Merry  Christmas and Hi-lah, Everybody!

Well it's time for another update.  I wish that I could tell you that everyone stayed healthy this week but unfortunately that it is not the case.  I came down with the stomach flu this week-and it put me down for four days.  But that is not a story of interest.  Megan got her stitches out on Wednesday and the scar looks great.  She is a bit of a drama queen.  If you ask her about the stitch removal she would tell you the story of having her eyebrow hairs plucked one by one and the horrid pain.  I was there, the smile never left her face and we celebrated by going swimming.

You would think that would be enough medical stuff for the week wouldn't you.  But no!   As I hung up the phone after being teased by a dear friend about the number of difficulties discovered on this trip, Katie walked out of her bedroom crying, and holding her left ear.  Before anyone thinks that she went Van Gogh, I will let you know that she has swimmer's ear.  Since it was 1150pm, off to the ER we went again.  This time we found a taxi and got there very quickly.  ER's here are the 24hour clinics back in the States.  While I was signing her in, she got triaged.  There were people everywhere with flu symptoms and babies crying.  I thought we would be there forever, however, we walked out the door with 3 prescriptions including Augmentin (yes, swimmer's ear) at 1210 and were home after the mile walk by 1230.  Not bad for an ER visit.  She is doing much better.

The lasagna with the Boyz went very good.  13 sitting around the table.  They went through 3 pans of lasgna, 2 large loaves of bread, a large bowl of salad, one bottle of wine, pan of brownies, 4.5 liters of Sarsi (a rootbeer type of soda) and my one diet coke.  We had delightful conversation regarding the finer points of Singapore compared with Twin City weather, language, and other unique quirks.  We were laughing so hard.  The Boyz were very quick to pick up on the expression of "Interesting" when you don't like something or it could be worse.

Some more old friends stopped by this week, Karen and Winnie for tea.  Well, those who know me know I don't have tea, but we had a great chat and caught up on the families.  Karen and Sebastian (Amelia's parents:  the student who has stayed off and on with us in the States) let me know that they were accepting the invitation to come to Minnesota and stay with us.  They will stay with us during Amelia's graduation events from MacCalestar(spelling) so be looking for them shortly after we got back to the States.

We continue to get use to preparing for Christmas in the heat and the rain.  Alot of rain.  Did I mention that it is raining a lot here.  We went to the Zoo and enjoyed curry by the animals.

Mike and I decided that we would like to share with you some of the signs here in Singapore that are uniquely Singaporean.

We think that Singapore took lessons from Minnesota in saying that Singapore is okay not great just OK.  This sign can be found almost anywhere.

The girls wish you a Merry Christmas in front of one of the many "High Voltage" Christmas tress in the malls here.  Signs warn you not to get to close or touch because of the number of volts passing through the trees.  They make Chevy Chase envious of the amount of light.  This particular tree is more that 50 ft. tall and blinding.  Oh yeah, and there are 3 American princesses there too.  I wasn't the only one taking this picture.

As I said, we went to the zoo.  We thought this was one of the funniest signs right outside of the lion cage.

Well, bye and write again soon.  If you have anything you would like to know about Singapore please just ask.  The Conovers

Hi-lah!

Well the whole family arrived in Singapore on Thanksgiving Day.  We have had alot of fun getting use to Singapore again.  However, we have learned a whole new part...the healthcare system.  Unfortunately, Hannah decided to try a toe amputation on a Ikea escalator on our first day.  Fortunately, she was unsuccessful...only lost the first eighth of an inch on the top of her 

big toe.  Then of course we know that Megan cannot be outdone.  The following Wednesday, we found ourselves back in the emergency room for stitches to the eyebrow-six in all and a nice shiner to boot.  Katie jokingly said I guess I am next.  And next she was, this time only a call to the pediatrician for ring worm.  Have I mentioned that as mom and primary nurse if has been oh-way too much fun.

The home schooling is going well and so are all the lessons here at the Conover House of Music (one double bass, piano, acoustic guitar, two violas, and bass guitar) Never a dull or quiet moment in this apartment.

The apartment is quite nice with three bedrooms and two baths, a pool and with in walking distance from Singapore's favorite past time:  shopping.  We have been having mild weather so far with most days in the mid to upper 80's and lows in the upper 70's.  But we have gotten very wet on several occasions due to no car we have been caught in very large rain storms.  The kids would have you believe that we even had to swim to piano lessons one day.  Truth is the water got up to mid thigh on me when we retreated Megan's bottom was still dry because she was walking far enough behind me.  If was pretty miserable though.

We have met up with our old church, QLC.  They have made us feel as if 

we never left.  Especially the boyz, our friends Jasper, Norman, Stanford, Matthew, who like to join us for lunch after church on Sundays.  They are a hoot!  These young men are one of the reasons that after our last trip to Singapore we decided to help start a new church that young men would find engaging.  They are now 19 and 20, and great young men.

Christmas is really different here.  To see snowflakes hanging on tropical trees on Orchard road, hearing "I'm dreaming of a White Christmas" or "Let it snow" while shopping and sweating is paradoxical.  We went out to get a Christmas tree and we are enjoying our Advent devotions each night.  We found a great book.   

We miss all our friends and family in the States but are so grateful to be together again.  We promise to do better in blogging from now on.  Much love, Deb, Mike, and the Girls.

