At this point I have been doing almost nothing with my time, except hanging around the apartment and doing random excursions into Singapore for a couple of errands. Before I had left Canada, my accomadation had fallen through. So I didn't know when I could start my job, even though I had my work permit, because I had no place to live. Lucky me, I had a family friend who had arranged for me to meet a lady who doesn't normally rent out.
My Uncle (but not really my uncle, its just an asian thing), said that this lady wanted to meet me first before offering me a place to rent, this was to ensure that she liked me and could get along with someone living in her place. I was like sure, yeah, that makes sense. Well turns out she didn't mind that I live with her, at first she was offering $530 Sing per month, but I got it down to $500. When I had left to go back to Malaysia my uncle had got the price down to $420 a month. It was a steal for the area, really because it was just accross the street from the MRT line and so many buses going east and west.
I was finally able to move in the weekend before my job started on the Monday. I wasn't in a total rush, just made sure I had all the necessary documentation ready. I had concluded that I would slowly move my stuff from Malaysia to Singapore on a weekly basis, when I would go over to Johor Bahru on the weekends to relax and eat good food.
Here is an email excerpt:
Sept. 22, 2008
...just been chilling out...really doing absolutely nothing...okay maybe not nothing. Got my visa, saw the family, cleaned a pond(pretty disgusting, there is something about foreign insects), saw a demonstration for a fancy iron aka the bomb if I could ever afford it. I moved in to my room I am renting in between my two work places. I got a sweet deal in a good area due to invaluable family friends.
I was in JB for three days, so I went swimming in the pool, got a nice tan...I have decided it is the fastest way to get one, by just floating and swimming for about an hour.
My little escapades have been minor....really its just been trying to organize myself. Getting supplies for the apartment I am moving into. Brush, shampoo, towels, linen, a pair of work shoes. I am pretty fortunate the apartment i am moving into is clean, spacious and close to everything. I am across from Tiong Bahru Plaza...check out the area on the internet (Tiong Bahru).
I am loving every minute..mainly the food and culture. Its Hari Raya right now, muslim fasting season. Plus Malaysia is in this really cool political situation which may see some extreme changes in the next few months. Actually there news is a lot more interesting because it covers sooo many countries. The F1 championships are in singapore this weekend so I am going to see that (will try if I can get near a metal gate). I went to a gym in JB and had a sorta personal trainer. I used there steam and sauna room so i was like hmm i would def consider a gym in singapore.
I get to go to Malaysia on the weekends which is pretty sweet, because its means good food and air con:D I don't have air con in my room and it was actually better to walk around, so i went to the mall:)
okay so i will stop rambling.. going to check out more cell phone and wireless rates.
I start work tomorrow, so we will see how its goes. I am pretty excited...
More email excerpts:
Sept. 26, 2008
Well I have been pretty busy since starting work on Monday last. I start working at 8am, I have to be onsite around 7:50. Its good because we miss most of the commutor traffic which starts around 8am. I finish work at 4:30 in the afternoon, so its basically a 4 and half work week. Fridays are half days. I joined a gym...so I go in the mornings (6-6:30am) or after work. I saw a friend currently undertaking her masters for dinner on Tuesday and invited me to meet her friends at dinner on Wednesday, Saw Mama Mia the movie on Thursday and we are going bowling today. During that time I leave the house just as the sun rises and don't usually get home till 10pm.
I had a great week in JB before hand but was ready to start exploring b/c i can't really do that if I am isolated. So yeah moving in has been good...reminds me..task of today, wash the floors in my flat. My landlady comes home tomorrow from India so I know she'll want it clean. I got my bank account yesterday:D
I decided with UOB (United Overseas Bank) b/c most of my work staff use it and HSBC doesn't offer a nets cards (debit card) which is sorta critical in this city.
