Eat, drink and feel like a complete idiot - Posted by Maggie

Yesterday's lifestyle and entertainment section of the newspaper boasted a huge article entitled "Eat, drink, and be merry", claiming "the restaurant scene is hot-and-hoppin' and LIFESTYLE presents the country's top 50 choices." Lifestyle asked 16 food critics (who are obviously not on any sort of budget since they get to expense all their meals - you see where this is going?) to vote for Singapore's top restaurants, based on consistent quality of food and service.
Darin and I studied the list and under the Japanese section and found 2 restaurants claiming to do "Shabu Shabu". I don't know exactly what Shabu Shabu is, but Darin has been looking for a restaurant preparing this ever since he got back from Taiwan 2 weeks ago. He describes it as a sort of Japanese fondue - but instead of cheese, you cook the veggies and meat in a fragrant and savoury clear broth. So naturally we were very excited to finally find a place doing Shabu Shabu in Singapore - and the restaurant was somewhere we knew how to get to - in Shaw Centre near Orchard Road!
We took the MRT to the Orchard station and walked to Shaw Centre. Looked at the building map and located the restaurant named "Aoki" on the second floor. Finding it on the map was much easier than finding the actual place! Took the elevator up, but the first stop was the 3rd floor. Heh? How did we go from 1st to 3rd floor? Where is 2nd? Down we go again, look at map again. Ask information desk who points outside of the building, he says turn left "and keep walking". "How far? What exactly should we be looking for?" I think but didn't ask. We walk outside, turn left and up a small hill on a narrow road and come to the end of Shaw Centre. No restaurant. Go back into Shaw Centre and walk around, look at map again, go back to where we were last. Everthing indicated that the last shop we saw must be the restaurant, but there were no signs, lights or hours of business or any indication that this was in fact a restaurant. On a whim, Darin tried the door. It opened! We went inside and were greeted in Japanese by the chef shouting from the open kitchen below, and by waitressed scurrying about in half dressed japanese outfits (you know, the ones where they wear socks with flip flops, and a little square backpack on their lower backs over their kimonos). Looking around quickly, I was pleased that the place looked very elegant with authentic shoji screens dividing the booths, very Feng-Shui decorated - tres chic! The chef told us to come back at 6:30pm -another 30 minutes or so. Darin made sure they do "Shabu Shabu" and everyone one nodded solemnly, and we confirmed our reservation.
After spending 30 minutes browsing books in a nearby Barnes and Nobles, we returned to Aoki, filled with anticipation of a big Shabu Shabu feast awaiting. The server showed us our own special booth where one person enters on one side, then the shoji screen has to slide over so that person number two can enter the opposite end of the booth. Bamboo behind frosted glass made enigmatic patterns agains the wall and ceiling. The waitress smiled and brought us some tea and a very little dish with a few strips of what looked like jellyfish to me. I've had jellyfish before and don't like it at all. Luckily, this was cabbage - very tart and very chewy raw cabbage. Then she gave us the menus. We quickly scanned the menu to locate the Shabu Shabu choices, and my stomach fell when I saw that there was only one choice - sirloin steak, for $120!!! (Yes, one hundred and twenty dollars per person - about $90 US). So, first of all, I don't eat meat, and second of all I especially don't eat $120 meat, Shabu Shabu or not! So I looked at the other items on the menu and found no entree below around $36. It was very disconcerting. At that point it was way too late for us to get up and leave either.
I ended up ordering some edamame ($12 for 9 edamame beans - I counted them!) and "Seafood and Vegetable Soup" (for $18 . It came in a teapot as big (small) as a coffee cup. It was a clear broth that looked, smelled and tasted exactly like the water in which one has just boiled hotdogs. I swear, it was very salty and a bit oily, and just generally nauseating. Darin ordered the "Sole in Black Soy Sauce" and got an entire fish - about 2 inches long, with little fins, head and skin still attached. (BTW - Darin hates this - please see his entry on July 9th) He had to scrape that fish with his chopsticks to get a bit of meat off of the bones - I would say he got about 2 teaspoons full of meat all-in-all.
Our entire bill was $104 - this was for 2 teas, 9 edamame beans, one soup, one fish and one small bowl of rice. No dessert, no wine, only one entree. I felt so ripped off, disappointed, angry and frustrated (AND STARVING), yet I wanted to giggle hysterically. I also had vengeful ideas of writing a very stinky letter to the editor of the Straits Times because all we did was (not even) eat, (didn't even) drink and we felt like complete idiots (for following the advice of food critics). Next time we'll ask to see the menu up front.

