Posted 9:03 PM by Anne Wilhoit
As the wife of an ex-pat, you cannot feel sorry for yourself for very long or you have just had it. Those who read my previous blog (journal entry) will be happy to note that I am feeling much better. I said it might only take a couple of days, right? Well, the sleep I got last night REALLY helped! Although I woke up once, it was the first night since arriving that I did not get out of bed to tend to a crying or frightened child, watch lightning, get a drink of water, or go to the bathroom. What a great feeling! Of course you who know me to the core also know how grateful I am for all that has been given to me in my life and that I truly know how privileged I am not only to have this experience, but to have all that I do. Being here in Asia I have also had the opportunity to stop and take inventory of the little things that we take for granted. I'm not trying to be profound here, but when you experience some of what we have seen here, well - it's hard to explain. The Singaporean people are proud people -whether they call themselves Indian, Malay, Chinese, etc. However, some of the neighborhoods seem to be a bit impoverished. We ventured to Little India yesterday and some of the side streets reminded me too much of Tijuana, MEX. Amanda was not with us which we were thankful for as maneuvering around with the stroller would have been impossible. It was quite enough for Katie with all the smells and sights. We didn't get to see everything we wanted but did get to one of the Hindu temples (the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple). Built in 1881, this temple is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali, the consort of Shiva. She is known as the Goddess of Power and the name "Veeramakaliamman" means "Kali the Courageous". There is a little boy in Katie's class named "Veer" which I am assuming is a derivation of this name "Veeramakaliamman". Anyway, the temple was really something. I'd like to go back again as it is very intriguing. Katie was a little bewildered by the sacrifices being offered...bananas and mangoes. Bananas symbolize abundance. We also saw some of the rituals being performed - washing of hands and feet and sprinkling water on your head before you enter, circling some of the shrines an odd number of times, ringing bells on the way in order to ask God to grant a request. There was incense burning and men carrying the devotee's sacrifices up to the shrines in these little alcoves. Our presence did not seem to bother the worshippers although we couldn't help to think we were an intrusion. There were other tourists there too. (I guess I am not really a tourist but I still feel like one when we are out and about taking in these sights).

This weekend also brought a trip to the Singapore Discovery Center which has a lot of displays about the history of Singapore but lots of other exhibits as well. Katie and David enjoyed an IMAX movie but Amanda didn't want anything to do with that!

I got pretty close to my dream of having a ravioli lunch by making Buitoni tortellini tonight. You know those packages that you buy at Safeway in the refrigerated section and can sometimes get on sale 2 for $5.00? Well, they are $8.50 a piece here but I tell you it was well worth it! It felt very much like home with the salad I made and the french bread I found at a bakery in the Takashimaya shopping complex called "St. Leaven". Have I told you about Takashimaya yet? Oh....let's just put it this way: "Can you say SHOPPING?"

The girls have settled in bed already which is a good thing since it will be an early Monday morning! God Bless everyone and God Bless America.

P.S. Amanda is starting the "NO!" phase although half the time she says "no" in German. She must have picked it up from our friends the Horns whom speak English and German. Good grief Charlie Brown, I hope she learns more German than just "nein".

Posted 1:18 AM by Anne Wilhoit
I didn't really think about the fact that there would come a time that this journaling would be too hard to do. Not in the sense that it is "difficult" or that I am at a loss for words - huh, imagine that - me, at a loss for words. Moreover, at this point (yes it is just about 2 o' clock in the morning) - I'm feeling like writing nothing but negative stuff. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of good stuff that has happened in the past few days. Namely, I enjoyed volunteering in Katie's classroom on Wednesday and earlier today the girls and I had a great play-date at the apartment of a new friend (she has 2 little girls too). But, reality for me right now is that "I want to go home". Ask me again in a few weeks (actually probably a few days) and I'll feel completely different. Such is the life of the "post-honeymoon" period of an ex-pat. The book "Culture Shock - a wife's guide" even talks about it so it's not just me - apparently it is very normal. Of course not having a "full" night's sleep since we have arrived doesn't help. At this point, I'd settle for 6 hours straight without waking up to either Amanda crying or thunder crashing. If that could happen and then I could have GOOD cup of coffee, 1 hour to exercise without my back hurting, a jacuzzi in a hot jacuzzi (not a cold one like the one downstairs), ravioli for lunch (from By 'th Bucket in Santa Clara), and afternoon visits from both sets of our parents as well as all of you family and friends reading this...well, you get the picture. I'm going to try to go get my 6 hours now...I'll send David downstairs for a Starbuck's Venti vanilla late when I wake up...that is, if they are open then. (Anne Wilhoit)

Posted 3:04 PM by David Wilhoit
Corrections:

My dad will retire on Wednesday, October 31 not Friday, October 29. Boy could he have some fun his last day at work with a really outrageous costume!

