Men With Long Fingernails: By Caleb

So I have been noticing many men with long nails on their little finger. 

Obviously that is considered strange in our culture so I did some research.

 It turns out that it signifies wealth and the man with a long pinkie nail has a high status.

This also means that they don't do physical labor, as the nails would be easily broken if you did physical labor with that long of a nail.

According to many web sites, some people use it to pick their nose or their ears. 

The personal hygiene standards are a little different here than in the U.S. 

Many people stink (a lot) and most don't use deodorant this is especially noticeable on the bus and MRT where you have to reach up to hang on to the handle when standing.

No Green Hats

Well we have graduated from learning numbers, just 1-10 mind you, to learning the primary colors in our Mandarin lessons. As with numbers the Chinese culture has beliefs about certain colors.

Let's start with the color red, we are seeing it everywhere in Singapore right now.  The entrance to the car park is framed with a red cloth, there are red lanterns, red tassels, red paper and the infamous red packets all very present during the Chinese New Year time.

Caleb's instructor told him that it was believed that on the Lunar New Years Eve a hungry ghost would arise and eat many people.  Those who had red around their doors lived another year because the ghost was afraid of red and would avoid those homes.

 Does this not sound extremely similar to the Pass Over of the Death Angle in Egypt.  The Israelites were told to paint their door posts with the red blood of the sacrificial lamb and the Angle of Death would pass over them and their sons would live.  Of course I am paraphrasing here but there is a striking resemblance in these two stories.

After doing some research on line we found that :

For Chinese, the color red is considered as a symbol of integrity. Ancient Chinese believe red color can exorcise ghosts and drive away misfortune. So red lanterns, red candles and other red decorations are common on formal occasions. People also write on red paper and then paste it on their doors to express their best wishes on every New Year's Eve. Until the early days of the last century, red is still widely used in Chinese wedding ceremonies. Above all, the colour red is part of the Chinese traditional culture.

It is tradition to give little red envelopes with some money in it for Chinese New Year to children and service workers.  Here are som of the envelopes for 2011, the year of the Rabbit.

Randi's instructor did not really know why red was so important but said that the color red indicates everything that is good, good feelings, good luck, good health etc...

 

We also have been told that it is considered lucky to receive mandarin oranges around the time of the Lunar New Year.  The instructor pointed out that the Mandarin word for orange is similar to the Mandarin word for lucky so they like oranges because they are lucky.  Now if you couple this with what we have learned about numbers we know that you should give 2 oranges because it is lucky but definitely not 4 oranges because 4 is considered a very unlucky number.

 

Now for the color green, there is nothing wrong with the color green and there is nothing lucky with the color green but you will never, never, never find a green hat in a Chinese store.  There is a saying in the Chinese culture that goes like this: "that man is wearing a green hat" the meaning of this phrase is "that man's wife is cheating on him".  It is good for our family to know this, coming from WI we could maybe give a Green Bay Packers hat to one of Scott's co-workers.  They would graciously accept the gift but they would never wear the hat.  By the way you can wear a green tie, green shirt, green socks etc... just NOT a green hat.

 

China Town

The Streets of China Town are all a buzz with activity right now.  There are over 600 special booths set up selling items to prepare for Chinese New Year.

So of course our family had to go down to China Town and check it out.

The year 2011 is the year of the rabbit and we will post a whole blog on the year of the rabbit but for now, we enjoyed all of the decorations in the streets to welcome in the "prosperous" new year.

There is a high level of energy in China Town and we certainly had fun shopping, there are a lot of good deals to be had in China Town and you can bargain them down in price. 

We also enjoyed some street entertainers.

It really is amazing the amount of people, the cheerful environment and the mass quantity of decorations, Chinese New Year is a really, really big deal in Singapore.

We walked and shopped and then we were ready for some dinner but just where do you eat? 

We came across a "Steam Boat" restaurant and decided that it would be a fun experience for our family.

