HOLY CRAP, IT’S APRIL???

How did 4 months of 2014 get away from us like that?! I guess we’ve been busier than we give ourselves credit for!

Let’s see, what have we been up to…

1. We moved house….AGAIN! That makes a total of 5 places in 5 years for P+E. As we may have mentioned a few times, our first (brand new) condo in Singapore had mushrooms growing out of the floor…so we decided to bail. Our new condo is so pretty and bright and clean and mushroom-free.

The pool is to die for…and we’ve been taking major advantage of it + trying to shave off a few of these Singapounds we’ve gained.

2. Esme went back to Hong Kong for a week of work…followed immediately by…

3. …a visit from Mom + Dad Wilson! We actually timed it so I could meet them for their layover at the Hong Kong airport and fly to Singapore together. Seeing them at the gate felt a little like a scene out of a movie…I definitely got a little weepy. It was so great to see them and show them this crazy place we call home.

4. We all went to Bali! That trip deserves its own post. More to come.

5. Things started to get SUUUPER crazy at work for both of us…hence the radio silence. More to come on that, too.

We’ve started to get more comfortable here. We’ve met some really nice people and seen some pretty awesome things. And now that things have calmed down a bit, we promise we’ll be better at sharing them.

Until next time,

P+E

Turning the Corner in 2014

2013 is a wrap! What a year, right?  I’ve been thinking a lot about the latter part of the year and wanted to put a few thoughts and memories down so I never forget how it felt to pick up our lives and move clear across the world. It’s taken me a couple months to write about it because a. it took a while to really sink in, b. I didn’t want to alarm my parents – my mom was already losing sleep – and c. I didn’t want the blog to seem like a place for complaining. I hoped it would (eventually) be a happy place where we share our travels, observations and favorite things. I wanted the sadness to pass before I talked about the really bad parts. But it’s important to remember how we feel at every stage of this journey…not just during the highs or vacations. So here it is! The real story of first time expats!

It was a hard, hard first three months. When we first arrived, our move didn’t ever feel REAL. We were living in a hotel, eating out every meal, sending out our laundry and living off a credit card, like we were on an extended vacation. Once we got the keys to our apartment, the empty stomach feelings began. We were REALLY doing it. We weren’t going home. One of the things that surprised me the most was how I could go from completely loving it to completely HATING it in a matter of minutes. I’d have a great meeting at work and think “YES! I can make a difference here!” or I’d be pleasantly walking under beautiful, trees with giant leaves and vines thinking “I live in the JUNGLE! THIS IS AMAZING!”….then without a moment’s notice, someone would shoulder check me (seemingly deliberately) because I was walking on the wrong side of the sidewalk (or because I don’t look like I’m from the area…or both). And I’d instantly have an internal meltdown. I’d sink back into the completely lonely, completely uncomfortable place I tried to avoid on a daily, sometimes hourly, basis. The little voice in the back of my head that reminded me “you are very small in an unfamiliar world without a friend in sight.”

We thought that if we kept ourselves busy enough, we wouldn’t think about how homesick we were or how much we miss our friends, $5 beers and California English. But no matter how many pretty walks we took, or pep talks we gave each other, the homesickness had definitely set in. Deep.

The food was the first big difference with an even bigger impact. Just about everything I ate would make me ill. I’m sure you all were placing bets on how long the lactose and MSG-intolerant girl with a shellfish allergy could go without becoming violently sick. The answer is about 3 hours. I went to our neighborhood clinic a couple of times for parasite medication and antihistamine shots and quickly decided I would be a “travelling vegetarian”. I’m not against eating meat. I love it. I can’t imagine cutting it out completely. But by process of elimination, meat seemed to be the source of the parasites, rashes & pain. So I only eat meat very selectively and, most likely, not at all when we travel.  So far, it’s working really well. I hardly ever have hives anymore! YES!

The Thanksgiving holiday was extremely tough, both because it’s a favorite of ours and it was our first holiday away. Seeing all the photos of our friends and family was both comforting and deeply saddening at the same time. Good piece of advice, expats—don’t stay in Singapore during the Holidays. We are so glad we decided to get out of town for a few days over Christmas. I think it was the best thing we could have done for our well-being.

