Chinese Garden

Melissa here...

Jazzy stayed home today while Chris and I went out for a day adventure to "Chinese Garden." We have noticed this stop off of the train many times as it is only a few stops from home so we decided to check it out today.

I know what you are thinking....HOW could we leave Jazzy behind and have so much fun without her??

Well a few reasons-

1. You can not take pets on the MRT (mass rapit transit) 

2. You can not take pets into most natural areas, such as public gardens (bummer, right?)

We were surprised at first that pets are not allowed in gardens or botanical areas, but then we realized why......

Picture it.....me resting naturally by the river....so calm and peaceful......

Chris snaps a picture and I turn my head to the right....and see THIS........................

 Is it a crocodile? Is a dinosaur? No, it is a HUGE Monitor Lizard!! (actually two HUGE monitor lizards!!) Look how big and long that tail is! The big guy was shading his body under the bush.

This was me immediately after seeing these guys....

"they can't get me up here, right?"

this smaller one came up out of the water. The baby?

Can you imagine what Jazzy would have done if she saw these creatures? Or what they would have done to her? Singapore has such vast and varied wildlife, that domesticated animals, like Jazzy, could compromise their habitats or affect their behaviors.  We also saw a sign posted in the park of a certain monkey that had been harassing parkgoers and begging for food. It was quite a funny poster, actually. Kind of a mugshot of the poor monkey saying "Do not feed this monkey. Please report him immediately." I am sorry we did not take a picture of that sign! 
We continued through the park visiting a 7 story pegoda that you were able to walk up to the top and look out from. it was actually kind of scary, but it was my favorite part of the walk. Next we visited a small garden with over 100 bonsai trees. That was Chris' favorite part of the day. 

We continued through the "Zodiac Garden" and took tourist pics with the Horse (celebrating this Lunar New Year) as well as our respective birth years.

1979- year of the goat 

1982- year of the dog

 We stopped to watch a game of cricket and then at a hawker center for food and a beer before heading back home to Jazzy. All in all it was a great day!

Going Out.....

Melissa here.....

So I wanted to tell everyone a little about the differences in going out here. 

Chris and I have tried a few different things. We have gone "out" for breakfast, lunch and dinner on campus. A typical meal on campus costs about 4 dollars (~3.50 US). We had "brunch" last Sunday that consisted of kopi (coffee), juice, fresh lychee juice, eggs, bacon, baked beans, toast, kaya spread (like peanut butter) and fresh pineapple. 

'Canteen 2' on campus

thick toast with kaya spread and kopi O

Brunch in Canteen 2 was delicious and cost us total $12 (~9 USD)

When went "out" for dinner in Little India and got a biryani set (meal) and a mango lassi (sweet mango yogurt drink) for $15

This past Saturday, we went "out" with a friend to a place downtown called Holland Village for dinner and drinks. Here, dinner cost $60 (including charges for ice water, napkins and "pickles" (peanuts) which were set on the table without ordering.  The meal was good and the atmosphere was nice, but not quite worth the price. 

After dinner we went to a bar for drinks and we paid $50 for THREE BEERS! That is right, 3 Heinekens cost $50. We did have fun, but now we know that location can really affect the price. 

Holland Village

Awesome band at Wala Wala

We did have a lot of fun going out, but we will just have to limit our frequency!! Plus there are a lot of amazing things to do around town that don't cost anything.......stay tuned to my next post ;)

A Crazy Week!!

Well this past weeks has been nuts! A lot has been going on and we are all pretty exhausted!!

Mom had some crazy stressful test that is apparently really important. Dad has been working really hard at NTU. And I, Jazzy Rascal, have been working out some separation anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder symptoms. Well, it is probably not THAT extreme ( ;p), but I have been anxious and barking a lot when my folks are gone. They found out because they have been setting up a small box with a blinking light on it in front of my crate when they leave. When they get back they watch it and when they hear me barking I feel really bad. I am not sure why I bark so much when they are gone. I guess I am afraid they will leave me again. Well anyway, mom has been doing a new training with me that seems to be helping. She hand feeds me and makes me push against her other hand to get to the food. 

yummy training food

It is supposed to relax and focus me, as well rebuild an emotional bond with my mom. I think it is helping! 

Good Girl! 

Otherwise things have been moving pretty fast! We got all of our stuff from home and the apartment here is really coming together. It is nice to have all my old toys and treats! 

I have been a big help getting everything organized around the house.....

working hard


xoxo Jazzy

I'm HOME!!!!

Jazzy here!

I am home, I am home, I am HOME!!!

What a whirlwind adventure it has been. I am so happy to see mom and dad and check out our new place. I have to admit, I am still a little shell shocked from all the changes, but I think I will get back to normal 'ole me soon enough.

Quarantine was ok, but they didn't feed me very much. But now I am LOVING my new "let's fatten her back up" diet of rice and kibble! 

so skinny!

ahhhh, cool tile!

My first walk around campus was great! Everything is so green here! I love all the new smells, sounds and sights. 

HAPPY girl(s)!

playing with Dad

Well all this adventuring sure has worn me out! I am going to nap a bit. Until next time! xoxo Jazzy Rascal; World Traveler

What a whirlwind of a week it has been at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information!

I moved into my new office and was quickly welcomed by a host of new colleagues and support staff. The School and University have done a tremendous job to make me feel at home. 

