Our Third Week

Our third week started with a visit of Karsten's colleague Wasim for dinner. It's nice to have a familiar face visiting, even for only a short time. The next morning, Dorotee and Henrik with their children Tim and Kiara visited us briefly during their 8 hour stop over. Boy, was that an early breakfast, but so much fun! We had set the alarm clock for 6:45am which we thought would give us enough time to get presentable and also breakfast on the table. Katrin woke up earlier - pit stop as usual - and thought she heard something. Well, sure enough our friends were already at our door step! Luckily friends are those people you can greet in your pyjamas and they don't mind ;-) After breakfast we had a swim together and then they were off again. What a blessing to have friends visiting!

That day proved to be a busy one. Not that long after the Maier-Braun family had left a friend of friends rang to see if she could come over to introduce herself before they flew out that night to holiday in Japan. A little while later the buzzer buzzed.

Level 1: lift entrance to our section

Under the non smoking sign is the swipe card terminal

A quick explanation: To get in you need to have a swipe card at the gate either on level 1 - to get into one of the courts of this condominium - or in the carpark (B1) to get into the lift. In the carpark there are a handful of lobbies which have lifts for each 'tower' of the court. Lobby 4 of Chempaka Court (= 991 Bukit Timah Road) leads to our unit, just take the lift to level 7. There are 4 units on each level. One day on our way back from the pool Yannic and Noah ran ahead to the lifts and pressed 7 and stood in the door to keep it waiting for the rest of us. When the rest got closer we called them away from the lift, after all it's not a toy, so Yannic came running leaving Noah in the lift. The door closed and off he went. We were a bit in a frenzy then. Karsten and the children took the other lift up while Katrin waited on Level 1 in case Noah came down again. They must have pressed 4 too, because Katrin could hear Noah cry when the lift stopped at Level 4. There is a display next to the lift to show where the lift currently is and if it's going up or down. That stop gave the other lift with Karsten time to catch up, so when both lifts reached level 7 Karsten could "rescue" Noah, who was not a happy camper. In hindsight is't quite funny, but when the lift disappeared with Noah, we got a big fright, all kinds of what... if scenarios crossed our minds. That all happened after Katrin had told the children to wait sitting on the little garden wall opposite the lifts until everybody is there - Katrin isn't the fastest at the moment ;-) How often tells God us the same things over and over and still we don't learn the lesson by listening but by experience?!

View from our unit towards the lifts

View from the lifts to our door

Back to our visitor that Tuesday: After answering the buzzer, Katrin waited at the door for the visitor to step out of the lift. But out came Shirley, the landlord's manager, whom we hadn't expected. It's quite funny if you wait for somebody and suddenly somebody else comes, Katrin was glad that she had met Shirley before otherwise it would have been interesting to see how they would have solved the misunderstanding. Shirley had a few questions. And a few minutes later our visitor arrived: Beng-Wan with her children Chloe and Jared. She offered to take us to the public library the same day and to show us a wet market once she is back. So at 2 o'clock off we went all squeezed in one car, Katrin thought Being-Wan had a van or so, but it was a normal Sedan. So 6 children squeezed in the back seat and Katrin had a front row seat ;-)
At the library we got one library card, which costs over $50 since we are not citizen nor residents but foreigners. On one card we can borrow 8 books, but at the moment due to the holidays they have extended it to 12 books. Those of you who know our little bookworms can imagine how quickly we might have to go back to the library. They all love to read. We took a taxi to get back home - same method; 6 children in the back seat and Katrin in the passenger seat, the poor taxi driver didn't have time nor words to object. But Katrin was glad when they got home safe and sound, we won't be doing that too often.

Noah and bounty from the library

Yannic's nest

Wednesday and Thursday were quiet stay at home days for 7 family members and go to work for one (guess who). We read the books, hopped into the pool and played computer. Friday Karsten was able to work from home, a treat after a few long days at work (ups, I told you now). The air conditioning units (we have 6 units in our 4 bedroom appartment) were serviced. This has to be done every 3 months apparently since they are being used rather frequently.

Singapore during the rain season is very humid, as throughout most of the year :-). That is the reason for not having fly screens despite Mozzies and the possibility of Dengue Fever: Moss would quickly grow on the fly screens. A lady told me that her mattress moulded and only when it came through the fitted sheet, she realised what was happening - she has been here one year so far. Somebody else told Karsten, that his leather jacket got ruined just sitting in the wardrobe for a few weeks. That's why it is helpful to let the air conditioner run every day. ;-) And it's also advisable to dry clean suits which aren't used for a while. The washing is drying very slowly since there is not always a breeze. Although the breeze seems to pick up shortly before a big thunderstorm comes through.

Saturday we made a trip to Sentosa Island again - iFly! All except the oldest and youngest member of our family had a go, well, three goes in the wind chamber at flying. Noah and Katrin could watch them from the outside. IFly is the world's first largest themed wind tunnel for indoor skydiving and the world's largest vertical wind tunnel. The chamber is 16.5 feet (5 m) wide and 56.5 feet (17m) tall - about 5 storeys high - with a 18 feet (5,5m) tall acrylic glass wall with view over the South China Sea. It was very comfortable inside in air conditioning almost cold.

Unfortunately we weren't allow to take pictures of the actual flying, some people did nevertheless. So we just have a couple of pre-flight pictures.

The afternoon was spent at the beach much to Noah's delight, he loves the sand and the water.

Michael, Esther, David and Yannic went exploring, across a small channel of water was a little island like sandbank where they climbed on the rocks until the life guard ask us to get them off since it's dangerously slippery.

Our time at the beach was cut short due to the seasonal thunderstorm. So we found a bar and had satay sticks for a late afternoon tea or early dinner. Those sticks were yummy and Karsten was going back a few times to order more for the hungry family.
We stopped at a water play and Noah decided he was still hungry. Hasn't he got a big bite?!

On our way home there was a long queue at the taxi stand, so we took the monorail out of Sentosa, boarded the MRT (Mass Rapid Transportation, an underground train) and then the bus to get home. Almost exactly the same way Karsten commutes to and from work. The children enjoyed it, but we all were rather tired by the time we go home.

Sunday we went back to the Methodist Church around the corner, we received again a warm welcome. The children went to Junior Church/Sunday School. First all the children have a worship/singing time together before they break up into small groups for the teaching and some arts and crafts. Jonas' Senior Church was not on, it's only three times per month, so that the teenagers can participate at communion. The sermon taught about Mary, about our plans and God's plans. Also after her response came the action: "Be unto me according to Your word". And how Mary was wise to turn to an older person (Elisabeth) for guidance and purpose. Mentors are in!