Our Flat

Dirty Laundry

We all have it but some choose to deal with it differently than others- usually trying to hide it. No matter how hard you try to hide it or how hard you try to forget about it all together, at some point it must be dealt with.

No, I am not talking about skeletons in our closets; I am simply talking about dirty clothing.

Moving from hotel to hotel, our dirty laundry has mostly remained in bags or in a "dirty laundry" suitcase. I never realized how easily I had it when I had a washer and dryer of my very own.

Here in Singapore, if you do not have a place of your own, you have two options. You either have the hotel do your laundry for a very expensive rate, or you send it to a laundromat (who will not do socks or underwear due to sanitary purposes).

Getting laundry done... easy, right? One sure would think so! You think that you just bring the laundry in, they do the laundry, and you bring it home. If it were only that easy...

I decided that since I don't work, I would rather take it to have it done (about half the price), saving us some money, rather than having the hotel do it. And that's what I did on Monday. All. Day. Long.

Since I did not have a cell phone at this point, Jason was very hard to contact. He was especially hard to contact on Monday because he had a business lunch to attend. I woke up and knew of one place that did laundry a couple of blocks away. I decided to walk over there and look at their rates. It cost $6 to wash one shirt. I wanted to get a second opinion so I walked around and found another, closer place in the mall right next to our hotel. They charged $5 per shirt. I could see the savings already. By the way, the hotel rate is more than double that! Anyway, I talked to the sweet lady for a while, explaining that we had a lot of clothing that needed to be cleaned (about 3 weeks worth) and asked if she could give me a discount. She said that she needed to see how much I had before she agreed. She told me that she could have it done by Sunday night but I had to get the clothing to her before her lunch break at 2pm. I looked at my watch and it was 12pm. So, I left the mall and ran upstairs and frantically started to collect all of our dirty clothing and put it into a rolling suitcase. I took the suitcase downstairs and went to the mall and down the escalator to the laundromat. The lady's eyes bugged out and she said "Wow! That's a lot of laundry!" Told ya so! Anyway, to see how much it would cost, we had to separate each item and pull out the socks and underwear. 36 shirts, 9 pairs of shorts, 6 pairs of pants, 8 t-shirts, 1 skirt, and 1 dress later... the discounted price was S$238.50($171.72 USD). WOWSERS! She said that I would have to pay her cash right away. Since I was not sure if this was what Jason wanted me to do, I loaded all of the laundry back into the suitcase and went back to our room to call him. I called his cell phone- no answer. I called his work- no answer. I emailed him- no answer. I went back down to the lady (laundry still in tow) and told her that I could not contact Jason and wanted to talk to him first. She told me that the laundry would need to be back in less than an hour if I needed it done by Sunday. Knowing that we are going to Malaysia next Monday for about 10 days, I knew it would have to be done by Sunday at the very latest. I began to get frantic... and very, very irritated. Mind you, with the humidity it feels about 106 degrees here. I told the woman that I would hurry and try to call Jason again. I asked her kindly if I could leave the laundry there this time and told her I would be right back. She could see that I was flustered and unwillingly agreed. I ran back to our room and called Jason again. No answer. No response to my email. I told myself that I would call him one more time and that if he didn't answer, I would just have her do it. I called Jason one last time and he answered... Hallelujah! I explained everything to Jason and he told me that after all that, we would need to laundry before Sunday and that we probably shouldn't have the laundry done there. I wasn't sure whether I was supposed to be relieved or angry after all the running around, sweating, and strange looks from the makeup consultants in the mall (who repeatedly tried to give me samples, saying "hi again", every time I ran by. Ha!). That night Jason and I agreed that we would just have some necessary items washed by the hotel. You don't even want to know what that bill cost. The laundry arrived back to our hotel that evening, clean as a whistle. But here's the kicker- Tuesday we get a call from the real estate agent and learned that the landlord agreed to our offer on our condo. Jason signed the new lease to our new place yesterday and we move in today. So, after all of that, I finally get to do our laundry! I don't think I've ever been this excited to do laundry in my whole life (nor will I ever be this happy to do it ever again, so don't hold your breathe!)!

Moral of the story- be thankful for what you have.

The end.

