Icy Midwest winters – bring it on

I can’t wait to get off the plane. My flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis clocked in at 10.5 hours; I’m a good long-haul traveler but I was getting a bit antsy after eight.

I’m one of the first people off the plane but cause much bumping and cursing as I stop and just inhale the brisk winter Minneapolis air on the gangway. MAN, how I have missed that refreshing, bracing air. After a few deep gulps, I keep walking. (Chill out people. If you lived in 80 degree heat year-round, you’d want to stop and enjoy the cold air for a moment, too.)

I dash to the nearest bathroom to change out of my odd plane attire – a combination of Singapore (black and white cotton dress, sandals) and travel clothes (leggings, pashmina and Louis’ zip-up sweater) – and into the black leggings, long gray sweater and rugged knee-high Cole Haan boots that I have been lugging in my carry-on so I can put on at the first possible moment. I feel like I whole new woman once I’m back in “normal” clothes. Time for a Quarter Pounder and fries. Let the holiday gluttony begin.

Weekend Getaway: Impromptu long weekend in Bali

I realize it was an unfair tease to post on our arrival in Bali, then say nothing of the rest of trip. Quite simply, our three nights in Bali were relaxing and uneventful. We stayed put at our lovely resort and didn't venture to really explore the island's restaurants, satay stands, teak furniture stores and huts. Next time. This time, we were content to lie around, read, catch up and have no schedule or things to do.

"Monsoon season" was manageable -- it rained a bit each day but cleared up quickly. The landscape was dramatic. We took breaks from the pool to stroll along the cliffs and look below at the violently churning Indian Ocean.

We faced west so sunsets were gorgeous, viewed from the comfortable verandas. The resort's food was sufficient -- nothing to write at length about but good enough to keep us satisfied for our time there.

The ride back to the airport was nauseating and mildly claustrophic. The flight home was comfortable with the usual Singapore Airlines' class.

In search of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, or the Equivalent

After three months of living in Singapore, my proclivity for restaurant and hawker center food has started to wane. There is a natural desire to explore the various foods and places you hear about, but ultimately one starts to think about nutritional content. (The healthy eating craze really hasn’t hit Singapore yet – it takes some work to find tasty, fresh and/or healthy cuisine, unfortunately). I start to miss home-cooked meals made from organic produce and fresh food found at farmers markets, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.

One girlfriend had mentioned the Marketplace at Tanglin Shopping Center as a good place for food – nice produce, fresh meats, wide variety of cheeses and breads, etc. I had stopped there before Louis’ arrival to pick up a light dinner – salami, cheeses, veggies, baguette, almond wafer cookies and basil. This light supper clocked in at about $80…mama mia!

Another girlfriend had mentioned Super Nature organic store so that is the focus of today’s adventure. It’s in the middle of Orchard Road near Tomlinson and it’s hard to find, in the bottom of a condo/office building. The selection is divine – the whole store practically is organic, and they have many familiar brands – e.g., Amy’s soups, Paul Newmann sauces and salsas. They have essentially every food item one could possibly want that is organic, gluten-free and other such specialty items. I also am cheered by the music – it seems they are playing the soundtrack from Austin Powers, as I spend most of my shopping bopping along subtly to that sixties-sounding melody that plays during the intro or credits.

Not totally surprisingly, the prices are high … but they are higher than I thought. Produce runs anywhere from 10-40$/kg, two pounds of free range chicken thighs for 40$, wild salmon at about 80$/kg, organic juices for 20$/bottle,  Paul Newmann pasta sauce for 10$/jar. Still, a good find and one I’ll revisit.

I pick up rich red organic pears, two cans of Amy’s soup (I justify that the price, while high, is the equivalent of a meal and one that is way more nutritious than fried fish and rice), two large jars of peeled organic tomatoes from Palermo, a jar of organic baked beans (not sure why, just sounds good) and a bag of organic Turkish figs (a bit of a splurge at 13$). Total bill is just under 50$, which seems reasonable. I talk myself out of a second splurge, a jar of Italian chestnut jam with rum, sugar and spices priced at 16$. I even take the bus both ways, for a total of 1.50, instead of paying 15$ for a taxi.

A successful journey but still determined to find more options...

Turkey, tortilla espanola and Mongolian vodka...

Noor, me and Preeti enjoying plate no. 2

...also known as Ex-Pat Thanksgiving 2010 @ Preeti's!

We are gathered at Preeti's for an informal "Thanksgiving-ish" party in honor of the famous turkey day. In attendance are about 15 or so people -- a mix of American, French, British, Chinese-Canadian, Korean and various other ex-pats, hailing from her office, my office, friends of friends, brothers of friends, teammates from the roommates' football club and lord knows where else. The room is a pleasant buzz of accents and foreign languages.

