A little Vegas, a touch of Hollywood and a big slice of Singapore.
Lion Dancers and acrobats
Flag pole balancers - what do these guys do the rest of the year?
Bubble Boy - meet the Bubble Girls!
The Japanese troupe was very energetic.Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Scenes From the Parade
A little Vegas, a touch of Hollywood and a big slice of Singapore. Lion Dancers and acrobats Flag pole balancers - what do these guys do the rest of the year? Bubble Boy - meet the Bubble Girls! The Japanese troupe was very energetic.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
CNY Goes On - Parties, Parades - I'm Pooped!
The Salad Toss Set Up
Lo Hei!
Let the party games begin!
Hip Hop Hooray! Its Chingay!
The President of Singapore!
Chinese New Year week 2 has come to an end. I think the holiday is almost over. But this past weekend there were several events that kept this energizer bunny of a holiday going.
First up was the office party last Friday at the Singapore Zoo. At 2:30PM the office staff, decked out in the bright reds and golds of Chinese New Year, boarded buses to go to the zoo for a party. It was my first visit to the zoo but that's not the story here. It was my second office party. Not unlike the first party last December at the beach this one featured an emcee and a DJ who guided us through the ceremony and silliness of the afternoon.
The first event was the Singapore Chinese New Year "Tossing of the Salad". Not unlike the Schmenge Brothers ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shmenge_Brothers) Lutonian Christmas tradition of the "Exchanging of the Socks", the Salad toss, called Yu Sheng in Mandarin is supposed to bring good luck. Salad of paper-thin raw fish, finely shredded fresh vegetables, candied melon and citrus, red and white pickled ginger; pomelo flesh, sesame seeds, lime leaf, crispy crackers and peanuts dressed with plum sauce, oil and spices. At tables of 10 people we added the salt, pepper, oil and other accoutrement's, each time chanting something in Mandarin. Once all the fixins are poured on diners toss the salad together with their chopsticks, shouting ‘Lo hei’ (‘toss up’) and making wishes for abundance and prosperity. Apparently the higher you toss the better the fortunes but the kicker is that if some falls off the plate you may have bad luck. I'm in big trouble!
The tables then competed in games like "name where that tune came from". Not one of my strong suits as I can't yet differentiate between Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Singaporean, Indonesian and Malaysian tunes. I do have a good ear for the Bollywood songs though. There was a dance contest, a lip sync contest to Malay, Chinese, English and Hindi MTV videos and many other crowd pleasers. My table came in second and we were awarded a nice bag of Tang for our efforts!
As we headed to and from the party pavilion I did catch a glimpse of some of the zoo animals. White tigers, tapirs, monkeys, giraffes and more. Looks like a really nice zoo. (http://www.zoo.com.sg/)
Saturday night, a few short blocks from home, was the 35th annual Singapore Chingay Parade.(http://www.chingay.org.sg/). The parade, with roots tracing back to Malaysia, is a two night affair and consists of music, costumes, floats, dancing and singing. We got a good idea of the volume of the noise generated by the parade on Friday night as we had cocktails on our front porch. the loud Emcees and the equally loud amplified music for each troupe was clear as a bell two blocks from the action where we live. But Saturday we had grandstand tickets to see it all unfold in front of us.
Its fun to go to a parade at night and in Singapore it only makes sense as it cools down from super hot and sweaty to moderately hot a sweaty. Orchard road was decorated and well lit and our Emcee (I think there were about 5 in different locations along the route) had his mike turned up to eardrum piecing volume. Pre parade included performances by some local hip hop break dancers. Imagine the sight of skinny Asian kids in big baggy gansta clothes spinning on their heads in the street. Next up was a big troupe of belly dancers much more to my liking. The gals did a good job of getting the guys in the crowd riled up and ready for the parade.
The excitement grew as the first float approached. It was going against the direction of the parade - it was the President of Singapore Mr. SR Nathan (http://www.istana.gov.sg/). The crowd cheered as the duly elected Prez rolled by. I would say more about the Singapore government here but I have read about how painful it is to be caned.
After the Prez passed by the real parade began. It was loud, colorful, commercial (floats sponsored by Coke, Bosch and many other companies). the costumes were really spectacular and some of the non hip hop things were really fascinating - lion dances, fire spitters, pole balancers, giants, drummers and there was only one marching band - an all girl outfit from Korea. the floats were the opposite of the Rose Bowl Parade - I think people were banned from using anything natural for construction.