Things I really really miss from home - Posted by Maggie

Here are some of the things I miss the most from home:
The dogs! I miss Beanie and Basil, my 2 little buddies terribly!
Our garden and outdoor room, grill and water feature. Tranquil bliss! Here we don't even have a balcony.
My kitchen. Especially a dishwasher, all the counter space and the oven!
My washer and dryer. The one here doesn't really dry the clothes, it just makes everything VERY wrinkly so I have to iron everything!!
A good margarita. As scarce as chicken teeth here, and if you find it you will pay around $15 US for a not-so-great watered down one!
Ebay. Even thought I can browse Ebay US from here, shipping costs are detrimental and makes it not worth it for me to sell or buy stuff on Ebay. Singaporeans don't really believe in Ebay (or shopping online in general) - the entire island is a perpetual shopping mall, why would they buy anything online if they can just duck into the nearest shop to buy it?
My closet. (think lots of space...ahhhh)
Meeting my girlfriends for lunch. Lisa, this means you! And others of course =)
Chewing gum. It is illegal to buy or sell chewing gum here, but if you brought it with you, it's ok. I did not know that so we ditched all my gum at the airport in fear of being caned upon setting foot on the island.
Ruxi and Adi's swimming pool. They throw the best damn pool parties ever. Period!

Curried Fish Head! - Posted by Maggie

Our friend Corrina took us to the Banana Leaf restaurant in Little India for some authentic curried fish head. You probably wonder why it is not calle curried fish headS - but this is because there is only one. A giganitc fish head (about twice the size of a grown man's palm) "swimming" in a bowl of fragrant curry gravy with vegetables.
There is a lot of fish meat on the cheeks, and you can order different sized fish heads depending of the number of people in your party. The meat is very tasty and flakes off of the bones easily. The fish eye is a delicacy (not recommended for everyone) and you often see locals sucking on the bones of the head, and some, they say, eat the teeth too. I liked it a lot, thought the curry was delicious and the fish very tender. If you can get over the fact that the poor fish's identity will forever be lost due to the person who ate it's dental records.
At this restaurant all the food is served on a banana leaf - no plates. Locals eat everything with their fingers and hands, but we used our knives and forks. Side dishes were rice, cabbage and some brinjals

Adventures in Kampong Glam, Singapore - Posted by Maggie

I recently went on a walking tour of Kampong Glam - one of my very favorite areas in Singapore. I particularly like the bright colors of the beautifully restored shophouses that sell traditional handmade batiks, clothes, artefacts, handicraft, furniture and jewelry. I also love the restaurants here because all of them are Halal and most are vegetarian.
Named after the Gelam tree which used to grow in the area, Kampong Glam was the historic seat of Malay royalty in Singapore. The buildings and architecture has been meticulously restored to retain its flavour and authenticity.
A key building in Kampong Glam is Sultan Mosque (or Masjid Sultan) at Bussorah Street, the largest mosque in Singapore with the capacity to accommodate up to 5,000 Muslims in congregational prayers. Built in 1928, the mosque features a massive golden dome and is one of Singapore’s most imposing religious institutions.Nothing beats Arab Street for (bizarre) bazaar-style shopping with true ethnic character. The goods spill out onto the pavements, anything from baskets, incence, shishas and floor mats to serving trays, shoes and handbags. I love it!
--> View more pictures of Kampong Glam (link will open in new window)

