12/27/12 - First 4 Days in the US

I'm sitting in the same chair I sat in 5 months ago when I set the blog up, staring at the same lake as before and drinking out of the same coffee mug.  Only now I'm marveling at the ice on the lake and am happy that my coffee is cool enough to drink in 5 minutes vs. 25 minutes and warms me up vs. makes me hot enough to start sweating.  After being here for 4 days, the question has popped into my head multiple times, "Do I really live in Singapore now or was that just a dream like a plot twist in a TV show?"  The British plugs on my phone charger convince me that I am still lucid, but the old maxim continues to hold true "time sure flies".

First experiences so far that really stick out (that never would have if we'd been here all along).  I landed in San Francisco after 16 hours of flying, happy to be back on US soil, but not thrilled about the 5 hour layover I had to endure before getting on my flight to Minneapolis.  At least this would be my 3rd red-eye flight out of the Delta terminal in SFO so I knew how to play the game.  Straight to Perry's for some bread bowl clam chowder and a few beers.  I tried to stifle a smirk when I saw my large Sierra Nevada was only $7.95.  This would have seemed like an overpriced airport bar beer 6 months ago and now I felt like I had found the best bar on the planet.  There was an NBA basketball game on that sucked me in immediately (minimal sports for 5 months will do that to you) to the point that I almost missed the college kid next to me ordering "cheese burger, fries, mac and cheese and whatever the cheapest beer you have."  When it came out it was clearly enough food for 2 1/2 people, but he didn't even blink while eating it and ordered a second Bud Light to boot.  Clearly I was getting close to home.

Walking out of the airport in Minneapolis to the car was the exact opposite of getting off a plane in Singapore.  If there is such a thing as a blast freezer vs. a blast furnace, this was it.  Once the car was warm though, everything felt fine, especially when I heard a Dave Ryan commercial on the radio station.  The bagels and coffee for breakfast at Sarah's parents house brought me even closer towards the home comfort zone.

Four hours later I was at the lake marveling at how I had gotten here.  21st century travel always leaves me with a sense of wonder when you really step back to think about it.  The 4 days after my arrival have been a whirlwind of family, dogs, Christmas and eating.  Anytime we know someone going back to the US the first thing anyone asks them is "what is the first thing you're going to eat?"  So far it has been a parade of comfort food (mashed potatoes, meatballs, ham, black beans, pie, good cheese, wine, etc) that has been a great contrast to our routine in the tropics that involves eating out for 95% of our meals.  Instead of trying to find a restaurant that serves something that seems normal, normal is right in front of you.  The burgers and burritos will come, but this officially checked me into the "home hotel."  Now I just need to kick the jet lag to the curb.  Was awake until 11:30 last night and woke up at 7:30 today on my own.  Hopefully 4 days is the magic number.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year and any other holiday I may have missed.  More reports to come as we have plenty more time with family, friends and work colleagues in the next 8 days.

12/10/12 - Bachelor Living

I got a glimpse this past weekend of what my life would have been like flying solo here for a few years.  I'm sad to report that I would be a sufficiently boring individual.  Lets examine the past 60 hours in terms of food and activities.

Food - I specifically avoided eating McDonalds in the airport because prior to the flight I really wasn't that hungry and I assumed I could find something to eat when I got home.  Half way back on the flight to Singapore I started to get a little hungry, but the offer of a "sardine puff" from the flight attendant squashed that.  I decided it best to just take a nap for the next half hour to be safe.  The taxi home was pretty fast, but not as speedy as the driver 2 weeks ago who claimed to be a "professional driver."  He had driven a taxi in Bangkok for 5 years though, and after having spent a weekend in Bangkok, anyone who is still alive after driving there for 5 years just may be a professional.

