Re-empty Nesting

They have come and now have gone again.  Z & W came for a month's visit with their parental units over the Christmas and New Year holidays.  Time spent as a family unit is much treasured these days, given the geographical distance between us.  Even more precious was time spent with their grandparents during a short getaway to Taipei, as due to various circumstances, visiting them in Singapore is not an option.

I loved simply just listening to and being a part of conversations between us.  Nothing beats face to face interactions.  Facetime is a blessing to be had for sure, but I do miss the physical togetherness of being a family, extended or otherwise.

Having said that, now that they have returned home, A says he is happy to be back to our usual grind and day to day schedule.  We love them dearly, but there is something to be said to be just the two of us once more.

Transitioning. Again.

W leaves Boston tomorrow for a new life in California.  He graduated last year and now begins a new phase of life where he will (hopefully) find a job at least temporarily, while deciding whether he wants to go on to law school or not.  I am optimistic that he will do well.

For us, this year is a year of moves.  Moving/selling our Boston condo, moving out of our rental in Singapore, moving into a larger place in Macau....and hopefully finding a permanent home somewhere in the Pacific Northwest of the USA.  I have been longing for permanence for a while now.  At the ripe old age of 52, I long to finally put down some roots.  My tired soul has had enough of uprooting over the last 2 decades or so.

Where is Home

Z graduates this December.  He needs to submit information for his commencement ceremony including "Hometown".  W asked us the same question too, a couple of months ago, as he may be on track to graduate a year earlier than expected.

"What should I say for Hometown?" they ask.

I say, "I don't know".

"Planet Earth would be good," Z replies.

Indeed, it would.

I ask myself this question too, sometimes.

Traveled Out

I am tired of flying.  I hate flying in the first place, and it doesn't help flying coach either.  I think that's the worst part of being an international family....all that flying around just to get to where your loved ones are.

Sometimes, I wish everyone was in the same country town and just a short car ride away.

More flying to come before the years is over.....don't get me wrong, I love the destination, just not the (plane) journey.

Sigh.

Post Holiday Blues

We are a bunch of ladies coming from varied and diverse backgrounds.  We met in Beijing, trailing spouses who volunteered with the parent organization at our children's school.  Through the common experience of being a stranger in a strange land, our friendship was forged in the latter half of our lives.  It doesn't matter that we've known each other only a handful of years.  It was enough to form life-long relationships.

They say true friends pick up where they left off no matter how long apart they've stayed.  How true, how true!  We spent a few days in the bucolic paradise of Bali....eating, shopping, talking, laughing, playing, drinking.

And all too soon, we have to separate again to our respective countries.  But plans of our next trip have started to germinate already.....and I look forward to that, wherever/whenever it may be!

Full Circle (sort of)

So.

The Fates have decided that we move to Singapore in the coming year.  

I can't say that I am unhappy about it.  I will be close to my parents and at their age, it is great that I will be able to spend more time with them.

I will be able to reconnect with friends, both long-time and recent.  Many good friends from Beijing have relocated to Singapore over the last few years.  Reconnecting with old friends will be quite different though.  I find my views & attitudes about social mores, parenting, education, well, heck, life in general, have changed over the years that I have lived away from there.  I am not sure how well received those views will be by some of them.  I'll just have to wait and see.

However, moving there will mean that Z. will not be able to visit, for reasons which for now, best remain un-revealed on the world wide web.  Both boys would prefer that we remain in Hong Kong or move back to the US of A.  But A. has to move where his job brings us; after all, there are still college tuition fees to be paid (less one after this semester, yay!).

So for now, Singapore it is, for better or for worse.

As for Hong Kong, well.....I never was in love with this city.  But for what it's worth, it's been a good respite from living in China, and the dim sum has been delicious.

I miss

I miss the wide open spaces.

I miss the clear blue skies and fresh air.

I miss cheap fresh produce from the local farms & supermarkets.

I miss planting flowers in the yard.

I miss, I miss, I miss.

Reunions

It's almost the end of my trip to Singapore.  It's been a special trip filled with birthday celebrations & reunions, both family & friends.

Carpe Diem is my motto for my next century of life.  I plan to hold my loved ones close, and appreciate them more as I realize that life is not that long, and especially when one lives far from one's family & friends, every moment spent together are treasured pearls.

