redux

we are home!
home sweet lovely home. sleeping in my bed was amazing, i tell you.

jetlag is sort of lingering - i think it hit us really hard yesterday, particularly due to the 40ish hours of travel... but more on that later.

let us just say that the trip home was highly eventful.

beginning at the beginning: the church van we had chartered for 5:00 am was unavailable due to the driver's last-minute family emergency at 4 -- we had to scramble to Changi Airport in two smaller cars, courtesy of Pastor Wei and Chee Chiew our police friend. this was but the first in a series of "unfortunate" events...

after a breakfast at an airport Burger King, we caught our flight to Hong Kong smoothly. upon arrival, halfway out the airplane-exit-tunnel (if there's a real name for it I am ignorant of it), I noticed I had lost a camera battery and ran all the way back into the plane to search for it. the stewards and stewardesses were extremely helpful, and about five minutes into the frantic search one entered the plane and said that my friend had it (Andrew)...turns out Jeremy had seen it drop when entering the plane, and forgot to tell me. disaster averted, I thanked everyone profusely and embarrassedly before dashing back outside.

our HK-LA gate was crowded when we got there, a mix of Asians and an enormous crowd of South African teens in yellow-and-red outfits. we chatted and found out they were headed to LA for the Performing Arts World Championships. (pretty brilliant!)

in a few minutes we were bussed to the plane in crowded shuttles. upon boarding we were then greeted with a pleasant announcement from our (American!) pilot: due to volcanic activity in Alaska our flight had to be rerouted and thus extended, for approximately one hour...

...which turned out to be just long enough to make us miss our LA-Philly connection, as we discovered upon landing in Cali. fortunately, we were awarded $15 food vouchers from Cathay Pacific, our airline.

we had to claim our baggage, then cart it across several terminals -- outdoors, since LAX is hugetastic -- to be re-registered under US Airways. after this, we bussed back and forth until we reached a terminal that would accept our vouchers. we had a delicious meal of burgers, beef dips, quesadillas, and grilled cheese. :)

between this point and our final flight we all found ourselves dropping off at random points. (you know, when you're sitting down and decide to close your eyes, and then decide to keep them closed, and it feels good and slightly restful...and then you suddenly jerk a few seconds later and hope nobody saw that?)

finally. we boarded our 8:30 plane (8:30 LA time, that is) and took off for Philly, with a Las Vegas stop in between. Las Vegas looks really pretty from the air, lemme tell ya. we slept most of the trip.

and then we got to Philadelphia at long last, around 5-6 am EST.... and from there all was glorious!

Mr. McMullin picked us up in the van and we trekked down to McDonald's for a True American Breakfast...the capper to an amazing and unforgettable trip. Praise God we and all our luggage stayed safe even despite the bizarre "mishaps"...and the 30-40 nonstop travelling hours!

it is so great to be home, and we look forward to seeing all of you our faithful blogfollowers soon. to those in Singapore: we miss you guys already and demand you come to visit someday! :)

signing off to take care of some jetlag now. take care folks!

cheers,
Dan

time to say goodbye

it is 10 pm of our final evening here in Singapore. we are packing, in much less of a frenzy than last time, and spending a few last moments with our family. I am writing this post to an album of Chinese techno dance music. it is very energizing.




bittersweet is a good word. it describes how I feel about a few things.

For instance: I am going to miss this flat, but I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.

I am going to miss Singlish, but I am looking forward to Ameriglish.


I am going to miss the convenience of the MRT, but I am looking forward to driving on the right side of the road. (And actually driving, for that matter)

I am going to miss inexpensive, walking-distance hawker centers with authentic Asian food, but I am looking forward to orange juice in the fridge.


I am going to miss palm trees, but I am looking forward to pines.

I am going to miss the cool cousins and relatives (badly!), but I am looking forward to reuniting with awesome friends :)


I am going to miss mango milkshakes and chocolate waffles, but I am looking forward to breakfast cereal and pop toasters.

I am going to miss being the majority race, but I am looking forward to white bread country! (he he he)


I am going to miss exotic fruits, but I am looking forward to no durians (!!!)

I am going to miss experiencing God at work in awesome ways halfway across the world, but I am looking forward to experiencing God at work in awesome ways back in the States.


so in a nutshell: I am gonna miss this country like crazy, but I can't wait to be home :D

it has been a real blessing knowing we are in all your thoughts and prayers. please pray for continued safety as we embark on another day-long journey. and with that I bid you all good night, though it be but morning for many of you. stay cool and rested! and try to get your hands on some Chinese disco-techno-dance-electronica, it is lovely.

cheers,
Dan

keep keeping tabs on the Picasa albums -- I will soon be stocking them quite well with the remainder of our photographs once I have more time on these hands. (promise!!)

what i miss

I have been asked to inform you on some of the things I have missed about the States:
family
friends
western food
gum (its illegal here)
driving fast

Tonight we had a family reunion in which we ate chinese food with all the Lees except family number one and family number three. Family number three is a mysterious bachelor who lives in Papua New Guinea and looks like Mr Lee.