Preeti has prepared some classics -- turkey, baked mac and cheese, and, of course, Pillsbury biscuits. Everyone also has brought a dish: mashed potatoes, stuffing, tortilla espanol, salads, breads and cheeses, cheesecake ... a veritable spread.

Louis and Andrew (Hong Kong/Canadian) on plate no. 1

And of course, it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without a fully stocked bar. "Happy Thanksgiving!" the Americans say. "Salute!" cheer the Spanish. "Gan bei!" -- "bottoms up" in Chinese, courtesy of my colleagues. Our ex-pat band is very merry.

The Americans and sole Canadian swap stories about Thanksgiving traditions -- I talk about my family's stuffing and wine-induced Scattergories, Noor discusses her family's aversion to turkey and proclivity for hummus and kibe nyee  -- and the others chime in with other family traditions. Everyone is looking forward to Christmas season, as companies essentially shut down for a week, many of us will return to our homelands and families.



Noor (Palestinian-American)

and Juan (Spanish)



Olivier (French, duh) amused by
American antics and food. Also evil purveyor of Mongolian vodka.

Louis and I have brought with us three guests: Matt, a friend from US who happened to be in Singapore for work; Victor, a brother of a friend from US; and Andrew, a Hong Kong born/Canadian raised work friend of mine. Everyone has at least two helpings of food and buckets of wine. Someone breaks out Mongolian vodka that smells worse than rubbing alcohol, so we politely decline. Matt has an early flight and it's Louis' last full night, so our group departs around 12/1 a.m. or so.





While not a replacement for family Thanksgiving, it was a very enjoyable evening and one I look forward to next year! Brava, Preeti, for being a fabulous hostess!

Mel (British) and Lionel (French) enjoying first
American Thanksgiving





 

Arabian Nights in Kampong Glam

View down Arab Street
in Kampong Glam

My hopes are high for our planned excursion to Kampong Glam, which is the Muslim neighborhood near Little India. I have been doing lots of reading on Arab Street and the surrounding streets and Louis and I are eagerly awaiting fresh hummus, toubouli, lamb kabobs, maybe even kibbe, and other Middle Eastern favorites.



Sultan Mosque at dusk



We arrive via bus right in front of the beautiful Sultan Mosque at dusk. We proceed down the streets of conserved shophouses and pop into various shops, ambling toward the restaurant. This is the place for rugs, fabrics, Arabic trinkets and Muslim religious objects. Louis, who is quite the charmer, chats up the owner of a nice rug shop and tells him we'll be back at a future time to buy a nice rug for our new Singapore apartment. They exchange cards. We also stop at a Turkish shop that sells beautiful colored-glass and copper lamps, hand-painted tea sets, gilded mirrors and other crafts. Louis -- never losing his charming smile -- engages in some gentle negotiations with the attendant over the beautiful tea set but our appetites win over so we keep moving.

There is a different vibe in this area which we find reassuring. It's relaxed, the streets lined with tables of people (mostly locals, it seems) smoking hookah and drinking beers. It's not as clean as other parts of Singapore, which gives it a more authentic air. One could see why it's a popular spot for backpackers or people on a budget. We stand out and get some curious looks, but no one minds.

The expected highlight of our excursion was to be the food. We walk into Cafe Le Caire, which has received good write-ups on a few Web sites and in guide books. It bills itself as "the heart and soul of Arab Street and Kampong Glam" and the menu found online looks broad and promising. It's a bit dingy inside, which some may argue gives it charm. I would argue they should re-allocate a bit of funding from their impressive Web site into a quick scrubbing and paint job.

Our starters are quite tasty: chickpeas with chili, tomatoes and Arabic spices; Arabic salad, with greens, red peppers, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers and pine nuts; foul mesdammes, which is the national breakfast dish of Egypt and is made of slow-cooked fava beans, spices, olive oil and a fried egg atop it; and paper thin Arabic bread.

It goes downhill quickly. Feeling adventurous, we order harissa, a traditional Yemeni dish made from wheat and lamb -- like kibbe -- but boiled down until "smooth" -- not like kibbe.  When it arrives, it looks like raw creamy meat ... not very appetizing. But, heck, I've eaten kibbe nyee for years so surely I can take this...! Um, no. It smells tempting -- of hot oil, cumin, pepper, a bit of cinnamon perhaps wafting from it. But the "smooth" texture is hard to stomach for us. We feel badly, as there is nothing wrong with the preparation but we just can't do it. We move it aside.

At that moment, I'm hit with a headache and mild waves of nausea so we take the rest of our order to go and hastily depart. (NOT food poisoning, don't worry ... just unfond memories of that icky texture). Things don't get better once we arrive home. The lamb kebabs are well-done (my BIGGEST pet peeve about living in Singapore ... everyone seems to well cook red meat, no matter how many times you ask for medium rare) and not that flavorful.

