Nearing the End...

Although I had every intentions of keeping up with this blog, somehow time and life got in the way.  I have had every single range of emotions possible in the last few months.  There is something about knowing that with every month, day, minute the end is coming closer that makes me want to just soak up every second.  This temporary life abroad has its shares of blessings and curses...it's biggest curse being the inevitable ending that comes with it.  Goodbyes have become just as normal and reoccurring as the Hellos. A co-worker and I joked that the only parties we seem to go to are birthday parties and going away parties. Growing up in Houston and attending university at A&M meant that Goodbyes were never a huge part of my life.  Yes, most of my closest friends live in different cities now, but no more than 4 hours by car.  It had thankfully been very easy to stay in touch with weekend getaways and of course Facebook/skype/etc.  Even now being thousands of miles away, I am able to keep up with most of the news/gossip/events thanks to the ridiculous advances in technology.  I am beyond thankful for that.

Here, things are very different.  Despite moving here with the understanding that it isn't forever, and despite my strongest attempts to the contrary, I made a life here.  I made relationships and memories that I can't imagine living without.  For the first time in my life, I have had to come to terms with the fact that many Goodbyes said here will be permanent ones.  Not to say that I won't stay in touch with the people I've come to know here.  Once again, technology has made staying in touch easy and possible; however, I do know that many of the people I know will go back to their respective countries just like I will, and our time here will feel more dream-like than real.

Christmas is less than two weeks away.  For the first time in my life, I won't be home for the holidays.  It was by no means an easy decision to make.  The holidays are and have always been a HUGE part of my life.  Seeing family, making our famous Chocolate Goodies, seeing "A Christmas Carol"...it's hard to imagine a Christmas without these things.  I know part of the reason for this decision was knowing whole-heartedly that home is a constant in my life.  I don't feel desperate to be there every second, because I am completely confident that part of me will always be there no matter where I am.  I do; however, have a desperation for my life on this side of the world.  Knowing how close the end is makes me cling to every single day that I am able to experience this life.  It will be different.  It will feel weird, I'm sure, but it will also be new, exciting, and unforgettable.  Never in my life would I have thought that I would be surrounded by such amazing and adventurous people...it's addictive and wonderful.  Over Christmas holiday, I will have teacher friends in India, Vietnam, Bali, America, Australia and New Zealand.  I can't wait to share stories, and while it will be hard being away from my family, I can't wait to add more memories and two more stamps to my passport.

Australia and New Zealand here I come :)

Long Weekend Adventures: Malacca

One weird thing about my job is that I have VERY bizarre hours.  Since I work at a tuition center, I basically work around the school hours - meaning during the week my day starts at 3pm and ends at 9pm, and on weekends it begins at 9am and ends at 6pm.  My "weekend" is on Wednesday and Thursday, meaning that my "Friday" is in fact Tuesday, and the phrase TGIF no longer applies to me.  It took getting used to, but despite its annoyances, it has quite a few bonuses.  Five days out of the week I don't have to set an alarm clock - a luxury that I am certain will be hard to leave behind.  I am able to accomplish a lot in the time before work, or enjoy hours of laziness by the pool.  (I promise that I do actually work and that working with 4-10 year olds makes me feel like I earn every minute of this.)  


The other benefit to this random assortment of working days/weekend days is that most of the public holidays in Singapore fall during weekdays - meaning that if it happens to land on a Tuesday or a Friday, I have a long weekend.  Somehow the planets aligned perfectly for me, because the calendar has allowed me FOUR long weekends this year.  Two of these occurred in the same month of August.  With Malaysia as my neighbor to the north and Indonesia just a short ferry ride away, a three day weekend has infinite prospects of adventure and new sites to behold.  


The first long weekend in August Julian and I decided to take advantage of the time off and journey to Malacca, Malaysia.  A short bus ride from Singapore to Johor Bahru and a longer bus ride from Johor to Malacca and we were there!  


Malaysia has been influenced by several different countries over the years (both willingly and unwillingly) which has led to some very random and almost conflicting cultures crammed into small cities.  Malacca is no different.  In the town square you could see Portuguese influence in the churches and architecture, the river had bridges meant to resemble those found in Venice and the food and people were wonderfully Malaysian.  This was a city  full of memorials and museums, all of which fit the mold of randomness put out by the city.  It was perfect for a short weekend since there was plenty to see and do, but not too much that you felt as though it was impossible to complete.  