Pattaya, Thailand

First, I would like to point out that this beach was recommended to us by one of Jason's co-workers here in Singapore, who is Asian. We had no idea what this beach was like and had never heard of it until we had already booked our weekend. The Asian culture here is very different from the one back home. Here, the woman don't really have a say in anything and are not regarded by men and sex tourism is not uncommon. Jason's co-worker did not think anything of recommending this beach to us. That being said, we thought we were going to have a nice, relaxing weekend at the beach and had no clue what was in store for us...

Here is the wikipedia definition of Pattaya:
Pattaya (พัทยา) is a popular tourist resort on the North Gulf Coast of Eastern Thailand, located 150 km south-east of Bangkok. Pattaya is most famous for its go-go and beer bars, but local authorities has made efforts to provide more family-friendly attractions and activities, and specialist conference and golfing facilities. Although the sex industry is still going strong and sex tourism remains the key money earner for Pattaya, the resort also attracts local families and holidaymakers from far and wide. If you are going to be offended by the sight of fat old European men hand in hand with young Thai girls (and/or boys), then Pattaya is probably not the place for you.

Now after reading that, I assure you that it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Pattaya remided me of Vegas, minus the casinos. There were many shemales (male prostitutes dressed as woman) who were gorgeous. Jason and I took all this in and just had to laugh.

We stayed in the Hard Rock Hotel and it was very nice. We had a great time! I love the weekends... I get to spend time with my man!

Here are some fun things that we did:
-Taking pictures of the sunset the first night
-Thai foot massage
-I held a lemur!
-Visiting the go-go bars
-Playing games at the pool
-Thai full body massage
-Shopping
-Nice Italian dinner
-And of course spending time with the love of my life

All in all, we had a great weekend! We agreed that we probably would never go back, but it was definitely an experience.

Bangkok Blasts

Today is your lucky day! You are getting two blog posts from me, back to back. I feel this post is important because I know many of you are worried about our being in Bangkok with the civil unrest going on. For those that don't know, two different political parties are demonstrating in Bangkok- the yellow shirt vs. the red shirts. It has been going on for several weeks now and fights and such have broken out. It is slowly getting out of control and the police and army are now involved.

Last night we had plans to go to the open market. One of Jason's Asian co-workers met us downstairs last night and told us that things seemed to be getting more out of hand and that we should probably go somewhere else. We decided to stay close to the hotel, which ended up being a key decision. Last night, in the area we were planning on going to, 5 grenades went off. After watching the news, one person so far died and 87 others were injured. Thank God we are leaving in a couple of hours, after Jason's meeting. I will be hanging out in the hotel until he returns, so don't you worry!

On a lighter note, last night was a blast (no pun intended). Jason, two of his co-workers and I went out. We walked down the streets past the street vendors and shopped. We ate dinner at a Thai restaurant where I actually tried everything in front of me. It wasn't too shabby. After dinner, we walked past some more street vendors where one was selling bugs to eat! It was disgusting. Jason decided that he had to try one so he ate a fried grasshopper... gross!! We shopped a little more before we went to watch one of his co-worker's girlfriend's band. They were playing at a bar close to the hotel and they were really good. It is funny how the only music that I've heard here so far has all been American music. The band played everything from 80's music to Dr. Dre. Mike (Jason's co-worker) dates the female lead singer (Sheila) and she was awesome. She is from the Philippines and is as cute as a button. We took my first tuk tuk ride back to the hotel. We had a wonderful time.

Tonight, we leave for a beach that is 140km away from Bangkok. We are staying at the Hard Rock and I can't wait. I just realized that I haven't been to the beach since I was in Italy in 2007. To say that I am looking forward to it would be quite an understatement! I can't wait! I'll keep you posted.

Bed

Two nights ago we went to a restaurant called Bed Supper Club. It was the most interesting restaurant I've ever been to and the food was excellent. We ate on a large bed. Everything in the restaurant was white. There was a great techno DJ and the lights were awesome. Jason said that the lamb dinner he ordered was seriously the best meal of his life. It is amazing how much cheaper things are here in Thailand than they are in Singapore. Apparently they are going to open another one in Paris. Maybe I'll have a chance to eat there when I'm in Europe. Hope you enjoy the pics!

Pee Yew!

