it's been a year...

Since we started this crazy adventure!  A year of ups and downs, previously unimaginable travelling (Borneo being the most unlikely), amazing experiences, from seeing dolphins in the wild with the girls to experiencing the beauty of Bali.  And being exposed to the seemingly more mundane opportunity to swim everyday!

Christmas is certainly not the same, but we had a lovely day with friends and you can't really knock sipping bubbly by the pool on the 25th December, can you!  We are now the proud owners of an artificial tree (quite probably the best shaped one we've ever had, but definitely missing the delicious pine scent), have discovered that very few Christmas cards manage to make the journey from home, but that birthdays continue to be remembered, and Skype is a wonderful thing!

We've had a huge amount of visitors given our distance from home - my parents twice, Mr W's parents and little sister, and Pickle's friends from school.  And of course, we managed to go back home for a month in the summer to catch up properly with family and friends, and absorb everything that is the beautiful English summer.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful new year - see you in 2011! xx

show and tell...

Well, the last week has seemingly flown by, what with celebrating Christmas early with my parents before they went back home, Christmas markets and parties at school, not to mention malfunctioning cameras... I've had no time to post.  So here is my slightly over due show and tell.

So, Betsy's birthday.  To my huge disappointment, my camera decided to play up, so whilst the room we used was festooned with balloons, bunting, Charlie and Lola inspired party plates, cups and napkins and looked really magical,  I have very few photos of the actual event.  This is what I do have, and yes, I did take some of them after the event!

First up, the invitation...

On the way to decorate the room...

Betsy's sign...

Pin the hair clip on Lola, courtesy of Pickle...

A few of the snowmen and party bags...

Fairy cakes...

Much fun was had by all, lucky dip was a big hit, everyone enjoyed parcel parcel (as it is known in our family), and when it all got a bit loud, I had a flashback to playing Sleeping Lions at parties when I was little, which very much proved to be a stroke of inspiration!

Next up, the present.  

This was inspired by Lauren Child's Princess and the Pea.  I had this idea last year, but what, with moving to Singapore and all that entailed, time got the better of me.  This year, I had no such excuse.  I searched high and low for a suitable bed, and failed miserably.  Now, if we'd been at home, I like to think that Mr W would have come to my rescue, but as we only bought a handful of tools out with us, that wasn't really an option.  In the end, I found a suitable sized cardboard box, added some wooden dowels for the four poster effect, and stuck it all together with the assistance of some papier mache before painting it.  I then raided my material stash and recycled some bump from some old curtains to make the requisite 12 mattresses.  

Meanwhile, Pickle made a pom pom pea (hopefully large enough not to lose) and my mum made the princess' dress, using the same 'in her head' pattern she used to use for my Sindy doll when I was little.  I must confess to being really delighted with the end result.  Betsy seems pleased too, as are the Sylvanians, who have rather taken to playing hide and seek in it!

One last thing left.  I wanted mum to have something to remind her of us on a daily basis, and knowing that she likes a cup of tea in the afternoon, I followed this pattern and made this...

It doesn't necessarily stand up to close scrutiny, but I'm new to this knitting game, so things can only get better!  

Have a great week x

lists...

This week, I have mainly been:
1. secretly making a princess and the pea bed for Betsy's 7th birthday next week (it's nearly finished)
2. desperately trying to track down a suitable doll to become the princess (finally tracked one down yesterday - now I just need to make the dress)
3. entertaining Mr W's parents
4. making Charlie and Lola inspired party ware, hopscotch, tablecloths, party bags.... for Betsy's birthday party this weekend
5. hand painting scenery for the girls' school Christmas concert
6. knitting Merry Christmas bunting for our front door, as a wreath isn't going to work in this heat!
7. knitting a teapot for my mum's Christmas stocking - this has lead me to knitting on the bus (I can do 18 rows between home and school!)
8. generally trying to run a house

I hope to do a fabulous show and tell next week.  See you then x

spreading the word...

Sorry about not posting on Wednesday, I seem to be juggling far too many balls at the moment, what with visitors, Christmas Concerts and Markets to organise, not to mention a certain someone's birthday.  By way of relaxation, I've started several knitting projects,  (some may say too many, but that's another story), which has inspired Pickle to have a go.  She's currently knitting a scarf for Rabs, and I'm tickled pink.

