He's Kind of a Big deal

After months of prep and hard work (by my husband ...not so much me lol) we are ready to move to Singapore.

1. I am so excited that I've completely neglected my 2 twenty page papers that I need to finish for monday
2. I am so excited that I've stopped being scared for now
3. When I get really excited I feel like I'm going to throw up
4. I think I'm going to throw up


Note: Not pregnant.

5. I really enjoy making lists.


Singapore would not be happening without Irt, (or 'Taz'-his business name ), working all day every day on this project. When he's not at work he's thinking about work And when he's not thinking about work...he's dreaming about it (and talking about it in his sleep. this can be scary at times because he yells about sales).

I just wanted to blog about how proud I am of my husband. He always believes in dreaming big and making it happen...
And he has done it yet again.

So if you happen to be lucky enough to have Irt in your life ... you should let him know how awesome he is...
and keep an eye on him... he's kind of a big deal <3

Scuba Jess

ps. SO scuba excited! so much scuba near by!

Let Them Eat Cake!

Today is our first wedding anniversary. We are back home in Canada. When planning our Singapore and Dubai trip, Irt suggested that we celebrate our anniversary in Singapore. How romantic. I said no. Then he suggested that we go to an all inclusive in the Caribbean . I said no. What?! Who would turn down such awesome anniversary plans!? 

I did. 

I've been waiting 365 days to eat the top tier of our wedding cake. And its happening. Today. 

Lets rewind to our wedding day. 

Everything went as planned ( thanks to our planners and families) Everything was so perfect that at no point did I have a melt down ( as many would expect) ... That is until the very end of the night ..  Everyone had left the banquet hall. The only people I can definitely remember being present for this moment was Irt and our mothers. 

I could not locate the top tier of our wedding cake. And i lost my mind. The bridezilla in me emerged. I went through every bag. Every car. Every inch of that banquet hall. You have no idea how much this top tier means to me lol. Thankfully one of our moms found it and brought it back to me lol. At this point Im sure Irt was thinking - what have i just legally agreed to LOL.

Anyways over the past year that top tier has received top priority in my life lol. The first thing I did when we got home from the wedding was securely wrap it and freeze it. It has survived many of my mood swings and cravings. ( no im not pregnant im a foodie) When we moved I personally transported that cake with the utmost care from freezer to freezer. I've turned down trips for this cake. 

Today is the big day. Happy first wedding anniversary babe! Lets. Eat. Cake. 

Scuba Jess 

Absolute Nightmare

I really wanted a positive, sunny, cheerful blog. Last night was none of the above. Please note this post has nothing to do with Singapore. We're still in love (Singapore and I ... And Irt). Anyways. We left Singapore and flew in to Dubai where we had an 8 hour layover. Night. Mare. The flight itself was okay they had a very tasty chocolate cheesecake that I devoured. I digress. We land safely in Dubai and Emirates has booked us a free hotel for our layover. How nice! 

Not. 

This hotel was scary. It smelled like smoke. Was damp. And overall was disgusting. But hey... It was free right? Never again will I stay in this hotel/hostel. Horrifying. I peeled back the sheets from the bed and got under the coversand didn't   move for the duration of our stay. Silver lining? Saw the inlaws one last time before heading back to Canada. 

Please note. I love Dubai. (Not as much as I love Singapore. But its tasty here) But if I cant stay in Singapore for the time

being I want to go home. Damn hostel/hotel. 

Scuba Jess

Taz Malik International Business Man & Jess Kingson Starving Student.

Irt and I have been super busy the past couple days. Irt has been Taz Malik, international man of business. And I've been Jess Kingson starving graduate student trying to finish a term paper. Life is good. 

Tonight I finally finished my paper. Thank god. And to celebrate Irt and I ventured

down to the Hard Rock Cafe on Orchard Road. I had checked out the menu while editing my paper and i cant tell you how excited i was. We get there around 11 oclock (jet lag) and we walk in only to encounter extremely loud music and flashing lights. Irt, international man of business, and senior citizen, says how are we supposed to eat and talk here? Lol. Turns out the hard rock turns into a club at night. So we left and walked down the street and stumbled upon a little shawarma stand. Being the starving student that I am we decided to try it. Good. Call. Absolutely delicious. Irt got the shawarma and i got some typical street meat. Delicious. 

