Singapore Day 29: Wrapping up the month

Zentangle #3: Cry for the city

W goes off to teach his last session. I start to pack and tidy up the bedroom.

While I relax, I draw my third Zentangle. We picked up four black gel pens @ S$1.50 ($1.20 US) last night after supper. Little India is full of bargains and the pens are good fun.

W lets his class out two hours early. He starts to gather the tech gear into his hard-shell suitcase for protection and security. The month of teaching has flown by for both of us.

We head for IKEA. It might not sound like a foreign destination, but every shop has local tweaks. In advance of setting up a home in Bandung, we've been scouting out furnishings and prices. IKEA lands in Jakarta next year. We trust their dishes to be lead-free, their plastics non-toxic, and their furniture classic. I'm hungry, so we eat in the cafeteria. I should have skipped the pasta with its watery tomato sauce and meatballs. We love Asian food: it's a shame to miss even a meal.

Look-alike to the lady nearby

At the next table sits the most beautiful Indian woman I've seen in Singapore. She could be a model, with her perfectly painted eyebrows and lips, and a stunning black flip. Before we leave, I say hi and tell her husband he's a lucky man. Their preteen son smiles at his pretty mom. Singaporeans tend to have few children: most of the island's population growth comes from immigrants and the bigger families of Muslims.

The market bustles with shoppers

We hop the shuttle bus to the center of Tampines, a series of three malls and a crowded Ramadan market. Two weeks ago, thin and nimble men bolted and clambered on the metal trellises. They stretched canvas over the frame to assemble a huge covered space. Kirsten and I were in awe: they hung 20' above the ground without safety harnesses. Now, the booths inside seem to be selling phone covers, fake purses, and food.

Japanese prawn and
chicken croquettes

Neither of us is hungry. But we pick up a "Satay burger" (mutton, peanut sauce, and lettuce on a bun) and some Japanese croquettes. The vendors pour dough into round, cast iron trays, letting the dough firm up before flipping them over with long skewers.

We walk a mile or so to Tampines Shopping Street to see if we can find a massage place. There are two reflexology shops. Indonesians charged $11 for an hour. Here it's $35-50. Too much. We get a bubble tea instead.

Supper last night in Little India
with Augustine and Sumathi

It takes us less than a half hour to walk home but it's very humid and hot (in the 90s. As usual, a surprising number of people are exercising: shooting hoops on the basketball courts atop parking garages, cyclists speeding by, and lots of people out walking.

We split the mutton burger and each try a croquette. (Shall we have leftovers for lunch tomorrow after church?)

One day left. Unbelievable! God has faithfully helped us to do good work. Today W brought back a card from a student who took all three of our classes. Students with similar enthusiasm and progress make our time - and the long flights - feel worthwhile.