Squatters at Thanksgiving in Asia

Today we are to give thanks for many things. I suppose for John and I, besides being thankful for each other we must also be glad we still have a place to stay in Singapore - although officially we are now squatters in our own flat! Let me explain…

About four weeks ago we realized that our lease was due to expire on November 20th but had heard nothing from our landlord about renewing. Nor had they been showing the apartment to other potential lessees. After contacting our original real estate agent about our concern, he commented it was quite strange but suggested we take the initiative and send an offer to renew to the landlord. Our agent conveniently provided a template which John completed and sent along. Then we heard nothing for several more days. Finally John called only to be told that our landlords partner was away and would need to be consulted. After even more days went by, we started to explore other options, then the landlord called to say he wanted to come over to talk with us. In our renewal offer we had requested that the landlord should touch-up the walls where the paint was chipped or marred and repair a recently leaking toilet. His visit was an obvious attempt to see for himself whether these requests were necessary. Afterwards, he reiterated the need to consult with his partner. Finally the night before the expiration we received an alternative offer to renew at a slightly higher rate. At least this was progress! We discussed this new offer and decided it was within an acceptable range of other apartments in our area and agreed to renew. Of course we promptly replied but now, one week later and after the expiration of our original lease, we still have no new official lease! We heard the partner is out of town again but will return on Monday, just two days before we leave for a trip back to the U.S. Let's hope it gets finalized before then as we don't want to remain squatters through Christmas too!

In the meantime, I have been on a quest to find what I can to fulfill our menu for Thanksgiving. Since it is just the two of us we don't need a whole turkey so I decide to just go for a frozen turkey breast they make available in my usual grocery store. It's pricey (about $35 for a little 3-lb roast!) but I decide it's the best option. I thaw and brine it, a technique I have not used before. It sits resting in it's herbed juices waiting to be roasted… Next I see they have canned cranberry sauce but find fresh at the local market! We will also have mashed potatoes and a veg - neither of those are a problem.

The biggest challenge may be pecan pie. The nuts are very expensive here (over $5 for a small 2 oz package) and I don't want to make a whole pie just for us. After doing some research on-line I find a couple of bakeries to try. In a way this is a treat for me! I get to go out on several different afternoons for pie and coffee to see what I can find that is suitable. At first I can find no pecan or pumpkin for that matter but then, as the holiday nears more bakeries start to advertise pies they don't always carry

Pecan Pie from Cedele's

including pecan. One is just up the street from us! I try their pumpkin (it's terrible) but the pecan looks promising. However on the day of Thanksgiving I go to buy a couple of slices and of course, today of all days they are out of pecan pie! My back-up plan is to get the pie from another favorite bakery I use all the time, a chain called Cedele's. I speak to John during his lunch break and he is able to find one of their shops nearby and confirms he can get the pecan pie there.

John's plate piled high

So now it's Friday morning, the day after our mini-feast. As you can see it was a pretty scrumptious meal in the end! On top of that, our landlord came over last night with a new lease in hand. We haven't signed on the dotted line yet but now it feels like we're going to be legitimate tenants in the next few days. In the meantime, the bathroom light fixture has now quit working and the toilet still leaks but we have a roof over our head and full bellies! Plenty to be thankful for! And here's hoping all of you also had a terrific turkey day or whatever your equivalent is for the occasion.

Weekend in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Map of Southeast Asia

It's very early on November 1st and John and I are flying to Phnom Penh from Singapore. Cambodia is a largely Buddhist country of 14.8 million. It is a constitutional monarchy with a king as head of state but the government is run by a former military leader who took control in a coup in 1997.

It's an easy 1-1/2 hour flight and upon arrival, we buy our entry visa and breeze through immigration and customs into a taxi for a 25 minute ride to our hotel, The Queen Wood. It's probably a two-star hotel but for $22/night it's clean with friendly staff and well located in the city. Next door is the Feel Good cafe that roasts their own coffee and upstairs hosts a spa that makes its own line of skin care and aromatherapy products. Once we check-in and dump our bags we make our way just down the street to a backpacker's inn where we are told they offer a rooftop bar that's a good place to cool off, meet-up and even eat breakfast which is what we intend to do!