Of course, it has been non-stop meetings and orientation events all week. I'm now somewhat settled into my new office where I am conveniently located near other young faculty interested in Risk and Health Communication. Our research cluster has already begun planning some collaborative work!

 My office is sparsely decorated right now, and I'm looking forward to having our shipping container arrive and go through customs so that I put up my diplomas, and have my beloved books back in hand! Some art and maybe a tropical plant or two and my office will be my home away from home. 

 I'm also excited to begin teaching again this next week. New faculty like myself teach one course per semester at NTU.  I currently have 188 students enrolled in my Fundamentals of Research lecture. I am joined by 4 fabulous PhD Teaching Assistants who will teach the tutorial sections following my lectures. This will be my first large lecture class! 

 Lunch at the local "canteen" is definitely a highlight. 3.50 USD will buy a great bento box lunch, and for a dollar or two more you have fresh squeezed fruit juice-- I'm particularly fond of the kiwi and star fruit juice! I can foresee that most days I'll be walking back to my office after lunch with some fresh papaya and pineapple slices set for an afternoon snack. Having such excellent and fresh food available certainly trumps the canned soups and fried foods I was eating in NC.

I'll be sure to provide some more pics from my adventures around campus. For now it's time to sign-off and go swimming at the Olympic-sized pool across the street! 

Some Observances...

Well Chris is too busy actually working to post about working, so it is me again! First of all...Jazzy comes home in 2 MORE DAYS!!! So excited to see her and to show her all around campus. We need to pick her up some dog food. We are used to getting the 50Lb bag from Costco, but there are 2 problems with that 1. no Costco. 2. no transportation. We did get a rollycart which helps with the groceries. See...

But we will just need to pick up smaller bags of dog food, more often.

Our refrigerator arrived a few days ago. The delivery men wore flip flops so they could quickly take them off before entering our home. We have ordered a washer and dryer to be delivered today. We knew we wanted something cheap and used, so I did a lot of searching Craigslist.sg with some luck, but no solid leads. Until...I found Ms. Nellie. http://second-handfurnitureshop.blogspot.sg 

Ms. Nellie owns a used furniture shop in the Geylang District of SG. 

It was my first trip to Geylang and it took me about 1 hour via MRT (mass rapid transit) and cost me 96cents in SD (sing dollars) which is equivalent to about 80 cents USD. Ms. Nellie was clipping her toenails when I arrived, but quickly attended to me! I bought a washer and a dryer for 430 SD (338 USD) including delivery and a short warranty period. 

The Geylang district was nice. I saw a lot of what I assumed to be Buddhist temples, but there were so many I began thinking they were entrances to people's homes! Still not sure, can anyone read this sign and enlighten me? (UPDATE- per Geoff, this is a Buddhist Temple. Thanks!)

I also saw a lot of Hindu statues around with incense burning everywhere. I still have a lot to learn about all the different cultures and religions here. Singapore is such a diverse place and I look forward to learning more and soaking it all in! Please forgive me and take no offense if I mistake or confuse the insignia and feel free to correct me in the comments section! 

Were the coconut milks offerings for the elephants? or just well placed drinks? 

I stopped at Ikea on the way home for a few bath mats, a lamp, extension cords and coffee. Ikea is the ONLY place we have found that sells real coffee. Everywhere else it is instant Nescafe, or a coffee mixture (coffee, sugar, hydrogenated oil, yuck!). 

I am sure there are many specialty stores that sell real coffee, we just haven't found them yet. When my Keurig arrives in the cargo I will have to find a k-cup supplier. Definitely haven't seen those around. 

After Ikea, Chris and I went for a swim in the campus pool. It is so nice to walk 2 minutes to the pool and be able to walk home in our suits. We plan on swimming regularly for exercise. Chris is teaching me a proper swim stroke. He is a great teacher! 

NTU pool- so refreshing!

Until next time.... xoxo

Our new apartment!!

Prior to moving into our faculty appointed housing we were curious as to what would lie on the other side of the door. Would it be small? Would it be updated? How many bedrooms? Could Chris even fit through the doors? Our anxieties were finally quelled when we were handed the keys.
Our new home has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 living rooms, a garden room, a washing room, a dining room, 3 aircons and plenty of views of lush green scenery.  We are so pleased with our new place and can't believe what a great price we get for it! (comparable to NC/CA prices, but VERY low for SG standards).
Below are some pics from moving in day!

Entrance living room. The apt was furnished with "dorm style" pieces that we plan to replace. As our cargo shipment arrives in 3 more weeks, it has been wonderful to have the essentials provided. The housing department will come move any furniture out that we no longer need.

Entrance living room sitting nook with view into open dining room.

Kitchen off to the right. View into second living space and guest bedrooms/ study beyond. 

Notice the hole where the "hob" will go. Still haven't ordered one yet. We can not decide on gas vs. electric. Here gas is cheaper to use, but less convenient as you have to refill. We might go electric just for the ease of it. Any opinions on the matter?

Garden atrium. This space is open air to the courtyard of the building. The windows are screened, but they do not close. This is the room that is designed for hanging clothes to dry, but we think we are going to stay "western" and get a washer/dryer. 

Guest bath

All three rooms look essentially the same, although the master is slightly bigger. All come with a bed, side table, desk, bookcase and large storage closet. 

Closet in every room!! 

Soaking tub in the master bath...ahhhhhh ;)

Now that we are all moved in, stayed tuned for the next post which will be Chris' perspective on his first day of work! http://www.ntu.edu.sg/Pages/home.aspx