Sun, Sand and Elephant Kisses

This Thanksgiving we traded Turkey around the table to Tuna Steak on the beach with my first trip to Thailand. Adam had been to Thailand on business before but never to the beach destination of Phuket. It was just a short stay but as usual we managed to pack a lot in.

We stayed at The Laguna Beach Resort which is just one of the hotels on the Laguna property. At first glance I thought our resort was too tourist-y as the beach front was blocked by shacks run by locals selling gifts, food and drinks. But even they couldn't spoil the clear blue sea and sandy white beach. In the end, the locals being so nearby was a great money saver as you could get a beer for 60 Thai Baht(US$1.80) from the locals and walk a few steps back to the resort pool where they were selling the exact same thing for 150 Thai Baht (US$5)... you all know how I appreciate a bargain!

The best part of the Laguna property is that you have access to all of the resorts regardless of where you are staying. The properties are connected by a large lagoon, giving all guest water front rooms. Free shuttles and ferries carry guest from one resort to another so we had the opportunity to check out the other hotels. We popped over the the Dusit Tani for dinner on Thursday night and enjoyed the relaxing sound of the waves just a few feet away as we dined.

The next morning I met Meena the baby elephant and fell in love. She was so tiny and well behaved. While I don't generally like animals being in a tourist environment, she seemed to be very well taken care of and liked the attention.

We spent the remainder of Friday relaxing on the beach and by the pool and had some good Tom Yum soup for dinner. We also checked out the Sheraton hotel where I met another baby elephant. She was a bit older and more forward. The trainer told her to give me a kiss and she wrapper her little trunk around my head and literally give me a kiss on the mouth with the end of her trunk! Haa haa! She gave Adam one too. Wish we would have had our camera then.

The hotel beach, Bangtao, had a good number of people on it but I hear that it is much less crowded that the very popular Patong beach just a few miles away. Adam wanted to explore outside the resort a bit more, but I was hesitant to go at night. After seeing town area again in daylight, I wish we would have taken more time to explore. The local life reminded me of a more developed version of the part of India that I saw mixed with the trashy beach areas of Florida, but there were some good parts of town to explore.

Saturday we signed up for a boat tour and snorkeling around Phi Phi Island (pronounced pee pee). Snorkeling is amazing. It was my first time and I loved every second. After about an hour ride by speed boat, we stopped in an area that was enclosed by the towering jagged rock islands. Even with other boats around it was very peaceful. We then went to the beach where they filmed The Beach with Leonardo DiCaprio, but it wasn't very exciting as it was overrun by tourists.

Our next stop was Monkey Island, as you can guess there were monkeys on shore, but this was also our first chance to snorkel. This was defiantly one of those times when I thought, I'm going to tell myself, I'm not scared and just go for it. I'm convinced that I saw Jaws at too young of an age as I cannot remember a time that I wasn't terrified of a shark sneaking up on me. I even regularly checked for them in pools as a kid, so swimming in the big ocean was a bit nerve racking for me. I strapped on the life vest and was ready to go, but let a few others jump in first, just in case any hungry creatures lurked nearby ;P Adam held my hand and as we swam around and I began to relax.

After about 20 minutes it was time to head to another island for lunch, hey I was just starting to get the hang of this snorkeling thing and it's time to go? But Bamboo Island, where we were given picnic lunches and plenty of time to relax, was probably the most beautiful beach I've ever visited. We swam in the surf a bit and just enjoyed the scenery. Lines that marked the evacuation route in case of a tsunami were a harsh reminder of what people in this region had been through just a short time ago. I couldn't help but think, was it a gorgeous, perfect day like this only a few minutes before the tsunami hit?

Our final destination was one of the best experiences of my life. We stopped in the middle of the ocean, with just a few other boats around, where the water was crystal clear and the coral reef was amazing. Sharks were really on my mind here, but I ditched the life jackets and let the water rock me into a blissfully relaxing state. The scenery was so breathtaking and I felt so weightless in the cool sea water. Colorful tropical fish swam all around and I even dove down a bit to take a closer look. We were very lucky that the weather was cooperating as we would have missed out on the part of the tour had the water been too choppy. (More Pictures)

I can't wait to go back to Thailand again.

Next stop: Illinois!! Where the harsh winter weather is going to kick our little tropical butts. But I can't wait for the warm hugs from the people we love most.

Boating and First Hair Cut

We had a new adventure yesterday on The Oriental Dream, a 40 foot wooden junk boat (the only one in Singapore) built in Hong Kong in 1978. One of our friends organized the journey which took us out on the strait between Singapore and Malaysia. We were on the boat for 7 hours but it went by so quickly we couldn't believe it was time to head back to shore. Adam and a few others jumped in the water (from the top of the boat) and took a swim to the nearby island. Little did they know it would take them more than twice as long to swim back to the boat with the current working against them, but they still had a blast.

A speed boat also accompanied the large boat and groups took turns having a try at wake boarding. We'll have to head out on the water and try that again. Bella even came along and loved all the attention. All in all it was a relaxing afternoon with great company and food.

Little Miss Bella was in desperate need for her first hair cut, especially after her first ride on the high seas. She's 4 months old now and about twice the size she was when we got her, which is still tiny but she seems big to us now. She's a getting to be a snuggle bug but still wants to chew on everything. She is learning her manners though:

Yes, we're obsessed with our little furkid. Here's some new pictures of her pre and post grooming.http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/OurNewestFamilyMemberBella?feat=directlink

New Adventures in Korea

Last week, I found myself back in the Republic of Korea (South Korea) for an International Astronautical Congress, which is in other words, a nerdy meeting of rocket scientists. Granted, I am not truly equal to the academic elite who frequent these events, but I represent a company of real rocket scientists and was pushing some new capabilities we're offering to help prevent satellites from crashing into each other.

