Posted 12:57 PM by Anne Wilhoit
Hi all...I've returned to Singapore after a whirlwind trip to the S.F. Bay Area. I did great yesterday...I guess I was on a bit of a high my first day back, but today I'm dragging. Just wanted to say a quick hello...I had a fun-filled, absolutely insanely busy few days in preparation for Donna's wedding and an absolutely OUTSTANDING time celebrating with Donna and Thomas on their wedding day. It was incredible...such a roller-coaster of emotions the entire trip...happiness, joy, tears of joy and sadness for all that I miss in CA...and lots of tears at night because I missed the girls so much. I missed David especially as as my favorite dancing partner in the whole-wide world. I’m glad to be "home" now...and was glad to be "home" in CA too.

Observation: It is much less tiring traveling half-way around the world without kids even if the flights are terribly long. I actually slept 6 of the 7 hours from Tokyo to Singapore. During the 11 hours from SF to Tokyo, I managed to read the entire newspaper and an entire Time magazine, ate two meals without a single interruption, took a 2 hour nap, and watched 2 movies. God was looking out for me as well; there were not any crying babies on any of the flights and I was able to manage my anxiety over flying pretty well.

I typed the fore-going yesterday but had some editing issues so it never got posted. I just finished picking out draperies for our new apartment…kind of fun in the sense that we will only be living there for 15 months so I figure if I don’t like what I chose, I don’t have to live with them that long! Amanda and I had a “typical” morning here – we walked over to the market and ran a couple errands at the local mall. It was “typical” except for the fact that Mama Kay joined us…it is so nice having Jack and Kay here. Mama and Papa are getting a little quiet time in their room now that Amanda is napping. Lis will arrive around 3pm to watch Amanda and get Katie after school. The adults will do a little furniture shopping for our new apartment and have dinner out at the East Coast Seafood Village. We are looking forward to meeting up with David after work and introducing Jack and Kay to chili crab and other delights!

I’m definitely back in the swing of Singapore life as I slept much better last night. While I was in the U.S., Katie earned her first 2 levels of swim patches…Mama and Papa got to see her swim lesson and the Chinese Anglo Junior College yesterday afternoon. As you all must have read on David’s entries, Amanda had to have a little laser surgery on a spot on her face. So, a lot happened in the short time I was gone and daddy came through with flying colors! Tonight at dinner we will plan the rest of Jack and Kay’s time here as they cannot believe how fast the time is flying. They enjoyed their bus tour yesterday but still have a lot they would like to do.

Sorry that I was not able to be in touch with many of you on my trip but I do look forward to having much more time this summer!

Posted 3:08 PM by David Wilhoit
Around 9:45 Amanda settled down. Still a few requests for "baabaa" but more in a pathetic pleading voice. She just wanted to be held and laid her head on my shoulder. She wanted nothing to do with our sitter Lis. So we all went to the doctor. Luckily we were brought into the back early. Needless to say Amanda wasn't fond of getting a IV valve put into her hand (let alone both hands as the anestesiologist missed the first time). They gave her something that knocked her out and the Daddy's started to slow down. Her eyes were still open as she had a fixed gaze which was spooky. It is best that Annie was in the US. The doc put a local anesthetic into the region. The laser procedure took just a few minutes. After ten minutes she started to come around with more "daddys" but was a rag doll for around 20 minutes.

On the taxi ride home she fell asleep and slept for three hours. I decided to just work from home as I didn't have the heart to leave her. I picked up some french fries (Amanda's favorite) and was back from the apartment complex study before she woke. (I promised her french fries but she lost out on her opportunity to get a convertable car as I would have promised her anything at the time). Lis just took her down to the playroom and she went (screaming). But I am sure she stopped shortly, he says hopefully.

I will take Katie to swimming today and Amanda will stay home with Lis unless she screams unmercifully.

When is Anne coming home???????

Posted 8:58 AM by David Wilhoit
9:00 AM and pretty much constant crying "Want Baabaa" , "Want Baabaa" 1 1/2 hours to go.....

Posted 8:08 AM by David Wilhoit
Well the second night went fine. Katie jumped in my bed at 3:00 in the morning and I had to wake Amanda up at 5:00 A.M. Why do you ask? Well Amanda is going to a plastic surgeon today to have a bump on her face lasered off. I am not sure what to call it but it looks like a red mole (from the sun). We were going to leave it but Amanda scratches it and it is a blood vessel in it and bleeds excessively unless you hold pressure on it for 5-10 minutes. Since it is so close to her eye the doctor wants to anesthetize her. So this means no fluids or food for six hours before. So I gave her a bottle at 5:00 and the procedure is at 11:00. It is now 8:00 and every 30 seconds is "want baabaa" for a bottle. I will let everyone know how it turns out.

On a side note, there is a new feature of this diary. Everyone can place comments to each note. Just click on the "comment" text at the end of this message. All can see the comments.

Bye.

Posted 12:47 PM by David Wilhoit

Mr. Mom Part 2 - Singapore Situation

So Anne left this morning at 6:20 just before the girls got up. This first day I am staying home from work. Amanda needed to go to the doctor and we thought it would be best to for me to stay home as a transition for the girls. They behaved beautifully but we will see how it goes tonight trying to get them into bed. I can't complain as there will be lots of help. Lis will be watching the girls Wed-Fri during the day and then on Saturday my parents will be flying in.

We just made up our mind on the apartment we will move into. You can check out there website at 1 Holt Road . We have some concerns regarding the number of kids in the complex and area for Amanda to play but other than that it is very nice.

