We truly meant to get the kids going early every day during the holiday. If we travel all the way to Sydney, we are up and early every day! we told them. Alas. Day two we finally got the kids out the door around noon and started walking. We headed straight for the harbo(u)r, where …
Continue reading Day two in Sydney: the Harbour, The Rocks, and beach Towns
A few months ago we looked at the gradually loosening travel rules for Singapore and cautiously decided to consider traveling for spring break in March. We looked at the options available and settled on Sydney, Australia. Because it’s “only” an eight hour flight away! Mark and I started day one at one of Australia’s oldest …
Happy New Year! Or as the locals say, 新年快乐. The kids are home from school for a few days, and the city has been bustling with New Year's preparations for weeks now. Last night was New Year's Day, so we decided to head out to Gardens by the Bay after dark to check out its …
Continue reading Celebrating CNY the SG Way at Gardens by the Bay
The kids have been off school since mid-December. Given the extended covid-related travel restrictions on travel in and out of Singapore, the kids' school extended the usual three-week winter break to four weeks to allow teachers and families to travel overseas for the first time in over two years. So for new Singapore arrivals like …
As loyal martayaki readers may recall, back in our hotel quarantine days my new friend Karmen stopped by our hotel to drop off some candy and wave up from the sidewalk. It was especially kind of her to come by, considering that we had not met in person at that point; Mark's cousin Sarah introduced …
Continue reading Because the Olds Really Know how to Party; Or, Orchid Shopping at Toh Garden
As loyal martayaki readers may recall, back in October I rambled through Fort Canning Park early one morning and passed The Battlebox, the former WWII British underground command centre. Despite some minor objections from the offspring, we headed out on a Saturday morning shortly thereafter for a brief tour. We're no strangers to wartime museums …
Continue reading Back to Fort Canning Park and The Battlebox
Today the public transit gods smiled down on me, delivering me early to my appointment with an extra twenty minutes that I chose not to spend in a medical waiting room. Because covid and all. So as I neared my destination super early, I mulled my choices and quickly settled on the obvious: Singapore Botanic …
Continue reading Twenty Minutes to Spare, and a Visit to the Neighborhood UNESCO World Heritage Site
Recently Mark and I headed downtown to Citibank for yet another unsuccessful attempt at opening a local bank account. Disappointed, not exactly surprised, and hungry--we decided to sample the local offerings after leaving the bank. So we started walking and stumbled across Marina Food House, a typical spot similar to the hundreds of lunch counters …
Continue reading Lunch Like a Local: Weekday Noodles and Dumplings in the Business District
One of my favorite parts of going abroad is the chance to meet people from all over the world. Most of the friends I made in Japan I will likely never see again in person, but it's always a lovely surprise when we do cross paths once more. Living abroad is a pretty remarkable experience …
Early Sunday morning I decided to go for a run/walk (OK, mostly walk) at a lush park near our apartment, Fort Canning Park. The park covers 18 hectares (44 acres) and tops out at a whopping 48 meters (156 feet) right in the middle of the city. I'll cover Singapore's history in greater detail in …
Continue reading From Singapore’s Ancient Relics to WWII History: A Turn Through Fort Canning Park
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