Random SG Musings

I started keeping a note in my phone of random things I'm noticing/loving/hating:

• Prices.  When I first told people I was moving to SG, they had the same two morsels of "advice" for me.  "It's hot!"  "It's so expensive!"  Honestly, it hasn't felt that expensive to me.  I was really worried about it coming in, but I've been pleasantly surprised.  My rent is cheaper (although I have roommates), taxis are cheap, no car ownership, food is reasonable.  Booze IS expensive, but there's just no escaping that.  I've heard from other expats that life is much improved with the stronger dollar (thanks, Merica!)  Also have heard that apartment prices are coming down (yay!) because lots of new condos have opened.  It's also easier to negotiate and will be more likely to not have to be locked into a 2 year lease.
• Blue Sky!  I LOVE the sun.  Brandon calls me weather bi-polar (ain't he sweet?!).  If the sun is out, I'm the happiest person, but if it's cloudy, hide 'yo kids.  Having only ever been to China in Asia before, I was preparing for the worst..."sunny" days that aren't actually sunny because you're constantly shielded by smog.  But it's sunny here all the time!  And that equatorial sun is no joke, people.  I need to implement an SPF regimen.  Any gals out there have any face lotion with SPF that you love?  Send it my way, please!  SG really is beautiful.  
• Receipts.  When I am world dictator, one of the things I plan to eradicate, along with smoking, cat calls, rat-tails and homophobia, is receipts.  Whyyyyyy?  It's 2015.  I haaaaaaattteeeeeee receipts.  Well, here in SG, they double your fun and give you two receipts for every transaction.  TWO.  One itemized, one for the credit card.  Kill me. 
• Time change.  It's getting brutal.  I'm 14 hours ahead of Denver, which means all I want to do is stay up all night to talk to everyone back home.  That, and/or get up early.  This is all meaning less sleep for the gal who loves to sleep.  And then I want to spend all morning at work texting with everyone.  This is not sustainable. 
• 220 Voltage.  My phone charges so fast!  (If you know me, you know my phone is always dying)
• Safety.  I could not do this in any other place.  SG is so safe.  It's like Merica, but better I have to assume.  Safety (or my perceived safety) has made the transition so much easier.  Anywhere else in Asia, or even in Europe, you have to watch your belongings very carefully.  VERY.  Here, run around with your purse open, leave your laptop on the table while you order your Starbucks, it's cool.  
• Speaking of things that are cool, SG is not.  It really is hot.  Except for the office.  Where, just like every other place I've worked, I'm freezing at all times.  Today I snuggled against the sunny window for warmth.  Everyone thinks I'm crazy. 
• Shoes.  If y'all were feeling a Ferragamo drought in the USA, I know just where you can find them.  Every single woman is wearing Ferragamo's and I'm just over here in my Old Navy flats like, "heeeyyyy."
• Escalators.  They move super fast.  I almost fell off my first one, but now I'm an old pro.  Merica would never have fast escalators.  Someone would certainly fall off and sue.  Efficiency, I love you! 

Sick

For home.

One of my first thoughts upon arriving at my new apartment was, "Okay, getting here was an adventure.  I'm ready to go home now."

The first two days in SG were pretty rough for me.  Exacerbated, I think, by the jet lag.  There were a lot of tears.  I would wake up in the morning and groggily think that it had all been a dream and when I quickly realized it wasn't, I would burst into tears.  Then I'd walk past a family and sit next to a couple at brunch or smell lilies at the grocery store and I'd lose my shit all over again.  The thought "mistake" kept popping into my head and I kept trying to remember how much I have wanted this and how hard I pushed to get it.

I don't think I managed expectations well going into it.  I was just SO excited.  I kept thinking back to my study abroad experience in Italy and how I didn't really get homesick until about 6 weeks in and how I figured that's what would happen here -- the first few weeks would be bliss, and then I'd be really missing home.  But Italy was different...being in a study abroad program, I had a built-in community.  I had classmates and seven female roommates and everyone was new, everyone was looking to hang out together.

