M&M Go Global

Parenting is a continual process, or so I'm told. And yet, so is being a son or daughter. For me, having my parents come in town was another chapter in this book.

My lovely parents came in town for two and a half weeks, and it was very cool to show them the life Amanda and I have here.

Bintan

Right after M&M got here, we headed to Bintan, Indonesia. This island an hour ferry ride from Singapore is really a resort destination. Unfortunately, it rained quite a bit, which put a dent in my plans to be beach bums. However, we were still able to make it to the beach at times. The hotel we stayed in was pretty nice. The food at the restaurants was good. All in all, it was a good mini trip, but not the cultural trip my parents may have been expecting.

Seeing Singapore

As stupid as this may sound, I was proud that my parents went and saw Singapore for themselves while Amanda and I were working. At times, I was able to go to lunch with them, and then send them on their way as I went to work. They saw Little India, Chinatown (home to my mom's new favorite hairdresser), Arab Street, Dhoby Ghaut area (going almost exclusively by bus), Orchard, etc all on their own. Of course they're adults and are able to do this stuff on their own, but it was still a pleasant surprise to me.

The highlight for me was going to the Singapore Flyer with them. I had purposely waited to go on the large observation wheel until they were in town. It was a really nice time- went at night and saw the city in bright lights

Cruise

My parents being the cruise loving people they are, went on a five day exploration of SE Asia aboard the Star Virgo. Luckily, I was able to join for most of the trip. The ship was supremely average in my opinion, but I enjoyed all of the ports. We went to Penang, Malaysia and Phuket, Thailand. I'd been to Penang, but this was a completely different experience. We saw things I hadn't been able to visit on my last trip. Phuket was nice. Saw some more cool Buddhist temples, plus went to the beach after. Yet again, I love Thailand and I'm ready to go back.

Showtime

While they were here, we went to two live theater shows, "Boeing! Boeing!" and "Fried Rice Paradise." Amanda and I had a bit of an advantage as we have more of an ear for Singlish. Some of the jokes we were able to catch that my parents couldn't. Then again, there were jokes in Chinese that none of us understood. Still, we enjoyed both performances. It was a good change to see live productions again.

It was great having them in town. Our guest room was put to good use (wink wink - come visit, we have a room set up). It did make me realize a bit more of the life I'm not having at home, but this still feels like where I'm supposed to be.

Those are the brief highlights of a great two and a half weeks.

Michael

Michael-Jordan Take On Saigon

Knowing my good buddy Jordan, I figure my two days in Ho Chi Minh City would be action packed.

Tuesday night

I got in and Jordan was still finishng up his day's tour, so I hung out in the hotel room and watched ESPN Star Sports of course! It was cool watching SportsCenter and knowing the video and script I worked on earlier was being broadcasted in this country.

Once he got back, we headed out to Pho 2000-the restaurant President Clinton ate at on his trip to Saigon in 2000. It was really tasty and to my surprise the beef was completely legitimate (again making me wonder why it's so different in Singapore).

Anyways, the next stop was the night market. It seems like once you've been to one night market, you've been to all of them. Really nothing special to note-although their fake northfaces looked pretty good.

Wednesday

Tunnels tour

Of course a big part of coming to Vietnam was to look at some of the war stuff. Something that interested the two of us were the Cu Chi tunnels. These are the tunnels the Vietcong had in certain areas - helped move without being seen. Really, the system is very smart, but I just couldn't believe how small these tunnels were. Apparently, they've been doubled in size and I was still really uncomfortable. You kind of "duck walk" through the tunnels and my knees just were not having it. I only went part of the way and then took the early exit - my legs can still feel it.

In general, the war stuff made me quite uncomfortable, but more on that in a bit.

Nam Phan Restaurant

After the tour, we got dropped off near the war remnants museum. But before more "feel good" memories, we wanted to have lunch. Luckily, we stumbled upon one of the nicest looking restaurants I've ever been in! This place was a rennovated mansion and boy was it awesome. We both felt completely under dressed - but it turns out our stomachs were ready for the occasion. The food was sooooo good. We both got an appetizer, a main dish and a Pepsi for a total of 26 USD. It was easily a sixty dollar meal in the states at least. It really just shocked me.

