Maggie and I have enjoyed massages of all kinds, but until this past weekend, the closest I had ever come to a Shiatsu massage was one of those chairs at Brookstone. But before I talk about my recent massage, let me tell you a bit about my massage experiences so far.
In Austin there are a variety strip-mall locations that offer aromatherapy massages. They typically show you to a room and tell you to disrobe to your level of comfort and get under the sheet on the massage bed. You disrobe while alone in the room. When the massage "therapist" returns, they uncover various parts of your body and rub your cares away with scented oil. They leave while you are still on the table under the sheet, and meet you outside the room after you have dressed to greet you and collect a tip.
In Costa Rica, we had a similar massage experience, except that the massage table was located in an outdoor gazebo back in the rainforest between several rushing streams of natural hot water from the nearby volcano.
In Thailand, we were given "sample" massages while visiting the King's residence in Bangkok. If you liked the sample, you could write your hotel name and room number on a piece of paper, and someone would show up later that day to give you the full treatment. Maggie and I signed up for this and two middle aged Thai ladies showed up at our room later that day. A Thai massage involves rythmic pressing, rubbing, and stretching, with no oil. We kept our undergarments on. The ladies talked to one another in Thai the whole time, sometimes giggling (no doubt at my fat hairy body). During the course of the massage, the ladies climbed onto the bed, straddled us, and bent our arms and legs into various poses. I enjoyed it and it was very cheap (about $10 US for an hour). Maggie thought there was too much "pressing" and stretching, and didn't like the fact that the ladies' hands smelled of onions (when they touched Maggie's head).
The Swedish massage we had at a spa here in Singapore was more like what you get in Austin, except the person climbs onto the bed and straddles you for part of the massage. They use scented oil. I wore the supplied paper "panty" that looked much like an adult diaper.
Now to the Shiatsu massage. Maggie booked us a couples massage at a spa in a nearby mall. They have a huge facility, with separate jacuzzi, steam baths, saunas, cold plunge pool, etc for men and women. After changing into the spa-supplied shorts and robe, I met Maggie in the common lounge for a fresh carrot juice while we waited for our "therapists". Soon we were shown to a room with two massage beds, each of which had two parallel black bars hanging down from the ceiling directly over the bed. Maggie requested an aromatherapy massage and I got the Shiatsu. The tiny Chinese lady looked at me to confirm my request: "Step on you?". I confirmed: "Yes. Step on me".
She unfastened my robe and removed it without knowing what was underneath. She left my shorts on me. I lay face down on the bed with my face in the donut. She laid some thick towels over the length of my body and started squeezing and pressing my shoulders while she stood at the head of the bed. As she worked her way around my body, the pressing and squeezing became more intense. Mostly it felt good, but there were times when I tensed up a bit from the pain. She eventually climbed on top of me and started working her fists into my back. I was glad she could not see my wincing and grimacing.
Finally, she stood on my back and walked up and down my spine. She did some things that were so painful I began to wonder if anyone has ever been paralyzed from a massage. Although I had promised myself I would not make any noises, regardless of the pain, she caught me off guard. What I thought was a gentle walk around my upper back, was in fact, preparation for a pounce. She jumped twice, quickly on my upper back and I heard and felt more things snap than I thought possible. I let out a combination of a grunt, cough, and startled cry. I expected her to jump off and ask if I was OK, but she was undeterred by my noise-making. (incidentally, she kept her balance by hanging onto the black bars that were above the bed). I became equally fearful that one of two things would happen: 1) she would hurt so badly that I would scream; 2) she would squeeze a very loud fart out of me whilst walking on my lower back. Thankfully, neither happened.
My final whimper was induced when she had me sit up on the bed and she got behind me with her knees in my back. She laced my fingers behind my neck and told me to relax. As soon as I started to relax, she pulled me backward and up onto her knees to elicit even more cracking from my back. I was amazed that I had any cracks left in me. It was the only time I heard her make a noise, which was a determined grunt as she pulled my massive weight off the bed and up onto her knees. I felt humbled that such a small lady could handle a man my size the way she did. She offered me some delicious ginger tea and then put my robe on me and tied it. That part was the most uncomfortable for some reason. She was standing behind me, reaching around and tieing my robe. I felt very awkward.
