Sing Sing (Sing?)

Moi over near the famous Quay

It is my first week settled into Bangkok, so of course I get set on a Professional Development Workshop in Singapore.  Honestly, I can't complain... All the details were settled for me and I just had to show up and be awake!

It was extremely beneficial; I feel more settled and more adventurous, in a much more appropriate headspace.  But, allow me to begin from the beginning.

I've really been struggling to stay asleep the whole night.  The stresses of daily life have been getting to me, I think, and it's been quite a challenge to get a full night's rest.  The night before I left (Wednesday) was no different.  I didn't really pack anything that night, and ended up wide awake around 4:30, putting together my very small case.  I headed over to Kim's on the borrowed bicycle with my big backpack (computer included) and little duffel, and went off to school to waste a few hours before noon.  We checked in, got reentry stamps at the airport, and had a quick snack before finding our way to the terminal.

View from dinner: Boats on the river taking tourists around.

The flight was ... beautiful.  Two glasses of wine and a full meal with my movie (The Grand Budapest Hotel) on a two hour flight.  Americans... you don't understand what you're missing here.  And there was a sign at the airport for us, because we're classy.  And the hotel?  Beautiful in the hotel way.  I almost wrote a blog post about how weird I think hotels are, but I lost the time for it and I'm no longer interested.  It was all about how I nearly killed myself getting out of the shower and how shiny tile is dangerous for clumsy chicks like myself.  Plus.  Do I really require 6 toothbrushes over the course of my stay?  And.  Jacuzzis shouldn't be cold.  Oh.  And despite being free, I was a bit disappointed in breakfast.

PSA: Sing Sing's a bit pricey.

Friday morning was a full day.  Session after session after tea after session after lunch and before coffee and snack.  It was packed, absolutely packed.  In fact, all the days were.  There were rivers of coffee and hot water for tea, piles of snacks and fruit, and an absolutely delightful lunch of Indian fare.  And sessions, lots of sessions.  I got tips about IB, about the lingo, about teaching in the contexts, and just got a clear picture of the types of things that I can (and will) do with this opportunity.  After all, I have this brand new position, and it will be what I make of it.  I'm the MYP and DP librarian, and there has never been one before.  I'm relatively intelligent, and I can do some good things.  The conference really helped me figure out some sort of plan that I may have in the next few years as well.  I have a mentor at school that could help me access a positive role within IB as an organization, so I'm thinking about the types of things that could happen here.  Things are happening.  Quickly!

Forgive the terrible shot, but a guy like this was on my
favorite web site.   Source Here.

We luckily had a little bit of time to enjoy the city beyond the walls of the school.  On Friday night, Erin and I went down to Clarke Quay, which is this huge open air market and food district.  There must have been every single type of cuisine there; we walked past restaurants of every kind before we settled on a Vietnamese place that had a pretty overlook of the river.  It was very nice, with cool weather and delicious food and lots of people to view.  I had this delicious spicy pho bo, a huge bowl of noodles and thick brown broth.  I also picked up a neat pair of earrings (because anyone who knows me knows my inability to resist such a treasure).

It's pretty in Chinatown!

On Saturday, we found our way to Chinatown, which, actually was where we were heading the night before when the river distracted us and took us off course.  When we found it, we found it.  It is unmistakable in its culture.  I admired that immediately.  Singapore has a very interesting feel to it; it's very clean, and almost sterile in its lack of things bold and daring.  Chinatown was bustling from the minute we crossed the street into it.  There were people everywhere, a ton of life, and smells and things to see for streets and streets.  There were tons of vendors, people selling souvenirs and Chinese medicine and name writing supplies, plus more and more.  There was a whole street of food, and we stopped for Chinese, drinking some Chinese tea, and having bok choi and sweet and sour pork.  It reminded me of the Chinese place in Phnom Penh that we used to go to as PCVs.

Chinatown is super lively.  This barely captures it.

There was more walking around Chinatown before we collapsed into the sauna at the hotel and finally found our way to bed.  I bought a magnet as a souvenir.  Also some post cards.

On our final day, there were more connections, more foods, more sessions, before we caught a taxi to the airport (like true jetsetters) and got onto the plane.  I found a post office to mail the things I had been carrying around for almost two weeks (stressor revealed) and it was incredibly cheap.  So, off went a care package for Aaron and his house and my mom (though hers was less thrilling).  On the plane, more wine, more food, more TV.

The blur works for me.  Chinatown.

I felt a difference in myself as well.  I learned all weekend.  I stretched my mind and asked questions about my career and the ways that I can be better in every aspect of my job.  I explored Singapore to the fullest I could.  I need to go back as soon as I have some funds to enjoy it.  It was an interesting place and I left plenty unseen.

But today, today I rocked it.  There were two meetings, a lesson plan, an observation, and a host of emails to teachers.  I've got a plan.  I'm incredibly exhausted, but it is such a blessedly good tired.  It's the kind of tired you get when you're proud of yourself.  And, you know what?

I'm pretty fucking proud of my exhaustion at this moment.

I also bought this cat in Chinatown.  I figured
it would make me giggle.  It has.

Other details.
I got both an atm card and internet banking today.
I found a place that has deep fried broccoli, like a Thai pakora thing.
I have been setting up my office at work and it's starting to look awesome.
I successfully distracted Rizza from geckos with seaweed.

I'm already incredibly more calm because of this trip.  It settled so many of my concerns.

More to come, as per always.  This is a journey without end.