Singapore Snippets - June 4th

Since Kristin puts small snippets on Facebook for people to read, I will try and copy the most interesting ones to this blog. So, here are a few from the week of June 4th (our first full week in Singapore).

Singapore 101: The Return Policy. So, we pop into a reputable little electronics shop in Holland Village to purchase a few necessities.. It takes all of 20 min to shop, as in each category there were like, 2 choices: Coffee maker? "Yes, 4-cup or 8-cup?" That's it. You take the one or the other, never mind what brand it is, since there's only one choice on the shelf. And, if it doesn't work, can we return it? "Yes, but we'll check to make sure it doesn't work." So, can we return it if we don't like it? "Yes," says the lady as she walks away, "...but NO refund!" Ain't no Walmart, people. :)

Singapore 101: The Men's Hair Salon. Dashing into a mall to find shelter from a torrential downpour, we stumbled upon a men's hair salon. Since it had been, like, 10 days since his last haircut, Aaron was game to try. Insert SD$10 into a slot, get a receipt, have a seat at a stylist's chair, and succumb to 20 min of perfectionistic clipping/scissoring. The grand finale?.....a thorough vacuuming of the head. Genius. :)



Must.give.up.being.a.TP.snob......sigh. :/ (FYI: SD$1=US$.80. You do the math).



First ride on the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport system)! These girls have been game for the adventure, and this was no exception. Swiping cards, riding long escalators into the depths of the earth, boarding a fast train, and hanging on are all part of the fun! :)



Car shopping! Sadly, I *had* to choose a practical minivan-type car (Toyota Picnic, to be exact), but sure was fun to sit in and dream about a little Mini! :)



Singapore 101: They have Vacation Bible School, too! One of the advantages of being in a very international/modern city is that you can find churches that offer many of the same programs as in the States. Our little adventurer signed on for one week of VBS at the church around the corner and had an absolute blast learning about Jesus along with 330 other children (33 of whom committed their lives to Christ during the week--wow!).



Singapore 101: the Allure of the Fair-Haired Child. If we thought Little Miss J had diva-esque qualities before, they are only bound to be exacerbated here, as she has achieved ROCK STAR status! In a sea of black hair and brown eyes, her humidity-induced golden ringlets, pronounced dimples, and blue eyes are producing squeals of delight, impromptu conversations, stroking of the hair, and yes, Katie Ryan Carey, requests to have their picture taken with her. Wild. :) Let's hope it doesn't all go to her head.



Singapore 101: Operating the Stovetop. The girls wanted Mac 'n Cheese for lunch, so I decided to give this gas stovetop a whirl. The first step? Pressing a little red "heat" button on the wall that ignites the PROPANE TANKS which sit IN THE CABINET below said stovetop. Those with young children, are you having heart palpitations?....that's what I thought! :)



Singapore 101: Hometown Favorites have Local Flair. Believe it or not, we can FIND a number of American standards (e.g. KFC, McDonalds, Starbucks, Pizza Hut, etc--which, incidentally, can all be delivered to your house by a driver on a zippy little moped :))...however, they all come with their own local infusion of cuisine. How about a "filet o' shrimp" at McD's? A "milk tea" at Starbucks? An "ocean catch" pizza (complete w/ squid) at Pizza Hut? Or, in this case, a dessert of "Egg Tarts" at KFC? Actually quite a tasty little flan-type custard in flaky phllyo pastry. Always fun!! Mmmmm....:) — with Aaron Campbell.