The biggest surprise is that I was not sore at all that day, nor am I sore today. I guess she knew what she was doing. I think I'll get another Shiatsu massage someday. Now that I know what to expect, I might enjoy it more the next time.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Phi Phi Islands, Thailand - Posted by Maggie
Phi Phi island is not far from Singapore, but the trip is rather inconvenient: a 40 minute cab ride in Singapore to the airport, short 90 minute flight from Singapore to Krabi, a 30 minute cab ride to the pier, a 90 minute ferry from Krabi to Phi Phi Island and a 30 minute long boat ride along the coast of Phi Phi to our resort. But well worth the hassle is being comletely transported to a tropical paradise where fine, white sandy beaches suround you and breathtaking rock formations rise from the vivid turquoise waters that surround Phi Phi islands.
The Phi Phi Islands are located in south Thailand, just south of the island of Phuket and the mainland (Krabi Province).
The resort, Zeavola, is the newest - all suite boutique resort and spa on Northern tip of Phi Phi Islands and is absolutely gorgeous. It is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the world, and has also made the Conde Naste Traveler's Hot List 2006. The resort it is a wonderful combination of rural Thai charm and five-star comfort, with 52 suites made almost entirely of wood and glass, furnished with a very successful combination of traditional and contemporary pieces. The 'living area' is open on three sides with motor-driven, floor-to-ceiling bamboo blinds replacing the walls with splendid seclution.
One day we rented a "long boat" and a boat man to take us snorkelling on the smaller island of Phi Phi Ley, about 12 kilometers to the south of Zeavola resort. Despite h is limited english, Boat Man was very capable in the sometimes choppy waters, and took us to several lovely coves and sights, and used hand signals to tell us where the best snorkelling areas were.Contrary to Phi Phi Don the islet is uninhabited, not only because it is banned but there are no long stretches of surrounding beaches. The island descends abruptly into the sea on all sides. There are small secluded little beaches along the cliffs and we stopped at one to have a picnic. Unfortunately, within seconds a black cloud of mozzies (as I call mosquitoes) surrounded and attacked me. I had to slather myself from head to toe with anti-mozzie-stuff. Of course, they ignored Darin entirely!
Darin on the long boat. Boat Man in backWith its emerald crystal sea, secluded beaches wooded cliffs and mountains, colourful coral reefs and undersea life-Phi Phi really is a paradise in the Andaman Sea.
Maggie getting ready to go snorkelling:
>> View more pictures here on Photoworks (no account required).
The Phi Phi Islands are located in south Thailand, just south of the island of Phuket and the mainland (Krabi Province).
The resort, Zeavola, is the newest - all suite boutique resort and spa on Northern tip of Phi Phi Islands and is absolutely gorgeous. It is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the world, and has also made the Conde Naste Traveler's Hot List 2006. The resort it is a wonderful combination of rural Thai charm and five-star comfort, with 52 suites made almost entirely of wood and glass, furnished with a very successful combination of traditional and contemporary pieces. The 'living area' is open on three sides with motor-driven, floor-to-ceiling bamboo blinds replacing the walls with splendid seclution.
One day we rented a "long boat" and a boat man to take us snorkelling on the smaller island of Phi Phi Ley, about 12 kilometers to the south of Zeavola resort. Despite h is limited english, Boat Man was very capable in the sometimes choppy waters, and took us to several lovely coves and sights, and used hand signals to tell us where the best snorkelling areas were.Contrary to Phi Phi Don the islet is uninhabited, not only because it is banned but there are no long stretches of surrounding beaches. The island descends abruptly into the sea on all sides. There are small secluded little beaches along the cliffs and we stopped at one to have a picnic. Unfortunately, within seconds a black cloud of mozzies (as I call mosquitoes) surrounded and attacked me. I had to slather myself from head to toe with anti-mozzie-stuff. Of course, they ignored Darin entirely!Darin on the long boat. Boat Man in backWith its emerald crystal sea, secluded beaches wooded cliffs and mountains, colourful coral reefs and undersea life-Phi Phi really is a paradise in the Andaman Sea.
Maggie getting ready to go snorkelling:
>> View more pictures here on Photoworks (no account required).
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Lisa's visit! - Posted by Maggie
My friend Lisa from Austin came to visit for a week! We had loads of fun. Darin was away in Italy the entire week she was here, so it was ladies week, and we painted the town red.
We did a lot of shopping (of course) but other hightlights include Arab street bargaining for hookahs, steam boat dinner, dim sum disaster and the Singapore zoo.Steam Boat dinner in Chinatown!