I was so eager to get out of Denver.  I'd lived there my whole life and without owning a dog, being obsessed with skiing or smoking weed, I didn't really feel like I fit in anymore.  I started to feel stagnated in my job and as more time passed, I just knew I need to experience working abroad.  And I was glad to finally be realizing this dream.  Maybe I purposefully didn't let the full weight of what I'd be leaving behind sink in, but I certainly felt it once I arrived in SG.  One of my favorite things about travel is the perspective it gives you...how big (yet also small) the world is, how there are SO many walks of life (but how we're all still humans at the end of the day), etc.  It also has always made me appreciative of what I have at home, but previously I've only truly missed silly things like food and Target.  Wait...I take that back...Target is not silly.  Nor is Whole Foods.  WF - I miss thee!  This time, the appreciation is much bigger.  I know what and who I have at home and what and who I've left and I'm missing it all.

All that said, I'm 100% glad I did this.  I KNOW I would look back with an ocean of regret if I didn't.  And, I've promised myself I'll tough it out for at least a year even though I don't think that will be necessary because all the expats here LOVE it.  I'm just waiting for that day to come around for me :)  Starting work has helped a lot.  I've always found quite a bit of my identity in my professional self and being back in an office (and a DaVita one at that) has been nice.  I have some sense of normalcy and I'll eventually get into a routine.

I read an interview with James Taylor in the Hemispheres magazine on the flight from Tokyo to SG and he said, "I write a lot of songs about the pull of home, the pull of family, of watching the sun rise and set in the same place through the seasons, and then the attraction of wanderlust, of getting out on the road, of seeing the world."  And a line from one of his new songs is:

"My favorite thing is to miss my home when I'm gone."

The man is a genius.  

Day 2

I finally slept!  Wahoo!

First thing this morning I went grocery shopping, or to the "Cold Storage" as it is called here.  I'm still struggling a bit with the adjustment and mornings are the worst because I wake up feeling like it was all a dream.  So, when I entered this large shopping center and saw a 7/11 with jarred Frappucino, I just HAD to have one.  A little caffeine and taste of home was just what the doctor ordered.

I will take pictures of the CS eventually.  I had no idea what to expect, but was very pleasantly surprised.  It was big and bright and had anything one could want.  I got a few things and headed back home.  Jaywalking is a big no-no here allegedly, but with arms full of groceries I had to break the law today.  Thank goodness I'm here to tell about it.

My first homemade "meal."  Avocado on $13 Ezekiel toast.  I had to.

After shopping, I bummed around at home for a while and blogged (yay!).  Then, I headed out to figure out the subway or MRT (mass rapid transit) as it's called and to find my office for the morning.  I got my little metrocard thingy, which can be used for both bus and subway and headed to my office.  It's a 10 min walk to the MRT, about 3 min on the train and then 6 min walk to the office.  Shouldn't take me more than 25 min each day to get there.  I could walk the whole way for a little mroe time, but a few minutes in air conditioning are probably worth the $0.80 fare.  

 The Gateway!  These are two towers in the Bugis neighborhood.  DaVita occupies space in the East tower and there's a Starbucks in the West one :)  I checked out the company listings at both places -- the whole world is here!

 I laid on the ground for this and still couldn't get the whole thing.  You can find me on the 19th floor of this tower for most of the next few years :)

I was doing so well on my adventure that I decided to walk to central downtown, so that I could get a picture of Marina Bay Sands.  I'd seen it a few times in passing from a cab window, but that thing stops my heart every time, so I wanted to get a picture.  It was a 30 min walk and I was SWEATING, but I made it!  

 Taken from Youth Olympic Park.  MBS is the spaceship on the left.  The ArtScience Museum is the spaceship on the right. 

 Pano!

Got up the courage to ask for someone to take my photo.  I better get used to it.

Seeing the MBS is so amazing and will likely never get old.  I've always been a sucker for city skylines, but this one.  Oh man.  There's so much to explore down here that I know I'll be back many times, but maybe next time I'll come at night and via cab.  

