Australia Part 1 - A Christmas Story Down Under

Another country in the books and more fun adventures to share with you!  In case you didn't catch on, I headed down to Australia for a nice Christmas break.  Usually in the US my company gives us from Christmas day through New Year’s day off but I have to follow Singapore’s holiday schedule which only allows Christmas Day off.  Luckily I saved up a couple vacation days to make for a nice 6 day trip. 

Christmas lights, War Memorial, and 3,000 page views

Let’s start with the latter, I've reached 3,000 page views on my blog!  Cool!!  Thanks for reading everyone!  I never thought my readers would consist of people outside of my parents, Niles, and my close friends so I am truly shocked at how many of you have stopped by.  Keep reading and I’ll keep posting my silly adventures.

This past weekend Ethan and I decided to head to Orchard Rd to view the Christmas lights.  Everyone has been talking about this being the spot in Singapore with the best decorations and I have to agree.  We hopped off the MRT at the Somerset stop, grabbed a quick bite to eat at Acid Bar, then walked up the street to take in the lights. 

Food Friday 14 - Hot Pot, Night Market Dinner, and Brunch

Happy Sunday!  This past week hasn't been too eventful on my end, hence the lack of posts.  I also knew that Ethan and I had some good eats on the ticket for this weekend so I figured I'd jazz up the food Friday post by waiting until Sunday to fill you all in.

This past week would usually be filled with Christmas cookies at work, last minute shopping, drinking eggnog lattes (if your Jack), and enjoying a light snowfall.  However here in Singapore the Christmas season has been void of any goodies at work (my waistline doesn't mind).  To help me keep in the seasonal joys, I've been trying to watch a different Christmas movie every single night.  It feels like I'm watching Christmas movies in July though with the weather and I still find it hard to get myself into the holiday mood most days.  But hopefully the little holiday Ethan and I have planned will make us feel more Christmas-y.

Alright so lets get to the food!

Food Friday 13 - A little bit of Malay, a little bit of Lebanese

Usually these posts will have just a week's worth of new foods, but seeing as I haven't posted in a while you all will get a taste of some things I've eaten in the past 2 weeks.

Thanksgiving Thursday, my coworkers asked if I'd like to order delivery lunch with them and I figured it'd be a good opportunity to try something new.  Plus it would probably fill me up more than my granola bar and apple (it's not easy to grocery shop when you're homesick).  They showed me the menu to choose from and of course I had no clue what I was reading because it was all Malaysian food and none of it had descriptions!  Luckily my friend Mary helped me out and I decided to go with nasi goreng pattaya.  Yum!  This dish is fried rice, not like the stuff you get from Chinese takeout in the US, with seafood and then all wrapped up into an egg omelet and topped with chili sauce.  It was surprisingly really tasty, though I did pick out the fish cakes because those are not my most favorite.  

#TBT - Throwback Thursday - Weekend Outing on Arab St

Scrolling through my email I realized I had written a blog post in the beginning of November and never posted it!  So I figured throwback Thursday could be a great time to catch up on this fun little adventure in Singapore.  Note- I have not edited this so keep in mind that this was written before my trip back to the US.  

The theme for this weekend was to keep things pretty low key as the previous weekend I was in Vietnam as you know and I wanted to get rest for more adventures to come.

Saturday afternoon, Ethan, Glenn, and I decided to head to Arab St.  I had heard lots of good things about the area but hadn't had the chance to go yet.  Well after one trip I was sold, and I look forward to going back to explore more of the area. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Part 3 Shopping and Tips for Travelers

Our second day in KL was pretty low key.  We took our time getting up and grabbing a quick breakfast in our hotel.  We stayed at the Nomad Sucasa which worked great as they provide suite style rooms that have 2 bedrooms.  In traveling with 3 people it can be difficult to find places that can accommodate a 3^rd bed (without a huge charge).  I highly suggest this spot if you’re looking for the same thing we were. Plus they were decorated for Christmas which was so nice!

After breakfast we gathered our things and took a taxi out to the airport.  The drive took around an hour and we were lucky enough not to hit any traffic.  We had left enough time to accommodate if there was any traffic so it meant we had lots of time to waste in the airport.  However, the new KL airport is very nice and filled with plenty of shops to keep you busy.  Glenn and Ethan were kind enough to follow me around as I compared nearly every purse in the whole airport before making my purchase.  I had ringgit to use up before leaving and since the exchange rate is not great it’s better to use up the money in Malaysia then to exchange it once back in Singapore. 

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Part 2 Petronas Towers

Whenever I go to a new place I like to do some research beforehand on tips for the area.  Lately I’ve been turning to travel blogs or trip advisor reviews because then you get people’s firsthand accounts of what they experienced and less of the general guidelines which can be a bit dramatic.  One thing that people continuously wrote about was that KL is EXTREMELY hot and humid.  I laughed when I stepped out in the afternoon and said, oh it’s so nice here!  Most reviewers were not from Singapore where we live on the equator and where cool temperatures mean low 80s, hah!  Not to say that it was SO much cooler than Singapore but I did notice I was much more comfortable than usual in Singapore.  And given that I opted to dress more conservatively than I usually do in Singapore as Malaysia is a Muslim country, I found myself able to handle longer pants and sleeves easier than in Singapore weather.

Kuala Lumpur Malaysia - Part 1 Batu Caves

The truth this week is that I have fallen off my blogging wheel and need to get writing and posting so that I keep anyone who still reads this entertained.  Luckily, I went on another adventure this past weekend so I’ve got something to write about for you besides my feelings!

Saturday morning I was woken abruptly when Ethan was calling my phone…umm who does that at 6am?!  The answer is your friend calling to wake you up because you are supposed to be at the MRT going to the airport!!  It seemed that I very confidently set my alarm for Saturday morning for 6:30am instead of 5:30am…all I know is that I’m thankful I had packed my bag the night before (plus for an overnight you don’t need too much) and I was able to get out the door in 10 minutes without forgetting anything!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Yes you read right!  Snow in Singapore!!!

It was a brisk 29 degrees on Sunday and Ethan and I decided to venture down to the Christmas Wonderland at the Gardens by the Bay.  Ethan found the event while browsing online and it was described as having festive lights and a German market place.  When we arrived, we headed straight to the supertree grove where the marketplace was.  We were greeted with bright lights, Christmas songs, and cute little sheds with typical Singaporean restaurants and goods.

My first Singapore Dinner Dance!

First of all, thank you so much for all the kind and caring words from my last post.  Each comment was just another reminder of the great support and love I have from so many back home.  While I wish I could give you all hugs for your kind encouragement for now a shout out via the blog will have to do.  So THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Backing up to Saturday morning (not long after I posted my homesick post) I decided to go for a little walk around my neighborhood.  I realized I hadn’t done this given my close proximity to the subway and other amenities I don’t really have a need to walk around the blocks.  It’s funny how an area you might pass each day in a car (or taxi to work in my case) suddenly has a different feeling when you walk around.  As I made my way around a couple different streets, I spent time taking in the scenery and suddenly I felt much better.  Taking a moment to think about what makes this place special and different from my home helped me to find that relaxed and adventurous Laura I had lost for a moment.