Singapore is not "Asia Lite" it is "Asia wet".

Eating out here is not necessarily "really cheap". It can be "really, REALLY, cheap".

Katie is not in kindergarten - she is in Junior High. The boys in her class informed me of the "kissy girls" today. Lord help me.

Principals don't sit behind their desks all day. The primary school principal at SAS reads to the kids. How cool is that?

A "huggy wave" is not a diaper in the ocean, it is a type of wave the kindergarten class uses. One finger rests on top of another and you move them up and down like they are waving.

David and I are not tired. We are exhausted.

You CAN find soy cheese in Singapore although it looks and tastes nothing like the soy cheese in the states. At least it melts between tortillas like regular cheese.

(Anne Wilhoit)

Posted 7:42 AM by Anne Wilhoit
"Sleepless in Singapore" here...

I woke at 4:30 AM and I should have just typed up this entry then because I never went back to sleep. The thunder was so loud again! Katie was frightened by it this time and came into our bed. Unbelievably Amanda only woke up once last night (not because of the thunder) and neither Dave nor I went to her aid, so she went back to sleep within 5-10 minutes. It might be my imagination but she seems to sleep better when we turn off the air conditioning in their room. Last night I blasted it before they went to bed to really cool off the room then turned it off for the night. Woe is me...we shall sleep an entire night again soon, we hope.

It is still raining this morning so Amanda and I will postpone our walk to the grocery store until it lets up. I could really use my mini-van today. We still cannot believe the incredible thunder and lighting. It shakes the whole building. You cannot help but get up and watch the lightning. Supposedly we are in the "Lightning Capital of the World". I'm beginning to think it is true. By the way, I've been told Singapore is "Asia Lite" in terms of living in Asia. I suppose the main advantage of living in Singapore verus China for instance, is that you can always find someone here who speaks English (or at least Singlish - Singapore's version of English).

Katie had a great day at school yesterday finished off with Daisies. They are working on learning the Girl Scout Promise. Also, they are preparing for the Father-Daughter dance. They are making western vests and skirts and matching bandanas for their daddies. We sent a picture of David and Katie in yesterday which I believe was somehow transformed into an invitation to the dance for David. Katie said "something might be coming in the mail."

Is it nap time yet?

Posted 9:35 PM by Anne Wilhoit
This is the second entry I have written today. My first one was deleted when our internet connection crashed. Since we are connecting all the way back to the U.S. for me to use this program for journaling, we sometimes have problems. So now it is Sunday evening about 9:00 PM - Katie has been fast asleep since 8:00 PM but Amanda is still going strong. David and I have been pretty tired with getting up in the middle of the night with Amanda so we decided to let her cry it out 2 nights ago. She cried about 15 minutes or so then went back to sleep. Last night we were not so lucky - she cried so long that she woke up Katie. Katie ended up in our bed and David and I both ended up getting up with Amanda again. We will try again tonight but we may have to have Katie sleep in the little roll - out bed for a few nights so we can try to get Amanda to sleep through. To top off our frustration, I pulled a muscle in my upper back yesterday and am in a lot of pain today. Katie and I went to mass but then David let me rest most of the day. When Amanda went down for a nap I crawled in bed too. David and Katie went out shopping to buy some sandals for David. They ended up never finding the sport store they were looking for but did have a nice lunch together. I will stop in at the medical clinic tomorrow as we also ran out of ibuprofren and David went to 4 shops and could not find any.

This past Friday Katie had a holiday from school so David took the day off as well. We went to the Bird Park which was really spectacular. We were most impressed with the "night exhibit" which housed several varieties of owls. Also, there is a great Southeast Asia aviary, the highest man-made waterfall in the world, and several other unique exhibits. There is even an exhibit featuring California seagulls - it reminded us of Half Moon Bay. It was a little beach scene complete with a boat, a mini-sandy beach, and the gulls. It was funny to think that some people who were viewing it may have never seen a California seagull before.

