Follow the Redins

This isn't exactly about Singapore, but it isn't exactly not about Singapore, either. One of the things we want to do with this blog is encourage families with small children to be adventurous. For us, that meant an international move and lots of travel. Here is a video of last year's summer vacation. We hope this inspires you to go on your own adventure. . . if not to Iceland, then at least get out and explore a nearby park =)

Follow the Redins - Europe 2009 from Joshua Redin on Vimeo.

Cheap Eats

I think I may have mentioned this before, but some things are worth repeating. . .

For delicious and affordable food, you've gotta check out Al Azhar's on Upper Bukit Timah Road (opposite Beauty World).

If you're a bit intimidated by the extensive menu, here are a few of our very favorites: plain naan, chicken satay, butter chicken, and ice blended mango lassi. =)

Okay, that ought to keep your taste buds busy for now.

Being Pregnant in Singapore

I already posted a series about healthcare (Part I, Part II, Part III and Part IV). The series isn't a scientific and comprehensive look at the medical care available here, but it is true to MY experience, which has been great.

Since I've continued to get questions regarding being pregnant, giving birth, and caring for an infant, I thought I'd do another series of posts to answer some of these FAQ's. If you're new to Singapore, planning to move here soon, or just plain curious about what life is like here, I hope you find this helpful!

**********************************************************************

Q: What is the bathroom situation like in Singapore (since we pregnant women are CONSTANTLY needing to use the restroom)?

A: Overall, great! There are tons of public restrooms available, and for the most part, they are very clean and accessible. That's not to say you won't find some nasty ones, but I would say 8 out of 10 are "good," and 5 out of 10 are "great." There are malls everywhere, and the restroom facilities in the malls are generally excellent. The one thing you will find is that not all restaurants have public restrooms. And, unless it's a nice quality restaurant or chain (like McDonalds, Coffee Bean, etc), the facilities can be a bit questionable. Chances are, if you're in need of a public toilet (as they call them here), you'll be able to find a clean one nearby.

**********************************************************************

Q: Will I be able to find maternity clothes?

A: The answer to that question is tricky. Yes and No. You can find maternity clothes, but they are (in my opinion) either unstylish or outrageously priced. I opted to bring most of my maternity clothes from the US and I am glad I did. If money is no obstacle, then you can definitely find very attractive maternity clothes here. However, if $100 for a maternity shirt sounds a bit pricey, you may want to consider bringing clothes with you (or having a good friend ship them to you).

**********************************************************************

Q: Can I get quality prenatal vitamins in Singapore, or should I bring them with me from my home country?

A: When I moved here with an nursing infant (and was still taking prenatal vitamins), I brought a supply of my favorite prenatal vitamins. I ran out just about the time I found out I was pregnant with our second child. We found out she was coming while we in the US, but I opted not to bring back vitamins. Instead, my doctor here gave me prescription vitamins. For me, that was a good option because our medical insurance covers all prescriptions, including vitamins. If you don't have a medical plan that covers vitamins, you can find OTC vitamins here that are excellent. I asked my doctor about some recommended OTC brands and she suggested either Blackmore's (available at almost any Watson's or Guardian--two of the largest drugstore chains here) or GNC (they have numerous outlets here).

**********************************************************************

Q: What if I am a high risk pregnancy?

A: Not being a high risk pregnancy, I wasn't sure about the answer to this question, so I talked with my OB at my last appointment and asked her what options are available for women in this situation. This was her answer:

Most private doctors and hospitals will handle high risks pregnancies. If, for instance, you are diabetic, you would see your OBGYN as well as an endocrinologist at whatever hospital you choose. They would work together to manage your care and, assuming you were relatively healthy, you could deliver at the private hospital. Private hospitals are equipped to handle emergency C-sections and newborns/pre-term babies requiring extra care.

For extreme or unmanageable cases, the private doctor my refer you to a OB specialist at another hospital, perhaps private or public. In cases where the complication will result in a premature delivery, you would definitely be sent to one here with Level 3 NICUs (there are several). The most well-equipped hospital for handling extreme cases is KK Women's and Children's Hospital. It is a publicly funded hospital (though as an expat, you would not receive the subsidized pricing scheme). You may not get the doctor of your choice or the luxurious surroundings of some of the private hospitals, but you could expect to receive excellent care.

**********************************************************************

If you have any other questions, please feel free to leave a comment. I'd be happy to try to answer whatever questions arise. I am in the process of researching some answers to questions I've received regarding caring for your baby once it arrives. Stay tuned!

