Archive for the Life in Singapore Category

Good-bye Old Friend

Posted in funny, Life in Singapore with tags , , , , , , , on September 7, 2013 by Yarn Over New York

It was love at first sight.  I was on the escalator in Plaza Singapura and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw shiny blobs of molten wax taunting me with their awesomeness.  All my life I dreamed of owning a lava lamp. I quickly made  my way back up one flight of stairs to the shop and requested an orange lava lamp.  The only orange one left was the display model.  I didn’t care, I wanted it so badly.  It had to be mine.

Please enjoy both the visual amazingness and the truly awesome audio in the background.

For over a year, we lived together happily.  Every night I would bask in the warm amber glow and enjoy the beautiful shapes it made for me.  We had good times.

It helped me host my 33 birthday party. (You can see it in the reflection next to the blue lamp)

It helped me host my house-warming party when I moved last year. See how it makes the food table so inviting.

We also had some not-so-good times.

There was the time its coil got stuck out of place. It was scary, luckily all was well in the end.

Then things started to get rough.  The light bulbs would spontaneously burn out.  Often.

The lamp told me what it needed.

I provided.

Still, things weren’t right.  Often the bulb would blow after just one use.  I tried different plugs.  I tried using a dimmer.  I did research online.  Soon, it stopped working entirely.  I took it apart and tried to fix the wiring.

Nothing worked.  My lava lamp died.  The end.

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I will miss you.

What We Do at Work- 10th Edition- Haze Special

Posted in Esplanade, Life in Singapore, Work with tags , , , , , , , , , , on June 22, 2013 by Yarn Over New York

When the PSI crossed 400 yesterday, our employer issued every worker with a 3M N95 safety mask to wear whenever we went outdoors.

Silliness ensued…

Nurse Cindy assists Ailing Annabelle with her safety mask

I made sure that Hello Kitty avoided any airborne ailments

It’s Getting Worse

Posted in Life in Singapore with tags , , , , , , , , , on June 21, 2013 by Yarn Over New York

Yesterday, I wrote a post about the air pollution here in Singapore. At the time, a 16 year record had been broken with a PSI level of 321. Since writing that post, the PSI has climbed over 400!

Here is a map from the NEA.

Singapore is a tiny island at the tip of the Malaysian Pennisula, right in the middle of the red zone.

Yesterday, I posted a hazy photo of the Marina Bay Sands hotel. Here is today’s.

Here is that same view again.  PSI level about 360.

Here is that same view again. PSI level about 360.

Here is a slightly different view, slightly earlier in the day. PSI reading 401.  You can't really see it, but trust me the hotel is there.

Here is a slightly different view, slightly earlier in the day. PSI reading 401. You can’t really see it, but trust me the hotel is there.

Picture2

Picture1

Let’s all hide indoors, crank up our air conditioning and wait for this to blow over. Surely, it will only take a week or two…

photo

The Sky is a Hazy Shade of

Posted in Life in Singapore with tags , , , , , , , , , on June 20, 2013 by Yarn Over New York

Well, it’s international news now.  Controlled (intentional) farm burns in Sumatra are causing a massive blanket of polluted smoky air to cover the tiny island nation of Singapore (and much of Malaysia as well).

The Guardian

The Financial Times

Reuters

Wall Street Journal

Just google search “Pollution in Singapore,” you’ll see it’s big news.

The biggest news (covered here in Today and reported by the National Environment Agency) is that last night the PSI (Pollution Standards Index) reached a record high of 321.  Which is deemed to be “hazardous” and can lead to “early onset of certain diseases in addition to significant aggravation of symptoms in susceptible persons; and decreased exercise tolerance in healthy persons.” (with prolonged exposure)

Basically, the air is really hazy and it smells like a charcoal grill (with no tasty meal to follow).  I have a sore throat, cough and burning eyes.  I lost  my voice for a few days.  It feels like I have a cold, but I don’t.

Allow me to present you with some visual aids.

View from my patio this morning (20 June 2013)

The same view last year (with me modeling my new knit sweater)

Marina Bay Sands Hotel shot across the bay from the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre– last night 19 June 2013

The same view on a beautiful day last year

At night last November

Singapore’s government has asked Indonesia to “do something” about the smoke.  We’ll see what happens.  Meanwhile, pharmacies island-wide have sold out of face masks.

 

 

Weekly Travel Theme: Light

Posted in Life in Singapore, new york, Travel Asia, Travel Europe with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on May 2, 2013 by Yarn Over New York

Another version of Where’s My Backpack‘s Weekly Travel ThemesLIGHT.  I could not resist such an awesome theme.

Boston, USA

NYC, USA

Paris, France

NYC, USA

Macau

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei

Macau

Hangzhou, China

Singapore

Larnaka, Cyprus

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Singapore

Kathmandu, Nepal

Weekly Travel Themes: Benches

Posted in Life in Singapore, new york, Travel Asia, Travel Europe with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 16, 2013 by Yarn Over New York

I have to say thank you to my friend Luc, who prompted me to write a new blog post.  It’s been ages and I have no good excuse other than laziness.  So merci, Luc!  No more laziness for me!