Anyway, in addition to presenting a paper on space surveillance, I attended a lot of meetings and exhibitions of the world's space agencies. South Korea, Japan, India, China, and even countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore are all taking major steps into space, and it is great to see it up close. Here are some pictures from Korea's Space Festival: MORE KOREA PICTURES

From Expoloring Korea 09 (IAC and DMZ)

And after my long week of work, I had a bit of a wait before my flight back home to Singapore. So I was lucky enough to get a local friend and chaperon from our business partner to take me on a tour with his family to a destination that fascinates foreigners about the Korean Peninsula... The De-Militarized Zone, or DMZ between North and South Korea.

So a bit of history: After the Japanese invaded then vacated the Korean Peninsula following WWII, a power vacuum was filled by two competing ideologies: Communism from the Soviets in the North, and free-market Republican Democracy from the US in the South. The division sparked a fratricidal civil war that divided the country in two and never really ended, but resulted in the longest standing armistice in modern history.

Both sides still long for unification, but neither is willing to give up on their ideology, so the stalemate continues.

Anyway, one of the most interesting attractions of the south side of the DMZ are the North Korean Invasion Tunnels! Lemme e'splain. After the cease fire was signed and a 2 km DMZ buffer was built on either side of the border, the North was still determined to invade the South. So the North Koreans embarked on an ambitious plan to dig miles of tunnels under the entire DMZ so troops could march from North to South towards the Southern Capital, Seoul.

4 of these tunnels were discovered between the 70's and 90's although it is believed that there are up to 20 somewhere under the border! Here are some videos I took as I explored the tunnels and got within 170 meters of the Korean border 200 feet underground! (Don't worry, it has been sealed off by 3 concrete barriers for years).







So while the communitst North is stifled by a strict, communist military regime, the South enjoys a flourishing free political and economic system that has shown such impressive growth that it has become part of our daily lives probably without you knowing it. Brands like Samsung, LG, Kia Motors, and Hyundai are all Korean companies that have gone global and are everyday names in the States. South Koreans don't even think twice about making a video call on their Samsung phones. I never ceased to be amazed by the innovation possible where business is encouraged.

Ironically, these tunnels are not regularly visited by Koreans. They consider Korea one country that just happens to have been split up by a crazy totalitarian leader and his henchmen. Most Koreans still have family across the border, and they are just waiting for the time when the fences come down, and the country is unified. I think the most telling sign of this was literally a sign. The last stop on the train line that runs the entire length of the Peninsula clearly marks Seoul (South Korean capital) in one direction and Pyongyang (North Korean capital) in the other even though now the trains do not cross the border... Hopefully someday in the near future this train can finally reach both destinations with no borders to cross...

PICTURES

No Earthquakes in Singapore

Hey all. I thought I'd make a quick post to let you know that everything is fine here in Singapore. The earthquakes in Indonesia and Tonga and Samoa this week were really pretty far from where we are.

Singapore is very much in the middle of a plate and far removed from the faults where the Earthquakes occur (see the map below from the Wall Street Journal)

Also, Singapore is pretty sheltered by Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines from any Tsunami-type activity. The seas around here are very calm (one of the reasons Singapore is such a nice shipping hub).

Anyway, please use your thoughts and prayers for those in Indonesia and the Pacific Islands, and know that all's well here. Our puppy is growing and somehow finding more reserves of energy and follows us wherever we go. Kate's really busy at work, and we're finally making progress with my work. All around things are going well.

Miss you all!

We Got a PUPPY!!!

This story isn't about travel, but it is news for us. If you know us, you know we're both animal lovers. I can't count how many time Kate has wanted to stop into pet stores just to get an animal fix.


Well, a few weeks ago we were in a Singapore mall and stopped by a local pet shop... We were both instantly striken by an adorable maltese puppy. We went home to talk it over and think about everything it would entail considering our schedules, our travel, and the training it would require.... but we were both still hooked.
So this is the newest member of our family, Bella. She is just about 2 lbs now and will probably only grow to 5 or 7 lbs fully grown.


She is an energizer bunny of playfulness, but she is just as happy to cuddle up and make us feel human again in the midst of the daily grind.

She's already doing well in her puppy toilet training, and we've only had this little 3-month-old pup for 3 days. The family just got a little bigger. :)

You can see some more pictures of Bella here: MORE PICTURES OF BELLA

Taipei, Taiwan - Day 2

I'll keep this short because we have a lot more to talk about.

Day two of Kate's visit with me in Taiwan was a lot of fun too. We visited the famous National Palace Museum. This is cool because when Japan invaded China in WWII, the republican government of China took all of the ancient imperial art and moved it into hiding. After 10,000 miles the government took the treasure with them when they retreated from the new Chinese communist party to the Island of Formosa (Portugese for Beautiful Island), aka, Taiwan.

So this museum has the single largest collection of ancient chinese art (8,000 years worth) even though it isn't "technically" in China. (although China would disagree).

Anyway, enough history. After wandering through awesome sculptures, paintings, porcelean, etc, we took a blind adventure to one of Taiwan's many natural hot springs. We were able to find some in the city, but it is still summer, so getting into hot water didn't sound too inviting. Like Kate said, we'll definately have to explore the mountains in the winter some time.

Finally, we explored the Gongguan night market. Another exciting culinary adventure, Gongguan is more spread out down side streets and therefore less crowded (it was also a sunday). But the food was delicious, and we enjoyed this market as well.

The rest of the Day 2 pictures are here: MORE PICTURES

Crash Course Taiwan Day 1

A long weekend in Singapore means time to explore a new country. As Adam was in Japan for work and needed in Taiwan on Monday, I met him in Taipei on Saturday. The rushed trip proved worth the hassle of flying through Manila and we had a wonderful time.

