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.

Departing Singapore for the first time

Handmade floats to celebrate Mid Autumn Festival @ Singapore riverfront

I sit on my six-hour flight to Beijing, where I’ll be managing a media roundtable and TV interview with my CEO, as well as doing some meet-and-greets in the office. Since the flight departed at 845 a.m., it’s hard to sleep so I reflect on the past couple weeks.

There are several aspects of living here that I really like so far:



Changi Airport (SIN). Photo from airport Web site

• Food. See above entry.
• The airport – it really is wonderfully clean and efficient. Both times I’ve landed in Singapore, I’ve been through immigration, collected checked baggage, gone through customs and been in a taxi speeding down East Coast Parkway toward the city within 20 minutes. At Chicago O’Hare, that would have taken an hour. Things are calmer at Changi International Airport – it’s quiet even when it’s crowded and few people look stressed or rushed.
• The smallness of the island – so far it’s a positive. Nothing is really that far and traffic isn’t nearly as heavy in Chicago. A taxi from the airport costs under $20 and you’re pretty much guaranteed a 20-minute ride unless you’re weaving West. It’s easy to meet friends wherever.

• Shopping – there are countless malls and shopping centers that are air-conditioned, come with clean bathrooms and nice food courts and have great stores. Clothes seem to run a bit more here but not overly expensive. 
• The people – Singaporeans seem sincerely interested in making you feel welcome, be it the office, their restaurant or country. A few taxi drivers —and even the MRT ticket helper – personally welcomed me to their country and offered suggestions on what to do.
• Efficiency of government – we all know the political climate is different than hours. A key upside I see is the efficiency in which things are done —e.g., obtaining my work visa. It was a straightforward process that involved a 10 minute stop at the EPSC in Riverpoint. The employees smiled and provided great service. No where was the chaos and surliness one experiences at an American DMV or government building.
• The real estate – I am pleasantly surprised by the apartments – which really are privately owned condos that are rented out to primarily ex-pats, which have gorgeous landscaping, architecture, water elements and character.

First impressions -- FOOD

Heaven @ Din Tai Fung

I joked with many people that when I moved to Singapore, I would drop 20 pounds. With year round 90 degree heat, scorching sun and tireless humidity, when would I want to eat? I love to cook. And the food I most love to cook are hearty, fresh meals that take advantage of fall and winter offerings – roasted vegetables, meaty minestrones, perfectly roasted chicken with citrus and herbs, oven-baked pastas, accompanied by full-bodied red wines. The hot days of summer in Chicago and Wisconsin (the former my adopted home for seven years, the latter my home state) meant light grilled fish and veggies, as many summer berries as possible and ice-cold lemonade and unsweetened iced tea. But “the hot days of summer” in the Midwest don’t come close to the average day in Singapore, I figured.

Now that I’ve been here for about two weeks, I worry I’ll gain 20 pounds. A favorite pastime of Singaporeans, people tell us over and over, is eating. (And shopping. That is a vice that will have to be dealt with at a later time). Louis -- my boyfriend and soon-to-be partner-in-crime in Singapore – and I have revolved our first two weeks around, well, eating. The culinary scene in Singapore deserves many books – there is super cheap food (S$3 hawker centre dinners) and very expensive (multi-course Italian or French meals – heavy on the imports – and wine).

Laksa and coconut rice in Katong

We’ve tried an admirable mix so far:

Peranakan (the local cuisine -- a mix of Chinese and Malay cuisines) – we first had a “true” local dish when our Colliers relocation/real estate agent took us to 328 Laksa on Ceylon Street in Katong. We actually had heard of the place because it had just been featured on a Samantha Brown travel special. We sit outside on a bustling Katong street late afternoon and let Veronica order for the table. In rapid fire Hokkien, she orders the infamous laksa – noodles in a spicy, complex coconut broth with herbs, fresh prawns and squid – otak otak – a sort of fish paste cooked in banana leaf – rojak – loosely translates to “salad” with cucumber, tofu and a flavorful peanut dressing – and the only dish we weren’t wow-ed by, a weak coconut rice with dried anchovy-like things on top. We drink the local green tea (very sweet) and keep clean with tissues from Veronica’s little back. (We’ve notice it’s not common for no-frills places to have napkins, which is why everyone in Singapore carries little packets of tissues everywhere.



