Singapore

We recently visiting Singapore for a few days on the way to our 10 day adventure in Vietnam. It was great to seem some friends and to explore the city state of Singapore. The best way I can find to describe Singapore is 'Asia-Light'. It has a lot of Asian influence, however still has all the comforts of Western Culture....they have Wendy's for crying-out-loud.

Probably biggest attraction to Singapore is the Shopping (at least it was for Jess). I believe because the weather is so hot and humid, shopping is a form of entertainment which comes with free air conditioning! While the goods didn't seem too expensive, it was also not overly cheap and had a lot U.S. brands throughout.

One of most unique parts of our trip included a visit to a Fish Spa, where small fish eat the dead skin from your lower legs and feet. Admittedly, I would not have gone without the coercion of Jess and Lee. While I am not likely to go again, I am glad to have had the experience.

Here are our photos from the trip to Singapore. Vietnam photos to follow (eventually).



Photo Link

Da' Bears

A few weeks ago we had our first 'friends' visit us in Sydney all the way from Chicago. It was a great to show them around Sydney and the Hunter Valley. Thanks Nate and Julia for making the trek around the world - hope you had a good time!

Happy Birthday Jess, Sus and Lee!

Last night we celebrated the birthdays for Jess, Lee and Sus at Paddo Bowls. The theme to the party was the 1980s (since they were all born in the 80s) and the participation was amazing. My vote for best costume was Thor (dressed as Rick Astley's Never gonna give you up video via youtube) and my wife (surprise!) for her Madonna-esque outfit.



What is your favorite costume?

New Year's Eve in Sydney

Words can't really describe our New Year's Eve experience. We were lucky enough to have fantastic friends (thanks Jennie & Thor) with a spectacular view of the bridge & harbour. Add in great food & drink and it was a terrific night. Hopefully the pictures capture some the night's magic.



Hope everyone had a safe and happy new year!

Harbor Fireworks

We are very fortunate to have friends with amazing accommodations in Sydney, because occasionally we get invited for spectacular views and fun times. Recently, we went to our Jennie and Thor's place in Kirribilli to watch the finale of Australian Idol. The main focus was not on the show itself, but on the fireworks that accompanied it. Jennie and Thor's view is like a postcard, with uninterrupted views of the harbor, bridge and opera house.

Because I knew there would be fireworks, I invested in a tripod and attempted to learn as much about shooting fireworks as I could. Everything happened so quickly, that I was a little behind the curve and a lot of the photos are unrecognizable. The photos below are some of the better ones from the frenzy that night.

Hunter Valley - Visit 2

During the Queen's Birthday long weekend, we decided to get out of Sydney (along with our friends Mickey and Alane). Because this was decided on a spur of the moment comment, we had limited time to plan so we decided on Hunter Valley. Although we had been there before, we figured this would be a good trip to have with our U.S. compadres (i.e. relaxing country side, lots of wine, kangaroos, etc...) and it is an easy drive .

We stayed at a bed and breakfast, Pindari House that Mickey and Alane found. Jess and I are not what you might consider 'regulars' at the B&B's - so this was a small step out of our comfort zone. Luckily, we had a wonderful host, Monika, and an even better watch dog known as Honey.

Overall it was a great weekend getting away from the city life, touring the wineries, eating good food, and playing Australia's version of monopoly known as 'squatter' - based on sheep farming of course. Winery highlights (in my opinion) included Pokolbin Estate and Tyrell's Vineyard.