Have a lovely weekend one and all x

discovering singapore's arab quarter...

So, my parents arrived on Saturday evening, and yesterday we took them to the Arab Quarter.  Pickle and I only discovered it properly last week, and it's just amazing, a real oasis.

Unlike Chinatown and Little India, it feels like a real enclave, as there aren't any tall buildings in the immediate vicinity, and it's not stuffed full of people (or it certainly wasn't when we were there).  There are lots of palm trees, cafes spilling out onto the streets and plenty of people smoking shisha pipes (I think that's what they're called), which the girls found absolutely fascinating.  The scent of the fruit tobacco wafts down the street as you walk past.  One of my girlfriends reliably informs me that if you go there in the evening, the pavements are covered in rugs and everyone sits on them smoking shisha and eating, which I suspect is a sight to behold (and smell).

There are also some lovely shops to mooch in, selling the most beautiful rugs, bolts and bolts of fabric, from intricately beaded silks to georgette, beads galore, and perfume shops selling the most beautiful array of perfume bottles, in which you can design your own scent.  My mother and the girls were in their element, and came home with some.

We also bought Congkak, which is a game we first saw in Borneo...

The rules are very complicated, although I suspect once you've got the hang of them it will be fine, and last night, Mr W and I spent about 2 hours playing just 2 games.  The rules imply that the game finishes when either someone has won all the shells and is declared the winner, or the players get fed up, so in many senses it's a little like monopoly!!  The girls are very keen to play, so tonight's task is to teach them what's what - wish me luck!

pop flowers...

Yesterday, I found myself at Ikea buying a few bits and bobs, when I wandered into the fabric department and found this gorgeous pop flower print.  Now back home, I would probably admire it but dismiss it as being too bold, but with the bright sunlight here, I thought it would make perfect cushion covers for our dining room chairs...

Needless to say, they had been in situ for less than an hour before Mr W threw a drink over one of them, so they've already been christened (and no, I didn't shout, in case you were wondering)!

Happy weekend x

sleepovers...

Well, may I just say, studying whilst juggling children and household chores, not to mention husbands, is no mean feat.  I knew I wasn't on top of things when Pickle asked where her clean socks were, given that she has about 20 pairs and only wears them on school days!  Anyway, normal service has now resumed, so there is at least enough food in the cupboards to make a meal.  Now I just need to attend to the piles of 'things' which have materialised over the past week or so!

It's a bank holiday here tomorrow (in honour of Hari Raya) so tonight the girls have got a couple of friends over for a sleepover.  Pickle made her friends the hair clips in the photo this morning before school, so they're now all sitting on the sofa in PJs with matching bows watching Parent Trap for the umpteenth time.  Which means I'm hoping to design Betsy's birthday invitation.  I realise I've left it a little late to send it out - maybe that means that not all of the twenty(!) 6/7 year olds will be able to attend.  This year, we're having a Charlie and Lola meets the funfair theme - a typical Betsy mix.  All I need to do is find shop that sells hook a duck - any ideas anyone?!?!

xx

marshmallow monday...

I've been playing hooky today and have yet to do any preparation for my exam this coming Saturday - eek!  It was a girlfriend's birthday today, so a few of us had lunch at hers, and of course I was on fairy cake duty for pudding.  Her children were off school, so we all sang happy birthday to her, she blew out the candle, and then we ate them with an accompanying cup of tea from a nice china tea cup - lovely.

Having been very slack today, I think I'm going to have to busy myself for the rest of the week, so I'll be back here next Monday. See you then x

UN day...

The girls' school celebrated UN day last week, which lead to a little bit of head scratching as to what they could wear.  No one fancied going down the Morris dancer route(!), and St George didn't appeal either, so we decided to fall back on the Union Jack.  Both the girls designed an applique t-shirt.  Pickle's is above, and this one is Betsy's.  She took her designing very seriously, presenting me with a sketch so that I knew exactly what she wanted!

Pickle also designed a fabulous hat clip (which she wore at a very jaunty angle)...

Wishing you a happy weekend x

studying...

Having been here for 10 months now(!), I feel like I'm starting to get my head around living here, and so it is time for me to consider doing something outside the house.  The thing is, I want to retain flexibility so that I am able to work around the girls, which is easier said than done.  Anyway, the upshot is, I have started a course which will train me to teach English as a second language.  Now, I haven't studied for years, so it's proving a bit of a juggling act (hence the lack of post on Monday - sorry), but I think I'm just about keeping on top of things, although cooking supper the night before we're going to eat it has been a bit of an eye opener!!

