Turtle Pets

Anna, Emily and Jenna thought it would be great for us to get a pet in Singapore.  Well, after we discussed the many pets we could or could not have ... we decided on turtles ... and small turtles.  So, last week, we bought one turtle for each girl, a turtle tank and some decorations ... and now we have 3 pets.  The girls have loved them, especially Emily.  Emily is the only one who will touch them.  We now have a lovely turtle aquarium, some entertainment ... and something to clean.

This is a lovely picture of the newly cleaned aquarium.  Notice, one turtle on the left top.

 This is the temporary turtle home while we clean the cage.  Emily and Jenna were making sure they didn't escape.

 Emily holding her turtle, "Survivor"

 Anna helping to clean the tank.

 A close up of their temporary home.

 Emily was so excited to hold the turtle, then she noticed that the turtle was holding her thumb.  She made me take a picture of it. 

 Turtle hiding under their bridge.  They seem to love the bridge.

Our Singapore Cars

Believe it or not, they let us drive over here. We purchased (sort of) a Toyota Picnic "minivan" and a Mazda 3, but a lovely silver. Purchase was a pretty easy process, with us actually never asking how much the cars cost. Not our first picks ... but since you can't really drive too far in Singapore, it really doesn't matter what you drive.

Toyota Picnic ... the Asian minivan to seat 8, although the back seat doesn't have much room.



Mazda 3 (zoom zoom)



This picture is to prove that the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. Driving takes some getting used to. Walking to the appropriate side of the car is strange as well. We laugh at ourselves a lot when we end up where we don't want to be.



Two important tools we can't live without. The first item (top right) is the GPS Garman. Invaluable for us who don't know our way around a city of 5.5 million people. It is always on. The cool thing, it actually show actual pictures of intersections as you approach them. The second item (just below the GPS) is the "toll road / parking meter" box. When you drive down a toll road, it automatically deducts the tool. It also is used in parking garages. Badge in with a time, and then as you drive out, it deducts the parking fee based upon how long you were there. Very convenient.

Singapore Snippets - June 20th

Singapore 101: The Uninvited Guest. Every now and then, we catch a glimpse of fast-moving, tiny lizards that race across our belongings with reckless abandon or scamper around the sink bowl. We asked our agent about what the locals here do about the little buggers...pest control? towels at the door? hockey sticks (Aaron's personal favorite)? "No," she says, "we like. They eat bugs. They very fast--can climb walls." But, what about when you're sleeping? "Don't worry," she assures me, "they not drop on your head!" Oh, well in THAT case......:)




Had a wonderful time listening to the convicting message of and reconnecting with our former minister from our Nashville, Otter Creek days, Tim Woodroof--here in Singapore!! What're the odds?! Love how God connects the dots! :)

Also fun hearing about the bevy of girls at Harding Univ who are secretly in love with Sam Hipp (that info from a cute little bird in the flock today)....:)




Tonight, my friends, was one for the record books. There I was, nonchalantly finishing my Ben & Jerry's icecream, when I intercepted an askance look from one of my daughters, who had wandered over to watch a side show. Following her gaze, I was startled to see my MN white farmboy husband HALF-NAKED on stage with fire-eating warriors and their minions! 15 years, and he still surprises me.... :)

Of course, there was a logical explanation for this ... but more to come on that in a separate post.




Singapore 101: The Land of 1001 Restaurants (or more). If you are a budding gourmand, enticed by the lovely presentation of perfectly braised meats, delicately arranged greens, and mouth-watering concoctions.....or hey, if you just like to eat, Singapore is the place for you! The cuisine offered? Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Malay, Indonesian, American, Australian, European....the sky's the limit! Unfortunately for this little chickadee and her peanut/nut/sesame allergy, we have to steer clear of much Asian cuisine (at least until we get a handle on ingredients used in the dishes)....but she loved this little guy advertising Korean barbeque! :)

A Visit to Some Favorite Places

Before we left Peoria, we had to visit our favorite places. 

Pizza Inn with friends.  Some are even pretending to cry (nice Hargrove).

 The girls with one last visit to the Peoria Zoo

 And ... we can't forget our favorite CULVERS!!!!!  We love Culvers and the fun toys we have been able to get.  Okay, so maybe not Kristin's favorite ... but that is why she isn't in the picture.

Leaving Illinois - Church

We spent many good years with our friends at Northwest Church of Christ in Peoria.  Here are some of the pictures we took as we said goodbye.  Too many great people to name individually ... but the girls especially loved their Sunday School Teachers they have had through the years.

We had a going-away potluck.  Wonderful time spent with good friends.

 Jenna loved her multi-colored rice krispy treat at the potluck.  We found out how severe Jenna's peanut allergy was at a potluck when she got something with peanut butter in it.  Glad this one went better.

 Anna with Miss Barb ... a great Sunday School teacher and friend.

 Emily with Miss Jeannie.  A very kind a warm hearted teacher/grandmother.

 And Jenna's favorite ... Miss Sherie.  Jenna will miss her a lot.

 A last lunch at Pizza Inn (a Campbell family tradition) with lots of friends. 

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.

Singapore Flight

We made it safely to Singapore at 1:30 am this morning (May 31)! Here we are, ready to leave from Chicago, surrounded by our many bags. The girls traveled amazingly well and are already loving the feel of Singapore. More to come later, but we're calling it an early night tonight....Thanks to the many friends and family that made our last few weeks' worth of send-offs so fantastic!