1. The short week and the long weekend are here!
Singapore celebrates it's 48th birthday this week. The daughter's school sent out another memo, asking the kids to be dressed in red-and-white, to honour the colours of the Singaporean flag. Thankfully all the parents did get the memo this time and remembered to send their kids colour-coded, which made for some really nice group photos.
This long weekend also might be our last long-weekend here, since we are all set to move base from Singapore, come mid-October.
Naturally a lot of pre-move activities are being planned - last few trips to be taken, bucket-lists reviewed and passport and visa extensions to be sought (We figure it's easier to get all the visas that we might need in the near future while we are still here, so as to get that out of the way. The home-base may move but the travel needs to stay constant.)
Among other things, 'expat-realtors' in Mumbai, are being contacted and a solo-trip on my part is on the cards, to figure out apartments and schools in the new home city-to-be. In the meantime, desperate efforts are ongoing to research immigration policies, if it is indeed possible to bring our dear ol' Tita - Janet, with us to Mumbai, when we move. Potential professional opportunities and synergies are being sought with various establishments/ practices to team with, at my end, when I get there. Of course, a lot of that is contingent is upon how soon I fulfill my first responsibility of the move - which is to get the daughter settled down and her life down to a routine. And to top all of the above, there is the usual travel itinerary to plan for this long weekend, so for now it's back to some more travel research.
2. Hubster decided to host a team dinner for his project team at The Disgruntled Chef, mid-week. The food was outstanding and served in what is soon becoming a hot-fave format for most contemporary restaurants - The Tapas/ Small Plate style! I can see how much of a moolah-puller that might be, considering portions are small and prices are still pretty much entree/ main course like.
The evening was fun as talk lingered over the usual - travel, travel and more travel. Hubster's two Brit colleagues were thrilled at hearing about our impending UK trip and couldn't help jump in, to plan our trip for us. The next big team event comes up in a few days from now, when the entire team and their families charter a sailboat and sail off of the coast, for an entire afternoon's worth of cocktails, dinner and conversation. Looking forward to that one!
3. Talk of sailing and I must mention how my dragon-boating stint came to a somewhat end, a few days ago. After having been part of the SAFRA Dragons Team and training with them for over a couple of months now, I realized that I'd eventually have to pick one of the two - Dragon Boating or Frequent Travel.
Naturally, I picked the latter, considering there is so much of it already planned for the near future. Besides, with dragon boating, even if I could make it to the Tues/ Thurs weeknight sessions, it is on Sunday that I'd have to give it a miss. And Sunday is the most important day, considering we take the boat out into the sea for some real-time practice.
So I let the boys know that unfortunately I wouldn't be around for Sunday sessions and hence wasn't sure if continuing to train with them would make sense any more. They were really nice about it and graciously offered to let me train with them as much as possible. Yet, I wouldn't be able to represent them with the rest of the girls for their next big race, coming up in a few weeks. So I bid goodbye and thanked them for the valuable experience and useful lessons. The experience has been incredible; an absolutely amazing assimilation for me. And the team has been superbly supportive, never once letting me feel like I am an "Ang Mo" (Hokkien for 'foreigner' as they are usually referred as here).
I do however, plan on being part of the cheering squad, encouraging my fellow-boaters, in a few weekends from now, when they compete for the trophy at the Singapore Dragon Boat Festival 2013.
Someday, if and when I live in a city of dragonboaters, I hope to join a team and re-start my learning process with them all over again. Until then, it's a bye for now to the Dragon Boater side of me!
4. We went to The Philippines over the long weekend. Another country, we had been meaning to go visit, and at least experience a small slice of, considering we'd heard a lot about it from other expat-friends who've lived there in the past. And of course, with our dear ol' helper Janet being from there, stories of the land have made their way into our home on a regular basis for the past 10 odd months that she's lived with us.
Unlike the usual touristy itinerary that was often suggested to us - that of visiting the little Filipino island of Boracay for it's pristine beaches, white sands and ultimate relaxation, we thought we'd incorporate a more 'child-friendly' itinerary in the mix.
