Hi everyone.. as you can see from my upcoming travel schedule (on the right side of my blog), I've got quite a busy calendar! I'm picking up a group of friends from the airport tomorrow morning, and then we will be on holiday for the next week. I won't be blogging while I'm away, so I wish you all a happy 4th of July!!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
A cranky rant about office life
Here is a quick list of office-related things that drive me nuts in Singapore:
- People run in the office. To the printer. To a friend's desk. For no reason at all.
- People do not dry their hands after they wash them. I am constantly touching wet door handles.
- Women wear the most ridiculous outfits.
- The elevator is always at max capacity (or more!).
- Everybody prints everything a million times. And there is one tiny recycling bin.
In other, more pleasant news, the work week is more than half way over. I am so so so excited to welcome some visitors this weekend and to spend the next week on vacation!
- People run in the office. To the printer. To a friend's desk. For no reason at all.
- People do not dry their hands after they wash them. I am constantly touching wet door handles.
- Women wear the most ridiculous outfits.
- The elevator is always at max capacity (or more!).
- Everybody prints everything a million times. And there is one tiny recycling bin.
In other, more pleasant news, the work week is more than half way over. I am so so so excited to welcome some visitors this weekend and to spend the next week on vacation!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Quick change!
This post is going to be a bit disjointed, but basically, I want to talk about how quickly things can change! After an absolutely awful few days last week, this weekend was almost normal! The PSI is back in the "unhealthy" and "moderate" range due to some good winds on Saturday. I'm hoping it stays this way, but you just never know. However, I did finally find a shop that had an N95 mask! Better safe than sorry..
The other thing that has quickly changed are my plans for next weekend! As some of you may already know, a group of friends from the US are coming to Asia to visit! We had originally planned to spend a couple days in Singapore, do a day trip to Indonesia, and then head off to Vietnam for about a week. Well, as the haze was choking me, the group decided that it might be better to make alternative plans. Although it is entirely possible that everything is fine in Singapore next weekend, I think it would be awful to fly all the way to Asia only to be stuck in the haze and miserable. So we evaluated our options, called around, and now we will be going to Phuket next weekend! Coincidentally, a couple of my friends are also going to be in Phuket, so we will have a good crowd to hang with! Exciting stuff :)
Now onto some less exciting stuff... this week and weekend were pretty quiet for me. This was partially by design, as I want to be well rested when my friends arrive, but it was also partially by force due to the haze. I spent the week trying to be indoors at all times, and I've spent most of the weekend reading and catching up on random stuff around my massive apartment. Here are some random pictures from the past few days!
Friday
Saturday
The other thing that has quickly changed are my plans for next weekend! As some of you may already know, a group of friends from the US are coming to Asia to visit! We had originally planned to spend a couple days in Singapore, do a day trip to Indonesia, and then head off to Vietnam for about a week. Well, as the haze was choking me, the group decided that it might be better to make alternative plans. Although it is entirely possible that everything is fine in Singapore next weekend, I think it would be awful to fly all the way to Asia only to be stuck in the haze and miserable. So we evaluated our options, called around, and now we will be going to Phuket next weekend! Coincidentally, a couple of my friends are also going to be in Phuket, so we will have a good crowd to hang with! Exciting stuff :)
Now onto some less exciting stuff... this week and weekend were pretty quiet for me. This was partially by design, as I want to be well rested when my friends arrive, but it was also partially by force due to the haze. I spent the week trying to be indoors at all times, and I've spent most of the weekend reading and catching up on random stuff around my massive apartment. Here are some random pictures from the past few days!
Taiwanese style pineapple cake for mid afternoon snack
Cebu Pacific playing cards in action!
Wednesday
Saturday
Raspberry almond scone
Groceries.. finally!
Nothing too exciting on the calendar for this week.. I can't wait for next weekend!!!
Friday, June 21, 2013
Haze update and observations
So this whole haze situation sucks. But it has been really interesting to see how things have unfolded. For those of you who are a bit behind, Singapore has been in a haze due to some illegal slash and burn going on in Sumatra (Indonesia).
Here is a quick update - the haze has gotten worse since my last post. Previously, the record PSI for Singapore was 226, which happened in 1997 (also due to burning!). We broke the record a couple of days ago and entered the "hazardous" range, as defined by the NEA, and today (Friday) the PSI reading hit 401 in the middle of the day. And trust me - it was terrible outside when the PSI was that high. Today's lunch break was just awful. But it's weird because the PSI changes so quickly. Earlier this morning, it was below 100, and it has been below 200 since mid-afternoon. The Prime Minister has said that he expects the haze to last for a while, but I don't really know how to interpret that - as in, how long and how bad?
