Sorry for the lack of blogs on my part. I've been worn out after work every day this week, and just haven't felt up to blogging. And it seems the longer I go without blogging the less inclined I am to blog (kinda like exercising).
Nothing much to report this week. We met Angie, a fellow Singaporean blogger last night, as she was gracious enough to invite us out. Thanks again Angie, it was a pleasure to meet you.
School is going well, but I've decided not to renew my contract for next year. As such, my employment pass will be expiring shortly after the 7th of June. I'm thinking of starting my own business, as there appears to be no agency here that specializes in working with infants with special needs (and I'm sure there is a need), but I'm not sure I want to deal with all the logistics that go with owning and operating your own business. We'll see what happens.
I'm probably going to come back to the States in July, as I really can't bear waiting until December ( I need a burrito! and I'm out of all of my Aveda products and can't get them here). Mark will not be accompanying me, unfortunately. If I'm invited (hint, hint Kristina, Michael, and Alison) I'm thinking of stopping in LA on my way to ATL for a few days, and spending a few days in Portland, OR. on the way home. Any interest in coming to Atlanta, Karen? If not with some cajoling I might be willing to go to NYC. It'd be wonderful if I could see all of my favorite women in one trip!
Congratulation to my father for surviving another tax season and ridding himself of an annoying co-worker. Good for you Dad!

Interesting. A grocery store that was sealed off in 1952 is being auctioned. Be sure to check out the pictures. I bet the Twinkies are still edible. Or, at least as edible as when they started.

Gee, it's nice to be out of Georgia.

Mixed bag.

We (my cow orker and I) were supposed to have heard back already about the contract that would've had me going down to Tasmania for a month. The delay is having us think that it might not happen. We had a strong proposal, so I haven't lost hope.

We have AC again ("aircon" is the term that just rolls off people's tongues here). It is blessed relief.

Take a gander at my favorite movies as well as my least favorite.

SARS notes: Been seeing fewer masks this week, but have noticed many people kick doors open rather than touch the handle.

At the hawker center near my work they have "Sheep Scourge Soup". It's listed next to the "Sheep Tongue Soup", and was accompanited by a very unappetizing picture of a bowl of grayish looking broth with some sort of organ floating in it. How easy it would be for them to film Fear Factor here.

I had no idea that Isaac Asimov died of AIDS.

Currently reading The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester, which, had I known it was published in 1956, I probably wouldn't have bought. But it's fantastic and I'm glad I did. Someone should really make a movie of it.

Singapore medicine. I have a lesion on my ankle that's been there for many years. Today I got it checked out, at Singapore's National Skin Center. Even without all the right paperwork, I was in and out in about forty-five minutes. That included an examination and a tissue sample taken after a numbing shot (which actually hurt like heck). Health care is cheap here, too, it seems, from the stories I've heard, although mine wasn't all THAT cheap -- S$210, or about $120 U.S. That's still probably a lot cheaper than it would have cost me back in the States. The big bummer will be missing soccer for a couple of weeks while the stitch heals.

A great game today. Played my best game of soccer in ten years. Even scored a goal -- against our own team. That was the only slip-up, and it wasn't really my fault (ball bouncing on near goal line, one of our guys tried to clear it right through me) . Very fun, beating a team that's better than you.

We went to the Night Safari again last night. The otters were the most amusing; about thirty of them were all screeching at each other, and us, at the same time. The malay tigers were pretty cool, too; they used to be native here, so they're perfectly adapted to the forest here. Last year when we visited the bat cage, one of the humongous flying foxes let us walk right up to him while he was eating, but this time they stayed on the roof (although we got buzzed a couple of times).

We took pictures, but the only good one was this shot out over the big lake in the center of Singapore.

When the apartment's running down, you make the best of what's still around. The AC which I thought was fixed has quit on us again. My faith in the repair people in this town has gone from slim to nonexistent. Remember, we are already dealing with a washer/dryer that has already had FIVE visits from a repairman and now works worse than when we started. And I forgot to mention, the other day, just after we commiserating each other over how our apartment is falling apart, the faucet in the sink just fell off while we were cooking, spraying water everywhere.

We may just have to figure out how the British colonialists did it, back in the day, without air conditioning. Maybe I'll start drinking more Singapore slings.