- andrew

sunrises

[Photo courtesy of stockvault.net]

Haiku time!

Singapore is great
Humidity is too high
I sweat everyday

While staying in Singapore, I have come to realise that amidst the frantic busy lifestyle that most Asians here live, there is much of an untroubled, calm, peaceful part of Singapore. For instance, the beautiful sunrises they have here just shines through (literally!) the craziness of Singapore. Luckily for us, we happened to witness the beautiful sight of a sunrise.

Standing miserably under pouring rain at 6:00 AM, (at a beach close to the resort that we were staying in recently) several units of the family (including Andrew -- as he is now part of the family) peered hard into the horizon to see the glorious rise of the sun. They waited an hour.

-- But all was not lost, as the virtue of patience reigned. At 6:50, the first signs appeared across the eastern skies. Red streaked the sky, followed by orange -- along with the beginning rays of a rising sun. The rain eventually subsided, leaving a rainbow behind. In the waking light from the sun, the rainbow looked absolutely beautiful. Finally, the sun popped out from beyond the ocean, delicately rolling upwards to start the day.

A wonderful experience.

...I was actually still asleep while this happened. I had decided to get some more rest. It was worth it. :)

durians

In response to a comment - "What is a durian?"...

We have provided this link for your personal education and edification.

Click Here

The durian is the so-called "king of fruits". The "queen of fruits" is the mangosteen. One would wonder that it isn't the mango, seeing as mangoes are so amazing.

Daniel, Jeremy, and Davina hate durians and all their byproducts. Dad, Mom, Andrew, and myself quite enjoy it.

Buy a durian at your local Chinatown.

You may regret it.

photographies

presenting for your continued visual enjoyment...

not one but three albums!

The Folks
family and friends

The Funs II
more sillies!

The Sights
some gorgeous scenery and other shots.

this morning visited malaysia...and at this minute out the door for dinner with uncle 4 & fam. forcing nathan to give me time to finish these albums later tonight. sorry for the constant threat of "coming soon"!

cheers,
Dan

discs

Since day 1, the burning thought of a flying disc has been throbbing through our entangled brains. The first time Nathan saw the large fields of the popular game of football (or soccer for you Americans) dotting the vast landscapes of Singapore, he realized that these were perfect for a frisbee. One unanimous vote decided our fate. Thus a new adventure began.

We looked through almost all the malls in the country:

"'EY! it's a sports store! they should by all means have a frisbee!!"

Our hopes were dashed:

"Hey wait, Dan, that's the twelfth one we've visited...do you really think these guys will have one?"

It was only until halfway through the trip that we got anywhere on our journey for these discs.
A Giant (store...but not the kind in America, as this one had random items in it, and didn't sell as much food as it sold clothes...and sporting goods.) held our precious kin. S$10 (10 Singapore dollars) was the only thing between us and a frisbee. By now, Nathan had emailed a professional frisbee seller located in Singapore and asked our friend's wife, (whose husband is none other than the chief officer of traffic in Singapore) who was a producer of Asia's ESPN channel, if she could use her connections to net us a quality disc.

Minutes after we bought the frisbee, it was smoothly cutting through the air from Lee to Lee, and Lee to McMullin. And McMullin to Lee.

Good times.

Update

Grass is cut. Riding lawnmower still works. Garage door is hard to open. House is still standing.

hey, malay buffet

This is a list of the foods that were available at the buffet last night. Some of us had some of everything.

I forget what a lot of the names mean. I tried Google. It sort of worked.

Mussels
Prawns
Bread and Butter
Cream of Sweet Corn and Crab Meat Soup
Spicy Malay Chicken Soup
Fried Mee Mamak
Homemade Tofu
Steamed Fish
White Rice
Fish Skin, Cucumber, and Raw Salmon Sushi
Salmon, Tuna, and Bass Sashimi
Wasabi and Soy Sauce
Nasu Dengaku (Japanese Eggplants Broiled with Miso)
Yaki Niku (a grilled meat dish)
Sayur Tumis Air
Kari Daging Berkentang
Rendang Itik (Broiled Beef)
Asam Pedas Ikan Patin Merliman
Masak Lemak Perut da Rendang
Rendang Daging "Tok Perak"
Rojak (a malay fruit salad)
Ayam Pangang Berimtan (Roast Chicken)
Fish, Shrimp, Vegetable Crackers.
Chocolate Fondue (dried mangoes, breadsticks, marshmallows, bananas, grapes)
Kahlua Chocolate Soup
Mango in Glutinous Rice
Sweet Potato Dumpling

the days are just packed

hello friends,

Our time is like sardines. It has been hard to detail everywhere we went and everything we did since the last list. We are sorry.