You order what you want, your protein, vegetables and starch, you are charged per person and not for the amount you order.  They bring the food out to your table raw

and then you cook it in this big pot of boiling broth that is in the center of your table, there are two broths, one is spicy the other bland.

Oh it was so good, we will definitely go there again. 

After we fueled up we were ready to go back out and do some more exploring, there is always something interesting to see, like this meat stall for example.

Uh, yes, those are precooked ducks just waiting to go home with you.  We did not bring one home.

They have a lot of different roadside cooking stalls, this is some soup you can choose to eat, we did not choose to eat it.

Like in many areas of Singapore there are many different temples here are two that we saw today.

Calligraphy is big in China Town, here are some brushes you can buy.

We did actually stop at a calligraphy booth and the boys got their names done in the Chinese characters.

By the time we were done we were exhausted but we really had a great time, it was not too hot, the food was good and the entertainment was entertaining. 

If you come to visit, China Town is a must on the list of things to do while in Singapore.

Hawker Centers

Our family eats at a Hawker Center an average of 3-5 times a week this is the Singapore way.

  Hawker Centers are like a food court in the U.S. but instead of "chain restaurant stalls" Hawker Centers consist of little Mom and Pop stalls with frequently the whole family working the stall, this means there is a lot of variety in the quality and taste of the food.  Chicken Rice, the Singapore national dish does not taste the same at any two stalls as each cook has their own special way of making it.  We each now have some favorite stalls at the various centers.

We have enjoyed our local Hawker Centers, there are three that we frequent, Adam Road, Empress Market, and Holland Village.

 Tonight we decided to go to the Newton Circus Food Center which is listed in the guide book we have as one of the top five Hawker Centers you must try while in Singapore.  So we boarded the 48 bus and off we went.

Hawker Centers are usually open to air, most have some roof sheltering you can go under with some fans blowing but really it is an outdoor eating experience. There are many tables and sometimes it is packed so it is important to secure your table prior to finding your food. 

We get our table as a family and secure it by placing a pack of tissues on the table.  Each table has a number on it, we had table 209, when you order your food at the stall, you tell them your table number and then they will deliver your food to your table, you pay them cash upon delivery.

We have found that the easiest thing to do is to just give everyone money and let the boys go off to find their food and meet us back at the table.  We also have found that many times we can share food.  For example tonight we got a whole plate of cockles for just $3.50.

Everyone shared the cockles except for Randi who really, really does not like rubbery food, so Caleb and Randi shared some lemon chicken, Keegan got some chicken satay with spicy peanut sauce and Scott had some fried rice.

Caleb enjoyed eating the cockles, he really has become adventurous in his eating while in Singapore.

After tasting the fare it was unanimous that we all prefer our local Hawker Centers, the food is better it is cheaper and we are making friends with the stall owners of which we frequent.  A few nights back Scott and I went out to pick up some food to bring home for the boys, the juice stall guy specifically asked where his friend, my son, he was so sad that we left the boys at home.  The next time we came in, he told them that they were missed.

A Number of Things About Numbers

I had my second Mandarin class tonight and the instructor was trying to teach me how to count to ten, in addition she was teaching me about numbers and how the Chinese think about them.

The number 8 is  considered to be a very lucky number because the word used for 8 (ba) sounds like (fa) and fa means fortune so therefore 8 is very lucky.  This means that if you want a phone number with a lot of 8's in it you will have to pay more.  Apartments on the 8th floor cost more because living on that floor is lucky.  Many people got married on Aug 8 2008 because it was 8/8/08 and that is a very very lucky day.

In contrast the number 4 is not liked at all, the word for 4 si is the same word si but a different tone as the word for death si.  Many buildings do not even have a 4th floor.  The floors are numbered, 1,2,3,5 etc... if you get a phone number with many 4's in it it is cheaper than your average phone number.  You would never want to give a Chinese person 4 of something like 4 oranges but 8 would be a very good gift indeed.