By a 'child-friendly' itinerary in this case, I mean a place where we could do more than just laze on the beach as that is far from what the toddler's idea of a vacation really is. She seems happier being shuttled from one place to another as against just lying around, doing nothing in one place, for a long time. Can't blame her for that - she's turning out to be just like her mother, in that aspect!
I am, what you can call a 'busy vacationeer' - one who likes to mix it up on her trips and get in a little of everything as against spend the entire trip doing one thing. Monotony bores me easily, even on vacation! Which is why you won't find me planning "all-inclusive" vacations where all people do is laze, swim, eat, drink and sleep (In short, do nothing, according to me). I've always been a rugged traveler - one who loves to embrace the elements at the slightest chance and trudge through forests/ hills/ streams, waterfalls and camp out under the stars, when possible. Thankfully, the little one seems to have jumped right on board with this, herself. Her father - while he might like the 'laze and do nothing' kinda trips, doesn't care much really. As easy as a Sunday morning - Hubster, happily takes whatever he gets handed! His only requirements are that the activities not be too strenuous (which means moderate level hikes with the monkey strapped on his back are OK) and that there be a decent spate of relaxation incorporated within the itinerary - such as a good swim in an infinity pool, gazing away at the horizon when possible (Again, doing nothing, according to me, but oh well! After a tiring hike, that's the least I can live with, I guess). Besides, whether you want it or not, traveling around in Asia does come with its own perks, where one can stretch one's dollar to the maximum. So making promises to the Hubster that can be kept, comes easy!
So yes, our little family of three, usually vacations with an agenda that'd rather keep us more busy than relaxed!
This trip to The Philippines was just like that!
5. We flew in and out of the NAIA International Airport in Manila - mainly as that is the only airport in the country, that issues VOA's (Visas on Arrival) to Indian citizens holding valid UK/US/Singapore etc visas in their passports. Flying into any other airport would have meant applying for a Tourist Visa before hand and having to part with our passports yet again, for a few days - none of which seemed possible, considering we had back-to-back international trips planned, every weekend.
The first thing that hits you when you exit the NAIA airport is how similar the experience, the context, the surroundings and the feel in general is - to that of exiting Mumbai airport. A lot of countries in Asia, albeit called 'Developing' are quite advanced and developed when compared to Mumbai broadly speaking. Their development is manifest in their road manners - wide lanes, disciplined driving, urban cleanliness and controlled traffic. While Manila easily scored above Mumbai on most of the above, it could give Mumbai traffic a run for its money. The NAIA Airport is barely 8 km away from the hotel that we were staying at for the night. Yet, it took us a good 45+ minutes to navigate the traffic, considering we chose to land during the 'rush hour'. Hubster and I exchanged meaningful glances, telepathically conveying to each other that we better get used to this, given that we'd be soon spending a big chunk of our lives sitting in traffic, in Mumbai!
6. In Manila, we stayed at the St. Giles Classic Hotel in Makati.
Makati is the cultural and financial hub of Manila and since we were in Manila only for a night and half-a-day, we thought we'd base ourselves out of here. Located in the heart of Makati, the hotel serves as a pleasant 'stop-over' base, but their rooms were tiny - the size of an average Manhattan studio apartment. (Again 'tiny' is relative especially in Asia where most hotel rooms, even in busy metropolis' are more spacious than their urban-American counterparts, for example). The hotel did accommodate our last minute request and got us a HUGE baby cot for the night, thereby ensuring we had little room to tread around, quite literally. Their buffet-breakfast barely impressed us much (We had opted for it, given the convenience. Bad idea, that one. We should have just eaten outside at one of the many nice cafes that we discovered later). But dinner at the neighbouring Filipino joint, was a great experience. So while we wouldn't recommend the hotel to anyone for a long stay, we would be lying if we said that it doesn't work very well - location-wise for 'one-night stayers' like us.