 

After dinner - To help us stay in tip top shape - we decided to continue our walk down Orchard. We walked. Chatted. And grabbed some starbucks ... And i stumbled across these ..!

My starbucks cups are available in different colours!?! God I love Singapore. Cheers to you Taz Malik, international businessman . Please dont make me go home. 

Scuba Jess 

The Heat.

While it is incredibly warm here in Singapore, this post is not about the climate. 

Today Irt and I went to the movies and saw The Heat with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. Hilarious. 

Before going to the movie we had a quick and cheap dinner at a fast food italian place called pastamania. Absolutely delicious. I was blown away lol. Anyways pastamania was located in the same mini mall as the theater. 

I am in love with the movie theaters here. Its nothing special, but there are little touches that make going to the movies that much more enjoyable. 

For example. My popcorn comes in a box rather than a bag. And I can close this box to prevent spillage while walking from the concession stand to my seat. Genius 

Which brings me to my second point, the seats. The seating in theaters is determined when you purchase your ticket (some theaters back home do this as well). And! You can sit in a "couples seat" which is essentially a couch. 

Last and most importantly... 

During movies I have an awful tendency to laugh loudly and hysterically at all the funny parts and even the not so funny parts. Back home Irt and all of you are horribly embarrassed by this and usually try to pretend that we're not together. 

Well guess what. 

Everyone here laughs loudly and hysterically through out most of the movie. In fact my wheezing and laughing can barely  be heard in the theater (unlike at home). My laughter is drowned out by the laughter of the local people. 

Amazing. Yet another reason I love Singapore. I fit right in. 

More popcorn please :) 

Scuba Jess

Pleeeeeease Irt ! Let me stay!

We are half way through our initial Singapore adventure. 

During trips its usually at the half way mark when I start to beg Irt to let me stay. 

" pleeeeease let me stay in costa rica babe, their education system is amazing" 

"Babe. We could totally just live in Mexico"

"We could stay with Sila in Fiji. She offered!" 

Irt likes to humour me until he realizes how incredibly serious I am ( he practically dragged me home from costa rica and I cried when we left fiji)

Today while waiting for the train I begged, BEGGED Irt to let us stay. 

I'm so in love with Singapore that the thought of going home - even for a month - is heartbreaking. 

I don't quite know what it is about Singapore that makes me want to stay. I'm still adjusting to the food. I have no idea where I am 99% of the time. And. I have no friends here (aside from Fendi and Prada LOL) This normally would be disastrous for me. Typically I would shut down. Curl up in a ball. Cry. And hope for chocolate. 

But for the first time ever... I really enjoy not knowing and not having a definite plan. (Lets see how long that lasts)

Irt on the other hand has a very detailed plan ( oh how the roles have switched) I don't know anyone who works as hard as he's been working. I get so tired from watching him work . It has resulted in frequent naps for me. 

Speaking of naps....God I love Singapore. 

Babe. Lets just stay. Pleeeeeeeease.  

Scuba Jess

Taxi!

Since arriving in Singapore Irt and I have been using the MRT (mass rapid transit) and taxis to get around. This has been a good experience because we don't plan on getting a car while we are living here. 

Since I've already mentioned the MRT I'd like to talk about the taxi service here. Taxis are a fairly cheap way of getting around Singapore.  However, when you get into a cab you're getting more than just a ride to your next destination. Depending on the driver you'll also get a history lesson on Singapore, a feel for the current political climate or a snap shot glimpse into the lives of the local working class. Taking a cab has been a valuable lesson in many ways. Not only are we getting around the city we are learning about the real Singapore. Life in Singapore is more than shopping and good food (for Irt) There are Singaporean citizens who have a rich history that they would love to share if people just took the time to listen. 

Taxi please! 

Scuba Jess 

Anniversary Month? CUT.

We really wanted a steak dinner. 

Like really wanted steak. 

So we (mostly just me...actually...strictly me) decided that it was time to start anniversary month in order to justify the steak we wanted. Anniversary month is much like birthday month except I've agreed to share it with Irt. I've also agreed that this won't be a yearly occurrence. 

The truth is. I just wanted steak. 

Not just any steak. I wanted Wolfgang Puck to make my steak. 