Anyway, I got home, threw some shorts on and strolled over to the hawker centre.  The problem is, there are always more places open to eat during lunch and then it turns out that my go to dumpling ramen shop is closed for about a month.  This makes sense since we have been feeding them money on a weekly basis. By the time we leave we may have put one of their children through college, $3 at a time.  The only place open was a claypot chicken shop I hadn't noticed before.  It was OK, but had a lot of items I wasn't entirely positive about their origin.  The big Kingfisher beer made me feel classy at least.  I actually had had claypot chicken in Penang for lunch and can report that I have now found food that is better in Penang than Singapore.  This sample of two hawker shops isn't exactly the most scientific conclusion, but the Penang one has rice, chicken, chinese sausage and a fried egg on top.  Plus the chili sauce is better.  Advantage Penang.

After being stymied on the food front Friday night I went over early Saturday to stock up.  Banana prata, plain prata, chicken puffs, bananas, and pineapple.  I was set for the day.  This got me thinking though.... was I doing the equivalent of making a fast food run in the US? I had rarely eaten fast food back home, but now go grab hawker fare on a regular basis.  Maybe I should have just eaten McDonalds in the airport Friday.

Activities - the reason I had to load up on food was I spent the day working at the kitchen table.  Since Sarah was done with school someone had to keep the seat warm.  Plus, she set up a new bookcase so you wouldn't even be able to tell that the table had been the study station for the past 3 months.  I couldn't go into the office because they were shutting down the power for 36 hours.  It would have been open in the morning, but you potentially could have gotten stuck on the 14th floor.  Not wanting to walk down that many flights of stairs, I opted for the day at home.  I did meet up with some friends for drinks in Clarke Quay at a New Zealand bar for a few hours.  We looked pretty tame compared to the New Zealand bankers who had been there since noon.  We weren't breaking glasses like them or wearing costumes (I think they had Christmas confused with Halloween) so I'm considering that a win for us.

I tried sleeping in, but couldn't even make it past 8 AM.  I had big intentions of getting out and meandering around the city, but watching a replay of the Big 10 Championship Game (Go Badgers!) was just too tempting.  The rest of the day turned into a Netflix bender, but sometimes you just need one of those.

So there you have it - good thing Sarah will be rejoining me for 2013 so we can continue on our adventures that will involve more than cheap food and football on the couch.  The curry quest is still on though, hoping for a report in early 2013.

12/22/12 - Heading Home for the Holidays

Work officially got the best of me these past 2 weeks so the spare time for blogging was cut out of the schedule.  The good news is we hit our deadline and now its time for some relaxation.  For me, this means I'm leaving the 88 degrees of humidity and sunshine and heading back to cold and snowy Minnesota.  Considering it was 78 degrees last week at night and I was "cold" this could get ugly.  I think the high for the day I land is 26 degrees.  Yikes!  I made sure to go for one last swim today and soak up as much sunshine and heat as I could.  We'll see if it helps - my guess is, no, no it will not.  Bring on the pajama pants and the fireplace.

It will nice to head to the airport in an hour knowing that when I hear the Christmas music that has been playing all month it means I am headed towards that myself.  My staff got me off to a great start two days ago with this Christmas present.  They couldn't be nicer (or harder workers) and I plan on doing some scoping around in the US for presents to bring back to Southeast Asia.  If anyone has thoughts or ideas, you know where to find me.

I'll try and post an update or two while back in the U.S.  Something tells me the culture and climate shock could make for some interesting interactions over the next week and a half.  Regardless, can't wait to see friends, family, have some good wine, watch football on live TV and reacquaint myself with the 3 B's (Burgers, Burritos and Beer - the darker kind).

Happy Holidays from Singapore - next stop Minnesota (via Hong Kong and San Francisco - ouch).