The haze and poor visibility has been distracting for sure, but the worst of it is definitely the air quality. Singapore is basically sold out of masks and air purifiers. I've been trying to stay indoors as much as possible, taking taxis wherever I go (so that I don't have to wait at the bus stop), and generally just being miserable complaining about the terrible air.
The most shocking thing for me has definitely been the lack of information. The NEA tweets out a PSI reading every hour, but then it doesn't really provide any other information. Like, we know that the air quality is at hazardous levels, but the government hasn't really given any information about what this means from a public health perspective. It is infuriating. Earlier in the week, they said that people should avoid heavy exercise outdoors, and that the elderly and those with respiratory problems should stay indoors when possible. But that warning was issued when the PSI was still in the "unhealthy" range. No updates on what the "hazardous" range really means for all the rest of us.
Also, no updates on what the heck is going on with Indonesia. Apparently, there were emergency talks held, but there has been no real statement or information released telling us what is next. The silence is deafening.
Even at work, we didn't get any real statement from the company until this afternoon, even though this whole haze issue has been going on all week.
I feel like this situation would be so different if this had happened in America. Like, if Canada was doing some sort of illegal forestation that was causing a massive cloud of smog to cover a major metropolis in America, I doubt that it would last for more than a day! And I feel like news agencies, government spokespeople, and employers would basically be in communication overdrive to make sure that people knew what was going on and what to do. I feel like part of my panic over the haze just has to do with the uncertainty and lack of information.
Anyway - this has turned into quite the rant, so I will end here. Just pray for rain and winds to carry this haze away! (Also, I organized my Gmail earlier today, and I suggest everyone else do the same!)
Here is a quick update - the haze has gotten worse since my last post. Previously, the record PSI for Singapore was 226, which happened in 1997 (also due to burning!). We broke the record a couple of days ago and entered the "hazardous" range, as defined by the NEA, and today (Friday) the PSI reading hit 401 in the middle of the day. And trust me - it was terrible outside when the PSI was that high. Today's lunch break was just awful. But it's weird because the PSI changes so quickly. Earlier this morning, it was below 100, and it has been below 200 since mid-afternoon. The Prime Minister has said that he expects the haze to last for a while, but I don't really know how to interpret that - as in, how long and how bad?
View from the office
The haze and poor visibility has been distracting for sure, but the worst of it is definitely the air quality. Singapore is basically sold out of masks and air purifiers. I've been trying to stay indoors as much as possible, taking taxis wherever I go (so that I don't have to wait at the bus stop), and generally just being miserable complaining about the terrible air.
Someone posted this on Facebook - same view three times. You can't even see MBS in the last picture!
It's actually a bit scary. I think I'm probably overreacting, but I think it's natural to feel a bit like this, especially since nothing like this has ever happened in America! I actually even thought about trying to get away this weekend - to just fly somewhere with fresh air, but it seems that everyone else on the island had the same idea. Flights were all booked up or crazy expensive! As the haze got worse and the PSI rose, I thought that it might be worth it to shell out however much money I needed to pay to get out, but then I remembered that my passport is at the Indian consulate getting a visa for a work trip. Sigh. (Well, don't sigh. Don't breathe deeply!)
Believe it or not, this is a view from a building downtown.
The most shocking thing for me has definitely been the lack of information. The NEA tweets out a PSI reading every hour, but then it doesn't really provide any other information. Like, we know that the air quality is at hazardous levels, but the government hasn't really given any information about what this means from a public health perspective. It is infuriating. Earlier in the week, they said that people should avoid heavy exercise outdoors, and that the elderly and those with respiratory problems should stay indoors when possible. But that warning was issued when the PSI was still in the "unhealthy" range. No updates on what the "hazardous" range really means for all the rest of us.
Also, no updates on what the heck is going on with Indonesia. Apparently, there were emergency talks held, but there has been no real statement or information released telling us what is next. The silence is deafening.
Even at work, we didn't get any real statement from the company until this afternoon, even though this whole haze issue has been going on all week.
I feel like this situation would be so different if this had happened in America. Like, if Canada was doing some sort of illegal forestation that was causing a massive cloud of smog to cover a major metropolis in America, I doubt that it would last for more than a day! And I feel like news agencies, government spokespeople, and employers would basically be in communication overdrive to make sure that people knew what was going on and what to do. I feel like part of my panic over the haze just has to do with the uncertainty and lack of information.
Anyway - this has turned into quite the rant, so I will end here. Just pray for rain and winds to carry this haze away! (Also, I organized my Gmail earlier today, and I suggest everyone else do the same!)
