Jetlag...Just Walk It Off!

Our flight to San Fran was delayed for fog so we nearly missed our connection to Korea and had to run through the airport to find our flight. But we made it. The flight to Seoul and then to Singapore was with Singapore air and was so long, but pretty luxurious. We got complimentary socks and a toothbrush, and lots of food which was surprisingly good. On takeoff and before landing they handed out hot face clothes which were initially very confusing, until we looked around and watched everyone else wipe their faces with them.

Dee and Dale's place is great, and they are really nice. Dee took us for a tour of the city yesterday. First we went to an outdoor market and checked out all of the hawker stands and shops, I stubbed my big toe and took a nice chunk of skin off (very fun trying to keep clean). We bought big bags of mangosteen, lychee and rambutan to take home (3kg for S$5).

Next we took the MRT to Arab street where we shared a delicious platter of hummus, babaganush and other Arab delicacies. All three of us were stuffed for just S$15. Dee also showed us here favorite building in Singapore, which is actually an office building but looks like a huge gothic tower from Batman's Gotham City. It is surrounded by bronze statues of historic figures and inside it is reminiscent of a cathedral with painted ceilings and works of art everywhere you look. The loby turns into a bar at night where the bartenders have to be lifted up by a pully system to grab bottles of wine from the 30 ft tall, floor to ceiling wine rack.

Today we are venturing out on our own, to find the university for Kaela's registration and the immigration building to get my visa.

So far singapore is amazing and feels ripe for adventure. Stay tuned for further updates.

Love,
Jonny and Kaela

A Brief History...

So here we are. This trip so far has been one incredible whirlwind. It began sometime last March, I believe. Jon and I had been talking about taking a trip for a couple of months to Europe to celebrate his pending graduation from the Engineering program. To be perfectly honest I can't remember how I got to this point to save my life, but I do know that (in my typical fashion) it took only one break between classes to realize that I should apply for an exchange to a country in Asia. My arguments were as follows:

i) Asia is significantly less expensive than Europe and we can get three time the trip for the same amount of money

ii)While Europe is changing at approximately the pace of molasses, Asia is developing so quickly that it is almost unrecognizable from year to year. I don't want to miss my chance to see all the culture and tradition before it is more or less watered down. *

iii) If I ever have kids of my own, I would like to introduce them to the world starting from when they are fresh out of the womb. Chances are, when they are that age, I will not exactly want to bring them to India to try the Bhang Lassi.

*I had some help on this argument from a friend of the family; thanks Tanya!

My final argument was probably the most persuasive one though; I had already more or less sent in my application to do an exchange at NUS (The National University of Singapore). So it was decided. We would go.

The problem: I would not receive my acceptance to my school of choice until June (meaning I had to pass all my courses) and apparently Singapore is incredibly hard to get a work visa for if you are from Canada (which is what Jon was hoping to do; get some engineering experience while I am hitting the books all semester). This is of course the catch with impromptu decisions; they don't leave a lot of lee-way for research. None the less, I have been accepted and Jon has his EPEC (Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate) which means Jon will not have to live in Malaysia while I have class during the week.

So, here we are. 12 more sleeps until we fly out on Singapore Airlines (one of the most luxurious in the world *ahem*) in our economy class seats. We are stocking up on TV series', movies and music for the 26 hour flight (Calgary-Seattle-Seoul-Singapore). In Singapore, we will be picked up by the fabulous Dee, a friend of Jon's family, who has most graciously offered to have us stay with her for the duration of my studies. Let me tell you, a friendly face at the airport after such a long flight is going to be most welcome because in my experience, the scariest part of a trip is arriving at the airport in a foreign country with no idea of what to expect, where to sleep, etc.

This is it for now. I can't see myself updating before we leave again (unless anyone wants to hear about the rash I have developed from stress), so goodbye and and selamat tinggal!

-Kaela