I have lots of pictures as you will see. I think that as of today there are only 3 days of CNY left. I will be sad, but relieved.......
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Monkey Jungle
We knew there must be monkey's here but where were they?
Sophia and Myrna scan the quarry
Too heavy to be a monkey
Maybe -------
On closer inspection - noPart III
Fancy a cup of hot buttered corn (not popped just corn)?---- mmmmmmmmmmmmm delicious!
Welcome to the land of the giants
Hard to see but more acrobatic featsChinese New Year - Part II
City Hall all lit up and festive
Enough with the pigs?- never enough!
Drumming in the new year
Try this at home - I hope the Cirque de Soliel scout was in the house
I have no clue what this was all aboutHappy Birthday!
The house is decked out for New Year - The guy told us the banner says "Good Luck and Good Fortune" but for all we know it says "Kick me"
The Birthday girl ready to step out
At the world famous Raffles Hotel after tea and champange
Cake by Suzy Homemaker
Myrna and Jeramie relaxingHappy Birthday! Happy New Year! Monkeys!
Josh?
Lena?
Sophia and the fence sitters.
I hate when my family comes to town and doesn't call!
"No - I don't see the banana in there"It was a gala weekend here in Singapore. Sophia's birthday, Chinese New Year kick off and four days off to see a little more of our home island.
We've been here for about 9 months and it was about 1 year ago we first visited Singapore to see if we wanted to move here. In that time I've traveled like crazy and we have eaten our away around the great foods of Asia but we haven't really explored much of Singapore beyond our neighborhood and a few others. there are many attractions here like a great zoo, night safari, bird park, art museum, history museum, science centre and even some place that they fill with snow so these tropical folks can take the family to a place where they can slip slide and make snow balls. We've been to none of these places. Picked off a few this past weekend.
Saturday we went by subway and then bus to the Changi Prison Museum. http://www.changimuseum.com/ There we learned about Singapore during World War II. Basically the Japanese invaded (around the same time as Pearl Harbor) and took Singapore very quickly from the British, Australian, Malaysian and Indian forces defending the place. The Japanese took over from 1942 to 1945 and treated people very harshly imprisoning many, enslaving others and killing countless. the museum was small but very informative and really illustrated the hardships of war.
Saturday night we had a great home made Indian dinner cooked by my friend and colleague Ronak Patel's mom. Ronak's Mom is here visiting for a few months from the US. The food was fantastic. We loved the samosas, dal, chicken, spicy potatoes and the super spicy pickles and chutney.
Sunday was Sophia's birthday! It was a quiet day and we went to the Tiffen Room at Raffles Hotel for tea followed by champagne at the lovely outdoor Courtyard bar.
http://singapore-raffles.raffles.com/ When we got home Myrna and her friend Jeremie had backed a nice, real birthday cake. Later that night we visited the Singapore River HongBao 2007 celebration. Kind of like a combination of a bad carnival (complete with ancient rides and carny games), booths selling everything from cups of corn to good Karma, exhibits of giant blow up pigs, drums and scary Chinese guys and a big show with acrobats, dancers, singers and more. The show (which we watched for a little while) was the best part of the event. We saw some great acrobats diving through big rings followed by women balancing, spinning and then juggling big parasols with their feet. The crowds were huge but everyone seemed to be happy.
Monday was fun because everything was closed. I think that the first two days of Chinese New Year is the only time anything closes here. Our neighborhood is in the heart of the shopping district and while we are close to everything and anything you would ever want it is always jammed with people. The sidewalks are crowded and people run into you all the time just trying to navigate the crowds. Monday it was like a ghost town, Even the mighty cash registers at the big department stores like Robinsons (http://www.robinsons.com.sg/ ), Takashimaya (http://www.takashimaya-sin.com/)and Isatan (http://www.isetan.com.sg/index.jsp ) were resting. If you wanted to buy Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuiton or Zegna you just had to wait. We loved having open sidewalks and the ability to stroll. Since Chinese New Year is really a time for families it was strange to see the city without most of the people of Chinese descent out and about. It looked like a Western city for the first time. The only places open were the Indian and Muslim restaurants and food stalls so we ate at on of the really good, cheap, outdoor Muslim stalls.
