Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Same / Different

Don'tcha Want ta?  Want-ta Fanta fanta?


thealistdaily.com

In the US - here is the Fanta we know and love: 


food.productwiki.com









In Singapore it is: Different!
It is blue!? It is UPsidedown?!   And it comes in PEACH flavour!? 

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Everyday things.


Here are just a few things from my every-day life in Singapore:


A very expensive latte purchased just for the free wi-fi!




Orchard Road - A mall obviously.


Two Views from the rooftop parking lot of Shaw Towers where I work.   (11th floor, not actually the top of the building which goes to 30 something)



My morning coffee barista.  For just $2.50 you can have a delicious iced latte.  But no wifi.


Ps. Snow Fungus with American Ginseng is a DRINK!  


Peanut butter toast is quite popular here.  Usually served with a drizzle of condensed milk on top.  ?!???


This white fungus seems to be a main dish.  I'm confused by the papaya though.  I'm sure it is talking of a mushroom of some kind - but seriously all I can think of is athletes foot.  Double boiled or no - I don't want that in my mouth thank you very much!


There is a reason Singapore is so spotless.  Everywhere you look someone is scrubbing or sweeping something.  The other day I was in a small cafe and a man was up on a ladder apparently cleaning the ceiling.  


BABY!


Foot massage while I wait for my laundry.  SUCH a good idea!

Orchids

Inside the Singapore Botanic Gardens is a special exhibit comprised entirely of orchids.


 



  It is beautiful and HOT and peaceful and HOT.  Amazingly unlike all other orchids I have visited these were almost all outdoors.  Because In Singapore - the climate IS a greenhouse.


Every day has a high of around 90 degrees.  Every day gets one rain shower.  The night time low is around 78 degrees.


The only orchids that needed protection were the ones exclusively found at the top of the rain forests in the cooler mountain air.

There was even a special area for orchids named after celebrities.


Apparently, if you are famous and visit the gardens - they will name one for you.  We searched for the reported Elton John orchid, but no luck.  We did find several named for Princess Di.

Oh and in case you are wondering, there are an estimated 25,000 - 30,000 species of orchid - so they won't run out before you get here.

~k

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Two Things

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

1) I am now officially work-permitted to stay in Singapore through October of 2013.  Hooray.  I can also get a real phone number and join a gym.

2) A piano.


A very busy and lovely Sunday.

Oct 14, 2012


Firstly, I slept in till nearly noon and wasted time in my hotel room for a bit after that.  Then I gathered my things and headed out to explore my neighborhood properly for the first time.  My new friend Cath suggested lunch at Food For Thought: A lovely cafĂ© near the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) that feeds hungry guests AND works to bring  clean water to the world.  Their shirts all read “beacause our bathtubs drink better than 1/3 of the world”  It is a sobering thought that.  I enjoyed my free wirelest and exquisite roast-beef, pumpkin, caramelized onion, and balsamic dressing on Foccacia sandwich.  Warning Cal Hutson, food photo below:



Next up SAM.  Housed in an old colonial mansion with wide double decker porches and soft grey shutters the building was also weirdly glassed in at every porch arch.  It was nice to have the air conditioning and I’m sure it is essential to art preservation, but it was odd.  Not nearly as odd as the exhibits though.   The current show focused on recent and modern art from Asia.  First up some angry white and red-winged dogs eating a delicious dinner.  Inspired by philipine street dogs in contrast with the glutonous excess of the modern (western) world.

The same artist is also famous for his ancient chinese-style paintings of fat emperors and little boys eating Mc Donalds or Japanese geisha statues holding glossy laptops. 
One of the coolest pieces was this abstract grid of squares.  It was painted in tiny brush strokes starting with a dark canvas and building up until the whole grid seems nearly white.  The coolest part was that when you were standing there, even just a few inches away from the painting you would swear it was three-dimensional.  I bet the guards have to work overtime in that room because it was seriously hard to keep my fingers off the art – just to make sure it was really flat.

There were quite a few angry artsy video installations most of which I didn’t especially like.  But here are a few other pieces that I did like. 



This portrait was made entirely of shampoo caps - either open, or closed.  

Exit art museum, top up phone card, caught in a complete downpour, waited under a tiny awning for about 15 minutes before I decided to convince a complete stranger to share their umbrella with me just while I crossed the rod to . . . .wait, you know the answer to this one . . . another MALL!


 They are really useful.  Indoors I found a lovely Japanese office supply store and bought a few things for my purse.  It’s soooo organized now.  On the way out I investigated a possible gym – California Fitness.  Its expensive but seems to have good classes and is located just a block and a half from work.  Hmmm?  Last stop laundry detergent since the hand soap in my hotel just won’t quite cut it. 

On the way home I was seduced by the 20 min for $18 back massage.  Ohhh bliss.  I’m a wee bit sore today but it was worth it.

Off to more ghost hunting work tomorrow.

~k

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Lets go to India



Welcome to India!  It's time for Depavali

Today I took a small trip to India - not the real one - little India down Serangoon Road about 8 blocks from my hotel.  For the first time I am ready to post my own photos on the blog and I will pretty much let them do the talking. 



It was an overwhelming and amazing onslaught to all senses.  The air smelled of passionfruit, jasmine and incense.  The colors were brilliant.

 The Indians of Singapore are getting prepped for their festival of lights here called Depavali (someplaces Dewali).  I believe it is scheduled for November 8th but the streets are already filled with vendors selling strings of fresh flowers,
 
 row upon row of giant street banner decorations, stacks of little lights and piles of "happy depavali"gear.  Everyone seems to be gathering their best clothes and buying jewelry for themselves and their homes.  I stopped at a corner restaurant and bravely ordered the "chicken set meal" for $7.  It comes served on a giant leaf and consists of curry sauce, rice, pepper chicken, a creamy cucumber carrot salad, lentils and some okra stew.
 
Bam.  My tongue is still recovering and my tummy is warmly happy.  I should have sprung for the Naan but my waiters were busily serving other guests.  I did spot this sweet little boy on the iphone under the register desk keeping busy while his parents worked. 

And in case the chicken set meal isn't to your liking - I can offer you the Fish head promotion.  $15 only.  Every day available.  Come visit me and I will take you there and watch you attempt to figure out how to eat one.

On the way out I bought a few Depavali treats for myself and some little folk back home.  And stopped by a sari store filled with fabrics in colors and patterns that made me wish I wore saris.

 

I picked out some passion fruits, oranges, a garland of flowers and a string of orange globe lights for my hotel room / new room in Singapore.  

Now if everyone in the states would just wake up so I can call you all.

~k