12/8/12 - Back in the Saddle (Running in Southeast Asia)

It was bound to happen again eventually.  Man may be able to manipulate his arms and legs to move through the water with some level of efficiency, but he was put on this earth to run.  And we aren't talking sprinting here, we're talking long distance running.  Did you ever realize that humans are the only mammals that actually sweat?  When you live on the equator you tend to notice this about yourself a little more.  You see, in the grand scheme of it all, we really aren't that fast.  Usain Bolt would have nothing on a cocker spaniel.  However, if one of the Olympic marathon runners took your dog out for a run, it likely wouldn't make it to the end of the race.  It turns out that way back in the day mankind used to hunt animals by literally running them to death because the prey could not cool itself off.

So where do I come into the picture?  We've been here 4 1/2 months and I really have enjoyed swimming laps on a regular basis.  Unfortunately, the pool hours are starting to conflict with my work schedule and I needed another way to burn off excess energy.  Which is why when I was packing last night Sarah gave me a raised eyebrow and asked if I was really packing my running shoes?  Part of this is because we've all been on work trips where you pack your "work-out clothes" and what do they do?  They sit at the bottom of your suitcase taking up valuable real estate the entire trip.  The other reason is I really had effectively sworn off running until we were residing in a temperate climate again.  The pool hours, plus a co-worker whom had recently started running and some friendly mocking about not running the Penang marathon were all the motivation I needed, so into the luggage they went.

Day 1 - Treadmill
I totally wimped out.  I was sitting on the chair in my room, lacing up my shoes and listening to the evening prayer call ring out across the island.  The odd part was the prayer call felt more normal at this point than putting running shoes on my feet.  Its been a life of flip flops and work shoes since June.  I suddenly caught a bright flash out of the corner of my eye and had the "was that lightning," but before the thought could fully materialize the thunder shaking my room confirmed it.  The torrential downpour started 2 minutes later and this was the only excuse I needed to head down to a treadmill instead.  The treadmills actually have little fans in the middle that blow on you, but in my case this meant that my belly button was a little cooler instead of my face.

Even with the air con set on frigid I was still dripping 10 minutes in.  This was likely a combination between the humidity and my lack of bipedal movement in recent memory.  Ultimately, I did make it 3 1/2 miles (at least the treadmill wasn't metric) and a not too slow pace.  When I got off I felt like I was gliding across the room.  I couldn't remember if this was the usual treadmill byproduct or if I was just in need of some fluids.  Regardless, Day 1 down, 3 liters of water back in me.  Ready to tackle the actual outdoors in a few days.

Day 2 - The Great Outdoors
The good news is this is actually Day 6.  I got a little bogged down with what I'm paid to do (not a professional blogger yet) and too busy to post anything.  I actually now have a running route outside I can call my own.  Parts of it are more of an obstacle course so the cross country training from high school is getting some use.  Its at night, you'd be crazy to run when the sun is up, but its well lit.  At some locations during the run you feel like you might be in Florida whereas at other locations you could be on any road in Asia.

I start by crossing the street from the hotel to get on the right side of the road.  Literally the right side.  I don't know if I'm ever going to get used to crossing a street by looking right first and then left.  Anyway, the first quarter mile involves dodging protruding drain covers in the sidewalk, low hanging trees, sewer smells and a pretty large roundabout.  The next quarter mile you head past some large high rise condos and over a bridge where the salty smell of the ocean hits you full in the face.  Even though we're always on an island you tend to forget about it due to all the time we spend indoors.  The next landmark is a bunch of local seafood stalls that range in smells from "could be good" to "its time for that fish to get thrown out."  Probably because I run by them later in the evening.

The good new is, once you get past here, and hopefully you haven't tripped over an extension chord or hit your head on a road sign that is not too low for 99.9% of the people on the island, you're home free.  Traffic practically disappears at this point with the exception of a variety of scooters so you can just run down the middle of the road for a mile and half before you turn around.  This is the second time where you could convince me I'm in the US (the first being the high rise condos).  At this point you pass a huge development of million dollar homes that are sitting empty.  People are currently holding them for an investment.  Looks like it will be a nice lush neighborhood if anyone actually does move in.  At their current rate of occupancy though, the jungle might swallow the homes up first.

