Final days in Singapore

There are no real significant pictures to post of our final days in Singapore.  This is mostly in part of the fact that we did not know we were leaving for good, and because as life gets busier I am not as apt to take out a camera and capture it.  I am just trying to manage all the business.  About one week before we were scheduled to leave on our annual summer holiday to the US, Joseph called me on the phone from work to inform me that he had just quit his job at Coeclerici.  It was quite a shock but not worrisome as we both knew that he most likely had a place  back at Cargill in the US if he wanted.  He was going to explore a few opportunities in Singapore, as with that in mind, we left with just our suitcases in June.  After about 6 weeks in the US, we knew that we would not be returning to Singapore and so our goodbye was a little bit back door, or as I quoted to Joseph, "not with a bang but a whimper" (T.S. Eliot.)

It felt like it was time to return to the US and so we set our sights forward.  Here is the last picture I have to end a very monumental and memorable chapter in our lives.  After an unexpected 6 years and a lot of amazing experiences, I do not regret one single day of my life in Singapore and see it as a great blessing and privilege to have lived in Southeast Asia for so long.

Magdalene and Ella in the flower Dome at Marina Bay Sands hotel.  We went to see the tulip display and other flowers.  It smelled heavenly and was beautiful.

Malacca

Cami and I had the chance to get away for 2 days and ride a luxury coach 3 hours up into Malaysia to see the UNESCO world heritage city Malacca.  It began as a port in the early 12th century, attracting the Indians, Chinese and Persians to trade, reaching its heyday in the 13th and 14thc.  Then the Portuguese decided to explore the area and go directly to the source of all the spice trading.  So they took Malacca by deceit.  They built forts and with mismanagement and brutality, destroyed a lot of the thriving trade that was happening there.  The Dutch then came and took over.  They were more humane and much better managers, building up the city and trade to be once again a thriving enterprise.  But soon after, they were starved out of power by the British.  The British had already discovered Singapore and started settling it at this point, so the main port and trade in Malacca was moved south and Malacca took its place in the history of European colonization.

Dutch buildings dating back to the 17thc.  Notice the elaborate rickshaws in the front.  They were over the top here in Malacca with speakers in the back, blasting music as they carried people around.  At night, they lit up with hundreds of tiny colored lights.

This is a year of transition for both of us so sadly this will be our last adventure for awhile at least.  Cami and I have had some fun adventures together and it has been nice to be able to call someone at the last minute to plan a get-away.

Picture taken inside the ruins of a 15th c. Portuguese chapel.  Those are tombs leaning against the walls all around the structure.

Up close picture of a tomb. It was interesting to see the medieval Portuguese.  There is a Portuguese district in Malacca where the descendants of the Portuguese still live and speak this version of Portuguese.

View of the governor's mansion from a doorway in the chapel.  There are so many layers of culture and history here and it is just fascinating to see them all next to each other

We took a boat cruise down the main channel. The buildings were turned into avenues of art.

This is me in front of the gateway of what used to be the fortress.  The Portuguese built the fortress and inside was the main city center at the time.  The Dutch used the fortress as well.  The British forced all the Dutch into the fortress and then starved them.  Afterwards, they blew up the thick walls but left the gateway in tact.

Cami has a penchant for taking lots of pictures of shophouses everywhere she goes in Southeast Asia.  This is one of the many she took.  These quaint houses line the streets of the Chinatown area of Malacca where you can see the blend of cultures in the architecture and the influence of the Europeans.

This is the oldest Buddhist temple in Malaysia.  It is 16thc I believe.  The Portuguese destroyed all the temples and mosques when they arrived in their attempt to force Christianity so none of the older ones exist.  The Dutch helped the locals rebuild their religious structures and allowed them to worship as they pleased.

These porcelain tiles were brought in from China to build the temple.  There is incredible detail all around the temple that you miss in the previous picture.

Wrapping up the year

I have been extremely lazy in the picture taking category of responsibilities.  Thus, my blog is suffering terribly on keeping up-to-date on all the interesting things transpiring in our life.  I do have some pictures on Xander's Indonesian music concert at school.  He was so proud to show me his skills playing the various instruments he has learned over the last few weeks.

Xander in the center of the picture.

He is seated playing the giant gong in the back of the room in this picture.

Ella and her dad before school the other morning.

Manila, Philippines

Abigail and I had a chance to make a quick trip to Manila, Philippines to go to the temple for our ward's youth temple trip.  It was a beautiful day and busy at the temple with several weddings and a lot of patrons.  It was an exciting first trip to the Philippines.

I love this picture.  The sky looks amazing.  It is not enhanced--of course, the sky wasn't that dark though.

Cami was there as well with Dallin and Ashlyn.  We flew up together and stayed at the same hotel close to the temple.

These "jeepies" were everywhere.  They are the buses of the Philippines.

We had enough time at after the temple to go to a mall and get Papa Johns and some Krispy Kreme donuts--two treats we don't have in Singapore.  Abigail had a lot of fun with the other Beehives there.

In a tree . . .

We went to the East Coast during the Chinese New Year holiday. Our favorite restaurant for hamburgers here, Carl's Jr, always brings us to this fun park that stretches along the Eastern shore of Singapore.  The kids love to climb the twisted, tropical branches of the local trees, like monkeys.  Joseph took some cute up close pictures of the kids that I wanted to post.  You'll notice that Magdalene is missing.  There were no picture of her in the trees :-(

I love this picture of Ella.  I love her wild hair and her intense, deep set eyes.  She is a free spirit, full pf spunk and personality, always running about with flowing, (tangled) blond curls trailing.  

Abigail likes to climb so high, the only picture of her is straight up.

What a handsome boy.  Enough said.

Just a little doll who loves affection and her big sister Ella.

Happy Birthday Magdalene!

Magdalene turned 11 on February 8 this year.  She is a lovely girl and always willing to do whatever we ask without complaint or argument.  She is a favorite with her sisters and brother because of her kindness.  We are grateful for Magdalene in our family.

The color of the week is red because it is Chinese New Year.  Magdalene's birthday happens to fall each year somewhere close to this auspicious holiday.   And this is the year of the snake--mine and Magdalene's year!  Ella was the one who got into it the most, loving her Chinese dress and the celebrations at school and around the neighborhood.  This used to be Magdalene's dress when she was in Kindergarten . . . 

Happy Birthday Abigail!

Abigail turned 13 on January 18.  It wasn't nearly as eventful as she had hoped.  She was down with a terrible flu and was unable to enjoy her favorite dinner of Vietnamese Spring rolls and her birthday cake.  Poor girl.  She was very much looking forward to going to school and being with her friends, eating Subway for lunch, and having a great birthday dinner.  With a birthday in the winter during flu season, I don't think this will be a singular occurrence.  Notice Xander in the background.  He was right there, taking in a big breath and blowing our more than his share of birthday candles for Abigail.  

I think she looks like Abigail some but with blue eyes.

Ella happened to have Dog day at school on Friday.   It was probably the highlight of her entire school year thus far.  She named herself Conrad after our little dog.