Blog Posts

I've made some new friends in Singapore

8/2/2016

One of my personal projects this fall has been to get back into the running habit. After running lots of races between 2008 and 2011, I overdid it in early 2012 and strained my knee. (I stupidly ran two races back to back, a hard 10k Saturday and half marathon Sunday.) I couldn't train consistently any more, and eventually quit running altogether. Twenty pounds later, I was officially off the road and onto the couch.

When we were in London in September, I was out for a little run/walk, and happened across a bunch of people running in a community event called ParkRun. I tagged along (as a bandit) for a bit, then asked one of the volunteers what was going on. He explained they held this 5k event in that park every Saturday morning. I figured it was unique to that park, or maybe to England.

When we were in Australia, I discovered they also have ParkRun, so I showed up in Busselton on a Saturday morning and ran. It was great running with a "pack" again. While there, someone told me similar events are held in hundreds of places around the world every Saturday morning, including Singapore. So, I ran here this past Saturday and made more new friends. We all went to Starbucks afterwards, and I really enjoyed getting to know some of the locals.

Today, they held a special Chinese New Year race, so I got to run again. The photo above was taken after the race this morning. The cute little doggy belongs to a Korean couple who live here. (He didn't run, but was pushed in a baby stroller.) The others are part of a larger gang who went to Starbucks afterwards. The diversity in this photo is a good reflection of both ParkRun and Singapore. Young and old. Moms and kids. Husbands and wives. Locals and tourists. Racehorses and clydesdales. In some ways, I wish we were moving here so I could run with this gang every week. (There's no ParkRun group in Seoul - yet.)

While I've found it challenging to run in the humidity here (it was 'only about 27C' at 7:30 this morning), I was still able to set a new "I'm over 50 now" personal best of 25:23 today. Not exactly greased lightning, but also not too bad for someone who couldn't run 2k non-stop in September.

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I think I like Singapore

5/2/2016

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Everyone is getting ready for Chinese New Year - now just 4 days away!

We arrived in Singapore 2 days ago, and so far, so good. I understand that the weather here is pretty much the same every day year round - 32C and humid, with showers on and off during the day. I love this tropical weather in shorts and a t-shirt, and hate it when I'm wearing a wool suit and tie. As such, I'm happy this week!

We're staying in a very small hostel in the heart of the city (Boat Quay), on a little side street with loads of bars and restaurants. The hostel is very well kept, and we've met lots of interesting people here from around the world. Our room is tiny (about 12' x 6'), barely big enough for two sets of bunkbeds and 4 small lockers. Having said that, we have a nice big window onto the street and the A/C works well. Breakfast is minimal, but we're happy with toast, cereal and coffee so it's ok for us.

The first couple of days we've walked around to get our bearings. Yesterday we walked to both Chinatown and Clarke Quay (former warehouses now restaurants). Today, we toured the Little India and Arab Street areas. This morning the boys also went down to the port to see cruise ships while the girls went to a doctor (Molly has an infection in her foot, but in on the mend).

Tomorrow morning I'm heading out early to do another 5k ParkRun event, like I did last week in Australia. (I've been out each morning and it's like running in a sauna, so I don't imagine my time will be too impressive.) George will go with me to look after my stuff during the race. Apparently the gang goes to StarBucks afterwards, so that should be good.

People are friendly here, and it's easy to get along in English. Food is also awesome and cheap. I have never been anywhere with so many eateries. It seems like people here eat out 3 meals every day - and why not - how can you cook for $4 each!?

Anyway, things are very enjoyable. The adventure continues...

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Happy Birthday to Douglas H and Douglas B Devolin

2/2/2016

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I'd like to offer a big Happy Birthday to my father and brother. Dad's birthday is today (Feb 2) and Brent's was last week (Jan 26). I wish each of you a great day. I know you're both in Collingwood this week enjoying the slopes (with mom and Laurie too). I hope the snow is good, the fire is warm, and the beer is cold.

As anyone who's travelled extensively or lived far away from home knows, it's missing days like these that trigger severe homesickness. We all missed family and friends at Thanksgiving and Christmas, and this week, we feel like we're missing the annual Devolin family ski trip. Molly and George would gladly trade the Aussie beaches for a few days on the Canadian slopes.

My life seems to be an endless series of going-aways and coming-homes. I love touring the world and seeing new places, but I also value the fact that I have a place to call home in Haliburton. Looking forward to seeing everyone again soon. Love from all of us.

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A few images from Australia's beaches

1/2/2016

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Still enjoying Oz

30/1/2016

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Greetings again from Western Australia. We're 10 days into our fortnight visit, and still having a great time. As I've said before, Australia is a bizarre combination of the very familiar and the very different. After spending several months in non-English speaking countries, it's nice and easy to communicate with everyone here. We're driving around and the towns are similar to what we've seen in North America - many places remind us of Texas or California or Florida. On the other hand, it's still a surprise to look out the car window and see a kangaroo hopping across a field.

