During our week in Singapore we had numerous occasions to spend some fun time at the American Club. It was the most Americans we’d seen since being on USA soil back in July!
We book-ended our trip with tennis sessions on the AC courts, literally out on the courts minutes after we arrived to Singapore. The girls had started taking tennis lessons in NYC the Spring before we left and were pumped to hit balls again! The girls even enjoyed being ball girls to a mixed doubles match me & Doug played against Will & Sachiyo (inspired by scenes from the Australian Open this week). Doug warmed up Billy before his tennis lessons our final night, and it was fun to watch them rally :)
After tennis our first evening in Singapore, we plopped down at the pool. The Dads & kiddos swam and then we all ate a yummy dinner poolside.
We logged two school sessions in the AC Children’s Library, a darling little space chock full books. Pre & post school sessions, each of the girls found a cozy spot and indulged in the chance to read! They’ve had very few chances to read physical books this year (Kindle is primary means to read this trip), so walking into a space with (English!) books floor to ceiling was an incredible treat. We’ve always appreciated & supported public libraries. In NYC we constantly had a stack of library books on loan (often approaching the 50-book limit!) and the girls each had their own library card. Lovely to be back in a library. They even got to check out a few books during our stay (both from AC Library and “Billy’s Library”). They were in reading heaven in Singy!
Sunday brunch! Our first morning in Singapore we made plans to meet up with some family friends. Krista, Mike and girls (Brooke & Lauren) have been living in Singapore for 1.5 years. Krista’s parents and my parents are neighbors back in Cape Cod, MA. When we had our Singapore dates fixed, Krista & I connected to make plans. Their twin daughters just turned 9, so we were super excited to have a family playdate! The four girls chowed on breakfast and then hit “The Quad”, AC’s kids play space (think air hockey table, climbing space, Legos, old-school Pacman game, etc.). Us adults spent the next two hours chatting over brunch, swapping stories about travel, living abroad, kids, etc. We clicked easily and it was super fun to meet them and have a family playdate and socialize like we would back in NYC.
AC in Singy
Spending time in & out of the American Club was a real treat for us this week. It felt like all the perks of suburban living (space, gym, sports facilities, pool, restaurants), but with the convenience of city living (all in one place, right smack dab in the middle of the city!). The social aspect was really neat, and the girls thought the whole thing was so cool. Not everyone that belongs to the American Club is American, but obviously a good chunk are. The camaraderie of Americans living abroad in Singapore, finding a communal space to play, work, eat & socialize was palpable. Fun to feel part of something, even if only for a few days :)
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