Our friend, Rachel

On this trip, we are supposed to be joining in with a group of about 30 others, mostly from Hong Kong who've come here for a weekend of fun and runs known as hashing. In short order, one of our oldest friends from Hong Kong, Rachel joins us at the backpacker's bar and it's great to catch-up with her. Since I've last seen her she's married a fellow Brit, acquired two dogs,  quit her teaching job for other pursuits and is quite happy. After breakfast, she and I decide to check-out that spa next to the hotel and end up staying for foot massages and pedicures to while away part of the afternoon.

Buy a new watch from me!

Once our toes are brightly polished, we meet up with John and another guy from the group and explore the Central Market, a French designed art-deco structure built in 1937.  From a large central dome, four arms extend outward, each filled with stalls selling everything from jewelry, watches, clothing, shoes, antique coins and a host of souvenirs and food!

As the daylight starts to fade, the whole group gathers in the hotel lobby to find out what the plans are for the evening. John, along with two other guys from the group are the weekend leaders (referred to as "hares") who've spent considerable time before this trip organizing venues and determining the trails for the hash-runs. This evening we are going for a pub crawl that ends at a disco where we can party and dance the night away.

We arrive by boat at the silk island, Koh Dach

Saturday morning we are all to assemble again in the lobby at 10:30 a.m. dressed for a run/walk on a mystery trail that only our "hares" know. From there we are all loaded into a series of tuk tuk's who drive us to the nearby riverside where we then all load onto a waiting boat. The boat is made of solid dark wood and we all find seats as it travels up the Mekong River on flat water.  It's a pleasant ride that takes about 1-1/2 hours before we arrive at a small island in the middle of the river. Later I learn the name of the island is Koh Dach and is known for it's silk-weavers. Once we are all on shore, it's up to us to find and follow the markings the hares have set to mark the trail (usually chalk arrows or blobs of flour). For me and a few others who intend to walk, not run, we set off with John who's handling the task of sweeping at the end of the pack for anyone that's lost their way to help guide them to the end point.

Island villagers with their baby rest in the shade

The island is quite flat and there are scant spots of trees or shade. A few weeks before when John came here to "recce" and plan, the place was flooded after heavy rains. Now it's very hot and dry but we persist and are rewarded with travels through local villages where the children delight at our foreign presence while the many cows are more suspect. Many of the women who weave silk for trade are using their looms in the shaded space beneath their raised houses and we can hear them swishing and clacking as we walk by. There are also several temples and a school we pass through on our route. After about two hours in the heat we are spent but finally reach the end point. The boat has come around to meet us there and we can now relax and try to cool off for a while.

On our return to the city, the boat drops us at a special location where we are to enjoy a meal. It's a local restaurant that has a surprise feature - the whole floor is covered with straw mats over which hang an array of 40 or 50 hammocks! Many of our group collapse into them ready for a nap but soon the staff start to bring beer and food and we sit in two long rows around the mats gorging on a variety of dishes. Finally it's time to head back and call it a night (although some elect to hang out at another disco for more dancing) - foolish souls!

"Hares" in hammocks

On Sunday there is one more run. This time we are organized into teams of four and handed a set of clues that we have to solve in order to find our way to the final meeting place. It turns out my team is very good but too fast for me to keep up with. I fall behind and get lost. Fortunately another woman from our group finds me and we both head back to the hotel together to freshen up. After several hours, the rest of the group returns and after they all clean up the afternoon proceeds with more food and fun. Most of the Hong Kong contingent are returning that night and leave together in a rented bus for the airport; a few of the rest of the pack are staying over into Monday. John and I are among them so we can relax and head for the famous FCC (for Foreign Correspondents Club) for dinner.

John at the local market

On Monday, we sleep in a bit then cruise around the city taking in a few more sites including a local market where we find heaps of fruits, vegetables, dried seafood, meat, rice, grains and even hair salons and barbershops. Unfortunately as we arrive at the palace grounds they are just closing at 10:30 a.m.?! Oh well, we are just enjoying our time together and after we enjoy a cool drink we head to that spa again, this time for full body massages. At $15 each it's a bargain! Then at last it's time for us to pack and head back to Singapore. We both agree that Phnom Penh reminds us of much earlier days of Bangkok, a nice and cheap place to go for a weekend getaway so we are likely to return again. To get a better look at our weekend, check out my gallery of photos here!