We started the trip with the obligatory visit to Taipei 101, the tallest building the world...we'll see how long that title lasts. The Sears Tower and Empire state building were among the top ten highest listed, but the real race seems to be in Asia. I'm not a fan of elevator rides but the trip to the top took about 40 seconds and the elevator put on a little show, lighting up like stars on the ceiling and letting you track your speed and floor on a display. The top offered great views of the city as well as the mountains. It was mighty windy at the top...

Next we wondered around the city and came across a street fair with local delights. There was even some nice live music.

Next door there was an event run by the SPCA. There were some dogs with some crazy hair styles. Dogs are very popular in Taipei. I lost count of the number of pups we saw being carried around the city in bags and riding on scooters. Even cats went around with their owners.

Then it was time for the Night Markets!! AKA - Heaven for foodies like Adam and me.

We had a blast exploring the tiny alleys and seeing what culinary creation we could find next. The key to finding the best food? Long lines. If locals are lined up it will be worth the wait. We joined lines and had no idea what we would get until we got to the front but were never disappointed. The language barrier was more prevelant in Taipei than in Singapore where most people speak English. This trip I wished I new more Mandarin other than Hi and Thank You. But the universal point to "I want that thing" and showing how many with your fingers worked well.

One item that I wasn't even temped to try was stinky tofu.

We enjoyed the Shi Lin Night Market the best but the adventure of going to snake alley at another market was exciting/terrifying. There was a cobra just sitting on top of a cage ready to strike. These scaly creatures were not just for show, they were to eat. Needless to say, one walk through and I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I managed to snap one picture of a boa but the shop owners don't like pictures to be taken. I couldn't help but think that PETA would have a hissy fit here.

Here's everything in pictures.

I'll let Adam tell you about Day 2. We stayed in the city for this trip but I'd love to go back and explore the mountains.

End of the AUS Trip

Life has been a whirlwind since we got back from AUS. Work has been busy for both of us, but it's about time I wrap up the AUS story. It all seems like a dream now that we're back to reality.



After our excitement in Sydney we rented a car and drove about two hours to the Blue Mountains. Adam had found a beautiful little cottage in a valley for us to stay for two days. It took us awhile to find the place as we had to drive from the top of a valley down to the floor. On the journey down there was a drastic change in landscape as the surroundings turned from rain forest to rollings hills.



A husband wife team run the Sunset Lodge and small winery. We arrived right as the sun was setting on the picturesque scenery and you couldn't help but take a deep breath to try and absorb the moment. Living in Singapore there is never a need for a fire to heat the room so it was a wonderful change get a fire crackling.



Much to my delight we went horse back riding the next day. I wasn't looking for a trail ride where you follow the butt in front of you and go slow as molasses for 2 hrs...thankfully we booked a ride on an off day and was just Adam, me and our guide, a girl from the states who was traveling after finishing college. We were able to gallop and canter and I was reminded how much I love horses. We even came across some wild kangaroos in a clearing. I couldn't help but think, would someone from a country without deer freak out about seeing them like we did seeing the kangaroos?

Here's some mountain pictures

We drove back to Sydney the next day and walked around the city some more. We ended up going to the aquarium that was well worth the admission fee. Aquarium pictures. We stayed in the Lord Nelson pub the last night - Adam was very excited about this. On a 6 day journey we managed to stay at a pub and a winery.

It was a trip of a lifetime and just thinking about it reminds me how lucky I am to have opportunities to explore the world and how how blessed I am to have found Adam.

Were off to Taipei next!

Australia Holiday - Day 2 (The Proposal!)

OK, so I figured I owed it to all of you to fill you in on how this all actually went down. Once I set it up, I'll let Kate do the rest.

I've been planning this for some time. I mean, Kate is a very speacial woman, and I wanted this to be a very special event. So I had a couple conditions: 1) it had to be beautiful and memorable, 2) it needed to be recorded so it could be shared with family and friends, 3) it needed to be at a convenient time so we could call home (not as easy as it sounds)

We do live on the other side of the planet. So I got the idea to get the proposal on video.

Great idea!!! but how do I get cameras close enought to do this without Kate getting VERY suspicious?

Well, I figured I'd use Kate's long-time dream to be the "travel channel chick" to my advantage. I got the idea to find a film crew who was (or would pretend to be) doing a tourism show on Sydney, and use that for my "stage."

So after calling a lot of different wedding videographers, I came across Caroline and Howard from All About You Videos (there's a free plug for them). Caroline was a huge help, and I think she was as excited about the proposal as I was. I told her some spots that I thought fit the bill as far as scenery (I may have even simulated them to get a perspective), and they helped choose what was logistically feasible and good with the lighting.

I decided on Lady MacQuarie's Point in the Royal Botanical gardens with a beatiful backdrop of the harbour, opera house, and bridge, and we coordinated on a story scheduled for the morning of Saturday, August 1st. (Late afternoon back home...)

Thankfully, Kate was exhausted from the trip down on Friday, and we went to bed early the night before. Well she was asleep... I had a million things going through my head, so I went out in the hall to go over what I was going to say.

The morning of, we awoke to a beautidul morning and a clear view of the harbour from our window at the hotel. After breakfast I asked if we could go walk off breakfast in the botanical gardens. "I hear they have great views in the morning light." I'm so cheesy...

So Kate and I walked through the Botanical Gardens, stopping here and there to take pictures. The air was cool and sharp, and there was not a cloud in the sky. When we got to the end of a sea-side walkway we could see a camera crew talking to another couple. By this point I was so nervous I was talking but barely making sense.

I eventually stuttered out that this was a good spot and we should take some pictures. After I got a shot of Kate in front of the Harbour, the camera crew came up to us. They told Kate and me that they were from the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Company) and were interviewing tourists for a show. They wanted to know if we would do a short interview. Kate said yes.

