Happy Friday

Hey kids, instead of spending my Friday night blogging, I'm going to meet up with Ali for dinner and drinks. (Shocker, I'm sure.) I'm not quite sure what we're doing tonight but one day this, we're going to visit Sentosa, a Singaporean island with beaches, resorts and entertainment. I hear it's kind of touristy but I'm still into that. Then we're going out with some other friends (the ones I met Wednesday night) to a place called Bar Bar Black Sheep. It has three little bistros (American/Western, Indian and Thai, I think...) and is supposed to be fun.

I've had several comments via the blog, email and FB about the food, so here's what I had for lunch today. I was really in the mood for chicken fried rice, so I got the closest thing Chris could liken to my description. This Taiwanese dish is called "chicken chop" and it's basically fried chicken, rice and veggies on the side (which I mixed in to make it seem like they were part of the rice). What's that big brown thing in the lower right? Some form of bean curd. Aka sponge. I didn't order it, but I tried it. Once.

Oh, and the best part of today was that Jen and I booked bargain tickets for a weekend getaway to Kuala Lumpur when she's here in October. Yay!

A (Week)day in the Life...

For today's post, I thought I'd give you a glimpse into what my day-to-day life is like here in Singapore. Most days I hit the gym first thing so I can get that out of my way, but this morning I opted for a little more sleep (since I was out later last night). And then after my workout, I typically eat breakfast in the apartment.

Since I had a conference call first thing this morning, I decided to take breakfast into work and try traditional Singaporean coffee (called kopi) and kaia toast for the first time. I decided to stick to Western coffee because kopi is really strong and also rather sweet - not my cup of tea, so to speak. Kaia toast is two pieces of toast held together by a jam and a pat of butter. I was told to order it as is, at least for the first time, so I did. Then upon opening it I promptly took off 95% of the butter. It probably had two or three tablespoons on the four pieces. The jam/light butter/toast combo was pretty good actually. Much better than the dish on the far left pictured below.

I ordered a breakfast "set" because I thought that was Kopi Alley's way of selling the coffee and toast together for a cheaper price, kind of like an extra value meal... Apparently a "set" refers to kopi, kaia toast and soft boiled eggs (wait for it...) in soy sauce! Didn't I notice that I was carrying two cups along with my toast? Yes, I did. I just thought maybe I had accidentally ordered extra coffee alongside my "set" or something...at least until I opened it and asked a coworker what it was. It smelled gross, I'm not going to lie, and I didn't even taste it. I kind of regret it now - I should have at least tasted it - but it was not appetizing in the least. In fact, it reminded me of when pot roast fat starts solidifying in the juices. Isn't that what it looks like?!

Ok, moving along.

Here I am at my desk, getting ready for a full day of work. The view's not too shabby, is it? I love how much natural light there is. No need to turn on the overhead light unless it's raining really. Here are a couple of other photos of our office.

I also like the mosaic in the reception area.

This is the view from the kitchen. See all the ships out there? Some of them are just sitting, victims of the economy. Not sure if you can see it in this photo, but in real life you can see part of Indonesia from here.

I usually have lunch with a few coworkers, and today we went to a place called Happy Belly (no joke). It's in Tanjong Pagar plaza, one of the malls I wrote about earlier this week - very close to both my apartment and work.

Here's Sam with her fried fish. Right about this time, I was really glad I had ordered the chicken rendang, a dry curry dish often eaten in Malaysia, Indonesia and (I suppose) India. It was delicious, but also quite heavy. Many people here tend to eat their biggest meal at lunch and then something lighter for dinner, and I try to be mindful of this as well after a lunch like that. Tonight I dined on a feast of a bagged lettuce salad, carrots, cheese and crackers. It was perfect post-workout and pre-Skype session with Adrienne...light, easy, and oh yeah - vegetables!

All in all, it was a pretty good day. And even better, tomorrow is Friday!

Fun Times & Feet In My Food

Two of my coworkers, Christina and Sam, took me out to lunch yesterday for a traditional Chinese dish: chicken rice. I thought Chris meant chicken fried rice, but chicken rice is actually boiled chicken - usually with bones and skin - served on top of rice. Not exactly a tricky name, just not what I expected. It was pretty good, and could actually be quite healthy if you don't eat the skin or too much rice. At least I knew to ask for white meat.

Then Chris brought out the soup. Um, there's a chicken foot in my soup. I am pretty adventurous when it comes to eating but I just couldn't stop thinking about what that foot might have done or scratched up in its previous life. I ate the bowl that didn't have a foot in it (knowing good and well that it was cooked in the same pot). This made her laugh, of course.

