I Wish I Knew About....Before Moving to Singapore!

Birthday Blog!

I Wish I Knew About (insert strange and unusual occurrences/encounters here) Before Moving to Singapore.

I was not going to write on my big ‘31’ birthday but I feel inspired to introduce some latest news about my blog as I listen to Christmas music and stare out at palm trees in 88 degree weather!  Sorry to rub it in for those back home in the cold.  This is truly a first in my lifetime so this calls for some fun blog time!  I am launching a new series of topics that will all follow under, I Wish I Knew About…Before Moving to Singapore.  I plan to periodically update this series throughout the course of my blog, so stay tuned people. 

Drum roll please! 

First on the list…

I wish I knew about the (Squatting Seat) before moving to Singapore.

When we first made our grand arrival to Singapore I started jotting down some notes that would seem like worthy blog entries.  First on my list, ‘Watch your Step’! 

I get off the plane after travelling halfway across the world and of course need to use the bathroom.  I never seem to time it right to go in the plane right before descent.  Something that needs to be worked on for sure especially if you find yourself amongst a long line (queue for my Singapore friends) in the first bathroom you spot in the airport.  As I tried to fight a girl to get in line first she happened to squeeze in front of me and the only stall left had a sign on the door that read, Watch Your Step.  Cool, I thought!  There are steps in the bathroom.  Little did I know!  That is your huge warning ladies and gents and yes, men, there are these ‘special’ kinds of stalls in your bathroom.  You don’t get exempt from this too!  So I enter this ‘cool’ bathroom stall and to my surprise there is no toilet, only a hole in the ground.  Hmm, this is strange.  I have never seen one of ‘these’.  I later find out ‘these’ are called squatting seats.  They aren’t pleasant either.  Talk about unhygienic.  I will let your mind wander as to how disgusting this could be.  I decline to provide details on this one.  This also explains why there are photos in the regular stalls with toilets that show a picture of someone squatting on the toilet saying 'no squatting'.  Who would ever do that?  Now I know why! I always thought someone might squat on the toilet for sanitation purposes, ha!  I had no idea that people actually squatted over a hole in the ground, ha!  This now becomes topic of conversations with new expat friends.  What’s up with the gross squatting seats in the bathrooms around here?  Answers thrown out have been pretty unhelpful.  I thought maybe for religious reasons.  For some reason last week I remembered to do some research on this and what a perfect question for Google!  Revelation!  Turns out there are also health advantages and benefits to the squatting seat.  See websites below.  Who would have thought? 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squat_toilet

Those of you who can handle to read a more detailed description on the comparison between the toilet and squatting seat…read on!  The wording in the link may be enough to stop you from going further, ha!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_defecation_postures

My lesson has been learned.  The last time I used the bathroom with a squatting seat I let the lady behind me go ahead and use it.  I will wait for the next one please!  Do not go in the stall that warns you to ‘Watch your Step.’  More like ‘Watch out, you are about to experience something nasty’!  I wish I knew about the squatting seat before moving to Singapore so that I would have avoided the entire experience in the first place!

 

 

Little India Wet Market Experience (Beginner Level!)

Last month I had the opportunity to tour one of Singapore’s best wet markets.  You are probably wondering what exactly a ‘wet’ market is because if you are like me you may have only heard of farmers markets.  They are similar since both sell fresh fruits and vegetables but wet markets also contain shellfish, seafood, and meat.  The term ‘wet’ comes from all the water that is used to keep the floors clean and all the foods fresh.  You do not want to go barefoot and I was so glad that I obediently followed the tour guides instructions to wear closed toed shoes.  It is a very interesting place to explore and discover if you ever get a chance to visit a wet market.  My research tells me that they are mostly found in Asian countries.  Go with an open mind and I assure you that your senses will probably be on overload with all the sights, smells, and sounds.  The smell is not very pleasant actually especially around all the seafood and dried fish stalls.  As soon as we walked in I wanted to leave right away since it smelled so awful.  I ended up managing somehow throughout the two hour tour.  I just tried to keep an open mind throughout the entire experience. 

Our local Singaporean tour guide took us throughout the seafood and shellfish stalls first.  I looked down and what do I see?  A huge sting-ray then some squid and even a shark!  This was more than I signed up for.  Then there were rows and rows of fish and shrimp including the heads.  The tour guide was busily moving us through the crowds, telling us what was what and how to look for freshness.  The information was a little overwhelming and went in one ear and out the other.  I don't even know how to cook fish but maybe now I will try to learn something new.  What really motivated me to do the tour in the first place was to learn about all the new fruits and vegetables that you can find in Singapore.  My goal was to learn what to buy and how to eat them.  If you see a picture of a dragon fruit, lychee, or mango stein you know exactly where I am coming from. 