Me, Preeti and Des @ Lagoon Hawker Center



Singapore's infamous chili crab



Char kway teow @ Lagoon Hawker



Rojak

Our second true local food experience takes place at Lagoon Hawker Centre in East Coast Park. Our gracious host for this adventure is Desiree – Des – a Singaporean who lived in Chicago for 11 years to attend journalism school at Medill and fall prey to the ill-fated Chicago Cubs fever as well as Chicago’s fantastic food and theatre scene. We were introduced to Des through a mutual friend, Francis, with whom I’ve worked as members of the Steppenwolf Auxiliary Council. Francis is a sparkling personality, and is positively THE person to know when it comes to food, culture and international travel. We are excited to meet Des, as any friend of Francis … Des has visited this hawker centre with her family every Sunday for years and knows many of the hawkers personally. We can’t wait.

Des greets us in a Chicago Cubs T-shirt and cut-off jean shorts and immediately asks if we don’t mind moving tables “so we can be closer to the food.” Um, YES PLEASE. She suggests that while we could split up and each pick a few dishes, she’s happy to just take a pool of money and bring back her favorites. YES. Louis, Preeti – my first Singapore friend! More to come on her – sip on a large bottle of Tiger beer and wait for Des to return.

Return, she does. Des comes back with as many dishes as she can carry and has more being brought over. Dishes included: rojak (this time with a bit of spice and crisper vegetables), deep fried baby squid, fried noodles with prawns, prawn fritters (sort of a cross between a big hashbrown and pancake – I really like this), black pepper crab (delicious) and the infamous Singaporean chili crab (finger-locking good and spicy). Before she left to get food, she asked “how adventerous are we?” to which we replied “whatever you recommend,” The adventure produced fish head stew – a very large fish head simmered in a rich gravy. We drink fresh Thai coconut water out of the shell and use our spoons to scrape the cocunut of the sides. For dessert, she brings back ice kachang, what I will describe as ice shavings flavored with rose syrup and brown sugar syrup, and topped with corn (not appetizing in appearance but refreshing). On the way out, she points out an ice cream stand selling cones and ice cream sandwiches – literally, ice cream slabbed between two slides of bread. We pass.

Louis eagerly awaiting his first taste of local food.

The whole meal cost about $100 total . For the amount of food we got, and the variety of dishes, it was – I hate to say – priceless.

Taiwanese - One of the best, simple meals we've ever had is at a Taiwanese dumpling shop called Din Tai Fung. Located in the luxurious Paragon shopping center on Orchard Road, Din Tai Fung has a constant queue of people starting at about 10:30 a.m. They are known for dumplings -- real dumplings, which here means that they have a "soup" in them that burst into your mouth on your first bite. My absolute favorite dish there is the shrimp and pork wanton soup -- the broth tastes like fresh chicken -- not chicken broth, pure chicken. Louis adores the shu mai and we both devour the green pea shoots sauteed in oil and garlic. Served with hot tea in a luxe, air-conditioned mall, this meal already has prompted several follow up visits. Everything is good -- noodles, soups, dumplings, shu mai, rice...seriously, everything.