Yesterday was a day to see some of the natural wonders of Singapore. There are actually a few places that have not been turned into malls and food courts. One of them is the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/btnr.htm). Home of a rain forest and Singapore highest point - 163 Metres (530 feet). As a point of comparison Vail is 3500 feet. The wildlife was really outstanding with so many species of birds and animals. It was a little crowded so we didn't spot the giant lizards or the lemurs and I was on the lookout for monkeys. We walked, climbed and dragged for about 5 K and then finally saw what I was looking for. there (near the parking lot) were my brother Josh, nephew Elijah and niece Lena and about 50 more monkeys. I was surprised to see them in town and was upset they had not called to let me know they were here!
We finally headed to lunch and then home and thus concluded a very nice long weekend.
We've been here for about 9 months and it was about 1 year ago we first visited Singapore to see if we wanted to move here. In that time I've traveled like crazy and we have eaten our away around the great foods of Asia but we haven't really explored much of Singapore beyond our neighborhood and a few others. there are many attractions here like a great zoo, night safari, bird park, art museum, history museum, science centre and even some place that they fill with snow so these tropical folks can take the family to a place where they can slip slide and make snow balls. We've been to none of these places. Picked off a few this past weekend.
Saturday we went by subway and then bus to the Changi Prison Museum. http://www.changimuseum.com/ There we learned about Singapore during World War II. Basically the Japanese invaded (around the same time as Pearl Harbor) and took Singapore very quickly from the British, Australian, Malaysian and Indian forces defending the place. The Japanese took over from 1942 to 1945 and treated people very harshly imprisoning many, enslaving others and killing countless. the museum was small but very informative and really illustrated the hardships of war.
Saturday night we had a great home made Indian dinner cooked by my friend and colleague Ronak Patel's mom. Ronak's Mom is here visiting for a few months from the US. The food was fantastic. We loved the samosas, dal, chicken, spicy potatoes and the super spicy pickles and chutney.
Sunday was Sophia's birthday! It was a quiet day and we went to the Tiffen Room at Raffles Hotel for tea followed by champagne at the lovely outdoor Courtyard bar.
http://singapore-raffles.raffles.com/ When we got home Myrna and her friend Jeremie had backed a nice, real birthday cake. Later that night we visited the Singapore River HongBao 2007 celebration. Kind of like a combination of a bad carnival (complete with ancient rides and carny games), booths selling everything from cups of corn to good Karma, exhibits of giant blow up pigs, drums and scary Chinese guys and a big show with acrobats, dancers, singers and more. The show (which we watched for a little while) was the best part of the event. We saw some great acrobats diving through big rings followed by women balancing, spinning and then juggling big parasols with their feet. The crowds were huge but everyone seemed to be happy.
Monday was fun because everything was closed. I think that the first two days of Chinese New Year is the only time anything closes here. Our neighborhood is in the heart of the shopping district and while we are close to everything and anything you would ever want it is always jammed with people. The sidewalks are crowded and people run into you all the time just trying to navigate the crowds. Monday it was like a ghost town, Even the mighty cash registers at the big department stores like Robinsons (http://www.robinsons.com.sg/ ), Takashimaya (http://www.takashimaya-sin.com/)and Isatan (http://www.isetan.com.sg/index.jsp ) were resting. If you wanted to buy Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuiton or Zegna you just had to wait. We loved having open sidewalks and the ability to stroll. Since Chinese New Year is really a time for families it was strange to see the city without most of the people of Chinese descent out and about. It looked like a Western city for the first time. The only places open were the Indian and Muslim restaurants and food stalls so we ate at on of the really good, cheap, outdoor Muslim stalls.
Yesterday was a day to see some of the natural wonders of Singapore. There are actually a few places that have not been turned into malls and food courts. One of them is the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (http://www.wildsingapore.com/places/btnr.htm). Home of a rain forest and Singapore highest point - 163 Metres (530 feet). As a point of comparison Vail is 3500 feet. The wildlife was really outstanding with so many species of birds and animals. It was a little crowded so we didn't spot the giant lizards or the lemurs and I was on the lookout for monkeys. We walked, climbed and dragged for about 5 K and then finally saw what I was looking for. there (near the parking lot) were my brother Josh, nephew Elijah and niece Lena and about 50 more monkeys. I was surprised to see them in town and was upset they had not called to let me know they were here!