Word to the wise…just because you rent a shiny new condo, that does not in any way mean it will be problem-free. Singapore slaps up condos so fast that it will make your head spin! And we just happened to pick a beautiful, brand new lemon. If I could have a frank conversation with four-months-ago-me, I’d recommend that she look for a condo that has seen at least one resident. That way, the kinks are all ironed out before you move in. Older condos offer more space, but not as many bells and whistles. A gym and a pool are necessities. Must be walkable and close to a train.

Three important words of advice I just received from a new expat friend — Don’t Say No. Whenever anyone asks you to hang out, even if you don’t know him/her well…DO IT. Even if you’re tired, not interested, shy, lazy…just say Yes. Worst case scenario, you see a new neighborhood, take a cool photo, have a drink out somewhere new & meet someone new (most likely in the same boat). For the first few weeks, I was not in the right mindset to be around people. I was in my little introvert hole and wanted to wear sweatpants every day. Yes, even in 100 degree weather. But now, I must say YES.

I was holding off on this blog entry until I had out stronger on the other side. I’m so glad I did. We’re not 100%, but we’re feeling better each day. Yes, it is hard to pick up your whole life and move clear across the world. It is hard not knowing how to open a bank or mobile phone account, not knowing when your personal items will arrive so you can cook again and have more than 3 pairs of shoes in your closet. It is especially hard not knowing anyone outside of work and being 16 hours, and $3.00 a minute, away from a friendly voice. But it does get easier. Places start to look familiar. Food is easier to digest 🙂

& whenever I’m blue, I remember Pete and I have each other. I also think about what Carly told us when she came to say goodbye – “just remember what an amazing opportunity this is, and whenever you feel sad, just tell yourselves how lucky you are.”

ALBUMS OF THE YEAR, 2013

Hi friends, Pete here. I may or may not have promised that I’d represent this year’s Albums of the Year post with dancing Carlton Banks GIFs. Oops…sorry about that. It was mostly intended as a joke, an indictment of the Buzzfeedification of the Internet. But yeah I do love Carlton Banks (fun fact, my brother can dance just like him) so next time? In the interim please accept words about albums & links to songs from those albums that I loved really bad in 2013.

Please enjoy & feel free to disregard the limitations of the volume knob for a few minutes.

Your Singapore Pal,
Pete

20. <The Dodos – Carrier>

I’ve been a Dodos fan since they were known as Dodo Bird & played little clubs around SF as a two piece. How two dudes could blow the roof off a place so thoroughly still impresses me – Meric Long & Logan Kroeber have amazing stage presence, to say the least. Their last few records have been pretty solid but in all honesty they didn’t stick with me. It seemed like they took a few calculated risks that panned out well but nothing that really grabbed my attention. I like the Dodos, so a new record is something I’ll pick up & listen to a handful of times then put on the shelf. Carrier, however, has regained some of the staying power that made 2007’s Visiter one of my favorite records of that year.

>>Recommended Tracks: “The Current” // “Confidence”

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19 <Bleeding Rainbow – Yeah Right>

I can’t quite explain why I like this record so much – on the surface it doesn’t feel particularly memorable, but there’s something that kept bringing me back. It’s best two songs probably had a lot to do with that. Just a really solid punk-influenced fuzz rock record with well-crafted atmospheric boy/girl harmonies.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Waking Dream” // “Drift Away”

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18. <White Fence – Cyclops Reap>

If you’ve ever wondered what it would’ve sounded like had Syd Barrett wound up squatting in the Haight-Ashbury district post-Pink Floyd, this record is your answer. I can’t even begin to convey just how much has changed in SF since 1971, but viewed through White Fence’s kaleidoscope the city seems like it hasn’t aged a day. This record is more a stumble through the Tenderloin with a guy off his meds than an afternoon trip up to Hippy Hill where the dudes around the drum circle are more interested than talking about their startups than dropping LSD.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Pink Gorilla” // “Chairs in the Dark” **********

17. <The Strokes – Comedown Machine>

In truth, I haven’t really liked a Strokes record this much since “Is This It.” No, this probably isn’t their best record since their now classic debut, but for me it may be the most interesting. From the opening hook of the record – which feels like Gloria Estefan covering “Bootylicious” – they keep it interesting. The Strokes really know now to stay in the sandbox (for better or worse), & it works well here. By the way, how does Julian Casablancas still look like a cherubic man child? Give that dude a skincare show where he shares his moisturizing tips (drink a bunch of whiskey, do a little heroin?).

