Back from Singapore to spend a great weekend with our Dutch relatives..

I have started traveling to Singapore again and spent the week there leading up to Chinese New Year. It never ceases to amaze me the length they go to their to decorate and make the city and shopping strip in Orchard Road into a festive place. They have these miniature orange lime trees in the foyer of all buildings and shops imported from China as a tradition and this year is year of the Tiger so there was plenty of those around too.

Feb 2010 visit to Singapore

I took a few minutes when I was early to a dinner appointment to walk along the esplanade on the east coast and I have to say it was very relaxing and pleasant. A great relax given I usually get up for 9am in Melbourne (6am Singapore time) and keep going to late local time. It is great experience though working across so many stakeholder groups and cultures. I think I have about 4-5 building passes now I seem to be working all over the place. Definitely getting sick of the travel though and missing my family more and more each time I go away. Universal studios is about to open there so maybe I can convince Elaine and the kids to come with me one trip some time..

I arrived home at 7am on the Saturday morning to welcome Elaine's two Aunties (Cobie and Toos) and Uncle (Leo) visiting from Netherlands. We spent a great, relaxing day at home enjoying the air con, the pool and had a terrific salad roll lunch in our new entertainment area next to the pool. It was great to see everyone and we all had a great time in the pool (even Oma).

We went to Daisy Hill Church early the next day then had a wonderful picnic in New Farm Park followed by a ferry ride up to Southbank and back. We finished the day with a lavish cooked dinner (Elaine is such a great cook - lekker)) at our house where Stephen's parents also joined us. We had a terrific weekend with them and although Stephen left the next morning at 4am to go to Melbourne again, Elaine and the kids spent some more time with Toos, Cobie and Leo after school and in the evening before they left to drive to Sydney the next day.