We finally headed to lunch and then home and thus concluded a very nice long weekend.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Bring on the Pork!
Pigs have to stick together (Vietnam Porky)
Shanghai Hotel Piggies
More Shanghai sows
The display in the mall next to my officeSunday is the start of the 14 day Chinese New Year and 2007 is the year of the pig. The cycle of lunar new year animals is 12 years so both Sophia and I are fortunate enough to be pigs. Sadly we are not the 12, 24 or 36 year old pigs.
Here is one description of those born in these years - 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959, 1947, 1935:
"The Pig type is usually an honest, straightforward and patient person. They are a modest, shy character who prefers to work quietly behind the scenes. When others despair, they are often there to offer support. This type of person is reserved with those they do not know too well, but as time passes and they gain confidence, those around them may discover a lively and warm-hearted person behind that mask of aloofness. Despite those born in the year of pig having a wide circle of friends and acquaintances, they have few close friends who understand them and share their inner thoughts and feelings. It is easy to put trust in pig type; they won't let you down and will never even attempt to do so. Such people simply want to do everything right according to social norms.It is important to remember that these people are not vengeful creatures. If someone tries to take advantage of them, the pig type tend to withdraw to reflect on the problem and protect themselves. All they need in such situations is a little time to find a constructive way to respond."
Here is what is going on in Singapore - http://www.visitsingapore.com/cny/
I hope that the year of the pig is auspicious for all of us!
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
More Pictures from Ho Chi Minh City
These ladies were not thrilled about being photographed
Anyone want some meat?
Stuff we can all use
This might actually be a good snack
Pho - the breakfast of championsTuesday, February 13, 2007
Ho Chi Minh City Weekend
Chinese New Year is almost upon us!
On February 18 (Sophia's birthday) the Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, Tet (in Vietnam)) begins. The color red is pervasive, people exchange gifts of oranges (in twos) for good fortune and hand out red envelopes (ang pow) containing cash (even numbers - odd is symbolic of death). I will keep you posted on the New Year goings on in my next update.
We just got back weekend trip to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) where we were pleasantly surprised by the city and the people. The city is in the southern part of Vietnam and is about an hour and a half from Singapore by plane. We wanted to go somewhere new and close and Ho Chi Minh fit the bill. We arrived Friday afternoon and got the full impact of the city as soon as we stepped out of the airport terminal. There was pandemonium, much like in India, with cars, buses, scooters and people crowded right up the the terminal door. We found a taxi and headed towards the hotel. The streets were loaded with cars and motor scooters. Scooters, scooters everywhere! Some had a Mom and Dad and 2 kids, others were loaded with packages, fruit or big bundles of balloons. Most of the people were wearing some kind of face mask to filter out the pollution so it looked like an army of banditos.
The Saigon Sheraton www.sheraton.com/saigonhotel was lovely and right in the center of town. Our room had a nice view of one of the main streets of the city. It was hot there but didn't feel as hot as Singapore. We took a quick walk around and headed out for a drink and then dinner. The Saigon, Saigon bar atop Caravelle hotel was a good stop for a drink solely for the nice view of the city. From the people in the bar you would have thought you were at the Holiday Inn in Des Moines. A bunch of middle aged white folks in festive travel clothes. We soon realized that most of these guys (now with their wives) were there to revisit the place they had been sent to by the US government in the the 60s or 70s. I am sure this trip was a bit more pleasurable then their earlier visit. The rest of the weekend we saw many many westerners there for the same reason.
We ate at a wonderful French restaurant called La Carmague. The French influence in Vietnam is still very strongly seen in the architecture and the food. We had the first really great baguettes we have had since moving to Asia and the fois gras wasn't too bad either.
The most exciting thing in Saigon is crossing the street. There are so many mopeds, scooters, cycles and bikes going like crazy in all directions and even on the sidewalks. Crossing the street is like the video game Frogger - two steps out, one back , 3 forward, 2 back. After watching the locals for an hour we figured out the best method - just walk slowly across at a constant speed regardless of oncoming traffic. This way all the drivers can see and avoid you by going dangerously close to your toes or heals. If you speed up and slow down they can't anticipate where you will be as they zip past. Its not for the feint of heart but it works. Sophia usually just closed her eyes as we crossed.