War Remnants Museum

After stuffing ourselves, it was time to get back to more knowledge. The museum is completely one sided. I mean being in a communist country it was understandable, and essentially the North eventually won out in the war. The photos, captions, displays, all made it very clear - the people wanted communism, the Americans wanted destruction.

Look, I wasn't alive then and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been in favor of the war, but it was really pretty crushing. Whether it was right or wrong for the US to go to Vietnam can always be debated, but to me it seems like it was the war between communism and individualism, and the battleground ended up being Vietnam.

I do think if I was alive and an 18 year old kid, I would have been really unhappy to have to go there. Then again, I admit, I haven't done all the research necessary on the war.

Afternoon Snack

Feeling extra good about ourselves, we decided to walk back to the hotel (probably a two mile walk). It was really nice as we saw a lot of the real city, not just tourist spots. Again, we stumbled into a great garden cafe and decided to have a snack. So, we picked the healthiest option of course - creme broulet. The atmosphere was really as nice as the food. Yet again, a lovely decision.

We finally got back to the hotel to recharge before our night out.

Barbeque Garden

Jordan is a big fan of Korean Barbeque. In Seoul (where he works as an English teacher) he goes about once a week. Which meant he was quite eager to try Vietnamese BBQ. It was an easy sell for me, meat + fire = good. The place we went to had a great garden set up, pretty much right in the city.

It's pretty simple, they bring platters of meat, you sit and cook it, then eat it. Again, what made it great was that we had a ton of food (meat, kebabs, corn, onion rings, drinks) all for 10 US each. In a way, I'm glad the food in Singapore isn't as cheap or it'd be dangerous.

A Whole New World

Our next stop was to find dessert. I know it looks like all I do on vacation is eat, but, okay maybe that's kind of true, no excuses, it's what I love to do.

Right across from where we were staying was the New World Hotel. We scampered in, hoping for some decent and not expensive dessert. Winner, winner cheesecake dinner! Jordan got strawberry cheesecake, I got "Mississippi mudcake" (which kind of resembled a durian). It didn't taste like durian though! Sheer heaven and the ice cream was even better. Homemade and silky smooth. That wraps up Wednesday.

Thursday

Most Manly Activity

We woke up ready to get our massages. Right near the hotel was a nice looking spa, and it was cheaper than the one at the hotel. It was an experience for sure. Let's just say I didn't go for a certain added option, but it was still a nice time.

Beef Bonanza

Maybe it's the stupidest idea, but I love eating beef, and it's a more rare experience in Singapore. While we had set out loooking for a pizza place, we ended up finding a great place called the Black Cat. Luckily, we didn't pass it up (superstition joke, hahahaha, it's funny if I point it our right?). This couple next to us were eating this Texas sized burger - 500 grams of meat. Seriously, this was like one of those you eat it all, you get it free types. We did not try to take down the "Big Cat," but we each really liked our food. I got a hamburger that beats any I've had in the little red dot so far.

Fleury of French Findings

France had colonized Vietnam for more than a hundred years (which ended in the 1940s). Well, as you'd guessed, there are plenty of French influenced buildings. As I had an hour before needing to go to the airport, we tried to pack in as many sights as possible. We saw the Notre Dame Cathedral, a beautiful train station and many other relics. We tried to find the city hall, but just missed it.

Speaking of just missing - I got to the airport in plenty of time for my 5:30 flight. Unfortunately, my plane wouldn't be joining me. My flight was cancelled, but I got rescheduled for the 9:30 PM flight.

So, I wrote the majority of this blog on my iPhone while sitting in the Saigon airport.

Anyways, it was great to see my pledge brother and catch up over sights, food, food, drinks, food and food.

I wonder where we'll meet up next!

Michael

A Krabi Birthday Weekend

I've been fortunate to have had very wonderful birthday celebrations in the past, but I have to admit, going to Krabi, Thailand for my 23rd birthday might take the cake.

On Thursday night, I got pretty nervous as the weather reports called for bad weather all weekend, including "torrential rain." I guess this is to be expected as it is apparently rainy season there at the moment (yeah, I hadn't looked that up before booking the trip).

So as Friday rolls around, I'm fully expecting a miserable weather weekend in what's supposed to be a gorgeous place. Luckily, when we got there on Friday, it was cloudy, but not really raining. I was amazed when we got to the hotel. For the amount we paid, there is NO way we could have stayed somewhere like that in the US.

