My Valentine

Phi Phi Island

We finalized our accommodations to Phi Phi last night. Phi Phi is where Leo DiCap's The Beach was filmed. I haven't seen the movie yet... but if Phi Phi is a shot of the background in the poster above- then I'm thinking the beauty of the island will be giving Leo's beauty a run for his money.

It'll be monsoon season when we go, so if it doesn't rain all-day every day, then some excursions we plan on doing are:

snorkeling

diving

cliff-jumping

rock climbing

chartering a boat for the day

feeding monkeys

thai massages

eating delicious food, drinking cheap alcohol

And if it does rain... I'll be bringing my handy dandy rain jacket and waterproof shoes so I can do most of the above anyway.

Wake Boarding

I went wake boarding for the second time this weekend. It wasn't as productive as my first time... but still a lot of fun. An awesome way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

My Singaporean friend/wb mentor/dancing partner.

Smaller boat - more water in your face.

My American friend, Ian.

Using up the last light of the day. Me.

I got it... I got it... I don't.

Wandering Pen and Wandering Plans

It starts with one line...

It's Monday- the weekend is over and I'm back to making phone calls (instead of dancing, lounging in the pool, and wake boarding on the river). Sometimes it seems like the majority of my day is waiting for my Skype to connect calls. Since a block of blank post-it notes sits right by me... this is how I preoccupy my time while I listen in to dialing tones.

Also, I've booked my trips to:

Johor Bahru, Malaysia this upcoming weekend for paintball and massages.

and

Bali, Indonesia with some Hong Kong friends in July.

and

Phuket and Phi Phi Islands, Thailand for a long weekend in August.

I can't wait!!! Has anyone been? Any recommendations?? I think I will be focusing more on the countryside of Bali than the beaches since I'll be going to sandy paradise in August.

Ageing

I meet with companies from all types of industries on a daily basis. Every now and then I get a chance to talk to a CEO that is truly passionate about their field of business.

This past week I met with a 30-something year old woman who has started an investment holdings company focused on the business of ageing. Essentially, she connects private companies from all types of sectors (healthcare, property development, engineering, ect.) and encourages them to collaborate and invest in the senior population.
The world's elderly population is steadily increasing as people are marrying later, having less children, and living longer. It's expected that the number of Asia's seniors alone will be over 1.2 billion by 2050- that will be over half of the region's population. To put it bluntly, our generation will be those seniors and our needs and concerns will be what drives the global economy.
Some of the initiatives of this company include seminars and conferences to start brainstorming different methods of enabling older individuals to take care of themselves (independence), cultivate active lifestyles (health), and ensure they live fulfilling lives for as long as they can (happiness). Unlike our grandparents' era when it was the social standard to take care of our parents, our modern mentality is to take care of ourselves. So, it seems wise to invest in solutions that will benefit us in the future. Anyway, I was impressed by this woman's company and her passion for humanity and her savvy ability to turn it into a profitable cause by enlisting private companies to start joint ventures. To learn more: htttp://ageingasiainvest.com

And on a similar note of happy seniors:

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of being invited to a family dinner by arguably one of the most influential Indian entrepreneurs of Hong Kong. He is the active head of a hospitality company and is over 90 years old! He lives in a mansion (70 bedrooms) with all of his family members... so this family dinner I attended was more of a party. I met various uncles and aunts, well past their 80s, who were all funny, intelligent, lively, and could out-drink me with their scotch and my wine. I was amazed by how young-looking and healthy this generation was and as the wine warmed my heart (and my face... that Asian flush gets the best of me), I had to ask a particularly silly great-Uncle, what was the secret?? He answered: Family, scotch, and being social and independent despite how old you get.

I hope I can keep my thirst for life and sense of humor fifty years from now.

Congratulations, Sister

I'm so proud of you! I'm happy you were able to forge awesome friendships, stick with the rough curriculum, and gain your independence in boarding school. I am happy you are ready to close this chapter and move west (hello, Cali!) to start adulthood! I wish I was as level-headed as you six years ago. You amaze me and I love you so much.

The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, NY
Susan, Class of 2012

... and you're so beautiful <3

Tidbits of Singapore

Singlish: The Singaporean version of English.
Adding "laaaa" for emphasis. For example, "It is too hot, laaa." or "You can, laaa."
Calling cab drivers, "uncle" or "auntie" to forge a little more casualness and affection. For example, "Uncle, the 5 of us will fit in the car, laaaa." Works every time.

Singapore Sling: The national drink.
Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 oz gin (Bombay from the duty-free)
• 1 oz Fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 oz sugar syrup or simple bar syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp powdered sugar
• 2 oz club soda
• 1/2 oz cherry brandy
lemon slice or pineapple for garnish
maraschino cherry for garnish Directions:
Pour the gin, lemon juice, sugar syrup and powdered sugar into a cocktail shaker with ice.
Shake well until cold and frosty.
Strain into a highball glass with ice.
Pour in some of the club soda.
Float the cherry brandy by pouring over the back of a spoon.
Garnish with the lemon slice and a cherry.


Baby Powder: combating sweat on the daily.

Rugby and Cricket: Everyone loves it around here. It's prime rugby time too at the pubs, but Americans just don't get it. I don't get it, but I like the enthusiasm and European and Australian men.

Gays: male on male sex, PDA, or anything deemed "obscene and indecent" is illegal in Singapore. Lesbians have no restrictions though.

A Weekend in Tokyo

This post is long overdue... but since this tumbleweed managed to float over to Japan, I thought I'd share my experience.