Nature Reserve (MacRitchie Reservoir) - Posted by Darin

I once said there is no such thing as a nice day in Singapore, but that's not completely true. There have been a couple of days where the sky was blue, clouds were white and fluffy, and there was enough of a breeze to keep you comfortable is you stayed in the shade. Today was one of those days.
We visited a nature reserve that is anchored by a large reservoir: http://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparks_cms/display_level2.asp?parkid=8&catid=9
We arrived around 2pm and walked for two hours through the rainforest to see the Tree Top Walk, which is marketed as a "canopy tour" but is more like a suspension bridge across a valley.
When you first enter the park, you walk past the main part of the reservoir:
The walk through the rainforest was nice and shady, with lots of strange sounds and interesting looking trees. We saw the largest bamboo stalks imaginable. Probably six inches across and 50 feet long.
At one point Maggie thought she heard something in the dense undergrowth along the path. She screamed and jumped to my side, when she realized it was a monkey looking at her from about three feet away.
As we paused to look at the monkey, we were literally surrounded by about five other monkeys who suddenly appeared from out of nowhere. Maggie freaked out, certain that we would be attacked by the monkey who were rapidly invading our personal space. I was too excited to be scared. They were very small monkeys and they seemed more curious than angry or hungry. There was even a momma monkey with a little baby held close to her chest.
Maggie was clinging to me, dancing around, and loudly announcing that she was "skaid". I was torn between shooing the monkeys away and trying to reason with Maggie that we were perfectly safe. Luckily, at that very instant, a "local" came jogging along the path and clapped his hands several times to shoo the monkeys away. After the jogger passes, only about three monkeys came very close to us, and only one was close enough to touch. He was very carefree. He sat in the middle of the path and groomed himself, yawning and stretching.
He didn't even care when I walked behind him so Maggie could take a picture of us together.
The "canopy tour" is a suspension bridge, where you are only allowed to walk in one direction. A guard at the end of the bridge prevents you from walking the wrong way.
The section of the trail that leads to and from the suspension bridge is made from nice decking, and is sponsored by a popular bank in Singapore, HSBC.
While walking away from the reserve and looking for a taxi to take us somewhere with cold beer, we ran across some bushes with the biggest leaves I've ever seen.
It was a great trip to the nature reserve, topped off by some mediocre tex-mex in Holland Village and a refreshing swim in the pool at our housing complex.

New durian lover!! - Posted by Darin

Today I was introduced to the King of Fruits. One of my colleagues at work turns out to be a durian connoisseur. Early this afternoon, Hai Seah stopped by my desk and said, "Tonight at 5pm we leave". He made a gesture as if smelling the sweet fragrence of fresh durian. I knew what it meant. I was going to have a new experience.
You see, even durian of the same variety but from different trees have their own unique flavor. Hai Seah has a relationship with a supplier who monitors specific trees. (You never pick durian, you wait for it to drop). When durians drop from specific trees, Hai Seah gets a phone call from his supplier.
At 5pm, we hustled down to the parking deck to Hai Seah's car and drove to a parking lot near the Botanical Garden, where a very, very old Chinese man has a fruit stand. He sells only durian and mangosteen. Wee Han met us there and we admired his new car before walking to the fruit stand.
Unlike the stinky, red-onion odor I had smelled when locals smuggled durian onto the bus, the aroma around the stand was fresh and sweet and reminded me of road-side fruit stands in central California.
Inside the spiky fruit are large yellow-white pods. They are actually a sweet creamy coating that encases each seed inside the fruit. The consistency is like warm cream cheese and the flavor is about as close to flan as you can get from a fruit. Mind you, this is premium durian. The taste and smell is quite different from what you get when you order durian pudding at a food court.
After enjoying the flesh from two different durians (one with a stronger flavor than the other), we cooled our palates with mangosteen. (durian is a "heat" food, while mangosteen is a "cool" food). We achieved proper yin and yang by balancing our fruit intake.
You open a mangosteen by lacing your fingers together and creating a cradle for the fruit. Then you gently press your palms together until the skin of the mangsteen breaks open. Inside are small white pods that resemble cloves of garlic. They are very juicy and flavorful with a slight acidic content. They were the perfect compliment to our durian.
By this time, I had done my best to lick all the stickiness from my fingers, but was worried about how I would make it home without touching anything. That's when Hai Seah walked us over to a large bucket of water that had a lime floating in it. There was a cup for dipping out the water, and we took turns pouring lime water over each other's hands to remove the stickiness and durian smell. Maggie can testify that my hands have no odor tonight, but my breath is another issue.
I'm so glad I got to taste "the good stuff" today and learn the ropes from a master durian eater!

