Cuddling an 18 Year Old

Recently I've been waking up too early wanting to climb into bed with Ike and cuddle him. 

I haven't done it. Yet. 

In 5 weeks he leaves for college. Roland has been saying, for months now, that this will be a tough transition for me. My friend, Shireen, is welcoming me to Act 3. When I googled "Checklist for College" I found lots of articles about how parents can survive leaving their child at college. And I laughed. I have already taken 3 kids to college. It was fun! It was exciting! There was lots of shopping involved! 

But this is different from when Hannah, Gabe, and Noah left. 

1. They were a 1 hour flight away. Now they are a 24 hour flight away. And if the plane is broken I don't even know how many days that takes on a boat! 
2. I left them at college and rushed back home to focus my parenting laser-beam at the next child in line.  Ike is the last child in line.
3. Each time I dropped a kid off at college my little brain told me that they were still all mine and when they came home for Christmas it would all be the same. But that little voice was wrong. It is wonderful and astonishing when they come home but as they say, "you can never go home again. "

So I am milking each moment and fighting the urge to smother him with motherly affection. 

The old lady in the grocery store was right. 

This happened too fast. 

Lanterns & Lions

Today I went on a field trip to 2 craftsmen who are the last of their kind in Singapore. Our first stop was at a company that makes paper gifts for funerals and Gods. I was on a mission to buy a large lantern.

The lanterns on the left are used at funerals along with the horses.

We dropped several obvious hints that we sure would love to buy a drum like this one. 

They ignored the hints and opened the drum and other instruments 

to show us how they are used at funerals. 

There are paper shoes for the gods.

 These are the kind of lanterns I am very interested in buying but I was flat out told no. 

They said they are too difficult to make and the Australians have placed too many orders already. I 

will be persistent and will bring something like this home! 

Most Singaporeans can't tell by our accents if we are 

American, Australian or European. 

I am often asked if I am from Australia. 

After the lantern shop we went to the Lion Man's home. He is an artist who hand crafts 

lion heads for the lion head dance. 

He is the last Singaporean who does this. He told us the story behind the lion dance, and how it is changing from telling a story to being a show, the old way is no longer. 

He can't find an apprentice who is humble, patient, respectful or desirous enough to learn the craft. When he was talking about this I kept thinking about the original karate kid 

and how he had to prove his worthiness. 

These are the balls that spin around during the dragon dance. 

He was painting this lion head when we arrived at his home. He said that he has a hard time doing all the work because so many people want to come and visit his home. He lives on the 24th floor 

of an HDB - 

a government housing development where most Singaporeans live. 

Many artists are losing their trades because the government has moved them 

out of the shophouses where they use to live and work. Now they must rent shops and it is too 

expensive. In the shophouses the whole family 

would do the business and children grew up helping out everyday as they ran in and out of the shop.

Now parents don't pass their trades to their children because they work away from their 

families in offices.  

It is difficult to find an apprentice when the youth can earn so much more money in technology. Many 

of these trades will be gone in the next generation. 

Lanterns:
Yeo Swee Huat
Blk 6 Toa Payoh Industrial park Lor 8 #01-1307  319058
Phone 6255 7512 pr 6255 7592

Lion Heads:
Hong Nam World Handicraft Trading
Ng Hong Kiang
Blk 552 Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 #24-1978
Call to arrange visit 9662 6618

Indonesian Girl's Camp

 This was a first. We camped in rooms built on stilts in the sea. 

The water was turquoise. 

We had passports and visas. We took a boat to the camp, another boat to the service project, and yet another boat to the hike. 

And finally a boat back home.

We spent all of our time in flip flops. We wore swimsuits and sunscreen most of the day. 

Didn't see a single mosquito. 

 We exclaimed constantly at how beautiful and peaceful it was and how lucky we were to be there. 

Even though it felt like a vacation at a nice eco-resort, it was still girl's camp. We identified plants 

and animals like

mud puppies, hermit crabs, jelly fish (ouch!), puffer fish, rays, and sharks. 