So they put a microphone on me and had us walk over, sat us down, and had us talk about our experiences in Sydney.

Kate talked about the zoo, and I talked about what I really like about Sydney, that I could share it with the woman I love... (queue the romantic music)

There was a lot more, but we got it all on tape, and by the time we left Australia, Caroline and Howard had edited the footage into a wonderful DVD that we now have.

The DVD video is too big to put up here, but here is the same story in pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/AustraliaHoliday09Day2#

PS... she said yes ;)

Australia Holiday 09 - Day 1

Sydney is a breathtakingly beautiful city, and we're so glad it was part of a very speacial part of our lives.

So yes, this trip was full of surprises, but it was also just a wonderful break from the hussle and bussle of work. Kate and I thought we'd make mini-blogs about each day of our trip so it isn't too much to soak in.

We arrived in Sydney on Friday morning (July 31st, 2009) and checked in at the Holiday Inn (Old Sydney). I swear, if you ever go to Sydney, check this place out. the roof had beautiful views of the harbour, it was walking distance to everything, and we were right in the middle of historic Sydney where the first colonial settlers made their home.

After dropping off our bags and brushing our teeth on the roof, we wandered over to Sydney Harbour Bridge to have a look around from the Pylon Lookout. It is a cheaper alternative to the bridge-climb and you get to learn about how the bridge was built. You also get some spectacular views of the city!

Check out Kate's introduction to the city taken from up on the pylon lookout:




She had no idea what was coming the next day from the spot right over her shoulder! :)

Finally, we went to Taronga Zoo on the North Side of Sydney Harbour, and it was an amazing zoo. Definately worth the visit, but if you go, be sure to take the ferry and not a cab. You get better views, and it is 5 times cheaper!!!

Here are a few pics with our new zoo-friends: and there are more on this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/AustraliaHoliday09Day1?feat=directlink

If you haven't heard...

Yes, we're engaged! Adam proposed on Saturday morning at the Botanical Gardens overlooking the Opera House and Bridge in Sydney Harbour. There literally was not a cloud in the sky. It was perfect =) He even managed to catch it on video by having a camera crew pretend they were making a documentary on tourism.

We're both really busy catching up with work but still floating on cloud 9 after our trip. Australia is a beautiful country and we'll be sure to post more later.

Love, The Gorskis (Hee hee - yeah I'm a little excited to marry this guy)

Home Sweet Home!

We had a whirlwind trip home last week! We were so busy and it went by so quickly that it seems like a dream.

The weekend started with one of my best friends weddings. Cristina and Mike were married at The Conservatory in St. Charles, MO. It was a gorgeous ceremony and Cristina looked fabulous. The reception was a blast and I wish we could do it all over again. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Brown!

Adam's Mom, Evie, retired after over 30 years of teaching and celebrated with a great party. There was even karaoke.

Congrats Evie! - I know you've made a huge impact on countless student's lives.

We managed to make it to Peoria so Adam could visit some of his family and I could see some of my girls =). We stopped by the Bradley campus and boy are there some changes being made. The new gym is amazing and I wish it would have been there when I was going to school!

I wrapped up the week shopping with the women of my family and buying clothes that actually fit. They have tons of shopping in Singapore but it's hard to find clothes that fit the way I'd like. We then had a relaxing afternoon at Mt. Pleasant Winery in MO on Friday before taking off again on Saturday.

We really like Singapore but miss all of you so much. It was wonderful getting to see all the people we love and we can't wait to see you again soon!

More Pictures

Jeremy Visits Singapore!

Well, we've had our second guest come visit Singpaore. This time, our old friend from back home, Jeremy, came down for a weekend after visiting his family up in China.

We had some great times and it was good to catch up with a friend from Edwardsville. He's just finished his MBA at Notre Dame and is starting work for IBM this fall. Good work dude.

Anyway, as a fellow foodie, Jeremy, Kate and I embarked on some new culinary crusades. New delicies on his trip included

Indian Fish Head Curry

BBQ Sting Ray

Chilli and Pepper Crabs

Bamboo Clams

and the famous stinky tropical fruit: Durian (which Kate so beautifully modeled for us.)

Here's a video of Jeremy chowing down on a Fish Eye Ball (yes.... eye ball) from the Fish Head Curry. He's always been one for the bizarre.

Thanks for visiting bud. Enjoy the rest of your Asian adventures and good luck with the new job!

Who will be the next one of you to visit? :)

Happy Father's Day!

Well we thought we'd start our latest blog with a shout out to our Dad's and Grandpa's and hope you're having a great Father's Day. We're thinking about you. :)

Kate and I are just wrapping up what was a pretty productive weekend. We visitied "Escape amusement park" in Pasir Ris (East part of Singapore) with some expat friends yesterday. It was really fun, but I'd say the park was somewhere above a county fair, but below an actual theme park. (Although we did just learn that Universal Studios Singapore is slated to be finished next year and will be bigger than the one in Hollywood!)

Anyway, we went to a new church today, and it was a really good sermon and a great choir. We'll be going back for sure. Then Kate found some great bargain deals at the MEGA SINGAPORE SALE (it is like a country-wide shopping extravaganza) which is probably meant to bring in tourists during these really hot months. I mean HOT. Finally, we hung up our first real piece of local art. It is a chinese painting of cherry blossoms we found in Chinatown, and we're pretty excited about that.

Overall, it feels like we did a lot. Both of us have busy work weeks leading up to our trip home in July... Can't wait to see you all!

The art... no... The Style of Efficiency!

Post Office Opens Swanky Bar!

I have to blog about this. Our local post office is very close to the famous, the stylish, Orchard Road shopping area of Singapore. The post office had been under renovation for some time and the renovations are complete. What was once a quaint, mostly-empty local post office, is now a small, modern post office with a full-service bar attached!

