Feeling loved

Tess prepared the noodles because I felt like noodles tonight.

Wolfram prepared the egg on top with his new egg rings.

I loved when two people work hard in the kitchen to feed me :)

Diaper 1, potty 0

We gave it a shot and tried potty training today. 

Oskar did pee once in the potty and we were super proud. 

The five times that he peed in the hallway, the playing mat, the high chair, the kitchen, we were less proud rushing with new underwear and towels to clean.

At 3:30pm we decided that Oskar was not ready despite all his interest for what happens in the bathroom.

We will try again in a couple of months. 

Chinese New Year dinner celebration at work

Last Friday night was the annual celebration dinner from work held around Chinese New Year.

Practically it means they book a huge room in a hotel in Singapore, often on Sentosa, someone picks a theme for outfits (only if you cannot come with your traditional outfit from your country. In that case it's easy, you can simply wear the same kimono or sari every year), the new hires will make a small performance, there will be some sort of games to entertain us as we go through all the courses of a traditional Chinese New Year dinner.

Bottom line, it's all very predictable and consequently a bit boring. But we still go because there might be a bit of fun here and there to save the night.

This year the theme was 1920s. Most foreigners came with something linking to 1920s. In my case I had bought some fancy feathers to put on my head. Wolfram went has himself.

There was a booth were you could get your silhouette cut. Both of us went and the outcome is quite nice.

In case you wonder, Wolfram did not get feathers growing on his head.

Every year Wolfram says it's the last time we go, but every year I manage to convince him to give it another shot.

Let's see what they will come up with next year.

Heated toilet seats

I'm in Japan this week for work. It's the first time in winter season. I had heard the during winter Japanese houses were cold because people do not heat much and now I can say I've experienced it. 

The house we had rented for our research was heated from the moment we arrive only. We spent the first two hours of every morning with our coats on.

While the rooms and kitchen were heated, the was no heater in the bathroom so it stayed freezing cold. Suddenly the heated toilet seats made sense. When you have to use the toilet by 8-10 degrees, trust me you appreciate to sit on a warm surface so at least one part of your body is not cold.

I do find it weird that they keep their houses so cold, but when asked, clearly they could not understand why you would want to waste energy heating up at night or in the bathroom.

Part of me is looking forward to being back in Singapore :)