I just learned that I have my Mother's nose. I can smell things from a mile away. Jason keeps making fun of me because everywhere we go, I tell him that something smells bad or funny. Maybe this why my stomach has lost it's appetite. Not only does the food smell, but many of the people do too. I really think that it should be a legal requirement to wear deodorant. That, and there should be a personal space line that shouldn't be crossed either. Obviously, none of this is surprising and it was all to be expected. Now I just take it with a grain of salt... and walk around not breathing out of my nose.

Today, my nose has been rejuvenated at our wonderful hotel here in Bangkok, Thailand. This hotel suite is even nicer than the last (we even have a kitchen and washing machine). Boy am I getting spoiled! Upon arrival, we were given some cold wet washclothes to wash our hands with and they smelled like heaven. They smelled like a very fresh eucalyptus. When we proceeded to our room and opened the door, my nose was in love because it had that same sweet, fresh smell.

Jason and I are leaving the hotel soon for dinner tonight which means I will no longer be breathing out of my nose until we reach the restaurant. We are going to Bed Supper Club here in Bangkok. Look it up! I'll let you know how it is!

What I've Learned So Far...

1. There is no such thing as straight hair. No matter how much time or effort or how naturally straight your hair already is, the humidity will turn you into a puff ball in a matter of minutes.

2. It is very easy to become a vegetarian here. Actually, I think I already am one. I lost my appetite for meat when I saw chickens hanging outside of small shops and restaurants. I'll take a salad please. Which leads into number 3...

3. I think I am already losing weight, with my new diet and working out everyday. I am ok with this.

4. The malls are a one stop shop. Seriously. I can go to the chiropractor, buy shoes, get some nice clothes, go grocery shopping, get a cell phone, and eat in fine dining restaurants all in the same place. Needless to say, I got lost in the mall yesterday and was also late for my lunch date with Jason.

5. In the mall (the one stop shop) it took me forever to find sunscreen. I guess no one here uses it. When I did find it, a small bottle of it cost me $18.50 (about $12.50 USD)plus tax. This leads me to number 6...

6. Everything here is expensive. Now I realize why Singapore is the 3rd most expensive country to live in. Jason and I went out for drinks. He had two beers. His beers alone cost $40($28 USD). They were just 12 oz beers. You don't even want to know how much his shot of Patron cost... LOL!

7. Jet lag is no joke. I have to stop getting tired and going to bed at 4:30pm. I wake up at 1:30am bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ruining my sleep cycle.

8. The Twilight Series is not as corny as I thought it would be. Kellie, that was for you. I've already read Twilight and New Moon. I'm starting Eclipse tonight. I can't seem to stop reading, which is good.

9. It is extremely weird not having a phone. I used to not be able to leave home without it. The first days were really rough. It's especially weird not being able to text. Besides Jason, I don't have anyone to talk to here anyway but that's not the point. I used to freak when I left my phone at home. This takes some getting used to.

10. Outside of many restaurants, they showcase what food they have to offer in the display window, hence the picture for this post. One restaurant literally had like 30 items posted on plates consuming their whole exterior window. At least pointing is a univeral language.

And one for good luck...

11. As always, I saved the best for last. I already miss everyone like crazy! This was to be expected but I just wanted to thank you all for your love and support. Can't wait to come back to visit in June! :)

First Weekend in Singapore

Was amazing! Jason and I arrived on Saturday night at around 6pm. We got to our hotel at 8pm. Upon arrival, we were told that our room was upgraded to the executive suite. Finally some good news! Our hotel has a living room/office, large bedroom, and a huge bathroom with a jacuzzi. It is in Clark Quey (look it up, it's awesome!) and there are several bars, shops, and restaurants right next to our building. After moving all of our bags (10 to be exact) into our room, we got showered and went to dinner. To where you ask? The Irish Pub, of course! Haha! Dinner was good but we soon got tired from the jet lag and called it a night.

Yesterday was our first full day in our new home, Singapore. We got up early and worked out for nearly an hour and then got showered and ready to go. We went to lunch at Hooters (just for you Lisa!) which was pretty funny because none of the girls had them. LOL. The menu is very different than the one at home too. Between working out and the food, I think I might come home at least 20 lbs. skinnier since none of the food looked very appetizing.

