The first step on a journey begins with a bottle of beer!

Marmite

Yesterday I moved out of a home I had lived in for 14 years and shared with you for nearly 12. It was strange. After I had mopped the floors, cleared the cobwebs and put bleach down the toilet, Jeremy and I sat on the floor in the living room - now an empty shell - and drank a beer to celebrate the end of an era.

The man from the SP Services came at the appointed time to read the meters and turn off the water and electricity. Then that was it.. I walked out the door and closed it behind me knowing I would never cross the threshold ever again. Wow! that was weird. I had lived in that place longer than any other in my whole life and I simply. locked the door; a door I had locked a thousand times before knowing I would never do that again.

Without the support of so many friends I could not have done this. Jeremy always there with a sensible suggestion  - -and a really strong helping hand - especially with the bags and boxes; and Melanie for emotional support and coffee - this has been such a big part of my time here and more than the bricks and mortar. It is all the people - too many to mention--  who have  been around me that I appreciate beyond comprehension. I will miss you all, really and truly I will.

Dairy Farm is the whole world - literally the whole world lives at Dairy Farm. It was designed by Tay Kheng Soon way back in the 80s - This man builds communities - not just homes and with Dairy Farm he achieved this on so many levels. May it live long and become a protected building for nature and the residents.

I should really devote at least a few sentences to the monitors, monkeys, colugos, cockatoos, barking owls, boars - an endless list of amazing wildlife that is slowly being squeezed out of its natural habitat because of the pressure the government is putting on natural green spaces. For now these creatures have a home of sorts within the confines of this condo. It is so commonplace to see these creatures almost daily that it is easy to forget how special it is and what a privilege to be able to live this close to nature.

Of all the wildlife, it was the monkeys you didn't like. I think they frightened you and lurching at them didn't make things easy for your relationship with them. A long time ago you hid in the kitchen when a monkey came into my bedroom. The kitchen was the furthest point from the monkey. You are a 36kg Rotweiller X and you tremble when faced with a long-tailed Macaque.. You, Marmite, are a WIMP of dog.. really! I love you for that. XXX

A whirlwind day that disappeared in a blur

Hey Marms

I was wide awake before 4am this morning in anticipation of the fridge being collected at 8am and the packers arriving at 9.

These men burst into a frenzy constructing boxes and clearing my stuff until by 4:30 the place was totally bare bar a few fluffballs.

It was a really exhausting day. I could imagine you giving them a cursory sniff and then retiring to some quiet corner while they got on and did their bit.

Should you find yourself in a similar position where you need to move countries- particularly here in Singapore- I will recommend Classic Movers. They have been thorough  and communicative from start to finish...

As for pets, if you had been with me, you might have found yourself boxed up with the rest of my stuff... God forbid

www.classicmoving.asia

My other Great Love!!!

Dear Marms

When I disappeared and came back looking a bit dishevelled and rather sweaty you never asked what I had been doing. You probably felt a little relieved that you weren't part of the action.

I expect you remember coming to watch me play tennis sometimes on the Dairy Farm courts. You would lie down on the bench with your chin on your knees and one paw hanging over the side - my friends would pat you on the head on their way onto court and have a brief chat. Those were happy times.

Those weren't my only tennis times. I had a tennis life beyond those courts and often  came home almost too exhausted to talk to you.

The reason I am telling you this is  that my team had the last WITS  match of the autumn season yesterday and it was another big thing that measures time running out for me here in Singapore.  We, the Can"O"Balls were playing "Having a Ball". All good friends and great rivals!

The British Club has been a big part of my time here and without it, the tennis, the Wednesday night quizzes and free bottles of wine, life might have been far less rich.

Tennis is as much about the people you play with as it is the game and the tennis players at the club have been a wonderful bunch without exception. The lunchtime champagne yesterday is case in point!

The big box my team gave me for my leaving present brought tears to my eyes - mostly because I couldn't put it on my bike - that bit was a joke - I might be leaving without you but I have got an elephant to take back to the UK from Singapore and he shall be named Marsiling as I worked there for a time.

Don't be jealous.. You will be travelling with me in my heart.

Love you always

XXX

My "Green" credentials are slipping

Dear Marms

The house is nearly empty now and you would hardly recognise it. The rug you always put your legs under and used like a blanket will be gone by the end of today and there is very little esle left.