>>Recommended Tracks: “Chances” // “One Way Trigger”

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16. <Deerhunter – Monomania>

Every red-blooded American at some point in their life – however brief – becomes fascinated with the ‘Rebel Without a Cause’ mythology. Live fast, die young, speak your peace & never hold your tongue. Brandon Cox is apparently into his motorcycles & black leather jackets & loud dirty guitars phase. Coming from a dude who has always been shy & awkward & a bit careful, Monomania is a big step & has him finally emerging from his shell to embrace his inner rock star.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Monomania” // “Pensacola”

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15. <Diarrhea Planet – I’m Rich Beyond Your Wildest Dreams>

They may have arguably the most unfortunate band name in music, but that’s by design. Tastelessness is a staple of punk, & there’s definitely something about this record. It’s got some of the same qualities that made albums like Weezer’s blue album & Green Day’s “Dookie” so irresistible to me as a kid. This is a record my 14 year old self would’ve listened to on the way to school every single day for six months. It’s got all the aggro windmill guitars & amp jumping glory a kid could ever want. I can’t verify this scientifically but I’d estimate that Diarrhea Planet has no fewer than five guitarists. It’s not all aggro – these guys know when to pull back & shout an anthem. It’s just that they can’t resist one (or two) over-the-top solos every song. All the right punk influences are here, & you’re likely to run out of fingers counting.

>>Recommended Tracks: “The Sound of My Ceiling Fan” // “Separations”

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14. <Kurt Vile – Wakin on a Pretty Daze>

Move over, Rocky Balboa statue & Liberty Bell – Kurt Vile has ascended to the throne in Philly. Were it not for the untimely demise of Jay Reatard (who more encompasses the classic ‘double middle fingers’ Philly attitude in my book), Vile might never have become the godfather of such a vibrant music scene. But his aw shucks-yness is good for the city that loves you back. He seems like the kind of guy everyone wants to hang out with. Though Vile doesn’t, as they say, touch the stuff, he’s just like your big brother’s stoner friend in high school who managed to be arguably the most popular dude in school by cracking wise & generally playing it cool, getting along with jocks & nerds alike. Just by listening to Kurt Vile, you find yourself actively rooting for him somehow. I can’t think of another musician who makes you feel like that these days. We’d all love to hang out with the guy, & I like to think that, were we to all have the chance to meet him, he’d be down to chill for a few.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Wakin on a Pretty Day” // “KV Crimes”

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13. <Thee Oh Sees – Floating Coffin>

A friend of ours recently confessed to us that she used to have a huge crush on this scrappy tattooed dude who spent a good chunk of every day perched at the coffee shop around the corner from her place in the Lower Haight. This was back in the mid-00s, but the crux of the story is that she later came to find out that this dude was John Dwyer. Lower Haight has always made a lot of sense as Dwyer’s scene – it has traditionally had the right kind of grit & is away from the buzz of the Mission while being close enough to walk to it. But Floating Coffin is not Of the Haight. It sounds more like it oozed from the pipes in the creepy subterranean music cave beneath the Li Po Lounge, the amicable but terrified bar staff occasionally lowering sacrificial Mai Tais to the whooping monster living below the faint din of Chinatown, consistently drawing up an increasingly scratched & slashed dumbwaiter. This record is a gnashing, snarling beast born & bred in – & not yet priced out of – San Francisco.

