It’s interesting being such so conspicuous.  We are often the only westerners within sight, and people's eyes seem to be drawn to us. We just stand out, even if we're just quietly walking past.

People are absolutely smitten with Ms.I’s blond curls - Yes, her hair is  now perpetually curly from the humidity. Ms. E is also getting a lot of comments due to her curly hair. It's a ball of ringlets and people just have to touch it. Being rather sensitive about what Ms.C calls her “crazy hair” we haven’t pointed to out exactly why she is getting so much attention. She had a very uncomfortable moment at the Gardens at the Bay when she was literally physically grabbed by Japanese women who were trying to get a photo with her. We are having a lot of chats about how to say no politely, but firmly and how to make it clear with her body that she doesn’t want a photo, such as turning her head and body away from the camera. That said we don’t want to make her nervous about it and if she feels like being a bit of a celebrity I think it’s okay if she poses for a photo. I even had a similar experience myself when I came with just Jonathan in May for our Orientation Trip.

People are very friendly, but the chatting usually ends with “Enjoy your holiday” or something to that effect. It probably didn’t help that we still had the airline tag on the stroller, and it’s also school holidays here. I suppose homeschooling and being out and about when most kids are in school won’t help that either.

This whole concept isn't something we were expecting at all, and we are factoring it into our house search. I want to make sure that Ms.E doesn't feel on display every time she goes out to play. We're currently trying to decide between two condo complexes: one seems to have a lot of Singaporeans - which for us adults sounds awesome; the other tends to be more Westerners - and so the the kids might find it easier to fit in. Both properties are unbelievably beautiful with all the amenities you could want, but each is very different. It's really hard to choose.