We will not have to move which is really good news. I would hate to do it again so soon. So now just looking forward to going to Europe in 20 days time!

Meanwhile the boys have started a holiday camp at a preschool near us. At first they were not really sure if they liked it and told me they wanted to go to their own school instead. But as their school is closed and doesn't have a camp there is no choice. By now they have started to enjoy it actually. They have been doing lots of nice things - going to museum, theatre, big new indoor play, butterfly farm, baked gingerbread and pizzas etc. The teachers there were surprized after their first day that the boys could speak Mandarin. Next week will be Mandarin camp so we shall see how that goes. But I am really excited about them learning it. Hopefully they will get a good strong base by the time we leave Singapore.

I have my mornings off and can continue Yoga classes and other stuff I need to get done. Last week we had some interesting encounters here. There was a group of Estonian entrepreneurs visiting Singapore for what they call "innovation seminar" which is organized by a management magazine in Estonia. I know some of the organizers and got involved with the project a bit. Helped to arrange a meeting with the oldest and biggest traditional chinese medicine company in Singapore and could attend that meeting as well. It was very interesting to learn about the company but even more to taste some of their herbs that were integrated into a special lunch. They had created a special menu together with Conrad hotel's chefs and used many traditional chinese herbs. Each course had two dishes using the same ingredients - one a western version, the other a chinese version. Very exciting and interesting tastes and textures. Some I knew and use regularly but some were completely new for me. So my shopping list will be more adventerous from now on. Also great was to talk to the people in the group. I find it always very inspiring to meet somebody who has achieved something due to own smart ideas and creativity. My circle here is mostly limited to other mums and  there is not much brainfood in this interaction with a few exceptions. Hopefully I can keep up the momentum and take up some writing again.

Day after that we joined the group at dinner at Samy's curry which is a Singapore institution - at the otherwise posh Dempsey Hill, very simple and basic but great food. Later Sonny invited some of the group to his house and there were very interesting discussions, especially as among the guests was an Indian sikh from the University's School of public policy and he provoked quite a discussion about cultures and values, democracy etc. Must have been such an eye opener for the Estonians that our values of individual freedom and democracy are not that important here.

Robert has been working in Batam now for over a week and it is a different world, still very much a developing country and the working culture is very different from Singapore. In addition to that fighting with the Indonesian microflora that is new for his system. Not easy.