>>Recommended Tracks: “I Come From the Mountain” // “Strawberries 1 + 2”

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12. <Run the Jewels – Run the Jewels>

When El-P & Killer Mike get together, you know you’re gonna get something amazing. In fact, my biggest complaint about this record is that it isn’t on Rdio (meaning anytime I want to listen to it, I head to youtube & stream the full record there). When you put these guys on a track together you’re going to wind up with something that sounds like hyperactive, irreverent 808 soul getting knifed in an alley. Then you can expect that bloody knife to wind up stuck through an anti-corporate screed – in Buzzfeed-style listicle form – on the police station door around the corner. Run the Jewels is the kind of record that can make a sample of a dolphin squeaking seem menacing, & yes, the good humor truck has been outfitted with 24” rims & instructed to just circle the block for an hour. I’ve never smiled through so many threats to bodily harm in my life. It’s a fun menace of a record.

>>Recommended Tracks: “36 Inch Chain” // “Job Well Done”

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11. <HAIM – Days Are Gone>

It’s gonna sound totally backhanded for me to say this, but HAIM has a very Wilson Phillips-meets-Shania Twain vibe going on here. This is a sleek, hooky record that you won’t be able to stop humming even if you tried. But why fight it? It’s an inevitably dorky thing to start a family band & tour the countryside, but they’re not sponsored by Disney (yet?) so don’t label this a guilty pleasure record. The Haim sisters have been playing music together since they were little kids (just like Hanson — OOOH BURN), so this is not the work of some big name record producer & a bunch of career session musicians. Show a little respect. Honestly, it’s a really, really good record.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Falling” // “The Wire”

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10. <Sonny & the Sunsets – Antenna to the Afterworld>

I’ve never really loved a Sonny & the Sunsets record before this one. What changed? I’m not sure but it may be (at least in part) some sort of a nostalgic trigger on account of our move to the clear other side of the world. The other ones were also really boring in comparison. Antenna to the Afterworld is a celebration of the weird Mission-y-ness of San Francisco circa about the mid-2000s. I distinctly remember walking down to the Mission the first time from my big, dirty victorian off Divisadero to meet a friend at Muddy Waters. The coffee was terrible & the place was full of flies, but there were a ton of weirdos everywhere. I mean that in the best way possible – that was why I moved to SF, & seeing a confluence of strange people dressed interestingly was glorious to behold. This is Sonny’s San Francisco – no gleam, just weird dirty daydreams. In a way he’s SF’s Jonathan Richman, & the Sunsets its Modern Lovers. This record is an irresistible sloppy mess of a portrait of life in the rent controlled flats & artist lofts of SF’s veteran musicians, poets, freaks & burners. It’s weird freak folk with bounce, ever trailed by a cloud of playa dust (but not at all in a “clown-funk band” kinda way). A super fun record.

>>Recommended Tracks:  “mutilator” // “path of orbit”

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9. <No Joy – Wait to Pleasure>

This Montreal two-piece has managed to craft the perfect blend of postpunk & shoegaze (postgaze?) in music right now. Wait to Pleasure has got drive, drone, reverb & a pulse that constantly hovers between “impending wolf attack” & “the boat is slowly sinking & there’s no land in sight.” In fact, my biggest problem with No Joy is that they aren’t putting out at least one record per year.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Hare Tarot Lies” // “Lizard Kids”

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8. <Daft Punk – Random Access Memories>

From the first moment Daft Punk unleashed “Get Lucky” on the world, it was obvious that this was to be a boon to the wedding DJ industry. Let’s face it – the song is destined to be paired with “We Are Family” for years to come. And though you think its a side effect of Random Access Memories that your middle-aged aunt has taken to using it as the soundtrack to downing a few glasses of wine & dancing around the kitchen, that’s actually the intention. Everything that can be said about this record already has been, but the fact remains that it’s a brilliant future space disco opus. If Daft Punk’s ultimate goal was to become the house band on an interstellar cruise ship headed for the outer bands of the Milky Way, you best buy a ticket now before your aunt snags the last one.