Country Living

I've been spending time with my parents in their new home, across the Straits of Johor.  It's a spanking new development located on the Eastern coast of Johor in Malaysia so close to Singapore that you can actually see the country from the waterfront boardwalk which is part of the community.  Marshland forms a part of the landscape of this ambitious development.  Hard to believe that swampland can be beautiful, but it actually is....

Today I just saw a sea otter swimming along the coastline then scamper onto shore & into the mangrove swamp.  A monitor lizard almost came into the house as it chased its prey (the largest gecko I've ever seen!!!), which did come in, scaring me to bits (I have herpetophobia - thanks Google!).  To be honest, I can do without the latter kind of wildlife!

The town nearby reminds me of the city I was born in...especially the shop houses with hawker stalls selling delicious local foods!  The difference between Johor Baru & Singapore is quite astounding, really, given the fact that only a narrow strip of water separates the two.  It's hard to find the rustic feel of country living in the rather artificial environment that is Singapore.

Yesterday, my folks brought me to eat seafood at a restaurant located on Orang Asli land on the waterfront.  Certainly not a five star restaurant.  It is located on stilts above the water, with a rather rickety bridge that leads to it from the "mainland".  Planks of dubious strength make up the bridge, but the food! the food!  Fresh crabs & fish & prawns & clams!  From the restaurant, one can see the farming areas where the seafood is cultivated by the Orang Asli.  The restaurant is run by ethnically Chinese Malaysians.  This symbiotic relationship between the two groups makes good business sense, as evidenced by the healthy crowd of customers present in the restaurant even at the odd hour of 3 pm.

Seafood is farmed by the Orang Asli (above)

Orang Asli homes on stilts by the water

Musings from the Empty Nest 2

Smooth transition into empty nest-hood notwithstanding, reuniting with Z & eventually W will still be a wonderful event.  We will go to our first family vacation in a long time, heading to the sunny shores of Phuket, Thailand where we plan to do nothing but bask in the sun, take long walks on the beach, and enjoy Thai food.

Travel Weary

Seven flights in three months = pedal oedema

Time to listen to my body and take a break from globe trotting.

Heading home

Two more days and A & I head back to the fragrant harbor.  I, for one, am tired of living out of a suitcase.  It's been almost two months since I left HK with W.  We have spent time with my MIL in NYC, my sis in TX, and in motels/hotels in Beantown, running errands, setting up living spaces, etc etc.

I have spent more time abroad than I have in our new "home" in HK.  I have yet to physically and psychologically assimilate myself & I know that I need to do that soon as part of the moving-on process.

HK here I come (again).

Summertime

It's been a scorcher of a summer so far.  We've been here for about a month: New York City, Boston and now Houston. The heat seems to follow us & I long for the colder weather of winter to come.  

We have been getting things ready for W to move into his apartment when he starts college in a couple of weeks.  It's a tedious process.  Utilities, internet & cable service, furniture & so on & so forth.  I am hoping that W will be self-sufficient when he is on his own, like his older brother.  He tells me repeatedly that he'll be fine.  I can't help worrying.

He is my baby after all.

out of sync

This I have to say:

Traveling & living through 3 different time zones within a week sure messes with your diurnal rhythm.

Magnificence 2

We have made our way through three national parks on the Colorado Plateau: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon (North & South Rims).

They are, in one word, spectacular. Thinking about how they have been here on this Earth for millions of years makes me feel small and insignificant.

If I had to choose a favorite, I would say Bryce Canyon with its reddish colored rock formations called Hoodoos. The Paiutes believed that this was an evil place, and people who wandered in were turned into stone. W & I did the easy hike into the canyon and came up close & personal to some of these Hoodoos.

The Grand Canyon was, well, grand. The views from the both rims were breathtaking. With the Colorado River snaking through what essentially is a chasm in the Earth formed from shifting tectonic plates & volcanic activity, there were many areas along the Rim Trail where we were literally steps away from certain death if we were to take a wrong step over the edge!

We drove through desert highways, mountain roads, up to 9,000 feet above sea level. We saw mountains & valleys, rivers & lakes, forests & deserts, and the bright lights of Las Vegas.

But you know what the best part of the whole trip was?

Just doing things as a family and spending time together.