And this is not just any bar. This is a Chivas Regal scotch bar with valet parking!

No, this is not a beer-induced fantasy, this is SingPost's attempt to make their operations more profitable. So if the government has given you land and building space, you better make the most of it! SingPost actually rents out some of their larger spaces to tenants in an effort to trim operating costs and attract younger customers. I love this Singapore.

You can read about here, but see the pictures for yourself.

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_383350.html

More Exploring

We explored some more of Singapore last weekend. We started our Saturday at the Singapore National Museum. They had a special exhibit on Christian Lecroix, a costume designer for stage shows and operas. Lecroix’s elaborate, over-the-top creations were fun to see and they even had an area set up for drawing. Adam and I made our own Lecroix inspired creations. Ok, so the table was meant for kids but we had fun.

Can you guess who did each? I’d like to say mine was the good one, but you can see who got the drawing talent in this relationship.

We had a wonderful dinner at Oso, an Italian restaurant, and then headed to the Singapore Flyer, the world’s largest observation wheel. It was about a 40 minute ride in the air conditioned capsules and it offered great views of the city. You can even see the lights of Indonesia across the water. Pictures

Birthday Weekend

I had an amazing birthday weekend. It kicked off with a lovely party at work and then Adam and I took off for Bintan Lagoon Resort in Indonesia. It was about an hour ferry ride to the popular weekend get away. The trip was quick and we were on the beach in no time. Pictures


We ended up making a new friend while chilling by the pool:

We mostly just relaxed by the pool, but the resort featured an activities area where after 3 rounds of three games I won the championship Foosball game. Finally an activity where I have a chance at beating Adam =). Adam also found another activity he enjoyed:

There are lot of you back home that I wish I could have celebrated my birthday with, but I'm so excited to see everyone in July!!!!

Oh and I can't wait for another upcoming trip. Adam scheduled a trip to AUSTRALIA in July for my birthday present! I am officially the luckiest girl in the world.

Steamboat

Another food addition to our blog. Bet you can't guess one of our passions =) If we keep this up we're going to need to make some exercise blog videos.

Indescribable India

The Indian tourism board is pushing hard on Singapore with a campaign called Incredible India. Incredible it is, as well as intense, indigestible and simply incomprehensible until you find yourself in the middle of the mass chaos. As Adam puts it, it's an assault on all your senses.

I thought my trip would be too short, as I left for Delhi on Friday night and returned to Singapore Sunday morning, but I found myself simply exhausted after a day and a half and more than ready to return home.

We took off on our 4 hour journey to Agra early Saturday morning in a chauffeured car. While I would see this as a major luxury in the states, it was a necessity in India. There is no way to navigate through the dizzying streets unless you've had years of experience. As soon as we turned the corner out of the heavily guarded and gated hotel, there were stray dogs roaming the street and a family who had made their home out of whatever scraps metal/tarp/or boards they could find. The streets were already filled with rickshaws built for 4 carrying as many as 14 people and motorcycles zooming around. Some of the roads have lines but they are completely ignored. rear view mirrors while present on the vehicles are rarely used and instead most cars have"Blow Horn" painted on the rear - meaning if I'm about to hit you let me know. And blow their horns they did. Driving in India is like one big game of chicken. Here's a small glimpse:




The streets of India are lined with tons of people and animals. Cows wander down the street like they are going to buy their morning coffee while little kids and adults alike relieve themselves on the street side. Shop keepers sweep the dirt around their little shacks with sticks while a stray dog, donkey, monkey or goat searches through the pile of trash two feet away. It is sad to say, but my dog at home has better living conditions than those living in the slums of India. I saw mile after mile of this but kept thinking, "we've got to be coming to a more developed part of the country soon" but we arrived in Agra with no such sighting. The worst part is seeing the children. Whenever we stopped at an intersection they would flock to the car repeatedly tapping the widow with one finger begging for money - this is what they do all day long, every day. It is so hard to ignore them and even as we drove off I could see the smudges their little fingers had made on the window as they tapped. Just writing this I can see their little face and the big eyes that will forever be in my memory.

In stark contrast to the poverty seen on the streets, the Taj Mahal was amazingly beautiful. The sight was breath taking and I had to keep reminding myself that I was actually there. The Taj was built by a king in memory of his wife who died in child birth. It's amazing the things that love will make you do, like building a giant, perfectly symmetrical marble masterpiece.

Overall, the trip was emotionally overwhelming. I could write a novel about my 36 hours in India and it still would begin to paint an accurate picture so I'll leave it with this: Adam and I talk about how lucky we are to have the opportunity to leave the U.S. and see the rest of the world, but the truth is that our real blessing was to have been born in the United States where the possibilities are endless...
Pictures

Long Weekend

It was a long weekend here in Singapore as Good Friday is a public holiday. We took advantage of the good weather by playing tennis and golfing. I don't even remember the last time I played tennis but it was fun and I think I'll be able to give Adam a run for his money in a month or two. The tennis court in our complex is surrounded by greenery and we had a couple little lizard friends watching - they sure can run fast. It started pouring as soon as we got to the driving range but the three story covered structure provided enough protection to let up keep hitting.

Adam left for Korea early this morning and he's off to India next week. I'm joining him for a weekend in India this time. I'm so excited to see the Taj Mahal!!

Incredible India!

For those who have never visited the world's largest democracy, I'd like to share a few reflections on my recent trip to Bangalore, India.

Let me start by explaining the purpose of my trip. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO is like NASA in the US) is one of the world's leading space agencies, and they recently purchased some of my company's software. I was there to teach a group of engineers how to use our software to make their missions easier, but I was teaching a room full of people who were operating India's first satellite orbiting the moon (only US, Russia, and Japan have also accomplished this).

