The Tooth Fairy Visits Twice

Danielle has lost her first two teeth!! The first tooth came out on Wednesday and the second one on Saturday; she pulled them both out herself. The tooth fairy was generous as usual but Danielle hid the money so well she can't remember where she put it!

Party Asian Style

Last Saturday, Jackie and I attended a birthday party for two of the teachers from the international school. The theme was "Asian" and everyone had to dress up in asian fashion. There were a lot of tights, high boots, long sweaters and bling. Don't we look marvelous?

Six Months in Macau

February 10 marked the six month milestone for us in Macau. The time has gone by so quickly and we only have 16 months left before we return to Canada. Although we occasionally reminisce about certain things "back home", we continue to enjoy our lives here in Macau.

Jurong Bird Park

Day three in Singapore saw us visit the Jurong Bird Park. This park hosts approximately 2500 different species of birds. Many of the birds could be found in large open habitats while others were housed in huge aviary's (some the size of a city block) that one could enter and see the birds in their natural habitat. The park was large and it took almost an entire day to see everything. One of the hi-lites was the bird-of-prey show in which falcons, eagles and the like demonstrated their hunting skills. The bird handlers positioned themselves very close to the crowd and as the birds swooped in to collect their dinner you could actually feel their wing-tips graze the top of your head!! I was even invited up as a volunteer to toss pieces of meat into the air for the birds to catch.

Singapore Zoo

The first week of February was a school holiday due to the Chinese New Year. We traveled to Singapore to warm up and see some of the sites. Our first day had us visiting the Singapore Zoo. The zoo has been touted as one of the best in the world and all of us were impressed with the many different types of animals and how close you could actually get to them. Another plus was that many of the animals were not in cages, rather they were in large open habit areas surrounded by moats. This allowed for unobstructed views and a more natural setting for the animals. Some of our favorite animals included the penguins, fruit bats, cheetahs, baboons and giant tortoises.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

During the Chinese New Year holiday, most people wish for prosperity in the upcoming year. I am wishing for some heat to return to Macau. As you probably hear in the news, China is experiencing its worst winter in 50 years. Although Macau does not get snow, the temperatures have been well below normal. A typical night-time low in January is 10-12 degrees but lately is has been as cold as 5 to 6 degrees at night. While many in Canada would gladly trade for these temperatures, remember that we don't have central heating or insulated apartment buildings. We have had many chilly nights and we have even had to buy some mittens and ear muffs for all of us.