A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!!!

Last Wednesday, Septmeber 12th at approximately 7:10 pm Singapore time they had a major earthquake in Indonesia. It was centered about 265 miles from us off the coast of the Indonesian Islands.

Having been through any number of hurricanes and tropical storms, several very close calls and brushes with tornadoes - I can tell you I was not excited at all about adding earthquake tremors to that list.

Picture this: It's evening. 24th floor. I'm sitting on the front balcony with our very good friend, Wayne, drinking iced tea and watching dusk settling in. Nice breeze, very pleasnt, casual conversation. All of a sudden, I'm in the middle of a sentence and I get the strangest sensation. It's like you are very off-balance, even though I was sitting. You feel almost weightless and slightly nauseous. Very strange feeling. Then it dawns on me - the building is moving! Wayne says not to worry - it's only a tremor, it will last about 15-20 seconds. Well, a minute and a half later, it finally stopped. We stayed on the balcony the whole time. We turned on our chairs at one point to look inside the apartment. The two rocker/recliners are going back and forth like crazy all by themselves. The chandelier over the dining room table is rocking back and forth in an arc, the globes on the lights are touching the ceiling, then it swings the other direction and touches the ceiling that way. Things were really moving. Wayne said to check the computer in about 15 minutes and he bet there would be news of a major earthquake in Indonesia. Sure enough - 10 minutes later it's on the news and the Internet.

At 7:50 am the next morning Singapore time , here it went again. That one was a 7.9 on the scale. Chairs and chandelier went crazy again. Now, if I think we're experiencing tremors, I just glance into the dining room and see if the chandelier is dancing. It's a pretty good indicator. I keep reciting my mantra that our neighbor Bob told me before - Just remember, Debbie - a swaying building is a good building. Well, I am here to tell you that may well be - but it sure is a very weird feeling to feel this and see it.

If this is only a tremor - I would hate to actually be in an earthquake!

Here's a bit of a lesson -

That earthquake registered 8.4 - considered to be a major one. During the next 48 hours they had 5 major earthquakes - 6.0 and higher - in the same area of Indonesia. Anything above 6.0 is considered major. In the week since that first big one, Indonesia has ad in addition to the 5 large ones, they have also experienced 61 smaller eathquakes that measured from 4.8 to 5.9 and they have experienced approximately 300 "ground movements" that register below 4.8, smaller ones and aftershocks. You couldn't pay me enough money to live in Indonesia!!!

Singapore does not sit on any fault lines. We just feel the tremors from the ones in Indonesia. The fault line runs through the Indonesian Islands, then turns and goes up towards Japan and another part of it runs out into the Pacific Ocean. The Indonesian Islands are known as "The Ring of Fire" because of their volcanic and earthquake prone activity in that area. Sometimes, these quakes will cause tsunamis as this first one created about a 9 foot wave that struck about 20 minutes afterwards. The next one caused a tsunami, but fortunately that one headed out to sea. We are not in a tsunami prone area either due to the way Sinagpore sits in relation to the islands surrounding us. I guess it's possible, but they say the likelihood of that is very, very small. Never say never, I suppose.

If you glance at the map below you can tell where we are in relation to the earthquake area. If you find Singapore at the base of Malaysia, then follow a line straight down to the tiny islands that are on the left side of Indonesia. These quakes have generally been centered in the area between those islands and the Indonesian coast. Look close on the map below to see where Sinagpore actually is. I'm not naming any names, but some of you seem to think we're in China!

Love to you Shari!

Abby - hope you're having fun with the packages!

Rusty - I don't think you are ever at home! Sorry I missed you!

Millie - good to talk to you!

Marilyn - sorry about the echo - weird, isn't it?

Heather - Yes, yes!

More on our day trip with pictures

Here's a little more info on our day trip to Sentosa island, along with some pictures. Sentosa Island is considered a resort and recreation area, but it's also considered to be part of Singapore. A ship channel lies between the two islands. It is accessible by a bridge that goes across, there is a cable car and a mono-rail over.