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
In a haze
In case you haven't heard, Singapore has been overcome with haze this week. Indonesia is burning some forestry, and the wind patterns have blow most of the resulting smoke right over Singapore. It is incredibly gross. Sometimes, when I look out the window at work, it just looks like a white screen. Disgusting.
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Aside from the smoky smell and the low visibility, I've found this haze to be incredibly disturbing. The air quality is as bad as it has been in about ten years, with levels far exceeding what is considered to be "safe". The government has encouraged us all to not spend prolonged periods of time outdoors, and there are other warnings for the elderly or those with asthma, etc. Our Monday night running group was cancelled due to the haze, and I'm not sure it will clear up before my Thursday night run date either. I've been pretty lucky this week, and the bus has arrived exactly when I walked up to the bus stop, but I did get a headache walking to lunch earlier today.
The haze here isn't caused by pollution, but it has been a weird glimpse into what it is like to live with poor air quality. And let me tell you - it is no good. Take care of the planet people! (And get Indonesia to stop the slash and burn!)
Lunch with a view
Aside from the smoky smell and the low visibility, I've found this haze to be incredibly disturbing. The air quality is as bad as it has been in about ten years, with levels far exceeding what is considered to be "safe". The government has encouraged us all to not spend prolonged periods of time outdoors, and there are other warnings for the elderly or those with asthma, etc. Our Monday night running group was cancelled due to the haze, and I'm not sure it will clear up before my Thursday night run date either. I've been pretty lucky this week, and the bus has arrived exactly when I walked up to the bus stop, but I did get a headache walking to lunch earlier today.
The haze here isn't caused by pollution, but it has been a weird glimpse into what it is like to live with poor air quality. And let me tell you - it is no good. Take care of the planet people! (And get Indonesia to stop the slash and burn!)
Monday, June 17, 2013
Saturday in pictures
Mini noodle pot from a food court (the difference between a food court and a hawker center is that one has air conditioning and the other doesn't)
Banh mi and a lime soda.. this place was delicious!
We went for the "strong" durian flavor
Sat at the Long Bar and had a Singapore Sling and threw peanuts on the floor!
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Taiwan beer!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Back on the wagon
As I mentioned previously, with all of my recent travel, I have found it really hard to find time to exercise. I know that it is a sorry excuse, but that's the reality of it. I don't have any trips planned until next month, so this week, I finally got back on the exercise wagon!!
I've been lucky to make friends with a group of girls who like to run and gossip after work, so that definitely helps keep me on track. I've also found a really great hot yoga studio that I absolutely love, and it was so nice to finally get to practice again this week.
The week has gone by fairly quickly, which is always a good thing, and I'm looking forward to the weekend - a farewell dinner for a friend on Friday night, a morning run and an afternoon festival on Saturday, and a relaxing Sunday spent with a visiting friend.
I've already started to try to start thinking about the rest of my 2013 travel, and I'm hoping to knock out some more of my Singapore bucket list during the remainder of the year as well. The year is almost halfway over, and pretty soon, I will already be into the second half of my time here in Singapore.. time flies!!
Monday, June 10, 2013
Some good American fun
First off - let me just say it. I left my iPad in my seat pocket on an airplane. I called the airport's lost and found section, and it isn't there. I've emailed the airline and have my fingers crossed. I am mad at myself, obviously.
Anyway.. before that tragic incident, I had a great time over the past few days!
Thursday night, a group of girlfriends and I had tickets to see Dirty Dancing at Marina Bay Sands! This is one of my all time favorite movies, and I love to see plays and shows, so I was super pumped.
To be honest - it was not the time of my life. The show was staged pretty terribly, and all the actors sounded explicitly like Eastern Europeans trying to do an American accent. It was pretty dreadful. The dancing was really good though, so that was fun to watch!
Friday, I flew over to Manila to celebrate another friend's 30th birthday! Cebu Pacific was a pretty fun airline to fly. They had games in-flight, they gave Brian a prize because it was his birthday, and I am also the proud owner of a deck of Cebu Pacific playing cards now!
We spent the rest of the night dancing to a great band in a bar that we randomly came across but ended up loving! The hospitality and service was great :) And it was really affordable! The Philippines is SO much cheaper than Singapore.
Saturday, the birthday boy said that he wanted to go to Chili's for lunch haha. Half of the group we were with was British, and most of them had never heard of Chili's before. (Apparently, they aren't in the UK at all?) After a lot of southwestern eggrolls, chips and queso, and reliable Tex Mex, I think the Brits were sufficiently impressed, and we were all stuffed. We ended up hanging around on the patio playing card games (thanks Cebu Pacific!) for the rest of the afternoon. I'm talking five hours!!!