Town Square

The city was mostly built around the river and ocean...which is why it is known as the "Venice of Asia".  It might not be as well known or beloved as Venice, but they definitely give a good fight.  The river was lined with pretty lights and outdoor cafes to sit at.  It wasn't until we rode the river tour and heard horrific Asian "pop" music being blared in our ears the whole time that we remembered where we were.  

"Venice of Asia"

dinner by the river

There were World War II memorials everywhere, including real trains, planes, automobiles and machinery.  It was the perfect opportunity for us to act like kids and take some goofy pictures.  Maturity is overrated anyways.  :)

The rest of our time was spent playing with "One-One" (or "Juan-Juan"...not quite sure) the adorable kitten at the hostel, trying our hand at archery, seeing the depressing and hauntingly creepy "Tortura" torture exhibit, rolling our eyes through Captain America, and seeing some awesome ruins.

riding in the gloriously tacky rickshaw

cutest kitty on this planet 

Overall it was a great weekend full of randomness, fun, and laughs.  It's always fun to tick new cities off the must-see list.  As my last few months are coming to a close, I don't want to waste any time and take every opportunity to explore that I can.  

Goodbyes

If there is anyone who has even the slightest issues with abandonment who has considered living abroad, I must warn you...it's hard.  It's hard making friends and then saying goodbye to them a few months or even years later.  The reality that I might never see some of the people that I spend most of my time with after our time together in Singapore takes its toll.  Being the girl who only ventured an hour and a half away for college, I was used to having the comfort of knowing all my friends (old and new) were close by.  Even after college all of my closest friends were no farther than 4 hours away.  


One thing that I appreciate so much about being abroad is the opportunity to meet such a wide range of people.  People that I would have never had the chance to know otherwise.  People of all ages, nationalities, beliefs, accents...you name it.  It can be a bit intimidating at times meeting people that you are so different from, but in the end, it's the friendships that I've made here that have made my experience so amazing.  Not many people know much about my job other than I teach English reading/writing to young children.  Without divulging too much of the drama, the company we all work for is not the most professional or the most compassionate...especially considering their employees move thousands of miles to work for them.  That being said, the ONLY way I have survived my whole two years (almost) is with the help of the relationships I've made here.  Without them, I would have either   a) gone insane   b) gone home  or  c) a & b.


The major problem of having a temporary job in a foreign country is that the friendships made here are forced to be temporary as well.  You have to be willing to open up right away as well as be ready to say goodbye soon afterwards.  Lately, I feel like I've had to say goodbye way too many times.  It comes and goes in waves.  Every few months there is another grouping of people coming and going, and it just so happens that this is one of those "going" times.  People that I was used to seeing almost daily are now continuing their journey on different continents or moving back to their home countries.  As harsh as it sounds, it is necessary to become a bit numb to the sadness of goodbye.  Don't get me wrong, it is still incredibly hard, but it sort of comes with the territory.  


It is still wonderful to know that however long or short these relationships might have been in Singapore, I have full confidence that many of them will continue on for years from now.  I also love the fact that I now know people who are so different from me in so many ways.  I am a semi-traditional Texas gal and I now have friends who are liberal, vegetarian, British, environmentalists, Australian, Buddhist, and yogis...just to name a few.  Almost all of whom still find the word "yall" hilarious.  I have learned from each and every person I've met here in some capacity and I am thankful that I have been able to experience so many different viewpoints.  I hope that they can say the same about me one day.  


No matter where our lives take us, we will always have the memories of our time together in Singapore (the good, the bad and the ugly) and I wouldn't trade that for anything.  I am thankful for each and every friendship I have made here.  The revolving door will keep spinning, and soon it will be my turn to go.  It will be as though I was never here and someone new will come and take my place.  Until then, time will just keep moving, the world will keep spinning and new friends will keep coming.    


In no particular order...those who have recently broken my heart left Singapore.  You are missed!