Garam Masala: A review

Yesterday was my best friend's last day of a two-week visit. We wanted to take her somewhere nice for her last dinner here in Singapore. We had planned a trip to Lau Pasat, but a heavy rain forced us to change our plans at the last minute. Since we were already headed into the City, we thought we'd check out a stretch of restaurants at Boat Quay. We've walked by them several times and admired the beautiful view of the city lights reflected on the peaceful water of the Singapore River. We finally settled on a nice looking Indian restaurant toward the end of the strip.

Unfortunately, the river view was the ONLY thing Garam Masala had going for it. We ordered Butter Chicken and Naan, our favorite Northern Indian dish. What we got were a few chunks of chicken smothered in what seemed to be a cross between tomato soup and ketchup and a stack of dry, thin bread discs. And, all for about 4 times as much as we pay at the Indian restaurant down the road from our house.

The madness didn't end there. . . we also ordered Chicken Fried Rice for the kids and a bowl of Hot and Sour Soup (they had a Chinese menu as well as an Indian). For $18, we got a small plate of absolutely flavorless fried rice swimming in oil. The peas were hard little pellets and the chicken was so fatty I couldn't find any decent pieces to give the kids. The soup was equally horrible. . . so much so that we sent it back and refused to pay for it.

If you're ever in Singapore, I'd encourage you to enjoy a nice evening overlooking the City skyline and sparkling river at Boat Quay. Just don't plan on eating!

A Dozen Eggs (minus 2)

I've lived here for TWO YEARS and I just realized that the "dozen eggs" I've been buying is actually not a dozen. It's ten. All the eggs here are sold in 10-packs. And, the worst part is that I wasn't even the one that realized it. . . Josh told me.

Pretty lame, huh (me, not the fact that the eggs are sold in 10's)!?!

Street Names

If you were to go to maps.google.com and type in "Toh Tuck, Singapore" you would find you have a lot of options. There is Toh Tuck Ave, Toh Tuck Close, Toh Tuck Crecent, Toh Tuck Drive, Toh Tuck Link, Toh Tuck Place, Toh Tuck Rise, Toh Tuck Road, Toh Tuck Terrace and Toh Tuck Walk. That's pretty confusing if you ask me. Doubly confusing is that all these streets are in the same neighborhood. Doubly, doubly confusing is that right next to all these Toh Tucks are all the Old Toh Tucks. Extra doubly, doubly confusing is that some of the names are used for multiple streets that are near each other but not touching. So you might take a left on Toh Tuck Rise, turn right on Toh Tuck Place, curve around onto Toh Tuck Terrace and then take a right onto Toh Tuck Rise (not the Toh Tuck Rise you were originally on, though).

And, the Toh Tucks aren't the only ones. It's a trend in Singaporean street naming. There are all the West Coasts and the Thomsons and the Tai Huans and the Tai Sengs and the Sunsets and the. . . you get the idea.

I'm sure there is some reason they chose to do it this way. I'm still trying to figure out what that might be. So far, I haven't come up with much.

An Evening at Clark Quay: Water Meets Skyline

An Evening at Clark Quay: Child's Play

We're sorry, but not THAT sorry

Sign posted on the door of a prominent coffee outlet:
Once was enough. Don't ask us to apologize again.

Idyllic. . .

. . .that's what Singapore's weather has been like this month. It's been amazing! Balmy, breezy, sunny, and dry. Man, I love January!!

For all you readers who actually live here: fling your windows open wide and let that awesome, refreshing breeze in, go sit by the pool and enjoy breakfast (and lunch and dinner while you're at it), take a walk and revel in the fact that you can get farther than 10 steps before you're sweating, stare up at that big blue sky and those white puffy clouds and memorize the feeling. . . it won't last long.

Christmas on Orchard Raod

Every year for the last 25 years, Orchard Road, Singapore's designer shopping district, transforms at Christmas into a magical world of lights and 50-foot trees (well, one 50-foot tree and several others well past the 30-foot mark). It feels so Christmassy, except that instead of mittens and scarves, almost everyone is in shorts and tanktops!

Here are a few pictures. . . I hope you enjoy them =)

A Winter Wonderland--2007

Josh and Caleb in front of Tangs


An icy effect. . . but I mean that in a good way.


A Sweet Christmas--2008
Caleb admires his new basketball; Annabelle admires the lights =)

This arc is about 4 lanes wide!

This is one of about 5 displays telling the Christmas Story.
The REAL Christmas Story.

Merry Christmas to all!!

Team blogging

The last two posts were by Josh, but for some reason, Blogger attributed them to me. Not that I wouldn't be willing to take credit for them, but since they weren't mine, I figured I better set things straight.

Recent Trips (part 2): Phuket, Thailand

Thailand is a must-visit for anyone traveling in Southeast Asia... why? ... because the beaches are beautiful, the rock formations are amazing, the water is blue, the food is great (mostly), and the people are friendly. Hence, our 3rd visit to Thailand in less than 2 years. I'm opting to embed a slide-show for this post since (I think) the picture quality will be better.

