http://www.intl-lead.blogspot.com/
my life as it happens + my thoughts on international events in the news
Cheers!
Tuesday 19 July 2011
Friday 15 July 2011
A Grateful Farewell
It is hard to believe that my experience in Singapore is already at its end. There are many reasons for which this experience has been unforgettable, but more than any are all the people with whom I shared it. I would like to thank all of you in Singapore for showing me the ways - the places, the eats, the know-hows, how to improve my marketing, how to think about water and water issues, how to navigate the transit and enjoy the city, how to hail a bus or cab, how to eat durian, sting ray, and mee goreng and so many more...and of course how to feel at home in Singapore and with SDWA.
And now, I would like to thank everyone with SDWA. Everyone was extremely kind and welcoming, and helpful in every way. To Kalyan and the SDWA gang, I have some fantastic memories with many of you that won't soon be forgotten. All I can say is I wish I had more time to hang out with all of you and know you better, but I really appreciate getting to know as I did and hanging out as we did.
I would like to thank Sae'dah, who worked very hard to make sure our paperwork and visa process went through and to make sure we were all set to come. She was equally as helpful here during my two months time. As kind as anyone I've ever met, always smiling and great to talk to...thank you!
I would like to thank Sally, for helping us in our marketing efforts and allowing us to participate in such a wide range of opportunities. And I would like to thank Sally and Anne, and Anne's family for hosting a BBQ party for us. Like Sae'dah, I couldn't have worked with two people as kind as these two...thank you!
I would like to thank Vladan for extending this opportunity, without whom this experience wouldn't even have been possible. And on the US end of that, I owe a big thank you to Linda who was equally influential in getting me here.
A big thanks of course to Henry and Meghan, my partners in crime, it's been real!
I would like to reiterate my thanks to all the folks back home for the support. My sweetie P, mom and dad, and all my friends and fam.
And of course, whoever you are, wherever you are, thanks for taking the time to read along with this blog.
What will I remember most?
1) Marina Bay. This includes the Marina Bay Sands, the skyline, the Esplanades, the laser show at night, the bay itself of course, and the food - sting ray, mee goreng, crab, and coconuts. I couldn't tell you how much time I spent at the bay.
2) The food. Singaporeans are self-proclaimed food lovers. I have never experience anything quite like hawker stalls. I learned that I love Indian and Malay food and some new fruits like mangosteen and lechees. I even learned that I enjoy the challenge of spice! I'm really glad I got to eat a lot of awesome new stuff.
3) The parks. Be it Fort Canning, Botanic Gardens, Bukit Timah, I really enjoyed my time in the outdoors hiking around and witnessing a nature that is very beautiful and much different from that back in Wisconsin.
4) The museums. Singapore National Museum. Enough said. Loved the history, the special exhibits on modernization and local history.
5) Learning about water and hanging around with SDWA. Be it SIWW or checking out NEWater and just day-to-day interactions at SDWA, it was a fantastic education and 101 on water issues. Neat stuff.
On the flip side I have only one regret. I never did confront a wild monkey. Perhaps I will this weekend, but if that ends up being my only regret, I can live with that.
Though I do not know where life will lead next, I know that I hope it will hold more wonderful experiences like this. I came to Singapore knowing virtually nothing about it beyond the very basics, be it history, tradition, ethnicity, modern composition, what have you. Now as I prepare to leave, I leave feeling as if I could be an ambassador for the city.
Thanks again to everyone who helped make this a memorable trip. For those of you in Singapore, I will see you again someday, I'll be back, count on it. In the meantime, stay in touch - email, Facebook, Skype or anyway that comes to mind. And if you choose to come overseas to the US, the door will be open on the other side.
Thanks for reading, much appreciated.
Signing off for the final time - Chris
And now, I would like to thank everyone with SDWA. Everyone was extremely kind and welcoming, and helpful in every way. To Kalyan and the SDWA gang, I have some fantastic memories with many of you that won't soon be forgotten. All I can say is I wish I had more time to hang out with all of you and know you better, but I really appreciate getting to know as I did and hanging out as we did.
I would like to thank Sae'dah, who worked very hard to make sure our paperwork and visa process went through and to make sure we were all set to come. She was equally as helpful here during my two months time. As kind as anyone I've ever met, always smiling and great to talk to...thank you!
I would like to thank Sally, for helping us in our marketing efforts and allowing us to participate in such a wide range of opportunities. And I would like to thank Sally and Anne, and Anne's family for hosting a BBQ party for us. Like Sae'dah, I couldn't have worked with two people as kind as these two...thank you!
I would like to thank Vladan for extending this opportunity, without whom this experience wouldn't even have been possible. And on the US end of that, I owe a big thank you to Linda who was equally influential in getting me here.
A big thanks of course to Henry and Meghan, my partners in crime, it's been real!
I would like to reiterate my thanks to all the folks back home for the support. My sweetie P, mom and dad, and all my friends and fam.
And of course, whoever you are, wherever you are, thanks for taking the time to read along with this blog.
What will I remember most?