One of the things I've been missing in my Singaporean diet is a good dose of vegetables. Though I'll indulge, I generally try to eat pretty healthfully and I love veggies. I've had lots of fruits but veggies are more difficult to come by here, so Ali and I went to a Lebanese (read: Mediterranean) restaurant last night for some yummy salads with lemon vinaigrette, hummus with lamb and pitas, an olive/veggie tray and an eggplant entree. If any of my visitors (Brian and Jen) like Mediterranean food, I'm likely to take you here because it was delish! The restaurant was in Holland Village, and we stopped by a more upscale grocery while there and I bought some baby carrots and pre-washed lettuce. Judge not, I need greens (and orange).

Check out the price of the Haagen-Dazs though! (SD $1.44 = USD $1). That's USD $16 for two pints of HD. It's good, but it's not that good...


Tonight Ali and I met up with some of her friends for dinner (only four entrees at this food hawker: chicken wrap, chicken sandwich, chicken rice or chicken something else I don't remember. Chili sauce or mayonnaise for condiments. Basically sauce up your chicken and switch out your carb. My wrap with chili sauce was actually pretty good but I didn't feel the need to take a photo.

After that, some more friends of friends met up for drinks at this artsy bar somewhere between Orchard Road and Little India. It was actually a networking event for some of her friends who are in the art business, but we just tagged along and had a good time. Here we are with two other women we met there tonight.

Me (obv), Suzanna, Tamara and Ali

If You're Looking For Tuesday's Post...

...Scroll down below "Observations." I started the mall entry Monday night actually, but then I saved it as a draft when my photos were acting up. Anyway, didn't want you to think I forgot. At least not yet.

Observations

Today was my first full day at work, so unfortunately I didn't have time to do any sightseeing tonight (especially since I waited for 45 minutes for my building's IT guy to come check out my wireless router...and not have any idea how to fix it...I suppose some things never change).

So tonight I thought I'd share some initial observations about Singapore, as well as some of the little quirks I'm getting used to along the way.

1. Like shopping malls, escalators are everywhere. I suspect that most people prefer not to truck up and down stairs in this heat. What's interesting about them, aside from the fact that like cars on the road they're opposite of what we're accustomed to in the U.S., is that they conserve energy by operating slowly until someone steps on them. Once someone gets on, they speed up to a normal pace and then slow down again once everyone is off.

2. Similarly, Singaporeans conserve energy by switching off power outlets when they're not in use. Like the hot water heater, I'm getting used to this (although I just leave the hot water heater on now...I cannot risk another ice cold shower by forgetting to turn it on). No, that will not burn down my building. I asked.

3. The reason many kitchens have doors is because many of the traditional dishes, such as curries, can be quite fragrant - or odiferous, as Adrienne would say. I can tell you that I have run into it many, many times already.

4. Many restaurants do not give you napkins, but they will sell them. That's why mini tissue packs are sold everywhere, as well as little silk pouches to make them more attractive.

5. The sun comes up around 7 a.m. here, and people in my building seem to like working out with the lights off. It's not as dangerous as it sounds, with the outside patio lights, skylights and TV screens on the equipment. I've gotten used to it actually, and the upside is that people cannot see how beet red I am.

Now I'm off to bed, lah! Gotta get up early and hit the gym in the dark.

Singapore: One Big John Hughes Film

In less than one week, I've been in nearly 20 malls. I made reference in an earlier post that malls are everywhere, and Singaporeans love to shop. I'm starting to believe, however - after observing how many people are actually shopping vs. hanging out (enter John Hughes) - that they love "air con" more. And honestly, who can blame them with this weather?

Anyway, I won't go into too much detail - come to Singapore if you want to see them all - but these photos probably give you a sense of how different the malls in size, scope and store offerings.

Here's the entrance to Tanjong Pagar Plaza, which is only two blocks from my apartment. Personally, I would hesitate to call it a mall, but it qualifies.

Next door at the Amara Hotel (halfway between my apartment and Tanjong Pagar Plaza), this mall has about three levels of shops and a large food court on the top floor. Shop & Save is a grocery store inside the mall. (Tanjong Pagar has one as well.) I would say the Amara Hotel mall typifies the Singaporean mall experience...

...until you get to Orchard Road, that is, where everything is bigger, better and flashier.

Sleek design and a wide selection of brand name stores lure shoppers from all over Asia. More to come on Orchard Road, I'm sure. With all the entire strip dedicated to one thing and one thing only, it's easy to see how people shop 'til they drop.

Sunday Funday

Perhaps not Sunday Funday in the common sense of the phrase, but I had another great day in Singapore. After Skyping with Brian this morning (post on Skype coming later - love it!), I headed out for another day of adventure and exploration. On today's agenda: Chinatown, Little India, the pool and a few things in between.


