Posted 8:17 PM by Anne Wilhoit
It's the end of another day here in Singapore...well, at least for this weary bunch. It is about 8:00 PM on Saturday evening and my three loved ones are tucked in and off to dream-land. I'm behind them as soon as I'm finished here as we are all still adjusting to the time change. I took the girls to the zoo yesterday - my first "big" adventure out. We took a taxi and that was pretty scary as I held Amanda on my lap and Katie's seat-belt was broken. This is common here - in and out of taxis with children and no safety seats or belts. I guess I'll be praying a lot...and here is this thing that's really interesting: the taxi's have these little chimes that ring when they speed...well, as you can imagine...yep, yesterday (since we took the freeway) that chime was going off all the time. And then you know when a "speed camera" is coming up because the driver slows down for a minute then speeds back up. I've talked to a few other American mom's who get just as freaked out about the lack of car seats, etc. and they say the REAL problem is once you go back to the states because your kids scream like crazy when you try to strap them in. Oh great!

Besides experiencing the taxi I also got my first true taste of the humidity..... Yesterday was not only a warm day but the sun was shining (not overcast). A lot of the time it is overcast which makes the weather a bit more bearable. Katie, Amanda, and I went through 4 bottles of water and a few juices within a period of about 3 hours. The humidity and walking around at the zoo really took a toll. I called it an early day as I was getting really nervous that the girls would just pass out. I also was re-applying the sunscreen whenever Amanda would let me. It's harder to keep her shaded as she will not keep a hat on. Katie is really good about wearing a hat all the time which will be invaluable over here. Anyway, the zoo is AMAZING and we just saw a little of it. For those of you whom have visited the San Diego Wild Animal Park, it's kind of like that but you walk through the exhibits...they are very open so you have the feeling you are right in with the animals. And, you can spot local wildlife as well - we saw some HUGE lizards in the kangaroo exhibit and an enormous spider in her web just hanging out near one of the primate exhibits. I've mentioned Katie's love for animals before and you just have to know that she doesn't discriminate...she had her picture taken wrapped up in a python. I try not to project my fear of snakes on to her but it took all my might not to scream when that thing wrapped up around her. It was a seven year old female and it's keeper told me not to worry that it had "just" eaten. It turms out that "just" meant last week - three hamsters met their fate. In the wild, one of these pythons will constrict a monkey or a deer That made me feel a lot better...yeah RIGHT...Katie is smaller than a deer! David will post the picture tomorrow so you'll have to check back.

Today was an errand running day. All of us ventured out via taxi to a couple different shopping areas to purchase a few needed items. The girls and I spent our daily hour in the playroom and then Amanda and I actually napped while David and Katie went swimming. This evening we walked out for dinner - to a "halkker" stall...great chicken and rice with vegetables for the equivalent of US$2.00. Cheap and very good. We walked past the local Catholic church (it is just about 4 blocks away) where we will attend mass tomorrow.

We had a nice display of lightning last evening as well. We have an amzing view from the girls' bedroom window - it is a floor to ceiling window and since we are on the tenth floor it is a great view. The girls like to sit there and look out. Amanda waves down to all the cars and says "bye-bye". This activity can keep us occupied for 30 minutes. We also waited for daddy's taxi to deliver him home from work last evening. We will try to post some pictures of the views from our balcony as well although it is a little scary out there...you just feel llike you are going to fall over. The wall is high enough that the girls are in no danger but we have already made the rule that we cannot be out there holding Amanda and, in fact, I have not even let her or Katie out there at all. Just to give you an idea, the wall comes up to my rib-cage and so for David since he is much taller than me, it even seems more like he might tumble over. It's a weird feeling.

Well, check back soon for some new photos...David should be able to post them up soon. We love to get your emails in our guest book. Here is our address if you want to send any snail mail - I know Katie would especially apppreciate it as she has her little plastic mail box here just waiting for any mail:
The Wilhoits
Fraser Suites
491A River Valley Road
Suite 10-05
Singapore 248372

Posted 1:18 PM by Anne Wilhoit
Things to get used to in Singapore:
1. They drive on the wrong side of the road...ok, for them, it is the right side. You have to get used to looking the opposite direction for on-coming traffic as you would in the states. And, you have to get used to watching for left hand turns right in front of you before stepping into the crosswalk.
2. The "maids" are multifunctional: they cook, iron, do laundry, watch the children, go to the store, etc. So you have to get used to the fact that "maid" is different then in the U.S. It's really not that hard to get used to except I feel guilty that Ann, our houskeeper, always does the dishes. She spends about an hour and a half here every day because about 45 minutes of that the she plays with Amanda. She invites the other maids to come in and see Amanda because she is just so cute (as they say).
3. The maids call their boss a "mam" which, with the accent, sounds like "mom". When I first was arranging babysitting for Amanda, the maid (who is a grown women) said she had to ask her "mom" which was really her "mam". I couldn't figure out why this grown women had to ask her mom for permission to babysit. Then I met another maid while picking up Katie from school and she said her "mom" was in the hospital having a baby and that she was here picking up her "boy". Talk about confusing - the boy was really the "mam's" boy, and the "mom" was really the "mam". The maid was not related to either of them, she was just employed by them. Got it?
4. The local Singaporeans ADORE small American babies. They squeel at them, touch them, rub their cheeks, ask their age, etc. You have to get used to the local people going crazy over your children. Luckily Amanda has not hauled off and hit any of them yet.
5. You have to get used to the STRONG smells of the market places. At the " wet market", which is similar to a farmer's market, everything is fresh and has the eyes still on it. You have to get used to the strong odors of all the spices. It's easy to get used to the low prices for all the fresh produce and fish. I bought a 1/2 kg of JUMBO prawns (with the eyes) today for $9.00S which is about $6.00 US. Wait until Katie sees these guys...she'll proablly want to put one in a tank. Too bad - I'm making them for dinner to celebrate David's first day at his new job.
6. You have to get used to everyone doing everything for you - picking up your apratment, holding your kids, opening the doors, bringing you mail, fetching a taxi, etc., etc.
7. You have to get used to being so far away from family and friends that you try not to think about it.