About three years ago I set myself a New Year's Resolution to thow out, give away or recycle something every week. I have kept to this for all this time but even so near the end I still have stuff I am not too sure what to do with.

I organised a "sell it" pile and Ling from work has been amazing helping to clear that; a "give it away" pile - mostly for the condo to help themselves; a "recycle" pile and the "throw it" pile. The trouble is with just two days before the packers turn up I am doing things I am not proud of. I put an empty jar from the anchovies into the rubbish without rinsing it.. It won't get recycled  - I know - but I'm living with the guilt of not putting the effort into sorting things like that in a mindful way. I think my hopes that nothing is really wasted goes to the heart and that is why it has taken me so long to get to this state of empty-houseness.

Last weekend, a friend took an IKEA standard lamp for a walk.. actually she took it to her apartment and on the way she said it had a "Marmite moment". It sat down heavily and didn't want to move. I know you know that feeling.

These pictures are of the lamp walking along the Pang Sua canal - our regular route for a morning walk.

A Big Change of Plan

Dear Marmite,

I am sure you will be resting between meals/walks/hugs so I'll unburden my troubles on you. As you know my plan was to go home to the UK overland wih the highlight being the Trans Siberian Railway. Well that is not going to happen. Everything is booked to Hanoi and that is where I come unstuck.

I need a visa to get into China and another Visa to get into Russia. The Russian visa has to be sorted before the Chinese one, as I need an exit from China before I can go in. It is the Russian visa that is the big hitch. I can't get a visa more that 30 days before travelling and I will be leaving Singapore on 4th December but not getting on the train in Beijing until 4th January 2020. SOOOO annoying...

In addition to my troubles, I will no longer be resident in Singapore as I have to give up my card when I finish work. You can only get visas from your country of residnecy so that is a massive drawback...

So what do you think to my new idea?... I fly from Hanoi to Istanbul and stay there for a week. Then I get a train to Bucharest and then do the equivalent of the Orient Express back to UK... stopping off at odd places. It will be an epic train journey and I can always do the Trans Siberian the other way in the near future...

Whichever way I go home, you'll be with me in my heart..

Thinking of you always.

I like to ride my bicycle, I like to ride it where I like...

Hi Marms,
Remember how bikes brought on those nervous twitches and how you tried to hide behind my legs everytime a cyclist went past. Then, I got a bike which I hung up just outside the front door and that certainly wasn't much to your liking to start with either. You gave it a wide berth each time you stepped out of the house.

Slowly you got round to accepting it though and I am pleased about that. I have to tell you the joy it has brought me over the last eighteen months. Singapore says it is a bike friendly city... this is not true. The majority of  drivers  are far too impatient and unaware of cyclists for Singapore to claim that.  I have been knocked off twice now -  the first time, I broke a bone in my leg as a result of being hit by a van.

Despite this, I still love cycling. Sunday mornings are my favourite time, especially. I commute to work alongside the weekend lycra clad brigade on their finely-tuned racers. These Singaporean cyclists are friendly - and this is something I will really miss when I set off on my travels in just one month now.

Today is a Sunday and it was going to be my last ever Sunday commuting to work. Unflortunately, last night I blew the back tyre when I hit a bump while cycling at top speed over a sleeping policeman. My bike is now at a friend's place, the back wheel is under my desk at work and I am using public transport.. If only I hadn't been so keen to see the Rugby finals...

Anyway, not all doom and gloom, the wheel is fixed thanks to my favourite shop in Cuscaden Road - Treknology  - and I shall once again head up to the British Club tomorrow morning for tennis training on my bright red bike with go-faster stripes. Yay!

A long list of last times! The Colbar

When you see the pictures, Marms, you'll know exactly where I am. I am sitting with a rather large glass of cider at the Colbar. This place was one of your very favourite destinations. For you it meant a car ride, not much walking and on top of that, the likelihood of being fussed by strangers. Nirvana!!

It is also Nirvana for many others too - a great place for an extensive range of unusual beers and ciders and if those don't take your fancy, The Lims are happy to let you bring your own wine! The menu is to British Army tastes and the chicken curry is top of my list for great things to eat.

It was originally situated in Jalan Hang Jebat and then moved brick by brick to its current location at 9A Whitchurch Road where it thrives in an historic area of old British Army barracks and tropical trees.

For me, this will probably be the last time I come here before I depart Singapore in December.
Luv U Loads, Marms... Thinking of you always XXX