This is a picture of the "Merlion". Pronounced Mer - like the first part of the word mermaid and lion just like the animal. Way back when Singapore was being discovered and explored, one explorer said he came upon a creature unknown to him. It was very big, very ferocious and had a roar that shook the trees. From his description to others, it was decided he'd seen a lion. Back then there were quite a number of different species of animals all the way through Malaysia down to here, so it's possible it actually was a lion. Years later another explorer told stories of having seen mermaids in this area, but that they were an animal mermaid. More than likely he saw dolphins. But having seen dolphins during his travels, he insisted those are not what he saw. He said it was bigger and more ferious. So it became legend that Singapore and the surrounding islands were protected by a "merlion", a mythical creature that was half lion and half mermaid. He is said to swim the waters all around Singapore protecting it. There are several statues of merlions scattered throughout the islands, but this is the largest.

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This is the "Dragon Fountain". It is a long, low and almost like a mini-river. It starts at the base of the Merlion - you can see him in the distance. It has water running through it, but not deep. It goes on for about 100 yards. It is made entirely of small mosiac tiles. It represents a dragon and has other animals such as frogs, lizards and fish incorporated into the design also. The colors are very vivid. Very pretty walk alongside it.

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I tried to capture the tangle of tropical vines and brush - it is so thick in some areas you can't possibly walk through it. This is an area alongside one of the walkways. It's very green and there are thousands of different trees and plants. I don't know how anyone could ever hack through some of the growth to explore, much less clear out enough to build housing. The British who settled these islands really had their work cut out for them! Malaria is not a problem here, but the mosquitoes are known to be the type that carry "dengue fever"- pronounced ding - ee - just ask me about the case I had! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This is a view from one of the walkways through the upper part of the island. There are beautiful views everywhere you turn!

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A old colonial house that was built in the early 1900's. It's perched up high on almost solid rock. They use it now for a restauarant. The British built these at the turn of the century. Almost every building they built here in the islands was built along these lines. They were always white, red tile roof and black trim. The black trim almost isn't visible - it's usually just under the eaves. Most are one story, some two story. For many years there was no building on any of these islands taller than 3 stories. They are referred to as "the black and whites". There are a surprising number of these that are still around. Now days they are all owned by the government and are protected as a historical property. They can be rented to live in and in some cases to have a business in. There are very strict guidelines as to how they can be altered to accomodate a family or a business - which means they almost cannot be changed in anyway! I have gotten to go inside one - the lady living there said they are a maintenance nightmare! But they are very pretty and old-worldly. These are the types of houses the British built to live in - the barracks they built for their troops were almost like these, except inside was always open air with the ceiling being up two stories for ventilation with a tin roof. There are still a good many of these buidings left to, but they are not as protected from change.

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This is where one of the local herb farmers has his place. You can go here to drink tea he has brewed from the herbs he grows. Or you can buy the herbs to take home with you. There are some that are familiar, but many more that are not familiar at all. And they can use almost anything to make tea out of! Spices and herbs we would usually use to flavor food with, they will also use it to make tea! This guy has this place with a little open air living quarters under this canopy, along with his tiny little kitchen area where he brews his teas. A leaf cover overhead and everyting else just open.

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This is what nutmeg looks like before it's ground up! And yes, they also make tea out of it! He had trays of different spices sitting all through the garden grounds drying.

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This is the Chinese man who lives here and grows all the herbs and spices. In the background is a laminated sheet with pictures on it describing what some of the plants are and what ailments they cure. There is an herb or spice to cure anything and everything - or so they claim!

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He is very serious! Can you tell?

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This is an area that has been recreated to show the houses the native peoples lived in from way back when up through World War 2. Because of the way the islands are situated, a tsunami would affect the areas in Indonesia and Malaysia, but Singapore very little. Same with a major typhoon. The surrounding areas take the brunt of it. By the time the storms cross over those land masses, it weakens them considerably, then there's not a large enough area for them to build up again before they cross over land again. There are storms here, particularly during the monsoon season, but nothing as bad as Malaysia and Indonesia get.

