The Last Supper(s)

Over the last few days we’ve gone out for dinner at Jakeb’s favorite restaurants for a string of last suppers in Singapore. We didn’t have time to fit in hawker centers so we told him he’d have to do that for lunches. I did get him some favorites from Bread Talk today.

Marche'

Curry Gardenn (not misspelled)

Din Tai Fung

Amber

 

Stunz Family 5 at Amber

Don’t feel too sorry for him. Soon enough he’ll be eating at Chipotle, Pei Wei, Sonic, Whataburger, Chick Fil A, BBQ and all of our favorite places in Texas and I know he will totally be rubbing it in.

Moving to Singapore

I’ve been compiling a few links for those planning to move to Singapore who are like I was a few years ago and digging for any information they can possibly get their hands on. Once you get here, be sure to keep this link handy, Helpful Singapore Information.

What we normally buy in the US when we go home for visits is anything we know we’ll use and have space for. Anything we can bring will save us money in the long run. That usually includes medicines (can’t get ibuprofen/tylenol, nyquil and such here), vitamins (they have them but maybe not what you like and it is sure to be 3x the price), deoderant, undergarments (cotton/moisture wicking if possible), pants/bottoms for all of us since we’re tall and/or large, makeup that I like (have here but pricey), electronics/cameras (again you can get them here but they are expensive and not always guaranteed), any food items/snacks that we’ve been craving (different every time we go home but usually includes gum-for personal consumption, of course!), blonde hair color (plenty of dark color here), bounce/color catchers for laundry (they have bounce here but it’s expensive and is a good hole filler in luggage and they have their version of color catchers but they don’t work), sunscreen and mosquito spray (although you don’t need mosquito spray very often but you’ll need it in certain areas of Singapore and possibly on trips, they do have it here but it’s expensive), certain spices and seasonings we are picky about, Texas pecans and corn tortillas.
 
Most everything you need you’ll be able to get in Singapore somehow and in some form. It might not be what you are used to and it might be two to three times the price you are used to paying but you also might find something you like better. Those things that we just know we like what we like are what we bring back with us.

http://thestunzfamily.wordpress.com/2010/10/07/what-do-you-want/
 
http://thestunzfamily.wordpress.com/2009/08/23/singapore-faq%e2%80%99s/
 
http://thestunzfamily.wordpress.com/2010/05/24/if-i-had-never-moved/
 
http://thestunzfamily.wordpress.com/2010/12/19/18-month-check-up/
 
http://thestunzfamily.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/new-to-singapore/
 
This is a friend’s blog who is now living back in Oklahoma but her blog has so much good Singapore information on it and she was great about posting photos of her adventures and finds.  http://cajunsis.blogspot.com/
 
Here is a specific post she put together just before she moved back to the States. http://cajunsis.blogspot.com/2010/11/americans-moving-to-singapore-what-to.html although her list is specific to her, everyone’s list will be slightly different, it is pretty informative. When she talks about fitted sheets, they were for a bed bought in Singapore. US and Asian beds are different sizes so if you are bringing American beds, bring American sheets. If you like to bbq, for sure bring one if you can. You will have to get the fittings changed if it’s gas but it’s so much cheaper to do that then buy one here. A super nice grill in the US is maybe about $500 USD, it would be $3000 SGD if you buy it here. And like she said, if you can’t fit it in your new place, sell it. Someone will be glad you brought it over for them.
 
This is a sweet Australian friend’s blog who lives in Singapore for several years now. She’s amazing!! And knows everything about everything. She is super great about posting things to do and see and eat in Singapore. She, too, posts wonderful photos of her life here.
http://leonefabre.blogspot.com/
 
This is a good link for a brief overview of Singapore’s history.
http://www.singaporeexpats.com/about-singapore/brief-history.htm
 
This is a good link for what Singapore is like now:
http://www.singaporeexpats.com/about-singapore/about-singapore.htm

Dear Jakeb,

Dear Jakeb,

I don’t want you to leave but I suppose you must. I know you are excited to start this new phase of your life but could you please be just a little sad to leave? Just a little? You will miss me right???

I know God is protecting you because I’m praying for that. I know you are in His very capable hands but I will still worry. Because that’s what Mom’s are really good at. Just don’t do anything stupid. Ok, don’t do anything REALLY stupid. After 18 years of living with you I’m pretty sure that doing nothing stupid is way too much to expect.

Seriously, I am here for you. Night and day, whoever’s night or day it happens to be given the timezone differences. Call me, text me, email me anytime. You can call or text your dad too but if it’s in the middle of our night he won’t hear it. Just sayin’.

When you leave this house tonight with your life packed into two 23kg suitcases and carryon and your one way business class ticket across the ocean to Texas, you will leave an empty room in our house and an 18 year-sized empty space in my heart. Know that I am so incredibly proud of you, I am praying for you, I’m here for you, I will be sitting by the phone/computer waiting to hear that you arrived safely, and I love you. Until you have your own kids you will not be able to comprehend how much I love you. And even then, it won’t be the same because you won’t be a mom and mom’s just love more than dad’s. Just kidding. Maybe.

You’re ready for this. I know you are. I’m pretty sure I’m not but my vote doesn’t count at this point.

With all of my heart,
“Mama”

P.S. We’ll always have your back!