We had amazing YCLs, guest speakers, skits, water ballet show, hikes, service projects, 

crafts and secret sisters. 

Our testimony meeting finished by lighting and releasing a lantern. 

There were too many favorite moments to claim one as the best. But perhaps the most unusual camp experience for me was when we delivered books to a school in a fishing village. 

I was asked to give a speech to the children and teachers. 

First the principal of the school spoke and a translator shared her speech with us. It was all about what an honor is was that we would visit them. 

Then I spoke and the translator did her job. 

The children listened:

In my 35 years of going to camp (most of them as a leader) this was the most unusual and unique experience. 

Morning Scriptures on the dock. 

Details:

Telunas Family Resort http://www.telunasresorts.com/telunas-beach/

Credit to Lachlan Sloan for some of these photos.

Not SCUBA Diving in Moalboal

For Ike's 18th birthday we gave him SCUBA lessons in Moalboal Philippines but found out the night before the lessons started that asthma and SCUBA together are deadly.

Ike was bummed.

 But we improvised and still had a great vacation. 

View from our private deck at the Blue Orchid.

Esmeralda The Bird loved me. 

Local transportation in Moalboal. We used the motorized version.

To ease the pain of not getting SCUBA certified we snorkeled with the whale sharks:

Not my photo. Whale sharks are HUGE. At one point I had 2 swimming directly at me from different directions! A marine ranger tapped me on my ankle (he was below me in SCUBA gear) and made the stop sign with his hand. I held still and the whale sharks gently swam past me on either side. My adrenaline was going pretty strong!

And the sardines:

Not my photo but this is what it looked like. They stay in the top 8 feet of the water. Beautiful. They swim away from you and if they move fast you can hear a "swish" underwater. 

We also hiked to Tumalog waterfall and it was so beautiful it looked like CGI. 

Waterfalls in heaven look like that. 

Then we went to Mactan Island where Roland served part of his mission. 

Mangoes are a big deal in Cebu. An entire supermarket isle full of mango products.

Lapu Lapu Memorial park marks the place where Magellan was killed in 1521. 

We spent the last 2 days at the luxurious Abaca resort. It was very luxurious. I want to go back. 

Mango Cheese Cake

In the cabana at The Abaca. Every half hour or so they freshen your water, or bring you ice cream, or a newspaper, or a cold scented towel. Take me back!

Details:

We had our resorts arrange transportation by taxi for us. 

Blue Orchid Dive Resort

Moalboal, Cebu, Philippines

Abaca Boutique Resort

Mactan Island, Cebu, Phillipines

Condolences on Your Baby's Birthday

Ike-age 5

Someone needs to make a greeting card for the grieving parent of an 18 year old baby.

The 18th birthday of your last child is much like the 1st birthday of your first child:

• You are astonished that it happened so fast
• You wonder how you survived the first year (or 18 years)
• You realize that this is a huge moment in time, a reference point for the rest of your life
• There is cake
• And lots of wrapping paper
• You look at your husband and say "I can't believe we are at this stage of life!"

Except, at the 1st birthday party there are decorations, invitations, cards, wrapping paper and even birthday candles that say, "Baby's 1st Birthday!" It is mostly a party for the parents to celebrate that the child is healthy and happy and they haven't made any major parenting mistakes.

But lets say that you have 4 children and that last baby is finally 18, a day you thought would never come, there are no cards for that.

There needs to be a card for that. Something that says, "With Loving Thoughts on your Baby's 18th  Birthday". On the inside of the card it could say, "Although it may feel like the end of the world when this perfectly wonderful person you raised leaves you for what he thinks are much greener pastures, remember that he will always come back for money."

Or something like that.

Ike- 18 years old today. 