7. We had been told that there isn't really much to see or do in Manila - something we discovered ourselves, when within a couple of hours, we had seen the Ayala Triangle Gardens, it's three historic monuments (Gabriel Silang, Ninoy Aquino & Sultan Kudarat) and attended half a Sunday mass service ongoing at the Green Belt Chapel nearby.
I really wanted to go visit the Navotas Municipal Cemetery to see the fantastic spatial duality of the living and the dead. Here, I had read, urban dwellers make their homes atop public cemeteries, converting abandoned tombs and mausoleums into houses (Here are some pictures). But it was a good 25 km away from our hotel and we were strapped for time, so I had to give it a miss. Oh well, there's always the next time!
8. We flew to Tagbilaran City in the island of Bohol, which is to the South-east of The Philippines. Here, we drove up to our home for the next couple of days - The Peacock Garden - a luxury boutique resort and spa, that easily qualifies as one of our best hotel-stays ever!
Not only in terms of the large, beautifully designed and scenic property, it's multiple pools overlooking lush forests below that stretched out to the deep blue Bohol sea ahead, the wildlife (peacocks, peahens especially) within the resort, the delicious meals but most importantly the ever-willing, diligent staff and their absolutely friendly temperament has got us asking for more! Add to that a "free babysitting" service and "free limo pick-ups/ drop-off to/ from the airport" (Both chargeable services even in the best of Asian hotels) which made us smile from ear to ear.
We spent a big part of our first evening in the pool, taking in the vast expanse of the wilderness perched atop the forest. A solitary house in the woods, with smoke emerging from it's chimney served as the perfect catalyst in helping me churn up a make-belief tale to tell the little one as both of us peered down at it below, kicking and splashing in the pool all evening long. With just 34 rooms to offer, each with their individual marvelous forest and ocean views, it was not surprising that we were the lone users of the pool. The place provided for the perfect privacy one might seek, if at all - a sharp contrast from some other hotels with excessively crowded pools. Only one other soul - a lifeguard/ hotel staff lingered around, happily willing to be our own private wait-staff for the evening.
Stay tuned for the rest of the trip, which unfolds in Part deux of this week's log! Happy Reading!
Love,
Shweyta
Singapore celebrates it's 48th birthday this week. The daughter's school sent out another memo, asking the kids to be dressed in red-and-white, to honour the colours of the Singaporean flag. Thankfully all the parents did get the memo this time and remembered to send their kids colour-coded, which made for some really nice group photos.
This long weekend also might be our last long-weekend here, since we are all set to move base from Singapore, come mid-October.
Naturally a lot of pre-move activities are being planned - last few trips to be taken, bucket-lists reviewed and passport and visa extensions to be sought (We figure it's easier to get all the visas that we might need in the near future while we are still here, so as to get that out of the way. The home-base may move but the travel needs to stay constant.)
Among other things, 'expat-realtors' in Mumbai, are being contacted and a solo-trip on my part is on the cards, to figure out apartments and schools in the new home city-to-be. In the meantime, desperate efforts are ongoing to research immigration policies, if it is indeed possible to bring our dear ol' Tita - Janet, with us to Mumbai, when we move. Potential professional opportunities and synergies are being sought with various establishments/ practices to team with, at my end, when I get there. Of course, a lot of that is contingent is upon how soon I fulfill my first responsibility of the move - which is to get the daughter settled down and her life down to a routine. And to top all of the above, there is the usual travel itinerary to plan for this long weekend, so for now it's back to some more travel research.
2. Hubster decided to host a team dinner for his project team at The Disgruntled Chef, mid-week. The food was outstanding and served in what is soon becoming a hot-fave format for most contemporary restaurants - The Tapas/ Small Plate style! I can see how much of a moolah-puller that might be, considering portions are small and prices are still pretty much entree/ main course like.
The evening was fun as talk lingered over the usual - travel, travel and more travel. Hubster's two Brit colleagues were thrilled at hearing about our impending UK trip and couldn't help jump in, to plan our trip for us. The next big team event comes up in a few days from now, when the entire team and their families charter a sailboat and sail off of the coast, for an entire afternoon's worth of cocktails, dinner and conversation. Looking forward to that one!