>>Recommended Tracks:  “Instant Crush (feat. Julian Casablancas)” // “Lose Yourself to Dance (feat. Pharrell Williams)”

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7. <Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City>

Vampire Weekend has inspired more than a few unconscious, dramatic eyerolls from me. And yes, that happened at times here (for example, at the end of “Finger Back”? Ughhhhhhhkfhkdshfkjds). But that caricature of band as running soundtrack to stylish urban hipsters sipping artisan cocktails over a plate of charcuterie is 2-dimensional & a bit unfair. Although they’ve been pigeonholed as the running soundtrack to Wes Andreson’s oeuvre, Vampire Weekend are far more dynamic than the precious, gleaming urban prepster image they tend to generate & with each successive album the grit shines through a bit more. Personally, I can’t wait for the cracks to become more pronounced – by about album #5 these guys will suddenly get REAL about life’s big problems, & that’s gonna be an exciting moment for music. As it stands, this record is an adventurous musical journey – there honestly isn’t one song that isn’t great on it, even though it’s got a bit more sheen than I’d like at times.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Ya Hey” // “Obvious Bicycle”

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6. <Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You>

Are people starting to feel weird about loving everything that Neko Case does? Because I kind of am. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve got a weird sense of nepotism about her. Am I a fanboy? What does it all mean? With Neko Case, sometimes you need to take a step back for a second & realize that you like like her so much because every record she makes somehow manages to get more strange, mystical, challenging & personal than the previous one. Though having seen her live a bunch of times, there’s one thing that confuses me. The crowd at Neko Case shows has slowly grown to a higher percentage of women over time. When I saw her just before Fox Confessor Brings The Flood came out (at Bimbo’s 365 in North Beach), the show was probably like 55% women to 45% men. Not 5 years later (Middle Cyclone tour at The Warfield) it was about 85% to 15%. What happened? Was there something about that record that tipped the scales? Genuinely confused. But in any event, this is a brilliant record as usual.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Night Still Comes” // “Where Did I Leave That Fire”

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5. <Unknown Mortal Orchestra – II>

Man, we’ve got the blown out lo-fi White Album thing going on here, big time. Maybe I’m a sucker for this stuff (yes, yes I am) but I’m really digging the nouveau psych rock revival that’s been happening these past few years, & Unknown Mortal Orchestra manages to fall on the noodly guitarwork side of that particular mountain. But there’s menace in some of these hooks, & moments that feel downright sinister, like hungry demons gnawing just below your kneecaps.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Swim & Sleep (Like a Shark)” // “Faded in the Morning”

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4. <Phosphorescent – Muchacho>

I’ve loved Phosphorescent for the better part of a decade & never missed a show of theirs the entire time I lived in the Bay Area, so it’s really amazing witnessing Mathew Houck’s evolution from a regular dude crafting overwrought southern backyard anguish pop to country rock drifter. But this isn’t Willie Nelson’s tour bus slowly-but-surely driving past rolling countryside stuff. Much of what is represented here is rooted in an extended stay in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula, so it’s more like Dylan & The Band’s “Goin’ to Acapulco” (or easterly shades of that). Yes, his heart is still wrapped in kudzu (what is that? why, it’s the invasive Japanese vine currently choking the vast majority of the forgotten American southeast) but Houck isn’t fighting it or surrendering to it. He’s tamed it, groomed it, become one with it & used it to his advantage. Muchacho is a remarkably mature, fun record.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Ride On / Right On” // “Muchacho’s Tune”

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3. <Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt>

It’s easy to blithely point at artists these days & slap some sort of 90s revivalist label on them, but just because something sounds plugged in & fuzzed out, yet occasionally muted, does not a grunge-influence make. This is a sort of DIY Philly punk/K Records Olympia riot grrrl hybrid – think Kathleen Hanna meets Mirah – but often flashing the kind of magnetism The Breeders flexed in their prime. This record is a lazy river that occasionally rushes through rapids, spinning off into wild whirlpools & veering into mucky swampy cul-de-sacs full of unknown bottom dwellers that brush up against your legs as you’re flung into them. It alternates between pleasant floating, dangerous rocks & an uneasy feeling that you could be dragged to the bottom at any moment. You brought a cooler full of beer, but it sank awhile back. You’re still a little drunk, but your senses are heightened because you may drown here today. Intense, yeah. It’s a bit of a slow build but once Cerulean Salt gets its hooks into you, you’re gonna sink with it. Time & again this record left me wanting to hear more (repeat back-to-back listens is tough to achieve), & yes, I’m stoked to see what she’ll do next.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Misery Over Dispute” // “Peace and Quiet”

