Adios, Singapore!

Well, I survived the madness and am leaving in one piece...I think! My last evening in Singapore I wore a diamond crown and become a Durian Queen. My farewell to Singapore. See photos below:

 We had a pit-stop for Durian at the Bedok Reservoir, above. On the way to airport.

Below you will see the lovely display of Durian!

 Note the crown.

On on that happy note, this blog is finìs! I hope you enjoyed learning about my Singapore travels!

Look out for a new blog about Thailand and beyond....

Adieu!

Courtney

To Koh Samui

To Koh Samui

A poem by Courtney

They tell me to let go
But let go I can-not!

The bowl that Katja gave me
My French ceramic pot

A stained hot pink umbrella
from Lot-Less in New York

Just give it away? Throw it out?
First I might just scream and shout!

These things all matter, clearly, 

So why can’t they come with me?

What’s an extra 50 kilos
to come to Koh Samui?

Photo Time!

I had a request to post some photos from my mom's 10-day trip here to visit me.
Donc, voilà!:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151381390087715.554151.500277714&type=3&l=a01843251e

Enjoy!

Ode To Mr. Vitamix

Ode To Mr. Vitamix

Once there was a VitaMix. What’s a VitaMix, you say?
Why, only the most powerful blender on the market to this day!

Courtney bought her VitaMix off Craigslist, yes indeed
Wandering the streets of Chinatown to fulfil her urgent need
For a blender that could purée to a paste and create a magical yummy taste

Up six flights of Chinatown stairs
Courtney trekked in Uggs and winter fare

To find a slightly worn machine-
2 different owners this VitaMix has seen!

But all this way and only 150 bucks?
I’ll take it, said Courts, tis proof of my great luck!

So through the ice and hail they went,
Courtney ever so careful not to make a dent!

Months go by and great friends they become
Smoothies, sauces, puddings- life’s now much more fun!

But there were some rough patches along the way
Like the time a metal spoon she blended away

But survived yet he did, the VitaMix is quite strong
even a metal spoon didn’t do him much harm

As summer approached, he was at his best
Used almost daily, barely given a chance to rest!

In August with Courtney moving, she’d already made up her mind.
Vitamix would come to Singapore- who knows if another she could find.

Plugs, adapters, converters galore
all filled her suitcases- she could’ve opened up a store!

One of them will work, she had to just believe
There was no other option- the VitaMix she would not leave!

Thousands of miles they flew in the sky
to a strange new city where VitaMix would try

to do his best under new voltage conditions
he was concerned however this may not be his mission.

A few times he worked, but not to his best
Suddenly he was needing more and more rest

Loud noises like thunder Vitamix did make
showing Courtney the truth she could not bare to take

That poor Vitamix had gone way past his prime
and in his meek state he was no longer fine

Oh dear, thought Courtney. What am I to do?
Without my VitaMix I feel like a pile of poo.

No sauces, no puddings. No soups smooth and silky
He turned from clear plastic to a shade kind of milky

Courtney found a local blender, a cheapy, yes indeed
Smoothies now are chunky. Seeds and nuts it cannot heed.

But for now it will do, it will do just fine
Until another Vitamix enters this life of mine

Underneath the counter, VitaMix did go
to make room for Cheapy Blender, who now’s running the show.

VitaMix opened his lid, to bid the world farewell
His life has been blessed by Arc Angel Raphael

Days later at his funeral, Courtney spoke these words
heard by thousands of people, monkeys, and birds:

“We love thee, dear Vitamix. You shall be reborn

I cannot but help to feel oh so forlorn

You belonged to a restaurant, that was your first home

and then to an Asian who wore her hair in a comb

And then to me you came, quite used, yes, you were

but I loved thee dearly. I still felt your allure

May your next life be blessed with speed and power

to travel the country without turning so sour”

VitaMix listened intently and thought merrily of his next life
zooming through kale and collards, a world with no more strife!

Even on his deathbed, happy thoughts he entertained
Arc Angel Raphael decided VitaMix shall be ordained

And on that bitter-sweet note, this poem comes to an end
I love you, Mr.VitaMix, Rest Well my dear friend!

Baby Ballerinas and Their Toys

For a minute, close your eyes and picture a four-year old. Or perhaps try to remember your 4-year old self.....done yet?
For me, this exercise is rather easy as I spend my afternoons with little kids that age quite frequently since coming to Singapore. Yes, I am their ballet teacher but also more like their temporary "mama" as they look at me with huge eyes, run up to me and give random hugs,  and blurt out the most random things about their lives in the middle of dancing.