3. Talk of sailing and I must mention how my dragon-boating stint came to a somewhat end, a few days ago. After having been part of the SAFRA Dragons Team and training with them for over a couple of months now, I realized that I'd eventually have to pick one of the two - Dragon Boating or Frequent Travel.
Naturally, I picked the latter, considering there is so much of it already planned for the near future. Besides, with dragon boating, even if I could make it to the Tues/ Thurs weeknight sessions, it is on Sunday that I'd have to give it a miss. And Sunday is the most important day, considering we take the boat out into the sea for some real-time practice.
So I let the boys know that unfortunately I wouldn't be around for Sunday sessions and hence wasn't sure if continuing to train with them would make sense any more. They were really nice about it and graciously offered to let me train with them as much as possible. Yet, I wouldn't be able to represent them with the rest of the girls for their next big race, coming up in a few weeks. So I bid goodbye and thanked them for the valuable experience and useful lessons. The experience has been incredible; an absolutely amazing assimilation for me. And the team has been superbly supportive, never once letting me feel like I am an "Ang Mo" (Hokkien for 'foreigner' as they are usually referred as here).
I do however, plan on being part of the cheering squad, encouraging my fellow-boaters, in a few weekends from now, when they compete for the trophy at the Singapore Dragon Boat Festival 2013.
Someday, if and when I live in a city of dragonboaters, I hope to join a team and re-start my learning process with them all over again. Until then, it's a bye for now to the Dragon Boater side of me!
4. We went to The Philippines over the long weekend. Another country, we had been meaning to go visit, and at least experience a small slice of, considering we'd heard a lot about it from other expat-friends who've lived there in the past. And of course, with our dear ol' helper Janet being from there, stories of the land have made their way into our home on a regular basis for the past 10 odd months that she's lived with us.
Unlike the usual touristy itinerary that was often suggested to us - that of visiting the little Filipino island of Boracay for it's pristine beaches, white sands and ultimate relaxation, we thought we'd incorporate a more 'child-friendly' itinerary in the mix.
By a 'child-friendly' itinerary in this case, I mean a place where we could do more than just laze on the beach as that is far from what the toddler's idea of a vacation really is. She seems happier being shuttled from one place to another as against just lying around, doing nothing in one place, for a long time. Can't blame her for that - she's turning out to be just like her mother, in that aspect!
I am, what you can call a 'busy vacationeer' - one who likes to mix it up on her trips and get in a little of everything as against spend the entire trip doing one thing. Monotony bores me easily, even on vacation! Which is why you won't find me planning "all-inclusive" vacations where all people do is laze, swim, eat, drink and sleep (In short, do nothing, according to me). I've always been a rugged traveler - one who loves to embrace the elements at the slightest chance and trudge through forests/ hills/ streams, waterfalls and camp out under the stars, when possible. Thankfully, the little one seems to have jumped right on board with this, herself. Her father - while he might like the 'laze and do nothing' kinda trips, doesn't care much really. As easy as a Sunday morning - Hubster, happily takes whatever he gets handed! His only requirements are that the activities not be too strenuous (which means moderate level hikes with the monkey strapped on his back are OK) and that there be a decent spate of relaxation incorporated within the itinerary - such as a good swim in an infinity pool, gazing away at the horizon when possible (Again, doing nothing, according to me, but oh well! After a tiring hike, that's the least I can live with, I guess). Besides, whether you want it or not, traveling around in Asia does come with its own perks, where one can stretch one's dollar to the maximum. So making promises to the Hubster that can be kept, comes easy!
So yes, our little family of three, usually vacations with an agenda that'd rather keep us more busy than relaxed!
This trip to The Philippines was just like that!
5. We flew in and out of the NAIA International Airport in Manila - mainly as that is the only airport in the country, that issues VOA's (Visas on Arrival) to Indian citizens holding valid UK/US/Singapore etc visas in their passports. Flying into any other airport would have meant applying for a Tourist Visa before hand and having to part with our passports yet again, for a few days - none of which seemed possible, considering we had back-to-back international trips planned, every weekend.