Coastal Wetlands in Singapore: Sungei Buloh

My continuing exploration of Singapore took me to a different type of nature reserve this weekend. Sungei Buloh, located in the northern part of Singapore near Woodlands, is a coastal wetlands area, where freshwater river and ponds meet saltwater tidal marshes. There are good opportunities to view wildlife, with many species of birds and reptiles.







One of the first things I noticed upon arrival was a sign warning me what to do if I chanced upon a crocodile. Its advice was something like take 5 steps back, call a ranger, and leave quickly (running sounds good). Every so often, there were reminder signs like this one, just in case I started to get complacent in my crocodile vigilance. It did not help that the path generally was the divider between two murky bodies of water, and all the Steve Irwin (God rest his soul) shows I watched showed crocs hunting by lunging out of murky waters at creatures close to the shoreline (like me on the path). Fortunately I did not encounter any crocs, but had a good startle with a 9 foot monitor lizard that moved suddenly near me.







Speaking of monitor lizards, I was told I would see them in this park, and I was not disappointed. I saw 3 small ones (~ 3 feet) and 2 larger ones (6-9 feet). For the most part they were peacefully crossing the path to get between bodies of water, and did not seem to mind the humans watching from a distance. The big one I mentioned before was in a stream near the path. I did not see it until it moved suddenly, not far from where I was standing. Amazing how out of the corner of one's eye a lizard can resemble a croc at first. A thrill to say the least.







Along with the larger monitor lizards, I saw several smaller lizards and turtles, along with many species of shoreline birds: egrets and sandpipers mostly. There were also many burrowing crabs that made mud nests in the mangrove swamp.







One of the best parts was a boardwalk traversing a flooded mangrove swamp. It was a long boardwalk through a seemingly endless swamp. It was very peaceful, and had many beautiful views.

It was a bit tricky getting to the nature reserve. The 925 bus from the Kranji MRT station left me a bit short of the destination (about 1 km short). It turns out that the bus only goes all the way there on Sundays. Later I found out there was a shuttle that could cover the remaining distance. Next time I take a taxi, but this park was well worth the journey.

From an island to an island: Pulau Ubin

My continuing exploration of Singapore took me to Pulau Ubin, a small island just off the Changi Point area. On this island, one can find resorts, campsites, trails, jungle, wetlands and several km of trails of varying quality. Some are paved, some are more rugged and earthy, and there is even a boardwalk at Chek Jawa.


To get there, one needs to take a 10 minute ride in a bumboat, costing a whole S$2.oo. At this price, one does not expect luxury. Bumboats are sturdy painted wooden vessels, where 12 people sit on hard benches in close company. They seem as old as the island itself.





Once there, the main way of getting around is on a bicycle, which can be rented fairly cheaply. While much of the island is connected by paved roads, some of the more interesting places (like Chek Jawa) can only be reached by dirt and rock trails. It is well worth the extra money to rent a higher-quality mountain bike with good shocks. Mine was so-so.







For me, the best part of the island was Chek Jawa, a coatal wetlands which can be viewed by 2 boardwalk paths, one which is about 10m off the coastline over nearby coral reefs, while the other weaves in and out of mangrove swamps on land. Together, they show a very complete view of the coastal wetlands area.














Coastal boardwalk part 2.














Mangrove tree at low tide.






















A 30m observation tower. 30m is a lot of stairs! Attempt only if healthy and hydrated, but the view is worth it.


After Chek Jawa, I toured a couple of beach areas, rode by a resort complex, saw the outskirts of a police training ground, and rode past some resident's dwellings (where it felt like I was intruding, but many were selling water and drinks, and did not seem to mind). While I enjoyed getting out and riding around on the whole island, the Chek Jawa area (run by Singarpore National Parks) was the clear highlight of the trip. Overall, it was a great way to spend a nice Saturday afternoon.

Hike in Bukit Timah Nature Reserve

This Saturday I decided to experience a rainforest. Yes, there is a good deal of undisturbed nature to be found in this small, crowded island. Actually, the hike was quite challenging. Seeking to not take the easy way, I opted for the green path, which is a narrow earthen path, reinforced by logs, blocks and tree roots, that follows the terrain with a climb, a descent, and another long climb. Cicadias provided the backgroud sounds for an otherwise quiet journey.

Not being fully acclimated to Singapore yet, I needed to pause several times to cool down and take in some water. At the high point, I was 168m above sea level, and I would assume that the origin was not very far above sea level. Quite a climb! Here are the steps leading to the summit:

By the way, what is shown here is just the first few steps. The actual climb is about 2-3 times as long as what is clearly visible here. Once I reached the top, there was a resting place and this stone:

Along the way, I saw many streams flowing in and around the path. Water pooled in the low-lying areas, providing a habitat for small fish. The presence of water should have been obvious to me, it being a rainforest after all.

After my 2 hour trek, I was greeted by several monkeys. Curiously, many signs within the preserve warn of the dangers of feeding monkeys, but I only saw monkeys in the residential neighborhood immediately outside of the preserve.

Altogether, it was an amazing and tiring experience. Within the heart of busy Singapore, there is a retreat where one can escape and appreciate the natural beauty of the rainforest. Of course, one is never very far away from civilization here, but only occasional glimpses betray the illusion of an infinite expanse of forest.