Dim sum disaster: Dim sum here is very popular and there are alot of good restaurants in Chinatown. One in particular called Yum Cha advertised a special running Monday - Friday till 11am for a dim sum buffet for a fixed price of S$9.80 (about US$6.50) per person. Dim sum buffet here means unlimited orders from the little carts that the servers push around. Sometimes you don't know what the dish is, but for the most part it is steamed buns, spring rolls and potstickers - eaten for breakfast/brunch. One server offered us chicken feet, but we declined.
Anyway, so Lisa and I arrived at 10:30 am at this place. We were the only westerners in the establishment and subsequently we were completely ingored for about 15 minutes! When the server finally stopped at our table (after walking right by us 10+ times) we asked for the fixed price buffet. He exclaimed: "Buffet finish! You pay a la cart" and shoved an ordering list onto our table. The next thing we know, one server with a cart comes along and starts unloading items onto our table (things we didn't necessarily want) and then she proceeded to check off the items on our list. At around $3-4 per small plate, things can add up fairly quickly (this is why the fixed price option is a good deal).
Lisa and I started looking around and saw that none of the other customers had an order sheet like we did. We were miffed. We asked one waiter why we had to pay a la carte, but all the other diners had the fixed price option. He claimed that we "had to say fixed price when we came in". We said we DID say that, and that we arrived at 10:30 when the buffet was not supposed to be over and that we feel this is unfair. We called the manager to complain and got into a bit of a tif. After stomping off, and a bit of huffing and puffing (the manager, not us), he came back and said that we could pay the fixed price. He immediately said "last order!" which ended the buffet anyway.
I won't go to that establishment again. Just because we are westerners and women doesn't make us stupid! We just want to be treated like everyone else.
If you'd like to see pictures of Lisa's visit and of all the fun things we did, you can view them here
We did a lot of shopping (of course) but other hightlights include Arab street bargaining for hookahs, steam boat dinner, dim sum disaster and the Singapore zoo.Steam Boat dinner in Chinatown!
Dim sum disaster: Dim sum here is very popular and there are alot of good restaurants in Chinatown. One in particular called Yum Cha advertised a special running Monday - Friday till 11am for a dim sum buffet for a fixed price of S$9.80 (about US$6.50) per person. Dim sum buffet here means unlimited orders from the little carts that the servers push around. Sometimes you don't know what the dish is, but for the most part it is steamed buns, spring rolls and potstickers - eaten for breakfast/brunch. One server offered us chicken feet, but we declined.
Anyway, so Lisa and I arrived at 10:30 am at this place. We were the only westerners in the establishment and subsequently we were completely ingored for about 15 minutes! When the server finally stopped at our table (after walking right by us 10+ times) we asked for the fixed price buffet. He exclaimed: "Buffet finish! You pay a la cart" and shoved an ordering list onto our table. The next thing we know, one server with a cart comes along and starts unloading items onto our table (things we didn't necessarily want) and then she proceeded to check off the items on our list. At around $3-4 per small plate, things can add up fairly quickly (this is why the fixed price option is a good deal).
Lisa and I started looking around and saw that none of the other customers had an order sheet like we did. We were miffed. We asked one waiter why we had to pay a la carte, but all the other diners had the fixed price option. He claimed that we "had to say fixed price when we came in". We said we DID say that, and that we arrived at 10:30 when the buffet was not supposed to be over and that we feel this is unfair. We called the manager to complain and got into a bit of a tif. After stomping off, and a bit of huffing and puffing (the manager, not us), he came back and said that we could pay the fixed price. He immediately said "last order!" which ended the buffet anyway.
I won't go to that establishment again. Just because we are westerners and women doesn't make us stupid! We just want to be treated like everyone else.
If you'd like to see pictures of Lisa's visit and of all the fun things we did, you can view them here
Sunday, August 20, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
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!
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!
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
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
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
Monday, August 14, 2006
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)
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)
Friday, August 04, 2006
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.
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.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
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!
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!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
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.
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.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
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!
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!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Meanwhile, back in Florida....
Beanie and Basil are in heaven! Just look - happy dogs. I miss them so much!
Darin's birthday weekend - posted by Maggie
Today, Monday July 31st is Darin's 40th birthday. So the entire weekend was a celebration, packed full of new adventures.