I am going to try to sort my mobile out today...aka walk to StarHub, they seem to have the best deal. Ohhh yeah this place is a super sweet location, so good, would never have found a room like this, in an area like this for S$420. But I don't mind going over to Malaysia where things are still affordable. I mean I am not really complaining, a decent meal her is S$3. So thats cheap compared to Vancouver.
Dunno if you know this but the F1 Championships are in Singapore this weekend. Its a pretty big deal because Singapore has never had it. I am going to have to stand behind a metal fence and peek through because tics are so expensive.Then probably find a way to celebrate Hari Raya this weekend, as we get a day off on Wednesday next. I was trying to find a place where I could learn more about the Malay culture and break fast but its been pretty busy. I am going to JB the following weekend, cuz i have been invited to a gathering with the masters students:D I love work, I mean its pretty cool, again unfortunatly I can't really say what I do but just think....its great to make decisions and research. They are pretty encouraging about the Foreign Service:D soo hopefully that means I can make a decision.
As for the VIFF (Vancouver International Film Festival :D
Adhen its Algerian/French
A Christmas Tale -French
The Class - French
Cherry Blossoms--Hanami- German
Snow- Herzegovina/France/Germany/Iran
Firaaq- India
Honestly, I think very few french films have disappointed me at the VIFF. So those are just a few..you know me...I would see all if I had a chance:D
Okay well work ended 30 min ago. I am going to the gym..mobile and clean my flat aka take a nap.
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So over the 4 months, I became familiar with my job and because I worked closely with local Singaporeans, was able to enjoy nice chit chats and outings. I learned a lot from my experiences and it really solidified what I intend to pursue in the near future.
I saw the F1 from atop the Swissotel (71st Floor), there is a lounge and club upstairs. I went to the lounge a lot quiter and could see the cars go around the track, no photos as I was too far up and my camera isn't very good.
For Hari Raya I was invited to two of my friends homes, so I wore a traditional Baju Kurong, basically a full length skirt and shirt with long sleeves. I wanted to understand more about Malay culture, so I thought is very nice for them to invite me since this holiday is very much about family. A family goes to their mothers side first and then the fathers side, but almost every family has to hold an open house. Which is where they host a family gathering, they provide the venue (usually their own home) and food. The first week (it last for one month) is for close family, but a considerable effort is made to see as much family as possible during the month. My friends drove 12 hours from Singapore just to get to Kedah in Northern Malaysia. Its not like Canada, they don't really do long drives here and they did that trip over the weekend.
Then I went to a place called Kembangan for another Hari Raya open house, Kembangan is well known for being one of the earliest places people settled in Singapore, and is still known today as were old Malay money lives. I had a fantastic time, just chatting with a ton of different people. It was during this first week that I also made a trip to Geylang Market, this market quadruples in size during Hari Raya, as it sells everything from food, carpets, bedding to dresses and shoes. In order to get their you just need to alight at Payar Lebar MRT station and walk across the road, if you don't know...during this time of year just follow the crowds. I ended up buying my own Baju Kurong, it is modern in nature but still keeps the tradition lines.
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Some more email excerpts:
Oct. 10, 2008
I hung out with Valentina and Dianthus last weekend in JB. I got a ride in to JB and then to Valen and Dianthus flower shop from a co-worker and her family, saved me about 2 hours on transit, because it was rush hour. I dunno if you remember Dianthus and Valentina, they were quite young. I sorta spent most of my summers when I was younger with them and my cousins. They got their hair done while I went for a pedicure and looked at clothing.
I enjoyed Hari Raya as it doesn't roll around everyweek, so I allowed myself to enjoy the food. Back from JB and went to see a French film at the Singapore French Film Festival hosted by Alliance Francaise. I don't think the selection is good as the Vancouver International Film Fest but now I know where I can get my French Film fix…every Tuesday at 7:30pm.
