Houston, we have a problem

We have mold and little bugs that are going with it showing up almost everywhere.
It started with the back of a painting which we blamed on the shipment.
Then it was Wolfram's leather jacket.
Then it appeared on my boots in the same room.
This weekend I noticed tiny little bugs walking the wall of the guest room. They were book lice coming from the bookshelf.
Today as I worked from home I noticed that the basket chairs we use as sofa have one greenish foot each. And looking closer I realized the whole base is molded from under. Bugs were even running under my eyes.
I guess we are learning the hard way to live in a tropical country. Ventilation is key but as well materials that are resistant. Good that most of our furniture came from Asia originally so they can handle. But what about the rest?
Will we have to put each book in the microwave to get rid of the lice? Not joking that's apparently a recommended solution before having to go for fumigation.
It sucks, not to mention it's freaking me out as I wonder in what poor hygiene conditions we are living.

The Art of the Brick

Today we went to the Art Science museum in Singapore. Now that we have settled in, it was time to start exploring the activities offered in Singapore to entertain the weekend.
The Art of the Brick is an exhibition about an artist who builds structures, statues, objects, etc. from Lego bricks. While the idea is original and the execution is certainly impressive, somehow most of the pieces were missing originality to me. Yes it is impressive to see a skull or a dinosaur made of Lego brick, but what's so special about it apart what it is made of.
I was impressed but not amazed by this exhibition. This said, I'm glad we went and took our first step into exploring the cultural life of Singapore.

Chantilly

After take off yesterday the screen showed the distance vs. Paris and Chantilly. I had to smile because that's where Joy and Yann are moving to in a month.
Next time I come, I will visit them in their new house in Chantilly :)

Miracle

When a miracle happens and there is no blizzard to spoil it, I get to see my parents, Joy and Yann, and even Alice on the same day. It's probably the best layover I've ever had!
I even managed to get my hair color done thanks to Joy working out some magic with her hairdresser.
It's simply a great day!
Now time for bed. Jet lag is pushing me in that direction.

I'm coming home

After two weeks in the US, it's time to go home.
I'm flying tonight to Paris where I will see my family and even Alice who arranged to be around this week-end. Sunday night I will fly back to Singapore.
I have to say that I'm ready to go home and get back to the warm weather. Two weeks of winter that's just good enough. It was cold. There was snow. I had hot chocolate. I wore my boots. The experience is complete.
But before the swimming pool, there is Paris!

Trains

Not once, not twice, not three times but four times today did I end up stuck waiting for an endless train to pass.
And trains are super long in the US.
The last one I timed it took 8 minutes!

Stuck in Cincinnati

After 2.5h on hold until someone from United Airlines would talk to me, after trying all possible options including via Denver, I had to face the fact that because of the blizzard I would not be able to reach Montreal in the coming 24h.
This sucks.
I was looking forward to seeing Lisa and Jean-Habib, and above all finally meet Nora. It's not going to happen because of the weather.
I know I have no influence on the weather and never will, but I'm really sad there is nothing I can do about it.

I checked in back into the hotel I left this morning. I picked up a rental car as my colleagues is leaving. I have two days ahead of me and the perspective of being stuck in Cincinnati does not help. Cincinnati is dead in February. There is nothing to do there apart shopping and I'm so disappointed that even shopping does not appeal to me.

It's getting cold again. I guess that is the effect of the blizzard in the North-East. Maybe I will just hibernate until Monday.

Not good, not good

"A possible historic winter storm and blizzard will affect much of New England later today into Saturday. A clipper system coming in from the Great Lakes will combine with a system riding up the East Coast to produce our winter storm. Heavy snow and strong winds produce blizzard conditions across New England tonight into Saturday. Parts of New England, especially Connecticut, Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and eastern Maine, could see 2 to 3 feet of snow. Travel disruptions are likely and could last for days. Widespread power outages are likely. Preparations for Nemo should be completed by AM Friday. A mix of rain and snow will change over to all snow in southeast New York, New York City, New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania Friday evening as Nemo grows stronger and draws in colder air. From northeast Pennsylvania into northern New Jersey and New York City potentially 10-15" of snow with over 18-20" in a few spots. Across Upstate New York snowfall ranges from 6 to 12 inches along the Pennsylvania border to over a foot in central and northern sections. Nemo will produce coastal flooding and significant beach erosion at high tide Fri. evening Long Island and coastal New England."

