Blog 26 Three Weeks to go!

Dear Readers, it has been three weeks since my last Blog and I am now six weeks behind again! I feel like I should be standing up at a Blogs Anonymous class confessing to my latest sins as so much has happened in the past four weeks it will take me at least six Blogs to catch up!

Lets see if we can catch up in One!!

After an amazing week on the island, I left Tebu on the Sunday and returned to Hadi's house where another visit to the Night Market had me stocked up on peanut pancakes and pine-apple stuffed buns! 

At 7am the following morning I was dropped at the airport, despite Hadi's assurance that even though my flight was at 8.55 the airport didn't actually open until 8!

He was right! For an hour the other passengers and I sat around as people drifted into work, wandered back and forth with cups of coffee, chatted to each other and generally got things ready for the day.

At 8.15 everything suddenly opened and we were rushed through the airport and onto the plane! 

Talk about efficiency!!

The flight home was great, the views were amazing once more and the cloud formations were stunning.

By 12 noon I was back in the house with Lisa, my washing was in the machine and we were planning our afternoon by the pool!

For the next three weeks, while Steve went to work every day, Lisa and I walked and talked, played Rummie Cub by the pool and enjoyed Emilia's company as she slept and ate.

There is not that much one can do with a baby so small except feed them, wash them and change them.

I let Lisa enjoy the time with her child as I washed, cooked and generally kept her company.

When Steve returned home each day I retired to my room or to the pool side to rapidly catch up on weeks worth of Blogs.

Over the next week I wrote seven Blogs, one a day and was feeling rather pleased that I was at last catching up.

The only problem was that we were also doing so much each day that I still had loads I could write about.

We had made friends by now with Jo and Aeon, ten floors below us and their three children.

We had also met Kim and Keith with their two children and were dining out most evenings as a group. 

Kim and Keith had lived in the area for over five years and were full of useful information. Their two girls were also the same ages as Jo and Aeons boys and friendships between all the families were instantly formed.

New eating areas were discovered, new parks and pass times enjoyed. Sundays became pool days as we all sat around the pool, swapping children and parental supervision as the mood took us.

When Steve wasn't working we had days out in the shopping malls,

eating in the superb food courts and exploring some of the amazing shops spread over the various floors.

We spent a day sitting in the offices of officialdom to register Emelia's birth which was simple enough. 

Getting Emilia a passport however turned out to be possibly one of the most complicated things imaginable.

Her Visa was valid for 42 days from the date of birth, her next Visa application needed to go into her passport but a passport would take up to 8 weeks and had to be done in the UK!

But we couldn't get to the UK as Emelia didn't have a passport!!!

Eventually, and without that much useful help from any government officials, it was decided to post EVERYTHING over to Steve's parents in the UK and keep our fingers crossed.

Steve got an extension once the original 42 days had passed but soon needed to apply for a second extension and possibly a third …... but despite all our pleas and phone calls we have discovered you can not rush government!!!

With the arrival of the Chinese New Year the entire country was given an extended weekend of holidays. With all the men folk off work for a week Kim and Keith arranged a BBQ at the condo.

Food was cooked,

children were entertained,

grown ups drank a beer or three and a great night was had by all.

The day after New year I headed to China Town to see the decorations.

I had initially intended to go on New Years eve itself but had got the days muddled up yet as I emerged from the MRT I was glad it WAS the day after, as even after the event, the crowds were huge!

I dread to think what it had been like the night before!!

I wandered the streets admiring the hanging good luck money.

Brightly illuminated goats decorated the main causeway,

while three huge goats climbed a mountain at the end of the road.

People bustled to and fro, shops overflowed onto the streets.

Eighty percent of the products sold are tat imported from factories and sold at silly prices but if you are prepared to look past the bright and sometimes gaudy colours and packaging, there is about twenty percent of really nice stuff hidden between the shelves.

Sated with visions of goats and money, good fortune and blessings I returned home with bags of goodies to bring back to the UK.

Two days later Lions and Dragons arrived at the Condo to chase away any bad luck and to bestow blessings on us all.

Acrobats performed fantastic dances in costumes that shimmered and shone in the bright sun.

Lions ate offered food and threw out sweets for the children, while the lucky man blessed and waved at everyone.

Emelia was introduced to the world of mysticism and received blessings from both Lions

and Dragons!

Our two dancing Lions entered each and every block chasing away evil spirits as drummers beat out noisy rhythms on their huge drums.

With the Lion dance complete, the Dragon then wound his way through the complex finishing with a finale dance by the front entrance. The New Year was officially over!!

Once the holidays were complete Lisa and I returned to our routine of morning writing and strolls, afternoon games and pool side relaxing. 

I began to swim twenty lengths each day enjoying the sun on my back as I powered up and down the fifty meter pool.

We explored China town by day with friends of Steve, exploring not only its great little shops but also its huge halls of reflexology experts and nail polish beauticians!

Tendons were stretched, nails were trimmed and shaped and an idea popped into my head.

Back home I had bought myself a colourful wig to go with the story telling I was planning for the summer. Here in Singapore I could have my hair bleached and dyed for £80!

With my nails now purple it was something that just had to be done but not quite yet.

Three weeks flew by as Emelia continued to grow. 

She had her inoculations, her toy collection began to grow as packages were received from friends and family back in the UK. 

She now filled her carry wrap and was getting heavier by the day.

I had three weeks left in the country and although I was loving my time with Lisa I was also getting itchy feet …..... so I booked another flight to Lankawi!

A quick week away would give Lisa a chance to see how she coped with being alone with Emelia during the day as well as allow both Steve and herself to settle into a rhythm that would continue after I left for good.

With my new hammock packed away safely in my bag I headed to the airport once more to begin yet another mini adventure!