We are, to put it simply, busy. And consequently left with little time to update at home, except very late at night (it is 1:28 AM as I write this).

This is soon to change. Nathan has decided he will bring along his laptop for more on-the-road updating. There are plenty of wi-fi hotspots all over the island. So! Something for us to look forward to.

+ read on!Here are the major things that have happened since the 22nd.

Monday the 23rd
- eating out: Cathay restaurant w/ Grandpa and friends
- found computer cord for Nathan's laptop

Tuesday the 24th
- Singapore Zoo. All day.

Wednesday the 25th
- bought shirts and frisbee
- eating out: another meal w/ Grandpa, Chee Chiew, Wai Ping

Thursday the 26th
- boys day out w/ Mom's cousin
- ferry to Pulau Ubin, island
- biking and local food (discovered 100 plus)

Friday the 27th
- visited Dad's aunt and 98 year old grandmother
- ate dinner with the Ho's (Yew Kee & family) again, by the Fountain of Wealth
- Andrew ate McDonald's

Saturday the 28th
- evening barbecue with relatives: brother 6's and some of brother 4's families, Dad's aunt & Dad's cousins
- made friends in the ocean

Sunday the 29th (aka The Day We Expanded Our Stomachs A Few Sizes)
- went to church at Mom's old church (Grace Church)
- lunch at Cafe Fontebleau: hotel buffet w/ Grandpa & friends
- lunch again at Dad's oldest brother's house, met oldest male cousins (homemade pizza)
- dinner shortly afterward at Jumbo Seafood restaurant w/ Dad's best friend from school & family

Monday the 30th
- went w/ Aunt Serene & cousins, and Mom's cousins to Sentosa Island
- chillin barbecue by private pool
- slept over at private resort chalet

Tuesday the 1st
- left resort
- Andrew and kids took Sentosa Luge & Skyride
- Palawan Beach

Wednesday the 2nd
- bowling at Orchid Bowl in Pasir Ris w/ Mom's old friends, the Kans
- Chinatown shopping (Dad got acupuncture for back from his old friend)
- another stomach-stretcher at The Square: amazing hotel buffet w/ Grandpa, Chee Chiew & Wai Ping, & the Kans

Clearly we have been having tons of fun, and tons of food - but it is ALWAYS wonderful to get back to our room and crank the aircon - as they call it.

Tomorrow will be the most chilling we have had so far, with absolutely nothing really planned for us kids.

Please continue to pray for Dad's family!

cheers,
Dan

a taste of home

it will go forth

Friday the family took a 25-minute bus ride to my dad's maternal grandmother's flat (apartment).

The background story. Twelve years ago my dad had come to Singapore with his mom. At that time, a fortune-teller had informed my great-grandmother that she would not live past 86 years. So she had gathered her family together, believing she would die on the day her grandson came back (making the family complete). That day, my dad was able to share the gospel with her (in his native tongue, although he had nearly forgotten how to speak it) - and she accepted Christ as her Savior. However, afterward, certain members of her family pressured her into returning to worship idols and ancestors. The altar in the back of the room served as proof of this fact.

She is now 98 years old. It was definitely a blessing to visit her - although none of us could speak Hokkien (the dialect she spoke) - and be able to pray for her. My dad was able to speak to her again about the gospel, which we are grateful for - and her assistant prepared us some curry and beehoon noodles, which was a great meal!

Update on our food experience! Below is a to-do list of ten foods (according to THIS LINK) that we MUST eat before the end of four weeks. Bold means we've eaten it.

1. Chili crab
2. Hainanese chicken rice
3. Satay
4. Laksa
5. Bak kut teh
6. Roti Prata (and teh tarik)
7. Rojak
8. Fish Head Curry
9. Char Kway Teow
10. Fried Carrot Cake

My personal favorite so far is the roti prata. So good. Amazing. If any of you are near a Penang, Go And Eat It. It is absolutely tremendous. Especially when dipped in curry.

