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.
