Singapore II

I was back in Singapore for a tech workshop last week. It was another pleasant experience. I was able to see more of Singapore this time than ever before. I think this was actually my longest stay there.

I went to Singapore with a fellow elementary tech teacher. He was a great travel companion and I thouroughly enjoyed hanging out with him. We managed a nice mix of work and leisure throughout the week.

We actually went out for beers (imagine that) with our instructor on the second night (Thursday) of our workshop. Needless to say we were a bit foggy eyed Friday morning; but we muscled through and weren't too much worse for the wear. We learned some really cool stuff that I am definitely going to use in my classroom. I have actually already started applying some of what we learned. You may see some of the stuff bleed into this site in the coming weeks. I also was able to brush up on some Photoshop skills that I haven't used in quite some time. I haven't used Photoshop for a bit as I run most of my images through Aperture.

It was the Indian holiday of Diwali and the Indian community was out celebrating. We were walking through a park in the Little India section of Singapore and some guys invited us to sit with them. They were very generous and shared some plumb brandy and snacks with us.

Other notable spots we were able to take in were: Arab Street, China town, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, and the expat bars & restaurants on Holland Ave.

Here are some pics from the week.

Singapore / Borneo Vacation

Well as you can tell from the pics we went to the zoo while in Singapore last week. I'm not a huge fan of zoos but I have to say it was probably the coolest zoo I've ever been to. The way the zoo is set up makes you feel like you are in the animals natural habitat... somewhat. At least as close as I or most people will ever be to some of these animals. There are very few cages, most animals are in enclosures that are separated from zoo visitors by motes.

The orangutans and other primates were kept up in trees using a series of wires wrapped around the tree trunks. I wondered if the wires were electrified or it just posed an impassible dilemma for them. Whichever, it worked like a charm.

In other areas there was nothing separating you from the animals. For example, inside the kangaroo enclosure there was nothing separating you from the kangaroos. There was a small wooden pole fence keeping zoo goers on the walking path but the kangaroos were free to roam wherever they chose. The kangaroos hopped over or ducked under the fence railing at will.

WIth some of the more dangerous animals the animals were kept at bay using water ponds or quite big, open, impassable spaces. It was cool nonetheless not having a cage to have to peer through. In reality the space was welcome. When you are looking at a tiger that could easily eat you for lunch it comforting to have a bit of distance between you and it's huge flesh ripping fangs.















The weekend we were in Singapore was actually the same weekend as the Singapore F1 race was being held. Our hotel was so close to the race you could here the cars as they practiced and raced. The whining of the engine was very unique. Even Q clued into the noise and asked what it was. The race is run on a track that is set up using existing roads right downtown. I was surprised to learn that the Singapore F1 was one of only two F1 night races. The actual race was held the night before we left. We watched it live from our hotel room. We could hit mute on the TV and actually hear the race cars; even through our closed hotel window.

We left Singapore and headed to the Indonesian side of Borneo to visit with our friends the Fullertons who live in Balikpapan. They are a teaching couple that we taught with in Cambodia. Brent was someone who I rode motorcycles with while we lived in Phnom Penh.

They have two children who of course Q thought were the coolest kids in the world. They were super cool with him and made him feel right at home. Actually the whole family made us feel right at home. We know it's an inconvenience to have someone stay with you but they made us feel extremely comfortable and welcome.

One day while Brent, Cheryl and kids went to school we decided to visit a orangutan/sunbear sanctuary about an hours drive north of the city. You can check it out here. Or just look at the pictures below.











Someone at the school the Fullertons work at arranged for us to have a tour the orangutan and sunbear rehab facilities. It is a very cool place. You can see that there is a lodge you can stay at which is very cool as well. While visiting you have the option of volunteering and helping out or just relaxing in a unique environment. I can say that I would recommend Samboja to anyone who is passing through southeastern Borneo.