After our long lunch, I made a stop at Pinkberry (we don't even have that in Singapore!) before heading back to the hotel for a quick rest. Dinner was a fast casual Mexican place before heading out on the town for the night!!
Good times with good friends!! It would have been even better if I had not left my iPad on the plane!!!
Anyway.. before that tragic incident, I had a great time over the past few days!
Thursday night, a group of girlfriends and I had tickets to see Dirty Dancing at Marina Bay Sands! This is one of my all time favorite movies, and I love to see plays and shows, so I was super pumped.
This was the only photo I was allowed to snap!
Pre-dinner dim sum
To be honest - it was not the time of my life. The show was staged pretty terribly, and all the actors sounded explicitly like Eastern Europeans trying to do an American accent. It was pretty dreadful. The dancing was really good though, so that was fun to watch!
Friday, I flew over to Manila to celebrate another friend's 30th birthday! Cebu Pacific was a pretty fun airline to fly. They had games in-flight, they gave Brian a prize because it was his birthday, and I am also the proud owner of a deck of Cebu Pacific playing cards now!
But they still cannot spell.
We landed at sunset.. beautiful!
Once we all got checked into our hotels, we headed out for dinner. We were staying in the Makati area, and our hotel was just across from a gigantic mall called Greenbelt. It had tons and tons of shops, restaurants, and bars to choose from. We settled on a Filipino BBQ restaurant.
Look - you can get a liter of gin and juice!
A few of us shared a bunch of stuff - tuna, chicken, pork belly, and shrimp. The food was really good! Then the servers all came out (with a tambourine!) to serenade Brian.
The free dessert that you can barely see is purple ice cream. We were all a bit puzzled and took turns trying to guess what flavor it was. Apparently, it was taro root skin flavored. Shockingly, nobody guessed that.
We spent the rest of the night dancing to a great band in a bar that we randomly came across but ended up loving! The hospitality and service was great :) And it was really affordable! The Philippines is SO much cheaper than Singapore.
Saturday, the birthday boy said that he wanted to go to Chili's for lunch haha. Half of the group we were with was British, and most of them had never heard of Chili's before. (Apparently, they aren't in the UK at all?) After a lot of southwestern eggrolls, chips and queso, and reliable Tex Mex, I think the Brits were sufficiently impressed, and we were all stuffed. We ended up hanging around on the patio playing card games (thanks Cebu Pacific!) for the rest of the afternoon. I'm talking five hours!!!
We went to Manila, and all we saw was Chili's
After our long lunch, I made a stop at Pinkberry (we don't even have that in Singapore!) before heading back to the hotel for a quick rest. Dinner was a fast casual Mexican place before heading out on the town for the night!!
Good times with good friends!! It would have been even better if I had not left my iPad on the plane!!!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Things I Am Missing Lately
Not too long ago, I shared some things that I have been loving lately. Now let's talk about things I am missing lately.
Space - I miss space. Personal space, closet space, space in the office, space in restaurants, space in elevators.
Space - I miss space. Personal space, closet space, space in the office, space in restaurants, space in elevators.
Exercise - I've been pretty busy lately, so I have slacked off on both yoga and running for a while now. It is wreaking havoc on me. I need to get back on the wagon! Hopefully, I get a small lull after this weekend, so I should be able to start getting back to it!
Game of Thrones - So the Red Wedding finally aired in the US. I'm in the middle of book four right now, but I haven't made much progress since I went to South Africa. I want to make sure that I stay well ahead of the television show, so I'm wanting to get some reading done on the way to and from Manila!
Summer foods - Since it is basically the same season all year round, I pretty much have the same foods all year. I was hoping that food would get cheaper as it comes in season, but apparently that concept doesn't exist here. Blueberries are still way too much money. Besides those, I'm missing summer tomatos, grilled corn on the cob, summer squash, and cookouts. Sigh.
Checking in
Hi friends - sorry for the lack of posts, but it has been a crazy week. I'm heading off to Manila on Friday, and I have barely recovered from having friends in town last weekend! Life has been busy, but in a good way, so I don't mind :)
I don't have time for a full post today, but I just wanted to pop in and say hello and share a few pictures. Below you'll find my fancy ride to a fancy lunch, the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel, sunset OECD the infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands, and Gardens by the Bay at night. Hope you all are having a great week!
I don't have time for a full post today, but I just wanted to pop in and say hello and share a few pictures. Below you'll find my fancy ride to a fancy lunch, the Long Bar at Raffles Hotel, sunset OECD the infinity pool at Marina Bay Sands, and Gardens by the Bay at night. Hope you all are having a great week!
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