The number 9 is also a good number as it depicts longevity and it is the highest single number.  Sept 9th is a holiday celebrating senior citizens because it is a day of longevity.  Many choose to get married on Sept 9 because your marriage will last if you wed on that day.

Even numbers are more lucky than odd so you can give someone two pieces of candy but not one, or three and definitely not four.  And yes, they do pay attention to the number of items in the gift, the number of children one has, the numbers on the car plate, phone number, address etc.....

It's Official

Well it is bound to happen, you go into a new culture knowing that everything will be different and you are bound and determined to fly through and be positive.

  Then it hits you, culture shock

 There are many stages of culture shock, one being the "honeymoon stage" this is where everything is great and exciting and you just want to know and experience more each day.  It goes with out saying that the honeymoon stage of culture shock is relatively painless and even fun.

Following the honeymoon is the, well I don't really remember the official term for it but basically the honeymoon is over and you really don't like being in your new land.  Little things frustrate you and basic living skills seem way harder than what you know they should be.

This "the honeymoon is over" is the stage we have been stuck in for a while now.  It is very interesting to me the psychological game you can play with this culture shock.  I personally have just been telling myself that it is OK, it will get better, this is to be expected, it is only temporary. 

We can try to ignore these feelings of frustration we have but yet they just keep creeping up on us as we naturally resist the ultimate change that has occurred in our lives. 

For our family we now are flipping back and forth between the stages of culture shock and sometimes we love it and hate it all in the same five minutes of a day.  One can start to think they are going crazy but really it is all about how we as humans adapt to our new environments.

We find it very helpful to connect with each other, talk about what we are experiencing and feeling and then pray together as a family.  We really are blessed to have Internet, to connect with family and friends.  It is amazing how things happen just when we need them.  God is so gracious to us in the timing of things.

This has been a hard week and yesterday was particularly hard then I got a great e-mail from my sister and  today, the boys got a call this morning from dear friends asking them to skype, a few moments later my Mom called just to talk and later today we got an awesome care package from Scott's sister "just because". 

These things may seem small but to us they are HUGE. Thank you for being there for our family.

Singapore Zoo

Singapore has a really nice zoo.  We are grateful to have a membership so we can enjoy ourselves and not feel like we have to see it all in one day.

 One of the things we find really fun about the zoo is that the monkeys are just running around, no cage, just out in the open jumping from tree to tree, climbing on signs and in general causing a ruckus.

We find that the locals think monkeys are a nuisance a bit like we would see squirrels or raccoons in the U.S.  but we think they are cool and have enjoyed viewing them in several natural settings while being here.

The plant life in Singapore is consistently amazing.  So of course along the paths at the zoo there are many different forms of botany to take in and enjoy.  This one looks like a beaded necklace, the birds were liking it too.

I think I need to find an app for my I phone so I can identify these things on the spot as I have not idea what they are called.

We are finding the weather to be quite pleasant right now and have been able to enjoy the outdoors much more than when we first arrived, I am sure we are getting use to the humidity in addition to it being a few degrees cooler at this time of year.  The temperature never varies much in Singapore, just a few degrees but a few degrees can make a big difference.

Kung Fu Snails By: Caleb

Hi, it's Caleb again.

  I have always liked pets.  We haven't had many pets in the past (one fish and Summit our dog) but I wanted one while we live in Singapore.  Well, more like four. 

At first I wanted to catch some geckos but as they eat bugs, feeding them would be a problem.  Here at our apartment complex there are plenty of snails that crawl the paths at night after it rains.

 So after doing some research I bought a cage, some cuttle fish bones (for calcium), and used a piece of bamboo that I found on the coast of Malaysia, in order to make a snail appropriate home.

Four snails now inhabit the snail home. 

