Singapore Adventures

We have spent the last four days in Singapore! It is an amazing city and I'm so glad I got to experience it. 

Our first day here we did the city hop on hop off sightseeing bus tour! Worth every penny!! Three routes cover the entire city and major sights

We spent the midday in Chinatown. Fun shops and lunch! Best Chinese we have ever had!! 

We brought stuffed Mike along too!

The girls loved the double decker open top bus tour!! Wind in their hair!!

The second day we took a guided walking tour of Little India. So much history. 

View from the top floor from our rooms! 

Singapore Nigt Safari! It's a special zoo only open at night. To see the animals in their element. Most enclosures have no cages! 

The girls had a lot of fun in the hotel pool! Such a nice break from Japan! 20 degrees cooler!! 

BONUS: our standby flight home from Singapore to Japan was cancelled so we took the opportunity to travel elsewhere! Tonight we fly to Thailand to burn three days before the next flight home to Japan! Should be fun!!

We arrived in a new country! Just Visiting!!

Our first adventure from Japan.......Singapore!

 The kids crashed in the cab on the way to our hotel....but of course didn't sleep a wink from our 3am wake-up through our 7 hour flight 😁😂✈️

We took a FREE military Space-Available flight from Japan direct to Sinngapore. 

Spending 4 nights here seeing the city and a little R&R! 

Cloud Park

Went to a new park off base today! Very close to the base and super fun! Tons of roller slides and a HUGE spider climber! They call it "Cloud Park" because of the giant cloud-like trampoline poofs you can bounce on! FREE! The misters on this hot day were a plus and great way to cool off! 

Bon Odori Fun

Bon Odori base festival 2015 complete!!

It was such an amazing event and I am so glad I spent every Thursday morning for the last 6 weeks practicing. We learned 10-12 Japanese dances that are NOT easy to retain. 

The base opens its gates twice a year for events and this was the second one. There was a live band, food to eat, and then three hours into the event the Bon Odori formal dancing began! Many dance groups from different places off base attend and perform their routines. While they are on stage the rest of the dancers proceed to dance along with them on the ground. 

Some friends and squadron ladies I have been dancing with for two months! 

Sophia and I--good friends from Norfolk

It was so nice to have the girls with me at this event. So many friends didn't dance and instead helped keep an eye on my kids while I was off doing my thing! 

Liberty Bell kids!! Yep! LOTS of girls

The girls enjoying a snow cone cup! 

Thanks to friends who took photos of me dancing tonight! Great memories

Center stage! I did three dances up there

The live band that performed--the Japanese LOVE all things American

Oh and this is the base commander doing his talk. Those fuzzy guys behind him are local city mascots. YES each city has its own mascot!! Don't ask me what the broccoli guy represents, because on his behind he had a corkscrew tail.....not your average broccoli.....

Summer Camp

Abby's summer camp program had an end of summer finale they put on tonight.

It was a solid hour of song and dance. And showed the true military spirit of togetherness that they have. 

She went on numberous field trips, twice a week to the base pool, and many other fun activities. 

After the show they hosted a "Dessertfest" for the kids full of treats! 

Rice anyone?

Of course they have a 24HR rice dispensing station here.....

I doubt I'll be needing this much at a moments notice....but maybe I'll have to try it once just because....when I'm Rome....

The story behind this summer

This article explains what Mike's deployment is all about this summer. 

It's a good read that sums up what they are about to endure. 

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/aug/05/three-presidents-crew-cvn-220/2/?#article-copy

Grass and Safety

Another way Japan does even the littlest things better!!

Anywhere they cut grass around the base, they always have a person with a screen following the person with the weed wacker to ensure grass or debris is not sent into cars or people passing by. 

Imagination

Maddy came into the kitchen today and announced she was leaving on a train for Colorado and she would be back in an hour. 

I'd love to experience this lightning speed train!!! 