Posted 8:57 PM by Anne Wilhoit
Today was Katie's first day of kindergarten but surprisingly there were no tearful send-offs. She just hopped right up on that big bus and was off. There were about 6 other children that got on the bus at the same time as Katie - one whom just arrived from Pennsylvania. Her name is Emily and she started kindertgarten today as well. More on Katie's first day(s)...we will post some pictures this weekend of her in her uniform which we will take tomorrow. David's first day of work is tomorrow as well so we will see how our morning routine goes!

Our "big" shipment arrived today. The main thing is that we brought too many clothes. I really felt like I scaled down but the closet space is very limited and the drawers are very small and few. In the books I read about Singapore the attire was described as "casual" but it seems to me that most of the women wear skirts rather than pants and shorts. For those interested, it is VERY apparent that the shopping will be superb...the clothes are really "hip" - lots of fun shoes too. I just had a peek at a little indoor shopping venue yesterday because we had to go and buy some uniform shirts for Katie. Another observation made by David and I is that hardly anyone wears sunglasses. A lot of the day it is overcast which may explain that. Although, David and I still find it to be fairly bright and need ours.

I could have brought more baskets to help hold and organize things. I'm glad I brought the kitchen items that I did because the kitchen is minimally stocked. Basically, I just brought the girl's dishes and cups, a few Longaberger items, etc. The apartment is shaping up like "home" although I still have a lot ot put away. Nora watched Amanda again today for a few hours so I could unpack the shipment with David. Nora is from the Phillipines and is working for a British family here in the complex. During the day her duties are minimal so they have told her she is free to babysit for other families. Amanda seems very happy with her - Nora walks her all over in front of the complex in the shade, they sit down in the lobby and watch people, and play in the playroom. Nora is headed to Dublin on October 5 but has a friend that she will hook us up with who will be able to babysit when I need it. I have signed up to volunteer at the American School and do want to do some sightseeing to some places that will not be very conducive to bringing Amanda. Amanda is doing better each day although she is starting to have "sprawl" temper - tantrums when she does not get something she wants. We describe it as a sprawl because she just drops to the floor and spreads her entire body out over the ground. It is all very dramatic. Hmmmm, imagine that - I have daughter who is dramatic! David says she is already starting the "terrible twos". When she is mad she is just plain mad and let's you know it. On the flip side, she is really talking a lot and bringing us so much joy! Today she walked into her room and actually said "Oh...WOOOOW!" when she saw all of the stuffed animals lined up on the floor after being unpacked. Daivd and I just cracked up.

I was invited by a gal from Portland (Christine) to go to the "cold storage" which is a grocery store within walking distance and is only open in the morning. She will show me around our neighboorhood a bit as well. She has 2 sons - ages 6 and 3 and home-schools them. Katie also met our next door neighbors today - Suzanne and Spencer, twins - age 9 - very nice kids and took to playing with Katie right away. They are also home-schooled.

We will report on David's work in the next few days. He's anxious to get going but I will definitely miss him. I am already meeting lots of people and looking forward to getting out and about a bit. Log back on soon - there's so much too tell. We miss talking to everyone on the phone...it's weird not to just pick up the phone and call. But you can call us at 011-65-833-3796...just remember, we are 15 hours ahead of you if you live in Califronia!