This week will be busy! I volunteer at the school on Wednesday and have a parent-teacher conference on Thursday. Katie has a half-day on Thursday and another day-off on Friday. David will miss the parent-teacher conference as he has sales meetings on Wednesday and Thursday. Katie has a Halloween party on Saturday evening and our friends from Burghausen, Germany arrive this weekend too.

Congratulations are now in order to my dad! After nearly 47 years at United Airlines he is REALLY retiring. His last day is this coming Friday, Ocotber 29. Several of you have inquired about his retirment...so there you have it! We will celebrate when he and my mom come to Singapore in December.

Well it is off to hang up some laundry and do a few more chores before heading off to bed. More soon...

Posted 7:20 AM by Anne Wilhoit
"Toto, I don't think we are in Kansas anymore." Boy by the sounds of things last night you would have guessed that's exactly where we were. It was a rough night...Amanda woke up 3 times which is tough enough. Add to that an incredibly LOUD thunder storm and well, let's just say I'm hoping for a really good nap today. The thunder was so loud it woke David and I up - it sounded like an explosion right outside our building which was really frightening with the world situation. When the lightning followed we realized it was a storm. I thought that Katie would be running in within seconds but when I checked on her she was sound asleep. Incredible. Even Amanda (who is the light sleeper and had already woken up twice) didn't stir. I couldn't get right back to sleep which did not help when Amanda woke back up at 4:00 AM. The rain is still lingering this morning. All the more reason to go jump back in bed and hope Amanda sleeps another hour.

Posted 9:50 PM by Anne Wilhoit
If you have visited the picture gallery you saw the new pictures from our adventure today. We visited the crocodile and reptile farm. I just don't know where Katie gets her interest in these animals: snakes, lizards, etc. I try not to let my fear show but just had to say "no" when David and her wanted me in the picture with them. David tried holding Amanda but the snake starting wrapping it's tail around her and she did not like it. For those of you whom did not understand the caption under the picture of the iguanas...my brother Greg used to have an iguana named "Guido". I think I saw him there Greg, and BOY has he grown!

A young Indian couple went nuts over Amanda and asked if they could take her picture. The woman posed with Amanda and her husband took the pictures. This is not the first time this has happened here. Should we start charging for the pictures? I asked them where they were from and they said they were from Bombay and just here for a short work project.

Well I'm pretty tired tonight so I'm going to sign off. Amanda had a rough night last night so we were short on sleep. We got her settled and Katie woke up at 5:00 AM after having a nightmare. She was talking and yelling in her sleep - something I used to do a lot when I was child and still do sometimes when I am really stressed out. (Hopefully I will not dream of snakes tonight!) So, it's off to bed with good thoughts of a good night's sleep and sweet dreams.

P.S. Don't forget to "double click" on the pictures if you want to see an enlarged version. And, scroll to the bottom of each picture page because in most cases there are arrrows pointing you to "more" pictures.

Posted 4:44 PM by Anne Wilhoit
David just took the girls down to the playroom so I have a few minutes free. Today we ventured up to the American School via MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) which is Singapore's BART. A fun ride (about 30 minutes) and easy to access. We had to walk about 10 minutes from the station to the school which normally would not be that bad, but the sun was BLAZING today. Within the 10 minutes all four of us were really heated up. Luckily the International Food Festival and Pumpkin Patch was all inside or in the shade. Katie was able to pick a pumpkin and we enjoyed several varieties of food from around the world. All the school clubs and organizations had a booth of some sort. The pumpkins were donated by a container (shipping) company - I know this because Katie's room-mother's husband either works for or runs the company. They shipped a whole container in from Oregon - nice size pumpkins, mini-pumkins and decorative corn. The kindergarteners also get a "mini" pumkin patch next week at school. They will read "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" and will get to choose a pumpkin (I think just one of the mini ones). You know you are starting to feel "at home" when you run into people you have met. Katie saw some of her classmates and we saw a few friends and neighbors. I also saw a few of the moms I had met at the kindergarten coffee. Since it was so hot we took a taxi home instead of the MRT. Amanda fell asleep on my lap in the taxi and we managed to get her into her crib without her waking up. We will take it easy the rest of today...maybe have a "movie theatre" tonight. This is a creation of my sister-in-law (Theresa) and nieces (Jacqueline and Christina). You simply turn out all the lights, make popcorn, and watch a video. The best part is that if you have had too much to drink you can pause the movie for a bathroom break!