I was 'teaching' some of the brightest space minds of a pool of over a billion people. Needless to say, it was very humbling.

And as humbling as it was to walk the halls where rocket scientists are planning missions to mars, it was not as eye-opening as the city surrounding the space campus.
This ISRO facility was set in Bangalore in southern India. Now the IT center of the country, companies like Microsoft and Intel call this city home to many large campuses. But the city once known as the 'Garden City' may have grown too fast for its own good, as can be said of many Indian Metropolises.

All these fantastic 21st century technologies are being developed in streets where basic sanitation and infrastructure are still catching up. The vast majority of India is immensely poor, and the city is a mix of millions of destitute laborers and high-tech businesses.
I think my pictures capture present-day Bangalore better than words, but try to imagine walking out on a loud, crowded, dusty street with people hanging off buses, cramming families of 6 into a 3-wheel rickshaw, cows meandering through traffic, children begging from slums, and the stench of waste drifts from almost every body of water.

All this set under a brilliant moon about which their countrymen have launched a satellite with a rocket built and fired just a few hundred kilometers away!

I think this is a testament to how far and how fast India has changed in recent years. The rural areas still live in mostly small, isolated villages, but ISRO satellites beam lessons into schools where no internet or cable have reached. In just a few decades India has developed an enormous middle class that is continuing to grow, and market-based principles are driving an economy that is facing the global economic downturn with a 4-5 percent positive annual growth rate.

There is hope in the eyes of the masses that navigate through the sea of humanity that is India. While it can be an assault to all your senses, India is full of rich history, architecture, religion, and diverse traditions. I am eager to continue to visit India as they make their move to modernity. I hope you get the chance to see it too.

More images: http://picasaweb.google.com/adam.gorski/India2009

Pictures from my colleague, Jens: http://www.jensnkim.com/photos/NorwayIndia09/

Fish Spa

In the spirit of "trying anything once," I went with Lauren and Jess to the spa, the fish spa. Originally used to treat patients with psoriasis, the "doctor fish" remove the dead skin from your feet. Basically its a pedicure with a twist.

As you walk up to the shop you see the small fish in the window - this is the point where I got a little anxious but Lauren had been before and knew what to expect. The room had a large tank in the middle surrounded by smaller tanks on the outside. We started with the small fish...

Yes, I pretty much freaked out. It was the weirdest feeling! The second you put your foot in the water the fish swarm them. The only way I got over the initial "ahh" was not to look at the fish and try to distract myself. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who has very sensitive feet. It can really tickle. After about 5 minutes it just starts to feel like jet streams in a hot tub. Lauren was right you just have to commmit to keeping your foot in the water.

After awhile got brave enough to try the big fish. You can really feel the individual fish biting your feet. Some of those suckers were almost as long as my foot. There was an adorable little girl just chilling with her feet in the water and I thought, if this little girl can stick it out with the big fish so can I. Here's some more pictures of our Saturday afternoon adventure.

Our First Guest!!

We had our first guest this weekend, Neil! He is one of Adam's friends from the UK and he stopped by on his way back to England after visiting his family in Australia. Any future guests can thank him for figuring out how to fit the sofa bed in the office.

We headed to a musician's bar on Saturday night, Actors. They have a house band that backs up whoever wants to sing or play. Neil was up there in no time and rocked the place!

We walked around for a bit on Sunday and Neil tried ice cream from one of the street vendors. You'll see that it's served in a different way than in the US...

My Favorite Place

I found my favorite place in Singapore, the Singapore Botanical Gardens. It's huge, free and gorgeous. We walked until our feet were sore and only saw about 1/4 of it. It's a great escape in the middle of the city. The open grassy areas were filled with people having picnics and families playing games like frisbee. A ton of adorable dogs were along for the trip with their owners too. A popular activity was feeding the giant fish in the lake that flocked to people who came prepared with bread. In another section of the gardens a steep hill served as the seating for and outdoor arena used for concerts throughout the year. We'll have to come back for that sometime soon.

The best part we saw was the National Orchid Garden. I'd never seen so many beautiful orchids in one place. Adam played photographer and got some pretty nice shots.

Getting into a Grove

I had a first hand experience with the bad part of living in a warm climate, bugs. I went to the kitchen this morning and was greeted by ants, ewww. I was comforted by the fact that we had already had a visit from the little guys in our hotel room and found out that it was very common. Most of the stores don't open until later around here (11-11:30) but I was there at 10 when the doors opened to Carefour (Singapore's Walmart) to get traps and spray. I think it's under control now.

Adam comes home tomorrow! (I'm choosing to ignore the fact that he leaves again the next day).

I've certainly been keeping busy at work, but I'm enjoying it. I've met some pretty adorable kiddos and even got to attend the George Washington Ball last Saturday at the Ritz Carlton with my colleagues. It's an annual event put on by the American Association of Singapore. This years theme was the 1920s and I didn't have time to get a dress until the day of. Luckily, I found a 20s "ish" dress at a department store. It was fun, but it would have been better with a dance partner, especially with the great swing band.

I'm waiting for the rain to stop so I can take a walk. It hadn't been raining too much when we first arrived - considering it is the rainy season - but for the past 2 weeks it's been coming down almost every afternoon.

I'm glad it's almost time for Spring Forward so I can be an hour closer to all of you =)

Heath Care/ New Job

This week wasn't too eventful. Adam was really busy with work,planning for a few trips, and I got sick and couldn't do much. But I got some antibiotics and my sinus infection is getting better by the day. The visit to the doctor was great. I waited for all of two minutes, went right to the doctor, and was out of there with prescription in hand in 10-15 minutes total. And I don't mean a written prescription, they have the medicine at the doctors office. I love the efficiency here.