Once you hit the marina with a boat on gigantic sawhorses that looks like the boat Andy Dufresne bought in Mexico at the end of Shawshank Redemption its time to turn around and head back.  The nice part about running outside is you don't really have to warm up because your body is always loose.  The bad part is once you finish you can walk for 20 minutes and still not stop sweating.  I don't think the people around the mall were real impressed me with when I got done, but what can you do?  The owner of the Persian Restaurant I like still invited me to come eat pre-shower (I politely declined) and went back to guzzling water.  I need to find a coconut stand now for some post run hydration.

Off for a swim now - believe it or not, need to give the legs a rest.  Hoping to find some fun running routes in the next year or so in places other than Penang that I can highlight.

12/2/12 - 2nd Phuket Honeymoon

Almost exactly 2 years ago we spent 11 amazing days kayaking in sea caves, riding on elephants, taking Thai cooking classes and just staring at the ocean for hours while staying at Mai Khao beach on the northwest side of Phuket for our honeymoon.  The last day we were there we spent hours walking on the beach just trying to soak it all in and hoping it wouldn't end.  I'll never forget how we were in our car headed back to the airport to fly home and we both commented how lucky we were and agreed it was probably a once in a lifetime trip.  Who would have known that 18 months later we would be living in Singapore and Thailand would suddenly be just a short flight away.  With the first semester of school finished and half of this adventurous couple getting ready to head home for the holidays it seemed like a good time to make a weekend escape, especially when it ended up being the second anniversary of our honeymoon in Thailand. 

To get there 2 years ago we had to fly from Minneapolis to Detroit to Seoul to Phuket.  It took 24 hours, but sacrifices had to be made in the name of using free tickets from Delta.  The mode of transportation was a little different this time.  I can now cross "flying in a prop" plane off my bucket list.  At least none of the mechanics were duct taping the propeller blades together like they did to the Cleveland Indians plane in Major League before take-off.  The flight was actually smoother than a regular plane and I got some sweet photos out the window so call me a fan.

We had previously stayed on the north side of the island because it is quieter and more relaxing and not nearly as developed as the southern part.  It was also the best place to use my Marriott points.  Marriott had recently opened up a brand new Renaissance about a mile down the beach from where we had stayed before so we decided to check it out.  Since we would only be spending a weekend this time it was nice to be closer to the airport and only have a 15 minute taxi ride vs.  an hour for much of the rest of the island.  Plus my gold status is on the endangered species list so we wanted to take advantage of it before the year was over.

In this case..... upgrade!  We got moved from a regular room to a villa with our own plunge pool.  We spent most of the time on the beach, but sure was nice to have it just sitting out your back porch.  One night there was music on the beach so we just opened the windows up and had our own private concert while sharing the wine we were given as part of our "2nd Honeymoon Package."  Free wine and cake - seems like we'll be having our 3rd Honeymoon there before you know it.  Can you take a 3rd Honeymoon?  Seems like a good idea to me.  We really were taken care of on this trip.  I'm almost tempted to start writing TripAdvisor reviews solely based on how well we were treated at the hotel.

We didn't do any side trips this time.  The theme for the weekend was relaxation and with hour long massages on the beach costing less than $15 you know where Sarah spent some of her time.  There was a happy hour from 5-6 so you could watch the sun go down over the Andaman Sea and then head back to the room to wash the sun and sand away.  The first night we got to dig our toes into the sand while they grilled our steak, snapper and tiger prawns 15 feet away.  The second night we were feeling extra happy so it was off to happy hour the sequel at the lobby lounge overlooking the palm trees.  It got even better with an acoustic guitar playing, lightning flashing off in the distance and was a perfect way to close out the night.  

Leaving after 48 hours was not the easiest thing to do, but it sure is nice to know it isn't a 24 hour flight away anymore.  I would say the odds are good another Phuket post will find its way in here before we permanently head home.