We scampered out of the hotel and into a tuk tuk (motorbike taxis where the passenger seating is next to the bike and driver). To walk to the town is about fifteen minutes, by tuk tuk, it's two minutes and a dollar per person - so, well worth it. The Ao Nang beach town is relatively small, but perfect for what we wanted. Lots of restaurants, easy access to look at the water and plenty of tour companies to help out. After a nice late lunch of pineapple fried rice and spring rolls, we set out to book a trip for the next day.

After talking to our fifth tour company, we picked our Saturday activity - a full day boat trip to the Phi Phi Islands! I had heard how beautiful they were and the tour package made a lot of sense. The only thing to worry about was of course the weather.

Friday night, we had an awesome dinner at this place called Jeanette's. We had a pad thai (have to in Thailand right?) and chicken wrapped in banana leaves. The food was so goooood! Plus, it was white meat chicken-this may not seem like too much of a big deal, but the majority of chicken served in Singapore is all dark meat. So, this was a really pleasant surprise. The whole restaurant was great, beautiful atmosphere, nice staff and it was really inexpensive.

So, we woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to go on our day trip. The clouds were out, but I held out hope. As we start heading out toward the first island (about 40 minutes away), our tour guide tells us 28 passengers that it's high tide and the water would be very choppy. Boy was it! We were bouncing up and down, water splashing into the boat. I thought for sure Miss Amanda wouldn't be able to handle it, but she did really well. As we head further from Krabi, the weather got better and better. By the time we were at Bamboo island, it was all sunshine! The first island was pretty nice, but nothing spectacular, still the water was very nice.

The second stop was more of just something to see - the Viking Cave. I wasn't really paying attention to what the tour guide was saying, but it was still cool to look at.

The third stop was breathtaking and easily my favorite. After passing beautiful rock formations, the boat stops in the middle of a lagoon, surrounded by these gorgeous rocks. The water was as teal as it could possibly be. I took my birthday leap into the lagoon and the water was simply perfect. It was really paradise. The Lagoon was probably the highlight of the trip for me - it's just so beautiful and to be there with Amanda was exactly what I wanted for my birthday.

We tried to make it over to Maya Bay, the site where Leo Dicaprio's "The Beach" was filmed, but the water was waaaaaaaay to choppy. To be very honest, I was a little nervous the boat would tip over. After abandoning that plan, we headed for Phi Phi Don. The main tourist island of the Phi Phi Islands. There the tour group had lunch over looking the water. After, we explored the town a bit. Lots of shops, food stands, etc. After not really knowing what to do, we made it to the main beach. It really was very pretty, but really busy. It's hard to imagine what it would be like in the peak season.

The tour made one more stop to go snorkeling. The water was really clear and pretty. Saw a little bit of coral and some yellow and blue fish. That wrapped up a lovely tour day and then it was back to the hotel.

Saturday night, Amanda and I shared a pizza for dinner. The coolest part was that we were sat at table number 23 - how perfect was that? We didn't even realize it until halfway through the meal. For dessert we got fried banana with ice cream, not quite as good, but still nice.

Sunday was a bit tough to plan for. With a flight at four and not sure what it would be like at the airport, we decided not to do any more tours. We did have a very nice lunch in food heaven though. I mean seriously, all the food was so good, service was great and we never spent more than $15 US for any meal for the both of us.

To close out the trip, we went to this massage place where you put your feet into the water with a bunch of small fish. They bite at your feet to clean them off. It tickled so bad! I just could not stop laughing for about two minutes. After that though, it was kind of like having bubbles around your feet.

So, that's my Krabi weekend in paradise. I had a blast and can't wait to go back to Thailand soon!

Michael

My New Roommate

It's hard to believe Amanda has been here for almost three weeks already! At the risk of sounding completely cliche, it's like a new chapter of my Singapore adventure has opened up.

Seeing Singapore Part 2

With Amanda in town, I feel like it's my job to show her the city. So, in a way, I get to see all of my favorite parts all over again! Its been interesting to see how Amanda reacts to Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street, our neighborhood, etc. I definitely haven't seen all this city has to offer, so for me, it's another chance to explore. She seems to be dealing with the culture shock in her own way. I think it's funny what she notices versus what I had.