Picture post coming at some point.

photodump!

after days of toil, travel, and technological turmoil, we
finally have some pictures available for your viewing pleasure.

click here to view The Funs, a completely
non-chronologically-sound collection
of super-professional photography.
which will, incidentally, also continue to grow over the days.

for those of our highly valued readers
who are more "seriously" inclined: despair not!
we have a much more structured photo gallery underway.
thank you for your continued patience.

enjoy, and thanks for reading!

zoological gardens

It's almost been a whole week since we landed here in Singapore. Time seems to fly faster here compared to the US. The "busy-ness" of the people here doesn't help. Despite the rush of this small city, however, there's still a lot of peace that can be found. In fact, Singapore has many places where tired tourists and natives alike can find peace and quiet. It all depends on what is considered by the people here as "quiet". Singapore's a nice place.

Our party got peace yesterday at the Singapore Zoo. The Zoo hosts some unusual animals for the weather and area. White Siberian Tigers, for example, along with Inuka the polar bear, over 20 penguins, African lions, giraffes, zebras, rhinos, and many other odd creatures for this place...but that's what a zoo is (can't complain!).

Along with our aunt and two of her children, Tatiana (age 10) and Tesla (5), we trekked our way to the zoo. An hour and a half later, (full of MRT rides and a bus) we finally stepped into animal territory. Tesla, upon entering, demanded that he needed a $20 wagon to sit in the whole entire time. He got a stroller instead. That dealt with, we hurried on-- only to run into my nightmare: monkeys. They were hanging high in the trees above the fake gavials (some type of alligator creature) located right after the entrance (see map). I fled.

The rest of the zoo wasn't that bad. Tatiana was chosen to be part of some pet show, we saw tons of beautiful flora (but we focused more on the animals), and watched otters and penguins swim and dance.

oh the places you'll go...

...by day four in Singapore - there have been MANY! We've slept incredibly well because our days have been packed. It's mind-blowing how much we've done and it's only DAY FOUR.

Here is a rundown of some major sites and unique places we've visited since our arrival. (Be warned: very long post ahead!) Without further ado:

sites seen & venues visited
1. Hawker Centers.
every day
As previously mentioned, these food courts dot the landscape, primarily in the more residential areas (such as Bedok, where we are currently staying). In fact, the closest hawker center is right around the corner, in the middle of our flat complex - perfect for quick meals and desserts. You can grab anything from blackcurrant soda to mango milkshakes, mei-fun noodles to roti prata... all extremely low-priced and absolutely delicious.

2. MRT stations.
every day
Besides our weary legs, MRTs are the mode of transportation here in Singapore. Comparable to subway stations, except clean. Future posts when we're less busy and/or tired may explain the process of ticket-tapping and refund deposits - brilliant system, wonderfully convenient, too complex for this post, wish they had these in the USA.

+ read on!3. Technology City, Bugis*, Singapore.
day 2, june 20
(*Not sure of the correct terminology for these regions. I'm quoting the names of our MRT stops. Suffice it to say they are kind of like small counties.) I don't recall if it was called Technology City, but a walk inside this six-story building certainly merits such a title. Our good friend from Pittsburgh many years ago and Vice-Dean of NUS, Ho Yew Kee -- that's Yew Kee, first name, and Ho, last name, for all you Americans -- helped us navigate this nerd paradise. Aside from being able to check another sight off our seeing list, Nathan capitalized on this trip to buy a replacement set of headphones. (In case we forgot to mention: he fried those, too.) We were assailed by floor after floor of computer parts, video games, and cutting-edge technology. It was pretty awesome.

4. National University of Singapore (& alumni swimming pool)
day 2, june 20
After Tech City and lunch in an underground hawker center, Vice-Dean Ho's wife ('Auntie' Huey Huey) drove the nine of us in a little seven-seater to NUS, where they work. Their house is an annex of his office on campus, and is a mansion compared to apartment complexes like ours - one small perk of vice-deanship here! We took a bus across campus to the pool, where we spent the rest of the afternoon/evening. The "stranger danger" incident occurred in this facility. Dinner was a magnificent affair back at the Ho's, where we checked homemade Chili Crab off our must-eat-foods list.

5. Orchard Road
day 3, june 21
My Mom's dad, Mom's really good childhood friend - and high-ranking police officer - Lee Chee Chiew (no relation), and Chee Chiew's wife met us off the MRT on Singapore's downtown shopping street, the famous Orchard Road. Lined with gorgeous palms and the occasional sculpture, there was little time to admire the scenery as we were swept up in the human stream of the trendy and the tourists. We passed Gucci's and Dior's and tons of hip local shops as we headed for our next stop: the PARAGON.

