Corporate America Runaway

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For All snapshots of Singapore - click here!

I landed in Singapore ready to see something familiar - my family! I was ready to empty out and fumigate my suitcase, sleep in the same bed for multiple nights in a row and get in the Christmas spirit. However, after a few hours in Singapore getting the tour of my sister’s home, sitting down to a family dinner, helping nieces with their homework - I quickly realized - this is probably the most foreign place I’ve visited so far. The idea of eating a well balanced dinner at 6:30, having a family conversation, getting up in time to get kids off to school, going to church on Sundays, helping with homework (which I have miserably failed at), getting to bed by 10:00, watching Disney movies, and generally being a good role model…well - I don’t live in this ‘family’ world normally. I know that by now (at 36 years old) I am supposed to be completely at ease in this world…but I’m not. This has been a bit of a culture shock - but a fun one. It has brought back so many childhood memories and it made me realize just how different my life in NYC was. In NY I was still working at 6:30, I had my first cocktail by 7:30, dinner at 9:00, bed at midnight, and I never once hung around school age kids unless it was a holiday that I went home for. So - I guess it was about time that I entered this world for a while…

Let me introduce you to my family - my sister, Cyndi, is married to Frank and they have 3 girls - Bethany, Megan, and Lindsey. My nieces officially refer to me as the ‘Crazy Aunt’…I think I’m ok with that…it’s better than being the ‘Boring Aunt’. I love being an Aunt - I always have. I love the fact that I get to do the fun stuff and teach them important things like how to spot a fake Coach bag, how to say hello in Italian, and what thong underwear is. However, I secretly imagine that every night before dosing off to sleep that Frank says to Cyndi “How long is your sister planning on staying here again?” There is one more person to mention in my Singapore family - Mylene. Mylene is from the Phillipines and works for Cyndi’s family tending to various household activites. She’s wonderful…not just because she calls me Miss Sherry (which I secretly love), but she’s a wonderful cook, and has a great laugh to match her easy-going personality. In my new ‘temporary’ home I share a room with my 7 year old niece - I sleep on the bottom bunk. She’s a pretty good roommate…no loud music, she doesn’t wake up when I go to bed late, and no snoring. She does however have numerous stuffed animals that I have to add and remove from the bed everyday - but that’s a small price to pay for free lodging. Considering I have had no flirting with the opposite sex in my last 4 months, a stuffed animal to cuddle with occasionally is not neccesarily a bad thing.
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Who: Gusti
Where from: Village near Ubud. Gusti worked at the Oka Wati Hotel and he served me breakfast everyday!

Photo: Gusti

Q: How long have you been working at Oka Wati?
A: 10 years
Q: What is your favorite part of your job?
A: Meeting people, serving breakfast, and having satisfied guests
Q: Is your job ever stressful?
A: Yes - when there was the terroist bombing it was stressful. There was bad economy and few tourists.
Q: What is your favorite breakfast?
A: Nasi Campur - rice with veggies and meat
Q: What is in the scrambled eggs you serve here?
A: Egg, pepper, salt, sweet creamer, green leaf, onion, garlic, and butter
Q: If you could go anywhere in the world - where would you go?
A: Los Angeles
Q: What is your favorite Balinese ceremony?
A: Galungan and Nyepi (the quiet day observing the Balinese new year)
Q: Who is your favorite actor?
A: Tom Hanks, Sean Penn, Bruce Willis, Kate Winslet, Winona Ryder, and Sharon Stone
Q: What is your favorite music?
A: Heavy Metal

Photo: Gusti and I on the veranda of the Oka Wati Hotel

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