October 20, 2026 – Better than best, just a bit of time with Tessa

First of all, this little human being, our grandaughter, is mine.  Stan would say she is his.  But I saw her first as she took her first breath.  I was the first to hold her.  She was a premature, a bird-like baby, entering the world and struggling to survive.   And now, 23 years later, Stan and I are still thrilled to add another set of memories to our scrapbook of life, another bit of time with this incredible beloved creature. 

Stan and I knew very little about Singapore when we first arrived, but we sure know it now.  Our tour guide made it easy for us.  Tess knew all the good stuff to see, what to buy, what to eat, and how to get it done.  Tessa did all the navigating, so all I had to do was tag along.

Singapore is a fantastic city to visit and to live.  Singapore is a city, a unique one, but it also is an island and its own country.  Singapore is ultra clean, ultra organized, ultra new-looking, and has a skyline of futuristic skyscrapers.  It is super-rich too, not only in terms of wealth and income but also by social indicators such as education, healthcare, housing, and personal safety.  Lying only one degree north of the equator, the weather here is ungodly hot year-round, and this time of year, the sky is dense with haze/pollution from deliberate massive corporate agricultural fires ongoing in Indonesia.   This year, 2026, the air quality here is the worst since 2015.  Schools are closed due to the dangerous air pollution, and many people are wearing masks again.  It is more than very bad; it is outrageous.

Here only once, though, we three did not allow the haze and heat to stop us.  We marched ourselves around, mostly to, between, and from the fantastic metro system stations.  We visited Chinatown, Little India, night markets, the Jewel, ate in hawker centers, and walked through one after another of their spacious and glamorous malls—anything you might want, especially among the luxury brands, Singapore has it.  Some of our favorite outings were to the UNESCO World Heritage showcase Singapore Botanic Gardens and the 4-in-1 park, Mandai Wildlife Reserve, otherwise known as the zoo.  It is impossible to see all of its 4200 animals in one day, but we did our best.  We sat under the “trees” for the nighttime lights and classical music Garden Rhapsody at the Supertree Grove in Gardens by the Bay, and returned the next day to zip to the top of the iconic three slender towers at Marina Bay Sands to view the landscape . . . completely obscured by the haze. Coincidentaly, BIGBANG, one of the very first influential boy-band K-pop groups (now in their 30’s) and favorite of Loey’s, were playing at the Singapore National Stadium. Our smart and fearless Tessa, bought her self a ticket, maneuvered her way there and saw these South Korean superstars she discovered in 2006. She said it may have been her all-time favorite concert. Finally, it goes without saying, we ate our way through Singapore too, and topped it all off by treating Tess to a taste of durian, the supremely stinky fruit

This past week simply could not have been better unless we could have made it longer in duration.  Tessa left us this morning to return home today.  All three of us were sad and teary, but happy we once again made it a priority to see the world and spend time together.

Loey, if you are reading this, we look forward and cannot wait until the next time.