More details later.

Posted 1:51 AM by David Wilhoit
Japan Trip

- I Just got back from my first trip to Japan. For those who haven't been, here are a few observations....

- Sitting in a restaurant or conference room is a little like sitting at a table in Katie's kindergarten. Mr. Knees meet Mr. Chest.
- Mirrors aren't much better. They good for helping tying my tie but looking at anything above the neck is pointless without crouching.
- I saw a Mannequin dressed as a construction worker. It had a mechanical arm waving a baton to facilitate traffic. The next block was another one but he was real. This is the makings of a Twilight Zone Episode.
- Starbucks and 7/11s are everywhere.
- Toilets in Japan have some very interesting and startling functions
- Japanese scrambled eggs seem to be yellow oatmeal
- Salad as part of breakfast. What's with that?
- Good thing that it is a custom to fill your neighbor's glass (sake or beer). The glasses are so small that you would get tired otherwise
- Olympics - I can finally see some events!!! I guess Singapore doesn't have too many entrants in the Winter Games
- Best Sub sandwich I have had - Japanese have a knack for copying something and improving it. But at least they didn't make this smaller
- Went to a Electronics store where they had around ten massage chairs for display. 8 Japanese men and two women were asleep in them.
- Speaking of sleeping. It takes some getting used to when you look over during a presentation or discussion and the most senior/oldest Japanese coworker eyes are shut.
- I didn't get a chance to do sightseeing as the meetings went long.
- It was very different from American business meetings were decisions are made after short discussions. In Japan a point will be made followed by a "Hai" (yes) and a "I agree". After this they will make there same point which is the opposite of what they just “agreed” to
- When I walk into a store I hear a chorus of a melodic phrase in Japanese. I am not sure, but I think they are saying "Hey Norm" line from
CHEERS.
- In the Hotel room there is a sign stating "No smoking in Bed". With the size of the rooms I guess smokers need to have one foot in the hall and one in the bathroom to smoke.
- Hotel Vending Machines are for big kids only - Beer (Kirin, Asahi, or Saporo), Sake, Whiskey, or cigarettes.
- 133 Yen to the dollar is more confusing than 1.86 Sing Dollar to the US dollar. I have trouble figuring out if things are very cheap or very expensive (I think the later).
- Please write to your congressmen. There should be GLOBAL law that no Giant should be able to wear the #24 except Willie Mays. Not even the Tokyo -
New Yomiuri Giants. It was exciting to see the Giant souvenirs though. I hope to see a game next time I return.
- With the complexity of a Japanese keyboard, pen and paper makes a lot of sense
- Japan is like a flashback to IBM - Dark suits everywhere. Where is a German Purple sportcoat when you need one.
- And finally, you have hear of the Tijuana Twostep or Montezuma's revenge. Well I met the Tokyo Twostep or Godzilla's revenge!!!!

Posted 9:14 AM by Anne Wilhoit
Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone! Or, Happy Lunar New Year...a wish of wealth and prosperity in the new Lunar Year. If you believe in the Chinese Zodiac as of today it is the Year of the Horse. Babies born in this year are perceived as popular, talented, perceptive, independent, humorous, and skillful with money. Highly adaptable, they are also able to make extensive adjustments and are blessed with excellent business acumen. Born in the year of the Horse: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002.

Just a quick note to let everyone know I will be signing off the website for about 2 weeks. As you may have noticed, it has been a while since I have written...things have been very busy here. I will be leaving for California a week from today. Between now and then Katie is out of school for 3 days, David goes to Tokyo for 3 days, we are working on a negotiation for a new apartment, and all the "usual" stuff is going on too. Anyway, when I return from California, I will write a journal entry about my trip and also David's parents will be here so we will have a lot to report on regarding our outings with them and their impressions of Singapore.

Take care everyone...God Bless...I will see some of you really soon. For those I miss, I'm terribly sorry that my time is so limited this trip and look forward to seeing you in the summer months!

Love,
Anne

P.S. The "big " news I have been hinting about is that, as David reported, we are staying in Singapore for a while instead of moving to Germany this June. I'm pleased to be able to stay put for a while and not have to move the girls and get them re-adjusted to another new place so quickly. More news to come on this development as well.

Posted 7:42 AM by David Wilhoit
So if you read the Front Page you can see that the Wilhoit's will be staying in Singapore a little longer. The original plan was to go to Germany during the summer of 2002. As there is still quite a bit of work that needs to be done to achieve the sales objectives in Asia Pacific I have been asked to stay. How long? It looks to be until 2003, possibly summer. So with the new plan we are looking to move out of the serviced apartment. We will miss out on some of the benefits (maid service, breakfast, and shuttles) but it will be nice to have more room. The other good thing about moving to a standard condo/apartment is that Katie will be able to meet some kids that won't be just "passing through" the serviced apartment.

Singapore is shutting down this week for Chinese New Year. Unfortuneately I will be missing the second day of the holiday as I will be flying off to Tokyo for work. This is my first trip to Japan so I am excited to experience it.

In the latest picture gallery there are some pictures of Katie's Daisy troop event called "Thinking Day". Each troop (I am not sure if this is the correct term) chose a different country to represent. Katie's troop chose Mexico. They dressed up in traditional costumes and gave out Mexican almond cookies.

Less than two weeks and Anne leaves for the States and Donna's wedding. yikes! But I will only have only 4 days flying solo (with help from Lis during the day) before my parents arrive.