February 12th Tuesday Two Days Left

We are definitely winding down our energy level is very very low.  Just hung around the condo with Ashley and Keith.  Walked to the grocery store, played cards, did some wash and just enjoyed being with each other.  It was a rainy day and not very enticing to go out walking around.  We did get up enough energy to cook dinner.  We have chicken parm and spaghetti.  Ashley got to pound the chicken and she did a fabulous job.  Played cards and went to bed.
                                     

February 11th Monday  Everything still closed for the holiday 

Well the countdown is coming.  Sat around talking all morning and not getting much down.  I went for a walk and found that the streets were empty - Chinatown area and businesses near the area are all closed.  This holiday is like our Xmas and everything closes, some for two days and some for a week.  
After I came back Claude and I decided we would try and see if the grocery store away from Chinatown was open, which it was, so we got our usual staples, milk, eggs, bread, coke and cookies of course.  We did buy chicken with all intentions of cooking dinner, but we didn't.  Decided to go for another walk with Keith along the river to see the Quay's, the areas along the river when we took the bumboat ride.  Very quaint.  There were more people wandering around this area, but not like it is on a regular Monday.  Came home, cooked eggs for supper, one of our popular meals when we don't like to cook, watched a movie.  Keith and I played Scala and he killed me. Ashley came home and she had had an accident on her bike.  She was all bruised and very sore.  She went head over the handlebars.  Watching closely how she is feeling. Keith decided to go out for a while to a club and he met some people he used to know when he lived here.   Good night to everyone

February 10th Sunday Chinese New Year

Started out New Year's Day in the proper red attire 

                                 
Well we didn't celebrate, but Keith and Ashley went out to see the festivities in Chinatown last night.    Lazy start again today, winding down on the tour.  We did walk over to the Waffle Restaurant "Group Therapy" and have a nice very leisure brunch.  


                     Ashley and Grampy had French Ham & Cheese 
                                     

                                       

Keith and I had waffles and ham

                                        Walked around Chinatown and visited the temple which is only open one day a year on NYE's.  

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum

 They did a dance to the Buddha

Inside the Temple very hard to capture the gold and glitter 

Went to a chinese restaurant for dinner and had Bacon Fried Rice, Shrimp, green beans and a vegetable dish.  Very good.  Was raining most of the afternoon so we didn't do much.  Went home after dinner and crashed.  Played cards and then off to bed.  

Feburary 9th Saturday  Beginning of festivities

Again we are getting slower and slower.  We planned to take the bus tour around the city but got a late start.  Found out the last bus runs at 3p.m.  Got there at noon and stayed on the first bus the entire trip.  You can get off and see different things at each stop, but we decided we better just do the bus part of the tour.  After bus 1 we stopped and had lunch in the mall of chinese soup, fried chicken and  fried geyoza.  Then got on the second bus for the next tour.  We had seen a lot of the places during the time we were here but wanted to see the whole trip.  

You don't see many single family homes, but this was one we took on the tour.  You can see that the ones who do must have a sizeable bank account.  You can't own your land over here, you have a 99 year lease.  Government owns everything.  Also owing a car is not very reasonable either.  You have to apply to the government and pay a fee to get a car, $50,000 to $80,000 and then you buy the car, $100,000 to 150,000 for an average one.  Unbelievable.  After 10 years your sell the car back to the government and start all over again.  You do see a large number of higher priced car, jaguars, mazaretti's , etc. 

 Ashley and Keith on the tour bus

 This is the Park Royal a new hotel that has just opened and the structure is so different.  Looks like the layers of the earth.

 Keith, Grampy and Gram on the bus, this is what we could afford for transportation

 We got off the bus because it was going to be closer to where we were going and it looked like it was going to rain, which it came down in buckets.  The people were sitting out in the bar area through the rain down pour. They just kept drinking.

Ashley wanted us to see the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel and they are famous for founding the drink "Singapore Sling." Unfortunately because of the rain it was packed with people and we chose to leave, but did get some peanuts.

This was funny, Ashley is always cold and the temperature is so hot all the time.  She never even uses her a/c except to sleep.  So we were walking through the mall and came across this statue.  Couldn't resist taking a picture of Ashley and her twin brother.

The other thing that is so weird  "Winter Time" stores in Singapore.  I don't think the weather ever gets down past 80 degrees and there is a store with heavy winter jackets and clothing.

We then proceeded to go back to the bungalow and get lazy again.  Picked on food, watched TV and played cards.  Ashley worked out at the gym, Wayne updated us on the storm, while we were playing cards                 
                     ....

 Claude & I went to bed around 10:30.  Ashley and Keith went out to see the NYE celebration in Chinatown.  End of another perfect day with family. Yes we were the party poopers, did hear the fireworks laying in bed.

February 8th Friday Getting to laid back

Not much get up and go this morning.  Ashley did more wash and Claude and I walked to the grocery store but our usual staples, milk, eggs, bread and coffee plus snacks, and got home and realized we forgot the milk.  Nothing changed, even with a list we forget things.  We did buy a cooked chicken and had it for lunch with a salad.  Ashley did some ironing and we wanted to for Keith and PX.  Px & Ashley cooking dinner.
We had noodle soup with veggies and a  radish ball.  Different from our radish, it is all white inside and out.  Very good but it was a lot of prep work for them.  We ate around 10 and then we crashed around 11.  

PX the Major Chef

The Chef's assistant Ashley

Not much posting today running out of steam

February 7th Thursday Ashley on vacation day

We again were very lazy in getting going.  Just enjoying each other.

Finally got dressed and decided to see what was going on in the shopping area of Orchard Street.  This is a shopping mecca for sure.  All decorated for the New Years Celebration.  Ashley said it comes alive at night and is much busier.  Some many designer shops, but no one ever in them.  Of course, thousands of eating places too.

This is the Marriott right in the center of everything.  

The design of the building is so unique.

Below some of the decorations on the street

We then traveled by train to another area Kampong Glam.  This is a Muslin shopping district where you can buy rugs, muslin clothing and many different types of souvenirs.  There is also a Muslin worship temple that is just beautiful. 

                                                

The main street of this area

The Masjid Sultan Mosque

Had to stop and get a Tutti Fruitti yogurt.  Make your own,  it was yummy and we were tired of walking

The shop houses are so elegant the way they are painted.  The homes on the second floor and the businesses on the bottom.  No to buildings are the same.

The main street facing the mosque

One of the secondary streets that are lined with shops

We were tired and decided to take a taxi home.  PX was going to cook supper but was called to a meeting so we crashed.  Just had a fried egg sandwich and watched a movie.  Ashley did more wash and then we went to bed.   Another day of the old folks in Singapore.

February 6 th Wednesday  Struggling again with energy thing

Woke up with legs craps at 1:30 stayed up with my computer for a little while.  Fell back to sleep and woke up around 7:00.  Finally got the laundry done and ironed.  Played a game of golf cards with Claude.  Ashley called and said she wouldn't be home for lunch, so we decided to go to the store and stop for soup.  We had Wonton with noodle soup, crispy vegetarian spring rolls and deep fried yam cakes.  We ate in the mall at Dim Sum Love next to the cold storage grocery store.  Bought stuff for supper and walked home with our purchases.  Stopped for a bread pudding at the shop across the street from Ashley's.  Yum Yum.  Played some cards, had a nap again and waited for Ashley to come home. Cooked supper one of Ashley's favorite, peppers and sausage, sauteed zucchini and onion, and Grampy made rice.  Fresh bread from our favorite little French bakery.   Has been raining again and some thunder and lightning.  Stayed around the apartment and watch TV and Read.  Good relaxing day.