DECEMBER HAPPENINGS

Sugar is relaxed and ready for Christmas!

My friend Moni (the girl in the center) is moving to the Middle East after Christmas so we had a little going away party for her!

Dinner in the street at LaPauSat with Alan and his kids Alex and Sophie who were visiting from Oregon for Christmas

Sugarcane juice is pretty good! He feeds the long stalks of sugarcane into a juicer and pours it over ice. Our favorite is still the fresh lime juice; Wes drinks it by the gallon!

December was a very busy month, winding down the rugby and baseball games and gearing up for final exams. Shelby and I attended an Indian wedding reception for his coworker Govind and wife Lakshmi who married in September in India. The reception was held in Singapore on Dec 20th and was a lot of fun-very colorful and interesting to observe the couple among their family and friends. We enjoyed a pre-Christmas dinner with friends, celebrated our family Christmas on the 21st, and are now headed to South Africa tonight to spend Christmas with the animals! Looking forward to a few days at a game reserve followed by a week in Cape Town. Merry Christmas and Happy Kwanzaa to you and yours!

MENU IN THAILAND

Shelby and I ate lunch at this cafe in Koh Samui, and just cracked up at the breakfast menu posted nearby. How many spelling errors can YOU find? :)

KOH SAMUI, THAILAND

The day after Thanksgiving, instead of hitting all the Black Friday sales as I would back in the states, Shelby and I boarded an early morning flight to Koh Samui, Thailand via Bangkok Airways. Wes and Kasey had already made plans to go on the Young Life retreat in Telunas (Indonesia), so we felt like a beach vacation would suit us just fine! Koh Samui is the third largest island in Thailand, with beautiful white sand beaches that reminded us of Destin, Florida.
Koh Samui lies in the Gulf of Thailand and is a mere eight degrees north of the equator. We lucked out with the weather and had intense sunshine with not a drop of rain from Friday to Monday. We really had no plans at all except to lie on the beach and read, which is exactly what we did!

There was a beautiful orchid display at the Bangkok International Airport

Sunset in Koh Samui

Swimming pool and beachfront at the Renaissance Hotel

The water was very calm with little or no waves

One day they were trimming the palm trees on the property and this guy shimmied up the palm tree outside of our room and proceeded to cut down some leaves, then shimmied right back down as if it were no big deal! We were kind of fascinated watching him at work!

Went out for some seafood at the hotel restaurant. We shared a grilled red snapper, which they brought to the table, bones and all! Thank goodness Shelby had asked them to go ahead and cut off the head first.

I took this picture in one of the local markets. Coke and Sprite cans in Thailand!

This broom salesman was peddling his wares down the street. Check out the washers and dryers on the sidewalk-that is where people come to do their laundry! Right on the sidewalk!

Just had to include this x-rated photo. Shelby and I visited Hin Ta-Hin Yai, also known as Grandmother and Grandfather Rocks. This is one of the most visited places of interest, believe it or not! There are two natural rock formations which represent the male and female genital organs. We'll let you guess which one this is! Double click on the photo if you have to....

Okay and needless to say, this would be Grandma! Don't you think they could come up with better names for these????? haha

Always on the lookout for a mexican restaurant, we found a Thai version of Mexican food which wasn't too bad.......if you like prawn fajitas and enchiladas!

We went to the market at Chaweng Beach to do some shopping and loaded up on pirated DVD's. Sometimes the quality is good, sometimes not, but worth a couple of dollars anyway to get some new release movies! Also in Chaweng are lots of seafood restaurants lining the sidewalks. They display their fresh seafood in tubs of ice, and you make your selection then it is weighed on the scales and you are charged per gram.

These were some of the biggest prawns (shrimp) we have ever seen! Shelby put his chapstick tube in the ice next to the prawn so you can get an idea of just how big they are(as big as your hand!)

Thai Boxing is big in Koh Samui, but we passed on that activity!

This sign was posted at one of the jewelry shops I went in. We are always amused at the grammar and spelling; THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES;

haha!

Shelby with Ronald McDonald, Thai-style!

