A week ago I moved into our apartment at D’Leedon, a seven building condo complex located just off Farrer Road near the heavily expat enclave of Holland Village. Condo living in the tropics is a far cry from our quiet north Seattle neighborhood. You hear the neighbors’ kids cry, smell what everyone’s cooking, and get used to the pong of tennis balls from the court near our bedroom. There are also several swimming pools, including a 50 meter lap pool. We’ve found that an evening dip is a great way to cool down. Ours is two bedroom unit with larger living room, master bedroom and balcony and smaller guest room/home office. It’s air conditioned, but we’re trying to conserve and use the fans and open […]

Tomorrow I leave my cocoon. You may ask how I’ve made it through nearly fourteen days of confinement. It helps to have been assigned to the hotel known in this Straits Times article as winning the quarantine lottery. Also, regular chats with Tom, now that we’re not separated by a 15 hour time difference, and iMessage and WhatsApp to stay connected with the kids and friends. An unexpected delight has been Happy Hour with balcony friends, Steve, and Karl and Basma. Steve has lived in Singapore for 18 years, while Karl and Basma are relocating from Saudi Arabia; turns out we have friends in common through the “it’s a small world and getting smaller” network. Steve has an extensive wine collection, which he’s generously shared. […]

I arrived in Singapore from Seattle on 1 October 2020. The vast majority of foreigners are appointed fourteen days “Stay At Home Notice” at a government facility, typically one of a dozen hotels on rotation. I had a letter from my Seattle doctor requesting a room with a balcony, due to my claustrophobia. While the Ministry of Manpower, the government agency sponsoring our work/resident passes, said there was nothing that could be done, I feel they certainly must have intervened. I was assigned the Shangri La Rasa Sentosa Spa & Resort, the top of the most desirable hotels in which to quarantine. The balcony (fresh air!) and view are welcome, especially if confined to a room for two weeks. An unexpected surprise and delight has […]