Recent Trips (part 1): Hong Kong, Macau

One of the (many) beauties of living in Singapore is the fact that it's a major hub in Southeast Asia...translation: it's really easy to travel to many different countries. There's always the caveat of vacation time & funds to make the traveling possible, but teaching has opened up more time than my previous jobs, and inexpensive flights make the funding a bit more affordable.

Even though Singapore is a great place to live or visit, it's always a treat to leave Singapore and escape the heat/humidity for a little while.

In October, we visited Hong Kong...second time for me (Josh), but first time for our family. It's amazing how much you can cram into a short vacation of 3 full days. Here's a quick picture-synopsis...

who likes airplanes?

disneyland hotel

disney mtr

whoopin' it up at starbucks

elements

two international finance center

view from the peak

peak terrace

praia grande (portugese restaurant)

a-ma temple

macau tower

ruins of st. paul's

lovin' it

disneyland hollywood hotel pool (annabelle's first swim)

disneyland...duh

Busted

Did you know that drug trafficking in Singapore is a capital offense? I'd seen the signs in the airport, but figured they were probably scare-tactics to make would-be offenders think twice. Apparently not. I recently read this article in the local newspaper. That got me curious about the subject. I read an interesting analysis and then looked at these stats. It turns out that Singapore has one of the highest per-capita execution rates in the world. In case you're not able to read the articles yourself, here is a quote that helps explain the government's position on this issue:

"The basic difference in our approach springs from our traditional Asian value system which places the interests of the community over and above that of the individual. . .In criminal law legislation, our priority is the security and well being of law-abiding citizens rather than the rights of the criminal to be protected from incriminating evidence."
Singapore's Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew

Agree or disagree, you can't argue with the fact that Singapore has done an amazing job of maintaining a low crime rate.

The Best Burger in Town

Okay, I know this is risky because not all taste buds were created equal, but I am pretty confident that I have found the best burger in town (Carl's Junior doesn't count since it's technically fast food. One could make a pretty good case for their burgers, though).

The Bacon Mushroom Cheese Burger at BlooiE's Roadhouse at the Rail Mall on Upper Bukit Timah Road is awesome. Seriously. I'm married to a burger fan and we've tried burgers all over the island. This burger is amazing. I don't normally like mushrooms on my burgers, but this is different. They must have cast a yummy spell on these mushrooms because I just can't get enough of them!

If you're really not in the mood for mushrooms and you refuse to take my word on it that you'll feel differently after you've tasted the Bacon Mushroom Cheese Burger (which wouldn't make sense --why would you go at all if you didn't want to take my word for it), then I suppose you can opt for the Chilli Burger. It's pretty awesome, too.

(I'm not too good at photographing food, but even so, doesn't this Bacon Mushroom Cheese Burger look yummy?)

Go try it. Even if you don't think it's THE best burger, I am certain you'll agree that it's way up there!

Health Care in Singapore--Part V

(Click the links to read Parts I, II, III and IV.)

This will (most likely) be my last installment in the Health Care series. Of course, there is more to say and I've only scratched the surface, both of my own experiences and of the entire topic, but yesterday was my "last" appointment in this prenatal/labor&delivery/postpartum saga so I think it is a good time to end this series.

I don't know if this last post is a informative piece. . . I think it would be more apropos to call it a tribute to a very good doctor.


A Doctor Who Remembers My Name

Searching for health care in a new country is kind of scary. There are so many questions and everything is so unfamiliar. And, it's not like you're looking to get your car serviced. You're dealing with the most precious possessions you have--your life and health, and the life and health of those you love. When you do find a skilled doctor who seems to genuinely care, it's a huge blessing.

Dr. Lee
(my apologies to Annabelle who was awoken from a nap for this snapshot)

I don't know how Dr. Lee does it, but she knows who I am. She knows my name, my husband's name, my kids' names. She remembers and asks about things I've mentioned at previous appointments. Things like how my sister-in-law enjoyed her visit and how Josh's teaching is going. And the most impressive. . . she remembered that I ran into her in passing two months ago.

I would expect to remember her details. . . after all, I only have one doctor. But, she has hundreds of patients; that fact that she knows me is much more impressive. So, in addition to her medical expertise, I was greatly impressed with her people skills. . . skills that made me feel like a real person and not a number in a chart.

She's a great doctor and if you're planning to have a baby here in Singapore, I'd highly recommend her!