NIGHT AT THE RACES

On Friday night the SAS Booster Club hosted "A Night at the Races" at the Singapore Turf Club.

We had a great time even though we couldn't pick a winning horse !

Jody, Maureen, Shelley, Dianne, Susan

A CHRISTMAS CAROL AT THE RAFFLES

On Monday night I met my bible study girls at the Raffles Hotel, Jubilee Hall, for a production of Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol". It was put on by a British theatre company, and it was the funniest version of A Christmas Carol that I have ever seen!

FENG SHUI TOUR

My friend Debbi and I signed up for a local tour this week to learn about the ancient art of Feng Shui. Feng Shui is the study of harmony with nature, and is all about the balance of negative and positive forces - "yin" and "yang". I was just hoping to learn how to pronounce it! Our tour guide was a local Singaporean who pronounces it "fung shwee". Now you are in the know!

Evidently the Chinese people who believe in Feng Shui are concerned with their well-being and good health. Some people consult Feng Shui masters, who are educated and trained and will come out to your house or place of business to do an analysis and try to help you harness your "Chi"-which is energy. The object is to have the good chi flow in and the bad chi flow out! I learned that the five elements in a productive cycle are wood, water, fire, earth, and metal. It is important to have each of these elements represented in your life/home/business. The Feng Shui masters come to your home, draw up a blueprint, and plan renovations to your house according to your needs. Some of these guys even specialize in certain areas; for example, helping you to choose an auspicious wedding date, which is vital for a successful marriage. Some experts in name analysis help you to select a name for your baby, a name for your business, or even to change your own name! They say "Do not fear a bad life; be afraid of having a bad name!" If things often go wrong in your life, it may be due to the curse of your name. We visited several buildings and hotels in Singapore and learned why they were built or positioned the way they are. For example, there are two clock towers outside of the Shaw Centre that chime every 15 minutes to break the negative energy that is coming from the Borders bookstore across the street! (because it has a lot of sharp angles in its design) It was suggested never to buy a house on a corner because there is too much rushing energy that cannot be collected. Also said you are not to buy a clock as a gift for a person, because a clock has the same meaning as a funeral, marking the end of your days. And not to hang a clock in the kitchen! (which of course I do!) There are numerology experts who really believe in lucky numbers. We were told to add up the digits in our phone numbers and then consult a chart. The numbers are either in red which is good, or black meaning change your phone number, it is a bad number! It appears as if I may need to change my phone number....... Also if you have water at your home, like a fountain, it needs to be bubbly - no stagnant water! That's why they love koi ponds because even if the pump breaks there is always the motion of the fish. No wonder there are so many fountains and koi ponds in Singapore! We visited the Fountain of Wealth, which is supposed to bring you luck if you put your right hand in the water and circle around it three times, making a wish. But don't dry off your hand or the wish won't come true! You have to let it air-dry....

It was a really interesting tour, and I'm glad I went - but I can't believe so many people believe in this! I suppose I should change my phone number and see if my chi improves before I go calling it hokey. :)

CHICKEN FEET!

We invited our neighbors over for a barbecue Sunday night and just for fun, Shelby grilled some Chicken Feet! hahaha were they ever surprised. I am told they are crunchy but of course did not try them. Double click on the photo and you can even see the chicken's toenails! How appetizing! People here eat chicken feet all the time!

RUGBY AND BASEBALL

It was a busy Saturday at the ballfields for our family, with Wes playing baseball and Kasey playing rugby. We were outside from 9:00am to 5:30pm, and what a beautiful day! It was probably in the 70's, overcast, with a breeze, which is highly unusual for Singapore!

Wesley looks just like Shelby at age 16

He pitched, played shortstop and centerfield


Going for the pop fly!

Kasey decided to try out for the rugby team this year instead of basketball for a change.

She is really enjoying it and we are all learning a new sport! :)

Love those striped socks!

This weekend Singapore American School hosted an exchange with several international schools. We housed two girls from the Manila team, and it was fun having them stay with us!

GUESS WHO'S IN TOWN?