Irt has been raving about CUT by Wolfgang Puck since his last trip to vegas. It just so happens that Singapore has a CUT restaurant. I'm starting to believe the restaurant factored in to the decision to move out here. And rightfully so. This is hands down one of the best restaurant experiences I've ever had. Although WolfGang Puck did not make my steak...it was absolutely amazing. The only thing more amazing than the steak was the dessert. I ordered chocolate cake..that came with.. get this... popcorn ice cream! Caramel popcorn vanilla ice cream. WolfGang Puck you are a genius. 

CUT is located inside the Marina Bay Sands hotel/resort near the Central Business District in Singapore. If you are celebrating your anniversary month I highly recommend you check this place out. Or...if you just want steak...that will work too. 

Happy Anniversary Month 

(year one is the Gold anniversary, right dear? maybe we should go see all The Friends on Orchard Road...or perhaps just one in particular?)

Scuba Jess 

In Love

Today was the day I fell in love with Singapore. It was only a matter of time. The truth is this is one of the first days where I've really ventured out of the hotel room (I have a research paper due on the 1st). So today I ventured out to the metro.  GoTransit...take notes. The transit system here is very similar to TTC and GoTransit...just incredibly more efficient.

And thats not all.

So we get off the train...and lo and behold...we are in a shopping mall!? Apparently all transit stations here have a mall attached to it. When I say mall... I mean...a shopping centre. It had everything from the body shop, to Lacoste, to TopShop?! Unreal.

Irt finally managed to drag me out of the station on to Orchard Road.

Big mistake my friend.

It was probably in his best interest to not allow me to walk down Orchard Road. Our friend Viv had mentioned that Orchard Road had "All the Friends". All the friends...? What does that mean...

Fendi. Prada. Gucci. Burberry. Cartier. Chanel. Louis Vuitton
All. The. Friends.

Now. I'm not typically a sucker for the big name brands. Until...the big name brands are lining the streets! flashing with bright lights! and practically calling my name.

Everyone (especially Irt) will be relieved to know that I just kept walking (Albeit very slowly) and never looked back.

After what felt like an eternity (for Irt) I managed to pull myself away from the window shopping and we sat down for an authentic Singaporean meal at Applebee's

Yes Applebee's. I needed to eat somewhere where my options were more than shrimp fried fish and lobster stuffed crab (none of which are real meals but thats how the menus read in my brain). Dinner was comforting and helped ease me into life here in Singapore.

What seems like an extremely uneventful night of transit travels and American style dinner was actually a great night for me. For the first time since arriving I didn't want to go home (to Milton) at 10pm. In fact I was a little bit sad when I started to feel sick from my "comforting" dinner that resulted in us going back to our hotel. All in all ...I'm in love. Except for Applebees. Screw you Applebee's.

See you soon Prada.
(just kidding babe)

Scuba Jess

Sing. Apore. Singapore.

This is the first blog post. We (my husband - who you will hear more about later- and I) have arrived in Singapore for a two week stay. We're here... Because we are moving here. Why Singapore? My husband is moving his company here. Why? You're asking the wrong person. I can barely explain what he does let alone why it now needs to be done in Singapore! Regardless, we are here and I have mixed feelings about the place. Its funny, when I wake up in the morning I'm in love with the place but by 10pm I'm cranky and hate it. Perhaps this has nothing to do with Singapore and more so with the fact that I'm cranky by 10pm and hate everything anyways.

Since arriving a few days ago I've been trying to pick up some of the social norms, etiquette and slang that is commonly used out here. Why? Because my husband - Irt - has created his own slang term for "singapore" he calls it "singy". Cute right? Absolutely.  It was cute the first few times I heard it until it started to catch on with other people. My husband the trendsetter. My first goal upon arrival was to determine the short form for Singapore. It took some listening and strategically asked questions to locals... But... Sing. Sing is the short form. I have to say I was relieved to know that a whole city state wasn't walking around referring to their native land as "singy".  Is it still cute when my husband says it? Mmmmhmmm! As cute as it is when I say Mmmmmmhmmm in the most southern accent I can come up with.

Stay tuned for more tales from Sing.(y)
Mmmmmmhmmmm! ( think texas )

Scuba Jess