So, the little Stockdales and I went to get our greencards today.  These will allow us to legally live in Singapore and Arizona. 

Imagine the DMV in a fancy office building that is clean, doesn’t smell, has helpful and courteous staff, runs efficiently, has no rude people whining about something, plus (SUPER EXTRA BONUS) all the employees are actually working.   Welcome to MOM (Ministry of Manpower).

We’ve only be here a week.  There are some things over here that I shake my head at because the way the Asians do them make absolutely no sense.  There are other things I shake my head at because the way we do things back in the States makes absolutely no sense.  Guess which one the little Stockdales and I saw today.

So, on Tuesday the little Stockdales and I were temporarily released from the service apartment/prison to do a craft at the ‘Kidz Lounge’ in the facility.  Talk about fun!  They painted picture frames and put glitter on the wet paint.  It was the most awesomest thing EVER!

Today, Wednesday we get to do more apartment hunting and go get our green cards.  The excitement never ends around the Stockdale house!

We found the apartment we hope to rent yesterday.  Need to go back today and make sure it is what we want then hopefully things get worked out.   The system over here is pretty convoluted.

 The kids are mad because they hate the place we want to rent.  We made the mistake of taking them with us to look.   The first place we saw was a 3300 sq ft townhouse.  It was VERY cool, but it was just a little off the beaten path.  Great place to live like an American where we pretty much hang out at the house and then drive the minivan wherever we need to go.  But, not a good spot if you have to take cabs or the subway (MRT).   The place Mrs. Stockdale and I liked is in a high-rise building.  Totally different than anything we’ve lived in before.  The kids just don’t understand at all.   The big little Stockdale went to bed in tears last night that she didn’t want to live in the house with ‘all the glass’.

The little Stockdales are at each other’s throats constantly.  We are in this tiny little apartment thing and they just feed off tormenting each other.  There is always one being good and the other two just trying to kill each other.  ( She breathed on me!!! )  I have a terrible feeling it will be like this till August when they go to school.   Cooking is a nightmare.   I’m just in a mode right now of getting through it till we have our own place.  Don’t want to sound negative at all.  It’s been fun and interesting so far.  Our only issue is that the current living situation SUCKS.

That said, I’m very optimistic.  It’s just a matter of getting through these first few weeks, getting a routine, meeting people, etc.  I also think that once the kids get their stuff, they will be much better.

Yesterday, we went to the American Club with friends of Mrs. Stockdale’s.  Although we really didn’t need the recharge, the little Stockdales enjoyed the bowling, grilled cheese, and pizza. 

After bowling, we had lunch, then Mrs. Stockdale and I went apartment hunting.  Here are your options in Singapore:

• Expensive and tiny
• Expensive and small
• Expensive and old
• Expensive and yucky
• Expensive and round
• Expensive and no other kids for the little Stockdales to play with
• Or, outrageously expensive and exactly what we want.

Unfortunately, the last option probably isn’t in the cards.

If you click on the headline for this post, it will open in new window and you can see the video.

So basically there is a cable channel here with nothing but this.  It appears you ‘SMS’ and pay 50 cents to get your name on the screen and attempt to protect cows from being abducted.

This thing is pure genius!  Who wants to start this with me back in the States?

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.