As you can see, the picture above shows that the girls are very much playing around me as I study (Mr W was golfing at the weekend, so I had very little choice).  I'm hoping that's a good sign!

See you on Friday x

borneo part three...

I've never seen a 'rainbow ring' around the sun before, but we saw it several times whilst we were away.  Apparently, it's not an unusual phenomenom in tropical countries, although I don't recall seeing it in Singapore.

Whilst we're on the subject of weather, I can report that although it was hot, it wasn't humid (hurrah!), which was a positive delight.  The other thing I can report is that, despite poor Pickle being stopped in her tracks by a snake, we seemed to survive the wild life (cue huge sighs of relief all round).  It must be said, however, that we didn't stay in a treehouse...

That, doubtless, would have led to an entirely different experience, especially during the thunderstorms we experienced - should you ever find yourself in Borneo, don't forget to pack a torch!

Wishing you a lovely weekend x

borneo part two...

Day 3 was, for me, a little disappointing.  Firstly, we went to try to see the semi wild orangutans, where we saw the mother and daughter above.  Unfortunately, we didn't see any others, which was a real shame.  It did also make me realise quite how lucky we are having Singapore Zoo on our doorstep.

After that, we went to see the crocodiles.  Now, I've never been especially bothered by crocodiles either way but, after seeing them in Borneo, I can honestly say that I absolutely definitely loath and detest them.  Seeing quite so many of them simultaneously filled me with dread, so much so, that Betsy and I spent the vast majority of our time in the cafe studiously ignoring them, whilst Pickle and Mr W explored a little more!

Day 4 was infinitely better.  We went to the Cultural Village in Damai, where we saw lots of traditional buildings, crafts and dances - much more up my street...

See you on Friday for my final Borneo instalment x

borneo part one...

Hello again, we're back, and what an adventure we've had!  Borneo is truly amazing.  We stayed by the beach all the time, which we were unsure about, as lots of people had advised us to spend a couple of nights in Kuching, and we weren't sure if we'd be able to fill our days, but it wasn't a problem.

Day 1, we mooched around at the hotel and on the beach, which was lovely, as the beaches in Singapore aren't great, especially after we're used to the beautiful ones in Devon, so we spent lots of time collecting shells and paddling in the South China Sea - SO warm.  In the evening, we went to a local sea food restaurant in Kampung Buntal.  The food was absolutely delicious, (we had black pepper lobster, sea bass, chicken rice for the girls, noodles and rice for about £6 a head), but the setting was definitely simple (am surprised the girls and I were quite as brave as we were)...

Day 2 was probably the highlight of our trip.  We went on a boat trip to spot irrawaddy dolphins, which was amazing...

The girls haven't seen dolphins in their natural surroundings before, so it was a real treat to be able to share this experience with them.  There were a group of 3 of them swimming amongst the local fishing boats.  They were truly beautiful, very graceful creatures, making a lovely soft blowing noise.

After that, we moved on to the mangroves looking for crocodiles.  Unfortunately, we didn't see any (I'm not entirely sure I was anything other than relieved, as I'm not a great crocodile fan, more of which later), but we were in the mangroves for quite some time, and I have to say, Mr W and I both felt very privileged to be there...

Having failed to find any crocodiles, we went snorkelling off Satang Besar Island, which was too cloudly to be perfect, but was still thoroughly enjoyable, and again, to see the girls doing it was fab.  We then had lunch on the island, and this was our view from the picnic table...

And these are some of the shells we found...

I'll report in with more news on Wednesday.  Until then, enjoy your week x

blue skies...

Today, the sky has been endlessly blue, which is a great start to the girls' half term holiday.  We're off to Borneo for a few days, so I won't be around next week, and Mr W has just walked through the door (at quarter past 5 - unheard of), so I'm going to sign off now.

See you a week on Monday x

hair slides...

Pickle kept herself busy last week, off her own bat, busily making these lovely hair slides - I think she was probably inspired by the ones Aunty Nooms wears.  She also made one from an old school dress we had lying around (it's not in the photo as I think she must be wearing it today).  She has apparently started a bit of a trend at school.  So much so, that one of the girls tried to photocopy her dress and use that to make a hair slide!  Needless to say, Pickle was beaming from ear to ear when she found this out.  I'm hoping there's a budding designer in there somewhere!