U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Singapore at 8:00pm last night, in town with other world leaders for the APEC Summit. Here he is with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The taxi drivers have been talking about this event for weeks now! Lanes of traffic have been closed to allow passage only for the transport of the leaders and their entourage. It is rumored that Michelle Obama may make an appearance at the Singapore American School, but the president is not expected. Security has been tight in our neighborhood surrounding the school for several weeks, with armed policemen canvassing the streets as part of a routine exercise.

HALLOWEEN '09 SINGAPORE STYLE

Halloween is a big event in Singapore, as we learned last year. We passed out 2,100 pieces of candy in under two hours! People come to the American neighborhood from all over the island to trick-or-treat. We had lots of locals, adults as well as children! I discovered they did not like to say "trick or treat" (afraid we're going to trick them maybe?) but instead said "Happy Halloween!"

This is my friend Moriluz and her son Jerome

My neighbor Donna with two of her students

Isn't she a cutie?

Kasey and her friend Megan decided to trick-or-treat at the last minute

Wes and his group of pirate friends plus Bethany!

Shelby manned the gate all night and never once took his rubber mask off! It was so hot and humid, I don't know how he can stand it!

FALL BREAK - HOUSEBUILDING IN CAMBODIA

This year during fall break, we chose to spend our holiday building houses for the poor in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. We formed a group of seven families from the Singapore American School, mostly friends and neighbors with teenagers, and were also joined by two families from Brunei and one Canadian. After all the amazing trips that we have been fortunate enough to take, we all felt like it was time to give back. To do something firsthand for somebody else who isn't as fortunate as we are. Planning for this trip started in the spring, and fundraising efforts began in earnest when we all returned from summer break. We held a very successful fundraiser at a local restaurant, complete with raffles and auction, and were completely overwhelmed at the generosity of our friends who helped us reach our goal. As volunteers, we were responsible for our own transportation and hotel costs, but needed to raise money to pay for the building materials which is roughly $950 US per house. Thanks to the generous donations, we were able to build not only 16 houses, but raised enough money to pay for 16 ponds and wells to be dug in the community. This will allow the villagers to water their crops and to have access to water. The simple homes that we built are up on stilts, allowing the families to escape from the flood conditions and have a roof over their heads. The Cambodian families were required to raise the equivalent of $30 US dollars to purchase the small plot of land and to contribute to the cost of the building materials. It takes most families over TWO years to save thirty dollars!!! That is the cost of a pedicure in my world, and it made me want to work that much harder to help these people who live in such poor conditions. I personally have never seen such extreme poverty in my life. There was no running water, no electricity, many of the young children ran around naked and those who did have clothes that are dirty and torn. The kids had no toys to play with, and played with sticks or bamboo fishing poles they made. A few of them rode bicycles. They had no clean water, and washed their dishes and clothes in the river which was covered in algae. They live in huts made of grass, cardboard, and discarded materials. When it rains everything is covered in mud. They cook their meals over an open fire outdoors. Yet, strangely enough, they seem HAPPY! They were smiling and grateful that we were there. Though we weren't able to communicate through speaking, the smiles on their faces and the looks in their eyes said it all. We learned to say 'thank you' which sounds something like "Ah Kun" and the Cambodian people thanked us again and again for being there. They were very shy the first day but opened up the second day, and it was just heartwarming to see the children playing duck-duck-goose and doing the hokey-pokey with our kids. To watch their eyes light up and chase the bubbles that we blowed. To smile shyly and pose for the camera. That was definitely the highlight for me, taking pictures of all the people and then turning the camera around and showing them what they look like! The kids would just laugh and giggle and want to do it again! I truly could have just taken pictures all day long. Next time I will take a polaroid camera and give them some photos of themselves.....

The frames were already in place when we arrived. We were responsible for putting in the bamboo floors and the metal siding for the walls. It was a lot of hammering and very noisy! I am happy to report that we had no injuries other than a few smashed thumbs. Our theme song was "If I Had a Hammer"; remember that song?

The OCD in me prompted me to count the nails that went into each house built - roughly 2,500 nails in the bamboo floors, multiplied by 16 houses makes 36,000 nails in the floors alone! Part of our group worked on the floors, and the others started in on the walls. It actually went pretty fast! We finished 10 houses the first day, and did 6 the second day. It rained some the first day and things were very very muddy!