Posted 7:35 PM by Anne Wilhoit
David, Katie, and I took a taxi ride to the American School today for orientation. The school is incredible. There are 8 kindergarten classes of 18 children each - comprised of approx. 70% of children holding U.S. passports, and 30% of different nationalities. We met Katie's teacher and class and the children had prepared a welcome poster for Katie on which each of their pictures was glued and their name signed. They were all so thrilled to meet Katie and anxious for her first day of school which is tomorrow. The school facilities are just amazing - separate facilities for the "primary" grades (k-3) including music rooms, art rooms, computer labs, a separate library, theatre with stage, cafeteria, pool, covered play yard and structures and on and on. Katie LOVED the art room and music room and also found out that she will receive instruction in Mandarin. I cannot even begin to describe how impressed we were with the entire school and Katie's teacher, Mrs. Slachta, is just great. Katie will take the bus to school but the system is very diffrerent than in the U.S. A large majority of the children arrive via bus. All the buses are coaches with chaperones. The system is very secure as the children are checked in and out and all the primary children have to wear a name badge/card. Katie will have a packed first day as it is the first swim day for P.E. and also an assembly for all the kindergarten children will be held where the principal will read to the kids. It also happens to be an "alternate dress day" which means for her first day, Katie will not have to wear her uniform. I am so excited for her to begin the experience that I told her I wanted to go to kindergarten too. "NOOOOO mommy, you already went to kindergarten!" I guess I'll just just have to help out in the classroom. Good thing that opportunity is available - I will start volunteering in October. I am also invited to a coffee next week and will find out a lot more about the PTA, etc. For those of you whom know Katie's love of animals you can just imagine how excited she was to find the 4 pet turtles in her classroom. We also saw our "first" dog in the little shopping area near our apartment today. In closing, it will be a very busy day for David and I tomorrow as well - our "big" shipment from home arrives in the morning. Oh yes, Amanda's babysitter said she did not cry at all today - the entire day workled out well but now it's off to bed...David hit the sack about 6:30 and the girls just fell asleep too (it's about 7:20) ...I'm fading quickly and we have an early morning as Katie's bus arrives at 7:00 AM. Good night!

Posted 8:31 AM by Anne Wilhoit
Well - we are here! I cannot believe it! With regards to the flights, 11 hours with an 18 month old is just plain tough. Luckily for us because of the airline situation, the first flight hardly had any people (about 70 people on a Boeing 777). We were able to set a blanket down on the floor in front of entire empty row of business class seats and gave Amanda a little play area. We also did lots of walking around, trading her from lap to lap, and played funny little games like putting goldfish crackers into the baby bottle and back into the bag, etc. Amanda had a couple of MAJOR melt-downs - one in which nothing worked so we resorted to alcohol - yes, that's it - the flight attendant helped me put some brandy in her bottle and then said, ok mom, the rest is for you - bottom's up! We both passed out for about 2 and 1/2 hours! I thought I would never resort to that - bad mommy, bad mommy. More to come on the flights - everyone in Japan was really helpful and most spoke English so the transition to our second flight from Tokyo to Singapore went well. The second flight was VERY crowded and lasted 7 hours. We were all able to sleep about 4 hours. Katie was an angel on both flights which reminds me that one of my friends from my Ministry-of-Mother's group told me to imagine the plane being pulled by a bunch of angels...In other words, it was all in the hands of God. From this author who is afraid to fly in the first place, I did remarkably well if I can say so myself. I thank everyone for your prayers for us as well.

Singapore is something so far. We are making it through the jet-lag ok. Last night Katie fell asleep at 5pm and she slept through until 5 this morning. Amanda didn't do too bad - she woke up a few times but never stayed up more than to have a bottle. Here is an example of how incredibly nice and helpful the people here are: Last night David, me, and Amanda went downstairs to get a bite to eat in the little cafe right on-site. Katie stayed upstairs and slept. The 3 gals working in the cafe managed to not only cook and serve our meal but as one of them set down David's dinner, she took Amanda and said, "now - let's allow your mommy and daddy to eat their dinners." She took Amanda outside to the pool area and walked all over showing here everything. Incredible - everyone wants to hold Amanda and help out. Our maid's name is Ann and has already attached to Amanda like crazy. Ann will come in the morning to straighten up and provide us with fresh towels, etc. She also told me to leave the dishes in the sink and she will wash them...hmmm, let me think a minute...well, ok. I also already met another maid who wants us to hire her because she is finishing up her other job. She also has a friend that will come by today to babysit Amanda while the three of us go to the American school to meet Katie's teacher and have our orientation meeting. Well, as you can see - lots to tell already. The apartment is very nice but small - we brought too much stuff and we haven't even received our "big" shipment. The humidity wasn't too bad yesterday although I only let the girls stay at the pool for 20 minutes due to the intense sun. We spent a lot of time in the play room. Although it is geared toward small children, Katie enjoyed it a lot too. Amanda and I will be there a lot. We have already seen lots of other families with children. Well, a llittle munchKIN IS trying to to type now, so i will sign off for now...

Posted 8:26 AM by Anne Wilhoit
The past 11 days have proved to be some of the toughest in the history of our nation. We have cried many tears with all of you these past few days - for those fallen, for those mourning, and for the world situation. We have also shed many tears of "so long"...until we meet again. It's been tough but we are anxious to leave tomorrow even though it is a most difficult time to be leaving America for foreign soil. We will have a long journey with the kids and are going with an open mind as to how Amanda will be on such long flights. We have been told that our belongings may not arrive until the first of October so setting up the apartment might have to wait. We will email and update our journal as soon as possible. Until then, God Bless and God Bless America.

Posted 2:35 PM by David Wilhoit
To those who might have noticed, the countdown to the Singapore trip has been changed. Due to the current madness in the world we have decided it is best to postpone our departure for a few days. Everything is packed up and we are staying with my parents in Saratoga. God Bless America!