Health Care in Singapore--Part IV

The ER
(Click here for Parts I, II, and III)
Thankfully, I haven't had any personal experience with Singapore's emergency rooms, however that leaves me shorthanded on giving you any sort of assessment of the ER service here. So, instead of breaking a bone or contracting a sudden illness, I did the next best thing-- I stole the following entry my friend regarding her recent visit to the ER. If you're interested in another take on Singapore, I'd recommend you to Gina's blog. She's always full of entertaining anecdotes.
***********************
The Cost of Peace of Mind

When your daughter has had a fever for three days and suddenly starts complaining that her neck hurts a lot, the wise doctors on the web say "Go to the hospital immediately!" So I did.

I suspected it might just have been stiffness from lack of activity, or too much movie watching (she's been a pretty tired little girl) but it was 7 p.m. and I didn't want to wait until midnight, realize I really should have taken her in, and then spent a miserable night in the ER, or worse yet, have a really sick little girl.

Thankfully Lisa the maid could stay with Ethan, so Megan grabbed her pink bear for comfort and we went. The ER at the KK Children's Hospital here is a slick operation. S$80 will cover everything you do during your visit. We got in to see the doctor quickly, and she ordered a blood test to rule out meningitis. We had to wait what they said would be 40-60 minutes but which turned into more like 90 for the results. You know what's cute for about 5 seconds? Those squeaky shoes people put on their toddlers. You know what's not cute after 90 minutes? Yeah.

I did get a chance to be entertained by watching I Survived a Japanese Game Show for the first and hopefully only time. Don't get me wrong - I laughed, but watching that level of shame and pettiness is something I can skip. Where do they get the people for reality shows? One of the great mysteries of life.

Before the blood test, the doctor said she didn't suspect it was meningitis, but wanted to be sure. I called Ethan because I knew he would be worried. Somewhere in his life he developed a deep fear of illness - is it post traumatic syndrome from living through SARS? I don't know. He told me he'd been very worried, and Lisa told him to read his Bible. Man, I love this woman. He said, "So I went to Lego Bible and then played a few games and felt better."
One of these days I need to convince my son that Lego Bible is not the same as the other Bible.

After all was said and done, the doctor said she just has a viral fever and it can run its course. I have to say, a Singaporean accent is sometimes hard for me to understand. But a Singaporean accent in a hospital full of screaming babies, when spoken through a surgical mask, might as well be another language. But she got the job done and we were back home by 9:30 p.m.

Going to an emergency room at 7 p.m. in Singapore: S$80. Finding out that your daughter just has yet another tropical mystery illness and NOT meningitis: Priceless.

Friends (part 2)

The only problem with visits from friends is that they have to end.


After two fun-filled weeks with Yvette, we had to send her back to California on Saturday. If only she could have stayed another week or two (or three or four).

A Weekend in Bali

Since Yvette is here for a visit, we decided last Thursday to take a last minute weekend trip to Bali. (I know I've mentioned it before, but one of the most awesome things about living in Singapore is its close proximity to really cool places, like India, Thailand, and Bali. It's super cool to be able to grab a cheap last-minute ticket for a 2-hour plane ride and end up at some exotic tropical destination. Even if that were Singapore's ONLY perk, it would be a very significant one. Anyway, back to Bali. . . )

We stayed in a beautiful private villa in Seminyak, a small town on the south side of the island. I forgot to get pictures of the inside of the villa, but here are a couple pictures of the outside:


Every morning, a butler came in to cook us breakfast and clean up the villa and a driver was available to us for day trips. On Saturday, we drove to a popular beach about 30 minutes from Seminyak and enjoyed a few hours on the beach. The waves were awesome and the water stayed shallow for a long distance, so Caleb enjoyed splashing in the surf.

The Beach Babe

Saturday evening, we went to Ku De Ta, a chic restaurant right on the beach. It was highly recommended by all of the travel sites and so we were really wanting to check it out. We called for reservations, but were told that nothing was available. We decided to just show up and see if we could get a table. And, sure enough, they found us something. The food was awesome (though a bit pricey) and, if you're ever in Bali, you should definitely go.

Sunday, we took a scenic trip to Katamani Volcano. We passed through several small villages and enjoyed the stunning beauty of the mountainous rice paddies.


We were scheduled to return home Sunday evening, but were having so much fun, we decided to extend our stay. Josh had to be back for work on Monday morning, but he insisted that Yvette and I stay an extra day and enjoy our mini-vacation. His suggestion was met with nothing but enthusiasm on our part =) We spent the last day walking around the shopping district of Seminyak and talking with the locals. We dedided that Seminyak is the Santa Cruz (California) of Bali. Everyone is super laid back and surfer-ish in an Indonesian sort of way. It was fun to talk with a few people and learn more about what life is like when you live on Paradise Island. We finished out a trip with one last swim in the pool in our villa and headed to the airport, thankful for a wonderful weekend.