5. The PARAGON
day 3, june 21
This was a mall, one of the countless shopping venues we would later set foot in. We were searching for lunch in the PARAGON, striving to attain the near-impossible balance of Chinese and inexpensive. This because the wealthier, more tourist-centric environment of the PARAGON assumed a more "exotic" taste of its customers, interspersing Thai, Japanese, Italian ["Spagheddie's," anyone?], and tons and tons and TONS of "Western" restaurants between designer stores like Calvin Klein and Bvlgari. We finally found one.

6. "My Mum's Cuisine" (no, seriously, that was the name of the place)
day 3, june 21
The food in this more traditional restaurant was quite excellent (albeit somewhat pricey), and helped us knock Hainanese Chicken Rice and Roti Prata off our must-eat list. We got seriously full. We took tons of brilliant photos here, too. Afterward, we explored the PARAGON some more whilst waiting for...come to think of it, I don't recall why we were waiting, but we spent a good hour or so chilling in various department stores or eating Italian ice cream, otherwise known as GELATO. (Gelato is good.) Then my mom and Wai Ping (Chee Chiew's wife) decided we had eaten too much and so subjected us to...

7. Walking
day 3-4
"Let's go see the Merlion," said Mom. Little did we know that this would take what felt like forever in badly-padded sandals and flip-flops. We also threaded mysteriously through at least three different malls - shortcuts, perhaps? Still, we couldn't complain. We needed the exercise. And Singapore is a walking sort of place, anyhow - it was good to get the sore feet feeling early. As well as the "force your pained stomach to ignore the heavenly smells in the mall" feeling. Along the way, we stopped by my mom's old church, where her dad used to pastor when she was a little girl. Many old friends commented on how much we had grown, and she had to count us kids out every single time (as in "number 1, 2, 3, and 4, oh, and this is our friend from America").

8. The Merlion
day 3, june 21
It's like Singapore's Statue of Liberty, except it's a fountain and it's not as large, and instead of a green woman with a spiky crown, you have a white stone lion-head on a curled fish-body (hence Merlion). There is a really cool story behind it that I am not familiar with. It stood majestically on the waterfront, spewing glorious streams of water from its mouth...a photo may do it more justice*. Quoth Davina: "That was worth the walk."
After this, we walked through another shopping mall and hit the MRT (we did not question the fact that the subway was practically in the mall) and came home and SLEPT very well.

9. New Creation Church, Suntec City Mall
day 4, june 22
Which brings us to today. Yes, laundromats and subways are not the only somewhat surprising finds in Singapore malls. Add this to the 16,000+ members that attend this charismatic megachurch's 4 services, and you get an idea of the overwhelmingness. We hit the 2:30 service - arrived early and STILL only managed to grab corner cushions. By which I mean, we literally sat on cushions, on the floor, in the corner of the packed auditorium. We still had a nice view, though. There were overflow rooms upstairs, too, that watched video feeds of the service. Pastor Joseph Prince preached a message on faith and anointing with oil, and at the close of the service, about eight people responded to the altar call. Quite an experience!

10. Lau Pa Sat, Downtown Singapore
day 4, june 22
We totally neglected lunch, a fact our stomachs reminded us of following the church service. Fortunately, we were held over by the most amazing snack ever created.
Mom and Dad decided to hit Lau Pa Sat - which ended up being sort of like a mega-hawker center, with its elegant old-timey architecture and numerous "streets" within its expanse. It was also the only one in the nation, apparently, that serves satay (another must-eat we can call must-eaten) - skewered meat barbecued in the open over crackling fire-grills under Coca-cola umbrellas, served hot off the iron with peanut sauce. It was beyond delicious, and I am getting hungry again just thinking about it. Afterwards, Nathan and Andrew played pick up sticks with the skewers.

That about wraps up in a nutshell the major stuff we've done so far. 11 PM here and I am wiped. Everyone else has abandoned me for their beds and I am inclined to return to mine... God bless and stay cool, folks (the rain over here has been helping us with this)!

cheers,
- Dan

*Photos are proving to be a challenge! If you recall Andrew's earlier post, one of my memory cards took a trip to the Great Photo Kiosk in the Sky, along with a boatload of photos from day one; day two pictures are currently on Nathan's laptop. The rest are sort of hovering at the moment between computers and cards. Please bear with our lack of imagery - we will try to get a more photographic post up, probably tomorrow, as we hear we might have some downtime!

VISITING PHYSICIANS

Yesterday morning, Nathan [woke] to Andrew's leg kicking his arm as he [leapt] out of his bed. "[Save] me!" he [squealed], as he [pointed] to a shadow on the wall. Being only slightly in possession of his mental and physical faculties (having merely awoken [seconds] beforehand), Nathan nodded and [rolled] over to sleep some more. Having been [persuaded] of the immediate urgency of the situation, however, Nathan [got] out of bed and [looked] at the wall.

