"Tastes good...yummy yummy!

If I had to sum up Singapore in a few words I think that "tastes good, yummy yummy!" would say it all. These are the words we heard as we visited our first hawker stand (street food) yesterday afternoon. Singapore is a city whose citizens don't eat to live...they live to eat...my kind of people! A melting pot of cultures and cuisines, Singapore is a gastronomical delight and Joe and I were determined to make every minute count.

We arrived around lunch time but weren't able to make it to our hotel until about 2pm. The Pan Pacific Singapore is a gorgeous hotel located right in the center of everything. We were met by out personal concierge and brought to our room where a beautiful bouquet of red roses and purple hydrangeas was waiting. Apparently Joe had called ahead and booked a couple of surprises for me which were very much appreciated. We were upgraded to a deluxe balcony room with a breathtaking view of the city, flowers and a special anniversary cake. Joe is definitely a keeper!

After freshening up we left the hotel and made our way to the Esplanade and the Mankasutra hawker stand. There we tried Char key Teow a spicy Chinese noodle dish and rojak- a doughy concoction of breaded potato and egg mixed into a sort of salad. We topped these off with fresh squeezed lime juice and sugarcane juice with lemon. Delicious! From there we walked down the Esplanade and past the famous Merlion Park. The merlion is an iconic figure in Singapore and consists of a mermaid with a lion's head spouting water. These statues can be seen in several locations around the city.

From there we went to La Pa Sat another famous hawker stand. This place was a veritable emporium of smells and tastes. Each stall served up sumptuous dishes from all over Asia. We chose roti prata a famous dish that is sort of like a pancake filled with spicy chicken with chile sauce on the side. After that we were exhausted and found our way back to the hotel where took in the night view of the city and then used our remote control to lower the blinds before falling into dreamland.

This morning we woke up and watched the news (yes Bangkok is flooding..but we think we will still be OK to get out to Cambodia on the 3rd...we'll see. Otherwise we'll just do something else!) and prepared for the day. We booked a hop on/hop off sightseeing bus and made our way to Chinatown which proved to offer up an incredible travel experience.

Upon arriving to Chinatown we made our way to the Maxwell Center (another treasure trove of street food). As we were taking pictures outside a man came up to us and said "you have to try the chicken rice." We said "we know Tian Tian right...it's supposed to be amazing." Well we got to talking for a couple of minutes and he said "follow me, I'll show you my favorites." From there he told us his name was Eric and became our personal culinary tour guide. We learned that he used to study in Oregon and when I told him I worked at the Monterey Bay Aquarium his eyes lit up and he said he had been there three times! He then took us to Tian Tian's chicken rice (a place I had read about in two books and seen on Anthony Bourdain) and helped us order chicken rice, half a chicken and upon his insistence bean sprouts with cuttlefish. (Yes Aquarium coworkers...I did eat a cuttlefish...and it was tasty). While we ordered he told us how to eat our food and bought us lime juice and coconut juice, served in the coconut. Joe was a little wary because he was spending so much time with us but I had read that Singaporeans were very friendly and loved to share their food.

After about an hour of eating and chatting he said, wait you have to try this and then bought us Tanglin curry puffs, one chicken and one sardine. I said "well I'm not sure about the sardines...I feed them to the penguins..." He said "trust me...this is not penguin food." He was right...it was one of the best things I have ever tasted. We offered to repay him but he wouldn't hear of it!

After filling our bellies he asked us how much time we had. We told him we were pretty open and he took us to the Buddha tooth relic temple across the street. He walked around with us through all five floors and explained a lot of what we were seeing. After that he offered to take us to the National Museum but we declined as we wanted to move on. I gave him my work info and said if he was ever in Monterey again I would be happy to show him around and after the personal tour he gave us, I hope he takes me up on the offer. Meeting him and getting that personal touch, just because he felt like sharing was one of the best travel experiences I have ever had and will always have a place in my heart.

After that we went to the Sri Mariaman Hindu temple to take some stunning pictures and then made our way back to Maxwell Center and had a famous banana fritter before moving on to Little India. At that point we were drenched in monsoonal downpours so we went to the Banana Leaf Apollo to do what else.....eat of course! We had a delicious dinner of chicken kurma, samosas and lime and watermelon juices before making it back to the hotel.

