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Our family has been loving soft-boiled eggs lately.  Ruby and I often go for "second breakfast" on weekdays, and if we don't come across her number one food obsession (PRATA!!) on our morning ramblings, we head over to the nearest kopitiam (coffee shop) for Singapore-style soft boiled eggs and toast.

The eggs are gently cooked.  You eat them by cracking the shells open and pouring the soupy insides into a shallow bowl.  (For those of you who are cringing at the runny-ness and potential salmonella hazard, trust me.  Live a little!  It's delicious.)  Serve with a drizzle of thick, dark soya sauce and a pinch of white pepper.  Yum.

Aguas Frescas

I tried two of these aguas frescas from Matt Bites at Abu's house earlier this summer - Cucumber Lemongrass and Strawberry Thyme are both sensational.  I can't wait to make the Pineapple Ginger one!  Sounds like a delicious way to quench both spicy southeast asian chillies and our endless summer.

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The girls getting excited about the Rugby World Cup.  So proud!

136/365 - Central Fire Station

Located on Hill Street and built in 1908, the Central Fire Station was Singapore's first fire station and is still in use today.  Every Saturday from 9-11am, the fire station is open to the public and entrance is free.  Visitors are free to look around the ambulances, fire engines...

Check out the fire hoses...

Sit on the emergency motorcycles...  

Put on the firefighting gear...  

Sit on the cherry picker...  

We met real firefighters and asked them questions about their job.  We learned that they experience around 25 major fire disasters each year.  We also learned that there are female firefighters in Singapore!  We were treated to a pole sliding demonstration (of both the American and Singapore style), and we were asked to come back in two weeks' time when they will have a real fire fighting demonstration.  Amazing!  Who's coming with us?

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Back in Singapore, and my parents invited us to have brunch overlooking this gorgeous golf course.  My sister and I never became the single-handicappers that they had hoped for, but possibilities are endless for their grandchildren!

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Canggu Beach was like a dream.

Steven and the girls built a dragon-like sandcastle that bravely withstood the rising tide well into the night.

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Hidden in the jungles of Bali is the fantastic campus of The Green School.  Built of bamboo and other renewable resources, the architecture of the buildings were like something out of Swiss Family Robinson.

The Green School focuses on a relevant, holistic and green education, helping students to develop an awareness of their environment and responsible habits that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.

 

 We were so excited to take the tour while we were in town.  Among the classrooms, computer labs and athletic fields, we saw class gardens, composting toilets, a cafe and fresh juice bar, farm animals and even an aviary working towards breeding the rare Bali Starling!  A truly amazing project.

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Splash!  Steven, Lily and Ruby brave the giant bucketful of water at the Bali Safari and Marine Park.

DIY Felt Flowers

Beautiful, beautiful easy felt flowers by Miles of Sunshine!

Another version, a felt flower brooch, by Not Martha.  Love these.

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They either love posing for the camera, or they know how much I love taking pictures because they listen when I say, "Hey, go over there and put your hand on your chin like that statue!"

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Showing the creatures a little love at the Bali Reptile Garden.

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 The pelicans were massive.  They swam back and forth in their little pond at the Bali Bird Park, as though they were impatiently waiting for their feeding time.  Lily thought they were fascinating.  At one point, one of them looks at her and hops out of the water to walk around us, check us out.  I think it was taller than Lily.  He stood around for a while and went back into the water.

Lily:  "See you later, friend!"

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The rice paddies throughout Bali were mesmerizing.  We saw the simple, green terraces almost everywhere we went and it's hard to believe how high-maintenance the rice crop is - requiring seasons of back breaking planting, irrigating, fertilizing, harvesting.

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This is the Tampak Siring Temple, a holy spring water temple in Bali where hundreds of people go to give offerings and take a dip.  Holy like the Ganges, but unpolluted.  We really wanted to try it, but we didn't see any other tourists going in.  Would it be offensive for a non-Balinese Hindu person to give it a try?

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Ruby:  "Where driver going?"

Me:  "Wayan?  Oh, he's probably going home now."

Ruby:  "Why?"

Me:  "It's evening time.  Everyone has dinner and goes to sleep."

Ruby:  "Driver tired?"

Me:  "Probably."

Ruby:  "Oh...  Ruby so tired too."  

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 We ate at a restaurant with this gorgeous view of Mount Batur, an active volcano.

We also stopped by this gorgeous roadside fruit stall on the way back - everything arranged in peaks like the nearby volcano.  I sampled the freshest and most delicious mangosteen and passionfruit I've ever had.

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The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud was one of our favorite places in Bali.  The monkeys are the ones who really run the show - it felt like King Louie's palace in The Jungle Book.

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The girls checking out the view outside our first hotel in Bali.  Located on a hillside, we could see the rice paddies and hear the rush of the Ayung River below.

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Sunset in Singapore traffic.

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The wheels on the bus go 'round and 'round - and the interior is new and squeaky clean - all through Singapore.