I have to admit, she already exceeded my expectations by landing a job in the first week she was here! It's crazy impressive, plus her office is right smack dab in the middle of the Central Business District - think downtown, big city. Unfortunately, our off days wont always match up, but that's the danger of working in tv.

NBA Cares Event

I got my first reporting event here late in June. Five NBA players came to Singapore for a Basketball Without Borders camp, and I loved covering it. As much as I love producing, sometimes I miss getting out of the office and trying to make a story. Well, this event gave me the opportunity. The players visited a children's home and also hosted a skills camp for high school aged kids. With all the talk about LeBron, Dwyane Wade and the other huge free agents and the big money out there, it was nice to see these NBA players taking time out to visit kids and help extend the game across the world.

4th of July

I had no idea what to expect for my first 4th here in the little red dot, but I was pleasantly surprised. On the 3rd, Amanda and I went to a big American Association event. We got there just in time for fireworks, then had dinner (burgers, beer, classic Americana). It was really nice. The next day we celebrated America's independence in classic fashion - visiting the Singapore National History Museum and then eating Mexican food at the taco bar nearby ;)

End of World Cup

So for the last month, I've been completely consumed by the World Cup, and I've loved every second of it. I watched in 2006, but this was very different. I know a lot of the players now, the background stories, the histories, all of that stuff that makes it more enjoyable. Plus, it's great at work considering that without it, we'd just have the dead of summer. The highlight for me has to be watching the USA's last game in group stage against Algeria while at work. With the Americans on the verge of elimination, Landon Donovan scored in extra time in a last gasp effort. I immediately got out of my seat and ran through the office as if I'd scored. I was so happy-it's easily one of the best sports moments of my life. I feel like it's something that will be in my memory bank forever.

To wrap up the WC, I went with two of my co-workers to Singapore's Dutch Club. I mean, it was the perfect place to watch Holland vs Spain. The only issue is that after working a 12 hour shift, staying up for a 2:30 AM kickoff is quite difficult. I ended up almost falling asleep at the end of the first half. So, I rushed home and got in front of my tv. While I hate to admit this, I ended up falling asleep around the 80th minute, only to wake up at the very end as the Spanish were celebrating. Still, I loved the WC and am now sorely disappointed that it will be 4 years till the next one. In 2006, I was in Columbia working at Hillel to try and get in state residency. I wonder how my life will be different in 4 years-we shall see.

Coolest Work Moment

Over the weekend, I had the coolest jaw dropping moment of any tv related thing. Friday night, they asked me to be on SC Week in Review to talk about the LeBron James signing, WC, tennis, etc. Two days later I get this post from a girl I went to elementary school with :

"Hey there old friend! Did I just see you on ESPN sport center talking about world cup awards?!?! I'm in Bangladesh right now and have no idea which country's espn gets broadcasted here, but I'm positive it was you that I saw. I'm glad to see you are doing so well after all these years!"

How crazy is that?!?!?! I really couldn't believe it. You all know how happy I am with this job and this just reaffirmed my appreciation for it. I mean, I didn't even realize the show went out there! Plus, this friend moved away before middle school. I don't think we'd talked for maybe 10 years. Plus, it's surprising she was able to recognize me after all this time. It really put a huge smile on my face.

Well, we're off to Thailand this weekend for my birthday! This will be my second big trip and I've been looking forward to it for quite some time. A full blog will follow.

Y'all come back now ya here!

Michael

Catching Up

It's been more than a month since my last post, so now is as good of a time as any to catch up on the blog.

I've now been in Singapore for almost seven months! But let's stay with the last one for now.

Golf

My buddy Ari and I went golfing at this amazing course in Indonesia called Ria Bintan. The place was stellar. The weather turned out to be perfect and all in all, it was a great day.
I'm stil not so good at the whole get the small white ball into the hole, but it was well worth it. The course is stunning, with holes right along the beach. Majestic is the word that comes to mind.

Grouping Up

My good friend Tamar came back to Singapore for a visit early in June. Having her back was great, as the crew was together again. Shabbat dinner that week was really something with everyone there.

