Getting back in the swing of things

September things start to roll again. The two organizations to which I belong start up their activities.
 I have signed my life away.
I went to a very interesting demonstration of classical Indian temple dance. She was beautiful, and the dance was beautiful. She danced to poetry of Gita love ballads. Beautiful movements and extraordinary facial expressions. There were musicians accompanying her. A flute, drum, violin, voice. The dance has a name I did not get but it include the syllables "pre" for facial expression, "raga" for melody, and "thala" for rhythm. These dances told love stories of Krishna. I found it a great deal of information, and a lot of dance, because it was all so new to me. A second time I would take in more and get more out of it. But to be exposed to these cultural forms is wonderful. (Also I was fairly new back in Sg and not fully copus mentis- or that's my excuse this time)

Yesterday I took a bus tour. I got an email telling me about this woman, whose business is organizing tours around Singapore. This tour was of shophouses. Shophouses are row housing, where the business is at the front of the house, and the family lives at the back and upstairs. These houses  are beautiful, practical, surprisingly spacious, and starting to be protected by historical preservation. The ceilings are very high (to take the hot air up), there are windows at the front and back, and a huge skylight in the middle. Often the skylight will be open to the sky, and the rain would fall into a pond on the first floor! We saw some old and preserved traditionally, some not renovated (yet?), and some with the exterior traditional, but the interior modern and out of this world. I don't know why I did not take photos of these modern interiors. They were spectacular. Minimalist, and art. Such amazing art. I know I was to be looking at the houses, but I was awestruck by the art. (As I post these photos I have no idea where they will appear on the blog!)
I am a member of a book club back in TO. I have been able to be a part of most meetings while I am here. I Skype them Friday morning to take part in their Thursday night meeting. It is wonderful to stay connected this way. But this past week I didn't make the connection. Not to press a point, girls, but we in the book club are all learning new skills on the computer, and learning Skype, finding our where our passwords are, etc etc. I so love these Skype connections to stay connected with my wonderful life back home.
I think I mentioned we were going to Cebu for the weekend. A long weekend. We flew out Friday morning and came back Monday evening. Cebu, as I learned, is in The Philippines. Tim had heard that there was really good diving in Cebu. We went to a hotel he picked on a website "Agoda", Plantation Bay Resort. A half hour drive from the airport, past very third world areas. Shacks made of tin and  blue plastic sheets, kids, goats, chickens sitting and wandering very close to the road. Then through very grand gates of "the plantation" to fantasy land. Man made all of it, well almost all of it. Their shore line was not glamourous but it was off this shore line that Tim had one of the best dives ever. There is a wall drop off, 100 meters down just 50 meters off the beach. He saw lots and was not disappointed. But the hotel grounds were not our usual style. Man made ponds, pools, "cliffs" to dive off, "waterfalls". (a little Disneyland, a little Club Med) The room was very nice, Philippine furniture, the food mediocre, but we had a nice time. Not a place I would die to go back to, but Tim would go back to dive again. I guess I would just have to go for more spa treatments. That's what I do when he goes snorkelling or diving. I will put pics on the next blog. Tim took lots of pics, I took none. I will get them from him, and share with you next entry.
I am back at yoga, as often as I can attend (3-4 times a week). I continue to stretch and work at yoga. At this wonderful studio "Yoga for Normal People- Calm and Bendy". I love it!
Went to an osteopath today and he mentioned an ugly word- fibromyalgia. He said I could have this for ever. Yuck yuck yuck. I really wish I could get a strong voice telling me what is going on, and what to do about it. One that tells me something I don't  mind hearing!
Kate and Will were here last week. I am so bad. I did not go downtown to see them. More accurately see the tops of their heads. They went to that wonderful Gardens by the Bay, amongst other places. I just see so many crowds all the time I didn't want to see more. Am I just getting old?
The grand prix is here this weekend- a huge event for Singapore. You can buy tickets to the stands, and watch the cars zip by, for $200, or really good seats for thousands $$$, or you can get a walkabout ticket for about $80. There is so much activity, and it is supposed to be quite exciting. But I think we will pass it by. They race at night. One reason being it uses streets in the downtown, but also, the sun is down , and it might be a degree or so cooler. It is raining today. It starts tonight. I would think wet roads are not good. hmmmm.
Ciao for now