Penang Malaysia

Kek Lok Si Temple

 We had a quick 3 day weekend get away to Penang. We picked Penang because it is a cheap quick flight and a UNESCO World Heritage site. I loved it and would be happy to go back anytime. It wasn't crowded, in fact we were the only westerners at most sites. It felt authentic. The people are helpful and friendly and easy to communicate with. The taxis are cheap and rates are established. 

We spent the first day on the Feringgi beach relaxing and recovering and watching Burka clad women parasailing. We ate dinner at the beautiful Feringgi Garden restaurant and then walked around the night market where we bought a street painting and a lovely batik. 

 Saturday we toured George Town which is the UNESCO site. I fell completely in love with the old restored shophouses and managed to edit my huge assortment of photos to these 5:

This last photo is an excellent example of the Chinese shophouse right next to a British shophouse. I am rather obsessed with them. They have mostly been torn down in Singapore.

We visited craftsmen of endangered trades. 

A rattan furniture builder.

A boat anchor welder.

A shoe maker. This is the very shop where Jimmy Choo got started. He started his training here and comes back regularly to visit. As you can expect there are photos of him in the shop. Next time I am here I am going to order shoes to be made.

Ike's foot next to the very last pair of shoes made for a woman with bound feet. She passed away before she could pick up the shoes. 

In Penang its all about the food. Every meal we had was delicious. We ate from street carts, hawkers, markets, and restaurants.

 This is the nutmeg fruit. That brown seed is the nutmeg we use in cooking. If you go be sure to order Nutmeg drink. Make sure it is made fresh, they add lime and honey and it is good!

 Sweet light crepes, of course they have a Malaysian name. You eat them plain. 

 Jackfruit

Rice bundles with salted duck egg inside. Didn't try these.

Penang has a great art scene. The streets are filled with paintings and steel art works that give the history of George Town. There are hip cool galleries next to junky dusty stores packed to the ceilings.

 A steel sign describing how this street used to have brass and copper production but now is mostly recycling.

This painting is famous with a line of photographers clicking away at it.

It seems that around every corner there is new art to discover.

On Sunday we went to Buddhist Church. 

Right after breakfast take a taxi to the top of Kek Lok Si Temple, the largest and most popular temple of Malaysia. taxi to the top and walk down. Pay the extra fees to ring the bells and see hidden gardens.

Where to Stay:

Keng Yeng Hotel - clean, well priced, quiet, good AC, decent breakfast, safe (although there are prostitutes on the street at night) 

The Campell House looked nice too. We ate lunch there.

Where to eat:

Hawker Stand and street food: Curry Mee (can order vegetarian) Char Kway Teow (can order vegetarian) Wan Tan Mee (again, can order vegetarian) Sesame balls, Yam balls, Corn Dumplings (my favorite)

JAWI House Cafe Gallery - authentic Peranakan food done right - order the Laksa - visit with the owner. She is at the crest of the movement to empower Malasian women, especially single moms.

Tek Sen restaurant - seriously the best Chinese food I've ever had - not expensive

Order Nutmeg juice 

If you are a meat eater here are more ideas: http://www.misstamchiak.com/10-must-try-hawker-food-in-penang/

Guide:

We hired Joann Kraw to show us around for 3 hours. She was delightful and taught us all about Penang. She builds her tours around your interests. Go in the morning before it gets too hot. email: jsk_27@hotmail.com

Other things:

The Feringgi beach is fine but I think your time is better spent in George Town. If I go again I would stay in a hotel high on Penang Hill one night. We took a train to the top and it was cool and breezy and refreshing. It might be nice to stay up there and relax/sleep/read for a day at the beginning or end of your trip. 

It is stinking hot in Malaysia so we scheduled our touring in the morning and then went back to the hotel around 2:00 for an airconditioned nap and lots of water and then headed back out in the evening. 

Go to the Batik Painting Museum. Roland's favorite thing in Penang.

Also walk around the Clan Jetty. 

Make sure to have a back up camera battery.

Penang can easily be done in 2 days.