We're cheered by the bagalawa (a collection of Middle Eastern pastries, similar to baklava) and settle in for "Pirates of the Caribbean".

Bottom line -- the neighborhood is great for shopping and sightseeing, but we'll look elsewhere for food.

Weekend Getaway: Bummin’ Around in Bali

All aboard! Singapore Airlines to Bali

We land at Bali’s Denpasar (DPS) airport around 7 p.m. on a Saturday night and race off the plane. Immigration is surprisingly easy – pay $25USD or the equivalent for a Visa on Arrival –  then exit the airport.

We are greeted by a crowd of 50 or so drivers waving various names in various languages. Fortunately, it doesn’t take us long to find our friendly greeter who welcomes us with a warm smile, two chilled bottles of water and hot towels. Ahh, relaxation begins. He guides us to our nice air-conditioned car and our Balinese driver, who is very eager to know if we had a comfortable flight and safe journey. He tells us we have a 45-minute ride to our hotel, the Pan Pacific Nirwana Bali Resort, so we settle in. Louis, still jet-lagged from his US flight, essentially passes out so I am comforted by a soft snoring as we make our way to the southwest part of the island.

We had looked up on Google Maps directions from DPS to our hotel, so we had a sense of where we were going. It looked pretty straightforward on the map, so we expected we would be cruising along on a highway up the coast; after all, Bali has been pretty tourist-y for a few decades. Alas, no. Our drive consists of narrow two-lane roads (which really are the size of 1.5 lane roads…), continuously lined with local satay stands, shops (mostly closed by that time), small restaurants, countless craft/furniture huts and a chaotic buzz of motorbikes. It is pitch black, as there are no street lights of any kind. Our driver deftly navigates through alleys, streets that I swear are driveways, and motorbikes – sometimes with three people abroad – weaving in and out. It’s a wonder my motion sickness doesn’t kick in. 

We eventually are driving through more remote areas, which I imagine are bordered by rice paddies and local homes but can’t confirm in the darkness.  We turn into the long drive of our resort, and are immediately struck by how dramatic it seems. It’s a five-star property* on an award-winning golf course right on the cliffs of the Indian Ocean, so the driveway is long and flanked by dramatic landscaping, lighting and security guards. Five employees greet us as we pull up in front of the gorgeous open-air lobby; one to open the door, two to grab luggage, one to seemingly observe then wave over a gorgeous Balinese woman who presents a welcome drink of fresh squeezed juices and a ridiculously fragrant flower over our ears (Louis looks cute with a flower over his ear). 

View from our balcony

We are shown to our room, which is a basic deluxe suite, but we are pleasantly surprised at how luxe it is. Dark Balinese teak wood everywhere, spacious marble bathroom with rain shower and large tub, sitting area and large sliding doors that opened up to a lovely balcony with a view of the villas and property. Even a slice of Indian Ocean to the right!

By then it’s 830 and we’re hungry. We discuss popping down to one of the restaurants for a light dinner of grilled fish and chilled wine after a quick power nap. Well, the “power nap” turned into deep slumber from which wee didn’t wake for several hours so we’re off to a relaxing start to our Balinese getaway. 

* Don’t think we’re high rollers. Because we were there Saturday through Tuesday during monsoon season, we scored a great deal through Zuji (a Travelocity site) – two roundtrip Singapore Airlines tickets and three nights for about $450USD each. Nice!

Wish list for the holidays in the US

Mer and I at our (questionable) best

As much as I love Singapore and Asia, I dreadfully miss friends, family and favorite things to do in the US. Random thoughts regularly cross my mind ("I so WISH I had half-price wine nite at Salute here in Singapore!" or "My god, where can I find a Rockit bloody mary??").

 

 

With approximately three weeks in the States for the holidays, I plan to visit Chicago for a few days. And yes, I've already started a wish list. This is not exhaustive, so if you're not listed yet, consider yourself warned :)

 

Chicago Wish List

• Dinner at Anteprima with Meredith and Jim. A wine-soaked double date is sorely needed. What do I miss more, the fabulous married-couple-to-be or the homemade pasta? The former of course!



L-cubed at Steppenwolf's Red or White Ball

• Work out, brunch and Rachel Zoe catch-up (and Marley play time!!!) with the fabulous Julia Failey. I can't wait to pick up my lotus piece, to match my Chinese name -- Dai Lian.
• Half-price wine, meatballs and wood-burning fire place at Salute with the lovely L-squared, Lara and Laura. If Nancy can make it, all the better! These three lovely ladies are such an inspiration to me. (Oh, and we have fun when we drink wine, too.) After, I must visit my favorite hellhound, Chester. Lizards of Singapore: beware, if I ever bring this attack dog to visit!
• Plenty of girl time with Maggie and Alisa, perhaps trying some new Chicago tapas place. And I can't wait for Maggie's wedding in Riviera Maya, even if I do live in the tropics year-round!
• Kalamata chicken at the Athenian Room with Louis. Oh, how I've missed thee.