Thai – I already have a favorite Thai restaurant, as a colleague had taken me there on my August orientation visit and I then returned with a visiting friend a few nights later. Thanying, on the second floor of the Amara Hotel, is known for its royal food (my colleague said the chef used to cook for the royal family). I’m not sure what to expect, as my experience with Thai food is the moderately priced Thai delivery in Chicago. As I expect, Thanying’s food is nothing like that. Louis and I have soup – he, the clear broth, and me, the spicy prawn soup with keffir lime leaves and button mushrooms – green mango salad – crunchy and sweet, mixed with shaved red onion, chilis and peanuts – fried stuffed chicken wings – not bad – and split the steamed sea bass that is swimming in fresh keffir lime juice, chilis and broth. The first thing we notice in each of our dishes is how flavorful everything is. The fish for example tastes so lime-y – but not lime-y like it has a lot of lime juice squirted on it; lime-y like the limes here have 10x the flavor. The ambiance is festive yet refined, our server almost overly deferential but knowledgeable about the food. This meal is pricier but very worth it.

We also have Thai at a “no frills eatery” up the street from the Raffles Hotel earlier in the week, Louis’ choice. It’s not within a hawker centre but it is open air (warm) and cheap. Louis has read the pad thai is what to have, so we order that. We also sample the green mango salad because I’m simply craving fruit, green beans and fried spring rolls. The food isn’t as light as Thanying but it’s good.

Indonesian – Early in the first week, I come back to the hotel exhausted and Louis is hungry. He remembers reading about a Balinese place that delivers so he orders us satay (huge chunks of chicken barbequed over an open flame – very good) and some fish dish that TimeOut Singapore recently recommended. I don’t like this second dish as much – it must have anise in it as all I unfortunately taste is black licorice. On my suggestion, we order vegetables as I’m craving greens but they’re sort of blah in flavor.

Korean – We’ve rather taken to a Korean place located in the basement of 8 Shenton Way (also known as my office building). I can’t speak to its authenticity but we both like it – I always order the bibimbap because it has lots of vegetables, beef for flavor and can be attacked with mass amounts of chili sauce.

Le Carillon L'Angelus on Club Street

French – Proper brasserie French. No fusion. No Asian influence. When out with Preeti and her Germany friend Marco, we stumble upon this place in the midst of our new favorite neighborhood of Club Street and Ann Thiang Hill. It's technically in Chinatown but you would never know it. There is a sloping drive of adorable restaurants and bars that are populated by ex-pats. We dive into a beautiful charcuterie platter, rolls, tartines, olives and champagne. Inexplicably, champagne is the least expensive wine here – our bottle was about S$60 and good, compared with other bottles that ran S$100+.

Good ol’ bar food. On our first Friday night in Singapore, we meet up with Preeti and Marco for a proper weekend night. We meet them at No. 5 Emerald Hill, a surprisingly bustling bar block hidden off Orchard Road. This is ex-pat central, but not in a bad way. (There also apparently are prostitutes, as Preeti, Marco and Louis point out. How do they know?) We grab seats outside and order what we’ve heard is good – beer, pizza and chicken wings. How can you go wrong with that? It reminds me of happy hour in Chicago, and we have fun. I later notice that the restaurant/bar itself is a tapas place but it shares a kitchen with the other bars so you can really order from any menu. We make a note to go back and actually try the tapas.

Italian – This is why I love Singapore. It’s not just the various Asian cuisines that are good, it’s ALL the food. We have dinner with a lovely couple we met through the passionately close-knit Notre Dame alumni network. Andy, who is corporate counsel for a large manufacturing multinational, and his wife Bridget, invite us to Senso, their favorite Italian restaurant and right on Club St. Again, this is not Italian-by-way-of-Chinese .. .it’s proper Italian. We are greeted with glasses of crisp Sauv Blanc and olives, then sit down at the table where we’re served fresh bread and olive oil (ah, olive oil, how I’ve missed thee), mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto with greens, and a lovely brunello just opened by the sommelier. The menu is impressive – many handmade pastas and classic preparations. I order the homemade taglierini pasta with lobster and basil – heavenly – and Louis orders veal ravioli with porcini sauce. Andy and Bridget both have a special fish, and we split tiramisu – prepared with the right amount of espresso and boozy taste.

Hungry yet? More on food to follow, promise.