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2. <Parquet Courts – Light Up Gold>

Like a mousetrap for the Slanted & Enchanted among us. Light Up Gold had some massive staying power for me throughout the year. Oddly enough, I was intensely drawn to it until we up & moved to Singapore. There’s something about this record that doesn’t mesh as well with life in Southeast Asia. Parquet Courts are basically a bunch of smart, stoned slackers with liberal arts degrees laying down hooks over clever wordplay & capturing it all with lo-fi recording methods. Ahh, I figured it out. Clever wordplay & sarcastic overtones. Those are both things that don’t really translate too well here. If you’re into classic college radio rock of the early/mid 90s you can’t really go wrong here.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Stoned and Starving” // “Borrowed Time”

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1. <Arcade Fire – Reflektor>

OK, here we go: No matter what you say in favor of Reflektor there will be passionate detractors speaking against it. Ditto vice versa. Everyone has a strong opinion here, & that’s really what we need to remember. In fact, even the ‘Meh’ crowd seem to somehow be *passionately meh* about this record. I guess you could say the same for Kanye’s effort this year (everybody’s talking about it…I’m not a fan, but then again I’ve never been big on him). As for Reflektor, why would anyone expect a band at the peak of its creative capacity do anything but make a left turn here? They won a Grammy for chrissakes. It makes perfect sense, & while it may not cater to the whims of Arcade Fire’s fan base one thing is for certain; they have never been more interesting as a band. AF’s embrace of more dancey grooves can feel at times like an awkward embrace. Like at the beginning of “Normal Person” when Win Butler mutters “do you like rock n’ roll music? Cuz I’m not sure if I do” (ugh, high shoulders). This is a record that should be rewarded for its adventurousness. After all, surely there must’ve been a cadre of music critics panning “London Calling” for being too scattershot back in 1979. “Punk & dance can’t mix!” they cried, “it’s like oil & water!” Nonsense, stop focusing on the more off-putting elements & in time they will draw you in.

>>Recommended Tracks: “Joan of Arc” // “It’s Never Over (Hey Orpheus)”

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We’re still here!

Hi friends! Sorry for the silence. It’s been a very busy month for us. Here’s a quick update on what we’ve been up to lately:

1. Esme went to Hong Kong for work. It was a whirlwind week, but some sights were seen.

2. It’s rainy season in Singapore. Which means heavy rains at least once a day…sometimes for a whole day straight! It’s like living in Seattle again…but times 20!

3. We found mushrooms growing out of our floor! Yep…it IS as disgusting as it sounds. Apparently, our brand new building was really crappily-made, and the heavy rains are corroding the stucco on the external wall and leaking into our dry wall. There’s now mold and fungus coming up out of the floor! We’re in the process of trying to move out, but stringent laws make it really difficult to do so here. HOPEFULLY it’s resolved by the new year, but it’s looking like it’s going to be a lengthy process. Can we JUST get settled here, PLEASE??

4. Meanwhile, Pete’s dad came for a visit. Great timing, we know! We were able to escape the mushroom farm for a few days to George Town, Penang in Malaysia. It was an enlightening experience, in many ways. We will share some more pics very soon.

5. Next week, we’re headed to Phuket for Christmas! Neither of us has ever been to Thailand so we’re extra excited! We’re so looking forward to a relaxing, beautiful getaway.

6. p.s., Listening to A Charlie Brown Christmas in 90 degree weather is weird.

We will start using this space to share with y’all more frequently. Now that we’re getting into a routine, we’ll carve out more time for writing and sharing. Until next time, enjoy yourselves!

Love,

P+E

Singapore Art Museum

Last weekend, we took a little trip to the Singapore Art Museum. Sadly, our cameras were still on the slow boat to Singapore, so we’ll have to go back for better photos. Have a look.