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This is one of the beaches. They have trucked in white sand from Indonesia. People come down and have picnics. They play sand volleyball and sand football - which we know as scoccer. They build sand castles and sit looking at the water. Very few people swim because the ships, which you can see iin the background, keep the waters too stirred up. Also, we are told there are sharks between us and the Indonesian Islands. Would not doubt it in the least! I think there's a good reason you don't hear about someone trying to set records swimming between all these islands! I guess if a ship didn't get you, a shark would! There are some small islands outside the shipping channels that have pretty beaches where you can swim - about a 45 minute ferry ride across to. They also run several flights a day - 737's, A320's and 777 - almost always full to Bali where, of course, the beaches and scenery are just beautiful. I've seen pictures others have taken and I cannot wait to go there!

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Shari - love ya and hope Abby is feeling better!

Lynn and Aunt Darlene - you would just go crazy with all the great things that grow here!

Marilyn - how are you feeling and thanks for the Alaska pictues!

Regina - how are you?

Heather - Still, still

Some things are not so different....... then again!

Life in Singapore and this part of the world goes on. Some things here in this part of the world are not so different from life at home in the states. Then again, some things are just so totally alien and different that words almost cannot convey it. Let me share two of them with you.

First is from the news - I'm not sure if it made the papers there or not, but here it is:

Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Officials at Nepal's state-run airline have sacrificed two goats to appease Akash Bhairab, the Hindu sky god, following technical problems with one of its Boeing 757 aircraft, the carrier said Tuesday.

Nepal Airlines, which has two Boeing aircraft, has had to suspend some services in recent weeks due the problem.

The goats were sacrificed in front of the troublesome aircraft Sunday at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu in accordance with Hindu traditions, an official said.

"The snag in the plane has now been fixed and the aircraft has resumed its flights," said Raju K.C., a senior airline official, without explaining what the problem had been. Local media last week blamed the company's woes on an electrical fault. The carrier runs international flights to five cities in Asia.
It is common in Nepal to sacrifice animals like goats and buffaloes to appease different Hindu deities.

Another incident took place in December in which Turkish Airlines maintenance workers at Istanbul's airport were accused of sacrificing a camel to celebrate the successful accomplishment of a maintenance task.

Granted, we're not in Nepal, but does make one wonder in case you want to travel to some other country! If it's two goats for a B-757, wonder what gets sacrificed for a B747? It's 3 times the size of a 757 - hmmmmm.

The second one is a brochure we picked up. I heard others talking about this while we were on our day trip to Sentosa Island. They have a day spa that provides this treatment. I'm not sure whether it blows my mind, makes me laugh, or just creeps me out! Who's going to try this when they come over? I'll personally make the appointment for you and pay for it - it just comes with the understanding I also get to take pictues and video!

Just in case only the picture comes through and you can't read the words - yes, it's just like the pictue shows. You go to a spa for a foot treatment. They put your feet in this tank of water. These little fish from somewhere in Turkey nibble the dead skin away. ten they do a foot massage and a shoulder massage. That's it. No lotion, no pedicure, just fish nibbling on your dead skin. I think it just creeps me out!

Yes, class we are in a strange and foreign area of the world. And even though it seems almost like home at times always remember and keep in mind "Somethings are the same and ........... some things definitely are not."

More pictures tomorrow!

Shari - thanks for your help on my computer. And aren't you proud of the fact I got the video clip on there all by myself!

Lynn - Remember the old Laugh-In show with the line"Here comes da judge."
Patsy - I need a margarita and what happen with the dryer?

Stephanie - tried to get you at work, sorry I missed you.

Matt - kiss Jellybean.

Deb Mac - so glad to hear from you.

Heather - Still the future. Still there

Day Trip with Pink Dolphin Pictures

There is an island just across from Singapore called Sentosa. It's a fairly small island, but they are building it up into a tourist resort and recreational area. We'd been wanting to see it, so we just took the day off and went. There is a huge mall called Vivo City. Not only is it a mall, but this is where you check-in and board if you are going on one of the huge cruise ships that come through here touring South East Asia. It is so funny to see people traisping through the mall to get upstairs to the second floor trailing their suitcases behind them! There is also a place from the mall to catch one of the various boats that offer a lunch, tea or dinner cruise around. There is also a mono-rail that runs across the channel to Sentosa Island. We took the mono-rail over.