1) Marina Bay. This includes the Marina Bay Sands, the skyline, the Esplanades, the laser show at night, the bay itself of course, and the food - sting ray, mee goreng, crab, and coconuts. I couldn't tell you how much time I spent at the bay.
2) The food. Singaporeans are self-proclaimed food lovers. I have never experience anything quite like hawker stalls. I learned that I love Indian and Malay food and some new fruits like mangosteen and lechees. I even learned that I enjoy the challenge of spice! I'm really glad I got to eat a lot of awesome new stuff.
3) The parks. Be it Fort Canning, Botanic Gardens, Bukit Timah, I really enjoyed my time in the outdoors hiking around and witnessing a nature that is very beautiful and much different from that back in Wisconsin.
4) The museums. Singapore National Museum. Enough said. Loved the history, the special exhibits on modernization and local history.
5) Learning about water and hanging around with SDWA. Be it SIWW or checking out NEWater and just day-to-day interactions at SDWA, it was a fantastic education and 101 on water issues. Neat stuff.
On the flip side I have only one regret. I never did confront a wild monkey. Perhaps I will this weekend, but if that ends up being my only regret, I can live with that.
Though I do not know where life will lead next, I know that I hope it will hold more wonderful experiences like this. I came to Singapore knowing virtually nothing about it beyond the very basics, be it history, tradition, ethnicity, modern composition, what have you. Now as I prepare to leave, I leave feeling as if I could be an ambassador for the city.
Thanks again to everyone who helped make this a memorable trip. For those of you in Singapore, I will see you again someday, I'll be back, count on it. In the meantime, stay in touch - email, Facebook, Skype or anyway that comes to mind. And if you choose to come overseas to the US, the door will be open on the other side.
Thanks for reading, much appreciated.
Signing off for the final time - Chris
Thursday 14 July 2011
MY NEW BLOG: the INTL lead www.intl-lead.blogspot.com
As one blog ends Friday July 16, I invite you to follow me and read my new blog, the INTL lead, a forum on current international news & events pertaining to business, sport, politics, and the arts. Comments and inputs are solicited.
Please check it out, Thanks!
Please check it out, Thanks!
the INTL lead
first blogs:
Air Ball: the future of the NBA
the INTL lead on Vertical Farming
first blogs:
Air Ball: the future of the NBA
the INTL lead on Vertical Farming
Wednesday 13 July 2011
PS an update of the list
1. Projects are underway and I should finish Friday.
2. No monkeys. They are so elusive!
3. Went to the pool, and it felt darn good even though it was short.
4. Still need to get back to my favorite outdoor places and the bay.
5. Eating as much good Singaporean food while I can; can't get it (Indian & Malay) this good in the States so I have to cram it in!
2. No monkeys. They are so elusive!
3. Went to the pool, and it felt darn good even though it was short.
4. Still need to get back to my favorite outdoor places and the bay.
5. Eating as much good Singaporean food while I can; can't get it (Indian & Malay) this good in the States so I have to cram it in!
Looking out my window
I live on the 9th floor of a flat. Sometimes I forget that I have quite the view. It really is an amazing scene, and seems fairly typical of Singapore. There are flats all around somewhere in the ball park of 10-30 stories tall (of course you will find smaller, but you will certainly find bigger in Singapore). And they sit row after row, and line up front and back. Through buildings lay raised train transport lines that weave between buildings down the streets.
Then there is a complete contrast right along side. The Bukit Timah Nature reserve is a mere few blocks away. Straight across the street sits another mass of forested land untainted. Amazing. Such contrast, yet both have beauty. Am I living in a metropolis or jungle? Of course I could also add the question should we primarily think of Singapore as an island on the sea?
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Then there is a complete contrast right along side. The Bukit Timah Nature reserve is a mere few blocks away. Straight across the street sits another mass of forested land untainted. Amazing. Such contrast, yet both have beauty. Am I living in a metropolis or jungle? Of course I could also add the question should we primarily think of Singapore as an island on the sea?
Mango Lassi
Greetings on a Wednesday morning. I would like to just begin quick by clarifying briefly yesterday's blog. The intended message was not that I do not love and miss the folks, places, things back in Wisconsin. Rather, that I make the best of the opportunity that I have, and that I see the positive in everything when I am abroad.
I would like to thank everyone back in Wisconsin for being patient with me while I have been away. I appreciate the support and understanding that goes into seeing someone spend a chunk of time away, wherever they may be. Thanks to my gf, parents, family, friends, and everyone in Badger country. I very much look forward to seeing you all soon...
Last night I met up with Daniel again and he took me out for dinner at a Vegetarian Indian restaurant. I ate or drank this thing called mango lassi. I think it was some sort of mango yogurt. Anyways, it was orange and thick, and had a sweet and sour taste. Very interesting, very weird, and very good. But I have to say, something about sucking down a cement like drink with dinner is a bit weird. Even so, my friend Daniel was correct, the drink is cool and soothing when eating Indian food, because it can be spicy!