 First off we have Houdini.  He is the baby of the group.  He was the first one that I Caught.  As his name implies, he likes to escape so caching him was very tricky as he consistently got of the lid I was using to catch him.  He also likes to hide.  He is the fastest one of the four.

Next we have Snacky Chan. He is all over food.  As soon as he got to his new home he went to the food, some small pieces of organic apple and turtle pellets.  When he is not eating he is sleeping in small cozy corners.

Here is a picture of.... Arnold Snailzenegger.  Yes, he has muscles.  Yes, he is big.  No, he does not carry a sub-machine gun (it IS Singapore you know).  He is the largest one of the four, and when he wants to go somewhere, he's going somewhere.  Just try and stop him.

Finally there is Ninja.  He is the most mysterious one of them all.  He is darker than the others (almost black).  Not as curious as the others.  While the others are sleeping on the ground, he is hanging from the ceiling upside-down.  He always sleeps with one eye open.  Seriously.  While the others sleep with their eyes pulled inwards, he has one in one out.  It's awesome.

So who says you can't have pets in a high rise apartment in Singapore.

Roof Top Garden

When Scott and I came to Singapore in September 2010 to search for a place for our family to live we really liked the apartment we are currently in.  One of the things we liked most about this particular apartment was the roof top garden.  In a city as densely populated as Singapore the ability to be outside and have some privacy is a privilege.

Our roof top garden is truly turning into a garden.  We have been searching for some plants and small trees to put out on our "balcony" and have found some good deals.  We do not want to invest a lot in things while we are in Singapore because we are only here for two years and honestly we are enjoying the simplicity, however, I have gardening in the blood, my Grandfather is a tremendous gardener as is my mother and in the last two years I have found that I really do enjoy gardening. 

Here are some photos of our roof top garden:

We were able to bring out patio table with us from Wisconsin and are very glad we did as we do not want to purchase patio furniture while here.

I was also able to bring the stained glass stepping stone my made with us.

We just recently bought a mandarin orange tree, right now the oranges are really bitter so we will wait a bit, I do hope we will be able to eat them.

I tried to focus on plants that could be useful to our family I was thrilled to find organic top soil and compost at the nursery close to our apartment so I have started a pot herb garden.

right now we have dill, thyme, basil, oregano, chervil and rosemary.  We also purchased a hot pepper plant.

and a lime tree, we can use these limes they are small but very potent.

We really enjoy sitting out here now when it is not too sunny out otherwise you will simply bake.

And it rains enough here so I really do not have to do much watering, in fact I think my basil is currently over watered so I may have to move it.

We have seeds for tomatoes, cilantro, and red bell peppers that I will be trying to start inside and then doing a Square Foot Gardening container method of growing them.  Ahhh it was so nice to be digging in the dirt again.

Terminology Difference

Words are important and carry a power in their meaning.  When you live in a different culture you realize that the words you use are not the same words used by all to say the same thing.

I first experienced this in 6th grade in Washington D.C. on the "Safety Patrol" trip.  We were at  a building and I was very thirsty, I asked a business woman where the water fountain was and she looked at me puzzled and pointed to the big fountain in front of the building.  I said to her "no, a drinking fountain" then she started to laugh and said "oh you mean the bubblier".  On a different occasion I was in FL and wanted to buy a raft to float on in the pool we stopped at K-Mart and I asked where the rafts were... they had no clue what I was talking about and then in dawned on them "oh you mean a floaty". 

We are coming upon some differences in terminology while here in Singapore.  People do not stand in line, they "Que" you will hear "the Que is long", and see signs "please Que here", or "kindly Que".  Let me tell you people Que for everything here.  When we had our cultural training class before moving to Singapore our teacher told us about a time that he went up to a lady who was in a really long Que and asked her what she was quing for.  She had no idea what the Que was for but felt that it must be for something good if all of these people are in it she was standing in it in order to not miss out.

