This time around will be less wordy and more about the pictures, time passes quickly and Christmas is upon us, although here it doesn't feel as present as usual. Well it's been TWO months since I last wrote anything, I will blame work and getting into the rut of things but truth is I'm really lazy.
We've had a jolly gang of visitors since last, Marias dad was here, Anna Lewerth was here and Tobias (Beijing exile Stockholmian soon to be Singaporean)...fact of the matter is they were here at the same time which was tons of fun!
Among the pics you'll see a lot of nature shots, they're from two sweet spots in Singapore, one is McRitchie Reservoir which is ...you guessed it...one of the many fresh-water reservoirs in Singapore. We are always fighting water supply here and a lot of the water is imported from Malaysia. There's a big rainwater catchment project being finalised next year, it will be down-town and will add a big plus on the supply. The pic's are from two walks, me and Maria once and me and Tobias the other time, Tobias and I spotted the full assortment of wildlife with monkeys, snakes, lizards and miscellaneous rodents. The other sweet spot is Southern Ridges, which is an elevated walk way through the thick jungle, I wrote about it before but we keep coming back so I'll keep nagging about it.
As promised I'll let the photos do the talking. Christmas in a week and we are both looking forward to spending it with Fredrik, Putu and Sunshine in Bali. When we get back we'll unpack and prepare for my parents who arrive the day before new years eve, the following weekend we go to Melakka for a weekend get-away, they continue exploring Malaysia and we go back to Singapore.
Short and sweet! Hope you all have a nice, white and relaxing Christmas and I'll be back after the holidays with the full account of Bali and Melakka.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Wet market
I just have to write this...I'm just back from our local wet market, which is where you buy your fresh meat, poultry and fish, but they also have some potted plants, flowers. Everything looks really fresh and smells great! This is where we bought our orchids before and this time I couldn't resist buying a lime tree and a basil. They're sitting on top of our air-con unit right now, but the plan is for that ledge to become a small garden, next addition will be a potted Plumeria (see previous post) which is like 1 meter high. That will make the entire flat smell great, I'm really looking forward to that, I'll keep you posted on the garden project!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Paradise
So, finally everything is in order. It all moved fast once it started rolling. A couple of week's back I started talking to Electrolux, I had interviews with different people in different positions and last week I signed the contract. I will be working as Senior Industrial Designer and so for the time being it looks like more kitchen appliances for me, and working for Electrolux will definitely be a nice experience. My first working day will be on a flight to Sydney for a four day briefing with the design team there and then for a four day briefing with the design team in Shanghai, hit the ground running kind of thing, which is nice too.
We've also moved out off Heidi and Manu's guest bedroom and into our own place. The building is 12 years old and doesn't score high on architecture, but our flat is a very nicely renovated 2 room flat in Swedish terms, a one bedroom in English terms and a studio in Singlish (which makes no sense at all). It's in a condo, Central Green just opposite the Tiong Bahru MRT station, literally across the road, and it's got all the goodies, a pool, 2 tennis courts, squash court, jacuzzi, ping pong tables, gym, sauna, steam room, BBQ pits. I have to admit that right now it feels ALOT like being on vacation. Right around the corner we have food places, we had an amazing Chicken Brijani and Chicken Murtabak yesterday, and this place is 24 hours...yum! Across the road we have all the basic shopping, including all the nice diet killers, McD, BK, KFC and a Doughnut Factory...wou wou! We also have a huge cinema across the road...the list goes on and on...and so does the rent, we try not to convert it into Swedish kronor to spare our selves the horror...THE HORRROR of the actual amount! So far we're getting the necessities from IKEA but we plan to buy some nice furniture with a more genuine feel to them, and we also have the pieces we bought in China arriving with Tobias and Sue-Li's when the move here next year.
Last weekend we joined ”The Pink Ribbon Walk” an awareness/fund-raiser for breast cancer. It turned out to be less of a walk and more of a stroll, but at the end of the day; having thousands of pink shirted people walking through Clark Quay at beer-a-clock on a Saturday is kind of cool.
We felt really good and proud afterwards but in hindsight we regret not going on the yacht with Malcolm and Fiona, but we're Swedes we like doing good (but this is the last time, promise).
AND here we go, the first food experience!
Food experience: Asam curry fish head. Part of interest: The eye. This is one of those pieces of the fish people in Asia usually fight over, and the oldest have the first picking, and that was me at this particular table, although none of the other diners made any claim to the eye. Taste: None. Texture: A slimy first impression that quickly disappears leaving behind the actual eye core, which has a thick texture to it, very dry, still tasteless. The center of the core is hard and I never finished that part, it's probably the back of the eye, but I guess the Chinese swallow this as well. Summary: Not a big deal, the psychological resistance is the only challenge here, ultimately it's just a matter of popping it into your mouth :)
We did a tree-top walk this weekend, it's an elevated walk along the different park areas in Singapore, it starts around Mount Farer, which is just around the corner and goes on for a mile or so. It's really nice since you literally get to walk among the tree-tops and it passes some of the most amazing houses. Along the way they've built some cool bridges, just take a look at the pictures, it's all very nice.