Kirsty - Roommates for over a year and a half!   We went through
A LOT together but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Jo (aka Jerome) - such a FUN friend who left too soon.  
No doubts we will stay in touch for a long time :)

Caroline - she wasn't here long, but I loved our lunch/gossip sessions at work :)

Arianna...truly one the greatest people I've ever met...and the
last person to leave who was here when I arrived.  The end of an era.

Sally (on the right) - one of my few non-work friends
who is back in Australia - hopefully see you in December!

Gemma - another non work friend and one of my very first friends in Singapore -
So many great memories together!  I'll hopefully be seeing you in December as well!

Shalyn - an American and a work friend.  Thanks for introducing me to the
film industry as well as giving me a real Thanksgiving dinner :)

Laura - she might have left last December, but she is still
one of my greatest Singapore friends.  Can't wait for March 2012 to see her again!

Another bonus that comes with knowing all these great people is having an excuse to visit more amazing countries to see them!  December 2011 and March 2012 are going to be awesome. :)


"Don’t be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before we can meet again and meeting again, after moments or a lifetime, is certain for those who are friends."

"Life" in Asia

A couple of weeks ago I was so excited to have three very special visitors in Singapore.  You know those few people in the world who probably know you better than you know yourself and who have loved you for years and years (yes that would be including your super awkward tween years)?  I am lucky enough to have two girls that I have literally grown up with and who I am so happy to know that I feel just as close to today as I did when we became insperable in 7th grade.

Laura's wedding day

We lived through our lamest dorkiness - Backstreet Boy obsessing, butterfly clip wearing, and note passing days in junior high.

the young and dumb years :)

We were side by side through every drill team performance, prom, boyfriend (and subsequent breakup) and roadtrips in high school.
We have given Laura away to marry Grant, survived "big kid jobs", lived on separate continents, but despite real life trying to get in the way...we are still us.

LIFE (Anna, Laura, Giffin, Eden)

Needless to say, Eden, Laura and I have about a million memories to choose from and I can't imagine my life without them.  Hence why we have always referred to our little group as "Life" (minus Giffin who we missed very much!).  When I moved to Singapore, they told me to keep time in my second year open because Eden, Laura and Grant (Laura's husband) were saving to come see me.  I could not have been more thrilled!  After a year and a half, it finally came.

They arrived on a Sunday morning at 5:45am.  Since I work on Sundays at 9 am, I told them that I couldn't pick them up from the airport, but that if they took a taxi, I would get to see them for a few minutes before leaving for work.  Secretly, I was scheming to surprise them at the airport.  4:30 am my alarm went off, and I was in a cab by 4:45 am.  I got to the airport before the flight even landed so that I could be sure to spot them.  I stood anxiously staring between the entrance and their baggage claim area. An hour passed.  Flashbacks to Ellen's arrival flashed through my head.  Not again!  I frantically looked at other baggage claims, called immigration to see if three white people were being held for inappropriate behavior, and finally decided that I had to leave in order to be home in time to get ready for work.  I couldn't believe it!  Two minutes after getting into a taxi I got a call from Eden saying "We're here!!! We're almost to your place!"  HOW they managed to get past me I have NO idea...but they completely "Houdini"ed their way past me and into the taxi line without me seeing them.  My big surprise = epic fail...however it was a typical and hilarious way to start our time together.

Ultimate Fail.

They spent their first day sleeping off the brutal 24 hour flight odyssey.  That night they experienced their first real Indian food experience.  It was a BIG hit.  Then we went for a walk downtown to show them Orchard Road (the "Times Square" of Singapore).

Monday was touristy day.  We walked (and walked and walked) through the colonial areas of Singapore and through Little India.  Luckily Grant is a map expert (literally) and he had done his Singaporean research ahead of time.  He navigated us better than I probably could.  Eden had a bit of an issue with the humidity and heat ;).  It's definitely something that you just have to accept.  Sweat dripping down your back is a definite no matter what time of day you choose to go out.  That night we got dressed up and went to Chinatown for dinner and then for drinks at club on top of one of the tallest buildings in downtown called Altitude.  $18 gets you one free drink and a 360 degree panaramic view of the entire city.  It's pretty spectacular even on your 4th time up there.  After meeting up with some other teacher friends, we made our way to the Pump Room...an awesome dance club with local bands that play covers of all your typical "white people" party music - Journey, Lady Gaga, Britney...you name it!  It was so great to let loose and dance around like fools with my best friends.

the Cox's!