I'm off for a MTB ride after work. Fall is definitely here and the weather is cool but pleasant. The leaves are just staring to change and the trails are prime for riding.

Back in the Saddle

We are back in Korea and back at work. We hit some turbulence, both literal and figuratively, on our way back. We had an unexpected overnight in LA. We made it back without to much fuss, just in time to go back to work.

We were too busy to get jet-lag so in that respect it worked out well. We are all settling in well. Q is having tons of fun in the nursery which has even more kids in it this year.

We had a blast this summer hanging and taking trips with family. Here are a couple pics from the moto trip Bryan and I took up to meet everyone in Nutrioso.





This past Saturday we went to an outdoor concert sponsored by a local Mexican restaurant. They actually had a real live mariachi band that played. A band made up of teachers working at our school played as well. They're called Seoulfinger. After the festivities ended a bunch of teachers went out in the Gangnam area where we were to a Canadian microbrewery called Big Rock. Tasty brews!

On Sunday we met up with Jen, Rich and their two boys at the skate-park across the street from out house. Here are some pics.




It looks like a whole month of work before we get our next break. It will be tough but I think we can make it.

T-town

We are here in Tucson spending time with friends and family. I just got back from a training at the Disneyland Hotel and Conference Center. I was able to get a couple hours in at California Adventure which was fun. We'll be here for the next couple weeks.

Here are some pics from our summer.

Best Foot Forward

This weeks has been a rough one. First I sprained my ankle pretty badly playing hoops on Monday. Here is a picture of it today (Saturday), 5 days later.



I have been on crutches all week. I went to the emergency room on Monday night to get my ankle x-rayed. I wanted to be sure that there wasn't bone damage. There wasn't so I made an appointment to see an ortho on Thursday. He looked me over and told me to come back in a week. He was thorough and explained things to me in good English. I have to wear a brace for at least another week. The swelling has gone down immensely in the last 24 hours. I think keeping off it and icing it regularly has helped a lot.

On top of that J has come down with a pretty bad cold. She feels like crud but in true form barely complains at all.

We fly back to the states in 3 weeks. I'm participating in a training all this week so I really only have 2 weeks left of teaching.

Time flies when your having fun.

Jet-lagging

Much has transpired since my last post. We went out for a nice long weekend trip to an island off the west coast of Korea. Here are some pics from our trip:







It was nice to get out of town for a bit and spend time with people away from work.

This past weekend I went to Tubac, AZ to attend a friends wedding. I flew into Tucson on Thursday night and flew out early Monday morning. It was a quick trip but definitely worth it. Here are some pics from the weekend.






The wedding was great opportunity to catch up with friends as well meet some interesting new people. My trip back was fraught with delays and missed flights; mainly due to precautionary measures concerning a certain pig illness. In the end I made it home only 4 hours late which wasn't so bad.

I was also able to get out on the Kawasaki for a brief introductory ride. I have to say it is everything that I hoped it would be and I look forward to putting some miles on it this summer.

I'm jet-lagged and off to bed.

Hanging with the Boys

J is in Doha attending a conference so it's been boys time for the past couple of days. J is attending the conference with Jesika who is also a kinder teachers at KIS. They both were lucky enough to spend some time with our friends Kris and Wendy who are currently living in Doha.

Last night Q and I had Hugo and Ben over over for chicken and beer. (Quinn mainly stuck to apple juice, milk and potatoes) Hugo's wife is with J so it only made sense that we hung out together as well. Ben brought some of his homebrew with him which added to what I already had in the fridge. We spent the night chewing the fat and sampling our selection of homebrews which included 2 IPA's, a Belgian and a lager.

Today I awoke to Quinn standing beside my bed telling me it was time to "wake up daddy". So I did. After having breakfast we decided to go for a walk. It was mid fifties and overcast, perfect weather for a hike. There's a wooded area a stones throw from our apartment so we decided to head there. Here are some pics of our walk.