Anyway, I’ll offer another segment of Weekly Travel Theme and this week it’s Benches. I am particularly inspired by this theme because my favorite way to see a new city is to walk.  I often set off with no direction and just wander and watch.  Benches provide a wonderful resting point during my travels.  I’ve sat upon some beautiful benches in beautiful spots.

Get on the bench. The banana bench. Prague, Czech Republic.

Even Rubber Ducky needs a rest in Dublin, Ireland.

A very welcoming bench in the port of Kusadasi, Turkey.

Aya and Sita save a spot for me at Lou Lim Ieoc Park in Macau.

This bench tells it like it is in Naples, Italy.

Dragon bench in Bruges, Belgium.

Don’t mind if I do in Singapore. (I think this is the ONLY graffitied bench in all of Singapore)

Dali’s lip bench in Berlin, Germany.

Comfortable? In Hangzhou, China.

A Gaudi-esque mosaic bench at Grant’s Tomb in NYC.

The real deal in Barcelona, Spain.

and lastly…

Not exactly a bench…but freaking cool. Marshall poses with “Blue Guy Sitting”*

* part of “The Art of the Brick” exhibit by Nathan Sawaya at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore.

Don’t Get Rubbed the Wrong Way

Posted in Life in Singapore, Outrage of Modesty with tags , , , , , , , , , on February 21, 2013 by Yarn Over New York

Singapore does not want you to get groped.  Not even a little bit.  The groper will get in BIG trouble, but it’s probably still your fault anyway for being SO irresistible.

The Singapore Police Force has an new awesome series of public service announcements warning about pickpocketing, home invasion and my favorite crime “Outrage of Modesty.”

It would be your own fault if you did

It would be your own fault if you did

See more posts about Outrage of Modesty here.

A gag version

Travel Theme: Gaudy- Lunar New Year Edition

Posted in Life in Macau, Life in Singapore, Travel Asia with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on February 11, 2013 by Yarn Over New York

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Here is a collection of my favorite Chinese New Year decorations from around Asia.  Lots of gold, lots of shiny.  This post is my contribution to Where’s My Backpack’s Weekly Travel Theme.

2011- Year of the Rabbit

Luminous child holding a branch dripping with money at Senado Square in Macau

A Chinese Opera New Year Pink Luminous Bunny in Macau

Fake blossoms and lots of lanterns in Macau

2012- Year of the Dragon

Shopping in Singapore

A Luminous Dragon at Resorts World Sentosa

Golden Dragon at Suntec City Mall

2013- Year of the Snake

Lion Puppet with Firecracker Tongue at the Ang Mo Kio Market in Singapore

Nothing Says Happy New Year Like a Sparkly Multicolor Flower Tree Light

Hiss-ssssssss-ssssssssss-ssssssssss-ssssssss

Read more about my first Chinese New Year experience here and here.

恭喜發財

 

Outrageous

Posted in Life in Singapore, Outrage of Modesty with tags , , , , , , , , on February 10, 2013 by Yarn Over New York

I’ve written a couple of posts before showing the public service campaign to reduce unwanted touching here in Singapore.  “Outrage of Modesty” is a crime (with hefty punishments) that covers any kind of unwanted advances: hugging without permission, verbal assault from a stranger, groping on the train, street or even in a nightclub.

As I’ve said before, I don’t want to be groped by a stranger, nor do I want other people to be made to feel uncomfortable, but this campaign makes the whole thing seem ridiculous.

Post 1- A Lifetime of Regret

Post 2- Stickman and the Ghetto Booty

And here are the latest round of photos.  Gloriously displayed on an elevator in a housing block.

Travel Theme: Festive

Posted in Life in Singapore, Travel Europe with tags , , , , , , , on December 25, 2012 by Yarn Over New York

Merry Christmas Dudes!

This is my second installment of Weekly Travel Theme from Where’s My Backpack.  This week’s theme is Festive (aka Christmas).

2012

I’ll start off with a very local festive photo.

This is me and my students celebrating Christmas 2012 with crocheted monkeys in Singapore.

2011

Christmas 2011 in Singapore was the season of the Elephant Parade.  I had several fairly quiet parties with work friends and Jason’s friends.  All in all it was a fairly mellow Christmas. (Though the Stage Management department did do a Secret Santa and my Santa gifted me with wool for needle felting!!!)

I love my NON-White Christmas!! No snow!! No cold!!

2010

It’s funny when “home” becomes “travel.”  I was fortunate enough to be home (DC metro area) for Christmas in 2010, though at the time I was living in Macau AND in the middle of a 6 month travel extravaganza that I call my Asian Winter Odyssey.

While in MD, my friends and I cruised my the house that we call “The Monstrosity”

I consider this one worthy of two photos. Yes Santa IS riding a weird unicycle/wheelchair and saying “Feliz Navidad.” Don’t ask me.

2009

Nothing says “Weihnachten” like Glühwein in Germany.  (Glühwein is a tasty spicy mulled hot wine served in Northern Europe around the holiday season.)  In 2010, my friends and I traveled from Belgium to Cologne, Germany to visit the Christmas Markets and freeze our noses off!

The view from our hotel room

2008

Christmas 2008 served as a good-bye for me.  It was the last time I saw my family before leaving NYC and the USA to live in Belgium.

Doesn’t my Dad look FESTIVE?

Merry Christmas — Happy Holidays — Season’s Greetings!!