I was so hot that I was going to head home after I got my photo, but I walked across the bridge and into the Shoppes at Marina Bay for some of that coveted A/C.  Holy shopping.  The place is unreal.  I found some postcards and sending love notes home really boosted my spirits.  If you'd like one, send me your address :)

I probably won't keep up these lengthy daily posts, but hopefully the blog will inspire me to take pics and write stuff down!

Day 1

The first day felt like a week.  

I didn't sleep much at all my first night.  I didn't get to bed until about 2am and then woke up about 90 minutes later suddenly and burst into tears.  It's real.  I'm here.  This is my LIFE.  It's scary, but it's getting better. 

The apartment is so nice!  It was also immaculate when I arrived and my fears were quelled when my roommates informed me that the maid comes every Thursday.  Phew!  I don't have to become hella clean.  Speaking of roommates...I allegedly have 2 male British roommates, but I have yet to meet them.  They're both out of town and arrive back tomorrow night.  It has been nice to get settled on my own since it can be a messy process, but I'm looking forward to having people around more.  It's lonely!  

 Private elevator entrance.

 Balcony.  Barely pictured in the lower right is a lime tree.  Hello G&Ts!

 Our view.  We are right on the river. 

 Kitchen.  Not pictured further to the left is in-unit washer and dryer. 

Bathroom. 

Living area.  I've made it a mess already.  Sorry, boys!

I woke up at 8 and FaceTimed home to give Mom, Ryan, Jess, Ben and Bran video tours of my new digs.  Then, per Brandon's suggestions, I showered and found food.  I walked a mile to a place called Artistry.  It's advertised as part art gallery/part coffeehouse/restaurant.  They had one large photograph displayed, so I wouldn't call it a gallery, but it was neat.  Rustic, community seating, felt very "Colorado."  I had a healthy brunch, asked my waiter how to grab a taxi in that neighborhood (you can't always just hail them off the street, this is SG, we have rules here).  When I later told my dinner crew that I walked a mile at 10am and didn't think the heat was too bad, they were very impressed. 

Off to Ikea!  My taxi driver was awesome.  A - I could understand him.  Win.  B - We chatted the whole way.  He's very proud of Singapore.  Apparently, SG is about to celebrate its 50th birthday.  I had to try not to laugh when he told me that.  50?!  There are humans older than that.  Every Saturday from today until National Day (August 9), the city practices the parade.  This means streets are closed and traffic becomes a real joy.  My taxi driver said "This is Singapore, you know.  We want everything to be perfect, so we practice."  We also talked about cars in the city and how it is incredibly expensive to own them.  They auction Certificates of Entitlement for car ownership.  They range in price depending on what you'd like to own (motorbike vs. luxury vehicle), but right now the highest price is $63,000.  That is JUST to get the piece of paper that says you can bring a BMW into the country.  Then you have the cost of said BMW (you can't get a loan for more than 50% of the vehicle) and all that goes with it.  Some of these people are nutso and also quite cash rich.  He also told me about his religion (Muslim) and how his neighbor is a Christian and they love to talk to each other to find better understanding.  He said the government really promotes diversity in all things.  Love that!  

Ikea was epic.  I've been a few times to the one in Denver, but never really bought anything.  I bought sheets and towels and tupperware and bathroom organization stuff, etc.  I still can't decide if I even need the quilt and duvet cover I bought - it's so hot!  The drive home from Ikea was even more epic.  Good god it took forever.  Thankfully, my dinner crew said this is the worst they've ever seen (due to the parade closures) and this is not at all normal.  

Speaking of dinner crew.  My boss and his wife had me over to their gorgeous apartment for some pre-dinner bubbles with their neighbor - a Vietnamese French guy who is from Barcelona and working for Swarovski.  Then, we grabbed an Uber (they have Uber here - I'm excited!) and headed to dinner.  Traffic was a nightmare, but we made it.  We met up with more friends of theirs, a Korean couple originally from Korea, but moved to SG from Michigan.  We went to Bornga, a Korean BBQ restaurant that is apparently run by a very famous Korean chef - Chef Paik.  Since we had some real Koreans with us, they ordered for us and the meal was amazing!  We even had table-made cocktails of Soju, Sprite and beer.  Mmmm!  The restaurant is at this mall (Asia loves their malls - it's so strange) called Suntec City and was it ever a city!  5 towers.  Unreal.  We then bopped around to find a place for after dinner drinks and couldn't resist the Spam fries on the menu.  I came all the way to SG to have Spam for the first time.  You know what they say...when in Rome.  