It's been pleasant summer weather here, not the unliveable heat they sometimes experience. Yesterday was about 31C, so we used the the air conditioning in our unit for the first time. Today we're back to the high 20's, so it's open windows again. I also wore long pants today to visit a local cave - it's only about the 5th time I've had on long pants since September. I don't imagine I'll need them again in Singapore or Malaysia, but I guess I'll have to get ready for some chilly weather when we arrive in Seoul in less than 3 weeks.

This morning I participated in a weekly community event here - a 5k run. There were about 60 runners, and I was pleased to finish in 25:32. That puts me only a minute and a half off my old PB, so I feel like I'm progressing nicely back into form. I also managed to finish ahead of the two 10 year olds in the race, so that was an added bonus!

Tonight we're barbecuing burgers Aussie style, with a fried egg and slice of pineapple. Sounds strange, but it's actually really good. Anyway, that's all for now. Hope everyone is enjoying the wintery wonderland.

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Australia Day, then back to the beach

28/1/2016

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Showing off the bling we won on Australia Day at the Bruce Rock pool.

Busselton is a beautiful beach community - what Wasaga Beach could be if they blew everything up and started over.

We had a great Australia Day in Bruce Rock, a small farming community in the middle of the Western Australian wheatbelt. The municipal campground and community pool are co-located, so we didn't have to travel anywhere to participate in the local festivities. George won the "bomber" (a.k.a. cannon ball) competition, Molly won the thong (a.k.a. flip flop) skipping competition, and I won the adult door price. All in all, now we have lots of Aussie swag. Tres cool.

Yesterday we drove back to the coast, and checked into our "cabin in a campground", right on the beach. The ocean is about 50 metres from our door. We got lots of groceries, so we're not going anywhere in the car.

I've had a great day so far. Got up about 6:30. Had a coffee and cereal. Went for a beautiful 10 km run along the coastal running/cycling path that goes right past our door (sub 58 minutes). Came back, and went to the pool to swim with the kids. Had lunch, then had a nice nap. Got up, went to the beach with Ursula and the kids. Just got back to the cabin. It's 3 pm. Enjoying my first beer of the day, and writing this blog post. So far; so good.

We're here for 5 nights, so we're not in a hurry to do anything. There are lots of fun touristy things to do here, and the Margaret River wineries are only a few kilometres away. I got a little sunburnt on Tuesday, so I have to be careful on the beach. That's my biggest challenge this week.

Hope all is well with all of you. Yesterday I learned that one of my host moms from Holland passed away last week after a 6 month fight with cancer. Sad she's gone, but glad we got to see her and her husband at their farm in September. Life lesson: enjoy the time you have with loved ones.

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Our visit to the Outback.

26/1/2016

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Well, after 3 days in Perth on the coast, we drove inland 600 km on Saturday to Kalgoorlie, an active gold mining town and biggest city in the entire outback (about 30,000 people). In terms of the economy, this is like visiting a northern city in Canada like Sudbury or Timmins or Fort McMurray. There are lots of industrial vehicles and buildings around, and the general prosperity that comes with well-paid resource industry jobs. Lots of RV's and off road vehicles too. This might sound like an odd comment, but I always enjoy visiting places where there are almost no tourists.

Our cabin in a little a-frame place. We feel like we're sleeping in a bunkie outside someone's cottage in Haliburton. Most of the people staying here seem to be contractors working in the mining industry. The four wheel drive trucks outnumber cars - also kind of like Haliburton!

Today we drive halfway back to Perth, to an even smaller place, Bruce Rock, in the wheatbelt. It's supposed to rain this afternoon, so we're having a leisurely morning here before getting on the road after lunch. Molly seems to have a bit of a summer cold, so she's in low gear today. The rest of us are also glad to take it easy. I had a nice run this morning. It's flat here, and there are trails all through the city for walking, biking or running. It's obvious that land is cheap here, as everything is very spread out and every house has about a quarter acre lot.

The largest local gold mine is scheduled to close in 2021, so the community is already in the process of figuring out how they'll survive if that happens. It appears they've spent quite a bit of money fixing up the downtown Victorian shopping district. It's quite lovely - and make one imagine what downtown Lindsay could look like if a big coordinated investment was made. Maybe the new MP could look after that...

When we arrived, Molly and I both commented that we thought it would be drier and more desolate here. Truth is, there are millions of big gumtrees in this area, and we've seen some rain every day. There goes another stereotype.

Last night, while Ursula and George were watching some superhero movie on TV, Molly and I watched "Crocodile Dundee" on iTunes. I haven't seen it in years, but enjoyed watching it while we are in the Outback ourselves. Both of us thought they ruined a good action story with too much of the mushy stuff...

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I've come to a land down under...

23/1/2016

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After almost a month in Vietnam, we departed southeast Asia Wednesday. Our one day stopover in Kuala Lumpur was relaxing. We were at a very nice hotel in the middle of nowhere (surrounded by a golf course), so we hung out at the pool (George and I got a little too much sun) and went to a big modern mall for dinner and some recreational shopping in the evening.

