Expat adventures in Singapore

American expat in Singapore, recently relocated from London, writing about culture, travel, language and the comedies of expat life.

[allieuponthames]

Bali

I have to admit, ever since I watched Julia Roberts ride her bike through the rice paddies of Ubud in Eat, Pray, Love I have wanted to visit Bali.  We finally took a trip there in August with Craig's parents and it did not disappoint.  We stayed in Sanur on the Southeastern coast of Bali but also spent a day riding bikes (with Halo Bike Tour) through Ubud.  Both were beautiful in completely different ways.  I will let the photos tell the story (most of the good ones are courtesy of Craig's mom, Jackie as I forgot my DSLR!).  

[allieuponthames]

[allieuponthames]

Maybe it was the fact that one of my best friends from childhood currently lives here and was our tour guide…

Or that one of the tourist attractions involved taking a nap on a boat (Aqua Luna, do it)…

Or it could've been the Chinese restaurant we stumbled across that had a sunken fish bowl in the dinner table…

Or perhaps it was the 27 glasses of Veuve we drank at the free pour/dim sum brunch…

Or the stunning scenery from Victoria Peak and just about anywhere in Hong Kong…

Or the best hats ever purchased at Stanley Market, “OK LAH!”…

Whatever it was...

I. Loved. Hong. Kong. 

[allieuponthames]

Aqua Luna Boat Ride

Little Bao

Dim Sum Brunch at Duddell's

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#onlyinasia So apparently I've been whitening my armpits for the past six months. #whoops #reallydove? #expatproblems

[allieuponthames]

Excuse me, do you sell any tanning lotions?

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Props to the U.S. Embassy in Singapore, 24 hours later and I've got 48 new pages in my passport. Bali here I come!

[obnoxiousexpatsinsingapore]

Unknowingly being offered durian

[allieuponthames]

True story.

[allieuponthames]

Another sin tax increase...this place is really a wino's worst nightmare.

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Wise words.

[allieuponthames]

Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Responsible Tourism

Cambodia was one of the first places we’ve visited in Asia where I really became aware of this phrase.  Siem Reap was rich with ancient history, but whilst visiting the remarkable temples we were reminded of, and learned more about Cambodia’s recent tragic history.  From the landmine victims, to the bullet holes in Angkor Wat, and the endless street children, one cannot go to Cambodia without their heart breaking for the people. 

And yet, they were some of the nicest, happiest people I have met while traveling in Asia.  We laughed heartily with our guide, “Robinhood” and Tuk-Tuk driver Ratany, as they proudly showed us around Siem Reap.  Our tastebuds delighted when our waiter at The Chanrey Tree insisted we try his “favorite mango” after a discussion about mango season.  And we joked around with some of the savvy street children as they tried to hawk their goods.  When one of them asked us where we were from and we responded Singapore, he quickly dug out $1.20 SGD from his pocket and asked us if we would change it out for $1.00 USD.  The  U.S. dollar is king in Cambodia, and this little six year old even had the exchange rate pretty darn close. 

It’s hard not to engage with all the kids selling postcards, bracelets and other knick-knacks.  They are everywhere, sometimes with another, even younger sibling strapped to their back.  I found myself conflicted on whether or not to buy a few things from them.  Some say you are contributing to a vicious cycle of children working the streets rather than going to school.  However, will my refusal to give $1.00 change the whole system?  Probably not.  We did end up giving here and there, but after a few days in Cambodia I heard about other ways to give money more responsibly.

Every Saturday night there is a free concert at the Jayavarman VII children’s hospital in Siem Reap, given by one of the doctors, Dr. Beat Richner.  Older attendees are asked to donate money, younger attendees to donate blood, and those in the middle to donate both.  Dr. Richner has worked to build five hospitals in Cambodia, all providing treatment free of charge. 

Another organization we heard about was The Green Gecko Project.  It is an NGO that supports 70 children who were previously street children, providing meals and education among other things. One way to support the Green Gecko Project is by eating at the not-for-profit Siem Reap restaurant, The Green Star.   The food was cheap and cheerful, we had dinner and beers for under $15.00, and when we paid the bill we could add on as much as we liked to buy meals for the kids that were part of the project.

We loved our time in Cambodia, but I think my biggest take away was starting to understand what it means to be a responsible tourist and how to “give” responsibly in places that give us so much as tourists.

[allieuponthames]

“You only get homesick right before you go home.”

The words of my Dutch friend Patty could not be truer as I’m about six weeks from my first trip back to the states.  As soon as I booked my flight I immediately started thinking about being “home”.   Planning how I would see everyone, compiling lists of things to buy (try telling a petite Asian shop assistant that your cup size comes after the letter D in the alphabet), and other things I wanted to do (TARGET run).  Being a Chicagoan, many of these things were food related, in fact, one of my proudest moments as a wife was when Craig said, “Put the chili dog place on your list”.  Not even the Brit can resist the heart-attack-on-a-plate that is a Portillo’s chili dog and cheese fries. 

Unfortunately, the more we talk about going back and all the good pizza we will eat, the more homesick I get.  Luckily, I’ve found there are a couple of ways to combat those feelings or at least suppress them for another six weeks.

First, I turn to Facebook and Instagram.  This can initially backfire and just compound the homesickness as several thoughts start to cross my mind.

I miss wearing jeans without sweating.

Red wine next to a roaring fire, I’ll double tap that.

Remember when you could buy a decent bottle of red wine for under $15?

Look at all the snow!  So pretty!

I miss snow…

Then I remember that it is actually April, and still snowing in Chicago.  I forgot what month it was because it’s 88 and sunny here everyday.  Gradually starting to feel better…progress.

Next, I take a trip to Orchard Road or Sentosa.  Two places in Singapore that make me feel as if I’ve just touched down in the good old US of A.  Orchard Road is like Michigan Ave.--if every other store on Michigan Ave. was Prada and everyone was required to drive around in Maseratis.  I just have to imagine a few Green Peace hippies harassing me every few blocks and I could be back in Chicago.  Oh and look, there’s Garrett’s Popcorn.  (Really, there are several in Singapore.)

On to Sentosa, an island off the coast of Singapore that has been turned into a giant tourist attraction.  This place is a bit like Disney Land for adults.  Should we hit up the Wave Park, Universal Studios, the casino, or play beer pong on the beach?  Hmmm, why don’t we have lunch at Chili’s and contemplate our choices over a giant plate of queso dip.  Americaaaaa!

Finally, time to head home and call it a day, but if I’m still yearning for something American I fire up the VPN and watch an episode of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. Until of course Hulu does this: 

Damn you, Hulu!  Guess I will need to wait another six weeks for some hashtags with Jimmy Fallon.

[allieuponthames]

[allieuponthames]

One thing they didn't mention in this article is the 30 seconds it takes to get through passport control for Singapore residents. Makes me want to do a little dance every time!