The fabulous Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council

• Catch up and dinner with Mel and Colin -- either at Mel's fab new West Loop condo or some hot new Chicago night spot.
• Exceptional theatre and discussion (oh yes, and more wine) -- catch "Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf?" at my favorite cultural spot in Chicago, the Steppenwolf Theatre, with the best fundraising/social group of all time, the Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council.



Three Shades, in one of our more well-behaved moments
at the Big Shoulders Fund Ball.

• Brunch and $5 make-your-own-bloody-marys at Rockit with the notorious Three Shades of Naughty. Since I live in Singapore, Lydia is now married and Di is the responsible MBA student, the controversial girl group is on temporary hiatus but fans demand a world tour.
• Club sandwiches and bloody marys (again? yes) at PJ Clarke's with two former FH colleagues and mentors.
• The Hangee Uppe. Duh.

Making a home in Singapore



Apartment on move-in day -- a blank canvas.

I have personally boosted returns for IKEA's shareholders by 15 percent since arriving in Singapore. Before moving to Singapore, I never stepped foot in an IKEA; in my eight weeks here, I've been there five times.
Furnishings and apartment-related items have comprised the bulk of my spending thus far. My one-bedroom apartment came furnished, which essentially means it came with washer/dryer, fridge, stove (no oven), king sized bed, two sleek but not-made-for-lounging leather sofas, a 42-inch flat screen, pretty overhead lights, a dining room table + chairs, and coffee table that wins the "world's ugliest coffee table" award. You think that would take care of everything, right? Not quite. A non-exhaustive list of things I've had to buy: end tables, lamps, area rugs, a full-length mirror, a better coffee table (duh), a comfy chair, sofa pillows and silk covers, bedding, nightstands, clothes hangers, iron, hair dryer, candles, and various kitchen, cooking, serving and cleaning accessories. Fortunately, I brought many key pieces with me from Chicago: nice chopping knife, grill tools, pasta tongs, cheese grater, martini shaker, dish towels, bath towels and other such necessities.



Blank living space. The infamous coffee table.



I have to admit, IKEA is a good spot for most of this. But I have found some other go-to places as well.

Top places for furnishing an apartment in Singapore

• IKEA: Good for the basics if you don't want to spend lots of $$ yet -- rugs, pillows, shelving, plants  (large and small), kitchen and cooking utensils (cutting board, colander, etc), basic plates and drinking glasses, bed pillows and comforters. IKEA is chaotic but not unbearable -- nevertheless, I try to go on Sunday mornings right when it opens at 10 a.m. Buy as much as you want -- a taxi home is cheap, or they deliver bigger stuff for like $50. I've done most of the trips myself but taken advantage of the delivery twice.
• Tang's: A local department store with an amazing housewares section in the basement. You could find everything here, but I found IKEA to have MUCH better prices. What I do recommend buying at Tang's -- pots/pans (they always have good sales, or "offers" as they are called here for nicer quality than you wil find at IKEA), flatware, nicer wine and drinking glasses, and serving ware. Some items were ridiculously over-priced -- e.g., $100 for a clothes drying rack ... I bought one at IKEA for like $12.
• Robinson's: A large British department store, with everything you could want. It is pricier than IKEA and Tang's, though they have a wide variety of higher-end stuff. One location also has a special bedding shop, where they charge exorbitant prices ($400 for a mattress pad) to ex-pats who want to recreate Western beds here in Singapore.
• Yue Hwa: A Chinese product department store located in Chinatown. To be honest, the only thing I have bought here was a really pretty shawl but I spent a lot of time looking through their antique furniture upstairs. The prices weren't bad for beautiful wood (elmwood, teak, chickenwood, etc) pieces but I want to explore more before purchasing.
• Chinatown: A stroll around Chinatown always results in a cheap but necessary accessory purchase -- silk cushion covers, decorative vase, Asian prints, etc. There also are several shops that sell gorgeous chests, tables, benches, screens, paintings -- more to come, as I've only just begun to explore. Friendly negotiating is generally welcome, especially at the stalls.
• Furniture Mall: A mall of furniture stores on Beach Road. If you are aiming to make your apartment Euro-inspired, modern and sleek, this (plus Park Mall across from Plaza Singapura) is your spot. There were a couple shops that sold lovely teak, elmwood, etc, pieces but the high prices gave me pause.