The first thing that hits you when you exit the NAIA airport is how similar the experience, the context, the surroundings and the feel in general is - to that of exiting Mumbai airport. A lot of countries in Asia, albeit called 'Developing' are quite advanced and developed when compared to Mumbai broadly speaking. Their development is manifest in their road manners - wide lanes, disciplined driving, urban cleanliness and controlled traffic. While Manila easily scored above Mumbai on most of the above, it could give Mumbai traffic a run for its money. The NAIA Airport is barely 8 km away from the hotel that we were staying at for the night. Yet, it took us a good 45+ minutes to navigate the traffic, considering we chose to land during the 'rush hour'. Hubster and I exchanged meaningful glances, telepathically conveying to each other that we better get used to this, given that we'd be soon spending a big chunk of our lives sitting in traffic, in Mumbai!
6. In Manila, we stayed at the St. Giles Classic Hotel in Makati.
Makati is the cultural and financial hub of Manila and since we were in Manila only for a night and half-a-day, we thought we'd base ourselves out of here. Located in the heart of Makati, the hotel serves as a pleasant 'stop-over' base, but their rooms were tiny - the size of an average Manhattan studio apartment. (Again 'tiny' is relative especially in Asia where most hotel rooms, even in busy metropolis' are more spacious than their urban-American counterparts, for example). The hotel did accommodate our last minute request and got us a HUGE baby cot for the night, thereby ensuring we had little room to tread around, quite literally. Their buffet-breakfast barely impressed us much (We had opted for it, given the convenience. Bad idea, that one. We should have just eaten outside at one of the many nice cafes that we discovered later). But dinner at the neighbouring Filipino joint, was a great experience. So while we wouldn't recommend the hotel to anyone for a long stay, we would be lying if we said that it doesn't work very well - location-wise for 'one-night stayers' like us.
7. We had been told that there isn't really much to see or do in Manila - something we discovered ourselves, when within a couple of hours, we had seen the Ayala Triangle Gardens, it's three historic monuments (Gabriel Silang, Ninoy Aquino & Sultan Kudarat) and attended half a Sunday mass service ongoing at the Green Belt Chapel nearby.
I really wanted to go visit the Navotas Municipal Cemetery to see the fantastic spatial duality of the living and the dead. Here, I had read, urban dwellers make their homes atop public cemeteries, converting abandoned tombs and mausoleums into houses (Here are some pictures). But it was a good 25 km away from our hotel and we were strapped for time, so I had to give it a miss. Oh well, there's always the next time!
8. We flew to Tagbilaran City in the island of Bohol, which is to the South-east of The Philippines. Here, we drove up to our home for the next couple of days - The Peacock Garden - a luxury boutique resort and spa, that easily qualifies as one of our best hotel-stays ever!
Not only in terms of the large, beautifully designed and scenic property, it's multiple pools overlooking lush forests below that stretched out to the deep blue Bohol sea ahead, the wildlife (peacocks, peahens especially) within the resort, the delicious meals but most importantly the ever-willing, diligent staff and their absolutely friendly temperament has got us asking for more! Add to that a "free babysitting" service and "free limo pick-ups/ drop-off to/ from the airport" (Both chargeable services even in the best of Asian hotels) which made us smile from ear to ear.
We spent a big part of our first evening in the pool, taking in the vast expanse of the wilderness perched atop the forest. A solitary house in the woods, with smoke emerging from it's chimney served as the perfect catalyst in helping me churn up a make-belief tale to tell the little one as both of us peered down at it below, kicking and splashing in the pool all evening long. With just 34 rooms to offer, each with their individual marvelous forest and ocean views, it was not surprising that we were the lone users of the pool. The place provided for the perfect privacy one might seek, if at all - a sharp contrast from some other hotels with excessively crowded pools. Only one other soul - a lifeguard/ hotel staff lingered around, happily willing to be our own private wait-staff for the evening.
Stay tuned for the rest of the trip, which unfolds in Part deux of this week's log! Happy Reading!
Love,
Shweyta
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