On Tuesday I was going to see another film but no one else could make it out and I didn't want to see anything alone, so I hung out at Plaza Singapura and waited for friends to finish work. Most people finish work here around 6pm, some as late as 7:30. So we didn't meet up till 10pm. We wandered from Outram Park to Chinatown Food Street and got Ice Kachang. Then stayed and chatted for about 2 hours, just wandering round. A friend and I hailed down a bike taxi and took it back to Chinatown. It was cool cuz it was like 1 am and hardly anyone out. The driver had this cool little music box going, so overall it was just an awesome experience. Got home round 2 am and woke up at 7:30am to go to work. I handed in my first co-op journal for this work term and my learning objectives.
This week, I am planning some trips I would like to take round Southeast Asia because I feel a little more settled, I have started working and would like to start seeing the region. I have also jotted down some policy ideas for work. On Wednesday night I went out to dinner with my landlady, her really good friend and grandson. On the first day I met her she was like I am going to take you to dinner so you can met my grandson…I was like okay, I mean he is my age and he does photography on the side. Well we went out for Chinese food and was surprised that we actually had a lot in common, just interest wise. So he had just come back from India with his Grandmother and was their photographer for their visit to see the Dalali Lama. So my landlady gave me a photo of the Dalai Lama from their trip that her grandson took, it really nice, quality is so clear.
Then we decided we would catch Avenue Q ( a musical) when it comes into Singapore at the end of the month... ( in the case of Avenue Q, they guy flaked off, never got the tickets and never called back...I was pretty peeved so I haven't contacted him since)
After dinner I had to wait about an 1hour and half for my friends to finish their masters course, and then we usually go out Wednesday nights. However, I was texting some other friends and they were like, "head out to Woodlands (I was at Clementi) and we will catch a flick". So they bought my ticket, and food for the movie, really nice of them. So I am getting them something from Takashimaya next week and some of the dried sour plums. Basically, I was a little over zealous meaning I want to go for a movie that I had forgotten to calculate the movie finished after the last MRT. I wasn't going to cab home b/c that's lots of money, so I stayed over at my friends house and then headed out the next morning to work, luckily I had a change of clothing, which is really weird to be carrying round.
The next day I was invited to a sit down dinner near East Cost Park, actually the condo overlooks East Cost Park. So little did I know that the my friends friend spent about 9 years travelling round with her ex-husband who happened to work for the Foreign Service of Indonesia, so she spoke 5 languages and well honestly I would like to be her in 12 years. Able to have a comfortable lifestyle b/c she worked super hard when she was young. She is sorta OCD meaning everything needs to be done a certain way…aka how the table is arranged to how the appetizers are featured on a platter. In some aspects I am OCD as well because funnily enough I run my own dinner parties in the exact same way. Her flat was freaking awesome…antique Chinese wooden furniture and a colour palate to die for (red, black, woods and gold) really classic. So yeah, because of this job the age of my friends have now shifted to mid 20's to mid 30's. With most of them hovering round the early thirties.
Its actually nice in some regards because all of them are well travelled, well spoken individuals working in the private sector (Oil and Gas, Aeronautical Engineering and Fashion). At the table in which there were 8 individuals…. We had three Singaporeans, three French, one Aussi and myself the lone Canadian.
We played a dinner game, name 7 individuals throughout time you would like to have dinner with. Be aware, these individuals also need to be compatible on some level for it to be a successful dinner party. I picked, Audrey Hepburn, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Queen Noor of Jordon, Pierre Elliott Trudeau. I was lacking humour but I said Pierre was known to do some crazy things, like pirouette behind the Queen, so I tried to put in Mike Meyers. Then I was thinking and mentioned I think it would have been nice to put in Charles Darwin, for the whole evolutionary debate with three religious leaders. So yeah it was really fun evening.
I was mentioning to the host of the party, that I honestly thought I would be slumming it, because I was making so little but. I have been sure not to spend over 200 S$ a week and just enjoying good company. I have been invited to fabulous dinner parties, nice homes, beautiful clubs and its usually been cheap for me because girls don't buy drinks in Singapore, even if its an Orange juice and generally people are generous.