Cockroach (Uglius maximus disgustingus)

Our first priority was to take pictures for you all, our [dear] readers/subscribers. We only selected one for your viewing [pleasure]. We hope you [enjoy] it.

Minutes passed. Then the two heroes heard a scurrying noise - and Andrew [saw] a large shadow [scrambling] towards him. He snapped. "It's a [monster]!" and [ran] over to the desk to find a container to trap it in. [Nathan] grabbed the blanket and [judo-chopped] the bug, stunning the beast. They lifted the blanket to behold what you beheld in the above image. As they watched, he began to flee. They hit him again. Then Andrew so bravely captured him in the goggles case that was nearby. It was now a "bug trap", so to speak.

We hurriedly exited the building to try (as in have him stand trial) and execute the ferocious [creature]. Sentencing him to death, the shoe of [doom] was brought and the sentence was executed ([no] pun intended).

We later learned that a family tradition apparently consists of healing fevers and death with burnt cockroach soup. It works - the one who partook of the soup still [lives] to tell the tale. They actually call the roaches "visiting physicians", since those are the active (so to speak) ingredients, if you know what I mean.

Everyone are doing well lah!

A few notes: due to our technological condition (as explained by Andrew in his last post), updates are slightly less frequent than originally intended - for this we apologize. The amazing things we have done in these past few days (yes, we have done a TON in three days already, it feels like forever) will have their post in due time! Also, to lessen a bit of confusion, the time zone and dates on this blog will now reflect Singapore Standard Time, or GMT +8:00 (sorry Alex and Alexis!)

Thanks for your continued patience and prayers!

meanwhile...

Alexis Hurter here, reporting from the home front. The week has been largely uneventful, but has not been without its learning curves.

The front door must have something against me. I thought for sure I had locked myself out of the house on Tuesday night. But I’m discovering that it takes a certain amount of pressure on the latch, and the perfect amount of force to open. I’m starting to get the hang of it, but occasionally, I misjudge and either repeatedly attempt to open the door or go flying headlong into the hallway. Thankfully, the door is still in one piece, and I am as well. :)

I had forgotten about the mouse glue traps….until Thursday, when I was watering the plants, and kept stepping on something. I looked down, to notice two black little rectangles attached to my flip-flops. Initially, I didn't realize what I was stepping on, until both flip-flops were thoroughly stuck. I did successfully detach the flip-flops from the glue traps. But then came the challenge of figuring out how to get the glue off of the flip-flops. Dish soap worked fairly well, but according to online sources, peanut butter and vegetable oil work even better. I have yet to try.

But all in all, everything is going splendidly!

Tec Troubles

This is Andrew the Irish minority here in Singapore. Today i have been the object of prolonged blank stares and had school kids call me "the ugly American" in the swimming pool. So i confronted them and they cried "stranger danger" and swam away.

[This is Nathan pointing out our destination on the board.]

We have been having some serious tech troubles to list a few: upon arriving at the house we are staying at Mr. Lee fried the computer cord, Dan lost the memory card to his camera (most of the pictures on it were of the hamster Monty -- so it wasn't too much of a loss), we had headphones break, Nathan fell into a ditch on the side of the road while video taping and the camcorder took the brunt of the fall and is now in disrepair.

[One of the many shops in the food court underneath the electronics mall. Fuel!!]

We are having a great time here and the food is so good. We spent most of the day today downtown looking for electronics and then went to a friends house (who is a assistant dean at a college - the national university of singapore). It's our second day here and already it seems like we have been here a long time.

quips

Sixteen minutes left on our internet cafe clock, Dan taking over now. (Andrew is on other computer checking email.) Time allows very brief snapshots of our trip so far. Which is what I will offer. Not conveniently, this computer keeps switching my keys around...y is z and z is y, for instance. It is slightlz frustrating.

@airports:
- peanut butter got confiscated. Mom not too pleased. Family vetoed decision to reclaim peanut butter for checked baggage.
Andrew: "Watch us on the last day, being like WE NEED PEANUT BUTTER."

- hungry. Mom sees McDonald's logo outside our gate. Five famished family members walk around airport forever. Just before giving up Davina and I spot some punk dude with emo bangs looking at us curiously. Punk dude is holding McDonald's coffee. Mom spots him a second later and screams excitedly "WHERE IS THE MCDONALD'S"? Dude grins and points at McDonald's less than 100 yards away. Hash browns, Egg McMuffins, and McGriddles (glory glory hallelujah) In total, forty-five minutes.

Newly-arrived lady overheard back at our gate: "I'm going to swing by McDonalds."

