Actually, I don't hate long division - I used to do super big problems in school because I was bored. But today I had to teach long division to one of my little charges, and next week the other will catch up in the math homework, so I will have to teach him as well. I was so exhausted after getting him through four problems on his own that I took a really long nap. Think sometime how exactly you would attempt to explain to a 9-year old that you must place the answer on top, but the answer to the multiplication part goes below, then you have to subtract, then drop the next one and divide again - seriously, not fun.
Tonight we went out to the beach for dinner, and there was an absolutely fantastic sand castle there. I forgot my camera, so I couldn't get a picture of it. Anyway, I'm sure we'll go back. It was pretty cheap and delicious, and one of their father's favorite spots. I had to pay for my own drink though. He ordered three lime juices without asking me what I wanted. I don't like lime juice, and I really don't like what passes for lime juice at most outdoor food centers here in Singapore. I used this opportunity to teach the boys a lesson - never order for anyone else unless you know them well enough to know what they would like to eat/drink. Seriously, what is it with men wanting to order your food for you?
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Another day in tropical paradise
Today I went to church, as I usually do on Sundays, but I was running late this morning so by the time I got to the cathedral, I had to stand outside. Standing outside is no small sacrifice - there are no fans outside, and no shade. About halfway through the homily, which is generally between 20-30 minutes into the mass, I started getting dizzy and light-headed and nearly passed out.
Clearly, whoever decided that palm trees equal paradise didn't spend very much time standing outside in the heat. I took a shower as soon as I got home just so I could feel somewhat decent again.
Last night, I had the great pleasure to attend a live Cantonese opera, The Scholar and the Maid. It didn't even cost very much. Anyway, it was absolutely fantastic. I loved the music, the costumes, the dancing - even the singing, which can be a little overwhelming at times. The company that did it provided Chinese (Mandarin) and English subtitles, and some of the translations were hilarious because they used the very proper Latin-derived word instead of the words normal people would use. My favorite line was, "I love your petite lips and your charismatic glance." The story was about as stupid as any other opera/musical comedic love story, but it was brilliantly done, and a great pleasure to watch.
Clearly, whoever decided that palm trees equal paradise didn't spend very much time standing outside in the heat. I took a shower as soon as I got home just so I could feel somewhat decent again.
Last night, I had the great pleasure to attend a live Cantonese opera, The Scholar and the Maid. It didn't even cost very much. Anyway, it was absolutely fantastic. I loved the music, the costumes, the dancing - even the singing, which can be a little overwhelming at times. The company that did it provided Chinese (Mandarin) and English subtitles, and some of the translations were hilarious because they used the very proper Latin-derived word instead of the words normal people would use. My favorite line was, "I love your petite lips and your charismatic glance." The story was about as stupid as any other opera/musical comedic love story, but it was brilliantly done, and a great pleasure to watch.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
The Mountain
My mom took this picture from the ferry dock a few minutes away from her house. I always loved growing up so close to such a beautiful, breathtaking mountain. I hope I can visit when I go back, there wasn't time in June. I wish Kitsap weren't so empty of decent job opportunities - other than working for the government - because it really has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth.
And... it was hot today
Today began with finishing the second Lord of the Rings movie and ended with the third movie. And thus is the trilogy at an end after three days. I liked how Peter Jackson passed off Eowyn to Faramir, though - I don't remember that being in the book.
I mailed my one and only purchase off today to my UK buyer. She's apparently wearing them to a tearoom party for a design thingy. Sounds fascinating! Anyway, I really, really hope they fit. Gloves can be tricky. The unfortunate part about mailing anything here is that I didn't see a single mailbox. So, we had to track down a post office - which is easier said than done.
The post office is really weird, as it is in nearly every other country. Okay, so maybe the US Postal system is the weird one. Anyway, in Austria, the Post was a bank, it developed film, you could buy piles of stuff there, all in addition to being a post office. Here, the post does all this, and offers loans. There were ads for Singapore Post realty loans. Rather odd, if you ask me. But then, airmail costs were about half what it costs in the US, and regular stamps are cheaper too. Perhaps if the USPS got into the real estate business, they wouldn't have to keep raising the cost of the mail every year. I couldn't believe it when it cost 41 cents to mail a letter! Since when is it 41 cents? Last I checked, it was 39 cents, which still seems like highway robbery to me.