Adam is off to India for two weeks, back for a day and then off to Australia for another week =(

I have managed to find a way to keep myself busy while he is gone. I start my new job on Monday as the Admissions Assistant for a new school that is opening in the fall. I'm excited to be part of opening a new school and will be working with the Director of Admissions helping with a lot of different aspects including marketing and sponsorship. The school will be for ages 2-11 for the first two years with a high school opening in the third year.

The last of our things arrived from the states too! Our little apartment is certainly full now.

LOVE IS IN THE AIR!

So it was Valentine's Day weekend in Singapore. Love was everywhere and so were special promotions! Since we got about half our house's accessories at IKEA, Ifigured I'd feature theirs first (and it's really funny!)



But seriously, everyone was handing out roeses with special offers tied to them. Chocolate, ballons, hugs, you name it! I'm glad I got Kate some roses or I'd have been shown up by a cell phone company!!!

Anyway, after we meandered through the streets on saturday, we had an authentic Indian dinner at Samy's curry. Great lamb and chicken masalas, tandoori prawns, fried cauliflower, and our favorite, panner (Indian Cheese), all served right on a real banana leaf!



Thanks for all your comments on the Blog. Talking to you all makes it feel a lot closer to home! :)

Heres a link to some more pictures.

Apartment Video Tour!!!

Apartment Video Tour Part I:


Apartment Video Tour Part II:

Thaipusam Festival

What a week! We've had the keys to our place for just 7 days, and we're finally settled in. But there will be more on that later. I wanted to share a new cultural experience we've had the pleasure of witnessing.

This weekend is the Thaipusam Festival for the Tamil community (an ethnic group of India and Sri Lanka) which has a large population in Singapore. The festival in Singapore includes a procession through the streets. They end at a Temple to make offerings of milk for good fortune, health and wishes granted.

The milk is carried in huge, ornate vessels that encircle the carrier. Many of the guys are also pierced ALL OVER as a sign of devotion. In some of our pictures you can see hooks in their skin that are chained to their crazy milk vessel.

The cool part is that the procession passes right in front of our apartment, although they are already on their second straight day of devotion. It has been a non-stop parade of singing, cheering, drums and those poor guys with all the piercings.

Getting Settled

So we made a video tour of our apartment but it's too big to download to our blog. We're trying to post it another way, but in the mean time here's the pictures we took when we first saw the place.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/OurApartmentBeforeWeMovedIn?feat=directlink

We even have a pets! Well, they're just fish but we're sure enjoying them.

Adam also discovered a forum online for expats where he found a group of twenty-somethings who meet for dinner and drinks on Wednesdays. We met some really great people went with them to at a party on Saturday.

Apartment, friends and pets - It's starting to feel like home.

New Apartment

It's been a busy couple of days. We got our first choice on apartments (woo hoo!) and were handed the keys on Sunday. It's been shopping and slowly moving things from our temporary apartment since then. You don't realize all the basics that are required for living until you start from scratch. I've been having fun popping around to all the shops and trying to find the best bargains. We're having some furniture delivered tomorrow afternoon, so we'll be ready with a sofa bed should any visitors appear. =)

Our new apartment is at a wonderful location, right across from the Istana, basically Singapore's White House, so I don't think we could have found a safer area - not that I don't feel safe practically everywhere I go here. On the other side of our apartment is the home of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew which is guarded by patrols 24-7.

Pictures and a video tour to come...

Close Encounters

We took to the trails today and walked about 9 kilometers. Most nature trails are simply one stretch of the same type of land, but Singapore's trails offer a wide variety of sights, sounds and smells. We started off climbing a lot of stairs that eventually led a to a walk-way above the ground, giving visitors a new way of viewing the land and an easier trek. These overhead "canopy walks" gave us not just great close-up views of animal and plant life, but they also linked 3 or 4 different parks together across the city. There were several look out points and gardens along the way.
http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/HikingIn?feat=directlink



We were just bopping along the high, tree-top trail and then, whoa there was a Macaque. (I called him a baboon by accident in the video) I think he was hoping for a treat from us.

Apparently the macaques are quite common in Singapore: http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/monkey.htm

East Coast Seafood Centre

As you may have guessed, we love Singapore's food. It is arguably the best food city in the world, and we are on a mission of culinary exploration! On Saturday night, we went to one of my favorite places in the city, East Coast Food Centre.

Located along the South East coast of Singapore, this centre boasts an array of 7 of Singapore's best seafood restaurants all clumped together in an open, sea-side location. With waves gently lapping the shore, and hundreds of open-air tables under the equatorial stars, we enjoyed a great meal at "No Signboard Seafood."

The restaurant started as a small hawker stand that perfected the recipie of the White Pepper Crab, and customers came to know and love it as the seafood restaurant with no signboard. While that has changed, the name stuck, but they range all over Asia, and the Pepper Crab is certainly fantastic. We also ordered some pan-seared, dry chili scallops which were pretty much to-die-for...

Chinatown

We took our first trip to Chinatown last night to grab some food and get a lay of the land before we head back this weekend for the lunar new year celebrations. It was already crazy and packed! It would be easy to get lost in the maze of food and product vendors lining the narrow streets. Fresh fruit, red decorations and some jelly things were the most popular items for sale. I loved being able to buy a coconut that they crack on the spot and give you a straw.




Adam decided to get chicken's feet. Call me unadventurous but that is one dish I won't be trying.

Workin...

So this posting probably is not as fun as the rest, but I thought it was noteworthy. This week has been more of a standard International work week. I have a customer here in Singapore who I have been helping develop a prototype with our software. This meant that I was going to their facility a few times a week and teaching them how to write code with our stuff so they could customize it to their needs. It is pretty cool, and they are sharp, but it was a lot of effort in a short time. Getting help from the US also meant some late nights...

