Singapore Sensation

Good Morning,

It would actually be good evening to the person (aka mom) reading this but for me it is good morning, so lets go with it!

Week three in Singapore is almost at completion. It is Thursday I am actually at work getting ready to "begin" my day.

Since my last post: Monday night has become Host Family night for the 10 travelers. We usually eat dinner with our families and then hang out with them. Tuesday night our little group went to Arab street. Yes, this is the name of the street. Located on the cross section of Bali Street and Bugis MRT stop. When on Arab street you will find a Mosque that for women to visit one must wear a burka (provided), plenty of hummus, sisha (hookah smoke), and persian rugs. It was awesome! The atmosphere is completely relaxed although we were in a group, many people were sitting alone smoking and reading a book. It was nice to see people walking by. This is one of the more local hideaways. That night not everyone was able to come out and all were missed, but with the people that did come we had some great conversation covering every politically divided issue.......only in Singapore:)

I am really really enjoying being in Singapore. It is a break from real life. I am taking the work I need to do seriously when I have to but I am learning that it is just better to be relaxed and enjoy my day! This week I have had a couple Skype calls with people in the US. I do miss everyone but I have not been homesick. I LIKE it here. I really am enjoying my host family and friends.

The maid and I are having a face off and I am totally being dominated. I think we are both enjoying trying to get the other one to do more work. The first week I was here she made it very clear (not through words mind you) that I was not going to add to her work load. My fellow ILAPers have been leaving their dirty laundry with their host parents and they do their laundry. Annie was not having this. I left my clothes, first in my room in my laundry bag and then took it down to the washer, and it sat there for a week. Every time I asked any questions about the clothes.....Annie seemed unable to understand English, funny right? Well I decided it was time for some clothes to get washed because this was week two of living out of a suitcase and threw my clothes in the machine. At this time Grandma yelled at Annie for turning on the washer the wrong way, we went from Annie 1-Eva 0 to a tied score!

Breakfast and dinner are provided by the host family, and by family this falls to Annie. She has not been happy about having to provide me with sustenance so after the washer incidence in which I had not messed up the washer Grandma was just grumpy having to listen to the machine (YEAH GRANDMA!) Annie has seemingly stepped up her game. The last few days breakfast has been put on the table to sit for 20 minutes until I wandered out of my room to find it. No more breakfast calls for me. She is good. I will give her that:) The first two weeks breakfast was: a glass of milk, two pieces of white bread melted together with 1 american slice of cheese, and cornflakes. That is a whole lot of dairy, just saying. I do not know if this was on purpose to drive me crazy or her trying to figure out what I liked, being an American, I think it may have been both.

 We have now moved on to two pieces of bread with butter and sugar, I am very very happy and will definitely continue running once a day to make up for the new sugar intake often accompanied by my favorite: bubble tea:D YUM YUM!

This young grasshopper is learning so much, the corporate world is not at all how I imagined it would be, and learning to challenge the Master Maid has really provided great entertainment to my person:)

This weekend is Phuket. When looking up the night life that is available for the Thai island and our little group, it seems like it will be an AWSOME weekend.

The start of a beautiful day in Singapore!
Wishing you the best, missing you but happy to be here:)

Eva