Tomorrow is Friday, and I have no plans. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I'm certainly not going to sit rusticating in this eensy weensy apartment like I did last Friday night (well, we watched the Corpse Bride, which is a good movie). I'm very much looking forward to Saturday night, though - I've been wanting to watch a real Chinese opera since I saw it on film during my World Music course. That and Japanese Kabuki, but I'm in Singapore right now, so I'll take what I can get. Oddly enough, I got to see a qin being played live (a Chinese stringed instrument similar to a hammered dulcimer) in Great Falls, Montana, of all places.
But, the overarching theme of every day is the heat. As soon as I step outside, it assails me. When we forget to turn back on the AC, it slowly heats the apartment. Sweat is a fact of life. And I really, really hate having to put on sunscreen so often. I will be SO happy to get back to the land of rain and rainclouds. But for now, I will enjoy my little adventure.
I mailed my one and only purchase off today to my UK buyer. She's apparently wearing them to a tearoom party for a design thingy. Sounds fascinating! Anyway, I really, really hope they fit. Gloves can be tricky. The unfortunate part about mailing anything here is that I didn't see a single mailbox. So, we had to track down a post office - which is easier said than done.
The post office is really weird, as it is in nearly every other country. Okay, so maybe the US Postal system is the weird one. Anyway, in Austria, the Post was a bank, it developed film, you could buy piles of stuff there, all in addition to being a post office. Here, the post does all this, and offers loans. There were ads for Singapore Post realty loans. Rather odd, if you ask me. But then, airmail costs were about half what it costs in the US, and regular stamps are cheaper too. Perhaps if the USPS got into the real estate business, they wouldn't have to keep raising the cost of the mail every year. I couldn't believe it when it cost 41 cents to mail a letter! Since when is it 41 cents? Last I checked, it was 39 cents, which still seems like highway robbery to me.
Tomorrow is Friday, and I have no plans. I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I'm certainly not going to sit rusticating in this eensy weensy apartment like I did last Friday night (well, we watched the Corpse Bride, which is a good movie). I'm very much looking forward to Saturday night, though - I've been wanting to watch a real Chinese opera since I saw it on film during my World Music course. That and Japanese Kabuki, but I'm in Singapore right now, so I'll take what I can get. Oddly enough, I got to see a qin being played live (a Chinese stringed instrument similar to a hammered dulcimer) in Great Falls, Montana, of all places.
But, the overarching theme of every day is the heat. As soon as I step outside, it assails me. When we forget to turn back on the AC, it slowly heats the apartment. Sweat is a fact of life. And I really, really hate having to put on sunscreen so often. I will be SO happy to get back to the land of rain and rainclouds. But for now, I will enjoy my little adventure.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Today's list
Things done today:
- Supervised boys' Kumon work - not as much fun as it sounds. As it doesn't sound like any fun either, one can imagine how it feels to be asked for help dividing 55 by 9 for the millionth time. The most annoying part is walking one through 55 divided by 9, then getting asked for help on 56 divided by 9.
- Went to Chinatown. It is a wallet sucking area - I'm not going to go back to that particular part until I leave, IF I have any money left to spend. There's some gorgeous silk pillowcases that would be lovely on a nice couch. If I had one.
- Made dinner - half was leftovers from last night, the other half was salad and some spinach spaghetti I made. I made it with alfredo sauce - but there is no flour or cornstarch where I am, so I mashed Cheerios for a sauce thickener instead. Be resourceful!
- Watched over half of Lord of the Rings: the Two Towers (Special Extended Edition). I kept wondering why I was seeing parts of the movie that I didn't remember from when I saw it in the theater, then realized it was the special extended version. Oops.
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Fourth of July Celebration
According to the US presence in Singapore, yesterday, June 30, was the 4th of July. For those who know me, you know I don't really go in for most of the "America is so great!" stuff that most of us were fed since we were kids. Yes, I live in a reasonably nice country. Yes, I have a reasonably nice life. But somehow celebrating the fact that I have plenty and others don't is rather stupid to me. Kind of like when your mom used to say, "Clean your plate! There are starving kids in Africa!" and you'd think, "So? I'M not a starving kid in Africa, and I don't WANT to eat these vegetables!"