At four years old, a child is barely all there. Some are- but for the most part they are in their own imaginative worlds and not completely aware of what's going on. Which is why my experience this afternoon needs to be recorded:

Little M(for privacy reasons I will use this name abbreviation- as you read on you will see why...she may be reading this!) finished her class with me and was waiting for her mama. Poor thing...her mom always comes 20+ minutes late to pick her up, so she sits in the studio very sad and scared while I teach the next group of baby ballerinas.

Today, I noticed little M playing with some electronic gadget. Looking over, I saw it was the latest i-phone, and she was pressing some numbers on it.
Completely astounded, I asked what she was doing...she answered "calling mommy". I couldn't keep from asking several questions, trying to comprehend what on earth a four-year-old is doing with an i-phone. This fact slightly sickens me I will admit. I was itching to take a photo of this uncanny phenomena, but alas, my phone is not technologically sufficient enough to have a camera. This fact greatly amused me as well- here I was wanting to take a photo to show the world how crazy things have become, and yet I am using such a simple phone that can't even snap a picture!

I turned to the 3-year olds I was now teaching, and asked with a slight bit of fear "Do any of YOU have i-phones?" Luckily, not yet. Although one girl's friend does have one. And another girl is getting one in 2 months.

So..the 3-year old ballet class goes on, with Little M fixated on her phone in the corner. And then we hear it ringing. This is getting out of control. There is a sign on the studio door- no cell phones allowed! But Little M can't read. How is she supposed to know phones aren't allowed in ballet?
The 3-year olds are getting very ansy, I cannot control 10 of them PLUS an i-phone PLUS a now very sad and very terrified Lil M. So, I tell her all calls must be answered outside of the studio. And so out she goes to answer her call.

And I have now been informed by my boss, in a very matter of fact way that No, it's not strange or crazy at all. All the girls that age have them.

Who knows what I will see next- I don't even want to imagine!

Settling in...in time to leave!

It's been a while since I've posted on this blog- mainly because things have finally settled into a nice (although super busy) routine for me here.  Teaching dance most afternoons/evenings is the norm, and I have incorporated a whole slew of other practices into my days- things I have always wanted to do but the timing was never quite right.

~Oil Painting is my new therapy. It's amazing. I love painting- it;'s such freedom! The colors are the best part. In a light-filled studio with less about 4 people in my class, I am guided to create whatever vision I desire on the canvas. I am completed 2 large paintings and am working on my third. The first one was mailed back to NYC where it's now hanging gracefully on the wall where the mirror was before it crashed on my head a year ago. (that's a whole other story!) My second creation, below, depicts Hebrew letters ( a Kabbalah mediation) emerging out of a stormy sea:

~Besides from painting, I am now taking private voice lessons! Yippee! Finally! My first-ever real voice lessons. Now that I am far away from my constantly-singing sister, I can develop my talents without any competition! haha. Daily practicing has become a priority and I am loving it.

~Teaching yoga at Anti-Oxidant therapy center. Heated rooms with ceramic tiles that release millions of negative ions to heal and detoxify your body + yoga class = a blissful, sweaty experinece. This type of Gamban Spa originated in Japan and is a form of healing. Adding yoga in the room makes it even more effecticve.

~ Choreography debuts at Singapore American School and Raffles Hotel coming up in May. 10 new pieces being performed by students ranging from 4 to 17 years old. My particular favorite is a ballet piece I choreographed to The Moldau, for 14 advanced dancers.

~Making beautiful healthy meals for myself is a high priority, as I do not eat local food since it is loaded with MSG and who knows what else. The time and effort involved in preparing all my organic meals is well worth it- I can taste the healing quality of the food. Below is my favorite comfort food, roasted pumpkin with coconut milk mixed with a curry-ginger spice blend, sweetened with vanilla stevia and pumpkin pie spice. YUM!

~ There's lots more new things I am up to...but this post gives you a little sampling!

~And now for some news...now that I am settled and thoroughly enjoying my daily experience, I am MOVING!! To....Thailand. Why? you may ask. Why not? I will answer. More on that topic in another post, gotta get my beauty rest. As the great Natalia Rose says, "sleep is the number one healer!"