Never have I ever...been kicked out of a mosque in Little India

Tuesday we spent most of the day at the Botanical Gardens.  It's one of the prettiest places in Singapore and one of  the few spots where you won't hear obnoxious pop songs blaring in your ears or see a million people walking around playing on their i phones.  We walked through the main garden, the Orchid Garden and enjoyed lunch at the garden cafe. We left hot, sweaty and exhausted but it was an absolute blast.  My roommate, Kirsty, was nice enough to take pictures of all of us while we were there.  They are some of my favorites!

flashback to 14

hahaha

Tuesday night we ate Indian food again, but this time we had it delivered and ate it picnic style on the floor of my condo.  Then it was off to the Night Safari.  After whispering the super secret code "Get wild at Night Safari" and enjoying 20% off, we loaded up onto the tram and began the ride.  Night Safari is basically a zoo that doesn't have the typical glass/cage restrictions.  The animals are separated from the trams by deep ditches or electric fences so it appears that they could walk up to you at any minute.  We got to experience the lion roaring, wolves howling and the ever popular "really loud obnoxious Chinese group" talking behind us.

we were never good at this whole "growing up" thing

Wednesday morning we woke up very early to make our way to the ferry heading for Bintan, Indonesia.  Only about an hour away, Bintan is a great getaway spot for pretty beaches, cheap accommodation and yummy food.  There were 7 of us: Eden, Laura, Grant, Julian, Rachel, Staci and me.  It made it so much fun having a bigger group to hang out and laugh with.  We had SO much fun despite some minor setbacks - rain, broken snorkel equipment, rain, rain and more rain.  Luckily we had awesomely bad 90's music blaring over the loud speakers at our resort that resulted in a lot of spontaneous dance parties.  I'll let the pictures do the rest of the story-telling...

After our snorkeling "adventure"

nothing beats this

Leaving a space for our Giffin - we missed you!

BEST Forrest Gump impressionist EVER!

Pretty much what it looked like the whole second day

catching a few rays on Day 1

dance party while waiting for the rain to stop...which it never did

Mr. BagMan makes his debut

completely overtaking the karaoke machine...Chinese people take it WAY too seriously

Their last day was Saturday, so after I worked all day (boo), we met up and headed into town for an amazing dinner.  Eden's birthday is June 22nd and mine is July 3rd, so we have always liked combining our birthdays when we can.  It was a bitter sweet dinner since we knew they had to get back to pack their things and head towards the airport by 11 pm.

the last supper

Here's to 25 :)

Unfortunately that was the end of our awesome week in Singapore together.  We did one final three-way hug and that's when the tears started.  Bless Grant and Julian's hearts...as we started our sobfest, their reaction was "Well, I guess we'll just load the car."

I was a slobbering mess as they got into the taxi and for a while afterwards, but I am still SO happy that I got to share some of my new life with my old life.  It is such a relief to know that whatever part of my life I might be in, they are two of the people that will always be a part of it.

For Life.

Back to Bali

Last week I had the opportunity to go back to Bali - one of the most unique and stunningly beautiful places I have ever been.  The first time I went in September 2010.  I went with a small group of friends and we mostly focused on the "beachy" areas of Bali.  This time around, I traveled with Julian, his lovely mom and dad, a fellow teacher, Jo, and Jo's friend from England.  We experienced the lush jungles and gorgeous hills of the more inland areas of Bali - Ubud and Amed - and ended our trip in Legion.

Ubud: 

For anyone who has read (or seen) Eat Pray Love, you will probably be at least a little familiar with Ubud.  In fact, since the book/movie release, Ubud's tourism has skyrocketed tremendously.  While this is great for the locals pocketbooks, it is a bit worrying how quickly they are needing to expand and grow.  Many people are worried that the environment and natural beauty of Bali (especially Ubud) might be in jeopardy.  Time will tell, but for now, it remains one of the most beautiful places on this planet.