The flight to Australia was uneventful, although we discovered at the airport that Canadians need visas to enter Australia (which we did online while standing in the check-in line). We flew AirAsia, the biggest low-cost carrier in Asia. I must say that everything went well; quite a bargain for less than C$200 each for a 5.5 hour flight. We picked up our Mitsubishi Outlander (same size as a Ford Escape) and headed off to a suburban mall for groceries and some other odds and ends. We were really curious to see if prices here are as bad as feared. Conclusion: groceries and Kmart stuff is the same price as Canada, which was a welcome surprise. Even beer (by the case) isn't much more than Canada.

We're staying at an apartment/hotel downtown for C$117 a night. (The best deal I found for out two week stay.) We have a smallish 2 bedroom place that feels like a college dorm. The good news is there's a real kitchen and laundry. There's also a good TV with lots of English channels! For the first time since we were with the Brandons in Hoi An, we're not in a hotel room, which is delightful.

Yesterday was cool (25C) and breezy. A cold front went thru here on Tuesday after weeks of heat, but the forecast is for the temperature to climb back to their "summer normal" (low 30's) by tomorrow. For us, it was nice to be in less humidity after Malaysia and Vietnam. Tomorrow we head to the Outback, so I expect it will be even drier there.

On our first day, we drove around town and visited a few of the beautiful beaches in this area. For the first time in a long time, it's really nice to be somewhere that isn't crowded. Perth is about 2 million people with a handful of big corporate buildings, but outside the core, it feels about the same scale as London Ontario. There are sprawling suburbs with comfortable looking homes on spacious lots. There are lots of parks and the general setting is quite impressive. Overall, the place looks quite prosperous and comfortable.

Having said that, for the vast majority of Australians who live 4,000 km away, Perth is an outpost, far from everything important to them. Given that we have never been to the east coast, we don't feel like that. For us, Perth seems like a lovely place offering a great quality of life surrounded by natural beauty.

In terms of infamous Australian high prices, we did see that cafes and restaurants are probably 50-100 percent more expensive than Canada (which is about 400% more than Vietnam!). As you might expect, this reinforces our plan to buy most of our food in grocery stores rather than eating out. I also noticed that gas is about $1.20 a litre, so that's not outrageous.

Anyway, so far; so good. We're off to a private animal sanctuary this morning to see some local animals up-close. Should have some good photos later.

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Helmet law in Vietnam

17/1/2016

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Apparently, 10 years ago most people in Vietnam rode bicycles. Today, the most popular mode of transportation is clearly a small (less than 150 cc) motorbike/moped/scooter. They are literally everywhere.

I haven't read the statutes, but there must be a law saying adults have to wear helmets, and the vast majority seem to obey. Having said that, I'm not sure if there's any reference in the law to children as passengers. It seems not. People being people, Vietnamese parents do what they are required to, and no more. Check out the photos. Make we got it backwards in Ontario.

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Drifting along.

16/1/2016

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Today was our last day in Hue. Tomorrow morning we take the train to Danang, and fly out from there to Kuala Lumpur the next morning. As such, our month in Vietnam is almost complete.

In some ways, I think we got our schedule here backwards. It would have been better if we'd gone to a bunch of other places first, before landing in Hoi An (which we think is the nicest place in the country). As it turns out, we started in the best place, with our friends for Christmas, and nothing since has measured up. It's not that other places in Vietnam aren't nice, it's more that we'd all rather be back in Hoi An. I think we also went through a bit of an emotional letdown when the Brandons left. (The kids feel we're living in exile.)

If you've read Ursula's latest posting, you'll know we're all feeling a bit unsettled and unsatisfied. Skiers know how you feel when you're having a great day on the slopes, then go into the chalet for a while in the afternoon, and then can't get back into it when you go back on the slopes for the last hour. (Especially if you've been skiing for 15 days straight!) That's about how we feel.

I also think that a month in hotel rooms with no cooking facilities has taken it's toll. The food here is good and cheap, and there are non-Vietnamese options if we want a change of pace, but we all miss home-cooking. We have 3 more nights of hotels and restaurants before we get to Australia, where we'll have 14 nights in apartments with cooking facilities. Travelling by car for 2 weeks also means we will be able to buy a cooler, and stock up on a better variety of groceries and fresh foods. I can't tell you what I'd pay for a bowl of Shreddies and milk or granola and yogurt.

Anyway, these are our first world problems. The good news is that I'm excited about getting to Korea in a month. We'll turn our apartment into a comfortable home, and start to build a network of friends. That's what I'm looking forward to.

I've posted a few photos below from the bike ride Ursula and I took around town today. It was a misty, muggy day. After wearing my raincoat for a while, I decided I'd rather get wet than sweat it out in a long sleeve coat. It was only about 25 degrees, but the humidity here is intense.