Only in Singapore

When I'm not dancing, teaching, doing yoga, painting, chanting, preparing vegetables, singing, playing piano, writing, reading, swimming, or other typical daily activities, I find it always exciting to explore new things in Singapore! Let's see what Courtney has been up to recently:

1. Chingay Parade.
   Let's just say I had absolutely no idea what I was in for when I happily accepted an invitation to join friends at this yearly event held at the end of Chinese New Year. This 2+ hr parade consisted of multi-cultural performances from all over Asia. The magnitude of the parade was insane. Especially when witnessed from front-row seats at the very start of the parade line-up. The parade was quite a spectacle- just goes to show what can be done with an unlimited budget!- one dance alone had 1000 performers in it to give you an idea...
   
   
   
   
   
   

   

   Lots and lots of dragons were there...celebrating the year of the Dragon!
   (My Chinese zodiac sign as well!)

   
   
   
   
   

   

   The grand finale shown above

   
   
   
   
    2. Bird Park!
   Singapore is home to the largest bird park in the world, and I have been meaning to go since I arrived. On a Tuesday afternoon, my friend and I had pretty much the whole place to ourselves (minus the 5000 birds!!).My favorites were a HUGE fuzzy owl (couldn't get a photo because of no-flash rules) , the crowned pigeon (see photo below) and the hot pink birds also shown below! The flamingos were also pretty cool! And the pelicans! And the Loris...ahh too many to pick favorites!

   

   That's me

   
   

   

   Crowned Pigeons!

   

   Flamingo Lake!

   

   Brightly Colored birdies!

   
   

   3. Thaipusam This is a Hindu festival where devotees stick numerous large skewers in their body, and march down the street accompanied by a small mob of friends and family singing, playing instruments, and cheering their loved ones on as they endure what must be excruciating pain. Definitely a sight to behold. Gruesome. Bizarre. The skewer thing is banned in India...so if seeing people with skewers in their body is what you're into, then come on over to Singapore where there's one of the biggest Thaipusam festivals in the world!
   
   

Dancin' Around!

No Squatting in Singapore!

I saw this poster in a bathroom the other day, and no, it's not a joke!
I thought I was the only one who did weird things like this poster shows, but clearly, that's not the case!
hehehehehe

Adventures Down-Under: 12 days in Australia

From Bali to Australia...

Australia is a paradise for those who love fresh air and beaches. The beach is so abundant that it looks unreal. The people are incredibly friendly, and the water so pure and crystal clear. I sound like a TV commercial advertising a vacation to Australia (haha), but it's true!

The 12 days I spent in Western Australia went by in no time at all. Wild kangaroo spotting was quite a highlight for me!

So was teaching a Yoga and Detox course with my new amazing friend, Casey. (see her blog entry for details about our super-fun weekend: http://www.caseylorraine.com/2012/01/juicing-on-the-go-detox-workshop-pics/)

I also had my first hostel experience when I went to Dunsborough and stayed right on the beach. I did not leave the sun for 3 days straight. Pure heaven.

I even spotted a black swan in the Indian Ocean:

And had a Digeridoo lesson:





 

It was so much fun in Australia, I did not want to leave. I would have preferred to live in the ocean, like a mermaid!

My Christmas vacation in Bali

I think I am going to move to Bali.

I must say, that I was slightly apprehensive about traveling alone over Christmas to a place where I didn't know anyone. However, the trick to traveling is learning to stay open, and by staying open to the new experience, I had the most incredible week where I met people who I have profound connections with, and had some pretty awesome adventures!! Although way too extensive to write about here, I will give a brief summary of the week: 3 nights in Canguu where I relaxed in the villa pool, went to the beach, spent time with new friends, went to yoga retreat, walked through rural villages and rice fields, and then  4 nights in Ubud (which strangely reminds me of Bloomington, IN) where I fell in love (with Bali) haha, ate at yummy organic restaurants, met monkeys up close- hundreds of them actually, learned to play the gamalan, stayed with a Balinese family in their compound, met SGI members, went to a temple ceremony with my host family, watched Balinese dance performance, took a roadtrip to see an active volcano, got an incredible massage for ridiculously little money, explored the markets..and more. This sounds a bit too much like paradise, right? Well then it may make you feel better to know that I also: got terrified by crazy stray dogs while walking home in pitch blackness, had a spider in my room as big as my hand, and got drenched in the rain one day when I decided an umbrella was not necessary-oops! But even those not-so-nice events had happy outcomes, in their own ways...it's always nice when random Balinese on their motorcycles will let you hop on so that crazy barking dogs can be avoided...lol

I think the majority of the trip can be summed up by the photos I took. See link for album:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150662482982715.494457.500277714&type=3&l=8be34f732b