@airplane:
- movies watched (on demand): Dan In Real Life, Penelope, The Island, Hercules, Emperor's New Groove. Cathay Pacific's economy class was incredibly luxurious -- wait for the photos!

- airplane food was also amazing. for lunch, chicken rice w/ steamed vegetables; potato salad with smoked salmon; nougat mousse; hot rolls. for dinner, pork roast with potatoes and mustard-mushroom gravy; fruit salad; cake with raspberry sauce. Tim Tams in great supply!

time running out severely. five minutes, and the kezs on thia kezboard are periouply going WAXK. we'll have pictures soon!

cheers & stay cool,
Dan

PS. Disregard the time, it is early afternoon over here! Pretty sure we are twelve hours ahead of America.

arrival

We seem to have lost a day. It is now Thursday morning (Wednesday night for all of you) - and that means we were traveling for about 28 hours. Thanks to sleep planning, none of us are experiencing jet lag at all!

Unfortunately, trials have arisen. The power cable to the laptop was shocked to death after we short-circuited the entire apartment suite(and the laptop ended up dying - it was apparently left on during one of the flights) - so we are currently in an internet "cafe" inside one of the community center, and I have 43 minutes left to write this post. Talk about pressure. It's not free either - $1.50 per hour. So we're going to have to make every minute count.

[34 minutes]

(finding this picture cost us about two minutes)

When we exited the airport, the humidity fell upon us as one falls upon delectable strawberry cheesecake. It also was as thick as delectable strawberry cheesecake. In such manner that one can barely breathe (as in it takes one's breath away. Literally.). You could even cut it with a knife and it would close back up immediately. (This also from experience.)

[23 minutes]

We have photos, but unfortunately the majority of these are on the now-dead laptop and cannot be accessed at this time. Stay tuned, though - we will find ways to overcome such adversity!

[19 minutes]

Okay, getting off - catch you all later, hopefully somewhere with less pressure! (coming up with this sentence cost us about three minutes)

everything's smaller in singapore

Good evening, friends! With hours left before our departure, I figured I'd share with you all a small taste of what our life is about to become. I have titled this list "realistic expectations" in honor of the mini-lecture my mom delivered a few days before packing went insane.

Realistic Expectations:
1. The journey. We're up at 7 tomorrow and heading to Philly Int'l to catch our plane at 10 -- embarking on a 21+ hour trip, with a less-than-45-minute transfer in Hong Kong that will have us literally running through the airport. Then factor in carry-ons, customs, security, delays, hunger, and bathroom breaks...ahh, the world of travel.

+ read on!2. The accomodations. Our benevolent Aunt Serene, with whom we will be sharing the flat - along with two of her children, my grandparents, and a maid - kindly informs us that the rooms are tiny. As in, very very small. Roll-up-and-put-your-bed-away-every-day small.

But this is not a huge problem. It will be like living in a tent. An insulated, air-conditioned tent a few hundred yards in the sky with clotheslines running out the windows. Really not a bad deal!

3. The laundry. The washing machine in the flat, we are told, will only accommodate a load comprised of, say, one shirt from each person. Seven shirts, my friends, is one load. As a result, Mom announces we will need to wash one dark and one light load every single day. Yes, every outfit must be washed every day if at all possible, as sweat does not make for particularly charming society, neither here nor in Singapore (even if it is the norm).

There is the small problem of sharing the washing machine with the other 6+ occupants of our flat, however. Never fear, Mom has it all under control. "We have another option," she points out. "If we have to, we can load our stuff into a small suitcase, haul it across the country, and go to the mall." Because apparently, all the laundromats are in the mall. (Mom assures us this is our last-ditch emergency solution.)

4. The density of our schedule. Aside from our obligatory sightseeing itinerary -- an exploration of, among other things, the local flora and fauna -- there is a wealth of Family to account for. Dad's seven siblings have produced upwards of 14 cousins. Mom's Dad is going to be in town. And both Mom and Dad's distant relatives in total could populate a small Asian country. (Oh, wait...) Boredom will be the very last of our worries! Now, downtime, on the other hand...

5. The food. There are food courts literally all over the nation, called hawker centers. These sell cheap, cheap, lovely cheap food. Really really good cheap food, too, like you wouldn't believe. We'll have pictures so you can all see the delicious stuff you're missing out on.

But money is never to be squandered, even in small increments. Mom has decided that we "will all cook a meal at least once" for thirteen in the flat. Not entirely bad, except for The Catch: like many Singapore homes, this one has NO OVEN - bad news for baker-chefs like myself. Stay tuned for some inevitable interesting news about this.