Congratulations are in order to our good friends Kat and Cliff Shiomoto and their son Connor. They welcomed Audrey Dana into their family yesterday! Congrats guys - we were literally jumping up and down when we got the email - Katie was so excited to hear Connor has a baby sister. Wish we were there to see you all!

Posted 8:54 PM by Anne Wilhoit
It has been a busy week here in Singapore. The girls are just settling in ( a little later than usual since it is Friday night) and David and I are taking it easy. We had a computer virus this week which is one reason I have not updated in a few days. Also, our phones were down for 2 days - nothing explainable, just a problem in our apartment. I ended up getting a "hand-phone" as the cell phones are called here. We thought it was a good idea so a sitter can be in touch if need be, and in case I have any problems while out and about with the girls.

Some of this week's highlights included Katie starting Daisies on Monday. This is girl scouts "lite" - or pre-brownies. The meetings are every other Monday for 1 hour after school so we thought we would let her try it out. She will not be able to take the bus home after the meeting though which means I would have to taxi it up to the school to pick her up (yes I am using "taxi" as a verb while here, just like "taxi the aircraft" I guess). Luckily I have met a neighbor in the complex next door who is a brownie troop leader and said she would be happy to bring Katie home (she has a car). That will really help. In addition to Daisies, Katie celebrated "United Nations Day" at school today. All the kindergarteners ( 8 classes of 18 kids each) wore their native costumes, or flag shirts, or the colors of their flag, and brought in a "homeland" food to share. My mom was able to send over Katie's Fourth of July shirt which I had left in San Mateo. Katie wore that, red shorts, and had french braids in her hair secured with red, white, and blue elastics. We sent up hot-dog pieces (the All-American food you know!) on American flag toothpicks (thanks Ellen Lynch for the going away gift!), and corn on the cob. I went up to the school and helped out - I could not believe the food! It was an incredible feast for the children. After lunch, the children treated the mom's who helped to a song: "Hello All The Children of the World". A nice celebration of unity, especially in the midst of the world situation.

I finally made it the U.S. Embassy this week as well. Wow, was I surprised. I've never been to an U.S. Embassy before and I did not expect it to be like it was. It was a fortress...not warm at all. In fact, the building here is HUGE, all concrete and steel - almost "outer-space" like. Everyone works behind glass which I am assuming is bullet-proof. Armed guards with semi-automatic (I guess) weapons drawn, patrol the perimeter and their are 2 security checks before you get into the main building. I suppose deeper inside the Embassy it is more office-like but don't know for sure. Once in, I simply registered that we were here in Singapore. You leave your family information, copies of your passports, and you write done whom has permission to get information about you (specific family/friends). I guess more Americans are doing it now although many think it is still not necessary here.

I ventured to the grocery store to do a "big" shopping this week and brought Amanda along. She did really well but I was mis-informed about the grocery delivery. I was told that they make you bring your "frozen" food home with you and deliver everything else as long as you spend over $150.00. In reality, "frozen" means ALL cold food - not just frozen but refrig. as well. So I ended up carrying home 4 bags of groceries and pushing Amanda in the umbrella stroller. The umbrella stroller is good for short walks (usually) but pushing it on the sidewalks here with 4 bags of groceries is a challenge. The sidewalks here around our place are not the best...pretty bumpy and laid in squares of concrete with cracks between them. Anyway, we made it home just in time to meet the school bus and the rest of the groceries were delivered 3 hours later. Oh yea, you also need a dollar coin to release the shopping cart in the grocery store. You get it back when you return the cart. You should have seen me trying to pull apart the grocery carts oblivious to the fact that you needed to release one with a coin. It was one of those times you look around to see how many people were watching you and whether or not someone was filming you. I was simultaneously trying to keep Amanda in tow as I had already folded up her stroller.

David says there is not too much to report yet in terms of work He is just gettting used to the schedule and responsibiliites here. Most likely he will need to go to China next month and then Germany in December. My parents are planning on visiting for a few weeks in December so they may plan to come part of the time while David is gone - it will be nice to have the company while he is gone. We look forward to celebrating Christmas with them here.

Well we have the opportunity to go to a pumpkin festival up at the school tomorrow so we will probablly do that. Kaite and David also want to go to the crocodile farm this weekend so we may do that as well. Another possible option is going to Little India here in Singapore. Whatever we do, I'll report again soon and let you know how it went! God Bless.

