Thirst Quenchers

What is it about Asian products that makes me smile? A trip to the supermarket requires no less than reading every name on the shelf and wondering which new item to try this time.

Being Asian, the sense of novelty is a bit dulled by the fact that I'm already used to eating beans as desserts, fish as balls, and squid as beer snack but...hey, some things still make me smile.

Observe... the wonder that is the soft drinks & juices aisle. The aloe drink on the lower right has floaty aloe bits and can be refreshing when refrigerated. "Whatever" and "Anything" are sugary drinks without a distinctive taste, I'm afraid. Heaven & Earth jasmine green tea is nice although slightly too sweet for me. I haven't tried "Pi Pa Mi" yet but soon...

Pretty Tasty Street Flower

Just a 5-minute walk from my street, there is a big road with a supermarket, a gas station, a hawker center (open-air food court with cheap food stalls), several restaurants and eating shops (mini restaurants with a limited menu).

Since my roommates are two models (a Brazilian woman and a South African guy) and a law student and her boyfriend (both Canadians), the communcal living room and kitchen can get quite crowded. They are fantastic, easygoing roommates and they cook often. But I prefer to eat out since it's quicker, cheaper and I get to maintain my lazy city lifestyle.

I like walking down to the shops despite the heat because I always marvel at the variety of trees, plants and flowers on my street. Everything grows and changes so fast in this climate; it's hot and sunny for 3-4 days and then torrential rain pours down for half a day or night. Just today, I was shocked to see this crimson banana flower and baby bunch, which was not there a couple of days earlier.


I'm very tempted to steal the flower after a few more days and slice it into a refreshing summer salad with peanuts, chilis and red onions. For those of you who have not had the pleasure to taste such a salad in Thailand, perhaps at a tiny beach hut run by a big woman with the shyest smile and a few words of English... You'll just have to come to this side of the world and experience it. It is absolutely marvelous - a fusion of unexpected yet delectable flavors at the end of your fork. I would be happy to be your gastronomic guide.

Faith Ever More

When I lived in New York I never really thought about religion much. Around here, there are reminders that for countless others, spiritualism and religion are integral dimensions in their lives.


From headscarves, street signs to houses of worship, it is difficult to forget that religion, culture, race, language and nationality can all intersect in this hyper-modern island society of 4.5 million people. One may be an ethnic Malay-Indonesian who is a Singaporean citizen, a devout Muslim, and a spouse to an ethnic Chinese immigrant.

An afternoon walking tour began in the Arab District, a small neighborhood with blocks of faded two-story buildings with bustling little shops/restaurants on the ground floor. Wares are out on racks, a/c’s and fans are whirling and tourists lazily shuffle from Arab Street, Baghdad Street to Kandahar Street in the post-lunch heat. Then the recorded call to prayer is heard. Sultan Mosque (1826) with its golden dome is the communal center.


Just a 15-minute walk southwest of Arab District is Waterloo Street with two ancient temples almost side by side:
Sri Krishnan Temple (1870) for the Hindu god, Lord Krishna and
Goddess of Mercy Temple (1884) for the Chinese goddess of mercy, Guanyin.



There are quite a few street vendors selling incense, flowers, drinks and food amidst the devout masses and several beggars. Some devotees seemed to be stopping by both temples for double prayers. One can never have too much hope.


See:
> Sultan Mosque – 3 Muscat Street
> Sri Krishnan Temple – 152 Waterloo Street
> Goddess of Mercy Temple (a.k.a. Kwan Yin/Guanyin/ Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple) – 178 Waterloo Street

Eat:
> Zam Zam - 699 North Bridge Road, Muslim Malay food, Chicken Murtabak for S$5

Singapore Landing

There is nothing quite like crashing into a freshly-made, white-linened, big hotel bed after 32 hours of travelling door to door.

But despite the jetlag, housing had to be secured and work had to be found. After going through countless rental postings without much luck, the housing gods finally smiled on Day 2 of search and allowed a gem of an apartment to be signed in my name.


Welcome to River Valley!
This is the view from my living room. I drink my morning coffee here and watch the apartment complex waking up. It's a cosy little complex located in a small residential street near a busy and central shopping district called Orchard Road. There are many little eating shops nearby so stay tuned for lots of food discoveries.