Post Card

Post, November 2011

11/6
Got to Singapore midday after 19 hours in the air. Recalled the rule: "Sun your buns in Cancun; steam your buns in Singapore." The Chinese influence? The owners of the condo we rented were already traveling, so they left the front door unlocked and the key on the table. It's Singapore. "It's safe." We have an airy 29th floor balcony in one of several high rises around a pool. The nearest hawker center had cold beer and fish cakes to keep us going. Mysterious East Dept: Got a pastry called Cures of the Golden Flower. What's the ailment?

Post, November 2011

11/7
We cracked the SG cure for jetlag: toast, hot & sour soup, carrot cake! After a third espresso (we brought our own, they drink fruit juice here), we went out for kaya, "coconut/egg spread," SG's improved answer to peanut butter or Vegemite. Lunched on the soup at a Chinese restaurant rated one of 10 best in the world; we agree! Mysterious East Dept: Dinner was Black Carrot Cake -- It's not a cake, and has no carrots. It's an SG fave, and ours, too.

Post, November 2011

11/8
Today, Chinatown! A delight! The terrific Heritage Museum tells the story of SG's influential ethnic Chinese. It was horrific to get to SG. Immigrants, packed in junks like sardines for 12 days often died and were tossed overboard. Survivors lived in squalor. The museum displays a warren of salvaged rooms as they were actually lived in. Their success is inspiring. We ate well in Chinatown! Plus, we had the (non-Chinese) Durian Puffs. Durian, the fruit that "smells bad/tastes great" ... well, half right.

Post, November 2011

11/9
WA's motto is the "Evergreen State," SG's should be the "Really, Really, Really Green 'Cuz It's A Hothouse State." It's jungle-like foliage and flowers everywhere. Today, we wandered the curated plants of the National Botanic Garden. Tended since 1859, it's the best! There's a ginger garden, a wild petunia -- very unusual -- and orchids, orchids, orchids, orchids, and more foliage. We were < guess what > with envy!

Post, November 2011

11/10
It was market day for us ... in the Sultanate of Johor, a day trip into Malaysia. Johor, one of MY's constitutional monarchies, is less developed than SG, so the prices are low! The food and produce we saw were very high quality. Notice, the pricey Arabica coffee is only $4.25 lb. But, want cheap MY petrol for your SG car? Forget it, the fine is $375 ... and they check. We lunched with the market workers at the Nasi Berinia buffet; it's saffron rice topped with assorted curries.

Post, November 2011

11/11
Today we played some Bus Roulette. Rules: Pick an obscure gallery across town; leave guidebook and maps at home; train to an out-of-the-way stop; use only public bus schedules (and city memory), to get to the gallery. The Fun: Fill time between meals, see oddball stuff. The torrential rain offers a chance for bonus points ... or a coffee break. Prize: a Dali.

Artist: Hyuang Koo Kang

Post, November 2011

11/12
Singapore is multicultural -- more so, than anywhere we know of. Centuries ago, foreign traders married the Malay women who ran the businesses they dealt with. Their descendants -- known as Peranakans -- intermarried too, establishing multiculturalism as an honored idea. Everyone imported their food, traditions, religion and norms, making daily life rich and varied ... where else can you find a halal Thai Chinese cafe?

Post, November 2011

11/13
We fly home tomorrow, after 8 totally fun days. Many of our favorite experiences are shown above. But, a few "faves" didn't fall into any of those topics. They are listed here, because we can't help ourselves:
Crunching Crispy Honeyed Baby Squid
Swimming in Our Pool
Watching Monkeys in Our Park
The Art of Singapore (Kim Jong Il) Eating at Hawker Centers (Maxwell St)
Meeting Interesting Singaporeans
Living in Bukit Batok
Sitting Out the Rain Storms

Postcards From Singapore