SportsCenter

Two weeks ago, I got my first on camera time here by helping out with our SportsCenter Week In Review program. For me, this is a dream come true. The show is a round table format where we talk about, as you might guess, the week that was in sports. As much fun as I had on the show, I had an even better time the next day. A group of friends came over to watch the show. We had pizza, chips and guacamole, fruit and it was topped off by champagne that Alex brought. The past two Fridays I've gotten to do the show, mostly talking about baseball and basketball, but I chip in on the other sports as well. I'm getting more and more comfortable with the show. Hopefully, they'll keep asking me to be a guest.

Setting Sail

My friend Angela had an amazing birthday party at the New Asia Bar...this club at the top of a huge skyscraper. It was boat themed and I had a really great time, met some new people, and all in all just had a blast.

The Month in Sports

Sports wise, this has been an amazing month. Baseball has been amazing - the "Imperfect Game," Ken Griffey Jr. retiring and Stephen Strasburg's debut. The NBA Finals were as good as they get. The classic Boston-LA rivalry went seven games and ended with a real classic to finish them. It was great.

However, I've easily been most excited about the World Cup. Felix and I ordered the viewing package here and it's been awesome. The Americans are giving me quite a scare, but hopefully they'll pull it out and advance to the knockout stages.

Last night, a group of us went to watch the games at a big touristy area called Sentosa. We had dinner at this Irish pub and then after, my friend Natalie got us VIP seats at this massive viewing party. It was so cool, plus, after the game they had a spot on Michael Jackson impersonator. It was really crazy how much he looked and moved like him. After we went to this big bar for Yosel's (one of the Chabad boys) 21st birthday. It was really a blast!

Well, that's about it for a great month. I haven't been eating much in the way of new foods, but I'm trying to eat healthier at home - lots of salad, fruit juice, all that good stuff.

Amanda is coming here on Thursday! The days can't come fast enough.

Alrighty, that's all for now, hopefully it wont be another month before my next post.

Happy Father's Day everyone!

Michael

A Year in the Life

Somehow, I still can't fathom that only a year ago, I was getting ready for graduation. I had zero idea what was next, and yet, I've had one of the most important years of my life. In 12 months, I've worked at three different television stations, lived in three different cities and made one giant decision. Honestly, I can say I wouldn't change any of it.

After graduating last year, I had an incredible summer in Columbia. My friend Kevin likes to call it our summer of fun-employment and that's exactly what it was. About four of my best friends and I just bro-ed out all summer. We played lots and lots of tennis, some golf here and there, watched tennis, golf, USA soccer and the NBA playoffs - of course all this while also working at KOMU and sending off job applications. That summer in Columbia will be one of those things I'm think about when I'm 45 and talking about the good ole days. One of the best highlights of that summer was of finishing a night of tennis and learning I had a niece! I drove home the next day.

I couldn't have asked for a better way to wrap up that summer - a cruise to Mexico with Amanda's family. It's so funny to think now that I almost didn't go on the cruise. What was I thinking?

Right after getting back from the vacation, like magic, I started getting some bites on job stuff. After a month or so of looking and a couple of interviews later, I started working as a freelance sports reporter and news producer for KTEN. While I only worked in Texoma for about two months, I think it really developed my understanding of local tv news. Not only did I make some good friends, but I was lucky enough to cover the first college football game at Cowboys Stadium and also the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl (both dreams of mine).

Then came the big break. A year ago, I never could have imagined this is where I would be. I mean, how could I? All my life, I've said reporting sports is what I'd love to do, and here it was, the chance of a lifetime. Saying all this now, doesn't quite tell the whole story though.
Of all the interviews, I was easily the most nervous during my one with ESS. Funny enough, I thought the opportunity was gone. Then, I got the phone call from Sharon and was ecstatic. Still, moving to the other side of the world? It wasn't the easiest decision, but it's been one of the best I've ever made.

Pretty much since day one here, I've had a hard time believing that this is actually my life. I'm getting to live my dream each and everyday, and I'm looking forward to it only getting better and better.

It's been a fairytale year from me, and I know none of it would be possible without the support I get from Amanda, my family and friends. Everyday, I think about the fortunate things that have happened for me, but also the kindness people have shown to make those things happen. Thank you to all of you for your love and support.

There's a year in the life, here's looking forward to the next one.