Posted 7:59 AM by Anne Wilhoit
Week-end Updates:

Amanda: Amanda is charming us everyday and learning a lot of new words. She has said a lot of new words but one of her favorites is "pee-pee". She likes the word so much that she decided to go in her training potty so we could all point to it and say "pee-pee"...yaaaayyyyy, Amanda. We clapped too. She was so proud of herself. She still wakes up once a night and has a full bottle. She is just so thirsty as her body is still acclimating to the weather.
Katie: Katie is off to school this morning. She starts "Daisies" this afternoon which is pre-Brownies. I will taxi it up to the school this afternoon and join her for her first meeting. It will be a long day but is the only after-school activity we will sign her up for right now. She is really excited and so is David because there is a father-daughter Western theme dance coming up in early November. Katie is doing better each morning...she has to get up at 6:20 AM and last night (Sunday) it was tough going to sleep. She also woke up in the middle of the night and wanted me to sleep with her. This was after we had already been up with Amanda.
Anne: Not only a fear of flying I've found, I guess it is a matter of being out of control. I faced it head-on to ride the sky trolley (tram) over to Sentosa Island this weekend. Boy is that puppy high but I figure I better get ready for all those trams on the slopes of Europe! Check out all the pictures in the new photo gallery.
David: Compensating for missing the Giants last game and/or seeing Barry break the record, he went out and bought a spectacular digital phone. When he gets a call, the ring is "Take me out to the Ball Game." I will call him every once in a while just so he can hear the song! We can also send him digital messages on the phone via the computer.

Katie and I attended mass yesterday at our new parish, St. Bernadette's, while David babysat Amanda. It is within walking distance, just 3 blocks away. The majority of the masses are in English but there were less than 5% caucasians in the congregation. The church was packed...people were even standing. We met a family from San Francisco and Katie instantly bonded with their 5 year old daughter. We exchanged addresses and may try for a play date. Also, the ordination of the new Archbishop of Singapore was yesterday afternoon with 10,000 in attendance at the Singapore indoor stadium. Fr. Nicholas Chia was ordained.

Sentosa Island was a fabulous outingon Saturday. We took in the aquarium, Dolphin Lagoon (where we saw the pink dolphins), the Merlion, and walked around a bit. There is a lot more to do including a water park, Asian village, amusement rides, gardens, etc. We will be going back several times.

CNN: We are hearing the news this morning of the initiative against terroism. God Bless our troops, all of the countries and people assisting against this fight for freedom, and God Bless America. And, may we all continue to pray for strength, peace, and hope. Let us not forget those grieving in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania.

Posted 2:04 PM by David Wilhoit
Amanda and I just made it back into the apartment after spending close to 2 hours in the playroom. Today we visited with Abbey and her 6 month old daughter Emily. They are here just until Sunday and then move to Thailand. It's been nice visiting with them as Abbey is from Conneticut and spent many vacations in Nantucket so we've had lots to talk about. We also met a nice woman and her 3 year old daughter who are native Singaporeans but just arrived back from 2 years in Mexico. Lots of international families here! Yesterday I met a woman with 2 small children (a 6 month old and a 3 year old) who just got evacuated from Jakarta (Indonesia) along with some other Canadian families. She said her husband's company wasn't taking any chances and all the dependents were evacuated. She also said that not only was this her 2nd time being evacuated from there (she was in 1998 as well), but that not many Americans were leaving at this point.

Yesterday I made it out to the American Club. The security is pretty tight - they just closed the main entrance on Orchard Road and everyone has to enter throught the back and show your I.D. card to a guard to get in the parking lot or the reception area. I was escorted into the recedption area since I did not have a card. It is an absolutely incredible place - a little city within the city. There is a gorgeous pool, a few restraunts, a library, a bowling alley, work-out area, ballrooms, kids play areas, lots of different classes and instruction, and on and on. Most likely we will not join but I will join the American Women's Association which has an office there. I will hook up with a playgroup for Amanda and I through this organization. After reviewing their bulletin board, I notice there are plenty other social activities too. I also ran into Patsy who is the gal I met a the zoo last Friday. I talked with her agian for a while and she invited David and I to a costume party. Also, she had a few more referrals for me especially a great tailor (she was carrying a bridesmaid dress she had made). I need to go back to the American Club on Monday with my passport to finish the paperwork for the American Women's Association and then I'll be a member. The gals in the office there (one was from Texas) went crazy over my Longaberger saddlebrook bag,,,she had never heard of Longaberger. I guess I could make a go of it here????