As I head into work today, I will be hammering out to last minute projects. With my last day being Friday that means it's really go time. I still hope to find some time to go to the pool, hike and explore the parks that I wish to see one more time. Saturday should be ideal for that. Sunday I will probably have to pack. So let's hope I can find the time in between!
Singapore fun fact day 52: it will take 10 years for the salt to settle altogether in Marina Bay Reservoir.
I would like to thank everyone back in Wisconsin for being patient with me while I have been away. I appreciate the support and understanding that goes into seeing someone spend a chunk of time away, wherever they may be. Thanks to my gf, parents, family, friends, and everyone in Badger country. I very much look forward to seeing you all soon...
Last night I met up with Daniel again and he took me out for dinner at a Vegetarian Indian restaurant. I ate or drank this thing called mango lassi. I think it was some sort of mango yogurt. Anyways, it was orange and thick, and had a sweet and sour taste. Very interesting, very weird, and very good. But I have to say, something about sucking down a cement like drink with dinner is a bit weird. Even so, my friend Daniel was correct, the drink is cool and soothing when eating Indian food, because it can be spicy!
As I head into work today, I will be hammering out to last minute projects. With my last day being Friday that means it's really go time. I still hope to find some time to go to the pool, hike and explore the parks that I wish to see one more time. Saturday should be ideal for that. Sunday I will probably have to pack. So let's hope I can find the time in between!
Singapore fun fact day 52: it will take 10 years for the salt to settle altogether in Marina Bay Reservoir.
Tuesday 12 July 2011
Sentiments of Living Abroad
For some, a few weeks can be a long time to be away from the place we call home. For others, they are able to pack up their lives and move for a lifetime to a foreign country. Whatever we believe likely comes from our experiences, our upbringing, and families. There isn't one way which is right or wrong, just a way that's right for you, and a way that is right for me. As for me, what am I? Well I am somewhere in between. This is my third time living abroad, with the other two occasions both being in France. This is also the shortest of my abroad stays at exactly two months. In any case, people always ask, is it hard being gone so long, and don't you miss home? The answer, no, but read further with me and let me qualify that.
Whatever phase of life I have been in, I have always made the best of it and enjoyed it. For me, the wealth of life is about experience - novelty in culture, places, new faces, new education and new opportunity. I always look forward to the adventure that comes next because I know first hand all of the amazing wealth in experience it can bring. This is not to say that I do not miss you all at home. But home is not a place, home to me is people. And therefore home is in Wisconsin, Florida, all over the US, France, Europe, Singapore and even China.
And so, even though my roots lay in Wisconsin, had I never left home I would not have some of the wonderful and lifelong friends and relationships I have had and still have in Iowa, all over France and Europe, and Singapore. So I do not regret in anyway, any place I have ever been or lived or having to spend some time away. I also know that when I do come back to Wisconsin, I will still have that solid group of family and friends - a group that understands the importance of these experiences for me.
The glass is half-full. Period. Never focus on what you don't have, only what you have and have to gain. I don't miss not having a cell phone, I appreciate the opportunity to be free from some technology. I do not miss American food, instead I choose to appreciate the great new food I get to try and eat here. I do not miss American sports. I choose instead to enjoy football and netball and the crazy new sports they enjoy here. I do not miss my car. I choose instead to appreciate the impressive transportation system they have here and feel good about being green.
Whatever phase in life comes next, I'll get there when I get there, and I am alright with that. My Uncle Tom once told me, there are two ways to get from Milwaukee to Madison, I94 or Hwy18. One is quicker, but the other offers much more to see, and you still get to Madison in the end.
Thanks to Henry and his mother for the inspiration for this blog.
Whatever phase of life I have been in, I have always made the best of it and enjoyed it. For me, the wealth of life is about experience - novelty in culture, places, new faces, new education and new opportunity. I always look forward to the adventure that comes next because I know first hand all of the amazing wealth in experience it can bring. This is not to say that I do not miss you all at home. But home is not a place, home to me is people. And therefore home is in Wisconsin, Florida, all over the US, France, Europe, Singapore and even China.
And so, even though my roots lay in Wisconsin, had I never left home I would not have some of the wonderful and lifelong friends and relationships I have had and still have in Iowa, all over France and Europe, and Singapore. So I do not regret in anyway, any place I have ever been or lived or having to spend some time away. I also know that when I do come back to Wisconsin, I will still have that solid group of family and friends - a group that understands the importance of these experiences for me.
The glass is half-full. Period. Never focus on what you don't have, only what you have and have to gain. I don't miss not having a cell phone, I appreciate the opportunity to be free from some technology. I do not miss American food, instead I choose to appreciate the great new food I get to try and eat here. I do not miss American sports. I choose instead to enjoy football and netball and the crazy new sports they enjoy here. I do not miss my car. I choose instead to appreciate the impressive transportation system they have here and feel good about being green.
Whatever phase in life comes next, I'll get there when I get there, and I am alright with that. My Uncle Tom once told me, there are two ways to get from Milwaukee to Madison, I94 or Hwy18. One is quicker, but the other offers much more to see, and you still get to Madison in the end.
Thanks to Henry and his mother for the inspiration for this blog.
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