Life in the Heartland

Life in the Singapore heartland plays out in its ubiquitous HDB flats managed by the House and Development Board. The breakaway drama Ilo Ilo which I finally managed to see also takes place in an HDB. The old people gather to play cards and drink coffee in the open area on the ground floor. Not unlike the open air cafés in Italian piazzas.

Block 742 Tampines Street 72

Post Training Snack

Best part of accompanying my kids to camp during school break is that my son finishes his training before my daughter, so I can go with him to the nearby food court where he has a light morning snack of Char Siew Rice with duck. Not very Italian but perfectly Singaporean. Swimmers sure are hungry after training.

Tampines Street 72 Hawker Center

Sydney Days

Sydney, 10 years later. I was last here for my PhD ceremony at the University of Sydney and before that 14 years ago,  when we lived on lovely Elizabeth Street with a two year old in tow. This past weekend, I got to walk down memory lane... And because it was beautiful and breezy, in a sweater no less.

Bondi to Bronte walk (photo creds Eliot)

Humidity Doesn't Travel

Hair that stays straight for more than a few minutes is disconcerting. Until you remember that you are not in Singapore.

Bondi Icebergs Club, Sydney

Goodbye Verona, Until Next Time

When Traveling with a Gymnast pt 2

When you travel with a gymnast...

And guess who has to do the ticking??  

It's The Little Things

I was made a member of a new expat group and scrolling down it, hit upon this!
Nice to know, Diary of An Expat in Singapore is alive and well in Kuala Lumpur...

Swimmers in Singapore

That wouldn't make me nervous or anything... Alexander swimming 50 mt Butterfly and, more importantly, vindicating his mom who was always picked last on school sports teams!
Yes, I made it about me.
Well done, Alexander!!

What Swimmers Do On Their Day Off

Ominous Skies Over Singapore

Another week begins...

Hello Stranger

It has taken me "only" seven months to sit down and update this blog. The last post written in October 'When I Come Back to Singapore One Day' (here on the right), received such an incredible response that frankly everything I thought of writing afterwards seemed banal in comparison. A photo of a perfect avocado? No thanks. A sunrise? Been there, done that. Then I remembered that the reason why I started a blog in the first place was to have a place to record the banal and everyday stuff. Also, I submitted all my final grades so I have way more time.
Here are some snapshots from the last few months.

Laksa Master at the Yale-NUS end of year dinner. Best food at a work place ever.

After ten years of summer, winter. Christmas trip home to Verona.

Close friends and family equally happy that I am speaking about author Elena Ferrante to someone else.

Alexander competing in the Singapore Nationals.

A light breakfast of Char Kway Teow after 5:00 am swim training.

Diary of An Expat in Singapore makes it to the Ivy League (Yale-NUS library).