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november 26th, 2008- singapore living

so dirk has recently told me that every post includes alcohol... well this one does not... and we really do not drink that much. let me fore warn you... lots of pictures and i am going to keep it to a minimum with the typing. so a day in the life of an expat wife who does not work, (yet) more to come on that home front, and has no kids (unless you regard a dog baby your child- which we do).

so this is my playground... the pool & workout room to the right above the pool. i try to end up here most days. if not i am watching american tv on the slingbox in the morning, planning a holiday, or deciding what meal i want to learn to cook that night.
next is the kids pool that is actually a playground and if dirk and I were still kids we would totally be all over it... well actually we are still kids so i bet some day soon we will be on it. if any parent is reading... bring your kids to our pool so we will have an excuse to act like children.so the long awaited GUEST ROOM! i know everyone has been wondering if there is a room for them when they come visit and here it is.... yes the spots are filling up fast but just look what you have waiting... otto might even leave a mint on your pillow (watch out for the chocolate ones). incase you did not get the subtlety... we WANT visitors... please people you have to experience this culture first hand to really appreciate it all. it even comes complete with a guest bathroom... currently the one we use but dirk and i will even flip you for it when you come... no kidding, it is all yours complete withOUT any electrical plugs... you say why? i say i have no idea other than when they clean... there is a drain next to the toilet and they wash the whole bathroom down... no need for wallpaper here people. oh and also the muslims... do not use toilet paper... that is a whole another post... so you ask how do i blow dry, curl, straighten my hair without any electrical plugs? i feel like i am right back in the good old sorority house doing my hair on the floor infront of a mirror. others extend electrical extension cords... too much of a hassle. dirk promises to buy me a vanity but my setup works just fine. the stool doubles as my step stool in the kitchen because even though we are in the shortest culture possible they make cabinets 8 feet high... i can't reach my food unless i have the stool (also a good dieting technique i have learned)
i thought this was weird... there is a remote control for everything here and they are all different. there are 5 remotes here: fan, lights, air con, tv, and cable.... each room has the same amount. i had to find a basket because i keep losing them under the bed. so we come to the kitchen... look mom i even hung up your entertaining card... dirk and i got a real laugh from it! you can see it includes an OVEN!
the coveted wine frig. the best spontaneous decision dirk ever made... so that brings up we might be going to margaret river (australia's wine country) over our one year anniversary. of coarse it is no messina hof but hey when in rome.

so we had bit of a mold problem in the storage closet/maids room/bomb shelter... dirk walked in one day and had to throw a pair of leather boots away because they were so molded... his golf clubs, golf shoes, and sac chairs got the brunt of the mold but were cleaned off and made a spot in the house... the humidity is almost 95% everyday so things will mold fast...

so all in all that is the update with the house... right as we speak there are workers here to fix a leak in our concrete ceilings & walls (try hanging pictures in concrete). the neighbor above us has a small leak that has turned our ceiling orange... hopefully we will get out teak patio furniture by the end of the week. we should also have some custom curtains made for the living room and hopefully pictures ups before everyone comes and visits (not all at once people- 24 hours is not too long of an air plane ride right?)

so the J.O.B. thing is another priority right up there with hanging pictures in concrete walls... i put in a CV (resume) with the international clinic and they should tell me by dec 3rd... not promising but when someone takes 6 weeks in march/april for home leave... i am not sure anyone wants to hire them. i will be more aggressive after april but for now i will just get my name out there. i plan on taking the GRE when back in the states so that i can do some of my online masters work for a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)... i have already been in contact with some schools and they are begging for these types of nurses.

on the other hand... i have learned how to be domestic. i cook, clean, do the laundry AND look for a maid everyday (hehe). i have enjoyed cooking and grocery shopping.

Meals Prepared by Christina

homemade chili (mom's recipe)- 2 thumbs up from dirk

king ranch chicken- 2 thumbs up

enchilada casserole- 1 thumb up

chicken stir fry with lettuce wraps- 2 thumbs WAY up

chicken/beef tacos (all made with leftovers)- 1 1/2 thumbs up

honey mustard & herd pork chops with twice baked sweet potatoes- two thumbs up

actually i don't think dirk cares what i make for dinner as long as it is hot... we will see how thanksgiving dinner goes. sorry this is so long...