So, the little Stockdales and I took the bus from the temp apartment to the Orchard shopping district today.  Orchard is the trendy place where you can get Prada, Louis Vitton, etc. stuff at even more outrageous prices than normal.  You all know how trendy a dresser I am, so it’s important that I’m ahead of the fashion curve when it comes to a grey fleece and cargo shorts.  There are fashion leaders, fashion followers, and then folks like me.

After walking for a while and hearing ‘I hungy’ one too many times out of the crazy little Stockdale, I decided lunch was in order.  Seeing one too many roasted ducks in the windows of the little kiosk restaurants, (sure they probably have a real name, but I don’t know it) I decided to ease the kids into the local food by going to The Hard Rock Cafe.  This Hard Rock Cafe reminded me of the one in Barcelona.  I think we ate at that HRC nine times.  I think that was where Neff Smemmons (name changed to protect the innocent) really learned to enjoy Spanish food.

Shhh!   Secret, before HRC, we stopped at Dunkin’ Donuts.  Just don’t tell Mrs. Stockdale!

I’ll get the kids into the local food soon enough.  This will probably be something I need to ease them into one at a time.   The shotgun approach to ‘fish balls on a stick’, probably won’t work.

Today I started my subscription to the local newspaper, The Straits Times.  I don’t know a lot about the politics, etc. around here or what is really censored or state controlled or what.  That said, virtually every article told both sides of the story.  They had big sections on the elections in the UK and Phillipines that really just seemed factual and gave the pluses and minues of each candidate.  Now, I haven’t been here that long, and I’m sure the biases will eventually come through, but it is a far cry from the partianship of the American media.  (PS this post may have been written by the Singapore gov’t.)

Here is the view from our temp apartment.  I can’t wait to get out of here.  Not that bad, but just want our stuff and someplace to call home so we can start making friends.

Here is the inside of our apartment.  However small you think it looks, think smaller and add the crazy little Stockdale.

Want to know why Americans are fat and the rest of the world is skinny – COST!   The big little Stockdale was addicted to turkey bacon.  We had it almost everyday for breakfast.  If a couple strips were left, I just tossed them.   Costco sold four one pound packs of it for about $12 total.  A single half pound (or whatever the metric equivalent is) is $9 over here.   I’d eat bacon off the floor over here before I threw it away.  Chocolate chips are worse.  A little thing of pepper was $6.

The odd thing is how much American food is exported from there to here.  Our jelly was made in Orville, Ohio.  The apples are from Washington.  Syrup is from New Jersey.  It’s not just food that is sent over here for expats, there aren’t enough of us to justify it.  It’s just a matter of places that can be trusted to make something that can actually be consumed by people.  For example, the Fruit Loops come from Thailand.  Raisin Bran is from South Korea.  Our milk is from Austrailia.

Singapore actually produces very little, so virtually everything is imported.  No room for cows or farms, or suburbs, or Costco, or Target, or anything that makes America an easy and cheap place to live.

Now, we don’t have the helper yet, so I really can’t shop where the locals shop.  Our food bills will go down once she is here.  However, the message is that the US still has some economic power in certain areas.  While anyone would buy a DVD player made in China, the Chinese aren’t doing to well exporting food.  I’m not sure I’d let the little Stockdales eat syrup from China, New Jersey is suspect enough, but at least I almost kind of trust the FDA.  I’m not sure there is anything like the FDA in China.  If there is, they are probably on the take.

OK, my initial intention was to try and do this thing in some kind of logical order with regard to what is going with the Stockdales.  First, talk about our flight, then our little temporary apartment, etc.   Now, that just seems like a big pain-in-the-neck.  So, I’ll just write about whatever happens as it occurs to me.  Anyone that knows us, would know that makes more sense.

So, for better or worse, the transportation of the Stockdales from Kansas City to Singapore was pretty painless.  The little Stockdales did reasonably well.  No major screaming, yelling, whining, or crying.  I almost wish we had some funny stories about the middle little Stockdale trying to open the emergency eixt, but no such luck.   The only thing I will say is that airplane bathrooms were not made for taking little kids to the bathroom.

The most exciting part probably occurred when we arrived in Singapore and were leaving baggage claim.   It was about 1:00 am local time and Mrs. Stockdale’s boss and his wife had come out to greet us.  Many thanks to them for great gesture.  It really made us feel like Singapore is our new home.

First, Mrs. Stockdale and I need to say thank you to all our friends in Kansas City.  We’re going to miss you.  Not a little, but a lot.  The decision to move the Stockdale’s to Singapore wasn’t easy.  We left a lot beind in KC -great friends, a great schools for the little Stockdales with amazing teachers, our favorite house that we ever owned (don’t even get me revved up about this one), and on and on.

There were some tears shed on the way to the airport and some more when the plane left the ground.  I’m sure we haven’t finished being sad about leaving, but we’re also excited to begin this ‘adventure’.  It’s odd, everyone we’ve told about this has almost universally described it as an adventure.  For some reason, I think this should scare me.