I just found out that my flight to Montreal has been cancelled. Good that I tried to check in this morning vs. finding out tonight at the airport.
I'm calling United Airlines hoping something can be done.
I've been on hold for 30min... it's just frustrating. I would expect from an airline to get in touch with its passengers when they cancel their flight. Apparently that's too much to ask and I get to waste one hour of my life listening to a recording message on their frequent flyer program. Based on my current experience, I'm sure of one thing, I will not enroll.

Keep your fingers crossed a miracle will happen.

Winter impression

It's been snowing for most of the day today. It's nice to see the snow while it's disturbing to think that 48h ago I was in the pool at home.
I'm so glad I took all my thermal clothes and my warmest coat.
Sometimes I think I have a crazy life. A great one, but a crazy one.

Another treat to help survive the cold

My colleagues decided to go for seafood for dinner. They recommended lobster and I could not say no.
It was really good and not too much to eat which is always an exploit in the US.

30 hours

After what felt the longest trip ever, and it was probably my longest trip so far, I reached Cincinnati this afternoon.
It's snowing, -5C.
Everything is white and it's beautiful but it's so so so cold. It will probably take a few days to adjust back to winter. Just in time for my weekend in Montreal.

I am now at the hotel with no energy left at all. In the plane I thought about going to the gym, but now all I can think of is sleep. Even the idea of going for dinner feels unmanageable. Maybe I will call the room service...

Same old, same old

Every time I fly with Delta, it's the same feeling to have a crew of grandmas as flight attendants. It was even more obvious this time after all the flights in Asia. Somehow, the crew on that flight is not the youngest and does not even try to look younger.
In Business class the flight attendants are usually the experienced ones so they are indeed older but somehow with Delta it feels like it's a group of retired people or almost retired.

The other thing that never changes is the dessert. For 8 years now, at least, they have been serving a sundae for dessert. They offer a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which is not good, with different toppings. It's so bad I never finish it when I order it. If I am lucky there are some fruits somewhere but that's not always the case.

A little treat

I know it's not reasonable.
I also know I will have to spend some hours in the gym to eliminate them.

BUT the moment I saw the shop I knew I was in trouble.
AND the moment I smelled their unique delicate perfumes, I knew I would be weak.  Just smelling them and my whole body was craving for them.

I could not resist to some macarons from La Duree. They are the best in the world and once in a while, one should be entitled to have some.

For the first time in my life

I slept almost 8 hours in an aircraft!
Fair enough it was not 8 hours continuously but more 4 series of 2 hours, but in the end I never slept so long in any flight so far.
It seems that being exhausted before boarding might be the reason of this miracle.

I was tired after a busy week at work and I had to wake up early on Saturday for the ultrasound.
I did not take a nap before flying to ensure I would be tired at night.
The flight was delayed by 30min making it leaving at almost midnight, which is way past my bedtime these days.

Now I understand why Alice always says that the flights to/from Asia are short. If you sleep most of the time, it does feel shorter.

Flying (again) on a A380

The excitement does not wear off :)

A painful ultrasound

This morning, I got up early and went to the Novena Medical Center to have my ultrasound done.
I had an appointment at 8:30am. I estimated I would be done by latest 9am. I was so wrong.
After roughly 30minutes of scanning the area, the technician told me she couldn't see it. Now the thing is that my lipoma was seen already twice in the past years, even measured. It is not possible for if to disappear just like that. It either stays in me forever or get surgically removed. Given no one cut me open to my knowledge, it had to be there.
Clearly this ultrasound is different from the classical pregnancy ultrasound check where a baby can't be missed and the technician didn't know what to do or where to look.
Around 9:15, she gave up and told me they will arrange for me to go to the hospital across the street so a doctor could have a look.
By 9:30am I was walking with someone to the hospital, Mount Elizabeth Novena hospital. Now that's something!
The lobby is like a hotel lobby. There is a fountain in the driveway, there is a Starbucks inside the facility and they even offer valet service. It felt more like a hotel than a hospital. The more I saw about it the more I was thinking it must cost a fortune to be a patient here.
After another round of registration, I was given a blouse to change into, had to wait a bit longer and finally another technician made the ultrasound.
Service is so important that when she left the room to check with the doctor, she covered my legs with a blanket so I would not get cold.
The other detail is that they keep on offering you a place to sit while waiting. Unfortunately for me that didn't appeal to me at all as the more time they spent scanning the more in pain I was.
I did take a couple of pictures of the hallway while waiting simply because it did not look like a hospital.

What should have taken 10-15min, took in the end 2 hours. Plus one more to get the report.
Not to mention I had to pay 143S$ for a simple ultrasound.
Today I really miss the healthcare system of Europe, not to say France.