The special exhibit was our favorite by far. It’s hard to do it justice with an iphone, but hopefully you can kinda tell how cool it is. Basically, this interactive diorama is a room full of motion sensor holograms depicting various Japanese festival scenes and activities. As you walk between and move around the holograms, they sing, yell, dance and play instruments. We loved it.

 

Happy First Day of Work, Pete!

& Happy Fall, everyone! We loved living vicariously through you and seeing all the fun Halloween costumes over the weekend. It’s a balmy 84 degrees here today…Not fall-like at all!

Today marks Pete’s first day back to work! After one quick month off, Pete found a job at Bite, a global communications consultancy. He’s so glad to be back in the saddle and out of the tiny condo every day. Thank you for all your positive thoughts and crossed fingers, and thanks to our pal Molly for making the connection! Now that the pesky (albeit thankfully quick) job search is done, we can’t wait to start enjoying Asia!

Gardens by the Bay

We’ve been super busy doing super boring things around our new home. Setting up shop is taking all of our free time! But since it was a special occasion weekend, we took a break from Ikea and got outdoors.

It was Pete’s birthday (Happy 35th!!) on Sunday and we had ourselves a little Singapore adventure.

We’ve seen some pretty amazing architecture since we’ve been here, but the single most totally bonkers thing to-date is the grove of sixteen story-tall solar-powered trees at Gardens by the Bay, a park situated on 100 hectares of reclaimed coastal land. Undoubtedly, the thing to do is visit after dark when Supertree Grove is glowing pink and green. But even in the daylight, these trees are absolutely spectacular!

Our cameras are still en route, so all photos are via iPhone until November. But you get the idea…these things are CRAZY!

Along with the supertrees, there are also two giant, modern (and air-conditioned) domes and many many acres of flora, fauna and wildlife. We spent about 3 hours with our necks crooked 90 degrees. We toured the Cloud Forest dome, a simulated high-altitude rain forest.

View of the cloud forest from the ground below.

The cloud forest boasts the world’s tallest indoor waterfall, with 7 internal floors of interactive exhibits and indigenous plant life from tropical highlands

Stunning architecture aside, the entire park is carbon-neutral and showcases some pretty amazing interactive features for park-goers. It was such a great day. We’ll definitely go back at night with our out-of-towners.

Home Sweet Home

HI FRIENDS!!

Two-and-a-half weeks down, and we’re settling in quite happily. Esme loves her new job, office, co-workers and commute. Pete is networking and meeting people (and friendly stray cats) everywhere. It’s actually really helped to have one partner at “home” to take care of the day-to-day while the other starts up at a new job. Every night, we look forward to our walk along the river and dinner together after a long, hot day. Singapore is growing on us very quickly.

We’re one weekend away from moving into our new apartment! While our hotel has been great and we have really taken a liking to it, we’re ready to get settled into our more permanent home. Whether it’s the touristy neighborhood – or the fact that we have a front desk & need to use a keycard to get everywhere – it feels very temporary.

We went to our condo earlier this week to take measurements for furniture. GEEZ it’s so much smaller than we remembered! It’s a one bedroom with a huge deck and a very small everything else. But it’s brand new, modern and centrally-located.

During our scouting trip in August, we looked at 10 different properties. In ONE DAY. Needless to say, it was very overwhelming. It gave us a very good sense of where we wanted to live, as expats (there is a difference, as we will explain in subsequent posts). We saw beautiful, gigantic apartments in 40-story high rises. We saw older, dated condominiums. We saw a shop house that in San Francisco we would’ve taken in a second. But after all the (soul) searching and feeling like we were on House Hunters International, we went for the place that felt most like we would be an active part of the city we are borrowing.

We decided to lease this particular property because of its proximity to shops, restaurants, activities and Esme’s office. As much as we loved our place, our last year in Oakland was spent driving to eat, shop and BART, so it was very important for us to feel like we would be totally okay on foot. And in case we haven’t made it clear, the sticker shock here in Singapore is very real (we thought the Bay Area was steep!). We knew we would have to give up a little bit of space, but the downsize is still a bit of a shock. Since it will be just the two of us 90% of the time, we’re up for the challenge of living small.