My boss and his wife and their friends are really awesome people.  One of the things I was most looking forward to about this move was meeting worldly, diverse people and I'm doing just that :)  I'm very thankful to have a boss that is so friendly and welcoming.  

At first I was really in love with my apartment.  It really is very nice and I kind of liked that the location was more chill.  When I first moved here, people said that everywhere is great, but to avoid the "East Coast" because it's suburban.  I would have never guessed my giant condo tower to be "suburban," but when I tell people where I'm living, they all say "oh so on the East Coast."  :(  When I think about it and the more I see of the city, I definitely don't have much surrounding me that is within walking distance.  I'm thankful this is a short-term rental.  But now I'm once again in house-hunting mode...

Advice

My sweet, amazing, wonderful friend Sara sent me off with a card that I couldn't open until I was in the air.  It was such a thoughtful and fun gesture.  Sara is a life coach and I'm so glad she doesn't make me pay her because I would be poor.  The hours we have spent chatting are some of the best hours I've ever spent.  She listens and understands and has the best way of giving advice that is never judgmental or pushy, but is perfect for you.  I'd die without her.

Here is her advice to me on this adventure:

1 - SAY YES.  Don't pass up on opportunities because this is once in a fucking lifetime.  This one is important.
2 - KEEP PUSHING HARDER.  This goes without saying, but drive and ambition make you happy, so keep doing it.
3 - DON'T SPEND ALL YOUR TIME WRITING LETTERS, EMAILS AND JOURNALING.  You'll miss living if you do.  Learn to journal in short-hand and just send a mass newsletter.
4 - GET NAMES, NUMBERS AND EMAILS OF EVERYONE YOU MEET.  You will get lonely and need to reach out for friends.
5 - STAY IN TOUCH - duh.
6 - DO WHAT YOU ALWAYS DO - BE YOU.  But don't be afraid to change and evolve.

Such perfection.  I'm going to keep that card displayed forever and reflect on the advice often.  I'm writing this almost 2 days in and I can already see that these are WISE words from a wise woman.  Thank you, Sara!

Surreal

This is the word I keep coming back to when someone asks me about this experience.  Even now, as I’m high above the Pacific Ocean on our way to Tokyo, it doesn’t actually seem like I’ve emptied my apartment and packed my entire life in a few suitcases to go start anew somewhere around the world.  And even though I’ve said one hundred goodbyes and shed a thousand tears, and even though I don’t have a return ticket and my final destination is Singapore, I still feel like I’m just going on vacation.  Perhaps I shouldn’t be so eager for reality to set it, because I have a feeling that once it does, I’m going to be rather homesick.  So for now, I’m going to try to relish in my obliviousness. 

The Dreamliner is pretty cool.  My first opportunity to fly on it was two years ago on my MBA trip to China, but they were in the middle of the exploding battery issue, so I decided not to take it.  Man, am I glad I upgraded to Economy Plus.  First, our section is probably half empty – makes it quieter (minus the two babies) and even more roomy.  The windows don’t have shades, so you can’t close them, but you tint them with a button.  At first I was annoyed that I couldn’t get it dark, but now it’s cool to be able to lookout without getting blinded (and I have a sleep mask, so it doesn’t really matter).  The windows are also huge!  Probably almost 2ft tall.  Each seat has its own touchscreen TV with on-demand entertainment.  Normally I plan my sleep schedule around the 3 movies they show, but here you can pick anything at anytime – I was almost tempted to just stay up the whole time – almost.  Most importantly, there are USB ports and outlets at each seat.  Now I can be fully charged when I land in Tokyo and can worry about sushi instead of power outlets – yay!!

