F1 @ Night

We haven't really walked around a lot - we get sweaty really quickly - so it was a real adventure to just walkabout the Singapore F1 Grand Prix Walkabout Zone 4.  This night circuit runs around Esplanade, Marina Bay, behind SunTec and back to Esplanade - all within walking distance of our office building.  So, this evening, we took our F1 badges and walked up Shenton way, to Esplanade Dr where we could enter the area to enjoy the first practice round of the grand prix, along with the qualifiers for the junior AsiaPac race.

The view fro Esplanade Dr is quite stunning.  The new Marina Bay Sands hotel is dramatically situated across the bay and behind this wacky lotus/flame-looking structure that may open to the public soon - as what, I am still not sure.  The ever-spinning Singapore Flyer is just to the east.

From "Early Fall" in Singapore

The Walkabout Zone was well-designed with lots of beer stands, merchandise booths and food stalls - plus there were regular businesses in Esplanade that had special deals for the occasion.  We got our ear plugs and beer and found a nice platform to view one of the turns.  That kept us busy for about 10 minutes...

From "Early Fall" in Singapore

So we went back to walking around the Esplanade, took some pics, had some dinner, more beer and walked over to the stage where Missy Elliott was going to give a performance.  My only thought throughout the show was that she must be really hot in that sweater and sweat pants... We're not big Missy Elliott fans but she tried to give a good show, and some of her dancers were amazing.

This was our first evening leaving Lizzy at home with Allen, and I gotta say it was quite nice.  We're seriously thinking about making date night official - perhaps, bi-weekly?

Elizabeth is 2-Years Old

These birthdays are way more shocking than my own.  OK, maybe 30 was disorienting, but how the time flies with Elizabeth.  A lot has happened in her first two years, but I can't help feeling like I missed something very important here... Especially since moving here was to satisfy selfish cravings, although I'd like to believe that whatever makes mommy and daddy happy is good for  their children.

Anyways, this year here birthday was celebrated in Israel with her extended family and in Singapore with her daycare class.  We have many, many hopes for her future, but right now I just want to make sure she doesn't grow up to say "can" instead of "yes".

From Birthday Party at MMS

Rosh Hashana in Israel

We spent a week in Israel with my parents and brother and the rest of my extended family who lives there. This was Elizabeth's first time in Israel and meeting most of this part of the family - including my grandparents.  Both Lizzy and I were sick for most of the week but we tried to make the best of it, doing a little touring - Jerusalem, Tel Aviv/Yaffo, beaches - and a lot of eating.  Connie filled up on grilled foie gras and I filled up on my grandma's cooking (and lots and lots of hummus!).

Elizabeth now knows some of her second cousins by name (Schwartz family) and since we've been back has been asking for them.  It's quite sad that we're so far away, but no different being in Singapore or NYC.  Speaking of which, on our return flight (with Turkish Airlines) we had severe delays - our flight was cancelled (supposedly, due to world basketball championships in Istanbul) and we ended up flying back through Bangkok with El Al, and with Singapore Airlines back to Singapore.  Singapore Airlines is our new favorite airline...  Good even in economy...

Anyways, Shana Hadasha Hao! to everyone...

From Israel II