As chance goes, this week also overlapped with a conference at which I had to present a paper. I gave a presentation on how to add "Geodynamic" mission planning to standard mapping applications. This was mostly explaining how moving things like planes and satellites that change over time need to be taken account in planning surveillance missions and things. You can predict which sensors could cover which part and make sure your plan didn't miss any areas and make sure two aircraft aren't in the same spot at the same time.

I feel bad because I haven't been home much and I've had to pull some late hours, but Kate has been busy looking for jobs, looking for accessories for our new apartment, and taking care of all sorts of things around the apartment. We're getting closer to signing on our permanent place, so we're really excited to get moved in. It should be Feb 1.

I hope everyone is doin well out there. Gong Xi Fa Cia (Have a happy and prosperuos new year!)
Chinese New Year's Eve is this sunday... More about that this weekend!!

Singapore Zoo

The Singapore Zoo was everything I wanted it to be and more. Located at the northern most region of the island it took about 45 minutes of public transportation to get to one of the most popular destinations in Singapore. Forty-five minutes is an eternity in Singapore time. It's funny how quickly you get used to having everything located so closely regardless of your location in the city.

I was especially excited about the zoo because they have free-ranging Orangutans. A series of ropes and trees in a large area allow them to roam from tree to tree, right above your head. There was even an adorable baby. All of the animals had very nice enclosures and feeding times were posted near each animal so you knew when to catch the action.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/SingaporeZoo?feat=directlink
The expertly designed landscape makes it feels like you are on a nature walk and just happen to run across a lion or some zebras. The foliage is just as enjoyable as the animals. After watching an elephant show we got to feed the Asian elephants! Loved it!

Sentosa Island

Yesterday we explored Sentosa, a small island south of Singapore. It's basically a bunch of resorts and a few attractions. This also where they are building a huge integrated hotel.


The ads for Sentosa featuring people surfing but there is no way you could ever surf here. As Singapore is surrounded by other countries, there are little to no waves and the beaches are more like lagoons - ideal for relaxing and easy swimming. It was a bit overcast and we just walked around but we'll have to take a picnic and spend a day at the beach soon. We did see some cute little tropical fish.

We took a big rope bridge across a lagoon to the Southernmost point in Asia.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/SingaporeJanuary11?feat=directlink

Weekend Adventures

So this is our first weekend in Singapore. Friday and Saturday were both spent looking at apartments. We've found some great places in high-rises and big complexes, but the biggest problem is finding a place without construction outside. This place is growing like crazy. Hopefully we'll settle on something soon.

Feriday night we went to a riverside bar and restaraunt area called Clarke Quay (pronounced Key for those of us not familiar with the Queen's English) and had dinner at a great persian restaraunt and then stopped into a great Blues bar called Crazy Elephant.

After Saturday's round of apartment hunting and a quick trip to the gym, we went out and had a special chinese dish for dinner, Xiao Long Bao (Soup buns). This is one of my favorite dishes, and these were awesome. These are very thin (the thinner the better) dumplings filled with pork and soup. You have to be careful the soup doesn't spill everywhere.


Anyway, time to hit the hay. We're off to the beach tomorrow.

Attack of the Chili Crab

This city is a foodies paradise - a great place for food lovers like us. While I'm probably not going to try things like shark head (Adam's all for it), there are still plenty of new dishes to discover. One of the best known dishes is chili crab - my favorite so far! It's an entire crab smothered in chili sauce and Singaporeans love their chili sauce. We went to one of the many food centers, Newton Circus, and enjoyed this dish.

Let's just say I fought the crab and the crab won.

By the time we were done I had sauce on my dress and my fingers were covered.

We walked down t0 the marina and through the Esplanade - a giant arts center. This venue is not only full of many theaters but restaurants and shops also occupy the building. The view from the roof terrace was at night was relaxing - minus the construction of the new hotel/casino.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/SingaporeJanuary82009?feat=directlink

We going to start apartment hunting tomorrow and Saturday! I'm excited to start seeing the options!

Grocery Store

We ventured out to the area around the hotel yesterday. We are staying near Orchard Road - shopping central - where most tourists come (making prices higher in this area). It is giant building after giant building full of shops. I have no idea how all of them stay in business but there were plenty of people walking around. Singapore is sure a growing city. There is lots of construction and some really cool architecture.

I've got a lot to learn about the cuisine around here! Quite frankly, most of it still looks the same to me. There are lots of noodle dishes and meats/seafood but Starbucks and McDonald's are on almost every corner. I even managed to find a Gloria Jean’s coffee! We also made a trip to the grocery store for the first time. Surprisingly, a lot of the produce was from the US!

http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/SingaporeJanuary72008?feat=directlink

We Have Arrived!

After 26 hours of travel we made it! And by some miracle, so did our bags. We left Sunday morning 9 am Central US time and got to our hotel at 2:30 am Singapore time. Now that it's behind us, I can say the flights weren't too bad. After a short flight to Chicago, our second and longest leg (13 hrs to Tokyo) was during the day by our internal clocks and we kept ourselves busy watching movies and TV shows. After walking around the Tokyo airport, and enjoying their mutual love of Hello Kitty, we jumped onto the flight to Singapore. It was pretty empty and we had a row of three seats to ourselves. After a quick meal both of us passed out for the remainder of the 7.5 hr flight.

By the time we got to the hotel, the Pan Pacific, we were both wide awake again and it was hard to get to sleep with so many new things to think about exploring. Here's a link to pictures of our hotel room for the first month while we apartment hunt. The bathroom has a glass wall looking into the bedroom. So much for any privacy, haa haa.

http://picasaweb.google.com/kateandadam09/SingaporeJanuary52008?feat=directlink

From what I've seen so far (the view from our hotel window) I'd say Singapore is like Chicago or New York with palm trees and lots of humidity! We're off to lunch with one of Adam's business partners.