Huge widow.  Bye, CO!

I watched Wild on the flight.  It was sub-par, but it still made me feel like an adventurer. 

Clouds!

Okay, I'm far away.  

My ½ of Ambien that I typically take on long haul flights, didn’t really do the trick.  I slept for about 3 hours and then fitfully rested for the next 3.  

Anthony Bourdain raves about this sushi restaurant at Narita.  It was delicious and so fun to experience.  I sat next to two MN girls on their way home from Thailand and a lady on her way to SG to visit her husband.  I forgot how fun it was to chat with strangers and how eager all travelers are to connect with others. 

The flight to SG was bumpy as all get out, but thankfully I slept pretty much the whole way even though I really wanted to stay awake...oops.  SG immigration was a real treat when they told me my Employment Pass had been rejected and if I didn't get it sorted out I would need to leave the country in 90 days...oops.  I finally made it through, got my 6 bags and grabbed a taxi.  I must have been a *sight*.  After arguing with the taxi driver that he could indeed fit all my bags, I finally made it to my new home! 

It's Not Goodbye

I really hate goodbyes and I’ve never been very good at them.  I’m always scared of what will come next – how will I change? How will this relationship change? We will still have inside jokes? When will we see each other next?

For this big move, I said many goodbyes and while some people said, “It’s not goodbye, it’s see you later”, for many of them it really will be goodbye.  Not everyone will be able to visit and staying in touch with someone halfway around the world takes a lot of effort from both sides.  That, coupled with all the ways I know I’m going to change that I can’t even fully fathom just yet, probably means I’m going to fall out of touch with some people. 

All that said, I had some pretty wonderful send-offs with many of my wonderful family and friends. 

 Sunday Funday with Jenny 

 I was on a mission to eat a lot of green chili.  This pizza from Whole Foods was sooooo good.  Whole Foods, I will miss you.  

My sister's in-laws have a neighborhood pool.  The burbs are good for something, I guess.  

One of Ben's favorite things to do with Brandon is "go flying."  Look at his little tush hanging out! 

 These two, just wrastlin' 

One last show at Red Rocks (Ryan Adams).  One that I nearly missed due to becoming a blubbering mess just before showtime.  Thankfully, my sweet boyfriend comforted me and we stayed for a a few songs and an amazing lightning show.  

My mom is a fantastic gardener, and one of my favorite things to do with her is play in the dirt.

First Friday

A couple of neighborhoods in Denver celebrate this on the, you guessed it, first Friday of every month.  Art galleries are open late and they serve drinks and food.  

 Amazing.  At Plinth. 

 Plinth again. 

After Plinth, there was a raging and violent storm, so we hung out at The Filling Station for quite awhile.  It might be my new favorite Denver bar. 

 Brandon, me and Uncle Carl.  Thankfully, UC was in town for a wedding and joined us.  He has been best friends with my dad since college. 

My sweet manfriend and me.

 I wanted to do lots of CO hiking, but we were busy and having CRAZY weather at all times.  Managed to sneak in a quick one at Chautauqua in Boulder.  

Well Chaaauuutaaaauqua.  It's a special place for me and Bran. 

The Flatirons.

Brunch at Lala's in Denver, followed by mani/pedis at Helena's in Capitol Hill.  One of the best mani/pedis we've ever had. 

Breckenridge

Breckenridge is a special place for our family.  My mom has a timeshare at Grand Lodge on Peak 7 and we spend a lot of time there every summer.  This summer, we had TWO trips planned, but I would miss both, so we headed up for just one day.   

 It was drizzly and cold, but we hiked anyways.  These two have become the best of friends.  It really warms my heart.  

Rainbow Lake.  I love these people so much it's stupid. 

 Back at Grand Lodge we spent the SUNNY (it rained all day in Denver...suckers) afternoon at the pools.  Brandon didn't want to drink with us and, for this, he was harshly judged. 

 Brandon does this really fun thing when he talks on the phone where he paces around like a maniac.  Here, he's talking to Davis and my sister is making fun of him.  They both have ridiculous hair-dos. 