Then when she returned from her trip 5 minutes later she proceeded to tell me Colorado was near Washington DC. I love her personality and imagination. 

Abby is so REAL these days, it's a breath of fresh air to have her around!! 

The Old Ballgame

Went to my first Japanese baseball game tonight! SO much fun to see a different culture enjoy the same thing we grow up with in the USA!

They are all positive with chants and cheers and smiles on their faces! No boos or negativity towards the opposition at all that we witnessed. And we sat in the opposing teams side of the stadium (not intentional--but the perk ended up ending their side is in the shade!!! Win!!)

Street food snack outside the stadium before going in--my favorite octopus balls, and squid on a stick was a new one--that I won't get again. Too chewy! 

In our seats!! Sunday night game, the place was packed

Kind of neat we got to see the home team spirit from across the stadium

Everything they do is synchronized

And they ALL cheer with these mini bat sticks that clack and clang together! Don't worry, I bought a set!! We clacked along with them! 

Very notable--the cost of food and souvenirs at the stadium is VERY cheap!!! I ate way too much for under $15 and these cheer souvenir sticks are $5.....hat $20......so reasonable. 

Not to mention you can bring all your own food and alcohol into the stadium! 

I had my purse stuffed! 

Pretty unique compared to the states. 

Aside from the cheer mini bats, these LONG balloons were very spirited! They blow them up during their teams 7th inning, and when their team makes the third out they release them and they deflate as they whiz through the air! 

Prepping our balloons

Spirit everywhere! What a great night 

Swim Lesson Finale

Abby finished her last swim lesson today!

We won't be doing the next session as we will miss a full week of it on our adventure to Singapore!!!!! 

So she completed 4 straight weeks of daily lessons and improved immensely! 

I had them pose mostly to show off the shiny car! I took it to the do it yourself car wash today and it made a huge difference. 

New Eats

I needed some quick Yen change today, and stopped in the Japanese 7-Eleven on base to break my $50! So I picked up two new items to try! 

Onigiri--basically a rice triangle wrapped and seaweed and stuffed with something--in this case cooked salmon

So amazing 

Then I grabbed a bag of wasabi potato chips! Why not??!!! Fun twist-cleared my sinuses. 

Golf

I made my first attempt at golf today! I've been telling Mike for a while I wanted to hit the driving range....but timing and weather has prevented it---not to mention our crazy busy lives!!

Our office spouse organization on base officer free lessons twice a month for the late summer and Fall! The instructor was American and did an amazing job guiding us newbies and helping those who have played before. I had no idea how challenging the grip and swing were for golf....much more respect for it now. But I did hit all my balls! Even if half of them rolled/bowled onto the grass!

Dinner with friends

Last night I had the other 3 department head wives over for dinner. Between the four of us we have 10 kids! 9 girls, 1 boy!

Luckily they all get along!! 

Enjoying Icees on the patio!

Mall afternoon

My good friend Allie and I headed to the local mall this afternoon with her daughter and Maddy (Abby was on a camp fieldtrip!) 

We had lunch at an adorable cafe and did a little retail therapy! I got my first pair of Japanese shoes!! Japanese sizing fits up to a 8-1/2 to 9 American depending on the style. 9+ is impossible to find a fit for. 

My Flat White Latte

My Smoked Salmon sandwich 

Maddy in the new hat we got at this store...."Mom look, I made friends" Being a goof while our friends shopped! 

Super comfy everyday flat walking sandals (that's all we do here is walk.....and eat 😜)!! I needed something versatile and somewhat cute. 

First tooth!!!

Look who lost her FIRST tooth!!

3 months shy of turning 6 and her first tooth came out!! She held out in fear (of blood) for over two weeks. And yesterday promised that today was THE day! 

She woke up and Abby brought her all of her favorite plus items and held her hand!!

And I pulled out my first tooth!! 

Maddy was SO incredibly proud and boastful all day to everyone she saw!

She earned herself a chocolate ice cream cone today for getting that over with!