See you on Friday x

under the weather...

There's very little action in our household today, as I am feeling a little under the weather.  So much so, in fact, that Mr W has, for the first time in living history, taken the girls to school AND arranged to collect them, so that I might stay in bed all day.  And this has been my view.

Here's hoping I'm up and about tomorrow x

friday farewells...

Last night being Mr W's little sister's last night, we went to Raffles for the ubiquitous Singapore Sling (I had my usual mojito), then went on to Chijmes for supper, which was a really nice way to end her visit.  Pickle was busy taking lots of photos (she's week 3 of her photography course), Betsy was reading about Animal Parents, whilst we adults were soaking up the atmosphere (& enjoying the wine)!

And today, we've just been pottering around, until Nooms needed to go to the airport.  Needless to say, sunnies have been the order of the day for both of us.  Tonight, Mr W is out and Pickle has gone for a sleepover, so Betsy and I had dinner a deux, and we're now settling down to watch High School Musical 2.

Wishing you a lovely weekend xx

wednesday ramblings...

I thought this picture might amuse those of you out there.  Apparently, it is fairly customary for Singaporeans to have a pre-wedding portfolio (you can just see the photographer in the background behind the bride).  Mr W took this photograph at the weekend - the wedding party (bride & groom, veil 'fluffer' and 3 guests(?)) were standing in the middle of the road whilst the traffic lights were red!!

See you on Friday x

this weekend we have...

1. been to Universal after hours to watch the fireworks (they proved a bit noisy for Betsy)
2. enjoyed a Family Day at the girls' school
3. had supper with friends
4. started off the day with one of Mr W's restorative cooked breakfasts (it did the trick!)
5. been to Marina Bay Sands and admired the Sampans with disbelief
6.  mooched around Clarke Quay
7. been on the Singapore Flyer at night (brilliant)

So today, I intend to do a few household chores, and then have a sit down with a nice magazine and a cup of tea before the girls come back from school and we have to juggle homework/supper etc etc

Happy Monday xx

it's a fishy business...

So, Mr W's little sister arrived fresh from England with the news that Grazia swears by the latest health craze - fish spas.  Emboldened by this piece of information, we went in search of such a suitable spa, and found one here.

Now, I'm not terribly brave, but Nooms is even worse.  Having managed not to bolt at the door, we paid our money, had our feet washed and, with a HUGE intake of breath, found the tank with the smallest fish in (about 3/4cms long, definitely NOT 5cms and more!).  We then sat for a minute or so with our feet dangling above the water, all the fish at the surface - eerrgh - and looked.  And I'm delighted to report that, after A LOT of screaming and splashing of water on our part, I managed to put my feet in for about 10 minutes.  Nooms, alas, never managed much further than dipping her big toe in - apparently seeing them covering my feet filled her with horror!

Initially, I couldn't bear to look, which rendered all my photographs rubbish, but eventually I managed it...

The sensation is very odd, a little like putting your feet in a fizzy drink, and after about 10 minutes, I'd had more than enough.  The end result however, is very smooth feet.  I'm not saying that I'd do it again, but there again...

Happy Wednesday x

f1 and crinolin ladies...

As you know, we went to the Grand Prix this weekend.  Now, I failed miserably in taking a picture of the cars at the practice on Friday, so I didn't bother to take my camera again.  LARGE error.  On Saturday night, there was the most amazing spectacle, the sort of thing you'd expect to see in a Terry Gillingham film.

There were flying men, huge crinolin ladies, some of whom flew...

 

and some of whom had ladies on swings buried in their skirts.  And there were inflatable balls, flying ships...

and plenty more, all of which was captured on my somewhat inadequate mobile phone - very frustrating!

Wishing you a happy Monday x

friday frivolities...

I'm delighted to report that my birthday week has ended on a high note (hurrah).  Yesterday, I had a lovely spa day with a girlfriend at the Polo Club, topped off by a night at the Formula 1 Grand Prix, which was very enjoyable but, to be honest, more noisy than anything else, although I'm not what you'd call a die hard fan.  Oh yes, and Mr W's little sister arrived in the early hours of this morning - perfect!

Wishing you all a happy weekend xx