Waiting for the rain

Apologies for not updating the blog, since moving into our condo it’s been pretty full on. We now live on the East Coast, on the edge of the Geylang River. It’s a brilliant location; it’s green and calm with park connectors and cycle paths on our doorstep, the Stadium with lots of activities and shops is just across the river. We’ve got bus links to the city and the MRT (tube or subway, whichever you call it…tunnelbana in Swedish) at a walking distance. Our Condo is set next to a block of HDB’s where there’s a Hawker market, Wet market, shops, playground, doctor’s surgeries etc. Very convenient and I love the more local feel of it. Once we’ve finished furnishing this place and got our pics and stuff up I’ll do a “Chez Dougberg’s” post just like in the gossip mags!

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But of course there is a “but”, school is now about 70 minutes away on public transport. We tried it for a couple of days which meant the kids and I had to leave the house at 06:50 in the morning… it was just impossible, they were so tired they couldn’t eat breakfast, couldn’t get dressed by themselves, couldn’t do anything. Now we get them a taxi every morning and they can leave at 7:30 which feels a lot more doable. I don’t have to go with them either which saves me two hours in the morning. Coming back from school we usually get them a taxi too, but they are also really good at getting the bus and I meet them in town where they have to change buses. I love that Singapore is so safe, the kids can travel through town like that.

I’m actually sat on the balcony now under the umbrella, it’s morning, the thunder has been rolling in and it feels like it didn’t really turn to daylight today. Now the rain has just started and it pouring down! I’m so relieved the rain didn’t come until now, if it rains when we are trying to get a taxi for the kids it’s impossible, last week it took over 30 minutes for one to arrive and the kids got to school late.

Hopefully the rain will end soon so that I can cycle to the shop and get some provisions. I have finally managed to do a big online shop for groceries and what a bloody relief that was! All the staples, heavy bulky items etc. were delivered and I don’t have to look like a crazy bag lady trying to balance it all home on the bike. Getting used to life without a car is not easy!
I am however glad that we did bring our bikes (ok, maybe not all 8 of them…4 would have sufficed) because we really live in bike heaven. The weekend before last we cycled along the East Coast for some breakfast and I was just gobsmacked by how wonderful the cycling network here is.

The beach is beautiful, sadly I don’t think you can swim here. There are hundreds of big boats on the horizon waiting to unload in the port, not sure what that’ll do to the quality of the water. The cycle lane follows the beach for miles and miles, all the way to the airport I think. There are places everywhere to stop for a picnic or exercise, there’s a really cool playground at Marina Cove and a skatepark with big concrete bowls etc. Such an easy way to have an active life!

School has been very intense for the kids with lots of new routines to get used to. Ben was initially shocked by the amount of homework (saying that, he had NO homework in st Cuthbert’s so wasn’t really well prepared) but has grabbed the task by the horns and is starting to get better at organising his time and work. Bea is usually so tired and hungry by the time she comes home from school she just collapses in a warm sticky heap. She’s very homesick and misses our dog Henry so much, it’s heartbreaking. Both kids are invited to birthday parties this weekend, Bea is even going on a sleepover so hopefully this will left her spirits a bit!

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Above are some pics from yesterday, I went into Marine Parade to do some shopping. There are some gorgeous old Peranakan shophouses along the road, so colourful. The crazy bus was parked in the HDB here, like most things there I haven’t got a clue. There is a tent erected where I think there is a funeral, it’s been going on for days and people are sat in the tent eating and chanting. Also, I think some sort of festival is coming up “mid Autumn festival” but I’m not sure what this entails, I’m wondering if the decorated bus is part of that…or is it part of the funeral? If it is, I’m signing up! That’s what I want my hearse to look like too!