Sting-Ray for sale

Squid

Jaws

Pick a fish any fish

Shrimp

I knew the wet market had fish and meat but I had no idea to what extent.  I looked to my left and one man is chopping up a huge fish.  Blood and guts are splattering all over the place.  At this point I wish our tour guide had told us to wear a full wetsuit, including a mask.  This is not a sanitary place whatsoever.  I even hated dropping my lens cap on the floor.  Fish heads were just hanging out on silver dishes ready to be bought.  I look to my right and another man is chopping off a chicken head with parts flying everywhere.  Then I wonder if that stand he is using to cut the chicken has actually ever been cleaned.  Seems like a salmonella outbreak waiting to happen.  This was like actually living in a real horror film.  The thought even crossed my mind to become a vegetarian as soon as I got home.  My head started to spin.  I tried to take it all in positively but these sights are a rarity if you come from my suburban town back in the United States.  The grocery store has a very small selection of seafood and it rarely smells.  Also, the meat is always nice and packaged like a pretty Tiffany’s box wrapped in a bow ready to take home.  Who would have thought these places actually existed?

Fish heads on a silver platter

 

I think my camera lens needed to be cleaned after this shot

 

Where is the anti-bacterial spray?

 

 

Normal sights to see in Singapore

 

Meat carcass chilling on the ancient old never been cleaned stand

 

Beef it's what's for dinner

 

Are these Chesapeake blue Maryland crabs?!  Hmmm...

 

 

Crabs used in the famous Singaporean dish 'Chili Crab'

 

Pre-cooked noddle Shop

 

Dried fish

 

I was really glad to move away from all the seafood and meat to the pretty colorful fruits and vegetables.  The smell of the sweet fruits was heavenly.  The displays were so colorful and beautiful too.  Finally I did not feel so out of place until the tour guide went on and on about the different fruits and vegetables.  I had another bout of sensory overload.  This tour needed to come with a handout and pictures explaining everything or maybe I should have taken better notes.  It was a great experience all in all and I feel a little more confident to visit my local wet market down the street that might not be as intimidating.  I think I’ll just be staying in the fruit and veggie isles for now though.  I do not want to re-live the seafood and poultry stalls nightmare.  Maybe one day!  You always have to keep an open mind when living abroad in a foreign place.

 

Lychee fruit-native to southern China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia

Dragonfruit-originally comes from Central America and is grown  today in Vietnam and China

Large mystery fruit, better note-taking would have benefited here

Get your freshly shredded coconut here

 

Home Sweet Home!

I was looking through all my pictures last night from our first trip back to the US and there are just some that are too good not to post. Better late than never is my motto! I really need to be better at updating my blog!

We had a great time going home and seeing all of our family and friends. Connor went to two zoos, two pumpkin patches, an aquarium, a medieval times show, and even got to be a pirate on ship. He is one lucky little boy! Let’s not mention his little stopover in London where we toured Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and Buckingham Palace. He also crossed over the London Tower Bridge and got to see the magnificent Crown Jewels at the Tower of London.

How could I forget? We also had the opportunity to actually meet a US Paralympic track and field athlete from Baltimore, Tatyana McFadden, who was bringing home three gold medals and one bronze from the London 2012 Paralympic Games.  You can read her very inspiring story here!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/9506907/Paralympics-2012-Tatyana-McFaddens-miracle-is-to-compete-after-abandonment-in-a-Soviet-orphanage.html

How grand of a trip is that for a two year old? We sure are setting the bar high for such a young age.  Alright, enough babbling already! Here are the pictures!

 

 

Chris and Connor in front of Westminister Abbey

 

Chris and Connor at Buckingham Palace

 

 

Buckingham Palace

 

Posing in front of the famous red London telephone booths

 

London Bridges Falling Down...

Big Ben

 

 

Changing of the guards at the Tower of London

 

Proud of the US Paralympic Athlete.

 

Changing of the guards at the Tower of London

 

Nice view of the Tower Bridge

 

 Fun with cousins!  Starting from bottom up, Connor, Max, Madelyn, Kaeley, Cameron, and Troy.

 

Chris and I with our silly hats at Medieval Times.  We could barely stay awake.  Suffering major jet lag right now.

 

Watching the 4D-Happy Feet movie at the Baltimore Aquarium.  This is where his love of Happy Feet began!  We now have both movies!

 

Inside a sharks mouth with Mimi and Poppy!  This is where his obsession with sharks began also!

 

I am this tall!  Posing with Alyssa.

 

Got the pumpkins!  Connor is thinking his is bigger!

 

Got another pumpkin!

 

 

Fun with Jackson, and Reagan, and Taylor, OH MY!

Riding on the big tractor!

 

 

Rounding up the cattle.  He kind of looks like a natural, ha!

 

Play with his best pal Domi-Do!

 

On the Pirate Ship with Wawe and Granddaddy.

Getting his pirate treasure

 

 

ARR, Matey!  Ready to go on the pirate ship

 

I think our little pirate is a bit sea sick here

 

Water pumping-racing ducks with Mimi at the pumkin patch

 

This is the pumpkin he wanted to take home

 

Eating nothing other than nuts with Poppy

 

 

At the Baltimore Zoo with Wawe and Granddaddy

 

 

Bird watching at the zoo