Thaipusam in Little India

We took the MRT to Little India today. I love the way Little India smells. Like coriander and

incense. Yes, the entire neighborhood smells like that. It really makes me want to eat Indian food. My favorites right now: chicken tikka marsala, palak panneer, with safron rice. Please pass the naan! Today and tomorrow the Hindus are celebrating Thaipusum.

Thaipusam is a two day celebration in honor of the Hindu god Murugan who is the destroyer of evil. People make an offering to him in return for blessings. The offerings can be as small as a flower or a pot of milk set in front of his statue, or as extreme as enduring pain on his behalf. They believe the bigger the offering the bigger the blessings.

The people prepare all month for this, fasting and praying. They start at the temple to prepare and then carry their offering through the streets in a long procession. We went in the morning, but the procession goes on all day and into a big celebration at night.

You can see some people carrying their offerings. The man on the right has a spear stuck through his cheeks, and limes individually hooked through his skin on his back.

This man is carrying the most elaborate offering - a kavadi. We were told it is pretty heavy, but is also speared to his body in different places. And he has a spear through his mouth. Here is a more detailed explanation about Thaipusam if you'd like to see more.

I don't know how you can watch this and not be impressed with their devotion. so much dedication and endurance.

The streets were blocked off for the procession so the sidewalks were pretty crowded. But actually the sidewalks are like that every time I’ve been to Little India. David took a short video following behind me. As you will see I’m trying to embrace the curl in my hair. Any tips? The shops and restaurants we’re passing are so colorful I wish we would have peeked in them for you, bangle bracelets, saris and dresses, carpets, bakeries selling these crazy deep fried sweets, but the end of the video has a better view of what it looks like. Walk with me?

Noah's first day of school, again

After a nice long break, Noah is back to school. A new preschool this time. We spent a couple months on their waiting list, and now he has a spot. His first day was last Tuesday. He's happy to meet new kids, learn new things, and not wear a uniform...

This school is still within walking distance, which is really nice. A 5 to 15 minute walk depending on each child's distraction level that day. We cross a busy street, walk past a row of semi-d's (for semi-detached, what they call townhomes), then onto a street full of shophouses. The preschool is in a big building just a couple over.

After Noah waves us good-bye, Gage and I have shopping to do, errands to run, library books to borrow or swings to swing in. It breaks Gage's heart every morning that he can't follow Noah into that classroom, so sometimes we just go back home and cuddle up to a book.

January 1, 2010

New Year's Eve was rockin.

We played board games, ate M&Ms, and made our resolutions.

Mine: to be in bed by 10pm most nights

Noah's: to write letters to his cousins

Gage's: banana! (his answer to every question right now)

David's: to help me be in bed by 10pm most nights

Then downstairs we went, by the BBQ to light our fire crackers. Lots of noise was made. Then 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.... Happy New Year!

The boys were in bed by 8pm. David and I ate the rest of the M&Ms and fell asleep to our movie well before the real countdown.

But we did party the next day.

We took a bumboat ride out to an island called Pulau Ubin. There we rented a couple bicycles and rode off to explore. It was pretty rustic, not modern and shiny like Singapore. There are about 1,000 villagers living there in small houses with noisy generators for electricity and well water.

Noah saw this house over the water and said "I want to live there!" Um, no. Sorry.

We took a walk along the coast and saw mangrove trees and mangrove palms. And stopped to watch mud skippers and little crabs.

We need to go back another day to see the old Chinese cemetery and the Chek Jawa pools at low tide.

A warm December

Some things took a little getting used to. Like Santa with sunglasses and decorated palm trees. We've never spent a Christmas in the tropics before.

Without our regular built in activities, we knew some things could just slip by. What do we want it to feel like? So we made our list.

And we did good. Our warm December was full of Christmas goodness. We made ornaments and delivered treats to our neighbors. Sang carols and read the scriptures. Did a family service project and read Christmas stories. Packages and cards from family really helped us feel connected.

Christmas Eve we had a nice dinner with our wonderful neighbors. Paul's stew, rolls and salad. Their girls' made a birthday cake for dessert.

We read the nativity story and the kids each played a part. David was an excellent camel. Then stockings were laid out and cookies put on a plate. "I've been waiting for this night for years!" Noah said.

Christmas morning the boys' eyes were huge. I mean huge. I'm not sure if they ever actually constricted back to normal. So many surprises and treats. and love.

Grandmas and Grandpas were called on Skype. They opened presents, played, opened a couple more, played, opened a couple more, played, all day.

Somehow we managed to get them downstairs to have brunch with our neighbors. Yummy beignets with strawberries. We ate and played some more while the dads set up their Wii and "tested it out" for the kids.

Later we had a beautiful ham dinner with friends. When the day was done - Christmas over but still spread throughout our apartment - David and I talked about our warm December and if it felt they way we wanted it to. There were a few things that weren't quite right; I burnt the rice pudding for breakfast, and we really missed our families. But, we smiled. We did good.

What does Christmas look like in Singapore?

It's big.

Really big.

and made of plastic.

Every mall is decorated. "Glitzy Christmas by the Bay" is the theme this year. An entire section of downtown, Orchard Road, is covered in lights. There's live music, performances, pretend snow. Everywhere.

Only 14% of the population in Singapore is Christian, but it seems that a commercial Christmas is celebrated by a lot more than that.