Expating Singapore: An American perspective and other short stories: Crossing off the list...Cooking Class, Volunteering, and Exploring

I have a few goals to achieve throughout my stay in Singapore. To be honest this is actually the first time I really have set goals. I just have to know that I take advantage of every opportunity because this is such a chance of a lifetime to be living here and it is going to go by so fast. I feel so fortunate to be living under such great conditions. We really do live in a tropical vacation. There are palm trees all around and our condo complex feels like you are on a resort. It's hard to think just a few years ago Chris asked me if I ever would want to move here and my answer to him was, "hell no." Well life happened and it just seemed like perfect timing so we took a huge leap of faith and our answer now was, "why not?" I am so glad we made this decision because everything just feels so right here. It's funny when I meet people you always go through the same introductions. Where are you from? How long have you been here? How long will you be here? Most expats are under 2-5 year contracts and most all decide to extend their stays. I call Singapore the secret world of Westerners! It is very safe, clean, and the schools are really good! The one disadvantage is that it is halfway across the world and very far away from family and friends. So when I tell people that we are here for two years I get a nod, grin and remarks of yeah so were we but we have been here for X amount of years now. It's pretty interesting!

So back to my goals! I have been busy trying to accomplish all of my to-do's. I took a Thai cooking class which was pretty exciting. It became clearly evident that I was a beginner when I did not even know how to chop an onion properly. Luckily the ladies were very sweet, polite, and helped me chop up some of the ingredients while the onion aroma attacked my eyes! I could barely see. We made spring rolls, pork lettuce wraps, and chicken stir-fry. It was all very delicious too. I have yet to try out the 4 hour prep meal on my own but I'll save it in my back pocket for a special occasion when I can eventually get my hands on all the rare ingredients and spices. I also started volunteering at a local hospital. I have to try and find activities while Connor is at school and this just fit perfectly with our schedule. We go around offering magazines to expat patients that do not have many friends or family in Singapore. Some patients even come from Malaysia or Indonesia since the healthcare is much better here. It's pretty cool meeting and talking to people from all over the world! I had a great first-time experience and plan to do it again very soon! My other goal is to explore every inch of Singapore that I possibly can in two years. We have made a great first start and have visited the bird park, zoo, night safari, underwater world, art museum, water parks, and beaches in just the two months that we have been here. There is much more to do so I look forward to what's to come!

View of our condo from Henderson Waves Pedestrian Bridge