Back again

We are very much back in Singapore again and back in the usual routine. Have been exploring some more and doing things but right now I don't quite feel like writing about it. My aunt died on Tuesday and all lighthearted chat seems too trivial at the moment. Will try to be back here soon. So please stay with me!

Tagasi

Oleme nyyd taiesti tagasi Singapuris, jalle oma igapaevases rutiinis ja uusi seiklusi otsimas. Peale Hiiumaa vaikust tundub elu siin valjakannatamatult larmakas. Eriti kuna meie ligidal lammutatakse yhte suurt maja, et teha ruumi ikka uutele kondomiiniumidele. Lammutamine kaib korrushaaval suurte koppadega kella 8st 7ni 6 paeva nadalas, nii et aknaid ei saa lahti hoida. Teeks ometi yhe suure pauguga!

Ja muidugi igatsen ikka jooksusid Koovalja poldude ja Kopu metsade ja mere vahel. Jooksulint on ikka tapvalt igav ja mu vana sober madu ei ole ka ennast enam naidanud.

Poisid laksid kohe paev parast saabumist kooli. Esimesel nadalal oli kyll vaga hea, et nende kool on parast lounat, sest naljalt enne 10 hommikul yles ei saanud ja joudsime just just bussi peale. Nyyd on neil juba jalle koolivaheaeg. Beatrice hakkas eelmisel nadalal ja on oma rytmis hasti sees. Talle oli tore yllatus, et yks uus laps klassis elab meie majas - Nelson Keeniast. Nyyd lepivad iga kord bussis ujumise ja mangimise asjas kokku.

Ilmad on olnud yllatavalt kylmad ja vihmased. No muidugi mitte Eesti temperatuurid, ikka miinimum 25 kraadi ja rohkem, aga nyyd ei ole igatahes juba yle nadala aja kodus konditsioneeri kasutanud. Voi voibolla oleme lihtsalt juba ara harjunud.

Eelmine pyhapaev jatkasime oma uurimisretki ka jalle. Vallutasime Singapuri korgeima maetipu - 176 m! Aga lastele oli see piisav valjakutse. Bukit Timah on looduskaitse alas ja yks vaheseid vanu vihmametsi, mis siin alles on. Koloniaalaegade alguses olid seal isegi tiigrid, aga viimane notiti maha eelmise sajandi alguses. Nyyd on ainult ahvid, kes on uudishimulikud ja moned teised vaiksemad loomad, kes ennast meiesuguste eest targasti peidavad. Ahvid on vaga toredad, aga midagi soodavad ei soovitata kaasa votta, muidu on nad kohe karjaga kallal.

Yleeile kaisime Hiinalinnas plaaniga vaadata ohtul laternate ja draakonitega paraadi sygisfestivali avamise puhul. Olime oma ajastusega aga rappa lainud ja paraad ei alanud ega alanud, nii et lapsed olid lopuks liiga vasinud ja pidime koju soitma. Enne seda aga tegime midagi vaga toredat - kaisime lopuks nn kala-spas. Robertil on seal yks spetsiaalkoht, kus ta kaib vahest jala refleksoloogias ja selle korval on yks kala-spa. Meie laksime lastega siis niikauaks sinna. See on nagu yks suur akvaarium, kus on vaiksed kalakesed sees ja inimesed istuvad sinna jalgupidi sisse. Selles kohas oli veel korgemal eraldi vannike ka katele. Esimene tunne oli kyll jube - kalad tunnevad kui "varske" jalg tuleb ja on koik mitmesajakesi selle kallal. Noudis parajat eneseyletust ausalt oeldes ja nii hirmsasti ajas naerma. Natukese aja parast harjub ara ja siis on vaga monus. Beatrice oli siis ka ysna julge ja tuli sisse ja varsti Karl ka, Raoul katsus neid kyll katega, aga jalgu sisse panna ei tahtnud, alles viimased paar minutit. Ja siis saime muidugi julgemaks ja laksime ka suurte kalade juurde - nii umbes kilu suurused. Siis juba oli tunda, kuidas varvaste vahelt naksivad. Hasti monus oli lopuks, puhastasid meie jalad vanast nahast ja sodist. Kysisin, kas nad midagi muud ka syya saavad ja pidid saama kyll. Beatrice oli suures vaimustuses ja raakis juba jargmisest korrast.