As I was taking the short walk from the CBD to Chinatown, I just happened upon this temple. I don't know the name of it, and the bottom part was under construction but I thought it was striking.

Here I am. Love the symmetry of the lanterns and the columns. Believe it or not, I bought several gifts in Chinatown today - that's something you aren't likely to hear me say in San Francisco!

This pagoda is on top of what I believe is called the Garden Bridge. It runs over a busy road and connects two sides of Chinatown.

This man is letting little fish eat the dead skin off his feet. Seriously. I kind of want to try it, but I'm not sure how sanitary it is since other people put their feet in there too. As I'm writing, I realize it's probably strange to be more freaked out by other people's feet than the fact that I'd be willing to let carnivorous fish nibble on mine. Hmm...

I can't remember what this green and yellow building is called. In addition to residences up top, it has a mall at the bottom (shocker). I can see it prominently from the gym in my building.

Doesn't exactly seem cuddly, does he?

Singapore's Chinatown doesn't have pink bags...it has orangey-red bags! Here's mine filled with dried kiwi.

For Hindus, the sacred cow represents the symbol of life, which is why Hindus do not eat beef. These sacred cows overlook the Sri Mariamman Temple in Chinatown.

These carved wooden doors were on the Sri Mariamman Multi-Purpose Center next to the temple.

After Chinatown, I took the MRT up to Little India. The atmosphere there was very different. Not nearly as touristy, though I noticed an increased percentage of merchants actively inviting Westerners into their stores or restaurants. The Little India Arcade shown here is not a place to play games. It's a redone shophouse with stores, a food court, and yet another 7-Eleven.

This is the beautiful and ornate Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, which is dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali, the manifestation of anger in the face of evil. The Temple is often open to the public in the mornings and late afternoons, but unfortunately it was closed off while I was there.

I had lunch at a place called Banana Leaf that came highly recommended in my travel book (despite the fact that it's empty inside. And sorry, Josh, I looked for Samy's Curry but couldn't find it in person or on my BB). The lamb biryani was delicious, but the cucumber salad had too many onions. If I look hot, it's because I was. It was sweltering today and there weren't as many indoor malls in Little India. Now I'm starting to realize why they seem to be on every corner in Singapore.

Despite how hot I was, I wasn't so hot that I couldn't raise my arms up on the MRT like the girls in the deodorant ad (check out the reflection carefully). There weren't many people on the train so I thought I'd have a little fun. If the MRT didn't have "air con," it might have been a different story.

Once I got home, I went to the pool for a couple of hours. Two things happened at the pool. First, I realized why people tend to get out there in the late morning: the afternoon sun only shines on one portion of the deck so people are packed in there really tightly by 3:30 apparently. I scored a chair though, don't worry. Also, I met another American named Ali. Her fiance is going to be in the U.S. this coming weekend so we may go travel somewhere together. I hope it works out! We're meeting for dinner later this week.

After the pool I decided to go for a run. Call me crazy - and perhaps I am, no one else was running - but it seemed like fitting way to wrap up my first weekend. It's not as humid in the late afternoon, and there was a breeze along the marina. On my run, I saw the Merlion statue up close for the first time. (I can't take credit for this photo though as I didn't run with my camera.) The Merlion is basically the tourism mascot for Singapore, the Lion City, and there were lots of people in the area.

Don't judge, but I had a Subway turkey sandwich (hot Asian food was NOT appetizing after the run) and some fresh fruit from the nearby stand for dinner. The pineapple is from Malaysia, the pears from China and the rambutan is from Thailand. In many languages, rambutan fittingly means "hairy." You just peel it and eat around the pit. The rambutan tastes similar to a lychee or a longan. Yum!

A Fun Day in Photos

Happy birthday, Mom and Momma Neal! Though in many ways I wish I could have spent the day with you in the U.S. (today was when we would have left for the Grand Canyon with Mom and Dad), I had an awesome day touring Singapore with the Managing Director of our Singapore office, Ed. See for yourself!

First stop, Orchard Road - the Fifth Avenue of Singapore. Honestly, I've never seen so many shopping malls in my entire life as I have in the last four days. I'll write more later about the malls, but for now, just know that Orchard Road is where the serious shoppers go.

Orchard Road seems like a never-ending stretch of shopping centers and upscale hotels. The two pictured here are just the beginning, but from what I saw, among the nicest.

This is Holland Village, a walkable little enclave with guess what...more shops and restaurants. I've been told a lot of ex-pats frequent the area. We also went to another area called Dempsey Road but I didn't take any pictures there.

Then we went up in the Singapore Flyer, Singapore's answer to the London Eye. According to my travel book, it's the world's highest observation wheel. I've noticed that Singapore is all about design and being the biggest/tallest/first. To me, it looks like a giant Ferris wheel!