One does not get out of a car or off a bus, you alight.  During one of our taxi rides right after we moved here the driver asked me where I would like to alight.  I had no clue what he was talking about.

When ordering food you do not order it "to go" you order it "take away", your meal at MC Donald's is not "super sized" it is "topped up" and you "top up" your gas card etc... you do not rent a DVD, you hire a DVD.  It is not your cell phone, it is your hand phone, although on this one I have heard people say cell phone also.

So we learn more each day and as we Que we are able to communicate better to those around us.

Oh, when someone buzzes our apartment if I answer "hello" they just say "hello" back, I have to answer "yes?" then they tell me who they are to get into the apartment.  The first day we were here I said "hello" and they answered "hello" and I said "hello" and this went on for about three times.  Now we know.

The Quest For Popcorn

We really like popcorn, it is one of our families favorite snacks, I make it in coconut oil and have a recipe that pops perfect every time.

When we moved to Singapore we quickly realized that they don't really eat popcorn here, you can get it in the movie theaters but not really anywhere else.  We did finally find some microwave popcorn in one of the expensive stores that has imported items but we really don't like microwave popcorn and it was expensive, we bought a box anyway just so we could have a treat.  Much to our dismay when we opened the box we realized that the oil leaked out of the bag probably due to humidity and so we had to throw out one of the three bags that was in the box.  The box said it was butter flavored popcorn but when we popped it up it clearly had sugar on it so we really did not care for it.

When we moved to Singapore we did not have any pans with us so we bought some from Ikea, the soup pan really is not very big so it would be hard to make popcorn in that pan.  Larger pans with heavy bottoms on them are expensive, like $80.00 each so we asked my Mom to bring us a Whirly Pop when she comes in March. 

We stumbled upon actual popcorn kernels one day while grocery shopping, this got our mouths watering for our favorite snack so we decided to buy a lid for our wok so we could try making the popcorn in the wok after all the wok worked great to make our cookie dough.  We found wok lids at the Victoria Street Wholesale Centre but of course they had 2 sizes and we did not know how big the wok was so we got the bigger on which ended up being the wrong one.  Scott was able to bend out lid to make it fit but not seal.

This brings us to this morning.  I want some popcorn so I got all ready, put on our lid, and realized that we had to stand back because oil and popcorn were squirting out of the lid holes.  If you have to stand back from the pan, you can not shake the pan, thus your wok popcorn looks like this.

and the whole house stinks.  We were laughing at our pitiful sight so we posted this picture on facebook.  Our facebook friends came to the rescue, and suggested using a paper bag with some popcorn kernels in it in the microwave.

Singapore is not a big paper bag country.  Every grocery store we have been in has one bagging option.... plastic.  We happen to use cloth bags when we shop so we are not getting all those plastic bags in our house, just a few to use as garbage can liners.

I did happen to bring paper lunch bags with me so we were going to give the microwave option a try.  This is when I noticed smoke coming out of the garbage shoot.  We are on the 11th floor so if there is smoke coming out there must be something wrong.  Now mind you, our burnt popcorn was still sitting on the stove so we did not do the smoke causing activity.  When I opened the shoot door to check things out the smoke came pouring into our kitchen.

Immediately I told the boys we had to evacuate right now.  We grabbed my purse and phone and headed out the door down 11 flights of stairs.  Caleb ran ahead to tell the guard station that the garbage shoot was on fire.

When we got to the guard station we were told, "all is OK, we are fogging the rubbish bin for bugs".  Oh, that would have maybe been good to know ahead of time.  Then I noticed it, you could smell our burnt popcorn all the way down to the guard station due to my open windows.  When we got in the house we noticed that our kitchen was now filled with bug spray, not cool with this organic girl but there is nothing we can do about it.

Back up we went, in the elevator and we continued our popcorn making quest in the lunch bag.

it worked, however we blew a hole in the bag while it was popping so we had a small mess but the end of all of this is a great bowl of popcorn.