photo credit: rooymans2000

I couldn’t make up my mind whether I wanted to spend a weekend in Singapore or Hong Kong. I posted a question on my Facebook profile and almost everyone said I should go to Hong Kong. One friend, however, brought up the very good point of the weather being much nicer in Singapore (you don’t need to say “cold” twice to an Israeli girl to scare her off) and when you lump that with how much cheaper it would be – a decision was made – I am going to Singapore!

I feel that another good reason to go to Singapore is to learn for myself what this place is all about. If I hear one more person (who has never traveled there) tell me: “oh, Singapore, yes, you know you can’t spit on the sidewalk there and a few years ago some guy went to jail for chewing gum”, I will scream. How can that be the only thing we know about a country?? Here’s a slightly more interesting fact, the symbol of Singapore is the “Merlion”, half-fish and half-lion beast.

The food is said to be spectacular and I am very much looking forward to it.

Anyway, I booked my ticket and am going next weekend!

People Committee Hall

The weather has been absolutely gorgeous here and tonight was particularly beautiful. After spending time relaxing and drinking tea at “La Fenetre du Soleil”, I decided to walk around and enjoy the cool breeze. I took a leisurely stroll stopping to admire how festive and happy the city is in preparation for Christmas and Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

Tonight, however, people were celebrating for a different reason – Vietnam won a soccer match against Singapore and took Southeast Asian championships for the first time in a decade! It was a mob scene, much like Times Square in NY the night Barack Obama won the election but roughly 50 degrees hotter…

Can I fit Cuggits in the bag?!

12 hours to go and I’m all set. Somehow, clothes, shoes, computer and 8 books all fit into my backpack+1 small bag. I’ve been checking the weather report in Vietnam making sure it’s still super hot and sunny, just the way I like it. Can’t say I will miss the weather in NY but I will, most certainly, miss pretty much everything else.

All psyched and ready for my new adventure in Asia!

A real added bonus to working in tech while in Asia is being able to skip NY winter. I am dilligently researching beach options. Mmmm, I can almost taste that fruit shake!

At the end of my project with MSS, Kevin will come and meet me in HCMC where we will start our trip to Singapore, north Thailand and the islands. We are both so psyched!

Hoan Kiem Lake at 6:45 this morning

After 4hrs of sleep, we got up all excited and energized this morning and went for an early morning walk around Hoan Kiem Lake to see all the early risers work out. People gather at the lake very early in the morning for Tai Chi, stretching, dancing or just meditating. It is a very special way to start the morning.

We had our first Pho and walked around the old city and market area. We are now enjoying Cafe Su Da (Vietnamese ice coffee) in a cool cafe called Puku which has wireless internet. Everybody is wearing long sleeve shirts, some even wear sweater but it’s hot! I’m walking around in my flip flops. Ok, time for another quick meal!

This is my 3rd winter in New York and I am definitely not getting used to it. True, I stopped converting to Celsius (it’s too scary to see those temperatures in Metric system) but that doesn’t mean I stopped complaining. In Israel, there’s only 1 thing you can always count on-gorgeous weather. It’s sunny, it’s warm and winter there feels more like a week long mistake than a real season. As soon as New York winter starts, I am all ready to go away to some tropical destination, I check plane ticket prices daily and have a mental suitcase all ready to go.

Leaving the cold, the rain and the snow in a few days is one of the things I am most looking forward to.

So goodbye coat, goodbye scarf, hat, gloves, socks and hat, I shall not miss you at all.