This evening the girls and I will walk over to the "Great World City" - a huge shopping complex. We will meet David there for a family dinner out. He is going to get his cell phone there after work. Tomorrow we are thinking of venturing out to Sentosa Island and taking in one or two events. There is so much to do out there that we decided we are going to have to do a little at a time so I think we will start with "Underwater World" - the aquarium. I'm sure I"ll have lots more to tell on that!

It looks like we have a part-time babysitter set up for Amanda. I met with her yesterday and she seems great! She is working for a British couple but they don't have children so they have told her that she can babysit during the day. She will probablly come Tuesday and Thursday (and some Fridays) for a few hours each time which will give me a chance to work-out, run errands, and help out at the American School. (Oh yea, I'll have to do SOME shopping!) Also, she is available in the evenings so David and I can go out if we want. She was referred through Nora who helped us out these past two weeks but is off to Ireland today. I also have one other referral that I'm still checking out as well but it looks like a go with Patrica. I really liked her and Amanda took right to her as well.

Well, Amanda is down for a nap so I will scoot to do some laundry (yes, I'm still doing our laundry!). I have to re-do a load because I left in in the washer overnight and it really stinks! You've got to be right on top of it - get it out of the washer, right to the dryer, and most EVERYTHING has to be ironed, even "wrinkle free" from home. I guess that's why most people have the maid do the laundry and why ironing is such a big chore over here. Patricia said if Amanda is napping that she will iron or do laundry (yee-haw!). Also, the washer is tiny so you can only fit about 2 pairs of shorts and 3 shirts at a time - maybe throw in a few socks, but no jumbo loads like at home. Dry cleaning is very expensive...$5.00 for one of David's shirts and it takes 5 days to get it back. We will have to limit that or I won't have any money left for my grande vanilla latte at Starbuck's (which is on our ground floor, mind you). I'm trying to limit that too...oh, it's so hard since it's one of my favorite spots and it's so convenient! Amanda likes to walk down there with me so she can wave to everyone along the way (a local gentleman even said she looks like Miss Universe waving to everyone).

Over your next cup of coffee (be it Starbuck's or not) think of the Wilhoits! Go Barry..Go Giants!

Posted 9:36 AM by Anne Wilhoit
It's a rainy Wednesday morning here in Singapore. We have had rain almost everyday just as the tour book said. Most of the time the showers come in the evening with thunder and lightning. Katie wanted to know why we were waking her up in the middle of the night this morning...we had to explain that it was 6:30 AM and darker because of the storm. So off to school she went with umbrella and all. We are entering the "wet"season which is sort of ironic becuse it has been "wet" already, but I understand the rains get much heavier.

Well it's not all "wine and roses" here as we are discovering that the move and all has taken a bit of a toll on the kids. Katie has had a rough few "melt-downs" which I expected sooner or later. So much change for her and Amanda. Amanda is really clingy but it is nice having time with her without other commitments right now. The last month at home was so hectic that I did not get a lot of one-on-one time with her. We all survived the worst melt-down of Katie's last night...she actually hit me which is VERY out of the ordinary for her. (Although she probably picked it up from her little sister). The flight atttendent who helped me with the brandy on the flight stashed 2 extra bottles in our backpack "just in case"...well, I was VERY close to opening one last night. Instead, we got everything settled down and after the girls went to bed, I watched the end of "The Wedding Planner" with Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey. A good rental girls! "J-LO" as I believe she is know in the inner circles, did a fairly good job acting. And, she wore a lot more clothing that she is used to in real life.

I have still not made it the U.S. Embassy as our passports are tied up at David's office. They are finishing up our dependent's passes which are an "extension" of David's employment pass. We did not have them when we entered the country so we only had our passports stamped for 3 months. We will have to go back to an immigration sight and have our passports re-stamped once we get the passes, otherwise we will be deported. (Ha-ha). So today Amanda and I may venture over to IKEA - yep, it's here too! We need a few organizational things - an inexpensive shelving unit to store toys and books, a file box, and maybe a little chair for Amanda. She borrowed her cousin's chair the last week we were in Saratoga and LOVED it. Regarding organization, where's a local Longaberger rep when you need one? I could use some more baskets!

David is settling in at work. It has taken a few days to get his computer going but I think things are starting to roll now. Some of the local ladies in the office had one of the secretaries ask Dave if he dyed his hair. Seems the patch of white had them baffled. I'll have him write and give you his impressions of Wacker Singapore soon.

Love to all in the U.S.!