You buy a one day ticket for $3 each. That's good for all day to gain access to the mono-rail, the Sentosa bus system and the tram system - this is how you get around the island - unless you care to walk alot and sweat alot. And we all know how Debbie feels about the sweating thing. There are beaches with pristine white sand - which they ship in from the other side of the Indonesian Islands, but people mostly still do not swim because the ships are just right out there and keep the water too churned up. Lots of little snack places, restaurants, several hotels, a big park, an aquarium and a dolphin lagoon.

We went first to the aquarium. It's a pretty good place with a bunch of different tanks to look at - beautiful coral and tropical fish - gorgeous colors. There is a tank where you can put your hand in and all these cute little fish will swim over and the kids can touch them. There's also a big tank where you can do the same thing with sting-rays. They felt kind of like velvet. Then you go downstairs and enter this plexiglass tunnel. You just stand on the people mover, it moves you through the tunnel - people don't bump into each other as much when they're watching. The aquarium is all around you - both sides and over head. It is so interesting. We saw some incredible fish - many of which come out of the waters of South east Asia. They will not let you use a flash inside, so most of those pictures do not come out. Next time I go, I'll try my tripod, although I'm not sure how that's going to work - fish are moving and the people mover is moving! Very cool place and we really enjoyed it!

Then on to the Dolphin Lagoon. Big place, chairs all around the lagoon, dolphin show. The differences in this one and others we have seen - these chairs are just plastic lawn chairs you pick up yourself and put them down anywhere you want. No bleacher type seats. You are actually walking and sitting on the sand. Very low maintenance. Awnings up almost down to the water for shade. They let you have drinks and ice cream and - Basil was so excited - beer. It was so different from anything we've ever been to like this. The "show arena" was actually an inlet from the sea, nothing finished like a pool, just sand - not the shipped in kind - and salt water. They have these barricades to keep the dolphins in, but they said even if they get a break in the net, the dolphins never leave the area.

Oh and did I happen to mention ---- the dolphins are PINK. That's right pink. I had never seen a pink dolphin. They start out as grey, then as they get older and mature, they turn pink. They are beautiful. They performed their tricks, then they will let people come in the water one or two at a time to pet them. Abby - you're going to get to do that! They also have a "get in the water and interact with them" program, but Abby - you have to be 6 yrs old to do that.

Here's some pictures of them and I'm going to attempt to also put a little video clip on here, too. We'll see how that little manuever turns out - Shari hasn't walked me through this part yet, so I'm winging it here!

This was after the program when you could purchase an extra ticket and stand in line to pet the dolphin. This one is a male about 7 years old they said. Notice the grey splotches on his head and from the middle of his fin back he is still alot grey. That's because he's still young. They are no longer considered "young" dolphins any more when they are around 14 yrs old. When they had him swim on his back and you could see his underside - it's almost all pink. They start turning pink at their snout and the color change works its way all the way to its tail.
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He's got his mouth open waiting for a treat from his trainer!+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This picture Basil could not resist snapping. We were watching this unfold. This woman was there in her burqa (pronounced burk - ah) with her six children. Beautiful, expensive - you can tell by the blue embroidery on it. When her youngest wanted to go in the water to pet the dolphin, but was afraid, this lady started to go in the water - burqa and all. One of the female trainers stopped her and helped the little girl. The male trainers were just going to let her go in! The lady would also only talk to the female trainers. The little girl finally did go in, with the trainer's help, and pet the dolphin. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Video of the pink dolphin - hope this works!

More tomorrow on the rest of the day trip with pictures.

Shari - I think I did it - maybe!

Abby - don't you just love the pink dolphins - you're going to get to see them and pet them!

Bobby - are you doing ok on the computer?

Heather - still the future, still there!