We now have the basics. Our next focus will be buying nice local (Chinese, Balinese, etc) pieces that we'll eventually take back with us.

Cinema, wine and irony



"Singin in the Rain" in the rain
@ the Botanic Gardens



 One of the loveliest (and ironic) evenings I've spent so far was watching "Singin in the Rain" at Singapore Botanic Gardens as part of the Singapore Sun Festival. Des, who is my new favorite musical theatre nerd friend, invites Preeti and me, as she has quickly observed that I am likely to jump at anything musical-related and that Preeti always is up for trying something new. We arrive a bit early so have time to wander through the gardens. They are really beautiful -- green trees, plants, brush everywhere you look (and so many shades of green, from limey yellow to muted sage to rich emeralds -- and pops of vivid red, pink, orange, fuchsia, purple scattered throughout. Of course, it woudn't be Singapore without some creatures of prey -- cue the lizards, bugs and other forest critters. (I think I'm developing a sixth sense for sensing lizards, as I always seem to know where to look and yup, there they be).

The park is free, which is very cool. As we stroll through, we see tons of families picnicking, boys playing soccer (sorry, football), couples lying on blankets, people running on the trails. It reminds me of St. James Park or Regents Park in London. As we are in a hurry to snag a spot for the film, we don't get a chance to see the infamous National Orchid Garden (the largest display of orchids in the world) ... next time!

We arrive at the symphony center, where the films are shown. The sky is starting to transition to dusk, and the grassy hill already is starting to fill up. It reminds me of concerts at Millennium Park in Chicago, though this has more families as well. The groups picnic but it's more casual than Millennium Park or Ravinia -- no tables and linens with flutes of champagne -- but great spreads. Des arrives with food (because that's just what she does best), compliments of Jones the Grocer at Dempsey Hill: spicy salami, thinly sliced ham, pate, creamy hummus, fresh grainy bread and paper thin crackers, wonderfully smelly brie and blue cheese, and the requisite two bottles of wine. Heaven. We are quite comfortable, thanks to these very neat colored mats, free thanks the festival sponsor UBS. They're a bit more substantive than blankets, and water proof. Thank god.

For not long after we spread out our food and pour the wine, it starts to drizzle. Not to fret, as this is Singapore and everyone is born with an umbrella in their bag. But as the film starts, the rain starts to come down harder. I'm impressed with the fortitude of Singaporeans, as I didn't see anyone leave; I've seen Millennium Park clear out at the first sign of a drizzle. Pretty soon, we're in the midst of a proper storm, with moderate thunder and regular lightning flashes. No need to worry -- Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds are adorably MGM-enough to keep everyone settled and applauding after the musical numbers.

Des and Preeti huddled under the umbrella

After Don Lockwood and Kathy Selden kiss in front of the billboard, Preeti and I bid Des goodbye and bolt for (what we think is) the closest exit. No such luck. We exit, and -- as it starts to positively downpour -- see no taxis. We wander through some dark winding road and finally just stop in someone's driveway and call a cab. Home to Preeti's for dinner (yes, even after all the wonderful Jones food) and Pirates of the Caribbean. 



At least the actors were dressed for it



The Lizard Whisperer

Profile of Singapore ex-pats



Preeti -- a new friend who I really admire and consider an "extreme ex-pat"
-- see below --
and Daniele, her fantastic Italian roommate.

Since I arrived in Singapore in early September 2010, I've met A LOT of ex-pats -- mostly American, British and Australian but also Chinese, Indian, South African and others. There is an instant bond when you meet a fellow ex-pat, as you immediately dive into conversations about the food ("don't you just LOVE chili crab?" and/or, "do you think the hawkers use MSG?"), your condo ("the kitchens are so small!"), the heat ("I miss seasons!"), the efficiency of Singapore ("It's just so CLEAN and SAFE"), your mutual fear of bugs and lizards (ok, I am the one bringing this up) and other mandatory topics.

From there, the conversation takes one of a few paths, based on the type of ex-pat you are. I am not aiming to over-simplify but it seems there are four general categories of ex-pats here:



The American Club-going, American School-attending young family. Often senior executives who were brought over for a specific professional purpose, they have old-school ex-pat packages and live near Orchard Road, Bukit Timah, Holland Village and mingle with other families through the American Club or children's school activities. Some really get into the local culture and travel all around Asia; others are content to remain at home and gather with friends to discuss their nanny and "live-in" (it's pretty common to have a live-in helper to do housework, nanny your kids, etc) woes.

The reluctant ex-pat. I've only run across a few of these -- people who by circumstance or choice relocated to Singapore and seem content to tolerate it. They like the cleanliness and efficiency but are scared of the food ("I don't like intense flavors" and/or "The McDonald's here actually is pretty good.") and stick close to ex-pat havens such as Clarke Quay, Dempsey Hill and Orchard Road malls.