So that's it for now, as everything is slowly coming together (last boxes from China arriving soon) a big thank you to all of those who've supported us with tips, housing, logistics and so on, a BIG hug and thanks again.
We've also moved out off Heidi and Manu's guest bedroom and into our own place. The building is 12 years old and doesn't score high on architecture, but our flat is a very nicely renovated 2 room flat in Swedish terms, a one bedroom in English terms and a studio in Singlish (which makes no sense at all). It's in a condo, Central Green just opposite the Tiong Bahru MRT station, literally across the road, and it's got all the goodies, a pool, 2 tennis courts, squash court, jacuzzi, ping pong tables, gym, sauna, steam room, BBQ pits. I have to admit that right now it feels ALOT like being on vacation. Right around the corner we have food places, we had an amazing Chicken Brijani and Chicken Murtabak yesterday, and this place is 24 hours...yum! Across the road we have all the basic shopping, including all the nice diet killers, McD, BK, KFC and a Doughnut Factory...wou wou! We also have a huge cinema across the road...the list goes on and on...and so does the rent, we try not to convert it into Swedish kronor to spare our selves the horror...THE HORRROR of the actual amount! So far we're getting the necessities from IKEA but we plan to buy some nice furniture with a more genuine feel to them, and we also have the pieces we bought in China arriving with Tobias and Sue-Li's when the move here next year.
Last weekend we joined ”The Pink Ribbon Walk” an awareness/fund-raiser for breast cancer. It turned out to be less of a walk and more of a stroll, but at the end of the day; having thousands of pink shirted people walking through Clark Quay at beer-a-clock on a Saturday is kind of cool.
We felt really good and proud afterwards but in hindsight we regret not going on the yacht with Malcolm and Fiona, but we're Swedes we like doing good (but this is the last time, promise).
AND here we go, the first food experience!
Food experience: Asam curry fish head. Part of interest: The eye. This is one of those pieces of the fish people in Asia usually fight over, and the oldest have the first picking, and that was me at this particular table, although none of the other diners made any claim to the eye. Taste: None. Texture: A slimy first impression that quickly disappears leaving behind the actual eye core, which has a thick texture to it, very dry, still tasteless. The center of the core is hard and I never finished that part, it's probably the back of the eye, but I guess the Chinese swallow this as well. Summary: Not a big deal, the psychological resistance is the only challenge here, ultimately it's just a matter of popping it into your mouth :)
We did a tree-top walk this weekend, it's an elevated walk along the different park areas in Singapore, it starts around Mount Farer, which is just around the corner and goes on for a mile or so. It's really nice since you literally get to walk among the tree-tops and it passes some of the most amazing houses. Along the way they've built some cool bridges, just take a look at the pictures, it's all very nice.
So that's it for now, as everything is slowly coming together (last boxes from China arriving soon) a big thank you to all of those who've supported us with tips, housing, logistics and so on, a BIG hug and thanks again.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Pictures and Food
First of all, pictures, fresh and hot from Singapore. They are on-line now and I will post the ones from the wedding before I go to bed!
Another weekend has come and gone and we've been relaxing, walking around town checking out some museums. The past week has been mostly job-hunting, I had a phone interview and a face-to-face interview with a company (Swedish)...felt good and next week I'll get some clue if it's a go or a no-go. I also spent a couple of days in town checking out galleries and getting a grip on what's going on in the design world here, all very nice since people are really friendly and talkative.
So far the food scouting is not as exiting as the ones I did in China, things here are just too tasty and fresh. My favourite lunch is Popiah; a soft thin circular rice sheet that you roll into a package with shrimp, peanuts, salad, pickled cabbage and chili...needless to say it's amazing! And then there's Laksa! Oh sweet Laksa!!! It's a stew/soup on coconut milk and chili, into which you put fish, noodles, sprouts, clams and all kinds of fresh nice fishy stuff...super good! I will try to remember to take pictures of these wonders, but for now you'll have to take my word for it :)
Bed time soon,and more pictures to edit and post! Cheers!
Another weekend has come and gone and we've been relaxing, walking around town checking out some museums. The past week has been mostly job-hunting, I had a phone interview and a face-to-face interview with a company (Swedish)...felt good and next week I'll get some clue if it's a go or a no-go. I also spent a couple of days in town checking out galleries and getting a grip on what's going on in the design world here, all very nice since people are really friendly and talkative.