Michael

Busing Penang Bro-Style

FRIDAY MORNING (48 minutes before the flight)

6:12 AM - I call Alex, no answer. I'm pretty nervous.

6:13 AM - Alex calls, "Man, I'm so sorry, my alarm didn't go off. I'm getting ready right now, I'll be there."

6:18 AM - (Me)"It's okay, I've checked you in. You just have to be here by 6:45 latest.)

6:35 AM - Alex walks through terminal doors. It's time to book it to our plane. Oh boy, we get there right in time. Talk about starting a vacation on the clock haha.

Going to Penang, Malaysia with my buddy Alex was fantastic! He's traveled quite a bit, and it helped me quite a bit to go with him, seeing as this was my first real trip in SE Asia.

DAY 1

After our exciting start, the rest of the day was just about going with the flow. We started by hanging out on the beach. After, we went down to Georgetown, the more colonial section of Penang. There were lots of beautiful temples down here and cool colonial buildings as well. After a nice lunch in Little India, we hung out in a very cool shop house full of beautiful glass work. For dinner, we ate at a Lebanese restaurant with excellent hummus. We then walked around the night market for a bit. We wrapped up the night by getting massages (I'd never gone for anything like that).

DAY 2

Our first day was pretty tiring (5 AM wakeup, didn't go to bed til 1 AM), so we took it easy in the morning. Despite waking up pretty late, this was my favorite day. That's because we saw the one thing on top of my list, Kek Lok Si. This Buddhist temple in Penang is the biggest in southeast Asia. It was stunning. There's no other way to put it. I couldn't believe how much detail was in every structure, every piece of art. Plus, the temple is situated high on a hill, so that allowed for beautiful views of Penang. The Kuan Yin statue may have been the highlight for me. It was massive, but not only that, the columns around it were stellar. Each had such fine artistry on it.

After our trip to Kek Lok Si, we hopped on a bus and just decided to pick something out. We ended up going into a mall to look for something, and stayed there to eat dinner at a Chinese place in the mall. We then saw "Iron Man 2" for a whopping $3 US! I couldn't believe how cheap it was to see it. I know, it seems weird to go all the way to another country and then watch a movie, but Alex's point was correct - we're on holiday, if you want to do something, do it. I really enjoyed the movie and it was a great way to wrap up the day.

DAY 3

Well, with only one more day in Penang, we wanted to get in our three remaining sites - the Tropical Spice Garden, the Snake Temple and the Penang Bridge. We went three for three.

The spice garden was beautiful. Lots of beautiful flowers and nice paths, however, I didn't really smell too many spices. I guess I just thought it'd be easier to get the smell of the ginger, basil, etc.

The Snake Temple was the only disappointment for the trip. After a long bus ride (made worse by the fact that we missed our stop and had to walk all the way back on a heavy trafficked road) we finally got to the temple. I am very scared of snakes, have been since I was a kid. Turns out, there was nothing to be afraid of here though. The only snakes they had inside the temple were in this little tree basket thing, and they looked fake! The signs said they were real, but none of them moved. On the bright side, on the way there we drove by the Penang Bridge (very impressive).

So, again we took the bus, not really knowing where we were headed. As we were passing Georgetown, I saw a restaurant someone had suggested to us called QE-II, and what a suggestion it was! This was the best place to really just relax. As you might know, I fashion myself as a pizza aficionado.
I love to try pizza wherever I go. On the way in, we saw them making a pizza in a wood-fire grill and it looked so good. Decision made. We first ordered a pizza with buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes-a bit more fancy pants than normal for me, but well worth it. I loved it more and more with each delicious bite. It was definitely the best pizza I've had in SE Asia (to be fair though, haven't had too many in Singapore). After mauling the first one, we got a second, but this time we ordered the four cheese one. I think I liked the first one a bit more, but Alex preferred the second. It really doesn't matter, both were great.

To top it all off though, Alex ordered a dessert called profiteroles. All I can say is that after the first bite, I literally almost fell off the chair. I've never had anything like that! It was easily one of the best desserts I've ever had.

We finished the night off by going to the night market once again. I picked up two soccer jerseys that I thought were cool (World Cup is almost here!). The next morning, we headed back to Singapore.

It was truly a great bro-cation. The only problem, I'm already wondering, what's next?

Michael