Another "extreme ex-pat" I befriended.
She is London-born but had lived everywhere,
and traveled solo across South America. She and her
boyfriend, a Frenchman she met in Columbia,
are doing a rickshaw race across India in April.

The enthusiastic DINK-types (which I think we fall into). Professionals in their 20s/30s who proactively decided to live abroad for a few years, eager to embrace a new country and be in the center of a growing economy and an fast-evolving culture. They might not literally be "double incomes" as many are here solo, but generally they're comfortable in terms of income. They spend the week working long hours but carve out time for lots of food experimentation, walks through Fort Canning Park, lazy strolls through Singapore's 805 million shopping malls, cheap meals in the local hawker centers, exploring Arab Street, Little India, Chinatown, etc, attending local festivals, and madly planning long weekends to Thailand, Vietnam, China, etc. They live fairly central and aim to socialize with other ex-pats as well as Singaporean colleagues and friends.

A subtype of the DINK category is the extreme ex-pat -- this is the category I wish I was in but sadly am not nearly cool enough. I've met several of these people, including a few new friends I would consider close friends -- young professionals who have perhaps lived abroad before and have a defined adventurous spirit as exhibited by their many experiences camping their way through Asia, hiking numerous large mountains, deep sea diving in Philippines, living in hectic India, safari-ing through Africa, or crossing South America solo via bus. They're keen to KNOW people and different cultures and thrive on the adrenaline of adventure travel. Car sickness, bugs, squatting toilets or lizards don't stop them -- they view these as minor inconveniences that are small in the grand scheme of adventures to be had. 

It will be interesting to see if this experience moves me any closer to this category. There certainly is already a sense of ,"If I can move alone halfway around the world to Asia, what else can I do?" so it'll be interesting to see where this takes me.

My wonderful Italian (er, Singaporean) colleagues



Fish head curry @ Ocean Fish Head Curry (original name, I know...) on Telok Ayer



I mentioned in a previous post that I'm concerned I'll gain 20 pounds very quickly. This fear is even more near now that my colleagues have made it a priority to ensure I'm eating all sorts of local specialties. All the time. They're the Italian family I don't have here.



Much of this comes about through the lunch hour, a work custom that fortunately has held pretty firm here. My first few weeks, I often brought lunch or ran downstairs for some takeaway to bring back to my desk. I was puzzled by how positively quiet the office becomes from about 1145 - 130 p.m. Then I realized that people actually take lunch, often with colleagues. So once I stopped dashing out for takeaway, I was around to actually be invited!

I've had some really terrific lunches so far. Highlights:

Shanghai style xiaolongbao (dumplings with that yummy "soup" inside), "Chinese pizza" and many other Shanghai specialties at this old shophouse near the office. It was very fun going with a group of 10 or so, where the heavy majority of the people are and speak Chinese and kept putting food on my plate to try. They're often pleasantly surprised when I enthusiastically agree to try whatever they recommend, as their impression of Westerners is that they're not adventerous in their eating. Have they met my friends?!

One of my favorites -- fish head curry at the famous Ocean Fish Head Curry shop. This is not nearly as strange as it sounds and is, with chil crab, probably the signature local dish. It stems from South Indian cuisine and involves the head of a fish that is similar to red snapper stewed in a spicy curry with vegetables. Over rice and with mantou (a fried or steamed bun), it's really good. I can't wait to take Louis there, and then recreate (maybe with red snapper fillet) at home. With a collection of other, smaller dishes and fresh lime juice to drink (refreshing!), each of us paid about $10USD. Everyone insisted I have the last bite, even though I also had been awarded the first and continuously had my plate re-filled. Not going to lie -- it was good.

One table from dinner. Way too much food. Awesome.

We also had an office dinner after paintball (alas, I didn't actually play paintball due to some pressing deliverables) at Ah Yat, a Chinese seafood restaurant near Bukit Timah. More chili crab (YUM), along with cold Tiger beer, sauteed kailan (similar to kale), lightly fried prawns, scallops fried in yam (hard to explain -- but good) and various rices and mantou.

On top of the lunches...and the dinners...a few colleagues are convinced I need to eat between meals and hence bring me little Chinese sweets (including this yummy rolled cake that tasted like a gourmet Twinkie), "real" French breads and muffins and other goodies. It's so thoughtful of them! I think they're sincerely excited to meet ex-pats who want to dig into their food.

Come visit! We need to show them we Westerners are adventerous eaters!

Things to Love and Loathe...Part 2

LOVE - The unfamiliarity with fresh milk here. At the grocery store, I heard several local shoppers tell the store employee that they're scared about fresh milk.