Cultural Training - Singapore 101The weekend started off with a local Singaporean named Keith that came to out aparment to train us in Singaporean culture. It was a lot of fun and we learned so much about the culture here as well as some interesting historical factoids. Here are a few examples:
4 million people live on the island of Singapore
1 million of those are expatriates (25 % of the population)
Singapore is only 41 years old
Only 10% of Singaporeans hold a university education
Always present your business card with two hands, and accept someone elses with two hands (don't bend it or place it quickly in your pocket or wallet!)
You feet are considered unclean - never use your foot to move an object or touch another person.
Your left hand is also considered unclean. Never hand anything to another person using your left hand.
Later on, Keith took us for authentic Chinese Dim Sum in Chinatown. Dim Sum means "small pieces going straight to your heart". The servers push little carts around containing small dishes (like "tapas") and you just nod when you want something. We had spring rolls, salad, shrimp dumplings, fried fish and more. It was delicious! For dessert they offered us a dish made from bird saliva! I declinedand had the mango pudding instead.
Sentosa Island:On Sunday, Darin and I went on a special excursion to Sentosa Island, described in magazines as " an island resort that's just minutes from the Central Business District, yet a world away from the bustle of the city!".
We arrived via cable car (that moves horizontally for the most part, not up or down) from Mount Faber (which isn't really a mountain but a hill covered in rain forest - very pretty). The island is full of entertainment and attractions such as Underwater World, The Merlion and Cinemania. But we mainly wanted to go walk on the beach and go to the famous Spa Botanica at the Sentosa Resort and Spa.
The had a nice lunch on Siloso beach and then headed to the Spa. It was absolutely breathtaking. Set amidst the lush rainforest, we were led to an outside pavillion where we could hear peacocks and falling water whilst enjoying obscenely indulgent pampering with a 90-minute massage. After that we had a mud bath where you cover your entire body and face with mineral mud. We felt relaxed and rejuvenated, and went back to the city to have dinner by the river (yes, we washed the mud off before going back to the city).
See more pictures on Photoworks.com (link will open in new window)
Cultural Training - Singapore 101The weekend started off with a local Singaporean named Keith that came to out aparment to train us in Singaporean culture. It was a lot of fun and we learned so much about the culture here as well as some interesting historical factoids. Here are a few examples:
4 million people live on the island of Singapore
1 million of those are expatriates (25 % of the population)
Singapore is only 41 years old
Only 10% of Singaporeans hold a university education
Always present your business card with two hands, and accept someone elses with two hands (don't bend it or place it quickly in your pocket or wallet!)
You feet are considered unclean - never use your foot to move an object or touch another person.
Your left hand is also considered unclean. Never hand anything to another person using your left hand.
Later on, Keith took us for authentic Chinese Dim Sum in Chinatown. Dim Sum means "small pieces going straight to your heart". The servers push little carts around containing small dishes (like "tapas") and you just nod when you want something. We had spring rolls, salad, shrimp dumplings, fried fish and more. It was delicious! For dessert they offered us a dish made from bird saliva! I declinedand had the mango pudding instead.
Sentosa Island:On Sunday, Darin and I went on a special excursion to Sentosa Island, described in magazines as " an island resort that's just minutes from the Central Business District, yet a world away from the bustle of the city!".
We arrived via cable car (that moves horizontally for the most part, not up or down) from Mount Faber (which isn't really a mountain but a hill covered in rain forest - very pretty). The island is full of entertainment and attractions such as Underwater World, The Merlion and Cinemania. But we mainly wanted to go walk on the beach and go to the famous Spa Botanica at the Sentosa Resort and Spa.
The had a nice lunch on Siloso beach and then headed to the Spa. It was absolutely breathtaking. Set amidst the lush rainforest, we were led to an outside pavillion where we could hear peacocks and falling water whilst enjoying obscenely indulgent pampering with a 90-minute massage. After that we had a mud bath where you cover your entire body and face with mineral mud. We felt relaxed and rejuvenated, and went back to the city to have dinner by the river (yes, we washed the mud off before going back to the city).
See more pictures on Photoworks.com (link will open in new window)
Monday, July 24, 2006
Our Townhouse in Singapore - Posted by Maggie
Great news! We finally moved into a townhouse. It is in the Park Avenue Residences on Kim Yam Road, close to Mohammed Sultan Road.The townhouse is on 3 levels - the lower level has a living room, kitchen, dining and utility room and one loo. The second level has the master bedroom with master bath and a guest bedroom with a full guest bathroom, the third level has another guestroom with full en suite bathroom. Loads of room for anyone to come and visit. And heaps of room for me to paint!!
