Tuesday, May 16, 2023
I'm reading an interesting view of women in the workplace. It offers some insights into the broader scope of family and work. Note: the author is American-style "inclusive" in moral choices and the definition of marriage and family.
The breakfast soup is tasty.
Dr Castleberry (NU president) takes us to lunch at a German butcher. On the way, the taxi driver has this cute "pet" sitting between the seats. He converses about various passengers.
I enjoy a short rib which is so big W has to eat about a third. (I will be restarting my heart-healthy vegan stint of 8 weeks when we get home!)
We catch a Grab car to the Grab headquarters where W and I address about 30 MBA students and take a few questions about living abroad. To help them think outside the box, W suggests we speak from the back of the room. We ask the students to turn their chairs around and then we speak from the back, which is the "new front."
The profs are good friends: Rowlanda and Angela, who I've known for a years.
On the ride back, we take note of the national "bird" of Singapore: cranes. They're everywhere.
When W heads out to teach, I go for a walk along the beach to enjoy the boats.
This tree with branches and roots equally spread captures my eye.
And then there's the sunset ...
I buy pad thai for supper before heading inside.
All kinds of rides are available for rental on the city sidewalks or the trail paved beside the ocean. "One ride for all 3 generations" says the sign on the 4-wheeled wagon.
Or if you prefer, a bicycle built for 2, or a 2- or 3-wheeler with a basket? Lots of options!
Kathleen the ATC registrar treats us to a tasty lunch at the Pasir Ris mall by the hotel.
A contest to determine Miss and Mrs. Global Beauty is going on, with some contestants staying in our hotel.
Best guess, this one's from somewhere in the Philippines.
The courtyard on the floor below is relaxing and green. I hang out there sometimes.
Thursday
What a good breakfast of tosaia at the Indian food stall, which is buzzing with customers in a nearby hawker center. The curries and spices are just right.
Next door, what flavor of pancake pizza would you prefer? Peanut butter? Sweets? Egg? Non-pork meats? or?
In this city of trees, it's rare to see one fallen. The city workers are quick - here they have already begun to cut up the trunk.
I wander to the MRT as W goes back to the room, relaxing and finishing up classwork and emails. The construction is ever-present. Singapore is constantly expanding its neighborhoods by building on land reclaimed over decades from the ocean. Pasir Ris, our area, is mostly new land.
Living cheek to cheek, Singaporeans value politeness. Even the signs, written in multiple main languages, are polite: "Work in Progress: inconvenience caused is regretted."
It's the first time I've been shopping alone this trip. I'm looking for shoes for a friend. Taking my time to browse is a treat. Here's where we first saw the word "Bandung" (the city where we live) = on a pink drink in Singapore.
Goods from every country are available in Singapore. These embroidered shoes are probably from India.
I find some shoes, WA my friend to confirm, and pick them up before heading back.
W and I meet up for a final lunch at Sure Come Back noodle shop. SOoooooo good.
The hawker center is filling up as usual.
W orders smoked salmon as well - what a reminder of my grandpa's catches on the Fraser River (BC) 50 years ago. The pickled jalapeños are excellent, as is the rice porridge.
Friday
The flight is uneventful. With the trusty scarf-blanket from Kirsten tucked over my knees, I'm warm.
Luggage takes a while to arrive on the carousel in Jakarta but everything arrives safely.
The shuttle from Jakarta to Bandung as frightening as ever. I read all the way.
The only recognizable vegetable at the shuttle rest stop is A&W fries.
PakG picks us up from the station, where shuttles are parked helter-skelter across the drive-through. Ah ... we're back in Indonesia, having left the order and organization of Singapore behind. The driver hauls our suitcases out of the van. We drag our luggage to the other side of the lot where the car is parked, across jagged stones in broken paving.
Saturday
After my solitary walk, Ibu Siti arrives to give me a massage. Ouch ouch ouch. Good job. While W teaches, I arrange bromeliads from the garden and grass found on the walk for tomorrow.
Oh yikes - the freezer door has to be pushed shut each time the fridge is opened. The helpers have forgotten and everything is iced over. Cleaning it will be their Monday chore. Meanwhile, W chops off ice blocks so the door can shut.
The bathtub ponds haven't been filled either. PakG takes care of that with the garden hose during our water hours. (The city releases water in the morning only.)
Bailey has been brushed out by PakG.
It's nice to be home.
Read more:
*I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask, to be found by those who did not seek me. Isaiah 65:1
*But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first. Matthew 19:30
Moravian Prayer: Lord, sometimes we are tempted to put ourselves first before all else, including you and others whom we should love as you love us. Help us remember that the Christian life isn’t about us. Help us to love you because you loved us first. Help us show the same love and forgiveness to others and to ourselves. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment