haven’t felt like much else. Today – Monday morning, I am feeling much better. I have been working on my email this morning and was planning to go to town to pick up my contacts. I called the place and they are supposed to call me back when they see if they have come in. They haven’t called yet. It is raining outside anyway, so I may put that off until tomorrow.

Thanks for keeping me in your prayers.

Rick is gone

Rick is gone

It is Friday afternoon here. I got Rick off in a taxi this morning at 3:30am. But so much happened before that. For one thing, things are happening with our registration and we are hoping to have it by the time Rick gets back from his trip to the states (October 5 – 23). AND at 10pm last night we finally got internet service in our apartment! I know it was because so many of you were praying. Now, we can get our email here. I can do research here. We have our Vonage phone hooked up and can call the states anytime (write me and I’ll send you our number. It will cost you minutes on your cell phone but will be free on your land line.) We can also SKYPE on the computer – a phone service through the computers. You can sign up for that free on the internet – if you have a camera on your computer I can even see you! (I don’t have one on mine so you can’t see me!)

After Rick left I called several people in the states (since it was afternoon for them). It was so good to talk to family. Besides that I couldn’t go back to sleep after Rick left. I finally went to bed about 7am this morning and Chelsea woke me up with a phone call at 2:30pm. It was great to just be able to talk to her for as long as we wanted.

Today, I have a sore throat (hope Rick brings back cough drops) so I am staying in. I may make me something hot to drink. Maybe that will help. I know you are all praying for me as Rick is gone. It is going to be a critical time. I was able to get on KLOVE this morning – my favorite radio station. So I have my music playing – no, not Christmas right now – and am about to clean up our place.

Stay in touch.

On My Own

It is hard to believe that it is Thursday already and Rick will be leaving tomorrow. As a matter of fact, he will have to leave our apartment at 3:30am because his flight is at 6am. I have a feeling we will just pull an all nighter tonight since he has to leave so early.

This week we have been doing some shopping for the kids. It seemed necessary to send them something from here on Rick’s first trip back. He will see them either this weekend or next since he will be in the Nashville area. He may even get to BBC on one of those Sundays so watch for him if you are in B’ville.

Me, I will be on my own. It will take everything in me to get me out of that apartment without Rick around. I am NOT so adventuresome without him. We are supposed to have internet in our apartment starting tomorrow, but we will see. I do HAVE to go pick up my contacts at the Queensway Plaza on Monday. And I really want to go to the National Library (although I can’t actually check out any books unless I have an employment pass!) It helps to know that you all are praying for me during this period.

Rick and I are meeting with the Singapore Board of BGR this morning to finalize the “Business Plan” to present to the government. This may help with the process. Another thing that I KNOW you will be praying about.

Hopefully, the next time you hear from me will be from our apartment! By the way, I am on FACEBOOK if any of you are.

Playing Christmas Music?

Today is the second day of October and I am enjoying Christmas music again this morning! Rick is looking for me some speakers for my computer to make the music a little more clear and loud! One of my friends from BBC also made me a DVD of a Julie Andrews Christmas show he loved so I am looking forward to watching that while Rick is on his trip.

For Christmas last year, Rick bought me a set of DVDs called “Film Noir”. They are old black and white movies like “The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers” (starring Barbara Stanwyck) and “Quicksand” (starring Mickey Rooney). There are 18 movies in all – about an hour and a half each – but they are a good treat at the end of the day. Last weekend we bought a new television and it is being delivered today. In fact, the men are here now “installing” it. It will make watching the movies even better. PLUS we will have a Singapore channel that will surely give us more clues about this culture.

Last night we went to a new mall. It was three floors. The first floor was clothes and optical shops (yes, that’s right). The second floor was clothes and some food stalls. The third floor was all printing companies. Rick went there to get some name cards made up. They did it in about 30 minutes and they did a great job. He will go back there, I’m sure to have the company stamp made.

Afterwards we went to the grocery store across the street called “Cold Storage”. Some prices of food you might be interested in:

Ground beef – $5.91 per pound

Chicken breasts – $3.81 per pound

Smart Start cereal – $7.03

Can of corn – $1.24

Can of black beans – $1.53

Can of kidney beans - $1.24

1 liter of skim milk - $1.22

Can of stewed tomatoes - $1.32

Lb. of cheddar cheese - $8.75

Can of chicken broth - $1.24

Bottle of Ranch dressing - $1.96

For those of you who have asked what you can send me, I have come up with a short list. These things could be mailed in an envelope.

Taco seasoning

Chili seasoning

Ranch dressing mix

Crystal light or sugar free Kool-Aid

As you can see, things are pretty expensive here. We can eat cheaply at the “hawker centers” but all of those involve RICE. I love rice, don’t get me wrong. But my body can’t metabolize rice very quickly. Besides, I am hoping to get back on my Weight Watcher diet on Friday – when Rick leaves.

Yes, I know you are already praying for the days when I am here in Singapore by myself. It should be quite an adventure. Rick will be gone October 5 – 23. If you still want my address, just let me know. This may be a great time for encouraging cards and letters!

Continue to pray that our internet service will be turned on by Friday. That is when it is supposed to be on and it will really be a blessing to have it here in the apartment rather than having to walk down to the local coffee shop that has free internet service for its customers.

Also, remember to pray for our company’s registration. Rick has a meeting on Thursday concerning the registration. He has been busy writing a business profile that will hopefully help in the registration.

Looking forward to hearing from many of you in the coming days.