Sunset as seen from my parents garden

The rest of it

Kalana

Ristna Surf Paradise

Grandma left on Sunday and as my parents took her to the airport we had the house to ourselves. Took immediate advantage of that and arranged our own local festival. Well to be quite honest we had already planned it beforehand - so Kairit, Peep and Johannes came round with some instruments and an amp in the boot and the jam could start. After a while Jaanus rolled a big empty barrel to the scene and showed superb skills as a drummer. We had a great time and decided to make it public next year inviting the Rolling Stones and alike, ideally lasting for a week. We'll see what my parents think of it.

Then on Monday for the last leg of the holiday - to Hiiumaa. As usual it took us the whole day to get there as I needed to see a dentist in Tallinn and Robert had some errands. Luckily the kids could play with Beatrice's friend Leena during that time. We hadn't known about the massive roadworks and got on the ferry just in time, like a minute before it was due to leave.

For those of you who don't know it already - in my view Kalana on the Kopu peninsula in the very west of Hiiumaa is the most beautiful spot on Earth. It is still so quiet that the sea can talk to you if you have time to listen. Also the weather there seems to be better than in the rest of Estonia. We had a beautiful first day and were able to swim in the sea again. There was nobody apart from us on the beach as usual. A total luxury compared to anything here in or near Singapore. We just had a few relaxing days on the beaches, walking in the forest, picking blueberries. It is so nice because there are quite different beaches - quiet and sandy on the north coast, more windy on the south where we stay and fabulous surfing waves on the western tip. And the light soft pine forests are the best. (Now back on the treadmill I long for the runs by the sea and on the soft forest ground.)

Couldn't quite escape the world out there though as there is a TV now in Luguse and had to watch a bit of the Olympics and Georgia of course. Very very worring.

Had some good games of hide-and-seek with the kids (Raoul is very good but Karl cannot stay quiet when hiding and then goes on to betraying all the others). A novelty also for us - the travelling supermarket that comes twice a week with basics like icecream etc. That is a good opportunity to meet the other people from the village. Beatrice was keen to join Robert's aunt in a stone-painting session. (But we nearly lost her work at the airport because it turnes out you cannot have stones in handluggage. Luckily my parents were still there and we could deposit the stones with them.)

On Friday on the way back to my parents place the kids and Robert had a swim in lake Viitna that is on the way. I was a chicken yet again. Much preferred the sauna when we got back.

And that was it. Back to Singapore via Amsterdam.

Swans in Toolse

We spent a day in Tallinn with both grandmas - went out for a nice lunch, then off to Kadriorg where we split into 2 groups. Mana took the kids to the new playpark and the rest of us did a tour in the Art Museum. We had been there last year with the children and thatswhy there were still so many surprizes - all the pictures that we had missed while chasing after the monsters. So definitely much more worthwhile this time! Afterwords had a little stroll around the old town which in the summertime is not really a very genuine place. Just masses of tourists and businesses catering to them. Selling thick woolen jumpers (for the very cautious ones even when it is + 25 outside) and the "traditional" estonian amber (that actually comes from Lithuantia as there is no amber in Estonia whatsoever). Can't even think of sitting down for a drink when the prices are double of just a few hundred meters outside. Also too many attractions or should I say distractions for the boys. So I had to listen to different requests the whole time a la "I want to go on the bicycle" "I want to go on the train". So glad to get out. But I shouldn't write all this since I want to see you coming over there! Well it is still a gem, just not very hidden anymore.

On Saturday we were thinking of going to another music festival - this time in Kasmu on the north coast not far from my parents place. Kasmu is a very nice village and it was very tempting but then the weather didn't look too promising and the thought of possibly spending the day under umbrellas at an openair concert didn't seem too attractive. So we took a drive around instead and discovered and old castle in Toolse complete with a pirate ship. Just outside on the sea there were at least a hundred swans that made for fabulous sights especially when the sky turned dark before the rain. Then we had a fantastic lunch in one of the oldest country pubs, another go at the mushrooms and finished the day with a good proper sauna at home. (Still the best spa that I know.)

giant mushroom