That's all for now. We have to run...I hear the animals calling and it's almost time to pick up our bus for the Night Safari tour!

Time to dust off the old suitcases....

You probably thought I had disappeared never to be heard from again and certainly not in blog form. There were times that I kind of thought that too. However, after a wonderful trip to Africa, a nine month job search with a fabulous ending at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, a cross country move and over two years of very hard work....the time has come to cross another continent off of our list.

After a lot of adjustment to our new environs and job, Joe and I found that we had a serious case of wanderlust. After much discussion, we decided to conquer Asia. Now, you may not realize this...but Asia is HUGE and full of infinite possibilities. After several arduous months spent pouring over travel books, web sites and old episodes of the Amazing Race..we finally narrowed our choices down to SE Asia. What did we learn from this? We learned that SE Asia alone is HUGE! Back the old drawing board we went and finally came up with a whirlwind sampler of SE Asia and in true Chiappa fashion...it is going to be epic.

Our journey began in San Francisco last night where we boarded the Cadillac of planes hosted by Cathay Pacific. Things were rocky at first as we realized we hadn't been assigned seats together (three years ago when we went abroad we couldn't check in online ahead of time...but now you can). Over 14 hours of flying on one plane and not together...I have to say this redhead was quite distressed. Luckily a kind flight attendant put in a seat request and we ended up with some of the best seats of all....bulkhead seats! We had nobody in front of us and I could actually rest my long limbs on the wall in front of me from time to time. Cathay Pacific also has these great seats encased in a shell that slide forward which means you don't disturb the person behind you.

The food was pretty good (and we enjoyed our Cup of Noodles snack about 8 hours in) but the best part was the Entertainment system. We have flown a lot, but never has there been a better system to stay occupied. They have over 100 movies, entire TV series, language lessons (Joe has now learned that the word for Cat in Thai sounds like "meow"....you can imagine what he is calling me now...) and loads of games. Joe and I even played trivia against each other (though we decided we were too young for some of the questions). Of course we got a little antsy..how could you not when flying for 14 hours...but overall it was a great experience.

We landed in Hong Kong about an hour ago and I am writing to you via the free internet station in the airport. Gotta love technology! It is very overcast (turns out we didn't leave the Monterey fog behind) but it looks like a fun place to explore. So many places...so little time... It will have to wait for another trip.

For now, it's onward Singapore..and almost four more hours of flying! Remember....Asia=huge. See you soon!

Cat

Old Dreams and New! Welcome to my Blog!

If you had asked me the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" ten years ago my answer would have been hands down, "I want to be on Broadway." Performance whether vocal or instrumental has always been a large part of my life and always will be. However, while singing on Broadway is still a dream of mine it is no longer the dream. Would I still love the opportunity--absolutely, but it just isn't where my focus is anymore. Don't get me wrong, I'll still perform whenever I can, would still like to have a music room in a home one day complete with pianos and various other percussion instruments including a marimba and a xylophone, and will still jump at any opportunity to get paid to sing. However, pursuing performance as a career is no longer my main focus. It's an interesting realization to have since it has always been such a big part of me, but I also know that it always will remain a part of me.

Pursuing a professional career in music or theatre is perhaps one of the hardest tasks anyone could undertake. It requires hours of practice and single minded dedication. If I were to go down that path right this minute I would need to hire a new voice teacher, a vocal coach, take endless refresher dance lessons, prepare monologues....the list goes on and on. It would then be followed by hours of standing in line for a chance to be seen let alone to be heard by a panel of critics and endless calls of rejection peppered with the occasional acceptance....hopefully. It is more than a full time job and while worth it, just isn't where my heart is. I have always had trouble with that single minded dedication because I have always had a million other things I have wanted to do as well. For those of you who know me well, this will not in any way be a surprise to you! So, while I will always jump at the chance to perform and still have many parts I intend to play one day, I probably won't make a full time career of it...though you'd be surprised how well the skills I have learned from performing translate into all kinds of vocations.....

Over the past couple of years I have realized a new dream from which goals are starting to take shape. Now my passion revolves around travel, education, and wildlife conservation and the desire to get people to go out into the world to enjoy, learn, and protect what is out there. I have been very fortunate in the adventures and experience that I have had, and I want to share them so others can feel that joy that I have. Some of my new goals and ideas are:

1. Visit every continent...hopefully multiple times! I've already hit N. America, Australia, Europe and Africa.....3 more to go! I think Asia or S. America will be next...though I do love Australia and Africa...who knows....