This is a very nice neighborhood near Robertson Quay, on the famous Mohammed Sultan Raod which is a popular hang-out spot with expats and locals. The river is one block from our place. It is also near major shopping areas, Chinatown and Clarke Quay - all of which have abundant grocery shops, restaurants and bars. The Mohammed Sultan area is also the Art Center of Singapore (naturally, this is why I like it so much) with art galleries galore all around (one right across the road from our townhouse!)
--> See more pictures of our townhouse & neighborhood on Photoworks
Weekend in Bangkok, Thailand - posted by Maggie
This past weekend we went to Bangkok, Thailand for the weekend. We went to meet some friends of ours (Lydia & Alyson) who were on a Smartours /Friendly Planet tour of China and Thailand. They were at the end of their 2-week trip.
We met Lydia and Alyson in New Zealand in May - they were tour mates on the Friendly Planet tour we went on. They both live in Las Vegas, and the last time we saw them was in Tahiti when we said goodbye. And now we met them again in Thailand. It's a small world!
The tour guide, who's name is Boeing, let Darin and I tag along for two days in the bus along with the other Friendly Planet tour-goers. We saw a lot of temples and palaces. The most famous ones we went to were The Temple of the Reclining Buddha & Wat Po as well as the Grand Palace. It was a lot of fun.
I was surprised by how cheap everything was in Bangkok. A meal in a nice restaurant would cost around $4-6! It was very different from Singapore. We saw many stray animals (mostly cats and dogs) everywhere, and there is a lot of poverty too - more than in Singapore.
I posted some pictures on Photoworks.com - you can view them without having to sign up as a member:View our Tailand pictures now
We met Lydia and Alyson in New Zealand in May - they were tour mates on the Friendly Planet tour we went on. They both live in Las Vegas, and the last time we saw them was in Tahiti when we said goodbye. And now we met them again in Thailand. It's a small world!
The tour guide, who's name is Boeing, let Darin and I tag along for two days in the bus along with the other Friendly Planet tour-goers. We saw a lot of temples and palaces. The most famous ones we went to were The Temple of the Reclining Buddha & Wat Po as well as the Grand Palace. It was a lot of fun.
I was surprised by how cheap everything was in Bangkok. A meal in a nice restaurant would cost around $4-6! It was very different from Singapore. We saw many stray animals (mostly cats and dogs) everywhere, and there is a lot of poverty too - more than in Singapore.
I posted some pictures on Photoworks.com - you can view them without having to sign up as a member:View our Tailand pictures now
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Singapore Art Museum & Chinatown - Posted by Maggie
I visited the Singapore Art Museum recently to investigate what kinds of Asian art is in the collection. When I got there, I was prepared to pay the $3 entrance fee (that I read about in a guide book), but they handed me a floor plan and said the entry was free. Naturally, I was pleased about this.The map was very hard to figure out, even though the museum itself is very small - 2 story building in a u-shape (compared to the likes of MoMA and the Met, this place is a mere spec of dust). There were 2 temporary exhibits of local Singapore artists. Works ranged from photography to abstrac and figurative painting. I wanted to see more, but the rest of the exhibits were under construction. This is probably why the entrance fee was free.
After the Art Museum I walked down to Chinatown. There are many street stalls selling everything under the sun. There are also tailors everywhere that will make you custom clothing in your choice of fabric. In the US you would pay top dollar for custom made tailored shirts. Here, you can get one for about SG$40-80, which is about USD$30-60!! So for Darin's upcoming 40th birthday, I got him 2 custom made tailored shirts made out of fine silk and quality cotton. (He knows about this gift because he had to come with me to get measured ) I hope they turn out nice.
Club Street in Chinatown is a hip little street with unique and quirky little shops dotting the street. Also known for it's vibrant night life, this street is the place to see and be seen at.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Bollywood Veggies: Organic farm in the coutryside - Posted by Maggie
Yesterday Darin and I went on an adventure to the countryside in Singapore. We had to take a train for 40 minutes to get to Kranji, a rural town on the north side of the island. Once there, we still had to get a cab to Bollywood Veggie farm.