On another note, we will also benefit from the kindness of friends and relatives, who we are told will be willing and eager to take us out for meals. Thank God for family & friends! :)

6. The weather. We are going to be practically on the Equator. Enough said.

Oh, and the rain. It's either skin-scorchingly hot or raining. Or at times, both.

--
So. With less than ... twelve hours to go, we'd love prayer for peace and strength to get everything done that needs getting done, and for safety as we embark overseas. Also, please pray for Dad, as the leader and family ambassador; and for Mom and the pressure she will be under as our administrator-in-chief and gift-distributor.

Cheers & stay cool,
Dan

welcome

The house is alive. We're listening to Christmas songs (to get us in the mood), and I realize that I am being called away from the laptop every thirty seconds - so many issues arising (and being quenched) in a mere matter of minutes.

To give a live example: "NATHAN COME AND EAT YOUR RAMEN!"

So while I am eating my ramen (credits http://twobites.files.wordpress.com), I will introduce this blog.

This blog is
a living, dynamic, moving, active, changing collection
of stories, thoughts, conversations, links, commentaries, and adventures
through the media of images, videos, and text.

We are going to a small island in the southeast Asian Pacific known as Singapore. Singapore is located only four degrees north of the equator. This means it is very hot there. It also means that it is very humid there. The average high is 87 degrees Fahrenheit - but it feels like the high 90s. Yuck.

Singapore is also known for other various things, such as a chewing gum ban, an extremely low crime rate, and great food! (Interestingly enough, the crime rate report lists Philadelphia for comparison purposes at the top of the crime chart. Yeah living in the city! heehee)

We will be departing the country sometime on Tuesday morning. A somewhat 24-hour trip will get us near Hong Kong, which is only an hour or so away from Singapore. By the time we reach the other side of the world, we will not only be suffering from jet lag (for the next few days), we will also be struck with a climate change (heat wave).

We have a lot of family there. Dad has five or six siblings, and so we have about fifteen or so cousins. Good times!!

Dan, Andrew, Jeremy, and myself will be taking the main responsibility for the blog during the trip (we'll leave the trip planning to the parents). We'll be armed with cameras, video recorders, pens, and will be hoping to find adventure everywhere we look. Of course, at times the blog may degenerate into the latest happenings of the most recent Chinese soap opera - but we pray that will not happen... too often.

Comments are highly welcome and encouraged!!! we may or may not get back to you, but we'll do what we can. Please be praying for us that we would be able to witness to our family there and that whatever we do, we'll grow closer to Christ and continue to glorify him!

the authors

see link on sidebar.from the island:
Mom
who will be popping in periodically, pouring plethoras of pithy parental perspective




Andrew
who will be ...?



Nathan
who will be talking about whatever seems to need talking about. and more.




Dan
who will be writing 1. lots of lists. 2. lots of lists.



Jerome
who probably won't have much to say, but is going to try very hard anyway




from headquarters:
Alexis
who will be refreshing us with fun (and hopefully benign...just kidding!) anecdotes from the good ol' US of A


Alex
who will be posting occasional updates from Lee Central as our faithful weekend warrior

the house

Is safe.............................................. for now.

the last stretch

well, there's five days to go-- we're mostly packed, the only thing that's left is the cleaning of the house (dust doesn't feel good on the furniture when you sit on it after a long trip), and just...well, just getting ready. i think we've done a pretty...good job so far.

i'm pretty much looking forward to the trip, except for the heat and the security checks. singapore's a great place to hang out, with one of the best zoos (except for the monkeys), the best food EVER, and even a "snow city" where locals can cool off.

the time urges me to move on now...

before the trip

I cannot think I cannot eat I cannot do anything but being bossy and disorganized. I want to sleep...
Cleaning, packing, gifts, food, laundry, the heat... and the mice.

God will give me grace one job and one day at a time.

thoughts and links

6 days to go - and I have not even begun to pack yet. I'll be coming off a week chock-full of interviews, finals, and moving out... so not much preparation has even occurred. I have a few links that I'll be reading over the next few days in terms of packing, traveling, and other such things.

This link here talks about minimalistic packing - which would be sweet for times when we will want to be moving quickly. Another technique I've begun to subscribe to - bundle-packing - has greatly saved me a lot of space in the few retreats/conferences I've been able to attend. I'll be looking to simplify until I only bring what I need in my carry-on.

And finally, to risk stating the obvious, researching Singapore will be helpful...

almost there.

packing is frenzy.

i haven't been very nathan-like in my planning and packing. i subscribe to the age-old roll-it technique (ignore the 'europe' part of that link) so my suitcase is full of little fabric spring rolls. or big ones, depending on whether it's a tshirt or a pair of klunky shorts.

we are leaving in ehhh 6 days i think it is now. scary!