Singapore Day 29: Wrapping up the month

Zentangle #3: Cry for the city

W goes off to teach his last session. I start to pack and tidy up the bedroom.

While I relax, I draw my third Zentangle. We picked up four black gel pens @ S$1.50 ($1.20 US) last night after supper. Little India is full of bargains and the pens are good fun.

W lets his class out two hours early. He starts to gather the tech gear into his hard-shell suitcase for protection and security. The month of teaching has flown by for both of us.

We head for IKEA. It might not sound like a foreign destination, but every shop has local tweaks. In advance of setting up a home in Bandung, we've been scouting out furnishings and prices. IKEA lands in Jakarta next year. We trust their dishes to be lead-free, their plastics non-toxic, and their furniture classic. I'm hungry, so we eat in the cafeteria. I should have skipped the pasta with its watery tomato sauce and meatballs. We love Asian food: it's a shame to miss even a meal.

Look-alike to the lady nearby

At the next table sits the most beautiful Indian woman I've seen in Singapore. She could be a model, with her perfectly painted eyebrows and lips, and a stunning black flip. Before we leave, I say hi and tell her husband he's a lucky man. Their preteen son smiles at his pretty mom. Singaporeans tend to have few children: most of the island's population growth comes from immigrants and the bigger families of Muslims.

The market bustles with shoppers

We hop the shuttle bus to the center of Tampines, a series of three malls and a crowded Ramadan market. Two weeks ago, thin and nimble men bolted and clambered on the metal trellises. They stretched canvas over the frame to assemble a huge covered space. Kirsten and I were in awe: they hung 20' above the ground without safety harnesses. Now, the booths inside seem to be selling phone covers, fake purses, and food.

Japanese prawn and
chicken croquettes

Neither of us is hungry. But we pick up a "Satay burger" (mutton, peanut sauce, and lettuce on a bun) and some Japanese croquettes. The vendors pour dough into round, cast iron trays, letting the dough firm up before flipping them over with long skewers.

We walk a mile or so to Tampines Shopping Street to see if we can find a massage place. There are two reflexology shops. Indonesians charged $11 for an hour. Here it's $35-50. Too much. We get a bubble tea instead.

Supper last night in Little India
with Augustine and Sumathi

It takes us less than a half hour to walk home but it's very humid and hot (in the 90s. As usual, a surprising number of people are exercising: shooting hoops on the basketball courts atop parking garages, cyclists speeding by, and lots of people out walking.

We split the mutton burger and each try a croquette. (Shall we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow after church?)

One day left. Unbelievable! God has faithfully helped us to do good work. Today W brought back a card from a student who took all three of our classes. Students with similar enthusiasm and progress make our time - and the long flights - feel worthwhile.

Singapore Day 9: Water world and a Sunday sabbath

The Merlion, mythical mascot of Singapore

Kirsten arrives in the middle of the night, safe and sound. She was blessed to have Economy Comfort on the 19 hour flight from Minn. She reports: "The seat didn't seem to recline much - but I was happy about the extra leg room!"

Needless to say we are all awake for hours. (W took the bus to the airport and came back by taxi with K.) K unpacks into her cabinets: oh daughter of her mother. It's the first thing I do upon arrival = empty the suitcases into dressers and onto hangers.

We wake very late. W and I walk to get breakfast and it starts to drip. Soon there are big splashes of water. Wide splats landing on the sidewalk.

By the time we get under cover at the mini-mall, it's seriously raining. Vendors pull their movable displays under cover into the walkways, and rush to pull down tarps. The splash-up from the pavement is 6-10". We end up eating inside in the main cafeteria.

Glutenous rice in its leaf package

Unwrapped, a delicious mix
of sauce, seasoning, and meat

W has glutenous rice (a dim sum standard). I choose noodles, broth and veges, but the selection is skimpy. For S$4.20 ($3.50US), we can choose 6 items and noodles. I put in my bowl: 2 ladyfingers (okra), two kinds of mushroom, an egg, and broccoli. The chef submerges it in boiling broth. (Better to come in the afternoon for tastier broth!) Bags of fresh vegetables lie on the table beside us: they'll be washing and cutting those up for another hour or two. They keep bringing out greens until I'm nearly done.

Splashes and puddles form quickly!

After breakfast, W buys an umbrella: we have 3 in the flat where they're doing us no good. The rain has slowed from a deluge to a downpour by the time we stop by a bakery for some pastries to share with Kirsten.

We slog home, my flip-flops shedding water. W's Keens keep the water off until we're nearly home and the puddles are deep. Water rushes off the paved surfaces through metal grates, forming turbulent rivers in the concrete drainage canals. Every few days during dry season (now), God washes the leaves and removes smells of drainage and garbage, refreshing the air and the ground as water rushes to the sea.

K sleeps until noon. W and I are going through the Bible (he in big chunks; I listening on my IPad), but it's strange not to get to morning service. I sat through a wonderful sermon yesterday at the wedding, and I think that was my sabbath. W's been teaching theology all week in his classroom community. Our church routines are jumbled, and we miss Creekside Church (where we are members.) However, we sense God's presence in the preparation and interactions with others. We are thankful to be in ministry at home and here.

By the time we're ready to leave the flat, it's 3pm. We spend the afternoon in Singapore, letting Kirsten get acclimated to the weather. She's walking well and her arthritis is pretty quiet, even after a 4 hour flight to Minneapolis and 19 hours to Singapore. We are so grateful to God for his mercy on her.

Puri putra steamer

In the neighborhood mall a few nights ago, we tried puri putra. A gal scoops rice flour onto a 2" metal plate. She sprinkles it with brown sugar and covers the sugar with more rice flour. She spins another plate over to remove excess flour, making each "cookie" the same size. She uses rice flour and brown sugar, nothing more, nothing less.

"I learned how to do this from my sister. It is traditional Malay dessert," she explains.

The contraption to steam it is interesting (see photo). The gal shows us how she covers the rice powder with a 5" piece of fabric, slips a little metal "hat" over, and flips it over to cook on metal plates resting on the steam pot. It takes 5 minutes to steam: a serving is five 2" cookies, plenty between W and me.

 Thank you for your prayers for our time of ministry. I usually write about things I think will interest the reader: however, this is a serious time of ministry and prayer for us. We appreciate your support and partnership! Much love from Singapore from all the K's.