Our first cab driver said he had no clue where it was, even after we gave him the address. The second cab driver we asked said the first one lied. He just didn't want to take us there because he would have no passenger coming back. This, we have found out, is "taxi diplomacy". Drivers would pretend that they don't know where the destination is, and tell you to get out of the car!
Anyhow, the second cab driver was a lady, and she gladly took us right to the farm. Only 10 minutes from the station.
Bollywood veggies is a farm that groes organic fruits, vegetables and herbs on a lovely 10-acre farm run by nature lovers Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim and her husband, Mr Lim Ho Seng. We ate at the farm's restaurant "Poison Ivy Bistro" - they served very tasty dishes using produce straight from the farm!
I had the banana & coconut curry, and Darin had some lemongrass chicken and a dish that came with all sorts of things on it - about 70% of which were edible.
We had a fun time!
Our first cab driver said he had no clue where it was, even after we gave him the address. The second cab driver we asked said the first one lied. He just didn't want to take us there because he would have no passenger coming back. This, we have found out, is "taxi diplomacy". Drivers would pretend that they don't know where the destination is, and tell you to get out of the car!
Anyhow, the second cab driver was a lady, and she gladly took us right to the farm. Only 10 minutes from the station.
Bollywood veggies is a farm that groes organic fruits, vegetables and herbs on a lovely 10-acre farm run by nature lovers Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim and her husband, Mr Lim Ho Seng. We ate at the farm's restaurant "Poison Ivy Bistro" - they served very tasty dishes using produce straight from the farm!
I had the banana & coconut curry, and Darin had some lemongrass chicken and a dish that came with all sorts of things on it - about 70% of which were edible.
We had a fun time!
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Ok, this was very disturbing - Posted by Maggie
Guess what I saw today. OMG, brace yourself for this. I had to come back to the hotel to lie down in a fetal position after this experience! They have these food stalls everywhere - selling all kinds of food - from "western food" (looks like grey chicken nuggets), to indian and thai food, and dim sum & dumplings and such (see the Fish ball entry below). Well, one place looked interesting - I thought there were little breads on display and then I saw a jar on top of the counter, and I couldn't figure out what was in there. At closer inspecition, I saw that the label said "Marinated Duck Chins". And that is exactly what they were!! It was literally the lower half of a duck's beak (in the u-shape) with a piece of skin attached to it, and the whole thing skewered on a stick. Serious. I am not kidding!
I was so appalled by this that I started looking around frantically to see if there were any other (westerners) people around who see this. I needed some kind of acknowledgement that this was real (and very disturbing). Of course there was nobody who even blinked an eye, and I actually saw someone ordering some. I fled immediately, feeling sick to my stomach, and came straight back to the hotel.
Lucky for me, there are tons of indian (vegetarian) food everywhere, but I swear - there is only so much vegetable curry, rice and roti one can stand.
Do I write about food a lot? I guess it's because you can't even throw a chop-stick in the air without it landing in a restaurant or food stall around here.
Disturbed in Sing
I was so appalled by this that I started looking around frantically to see if there were any other (westerners) people around who see this. I needed some kind of acknowledgement that this was real (and very disturbing). Of course there was nobody who even blinked an eye, and I actually saw someone ordering some. I fled immediately, feeling sick to my stomach, and came straight back to the hotel.
Lucky for me, there are tons of indian (vegetarian) food everywhere, but I swear - there is only so much vegetable curry, rice and roti one can stand.
Do I write about food a lot? I guess it's because you can't even throw a chop-stick in the air without it landing in a restaurant or food stall around here.
Disturbed in Sing
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Durian fruit and glutinous fish balls - Posted by Maggie
So far Singapore is fun. It is a bit overwhelming - feels like living in Manhattan surrounded by multiple cultures that speak english with heavy accents, who shop and eat a lot. Sort of being in a perpetual Chinatown...
The food is good, but most of the time I don't even know what I am eating. And I still have to get used to the weird smells, like durian fruit. It smells like rotten fruit doused with petrol, but tastes pretty sweet (almost like a guava) and it has prickly thorns on it. Buses and the subway have signs prohibiting the transportation of durian fruit. You can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian
As a globe trotter, I have seen (and sometimes eaten) many weird dishes. ("Globe trotters" actually sounds like a dish you'll find in a restaurant here in Singapore: "I'll have the curried globe trotters with a side of glutinous fish balls". Serious, they sell "glutinous fish balls" here - it looks like ping-pong balls served in a soup with noodles). Here is a picture:
Today I also saw chicken feet, and soup made from the slug-like sea cucumber and something called seafood porridge. The porridge part is actually just rice in a broth of some sort.