This is what the houses look like when finished. We gave a quilt to each of the families at the "Handing Over" ceremony at the end of the final day of housebuilding. It's hard to explain the emotions we felt as we handed a family their quilt and a lady blessed us to a life of 100 years! This was a very humbling and rewarding experience, and one that we will never forget.

Some of the kids played duck-duck-goose with our kids, while many of the villagers looked on.

This is our group at the end of the first day.

Kasey and her friend Elizabeth were covered in mud, as we all were after the rain!

Families who owned a pig or a cow were considered very well off.

This is a good "before" photo.

I watched as they cooked their meal over the fire-rice and something that looked like a root or a bean of some sort.

This woman was washing her dishes in the nasty river water. They have to use this water for cooking and cleaning too, if they don't have a well.

Zoom in on this picture and you will see a Cambodian style "playpen" used for their babies. Notice the chicken in the foreground!

I just loved taking pictures of the Cambodian people, and most of them were willing and eager to be photographed. There were very few elders in the village, as a result of the Pol Pot genocide killings in the late 1970's. Most of their population now is under the age of 30. Sadly, their infant mortality rate is very high.

Isn't she the cutest young girl? I noticed her right away, as she was always carrying around the younger children. She loved having her picture made and really worked the camera! ha!

Unfortunately, we were not allowed to touch or hold the children. Parents have been known to try to give their children away if they see you holding them.....either out of gratitude, or perhaps just wanting a better life for their children.

This little boy was more than happy to collect all of our empty water bottles at the end of the day!

They are just the cutest kids, always smiling. I went to bed thinking about them and woke up thinking about them too. Kasey kept reminding me not to get too attached!

This bald headed lady was one of my favorites

This little boy was digging in the dirt with a stick for hours. We saw no toys at all, except for bicycles.

These are the women who work in the Tabitha cottage industry, making silk items by hand which are beautiful.

Some of the women making quilts at the sewing machines

Our first day in Phnom Penh was spent at the Tuol Sleng torture center, where we learned about the evil Pol Pot regime of the late 1970's. Pol Pot was a communist who wanted to kill all Cambodians with an education and their extended families-and force all others to work in the rice fields outside of the city. The inhumane treatment of the Cambodian people was just unbelievable. If you were a doctor, teacher, or lawyer, you and your family were first tortured and then killed-babies and children included. Pol Pot wiped out millions of people, over half of the population.

Double click on this picture so you can read the sign at the torture center.

Pol Pot and his followers put identity tags on each person that they were going to kill, and then took their picture. Can you imagine having your picture taken and knowing that you were about to be tortured and killed?

One of Pol Pot's rules - NO SMILING!

One of the torture rooms

This photo was taken at the Killing Fields. This is the tree by which the infants were killed. The communists held the babies by their feet and smashed their heads against the tree to kill them, because they didn't want to waste a bullet.

Display of skulls of the victims at the killing fields

This is the building where the bones and skulls were displayed at the killing fields

Poverty in Cambodia is everywhere you look. The villagers used this dirty river water for bathing, cooking, washing dishes and clothes.

Check out this skinny cow!

A local man selling his coconuts

Workers in the fields

I took this photo from inside our bus. The people in the city of Phnom Penh get around on scooters and carry anything and everything with them! This guy had cases of fresh eggs.

Family of four on a scooter. I did actually see a family of six on a scooter but couldn't get their photo!

This is our group of boys on the trip

OK, I made Wesley pose for this picture outside of the Tabitha building where we were getting our overview on the housebuilding. I hate to even admit it, but when Wes was little and ran around without a shirt on and he was so skinny his ribs showed, I used to call him a Cambodian Refugee.

We did go to some local markets on our last day in Phnom Penh, and saw fried bugs for sale-looked like spiders and beetles and roaches. And raw meat and fish for sale, with flies all over them. Are we so blessed in our lives or what? I can't even let the water run in the sink now without thinking of those we served in Cambodia.