117/365

Afternoon snacks and Japanese craft beer.  

116/365

Scored a fancy private room at the Japanese restaurant we went to for lunch (perhaps they feared that our children would bother the other customers).  Lily squeezed into this recessed nook paved with crazy red rocks and lit with crazy red lights.

114/365

Initial baby jet-pack tests prove successful.  

113/365 - Singapore Zoo

Pretend you are hiking through a wild, lush and steamy rainforest.  Thirsty and glazed with sweat, you pause for a drink and happen to spot, not one, but TWO white tigers lazing about in the shade!  What luck!  Get out the camera - click, click...  You soon realize that from just 12 meters away they can hear, smell and see you and the young children by your side.  Hopefully they are well fed, and the man-made ravine at the Singapore Zoo is farther than they can leap!

The kids found the smaller, less dangerous creatures to be just as thrilling.

The Singapore Zoo's "open concept" really lets you see the animals outside and all around you.  

A fantastic place to pretend you're on safari.

Irina Werning - Back to the Future

The attention to detail in her props and background betray Irina Werning's obsession with her work.  In Back to the Future, she fastidiously recreates the scenes of her subjects' old photos.  Notice the wardrobe - I'm convinced that some of the recreations are hand made.  Amazing.

112/365

The heat and humidity in Singapore can be really oppressive.  The 20 minute walk to school leaves us drenched with sweat in the mornings.  Needless to say, we gladly hitch a ride or hail a taxi on scorching afternoons.  

And it's lovely to come home to a little air conditioning and sweet, cold watermelon!

Want some?

111/365

Rock painting has been a huge hit at our house lately.

The girls will spend all afternoon collecting rocks, sorting them, washing them, drying them, painting them, laying them out to dry again...

Sometimes I wonder why I spend money on toys.

110/365

I picked up some wall decals at IKEA last week to liven up some empty wall space.  It's an easy project for just a few dollars - this particular design comes with branch pieces and flowers to place in your own configuration.

109/365

We spent Friday afternoon baking sugar cookies!

 

It was really the adults making most of the cookies while the kids were eating all the rainbow sprinkles.

Sweet fun, nonetheless.

108/365

  

My mom and I visited a few of the art galleries at Tanjong Pagar Distripark for a little photographic inspiration, and were greeted with these - scenes of one of the busiest shipping ports in the world.  The galleries were a little hard to find, some entrances tucked behind pallets full of canned tomatoes and instant noodles.  However, the sweet relief of air conditioning, polished floors and gorgeous artwork was a lovely contrast to the hot and rugged exterior.  

107/365

Here is Steven working late into the night, up to his eyeballs in paperwork.  And midnight snacks.  Just kidding, those are mine.

106/365

Do any of you remember how magical those disappearing-liquid toys used to be?  They STILL make them, and they are still pretty magical.

105/365

Exciting, cold, sweet, melting, tangy, dripping, creamy, sticky, delicious popsicles!

104/365

103/365

Ah.  Rain on our living room window.

It has been a rainy week.  From my (completely unscientific) observations over the last few days, however, I am convinced that the rain bringing relief from the everyday heat is an illusion.  My theory is that the temperature when it is raining is about the same as the average dry day in Singapore.  I think that the rainstorm is actually preceded by an unbearably intense period of heat, thereby leading us to believe that the rain brings relief.  If the rain were to not come in the first place, we would not receive that period of unbearable heat.  Therefore, I conclude that the rain does not bring relief, the rain brings torture.

102/365

The Turf City hawker stalls - the seats fill up as the sun goes down.

101/365

Scenes from a not-so-shiny, not-so-new side of Singapore.  Signs of age - cracks, peeling, patina - are almost refreshing in a city where even new buildings are demolished and rebuilt in a flash.

100/365

099/365

Chijmes at night.

Once a convent, then a girls' school.  Today, Chijmes holds an array of bars and restaurants whose tables spill out onto the courtyard - a gorgeous place to dine alfresco.

098/365

097/365

We've been living in Singapore for almost a year now, and the endless summer makes it difficult to keep track of time.  Without the seasons, the year flew by much faster than I expected.  In some ways, it has been like one long tropical vacation.  The weather is the same every day - sunny, cloudy or thunderstorms, a steamy 27 to 32 degrees celsius.  No one really follows seasonal changes in fashion here - always resort wear.  I love that I can wear sandals every day.  The foliage is always either gorgeously green or in bloom.  Trees are always full of birds.

Maybe it's because September marks the one year anniversary of our move here, but lately, I have been missing the seasons.  I really miss the rhythm of change in produce at the market.  Fruits and vegetables are imported to Singapore from all over the world, and we have been eating berries every week since we have arrived here.  We love them, but it is starting to feel strange.  September used to mean picking the last of the berries and savoring every last drop of summer sun with the anticipation of cold, dark days ahead.

Hot, tropical climates will always be my favorite kind - sultry nights, ripe fruits, naked skin.  Delicious.  However, there is a certain magic that only comes when the other seasons withhold the one you desire.  The relief of crisp fall air and snuggling into a soft, warm sweater.  The silent beauty of the first snowfall blanketing the city and poking at glowing logs in the fireplace.  The excitement of seeing the first spring flowers after a long, cruel winter.  I am craving them all, now.  So, dear readers, while some of you may be jealous that we will be tanned and barefoot for months to come, enjoy your seasons for me!

096/365

095/365

094/365

093/365

Another lazy weekend.  Some mornings, it's nice to have no plan - just cookies in bed, tumbles, snuggles.

092/365

What Should I Read Next?

I have been devouring books lately.  Good thing I stumbled upon this really handy website - just enter the title or author of a book you like and the search engine will scan the database of real readers' recommendations.  Amazing!  I've spent plenty of time trying to Google, "What to read after __________(insert latest obsession here)."  Maybe this will help.

091/365

Oh dear, I have photographer's block.

I am coming up on my 100th day of the 365 Project, and have come to a bump in the road.  I have to admit, I missed shooting a few days last week, and have yet to catch up - but I am lost for inspiration.  What do you do when you've lost your creative flow?  Do you look to favorite writers or artists or musicians for inspiration?  Do you wait it out?