Bon appetit!
The food is good, but most of the time I don't even know what I am eating. And I still have to get used to the weird smells, like durian fruit. It smells like rotten fruit doused with petrol, but tastes pretty sweet (almost like a guava) and it has prickly thorns on it. Buses and the subway have signs prohibiting the transportation of durian fruit. You can read about it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Durian
As a globe trotter, I have seen (and sometimes eaten) many weird dishes. ("Globe trotters" actually sounds like a dish you'll find in a restaurant here in Singapore: "I'll have the curried globe trotters with a side of glutinous fish balls". Serious, they sell "glutinous fish balls" here - it looks like ping-pong balls served in a soup with noodles). Here is a picture:
Today I also saw chicken feet, and soup made from the slug-like sea cucumber and something called seafood porridge. The porridge part is actually just rice in a broth of some sort.
Bon appetit!
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Made it to Singapore! - Posted by Maggie
he flight was pretty harsh and very long, and we still have a bit of jet lag. Yesterday we fell asleep at 5pm and woke up at midnight - confused at first and unable to sleep any further.
You won't believe the shopping here!! It is like a never-ending shopping mall. There are high-end labels like Prada, Gucci, Valentino, Longchamp, BCBG etc. and there are other brands like Marks & Spencer and Mango (from Spain) and there are also heaps of fleamarkets and vintage clothing stores. Even an IKEA and a lot of other home furnishing shops. Wherever you go there is a huge mall, there are literally shops everywhere, and there is also specialized areas such as little india and little china etc.
I was really surprised by how many trees there are everywhere - the climate is very tropical and there are apparently more tree species in Singapore than the entire US! The city itself is spotless. The sidewalks are very clean, you will never see any trash anywhere. But so far my biggest quest has been to find rubbish bins. There are none on the street. You have to carry all your empty water bottles and other debris with you for a long time, until you spot a rubbish bin - usually hidden away in a corner where you least expect it.
They Hyatt is very nice - they have an excellent spa with a whirlpool, steamroom and sauna and an excercise room, and we are centrally located just off of Orchard road which is the main shopping street.
And the food!!! there is every single cuisine you can think of here. Food is very cheap (and good) but alcohol is very expensive. You pay about $8 for a glass of beer.
Darin and I rode the MRT (subway) out to the Dell office yesterday to see how long it will take him to get to work. It took us about 50 minutes from the hotel. The MRT goes everywhere and is very clean (no pee smells), but is a bit crowded. Much like London's tube with very clear directions etc.
We've also scoped out an apartment so far and it was really nice - very comfortable and nicely furnished. But it was too far away from the MRT so it would take us really long to get anywhere. So the search for housing continues.
You won't believe the shopping here!! It is like a never-ending shopping mall. There are high-end labels like Prada, Gucci, Valentino, Longchamp, BCBG etc. and there are other brands like Marks & Spencer and Mango (from Spain) and there are also heaps of fleamarkets and vintage clothing stores. Even an IKEA and a lot of other home furnishing shops. Wherever you go there is a huge mall, there are literally shops everywhere, and there is also specialized areas such as little india and little china etc.
I was really surprised by how many trees there are everywhere - the climate is very tropical and there are apparently more tree species in Singapore than the entire US! The city itself is spotless. The sidewalks are very clean, you will never see any trash anywhere. But so far my biggest quest has been to find rubbish bins. There are none on the street. You have to carry all your empty water bottles and other debris with you for a long time, until you spot a rubbish bin - usually hidden away in a corner where you least expect it.
They Hyatt is very nice - they have an excellent spa with a whirlpool, steamroom and sauna and an excercise room, and we are centrally located just off of Orchard road which is the main shopping street.
And the food!!! there is every single cuisine you can think of here. Food is very cheap (and good) but alcohol is very expensive. You pay about $8 for a glass of beer.
Darin and I rode the MRT (subway) out to the Dell office yesterday to see how long it will take him to get to work. It took us about 50 minutes from the hotel. The MRT goes everywhere and is very clean (no pee smells), but is a bit crowded. Much like London's tube with very clear directions etc.
We've also scoped out an apartment so far and it was really nice - very comfortable and nicely furnished. But it was too far away from the MRT so it would take us really long to get anywhere. So the search for housing continues.
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