So far the food scouting is not as exiting as the ones I did in China, things here are just too tasty and fresh. My favourite lunch is Popiah; a soft thin circular rice sheet that you roll into a package with shrimp, peanuts, salad, pickled cabbage and chili...needless to say it's amazing! And then there's Laksa! Oh sweet Laksa!!! It's a stew/soup on coconut milk and chili, into which you put fish, noodles, sprouts, clams and all kinds of fresh nice fishy stuff...super good! I will try to remember to take pictures of these wonders, but for now you'll have to take my word for it :)
Bed time soon,and more pictures to edit and post! Cheers!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Early observations
Just thought I'd put some first thoughts down about my first two weeks here. The night I arrived we took a cab to the flat where we are staying; it's on the East Coast, in a very nice neighborhood with a lot of local food and shop houses. Stepping out of the cab the first thing I feel is the sweet smells of flowers, it's probably from a Plumeria tree nearby, sooo nice! Since it was Friday, we stayed up a bit, looking at pictures and catching up. Saturday we all went down to the city for some light sightseeing and shopping. I had my first Hawker food (a collection of small food stalls where you can buy almost anything from any country) and I have to say...food will probably be a theme for this blog also in the future, but the focus will be more on delicious stuff rather than strange stuff :)
Sunday we took a bus down to Little India where we walked around and enjoyed the smells and sounds, and eventually also the Singaporean-Indian version of the Red Light District. We were passing an ally where Fredrik said "I get the feeling we should walk down this ally?!" and so we did. In front of doors were groups of men, looking into the houses, and when we passed the doors we realized they were "checking what was up for offer" at the brothels, very strange!
First impression here is that people are sooo nice and that it's not as clean as one might think when reading about the rules in this country, which of course is nice. On several occasions people have asked us if we needed help, interfered to make sure we weren't making a mistake, super super friendly! And the cleanliness...I am glad to find many "dodgy" places around town and the feeling of sitting outside at plastic chairs eating the best seafood ever reminds me Vietnam, and it's a very nice feeling.
So the first week I spent with Fredrik while Maria was working, he is also new to Singapore so we did some sightseeing and serious walking. The walking was hard on Fredrik, but in the end we managed to achieve the three things on his list 1. New visa for Indonesia, 2. Exercise, 3. Fat-camp. The rice diet of Bali had reduced my friend to skin and bone (more than usual) and we kept a strict diet of saturated fats and sugar, I lost count of how many "mocha-choco-whipped cream-extra sugar" drinks he had :)
We scored high on the adult-meter when we spent hours in the botanical garden, and not just in the general garden but we spent 5 S$ on the Orchid Exhibition where we spent time going OOOOHHHHH AHHHHHH at hybrids and mutated specimens. Serious fun and very mature, which ended with Fredrik stating that he now walked longer in the Botanical Gardens than he's done his entire stay on Bali...in other words it was time for a cup of double-choco-coco-cream!
And once Fredrik left it was time for me to start looking for work and I think my daily routines are acceptable :) I get up when Maria goes for work and go for a run, a walk or a swim. I then have breakfast watching Discovery Channel. Once that's done I alternate between emailing, reading Singapore/Design blogs and searching for the right people to contact, all this is done with healthy breaks for coffee or pool splashes. Lunch is usually a fresh fruit juice and something from the local Hawker Center, something Indonesian, Malayan, Singaporean, Chinese, Thai or Indian...it will be a long time before I eat my way through a Hawker Center.
That bring you up to date, I'll post some pictures as soon as I find the time, PROMISE!
Bye for now //O
Sunday we took a bus down to Little India where we walked around and enjoyed the smells and sounds, and eventually also the Singaporean-Indian version of the Red Light District. We were passing an ally where Fredrik said "I get the feeling we should walk down this ally?!" and so we did. In front of doors were groups of men, looking into the houses, and when we passed the doors we realized they were "checking what was up for offer" at the brothels, very strange!
First impression here is that people are sooo nice and that it's not as clean as one might think when reading about the rules in this country, which of course is nice. On several occasions people have asked us if we needed help, interfered to make sure we weren't making a mistake, super super friendly! And the cleanliness...I am glad to find many "dodgy" places around town and the feeling of sitting outside at plastic chairs eating the best seafood ever reminds me Vietnam, and it's a very nice feeling.
So the first week I spent with Fredrik while Maria was working, he is also new to Singapore so we did some sightseeing and serious walking. The walking was hard on Fredrik, but in the end we managed to achieve the three things on his list 1. New visa for Indonesia, 2. Exercise, 3. Fat-camp. The rice diet of Bali had reduced my friend to skin and bone (more than usual) and we kept a strict diet of saturated fats and sugar, I lost count of how many "mocha-choco-whipped cream-extra sugar" drinks he had :)
We scored high on the adult-meter when we spent hours in the botanical garden, and not just in the general garden but we spent 5 S$ on the Orchid Exhibition where we spent time going OOOOHHHHH AHHHHHH at hybrids and mutated specimens. Serious fun and very mature, which ended with Fredrik stating that he now walked longer in the Botanical Gardens than he's done his entire stay on Bali...in other words it was time for a cup of double-choco-coco-cream!
