On Saturday afternoon we met up with more of Sid's friends, Eric and Naomi, to take in the latest Bond flick at a theater on Orchard Road. After the movie, they took us to their favorite restaurant in Chinatown, where we had an amazing fried fish, lots of dumplings and pancakes, and some delicious eggplant. After dinner, since buying drinks at Singapore prices is decidedly not in our budget, we all headed back to Mata'irea for a nightcap.
Buddhist Temple in ChinatownIt seems like we spend a lot of time these days thinking, talking and writing about money. It makes me feel really bourgeois, and boring, but living on a budget in a city like Singapore, there is no getting around it. After months of cheap living in Indonesia, the expense of living in the first world again has been a little shocking. I can't imagine how disconcerting the prices here would have struck us if the US dollar hadn't strengthened throughout our stay here.
On Sunday we headed out to the east coast of Singapore to visit the Changi Sailing Club with Eric and Naomi, their baby girl Ryan, and their cocker spaniel Simon. We met up with their friends Vanessa and Matt and their daughter. After lunch, the guys all went sailing and we took the babies and the puppy for a walk along the shore. It was a wonderfully relaxing day, which provided us with further insight into what living in Singapore could be like.
Singapore is the first place we've visited on this trip where we can clearly picture ourselves living for a few years. We can easily imagine where we'd work, live, eat, drink, and relax. A lot of that has to do with Sid's wonderful friends, who have invited us into their homes and clubs, taken us to their favorite restaurants and watering holes, and introduced us to their friends. They've made Singapore one of our favorite stops. The more people we meet here and the more we learn about their lives, the easier it is envision ourselves living as expats in Singapore.
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