A neighbourhood walk

We sometimes forget we live next to this bustling HDB area with all kinds of hidden local culture. This past week we've been wandering down there for meals. There are some excellent cafes and food stalls we never knew were there. It's also one of the oldest HDBs and the vintage bits and pieces are fun to see. Joel loves the old arcade games and derelict kids rides. There are more from our day of wandering on flickr here.

Lion Dance

Lion Dance a video by coach_stacey on Flickr.

This is just a small door-to-door Lion dance that briefly interrupted our lunch this afternoon at The Prata cafe.

Year of the snake

New Years Pineapple Tarts (much like the ones we've been eating)
-photo from Hungrygowhere

Our meringue snake from Da Paolo eaten on NYE

We're on day three on the Lunar New Years festivities celebrating the year of the snake. We've honestly kept pretty close to home the past few days because during New Years everyone in Singapore likes to go out visiting AND the taxi drivers take holidays. On top of those two factors, there have been torrential monsoon rains through every afternoon. A deadly combination.

We have celebrated in our own way. We're had friends visit for meals and have been out for some nice walks and today we finally ventured into the Orchard Rd for some last minute baby things and found that it wasn't that busy down there (I mean yes, it was shoulder to shoulder but one could still draw breath). We also managed to somehow get a table at Din Tai Fung for lunch.

Decor inside Paragon

Video of Thaipusam procession

Video of procession a video by coach_stacey on Flickr.

Thaipusam in Singapore

"Thaipusam is a highly symbolic Hindu festival celebrated by Singapore’s Tamil community. It is an annual procession by Hindu devotees seeking blessings, fulfilling vows and offering thanks. Celebrated in honour of Lord Subrahmanya (also known as Lord Murugan), who represents virtue, youth and power to Hindus and is the destroyer of evil, it is held during the full moon in the 10th Tamil month, called Thai, which falls in mid-January each year."
Source: http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/traveller/en/browse/whats-on/festivals-and-events/thaipusam.html

Sounds pretty tame doesn't it? Well it's a little more than just a procession. Devotees to the faith walk to the temple with elaborate and symbolic things attached to their bodies with temporary piercing. It's a walk of pain and totally fascinating to see. This year Joel went down to little India to photograph the colourful procession.

Warning: The photos do show a lot of skin piercing  If you are faint of heart this might be a good time to go look at something else.

See all our photos here

Onesies and tiny socks

36 Weeks

Well here we are! It's mid-January. We had a beautiful baby shower thrown for us by our dear friends here and a virtual shower thrown online for everyone who couldn't physically be here. Our little change table is filled with the essentials and there's the cutest little row of onesies hanging in the closet. Pristine new swaddles are hanging on the clothesline waving in the breeze reminding me that really it's just a few more weeks now. Our families have all purchased their plane tickets and phonecalls and emails are now focused on last details of a much anticipated family reunion.

And how are we doing? We're doing great! Really, I'm not exaggerating at all. I'm off bed rest and have more energy than I've had since last June. I may have had an unbelievably crappy first trimester followed by an equally awful second and there may be a number of close friends now who might be strongly considering adoption. BUT I am telling the absolute solemn truth that the third trimester has been a total breeze so far and guess what? I'm 8 months this weekend and it's almost all over.

I've never been one to use tickers to count things down on our blog before but in the top of our side bar on the blog right now you can see there's a little count-down going on for anyone who's checking in to see how much longer... Don't be a stranger. Say hi, ping us on Skype, we really love all the fun emails and calls we've been getting as we wait out the proverbial waiting game.

A bowl of orchids at our flower-filled baby shower

One more milestone... our fur-baby, Kopi-o is about to turn one year old

Jurong Refinery at Sunset

A time-lapse photography project by Joel

Christmas in Singapore

He may be the only kitten who does not climb xmas trees 

Joel carried this noble pine home on his back from Far East Flora!

xmas morning by the "hearth"

Farewell New Zealand

Final night in New Zealand

It's been a great trip and despite the weekend of rest prescribed we made it a very memorable one. Joel traded in his riding for reading and cooking and we just cozied up listening to the crashing surf most of the time. On the way up here we bought a ton of fresh produce and meats for the BBQ and have just been in food heaven.

The weather warmed up to about 20 degrees with a brisk breeze. Yesterday we took a long drive to see the country side and today - after 4 days of bed rest - I went for a waddle with Joel down the beach at sunset. Feeling pretty good on my feet but not at all like leaving this beautiful place tomorrow.