Again.  These two.  Peas in a fucking pod.  Both bumming around in the morning on their electronic devices.

Date Night

At my request, because I'm super low-maintenance like that, Brandon planned a date night for us.  We went to Marcyzk burger night, which I was SO excited about because our plans the previous week were foiled by the aforementioned CRAZY weather.  Then, we bar crawled down Colfax.  It was so perfect and fun and Denver and us.  

 The Colfax Crawl included a pit stop to watch the sunset on the Capitol steps.  Seriously so perfect.

Concert at 1UP with this handsome fella. 

Brunch and Five Points

We had a group brunch at The Tavern Downtown and then bopped around Five Points.  Not pictured here are Nancy, Ryan, Paul, Nerida

My favorite picture ever taken. 

Heather, Hannah and me.  Hometown hunnies.

 My adorable mama and me at The Big Wonderful.  Seriously can't wait to be her when I grow up.

Dresden and Levar are some of my favorite people I've met at DaVita.  They joined us at The Big Wonderful. 

 Me, Bran, Dad, Emily and Mom at Los Chignones.

Me and Emmers at The Meadowlark. 

Arizona Visit

Brandon and I went to see my grandpa in Arizona.  I wish I would've gotten a picture of the two of them because Brandon treated him like he was his own and it was the most endearing thing to see.  In case you didn't already know, he's a good egg.  I'm so glad B got to meet him and that we got to spend some quality (albeit brief) time with him. 

 Me and Grandpa at Grill on the Green (someone was hitting our rental car in the parking lot during this).  He's the kindest man I've ever known (my Gpa, not the hit and runner). 

AZ sunsets cannot be beat. 

 Tucked him in for a nap and then headed out of town.

 Had to stop at In 'N Out on the way to the airport.

Being this kid's Tante is my favorite thing in the world.  We had a special date night and went to the Children's Museum, Proto's for "pepperoni peeefa" and snuggled in bed watching Despicable Me.  I love every second I get to spend with him and that we have "our" things.  

 Water World!  I love this place and we had a blast!

Happy Hour and Rockies Game
(We watched none of the game, but had fun anyways!  Not pictured:  Neil, Matty, Mr. Massaro, Nancy, Kari, Andy and Jonny)

 Angie!!  One of my work besties.  I will miss her immensely. 

Steph, Em, Me, Amie, Dad (thanks for this), Sara, KC, Kels at Breckenridge Brewery pre-game. 

KC, Hannah, myself and Kelsey.  Some of my best girlfriends from high school.  I hadn't seen Kelsey in over a year and she drove up from her home in Pueblo, CO for the evening's festivities. 

 Bridget was my best friend in high school.  She and her husband Neil both came downtown from up north. 

I don't know who these weirdos are.

New girl (can't remember her name), Abby, Steph, Sara, Me, Jules, Hannah and Kelsey.  You girls light up my life.  Thank you for being you. 

 Denver's Westword Music Showcase for my brother-in-law's birthday.  Don't we all look dashing in our headgear?

Me and Bran.

Father's Day with dear ol' D-A-D at the Rockies Game. 

My first real job was at Denver law firm Holland & Hart and I worked with these two.  We have all remained very close through years of moves, marriages, babies, new jobs, etc. and I love having them in my life as wonderful examples of female awesomeness.  SO missed this evening were Lauren and Bridget -- they are part of our "gang" and they are fabulous.  

I love treating myself to a day at the spa.  Brandon and I got a couple's massage at the Four Seasons and then spent the afternoon lunching and lounging at the pool (with bubbles, natch). 

Brandon left for Nashville very early, so I stayed up to catch one last sunrise over the MHC.

And then it really was goodbye…

Me and my sister (of course we were accidentally color-coordinated).

 Hugs!

 Mama, me and Ben.  He's so great at posing for pictures. 

Final kissies.  Please forgive my greasy-ass hair.

I wish I had gotten some snaps of me and Brandon and of me and Dad at the airport with all the luggage.  (Me forgetting to take pictures will become a theme).