Here's Ed as we're going up in the Flyer. He's lived in Singapore about four years and has done just about everything. What a good sport to take me out sightseeing like a tourist today...especially because today was a scorcher!

Here I am at the top of the Flyer, with the CBD on the left. You can't see our office building or my apartment from here, but they're in that general vicinity.

After Ed and I parted ways, I headed back to Clarke Quay to check it out in the daylight.

I know it's cheesy but I want to take one of these boat rides. It bet it's kind of like the Bay Cruise if you've never been to SF.

And even though there was a big food festival on the bridge...

...I chose to have nigiri from a Japanese supermarket that came highly recommended by Jacob for dinner. It was delicious!

And then I successfully took my first MRT (mass rapid transit) ride tonight on the way home from Clarke Quay. It was super easy, even for me. It's also very clean, and the stations are air conditioned (not just the trains). Puts the NYC subway to shame.

Clarke Quay

Why did I wake up at 7 a.m. again? At least it's getting later each day, but come on, body...it's Saturday!

So here I am, blogging from the comfort of my bed, overlooking the pool and watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding playing on my laptop. Unfortunately I don't feel like my witty thoughts have woken up yet so this post might not be that funny, but hopefully fun nonetheless.

Last night I met up with Jen Watts' friend, Jacob, who has lived in Singapore for the last three years. We went to a place called Clarke Quay (pronounced "key"), a huge dining/shopping/entertainment stretch along the Singapore River. This area was the commerce hub back in the late 19th Century, but they've since shut down this part of the river outside tour boats and now it's busting with probably hundreds of shops and restaurants and thousands of people. Jacob said it's kind of like taking someone to Fisherman's Wharf - that the locals don't really go there - but that it's fun to take someone who's never been before. And it was.

This shot barely does it justice, but gives you an idea of the overall atmosphere. Singapore is beautiful at night and Clarke Quay is no exception. This is on the left side of the river, and there is a parallel path on the right as well. Outdoor seating lines the entire strip.

The obligatory photo by Hooters Singapore. Yet another awesome American influence on the outside world. Great...

No, I am not super insensitive. This bar is either outside an old hospital (or maybe it's located by a medical clinic? I can't remember the details). Well, either way, the seats at the tables were wheelchairs and the outdoor couches were hospital beds!

We chose to sit at a normal table with normal chairs. Cheers!

Singapore Day 2

I've always been a morning person, but yesterday I woke up at 4:30 a.m., bright-eyed and bushy tailed. Of course, I had gone to bed at 6 p.m. the night before, but needless to say my circadian rhythms are still catching up.

What do you do at 4:30 in the morning? Martha Stewart comes on at 5 a.m. on one of the two English channels available on basic cable. BTW, TV here kind of sucks (which is fine for the most part, since I don't plan to spend the next three months sitting at home watching TV).

After that, I decided to go to the gym. Might as well get in a workout after practically a full day of sitting before that, I figured. Since Singapore is really close to the equator, it generally gets light and dark around the same time 365 days a year - apparently around 7 a.m. and 7/8 p.m. Most of my work out was in the dark (literally - the person already in there on the treadmill hadn't turned on the lights, and not being the first one in there I felt kind of bad doing that, so I just watched NewsAsia and kind of watched the sun come up.) The gym is on the 31st floor, and here's a snapshot from just outside the gym. I didn't want to take one inside the gym and have the other people working out think I'm weird (I know I wouldn't want my photo taken working out!) Cloudy, not not a bad view, huh?


My Singapore manager has been very flexible in letting me get settled though I did go into the office to take care of some administrative details, have lunch with my manager here, brainstorm a few ideas and take a conference call with our client here. It was nice to meet some of the people I'll be working with over the next few months, though several people were out of town.

After work I walked around a bit, did a little more food shopping, and took a few photos of things I found interesting in the Central Business District (CBD). These are by no means representative of all things Singapore, but they struck me as I was walking around and I thought you'd find them interesting, too.

I'm not sure what these are called here, but I'd call them row houses. And literally, there are rows and rows of them. Most of the first floor units are restaurants, stores or bars. (UPDATE: I asked a colleague. They are called shop houses.)

O'Bama's Irish Pub! I have to go there at some point.

7-Elevens are everywhere. Seriously. So are American fast food chains such as McDonald's, Burger King, Carl's Jr. and Subway.

Bridal stores are also really prevalent in this shop house area. Not sure if you can see the signs but there are four in a row here, and I walked past an area where eight of the nine stores were bridal boutiques. I wonder if there is really that big of a market?

Here's the fruit market where I bought some apples and clementines. So much cheaper and better I'm sure than what's available in the supermarket.