After lunch we wandered down to Chinatown. I've never seen anything like it in all my life. The smells made me sick to my stomach but some of the shops had some crazy things. One store had everything from $50,000 pottery to groceries. Oh, and boy do those Chinese love their medicine. If I ever get sick, I'm heading straight to Chinatown. We also went into a Buddhist temple while it was in session. The whole thing was so elaborate, it reminded me of some of the churches in Italy. All of the congregation was chanting. Jason took a lot of pictures, and I will be sure to post them as soon as I get them off his camera.

After visiting Chinatown, we decided to venture into Little India. Boy was this an experience! I was as ready to leave as soon as we got there. The smells in Little India were nauseating. I think it was the curry. I don't like curry at all, no offense to those that do. Anyway, in Little India, Jason and I were pretty much the only tourists. This should have been our first indication that we were probably not in the right area of Little India. We wandered the streets past several shops, one of which that had meat in plastic bags all over the floor. Across the street from that shop there were cries from cats. I could have sworn they were being slaughtered. Jason grabbed my hand and we left that street, probably because I looked so bug-eyed. We did go to one area that had several neat shops and henna tatooing. I was grateful to be in this area. Indian music was playing loudly on the streets and shop owners were trying to get us into their stores to buy things.

This sure was a whole new world to me! I can't wait to explore some more. This place truly is amazing!

Stuck in Tokyo

Well, our journey to Singapore began yesterday at 1:50pm EST. We flew on Delta and our flight was supposed to be 13 hours but ended up being over 15. The plane we were on ran out of gas, so we had to stop and refuel in northern Japan. Due to this delay, we missed our connecting flight to Singapore last night. Delta put us up in the Radisson in Tokyo where we ate dinner, went to the bar, slept and had breakfast. It is freeeeezing here in Tokyo! On our way to the airport it was snowing! Poor Jason packed his sweatshirt in his luggage and was not prepared for the cold weather. I mean, we figured we'd be in the tropics by now. Anyway, last night after dinner we went to the sports bar in the hotel which was hilarious! A group of business men were drinking and singing some pretty terrible karaoke but it definitely gave us a laugh. They thought they were so good but there most definitely was not a William Hung in the crowd. We are now sitting in the Narita Airport waiting for our flight to Singapore, which leaves in less than an hour (thank God!). It is 9:20am Tokyo time. The flight is about 9 hours. I can't wait to arrive and to have dinner with my love in our new home country. Many, many more posts to come. We miss you all already!! XOXO

Dress Shopping

I can't believe it is really happening... I am getting married! Today, my Mom and I went dress shopping. Although Jason and I are not getting married until next spring, I wanted to get an idea of what I wanted so I could have my perfect dress made in Thailand while I am in Asia. I found a gorgeous dress and I truly felt like a princess. I knew it was a good sign when all the people in the store came over and commented on me in THE DRESS. One lady that I didn't even know started to cry and congratulated me. It was a perfect day, just my Mom and I. I am so glad we got to experience this before I move on Thursday. I couldn't imagine trying on dresses by myself, especially without my Mom. It really struck me today that I am no longer the little girl who was a bride for Halloween but am actually going to be a bride IN REAL LIFE. I am trying to take everything in and cherish all of these special moments. Boy am I going to miss my Mom!

Ciao Bella :*(

Well, this is it! Bella just went to a new home. I've cried pretty much all day but sometimes things like this are just a part of life. I am thankful that I will be giving Bella away to a happy home, instead of mourning her passing or some other dreadful event. It is amazing how attached one can get to his or her pet. I have had so much fun with Bella in the 6 months that I have had her. It's funny that she just learned to use her doggie steps just a couple of weeks ago (finally!!) and now she is leaving me. Originally we were just going to have some friends watch her, but I do not want to put that burden on anyone, just having to watch her for several months only to give her back. I would not be able to give her the attention she requires in Austria anyway. I gave her to a sweet family with a three year old daughter, Shelby, who is already in love with her and got a million of kisses from Bella before they left. Although I am sooo sad to have had to give her away, it is something that had to be done. I am so thankful to have Jason to lean on in hard times like these. Oh Bella... how I will miss you peanut!