And once Fredrik left it was time for me to start looking for work and I think my daily routines are acceptable :) I get up when Maria goes for work and go for a run, a walk or a swim. I then have breakfast watching Discovery Channel. Once that's done I alternate between emailing, reading Singapore/Design blogs and searching for the right people to contact, all this is done with healthy breaks for coffee or pool splashes. Lunch is usually a fresh fruit juice and something from the local Hawker Center, something Indonesian, Malayan, Singaporean, Chinese, Thai or Indian...it will be a long time before I eat my way through a Hawker Center.
That bring you up to date, I'll post some pictures as soon as I find the time, PROMISE!
Bye for now //O
Wrap-up
So...finally in Singapore, new blog format (bye bye Microsoft) and new language, hopefully this will work better. Images will be linked from Picasa follow the link if you feel like browsing around, I will post pictures in each entry but I know some of you want more :)
After a long and relaxing vacation I'm now in full job-hunt mode, really fun since people here are open and willing to share contacts and experiences. We are staying with Heidi and Manu (sorry for the spelling) who are sweet enough to let us stay in their guest bedroom. They have a really nice flat, with a pool and a supersonic DSL connection, so needless to say, I'm good...
I know you are all waiting for the wedding pictures; they'll be on Picasa soon. For those of you who couldn't be there, you missed a really good party! Those of you who were there...thank you all SOOOO much for making our party a day/night to remember, and your wedding-trip support will be rewarded with jaw-dropping pictures. We don't know when we're going yet, but as for now the plan is Malaysia...its after-all just half an hour from Singapore, so we'll probably take a single engine propeller into the jungle somewhere and force-feed on lobster and champagne :)
It was really nice to see you all, the ones we didn't manage to meet up with, you are welcome to Singapore an time, or we'll have to meet up next year. We're staying in Asia for Christmas, and there are plans in the working of both our parents coming here, not at the same time but with an overlap where we all meet on Bali for some Christmas fun with Fredrik, Putu and Sunshine.
Before I came here I revisited a post-Olympic Beijing...which was pretty much business as usual, according to people who stayed in town the massive security presence killed any and all spurs of festivity. All well and orderly on the surface but without a soul, sounds like the China I know and love. After three days of packing every last piece of "junk" into boxes (my god I've been doing some serious shopping) I left the grey-yellowish skies of Beijing for pitch black, flower smelling Singapore!
And here we are, I'm waiting for the maid to finish her work so I can hit the pool, I will have to keep busy to manage to squeeze my usual three swims into the schedule, but I think I'll manage. This will have to be an opening post; I'll get into some more day-to-day stuff soon.
Cheers!!!
After a long and relaxing vacation I'm now in full job-hunt mode, really fun since people here are open and willing to share contacts and experiences. We are staying with Heidi and Manu (sorry for the spelling) who are sweet enough to let us stay in their guest bedroom. They have a really nice flat, with a pool and a supersonic DSL connection, so needless to say, I'm good...
I know you are all waiting for the wedding pictures; they'll be on Picasa soon. For those of you who couldn't be there, you missed a really good party! Those of you who were there...thank you all SOOOO much for making our party a day/night to remember, and your wedding-trip support will be rewarded with jaw-dropping pictures. We don't know when we're going yet, but as for now the plan is Malaysia...its after-all just half an hour from Singapore, so we'll probably take a single engine propeller into the jungle somewhere and force-feed on lobster and champagne :)
It was really nice to see you all, the ones we didn't manage to meet up with, you are welcome to Singapore an time, or we'll have to meet up next year. We're staying in Asia for Christmas, and there are plans in the working of both our parents coming here, not at the same time but with an overlap where we all meet on Bali for some Christmas fun with Fredrik, Putu and Sunshine.
Before I came here I revisited a post-Olympic Beijing...which was pretty much business as usual, according to people who stayed in town the massive security presence killed any and all spurs of festivity. All well and orderly on the surface but without a soul, sounds like the China I know and love. After three days of packing every last piece of "junk" into boxes (my god I've been doing some serious shopping) I left the grey-yellowish skies of Beijing for pitch black, flower smelling Singapore!
And here we are, I'm waiting for the maid to finish her work so I can hit the pool, I will have to keep busy to manage to squeeze my usual three swims into the schedule, but I think I'll manage. This will have to be an opening post; I'll get into some more day-to-day stuff soon.
Cheers!!!
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