transparent.gif

November 20, 2005

Win & Loose. But mostly loose.. :)

generator_and_stuff.jpg

There's new developments at the construction site outside our windows - apparently the piling works are over and the new contractor took over. Everything they do looks scarily professional. First thing they did was to build workers' barracks & install an electricity generator that was running overnight (!!!) at first. The low vibrating sound (humming outside the window right now) can drive you nuts when you try to get some sleep.. After several calls to the National Environment Agency they switch it off at 10pm. A victory of sorts, but it also means that we have constant low frequency noise 7am-10pm at our home.. It seems that ever since we moved into our apartment things were going worse and worse with each passing week.

bukit_timah_trail.jpg

To escape the noise we went cycling yesterday and made a 5 hour round in the Bukit Timah biking trail. This was my 3rd time on that trail and the first time that I dared to go downhill some slopes. The road is really bumpy, there's rocks, tree roots and loose gravel or slippery clay, plus the path drops at some 45-60 degree angle. It is actually pretty damn dangerous place and at times I was just gripping my bicycle handles with just one thought in my head: "if you chicken out now, you're dead meat. You better stay on that bike!" while the surroundings were getting blur (because of speed?). I still don't think that is quite "my thing", but I was impressed with what I'm capable of (Kaj was impressed too, although he can take those slopes blindfolded by now.. :)

crab_freaks.jpg

Jurgen stayed overnight at our place before leaving to Finland. He attended a conference here and won the Best Paper award (that's nice!). Just before leaving we went to eat chili crab (Leijonakaupunki speciality!!) and had some great seafood in a place not far from our home. It was nice as you can see from our appearances.. :) If you're coming to visit anytime soon, we'll take you there!! Anybody planning to come?!? Hurry!!!

la_groupe.jpg

Besides all that we went to see Giuliano's band's performance in the band's competition in the Dutch Club on Friday. I thought their band was really great, but the judges for some reason thought that the only real asset in that band was Giuliano himself, so he won the "Best Keyboard Player" award! Yippii! Not bad after 1 month of joining the band!!! (btw, did other bands have keyboard players?.. ha ha.. :) That concert was one of the rare glimpses that we have here to the "real expat life". Superficial as our encounter was, I can't say that it was "our crowd" - hanging out in the country clubs with other rich corporate people, having maids cleaning your house, sending kids to international schools, etc... Funnily enough many of the women in the audience looked like clones - blondish longish hair, slimish anorecticish build, wrinklish tight-lipped brownish tanned faces.. The stereotype of an expat wifey?!? Or rather a French expat wifey?!?

boat_to_desaru.jpg

Otherwise the weather is becoming interesting and quite pleasant here - the rainy season is starting and we have rain almost every day. On some days the sun doesn't even peep out from the clouds (like today). Great!! Funnily enough it is also some kind of spring here - many of trees are in bloom and I started buying "forest" flowers from Tekka market - some tiny little blossoms on spikey branches. Beautiful! The monsoon season is supposed to bring waves to Desaru, but it was quite flat last time we went there couple of weeks ago..

happy_in_desaru.jpg

Posted by gkligyte at November 20, 2005 05:08 PM
Comments
Post a comment