Some observations so far - Posted by Darin

Sorry I haven't been updating the journal much. There's no time when I'm at work, and before our shipment came, Maggie usually hogged her laptop at night with emails in Afrikaans. Now that I have my personal laptop at home, there should be more time for me to contribute.
Two things that I have never said so far:

"Wow, it's a beautiful day. I think I'll take off early today" (it's always hot and humid)
"What am I going to do with all of these napkins?" (food courts have no napkins here)

Other observations:

Many of the local and commuter buses have digital satellite television (one channel). I've seen AsiaNet news (similar to CNN) and Singapore Idol (exactly the same as American Idol) while riding on the bus.

Lots of public service signs encouraging good behavior, but they never use the word "you". It's always "us" and "we". For example, "Public toilets can be clean. We can make a difference".

We have VOIP phones at work. I can take my phone from my desk to a team room and plug it in. After it boots, I can make and receive calls just like I'm at my desk. Haven't tried it from home. Yet.

Our apartment has a washer/dryer that's all one unit, but there's no vent for the dryer part. Don't know how well this will work. The spin cycle is broken so we haven't done any laundry yet.

At restaurants, they never bring the check until you ask for it. When they bring the bill, they wait right there for you to give your form of payment. If you pay with a credit card, they stand over you while you sign it, instead of just leaving it on the table.

At a bar near our apartment, the price of beer changes depending on the time of day. It's cheapest at lunch time, and most expensive after 8pm.

Things that have gone wrong so far - Posted by Maggie

First of all, I must say that many things have gone right for us, but unfortunately we have had a few bumps during this trip:
1. Our shipment arrived safe and sound. It was a small (5 cubic ft) shipment of personal effects that was shipped via air freight. Unfortunately, Darin's red camera bag, containing his video iPod, Digital SLR camera, Digital handy cam video recorder and other memory sticks did not make it. Somewhere between Round Rock and Singapore, it was taken out of a carton and put in someone's hand other than their owner. Now it sucks going through the schlepp or filing claims etc.
2. Our credit card company has been charging us 10% service fees FOR EACH FOREIGN TRANSACTION! Ok, this is bizarre - we are world travelers but we have to pay 10% to use our credit card?? I called them and they shrugged and said it was in our initial agreement that we signed. Naturally, I am closing this account faster than you can say rip-off.
3. Opening a local bank account has been a big challenge. First, you have to have proof of your address - they will only accept a utility bill showing your name and address on the same page. Since the relocation company is paying the apartment directly, there is no such paper with our name on it. So figuring out what other proof we can bring is a hassle.
4. Darin's work permit has been severely delayed. It should have been done by now, but apparently the Ministry of Manpower doesn't have any manpower to make it happen! This is particularly problematic because Darin has to travel to Taiwan next week, on the date that his temporary permit expires. We are keeping our fingers crossed that eveything will come through in time.
5. Order newspapers for delivery has been very confusing. I have been sent online to fill out a form, then asked to fax something, then I had to mail something and once I was told to call the delivery guy at his home phone and pay him directly for the paper. I honestly don't usnderstand why something this simple is so very hard!
Anyway, this is just a short list of things that have gone wrong. Luckily there is a much longer list of what actually went right too... more later!