LOVE - Upon seeing me put milk in my coffee at the office, a colleague asks with genuine fascination, "What does that taste like? We usually used canned milk [condensed milk]." So now she's going to try it next time!

Things to Love and Loathe about Living in Singapore -- part 1

• LOATHE - Sweat running down your legs when you cross them outside for more than two minutes.LOATHE - A cappuccino often is more like a latte.
• LOATHE - Cable companies are just as useless in their customer service though at least they genuinely are trying to help you.
• LOVE - Bus drivers are called bus captains.
• LOVE - Buses are hyper air con and super cheap.
• LOATHE - Buses are often irregular. My 186 commute is reminiscient of the CTA 151 -- interminably late, over-crowded and never preceded by empty taxis when you need them.
• LOVE and LOATHE - Taxi queues. A godsend at times, a nightmare at others. I miss just hailing a cab in the middle of the street.
• LOVE - The fact that air travel feels luxe. Airports are clean, the employees are smiling, people are calm and the flight actually an experience I look forward to.
• LOVE - Singapore Airlines. The best airline ever.
• LOVE - Local, tasty -- though rarely healthy -- meals under 10USD.
• LOATHE - Inconsistent presence of toilets in restaurants. Sometimes they are down the "hall" within the broader building. (And don't get me started on the squatting toilets that still pop up, though not as much as in China.)
• LOATHE - The presence of lizards and roaches, and the inevitability that they will make stopovers in your abode.

• LOATHE - The curious 2ft by 2ft opening in my kitchen. Much better covered with Saran wrap. Though the pink bubble wrap was festive.
• LOVE - Trying new Indian, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese food then having easy access to fully stocked grocery aisles to try to recreate. No more "ethnic aisles" @ Dominick's that try to cram 20 ethnic cuisines in one aisle.
• LOVE - Clean, air con taxis that you can pay by credit card or EZ Link (think CTA card).
• LOVE - The trusting taxi driver who let me exit taxi without paying when his card reader was down and trusted I would transfer it to his account. I did!!
• LOVE - Easy availability of iPhone 4s
• LOVE - Peranakan food and culture
• LOVE - Having exposure not to "Chinese food" but Szechuan, Hokkien, Hainanese, etc.
• LOVE - New friends who hail from China, Australia, India, UK, etc.
• LOVE - The humility of Asians in the  workplace. Lots to learn from them.
• LOATHE - Creepy prostitutes and cigarette smoke -- often can't escape them when out in popular bar or hotel areas.
• LOVE - Shops are open until about 10 p.m.
• LOATHE - Shops, grocery stores and even some breakfast places don't open until 10 a.m.
• LOVE - The ahhhhh feeling when you must break from 90 degree heat and the too-close sun by jumping in the pool that inexplicably remains cool.
• LOVE - Arriving home to a HUGE courtyard filled with fountains, pools, palm trees and countless flora.
• LOATHE - The strange way stores bag your groceries -- by category, not weight...so all heavy canned goods are together, bottles of wine, paper items, etc. 

O Rick Steves, Where Are Thou?

I wish Rick Steves would do an Asia book series. Perhaps he has, and I’m woefully unaware. My time in Beijing was not as thrilling as it should have been. Instead of visiting the Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven, I was holed up in my hotel room writing talking points and managing agencies. Important and interesting work, to be sure. But it was work that could have been wrapped up in a few hours, leaving me an hour or so of each day to explore this historic city. Yet, I found the prospect surprisingly intimidating.

Home base in Beijing.

Normally I am very comfortable walking around major cities, hopping on the subway/trains, taking taxis … but Beijing was intimidating because it’s difficult to decipher the language. In my experiences in France or Argentina for example, there usually are English translations everywhere and the subway workers/taxi drivers know enough English to tell you if you’re on the right train. However, “Forbidden City” in English is not anything close to “Forbidden City” in Chinese … and colleagues have said that taxi drivers, for example, are blissfully unaware of English names of many things. I’ve been told to bring business cards or notes that list the places I want to go in Chinese … but who has time to track that down? So alas, I found the excuse of too much work comforting and holed up in my massive one-bedroom apartment at the Westin.

Had I had Rick Steves practical advice instilled in my brain, I would have felt more comfortable touring the city. Next time, I hope to have more time to read up on sites, walking tours, restaurants, etc. It’s an amazing historic city and I’m bummed I didn’t really have a chance to experience it.

Long-Haul Flights -- Survival Tips




World's best airline -- Singapore Airlines. Photo courtesy of wikimedia.

In the past six weeks, I’ve been on four long-haul flights. First, my orientation visit to Singapore, which took me from Chicago to Singapore by way of Minneapolis and Amsterdam. Second, my “move” to Singapore. Third, my trip to Beijing for our CEOs visit. Fourth and currently, Singapore to San Francisco for fiscal year 11 planning.