Magnificence

We are road tripping through a few of the national parks in the American southwest. The splendor & beauty of the landscape we have driven/hiked through can best be described through pictures.

This is Zion National Park in Utah. The pictures speak for themselves.

Panorama

Sunrise

Valley

Chillin' 2

Z & I are visiting with my sister in Houston where the heat is sometimes worse than in Singapore.

It is nice to have nothing on our daily agenda, to wake up when my body tells me to instead of being jolted awake by the shrill ring of an alarm clock, and to just relax for a while.

SoCal

We've been here in Los Angeles for just over a week now & have been enjoying the great weather, the clear blue skies & most of all, just being together as a family unit. Living separately makes this time together all the more precious.

It's been several years since I've been in Southern California. We've done all the usual Disney/Universal/Legoland theme parks before, when the kids were much younger. This time around, these places are not as appealing as before. Instead, we visit the less

hyped about places in Los Angeles like Venice Beach & the Griffith Observatory.

Venice Beach, with its bohemian atmosphere, is a great place to people-watch. Apart from the

touristy souvenir shops, one can also visit a "doctor" to get medical marijuana (and I am

assuming that one would need a legitimate prescription to do so!), as well hookahs & shisha pipes & other such similar "herbal" paraphernalia!

The Griffith Observatory is located on a hill in Griffith Park not too far from Beverly Hills. Apart from the exhibits inside the observatory, you can also see amazing views of

Los Angeles & its surrounding areas, including a nice shot of the Hollywood sign.

We watched an amazing panoramic presentation titled "The Center of the Universe" which gives a history of astronomy, and an explanation of how the universe began. We were treated to a view of the night sky, the planets & the galaxy with occasional vertiginous views as we "flew" through space to see these wonders of the universe.

An unintentional detour up a twisty hillside road through the Hollywood Hills brought us as close as legally possible to the Hollywood sign! This was an unexpected treat which resulted from Z pressing the wrong button on our GPS unit. Some of the homes we drove past probably cost millions of dollars & belong to celebrities but I can't imagine living in a house perched on the side of a hill (magnificent view notwithstanding) in an earthquake prone area.

Anyway, here's a picture we took when we hit the dead end. The only way up was a dirt track which had numerous warning signs telling us that it was a restricted area, no trespassing, no stopping etc etc etc. In any case, we were thrilled to be so close to this almost legendary landmark.

Another beach which is featured quite commonly in TV shows & movies is the Santa Monica beach & the pier located on there.

With music-crazy kids, we HAD to visit the Grammy Museum located within a complex called LA Live. Here, one can learn about the history of the Grammy awards, and about how music is written & produced & recorded with hands on exhibits which musician wanna-be's can try, from "playing" a musical instrument to recording to mixing a track. Basically, it's paradise for music lovers. For me, the most fascinating part of the museum was a special exhibit featuring John Lennon. Included in the display were actual lyrics of some of his famous songs handwritten on note paper & envelopes during the songwriting process. Unfortunately, photography is not allowed inside, so I didn't take any pictures of this museum.

I must say that I am surprised at how much I have enjoyed L.A. The weather has been great (check out the blue skies in the pictures!), the people friendly, and a lot more laid-back than the East Coast grittiness one gets when one visits NYC. We have been staying in a hotel in the Marina Del Rey area, which is right by the ocean so we get the coolness of the ocean breeze. There are lots of restaurants, supermarkets & coffee bars around (at last count, at least 4 within a one block area, including our favorite, Peet's Coffee).

W is doing a four week college course at USC. Both he & Z have hinted at how they would not mind living in LA. They like the cosmopolitan feel of the city, as do I. So, who knows....

Chillin'

We've been in Los Angeles 2 and a half days now & have not done any sightseeing at all. We are just enjoying being a family together in one place at one time again! Meals, movies, a bit of shopping & just trying to get over jet lag (read: waking up at 4 to 5 am) are enough for now.

Over the next few days, we will visit the University of Southern California, perhaps Venice Beach, Hollywood, and of course, with my guys, possibly visit a guitar factory.

Whatever we do, it won't matter....'cos we'll do it together.

:)

Summer Summary

Our family of 4 lives in 3 different countries. The logistical complexity of this situation is summarized in our summer itinerary as follows:

7 travel dates

9 cities of origin, transit & destination

11 different flights on

7 different airlines