cable cars

 

As part of Cheryl's last week in Singapore, we took the cable cars over to Sentosa Island to go to Underwater World.  

 

This little threesome is really going to miss their number one girl.  

 

The big rays in the touch pools were awesome. "We don't want to fall in, right mom?" said Gage.

 

  
All the kids ran around with so many things to see. The moms chasing after them while trying to keep up our stimulating conversation. My buddy Reuben had an big octopus to show me, there were sea stars, eels, worm things, gorgeous coral and all sorts of pretty fish. And we couldn't miss the sharks in the tunnel.

We had to go through that several times. Wouldn't you?

Last days of school

 

School's out for summer. 

Gage kissed his Miss Hannah good bye and told her he'd be back later. And he will.

 

But before he said goodbye, there was a performance. Preschool performances are so fun. So unpredictable. So energetic. Gage stood in front of the audience with a huge smile on his face. For only going 2 mornings a week he still knew all the songs and dances, even the Chinese ones.

 

Noah said goodbye to his kindergarten teacher and his classmates too.  
 

But not before his class performed the play they had been working on for weeks: The Sun and the Moon. Noah was the narrator. He was amazing.

They both came home with fat portfolios with all their work from the year. I la la loved snuggling up on the couch to hear about each piece.

let's have a party

 
 
Gage is turning 4 years old oh too soon. We threw a birthday party for him before his buddies left for the summer. What was his request? Angry Birds of course. He had all sorts of ideas: sprinkles on the cupcakes, candy in the pinata, blue balloons, party games. You got it, kid.

He didn't stop smiling and giggling the whole morning and was looking oh so grown up.

Look familiar? The pinata was rescued, glued back together and even got a new mustache. Gage named him Mr. Mustache.

 

 

Pass the Parcel, my new favorite party game.

 

All for this sweet, cheeky boy. Anything for this sweet, cheeky boy. Happy Birthday to Gage! 

MALACCA: first class all the way

Jonette and I hopped on a bus one Friday afternoon headed to Malacca, Malaysia.

Once we got through the checkpoint and across the border, the scenery was gorgeous. We put our feet up and chatted the whole way there.

We were just in time for the Jonker Street Night Market in Malacca's Chinatown. Souvenir stalls, fake handbags, tshirts, jewelry. Unique handmade leather shoes right next to everything plastic and china made. Our eyes never got enough. 

Don't ask me how, but somehow this girl talked me into riding a trishaw back to our hotel. The thing had blinking lights and loud loud music. I am not kidding you.

 

Our driver pedaled through the quiet streets and shook his head at us with a smile. We could not stop giggling.

 

MALACCA: world heritage

 

Malacca was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The place is still full of old colonial buildings built back in the day by the Portuguese or Dutch or British. They each took their turn colonizing Malacca because of its awesome port. 

We walked around the town square with its old Dutch buildings painted red, peeked at the original pews in the Christ Church and watched the street performers around the fountain.

 

 

  

Then we hiked it up the hill to St. Paul's Church built in 1521 by St. Francis Xavier, a Portuguese missionary.

A Portuguese fort was down one side of the hill and the Melakan Sultanate's Palace was down the other side. The palace is now the Melaka Cultural Museum - which we would have loved to see, but ran out of time.

We went during the Malaysian school holidays so there were a lot of people there that day: kids playing in the courtyard with bubbles, a man playing guitar, school groups, hawkers trying to sell key chains in the corner, local tourists. This gorgeous girl let me take her picture.

Malaysians are mostly Muslim, and many women wear the hijab to cover their heads, long sleeves and long pants or skirts. Walking around in the hot tropical sun I was again amazed at their modesty and devotion to their religion. Especially when it is SO HOT outside.

MALACCA: more of Jonker Street

We didn't get enough of Jonker Street that first night. So we went back to browse the shops more thoroughly. Antiques, furniture, colorful clothes, jewelry, paintings, and more souvenirs.  We snacked on our pineapple tarts and Jonette even tried the ice cendol (I knew better : ).

This one was one of our favorites (thanks to Jonette for the picture) with its colorful bags, skirts, and paintings next to its ceramic sinks and silver Buddha heads. 

 

We stopped for lunch at the Geographer's Cafe

YUM!

and watched the traffic go by. 

 

Outside one shop this sweet lady was making her ketupat nasi - rice cakes wrapped up in cocnut palm leaves.

Inside another, we watched this man hard at work making shoes.

There were piles of piles of these wooden clogs. The red ones are traditional chinese shoes. To keep your feet out of the mud, they say. Or as part of a chinese wedding dowry, they say. The Woodworth girls would have loved them in the dress-up box, I say.

We were so happy to finally see the foot reflexology sign, and got ourselves a foot rub before we were back on our bus to Singapore.

after school

We wait for Noah's school bus to bring him home in the afternoon. We feed the fish if we have time.
Maybe eat a popsicle. When the bus pulls up, the doors open, the auntie helps them down the steps and then they take off. The kids run past, throw their bags down, and start playing 'boom rush' or freeze tag. If I'm lucky I'll get a hello and a kiss on the way.

Sunday Afternoon

Swim Lessons

I sit on the side of the pool and watch.
Watch this big boy jump into the water like its nothing.
Watch his frog kick getting better.
Watch him counting 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. as he glides.

I don't watch for long
because there's a certain 3 year old tugging at my arm
dying to show me how fast he is in his flippers.

Which I wouldn't miss for anything.

Flat Sam

Cousin Sam came to visit us in Singapore. He arrived in the mail one day.

Noah and Gage took him on the MRT and we showed him the sights. 

A Hindu temple

 The Sultanate Mosque

And shopping in Chinatown.

 

We fed him noodles, ice cream sandwiches (the kind with real bread), and my very favorite lime-kumquat juice with chunks of aloe vera and grass jelly pearls. Its SO good! 

Then we slipped him back into an envelope and sent him back to Boise. Thanks for visiting!