I considered myself a savvy international traveler before but I think I’ve learned a few things. Especially when it comes to packing for the long flights. When you’re in transit for 18+ hours, it’s critical to pack accordingly.

My must-have/must-do list:

Carry on luggage: one small suitcase plus large, multi-pocket tote.

In suitcase:

Outside top pocket: All electronics, chargers, adapters, batteries, etc.

Outside bottom pocket: Slippers, which immediately get put on after boarding; warm socks, as back up (these long-haul flights are FREEZING); extra book or magazine in case I get really bored.

Inside suitcase: Louis’ sweater (to keep warm on the FREEZING long haul flights); change of clothing in vacuum-sealed plastic bag (you will feel so much better if you change clothes after the first leg of you flight or just half way through); shawl/scarf (to wrap round you for warmth as well as moisture … those planes get DRY so I wrap it around my face to breathe in my own moistened air over the stale dry plane air); jewelry and anything else of value (always keep with me on the plane versus in checked luggage…you just never know); a little room left for any airport duty-free purchases; and laptop charger.

In tote:

My favorite travel companion.

Outer pocket of tote: fabric bag with all non-liquid toiletries I view as necessary for plane: Dramamine (for motion sickness and also to help sleep. People swear my Nyquil or Tylenol pm…nope, two Dramamine does me in for awhile without me waking up feeling half drugged); toothbrush; eye mask; an array of stomach medications (Pepto, TUMS…you never know); tissue (for those rare moments when you go to use the toilet after a long flight and gasp, there is no TP); pack of make-up remover soapy towelettes (brilliant for a mid-flight clean-up and/or wipe your seats when you sit) and chapstick. Also in the outside pocket of my tote is my FAA-approved plastic bag with necessary liquid toiletries: hand sanitizer; eye drops (so essential on long flights); mini toothpaste tube(s); small bottle of hand lotion.

Inside the tote is all necessary plane entertainment: laptop, work files, one good novel (I usually take along one I’ve read 100 times unless there is something new that I’m dying to read), folder with all key travel documents; purse contents (since you’re only allowed one personal item…this tote becomes one massively large purse, with wallet, glasses, sunglasses, small make up bag and iPhone), empty water bottle (keep filled at all times, your body gets SO dehydrated on those long flights) and a small bag of trail mix or granola bars (less important on Asian airlines, as they’re good about feeding you quickly and regularly but helpful if you get on the plane only to realize you are starving and a bit nauseated).

My last critical travel item is courtesy of travel author Rick Steves. In all of his books, he recommends carrying a thin pouch that looks like a slimmed down fanny pack and is a perfect place for storing passport, immigration form/card, boarding pass and extra cash. Mine fits under my pants … and it is SO much easier having all that stuff right there versus digging in my purse every time I have to produce. When I get to my hotel or apartment, it immediately goes in the safe so it’s always ready to go. This has become even more important when traveling around Asia as many countries demand you produce your immigration departure card when you leave … so if you accidentally lose it from your wallet or something, you could be in for some travel delays and potentially worse.

Arrival in Beijing -- welcome to China

13 September 2010

415 p.m. SST

I arrive in Beijing after a relaxing and uneventful flight from Singapore, and the first thing I think: Man, it is hot. Like, hotter than Singapore. A colleague told me that while Beijing is further north than Singapore, the smog and pollution in Beijing trap the heat and increase the heat. Great.

The airport looks like any other major airport – no immediate, “Wow, I’m in Beijing!” feeling. My company has arranged for a guide to meet me and escort me to my car service. Thank goodness. A nice young boy greets me with a sign that has my name and Westin on it, then walks me to Immigration Control.

This boy earned his worth with his valuable tip: go to the lines on the left. See, when you walk to the Immigration Hall, it’s massive. There are maybe 15 queues and the right 12 say Foreigners. They have really long lines, and I feared I was in for a long wait. However, he guides me to two queues on the very left that just say Immigration Control, I believe. There are about 15 people waiting total…I ask him if I am in the right line, fearing they’ll throw me out and I’ll never be allowed back. He replies, “Yes. This way is much shorter.” Sure enough, it only takes me about 10 minutes to get through … remember this tip.



Ug. A normal drive in Beijing.



We then proceed to the hottest airport shuttle train I’ve ever experienced. Fortunately, it’s only a five minute ride to baggage claim. Baggage collected, he shows me to my car and driver and we’re off. Traffic of course is awful coming out of airport and again I fear a long wait. But miraculously things open up after 25 min of bumper to bumper…not sure why. I manage to successfully call my hotel and let them know I’ll be a bit later than expected (apparently they don’t hold rooms after 4 p.m.) and catch up on work email.