Nice poster, huh? This is on our street in Singapore. Apparently the cases of Dengue are increasing lately and the mozzies (mosquitos) in our neighborhood are particularly bad this year. So interesting because as I've mentioned before, Singapore treats the mozzies like Public Enemy #1. Each neighborhood "fogs" at least once a week to keep the mozzies away. They must be developing a resistance over time.
Anyway, I was on my way to the gym this morning and noticed the usual crowd of local "helpers" out walking the family dogs. They all know each other and it's clear that they use the dog walking as an opportunity to socialize. It's quite lovely actually. As I was walking, one of them stopped and said "M'am, your daughter..." and there was Sadie scurrying after me on her scooter. She always comes after me. Sometimes it's because I forgot something like a water bottle. And sometimes it's because she feels she did not get kissed goodbye sufficiently. Today's excuse was the kiss. So we kissed and off she went. But as I turned around and saw the helper smiling at me, I got this warm feeling in my heart for the range of "people you know" in the day-to-day. There are the people you know really well on one end of the spectrum. And then there are the people you know because you pass by them every day and there is a familiarity. Sometimes you even know each other's names. And I realized that there is an entire group of these women who know what's going on and sort of look out for the neighborhood. I can only how this must be magnified in the recent bombing in Boston. Suddenly there is an intense emotional bond with people who have never met until that moment.
Anyway, I was on my way to the gym this morning and noticed the usual crowd of local "helpers" out walking the family dogs. They all know each other and it's clear that they use the dog walking as an opportunity to socialize. It's quite lovely actually. As I was walking, one of them stopped and said "M'am, your daughter..." and there was Sadie scurrying after me on her scooter. She always comes after me. Sometimes it's because I forgot something like a water bottle. And sometimes it's because she feels she did not get kissed goodbye sufficiently. Today's excuse was the kiss. So we kissed and off she went. But as I turned around and saw the helper smiling at me, I got this warm feeling in my heart for the range of "people you know" in the day-to-day. There are the people you know really well on one end of the spectrum. And then there are the people you know because you pass by them every day and there is a familiarity. Sometimes you even know each other's names. And I realized that there is an entire group of these women who know what's going on and sort of look out for the neighborhood. I can only how this must be magnified in the recent bombing in Boston. Suddenly there is an intense emotional bond with people who have never met until that moment.
On a positive note, Gary and I just celebrated our 12 year wedding anniversary. And on a rare night without any conference calls, we went out for dinner in an area called Duxton. This photo doesn't even begin to capture the charm. It's an interesting atmosphere that feels somewhat European (rows of houses and shops) and Asian all at the same time. We had a fabulous dinner at a place called 81 Duxton and just enjoyed each other's company. We vowed to do that more often. It's so easy to be spontaneous with Agustin around. And we have not even remotely taken advantage of that. We can't help it. We actually like going home to each other and our children. But we are also reminded that we must never forget to nurture the US part of the equation. Not to mention the fact that we've got quite a bucket list of places to eat that would not suit the children's allergies.
Speaking of living life to the fullest, check out this photo from our dinner out last weekend. This one did include children but they were running around on the beach. Tanjong Beach Club. Lovely. Pinch-yourself kind of paradise atmosphere. And a reminder that it's time to get back to the bucket list of Asia travels and start to book some weekend. Best part of Asia is that most locations can totally be covered in 2-3 days (complete with plenty of relaxation) which means we should be able to cover a lot of ground Kohlman style (we like our trips short, sweet and frequent!
Finally, back to the "people you know", here is a great shot of Nick and Sadie on our balcony with binoculars trying to see if they can spot our dear friend Bob Chapelle's apartment which is practically spitting distance. Bob has already been here a couple of years and has always been a fabulous host on my travels. So now it's nice to have someone we already know here on the ground. We hope to see much more of him. Lucky for him, his apartment is on the 10th floor (I think) and thus just below the tree line so the kids will not be able to spy on him for real :-)