"It's not wrong, it's different"

My new principal, Tammi, said the above quote today and it rings true for so many things that we're experiencing here in Singapore. Just because things are different here, doesn't make them wrong. As her quote resonates with me, here is what I find going on in my head:

A few things I just plain don't understand:

• Why can't I find napkins ANYWHERE when I go out to eat?
• Why do so many bathrooms operate without toilet paper and paper towels? (I know now in Asia you go prepared with your own!)
• How can a city so advanced be so far behind with recycling?

Some things that still confuse me:

• People driving from what we know as the "passenger seat" 
• Driving on opposite sides of the road (have stepped out in oncoming traffic more times that I'd like to admit because I'm not used to them going that direction)
• How the city can be so clean with so few trash cans
• People's sense of urgency to get off elevators and the MRT. (If you are standing near the door, they tend to step in front of you to get off first).
• How do the police appear out of nowhere? I swear....I will look to my right and see nothing, then look again and see 4 uniformed officers walking in my direction. Strange and impressive. 
• McDonald's are to Singapore what Starbucks are to Portland. There is literally one every few blocks. 

Some things I'm trying to accept:

• This school is not Bonny Slope and never will be. They have their own way of doing things and systems that work for them. It's not wrong, it's different.
• I live near the equator. It will always be humid. ALWAYS. 
• It is a pain to try and coordinate phone calls now that we're back to work. The time difference is bigger than I'd like it to be. 
• My friends and family are not on this journey with us. While we have the blog, it's not the same as sharing stories from being here together. 

Some things I'm impressed by: 

• This city is so well organized and run. Five million people live on this tiny island and it's one of the safest and cleanest places I've ever seen. They are doing something right!
• Things here work seamlessly. It hurts my brain to think about all of the operations going on here simultaneously. (Same goes for our school). 
• The kindness of people (I still hear true Singaporeans aren't very friendly, but haven't personally found that to be true yet)
• People's willingness to help one another out (particularly strangers)
• The endless possibilities of things to do here. Everyone has a favorite place to go, eat, play, etc. 
• The amount of  inexpensive yet amazing travel opportunities we have available to us

And finally, the things I am grateful for:

• Adam and I taking on this adventure of living and working overseas (scary, but we did it!) 
• Having jobs that we love
• Air Conditioning! 
• Having two happy boys given the fact that we've uprooted their little worlds
• Family who shops for us and ships to us from the states
• Friends who keep in contact even though we are so far away
• People being so kind to our boys
• Living in a country that we can learn & grow from
• Being able to swim everyday after work
• That nobody cares if you have sweat all over your face or body
• Meeting and making new friends -  people from all over the world with such unique experiences
• Having our boys immersed with many cultures 
• Living in this place at this time 

Looking forward to experiencing ALL that is different as the journey continues...