We get the keys on Monday and will post lots of BEFORE pics.

p.s., we miss all of you very, very much!

Lion City, Week #1

Its our fifth day in Singapore & we’re just now starting to feel adjusted & slightly settled in. The first few days were a blur of weird sleeping patterns, hotel room hopping & stumbling into restaurants with food amazing enough to overcome their extremely awkward soundtrack selections. 

 

Let’s just say that Singapore is really clinging to the early 90s schlock pop movement a little too hard. Great news for fans of Michael Bolton & Celine Dion…not so great for the rest of us. On the bright side, sometimes you do hear a Hall & Oates song (though it’ll be a smooth jazz cover version).

 

About the food; it’s a big step up from the last two years in West Oakland, especially in terms of good, diverse fare in spitting distance. In five days we’ve had Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Persian, Australian, & Singaporean (chicken rice – the country’s national dish). 

 

For the most part, food is very affordable. Booze, however, is prohibitively expensive. Our first impression is that Singapore isn’t a city for craft beer lovers, & the cocktail scene is pretty one dimensional. If we want beer, we’re going to have to learn to love Tiger, Kronenberg or Carlsberg. Granted, we’re talking about one neighborhood, but that’s about all we’ve found on tap nearby. As for cocktails, they love shooters and fruity drinks. The artisanal drinks with seasonal ingredients thing…not so much. No reports on the sake situation yet, but that’s something we’re looking forward to diving into a bit more.

 

We’re staying in a neighborhood called Robertson Quay (pronounced “key”), situated along the Singapore River. It’s a vibrant neighborhood with tons of runners, dog walkers & young expat families out enjoying the river at all hours. We stayed nearby when we visited in August & noticed several new restaurants, bars & cafes that have opened up in the month since. There are enough options that even another two weeks in our hotel likely won’t give us enough time to try them all.

 

We haven’t done as much exploring as we thought we would in our first several days here, thanks to a wicked cold that took out my weekend (that 28 hour travel day was a doozy). But there is plenty of time for that.

 

Esme starts work in the morning & I kick my job search into high gear. Wish us luck!

Is This Real Life?

We’re ONE week away from our big move to Singapore and it’s finally sinking in that WE ARE MOVING TO ASIA!

Even when we were there three weeks ago searching for our new home, it didn’t feel real. It felt like a very short – and very hot – vacation. But come September 24^th, there’s no turning back!

Understandably, we’ve been getting lots of questions from friends and family. How did this opportunity come about? Will Pete have a job? Where will you live? Do they speak English in Singapore?

So, to start with the easy one – Yes, Singaporeans speak very good English, among other languages like Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese… and Australian. 🙂

The opportunity to move kind of came out of the blue. I never expected to be moving to Asia and I feel very fortunate and grateful. I will be transferring to LS&Co.’s Asia HQ to support our Asia Pacific business. If all goes well, I will be there for a two-year assignment. I’m not 100% sure exactly what the job entails yet, but I will let you know as soon as I do.

Unfortunately, Pete’s affiliate office in Singapore has no open positions right now, so he will be hitting the pavement and looking for a new job as soon as we arrive. He’s been looking online and networking, but we all know it’s much easier to find a job when you’re “on the ground.” While it’s super stressful to move to the other side of the world without a job, the job market is strong and we’re confident his skill set – and resourcefulness – will bode well in helping him find something quickly. Keep your fingers crossed for us just in case, k?

As I mentioned, we visited in August to search for a new place to live. Luckily, on our last day in Singapore we found a fantastic place in a very central part of the city. We can’t wait to see the condo again as “ours” and start moving in (around October 15^th)! Hotel Johnson should be open for business as soon as December!

We’ll definitely be answering all your burning questions (including the ones you don’t yet know you have) throughout our time there. There is a lot to discover, both in Singapore and throughout Southeast Asia, and we can’t wait to share our experiences with you all!