I went to Tokyo for a weekend (last month) to visit some colleagues in my company. My company is composed of only 8 traveling individuals and we're divided among three teams that are scattered all over the world. Our work/lifestyle is exciting and dynamic but also very demanding. At times it can be hard to relate to others because of our nomadic worlds... so when any of us gets a chance to visit each other, it's like a breath of fresh air. We're kindred spirits- we adapt, we live in the moment, we know why we do this. We get it. We love this sh*t.

Ok, done with the sap.

Other than the United States (yeah, America!), Japan is my favorite country so far. I was only there for two nights and three days, but I am in love with the country. I can't wait until I can see more of it one day.

The weather in Tokyo was rainy from the moment my plane landed until I met my friend at the train station. We stopped at her apartment to put away my carry-on and then walked outside to start our weekend. The skies were clear, the sun was shining, and the air was nice and cool. Good omen.

First stop was sushi (of course) and then Shibuya Crossing. We found a nice spot at a second-floor Starbucks and people-watched for at least an hour. This was a great introduction to Tokyo culture. I saw hoards of the cutest Japanese men and women flood the intersection over and over and over again. It was mesmerizing.

Page Views By Country

This week's page views are coming from all over the world. I like it :)

Also, on the way to a meeting yesterday, I saw a MONKEY hanging out on top of a walk bridge that my cab was driving underneath. A monkey.

Little Glimpse of Singaporean Law

Singapore values order and obedience. The government controls many aspects of its residents' personal lives to ensure the country is safe, livable, and prosperous (which it definitely is). For example, chewing gum is illegal to keep streets looking immaculate. Any possession of illegal drugs can be punishable by death. Popular pornography sites are banned. To keep pollution down, a car here is only affordable for the wealthy- a $15,000 Jetta in the US will cost you almost $100,000 in Singapore after taxes and fees.

Yesterday, in the Wall Street Journal, there were three stories on Singapore.

Find of the Day.

http://blog.yimmyayo.com/post/24594526562

Positive Thinking...

I remembered an old post I wrote about a year and a half ago (circa Oct. 2010).
I was working at my first entry-level job in the corporate world - healthcare sector, and hating it. HATING it. The work wasn't challenging, the office folk were old and stuffy and I had no windows! See here for details.

I wanted nothing more but to work independently and travel.

Today, I help manage a project with one other person my age and have started to fill up my passport. I've been to 6 new countries since January. This month I'll be headed to Malaysia, next month Indonesia (hello, Bali!!!), and Thailand in August before heading to my new assignment in September.

Anyway, it's good to have an actual online record that positive thinking can go a long way. Where there's a will there's a way. Work hard and seize an opportunity when you see it!

aaaaand... just because I can, and I do miss her so very much, here's an adorable video of my dog:

Mokey the Great Dane/Lab & Chloe the French Bull Dog:

Mokey and Chloe from Raquel Chavez-Nguyen on Vimeo.

My best friends in DC have been taking care of her and doing a pretty good job - look how much fun she's having :) She's the one doing the graceful log rolls (acrobatic, just like her ma).

Third Weekend of Singapore

I've been lucky to make some pretty fun friends so soon after moving to SG. Here are a few snapshots of what I've been up to this weekend.

Friday:
I went to a housewarming party with some friends. The apartment was packed, but what was most notable was that there were people from all over the world. I think Singapore is a more culturally diverse city than even New York City. There were Singaporeans, Australians, Indians, Americans, Indonesians, Malaysians, Chinese, Germans, French... No nationality outweighed another - It was an evenly mixed crowd. It's been amazing meeting so many people from different countries.

After the party, we went to a club called Avalon (beautiful big glass building) to watch Steve Aoki perform.

The masses.

Steve Aoki putting people in a trance.

Saturday:
I spent the day by our big pool with my neighbor. We had dinner, got our nails done, and then headed out to an all-night beach party at Sentosa Resort. The beach had a main stage, pool, and about a thousand people dancing, drinking, and having a good time.

Hot, humid, beach party.

Sunday:
I went wake boarding for the first time! I was able to get up on my first try and ride the wakes back and forth... pretty proud of myself :)

There were 8 of us. Mostly newbies.

Me! 

Mel getting crabby.

Mel being a boss and ending our session during the sunset.

Pretty amazing weekend. Now I have to get ready for Monday. Our first round of meetings start this week... work hard, play hard.

Living in Singapore for the Summer

I landed in Singapore almost two weeks ago.

I haven't explored too much of the city... and I can't offer many opinions, but this is what I have found out as fact in the short time that I've been here:

1. It's HOT and HUMID. And it's hot every day of the year. It feels like summer in DC.
2. The food is delicious. There are open air complexes on every other block that offer cheap Asian food from various food stalls. My favorite booths are the fresh fruit juice stands.
3. Everything else is expensive. There are 17 millionaire households for every 100... Singaporeans are wealthy, so the housing, the nightlife, the nice restaurants do not come cheap.

Here are a few Instagram (raqalot) snapshots I've taken- most of the shots are at night- probably because I avoid the daytime heat as much as I can!

Giant mechanical cranes at Sentosa. Singaporean laws are incredibly strict on fun times... so it seems the country has found other means of having good, clean, fun through touristy attractions - like this free show of two cranes in love.

When I first arrived in SG, I stayed in Little India.

Property developers are banking here. A tiny studio will cost you about $2,000/month. This is a shot of some condos I visited when I was looking for housing. Check out the cable cars above - another example of good, clean, fun.

I moved into a two-bedroom with my co-worker. This is the view from our living room window.

Small corner of a hawker center.

My first weekend out in Singapore. Went to Zouk - one of the world's best DJ clubs. We saw Dada Life.

This hotel is called Wanderlust... how appropriate. It's in Little India.

wanderlust... on that note: I'm pretty happy to have www.globaltumbleweed.com - it's catchy, no??