Welcome to Ubud, Bali

Having parents coordinate accommodation was a very nice improvement to the game of "let's see just how cheap a place we can find".   The hotels in Ubud were spectacular with every detail, from the huge front porches to the beautifully decorated bathroom doors.  I can't imagine a more gorgeous place.

We went on a tour our first full day - Although it wasn't exactly what we were expecting, it was a great chance to get around Ubud and see different areas.  We went to a woodcarvers gallery, a silver gallery, lunch on the hillside, a trip to the  a coffee/tea plantation.  I even tried their most expensive and sought after coffee that is made from the poop of a civet.  Yes - you heard that right.  Civets will only eat the finest coffee beans, and once they poop them out they are apparently even finer.  Sounds gross, but it was surprisingly delicious!  At least I can check that off my life list.
 

Sacred temple of the volcanic lake

Herbs, spices, coffee beans

Monkey Forrest was one of my favorite places.  We stayed close by so we were able to walk through a few times.  The first time I was a bit overwhelmed by the monkeys' boldness.  They weren't afraid to come up to you and try to steal your bag and search through your pockets.  There were bananas and potatoes that you could buy to feed to them, but I was too chicken to the first time.  I told myself that I had to do that before we left Ubud, so the second time through I bought some bananas.  Immediately, the biggest monkey there started coming towards me.  The Indonesian woman quickly said "The boss! The boss! Have to feed the boss!".  Let's just say the "Boss" took all my bananas because I was too scared to give them to any of the others.  Not quite the experience I had in mind.  We kept walking through the forest and I found a piece of a potato.  I thought I'd try feeding a smaller monkey, but before I knew it he was climbing up my back and pulling the red flower that was in my hair.  Apparently the flower was more delicious than the potato.  It made for quite a memory...and an awesome picture. :)

The Boss

Monkey love

 Jo and I spent an afternoon at the Art Museum to watch some of the local girls practicing their traditional Balinese dancing.  They were so tiny but so talented!  It was great to see their traditions being kept alive, and I think they secretly loved the extra attention.  We had a blast exploring the rest of the museum...although I think we wandered a bit too far and ended up in a fancy resort!  We ended the day meeting up with the group for a delicious dinner where the table was 2 feet high and our chairs were pillows.

rehearsal

exploring the museum grounds

out in Ubud

Amed:

After enjoying Ubud for 4 days, it was off to Amed.  After a three hour car ride up the windy hill side, we finally arrived.  The first day it was snorkel time!  Unfortunately, I don't have any classic "awkward snorkel" pictures this time around, but luckily the coral and fish were amazing!  I've done my fair share of snorkeling in Southeast Asia, but this was by far the best!  Everything was so colorful and alive.  It was like being in another world!  We also snorkeled at an old Japanese ship wreck from World War II.  It was amazing to see how much the sea life and taken over the old ship and made it part of their world.

going to snorkel

Sunsets in Amed were my favorite part of the trip.  The sky was so clear, allowing the most breath-taking sunsets I've ever seen.  Sunset is the most peaceful and perfect time of day in my opinion.  Everything goes quiet and the pinks and purples painted on the sky seem too amazing to be real.

Kuta/Legion: 

After saying goodbye to Julian's mom and dad, we were off to Kuta/Legion to see some old friends.  We spent the afternoon at the beach with one of Julian's oldest friends, Steve, and his girlfriend, Cissy, who live in Bali. (enter jealousy here).  After a burrito on the beach and a little local shopping/haggling, we all got dressed up to go to a fancy dinner.  The wonderful thing about Bali is that even the nicest restaurants are cheap.  We had quite a group - old friends and new friends - and it was so fun to just relax and enjoy a fun night out.  We went to a reggae club and danced the night away - it was definitely one of the most fun nights in a long time!  The next day was our last full vacation day so we just shopped and relaxed one last time on the beach.

Julian, me, Cissy and Steve

before dinner in Kuta

at Apache

Before I knew it, I was back on a plane at 6 am Monday morning and back to work a few hours later.  It was an unbelievable vacation.  I wouldn't change one bit of it.  Thank you, Bali for being even more amazing the second time around.