Home, sweet home!

I made it! I'm officially living in Singapore ... well, maybe not "officially" - there's a ton of red tape and paperwork. Thanks to all those who have a role in making it happen :) I'll skip all the boring details about the journey except to tell you that it was a 3 hour flight to Dallas from Fort Myers, followed by a 3 1/2 hour flight to Los Angeles, which was a warm-up for the 18 hour flight to Singapore - during which I only bothered the people sitting next to me ONE time to use the lavatory. Obviously, I wasn't drinking.

The picture above is the view from my living room out to my balcony. I'm living in the central district of Singapore, which is within a few kilometers (yep - I'm acclimating) of nearly anyplace you would see in touristy pics of Singapore. It's unbelievable and very surreal. I'm still pinching myself.

I landed in Singapore on January 26th, and I'm living out of my checked bags because my belongings haven't arrived yet. The air shipment should be here within a week or two, but the "slow cargo boat" shipment may take months. I'm really wondering why I packed so much. (My Douglas will laugh at this when he actually could be saying, "I told you!") When you initially realize that you are literally moving to the other side of the world, you want all your possessions with you! That's the only way I can explain it. Then, you realize it's a small world and only a couple plane rides back home ... and you stop hyperventilating and realize you don't really need 40 pairs of shoes for a 3 year stint. Too late.

The jetlag was interesting. I thought I was doing just fine. "Just a little tired" is what I told myself, but then I discovered things happened that I couldn't remember later lol. It's like living in a fog for a few days. For instance, apparently on the 27th, I ventured out to have breakfast at a Kopitiam (traditional coffee shop). I've been watching YouTube videos of food experiences in Singapore for 6 months, and I wanted to try the Kopi and Kaya toast breakfast, which consists of coffee, toast with slabs of butter and coconut jam, and super-runny poached eggs. I guess I accomplished my goal because I have a pic! I'll bet it was good *hahahaha* You really have to see this link to understand the complexity of coffee in Singapore How to Order Kopi - angmohdan.com.

Huge hugs and gratitude to my guardian angels, Carlos and Beth, for making my new nest so comfy for my arrival. I walked in to find a bottle of wine, a SIM card and router for internet, and a nicely-made bed waiting for me. This warm welcome is soooo greatly appreciated!

The major headache is getting the technology all set up. Singapore requires that you have a country-issued ID (which combines your passport, visa, and vaccination info) before you can sign up for a cell with local phone number, a wifi plan, and a bank account. You need a local phone number to sign up for nearly everything - like a taxi or the Uber-like "Grab" service. It's kind of a catch 22, but it's a lesson in patience ... and I'm surviving. It's making me realize how quickly we fly through Gigs of data when I have to run down to 7-Eleven to top off my data card every few days. This is why I have been falling behind on communications - and no more Netflix until I get my own wifi plan *sighs*.

Stay tuned for my adventures to China Town and Little India! In parting, here's the same view from my living room at night ... sweet dreams :) Kim aka BohemianYooper