So today I head to JB for the weekend, another dinner party this evening with my aunt. I will help round the house and go through some old photos over the weekend and recover from this week late nights. This is a compilation of what I did this week, hope it's entertaining and given some insight to my life over here. On the go all the time, never home:D just how I like it.
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Oct. 24, 2008
The day before yesterday was also good because I went to Chinatownand found this dress designer who made clothing out of Kimono fabricand pure cotton:D Very unique items..generally just a wandering day. My Uncle, who set me up with my flat, used to live in Malaysia but he is an interior designer now, out of Singapore and I just saw the latestshop he finished. Then I got to choose fabric for a chair they were showcasing in the room:D
They said they would like to get me in a photo for some advertisments...thats sounds fun, but semi unrealistic since I am twice the size of most asian girls. So dunno how that will pan out.Well made me feel good. Will show you pics of the shop as soon as I can get some taken.
Yesterday was I great day. October 23rd, I felt productive at work andafterwards went out to Orchard Road to meet up with some friends. AtFar Eastern Centre there are a ton of small owner run boutiques. Singapore is a fashion paradise, as clothes are affordable and come ina range of styles. After about 2 hours we MRT'ed back to Doby Gaut andCity Hall. A colleague at work is a Peranaken, meaning her background is primarily from the Chinese that settled in the Straits areas, likeMalaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, and subsequently married and adopted into the local Malay culture. However, many did not adopt religion and celebrate most major Chinese holidays. There culture is unique because it is full of tradition and is very colourful. This includes all their clothing, shoes, house wares and homes.
I was looking at some photos of Kong Kong's (my grandfather) family,which my Popo (grandmother) left behind. We found a negative, and ifyou hold it up to the light you see his mother and sisters who seem to be in their early twenties. They are dressed in Peranaken clothing. Iwas very excited because I knew it had been mentioned to me a coupleof times that my great grandmother was a Nonya ( a female Peranaken).Which would mean I might possibly be part Malay.
Anyways, getting to the point of the story. My colleague at work gaveme tickets to go see a Peranaken play which was amazing because I actually recognized a lot of the sayings. Being that my mom spoke in this weird trilingual banter with her family members and friends. Iwas general just very happy to be able to see this play, as it is only staged once a year at the Victoria Theatre, across the river from theFullerton Hotel. Also, another work colleague got a ticket, and we talked during the intermission about Singapore and good places to eat.A very enjoyable evening, which I made even more fun by trying to getto Little India before all the stalls closed before midnight.
Basically, I have been trying to catch a bit of the Deepavali Celebrations, since I have a formal Sari, one that has yet to betailored. I decided I should get a nice, casual but on the more elegant side (Punjabi sari). I picked on up at 11:45pm and had a nice chat with the store manager and his daughter. Then I walked as fast asI could to catch the last train leaving the MRT station, tried to stop and get chapathi, but all they had was roti. I caught the last train from Little India, and do as the locals do, ran as fast as I could to catch the last transfer train to Tiong Bahru.I didn't sleep till 2:45 am because I was cleaning up my room and packing for my trip to Kula Lumpur the next day. I work up at 6:20am and left the house 6:40am to do a gym workout. Got to work and will run some errands during lunch, aka bill paying and grabbing some little treats:D Then its off to KL from JB Larking station.
There are some great events coming up, musically, I am seeing Avenue Qon Oct. 30th. On Nov. 9th Vivaldi's Four Seasons are being played mySingapore National Orchestra…$10! And on Nov. 21st some of Puccini'sfamous Aria's and parts of his Operas are being featured at theEsplanade Theatre.
I would like to go to the last two but dunno bout tickets… would liketo bring a friend, but not many people are too keen.
Going to KL now bybyeee
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I hoped you enjoyed some of my email excerpts, as I don't have the best memory, the details are always written in the emails, so I decided to cut and paste to ensure there was little mix up in the dates.
Enjoy, Kat!
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