2. Start a travel company that gets people out there travelling...especially those who wouldn't normally be able to afford it. I can't go in to too much detail because someone might steal my idea..and then where would I be.........:-)

3. Obtain a position in a Zoo/Aquarium or wildlife organization that allows me to educate the public about wildlife conservation and all the animals that I love. Being able to get involved with the Special Events and Travel depts. would be a bonus too! Hire me...please.....:-)

4. I saw Jack Hanna yesterday and told my husband Joe that I want to be "Cat Chiappa." He told me that I already am.....because I married him......That wasn't quite what I meant......I'd love to be like Jack Hanna and Jeff Corwin and get paid to travel the world teaching people about wildlife and geography, and voluntourism...but I'd like to bring other people with me!

5. Continue to get paid to perform....hey maybe not Broadway...but I'll take it where I can get it....;-)

This blog will be an assortment of animal information and facts, travel tips and suggestions, topical books reviews and other interesting tidbits as I see fit. I hope you enjoy my insights into our "Wild and Wonderful World!" Enjoy!

Africa: An End to the Beginning

It is hard to believe that is it has been six months since I left Africa. I had a wonderful adventure and I would encourage absolutely everyone to go. I know I yearn for it every day and would go back in a heartbeat if I could afford it.

Harnas Wildlife Foundation in Namibia is a magical place. I realized it while I was there but you don't fully appreciate it until you come home. Unfortunately I made the decision to come home two weeks early, which while I felt it was right at the time, in retrospect was one I wish I hadn't made. When I arrived it was a shock to my system. I missed Joe and was concerned because I couldn't get in touch with him for the first few days. I felt old as many of the people were 19 and 20 and taking time off from school etc. The first night there was a crazy party and people were drinking and vomiting etc and I just remember thinking "oh no, what have I gotten myself into." I'm not much of a drinker and I prefer small groups to parties, so it wasn't something I was used to. It also took a lot for me to get used to (and truthfully I never really did) cutting up fresh horse and donkey meat. So, I decided that while it was a place I was glad that I was able to visit, 4 weeks would be too long. Of course, as time went on I made closer friendships and fell deeply in love with the animals and was excited to return home to Joe but sad to leave after the 2 week period. I also found out later that the night I left the 4 lion cubs had been born and that the next day they had to take them away from their mother for fear that the father would kill them, so I could have spent my last two weeks playing with baby lions cubs!

When I arrived in the US is was really hard to adjust. I desperately missed Africa and everything was so different. The smells of the city were abrasive and the noise was so loud. It was culture shock I hadn't felt before and it was interesting that I felt it upon returning to surroundings of which I was familiar.

I think what I miss the most about Africa is the sounds. At Harnas I was lulled to sleep each night by several roaring lions and the occasional horse whinny, jackal call, and warthog grunt. On one night I was even lucky enough to sleep next to two beautiful cheetahs who soothed me to sleep with their thunderous purring. In Zambia we heard hippos "laughing" at each other throughout the night and in Kruger we listened for the haunting call of the hyena.

When I got to Africa I thought, alright this is nice, but I don't love it the way I love Australia. I knew it was something I would enjoy and could picture myself going back but I didn't feel the same heart wrenching tug that I do for Australia. However, after spending 6 weeks there I found that Africa had infiltrated not just my heart, but also my soul. A piece of my soul will always belong to Africa and it is a place I hope to return to many times throughout my life. I'd love to visit Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, travel through Namibia and take the Garden Route drive in S. Africa. I don't picture myself living there like I do Australia, but who am I kidding...I am always thinking up crazy ideas and usually execute them so I won't rule it out!

The bottom line is that while it was an expensive decision and a sometimes stressful experience (I'd probably have a job by now if I hadn't gone) I wouldn't trade it for the world and if I had to do it all over again, I would make that decision every time! As for Harnas, I think I'll go back. I hope that when I do find that perfect job, it is one that lets me take leaves of absence from time to time to volunteer with animals in places like Harnas, and I hope to be able to show it to others one day. For now I will just have to be content with my pictures and my dreams.