Anyway, I do sincerely enjoy Independence Day celebrations, especially the bad food and fireworks. I kept the bad food to a minimum - had root beer, a corn dog and corn on the cob - but the fireworks were quite nice. A little too short of a show, but nice. The best part of it was how close they were. A. kept collecting bits of the cardboard shells and I got bonked on the head with bits of firework debris on multiple occasions.
Today I went to St. Andrew's Cathedral for service, as I was under the impression that it was a Catholic church. In actuality, it's Anglican. My first clue was when half the words to the prayers were from a different translation, but what really convinced me I wasn't in a Catholic church is when the visiting speaker mentioned his wife and granddaughter. Last I checked, that wasn't allowed. Nice church, though, and a fun praise band. Next week, I'll check out the actual Catholic church, which is across from an old convent. The convent has now been turned into shops and restaurants and bars. Kind of ironic.
Today I went exploring in Singapore, as Sunday seems to be a good day for me to have off for all of us. I went to Orchard Rd, the shopping artery through the "old" part of Singapore (there's maybe two or three old buildings left, all the rest are new high rises), and bought some nice stuff. I'm most pleased with my new silk pillow covers. Very classy, very simple yet elegant design. And they were cheap! Then I spent lots of time reading a book seated in the courtyard at the Raffles hotel. It's still a hotel, but it also has a gift shop, a Tiffany's and some other stuff. The main thing I learned today is that Singapore is, by and large, a shopping tourists haven. Not much else happening here other than the nature preserves and zoo, which I also intend to visit.
Side note: I have seen MANY, MANY mixed couples with a white dude and an Asian (here meaning anywhere in Asia plus the Indian subcontinent) woman. I saw so many, in fact, that I began to wonder why I saw no white women with an Asian dude. Today, I saw one such couple, and he looked half Indian, half white. There were lots of single white women walking around, though. I have a couple hypotheses as to why this is:
Anyway, I do sincerely enjoy Independence Day celebrations, especially the bad food and fireworks. I kept the bad food to a minimum - had root beer, a corn dog and corn on the cob - but the fireworks were quite nice. A little too short of a show, but nice. The best part of it was how close they were. A. kept collecting bits of the cardboard shells and I got bonked on the head with bits of firework debris on multiple occasions.
Today I went to St. Andrew's Cathedral for service, as I was under the impression that it was a Catholic church. In actuality, it's Anglican. My first clue was when half the words to the prayers were from a different translation, but what really convinced me I wasn't in a Catholic church is when the visiting speaker mentioned his wife and granddaughter. Last I checked, that wasn't allowed. Nice church, though, and a fun praise band. Next week, I'll check out the actual Catholic church, which is across from an old convent. The convent has now been turned into shops and restaurants and bars. Kind of ironic.
Today I went exploring in Singapore, as Sunday seems to be a good day for me to have off for all of us. I went to Orchard Rd, the shopping artery through the "old" part of Singapore (there's maybe two or three old buildings left, all the rest are new high rises), and bought some nice stuff. I'm most pleased with my new silk pillow covers. Very classy, very simple yet elegant design. And they were cheap! Then I spent lots of time reading a book seated in the courtyard at the Raffles hotel. It's still a hotel, but it also has a gift shop, a Tiffany's and some other stuff. The main thing I learned today is that Singapore is, by and large, a shopping tourists haven. Not much else happening here other than the nature preserves and zoo, which I also intend to visit.
Side note: I have seen MANY, MANY mixed couples with a white dude and an Asian (here meaning anywhere in Asia plus the Indian subcontinent) woman. I saw so many, in fact, that I began to wonder why I saw no white women with an Asian dude. Today, I saw one such couple, and he looked half Indian, half white. There were lots of single white women walking around, though. I have a couple hypotheses as to why this is:
- there are more male expats than female expats, so men turn to local populations of women rather than fight for the limited quantity available of "their own kind"
- women are more capable of being alone for long periods of time than are men and thus do not feel this need to turn to the local populations
- women are more racist in their choice of partner/men are more sexist in their choice of partner - I'm going for hamburger B, having heard enough comments about Western women not acting like "real" women
- women care more about scent - meaning the Asian women will probably smell fine to the Western man, but the Asian man may not smell so great to the Western woman. Here, I am referring mostly to laborers, but this was true even of nicely dressed men in Myanmar. They ALL smelled. A lot.
- I just haven't been searching in the right places
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