Saturday we had breakfast at a Pho place recommended by the Kraft Country Director for Vietnam. www.pho24.com.vn/index.php Nothing like a big hot bowl of soup with noodles, known and unknown meets and chilli sauce at 9 AM! We also had our first sample of the legendary coffee of Vietnam. The coffee comes in a cup with a small drip strainer on top. the water slowly drips into the cup (part of the ritual of taking a long time to brew and then enjoy the coffee). The "white" version also has a good dollop of condensed milk in it. It is super strong and super sweet. They bring out extra hot water so you can dilute it a bit. The most expensive blend is called "chon". The chon is a weasel-like animal that lives in Central Vietnam and it only eats the coffee fruit. When it relieves itself the locals gather up it's excrement and process the beans. This is no joke. By the way there are no Starbucks in Ho Chi Minh -------- yet!
After filling up we walked around the city. The people were extremely friendly and while there are clearly many poor people there the outright poverty that you see in places like Manila and Jakarta is not evident. We took in the Art Museum (great building but a little light on art) and then walked to the War Remnants Museum. This is the museum that chronicles the war from the North Vietnamese perspective. The grounds are full of captured US tanks, planes and artillery and the exhibits highlight the atrocities carried out by the Americans. It was very interesting to see. I thought he Jane Fonda statue was a bit over the top though.
Back in steamy Singapore where I think winter has ended. We had a nice run of almost comfortable temperatures and low (50%) humidity since early January but things are picking back up. Its high 80s/ low 90s and 60+ humidity now. But it does cool off to about 79 at night.
Off to Bangkok this week and then I will be making my first trip to Milwaukee since last year. I will be stopping there on the way to a meeting in Miami.
On February 18 (Sophia's birthday) the Chinese New Year (also known as Lunar New Year, Spring Festival, Tet (in Vietnam)) begins. The color red is pervasive, people exchange gifts of oranges (in twos) for good fortune and hand out red envelopes (ang pow) containing cash (even numbers - odd is symbolic of death). I will keep you posted on the New Year goings on in my next update.
We just got back weekend trip to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) where we were pleasantly surprised by the city and the people. The city is in the southern part of Vietnam and is about an hour and a half from Singapore by plane. We wanted to go somewhere new and close and Ho Chi Minh fit the bill. We arrived Friday afternoon and got the full impact of the city as soon as we stepped out of the airport terminal. There was pandemonium, much like in India, with cars, buses, scooters and people crowded right up the the terminal door. We found a taxi and headed towards the hotel. The streets were loaded with cars and motor scooters. Scooters, scooters everywhere! Some had a Mom and Dad and 2 kids, others were loaded with packages, fruit or big bundles of balloons. Most of the people were wearing some kind of face mask to filter out the pollution so it looked like an army of banditos.
The Saigon Sheraton www.sheraton.com/saigonhotel was lovely and right in the center of town. Our room had a nice view of one of the main streets of the city. It was hot there but didn't feel as hot as Singapore. We took a quick walk around and headed out for a drink and then dinner. The Saigon, Saigon bar atop Caravelle hotel was a good stop for a drink solely for the nice view of the city. From the people in the bar you would have thought you were at the Holiday Inn in Des Moines. A bunch of middle aged white folks in festive travel clothes. We soon realized that most of these guys (now with their wives) were there to revisit the place they had been sent to by the US government in the the 60s or 70s. I am sure this trip was a bit more pleasurable then their earlier visit. The rest of the weekend we saw many many westerners there for the same reason.
We ate at a wonderful French restaurant called La Carmague. The French influence in Vietnam is still very strongly seen in the architecture and the food. We had the first really great baguettes we have had since moving to Asia and the fois gras wasn't too bad either.
The most exciting thing in Saigon is crossing the street. There are so many mopeds, scooters, cycles and bikes going like crazy in all directions and even on the sidewalks. Crossing the street is like the video game Frogger - two steps out, one back , 3 forward, 2 back. After watching the locals for an hour we figured out the best method - just walk slowly across at a constant speed regardless of oncoming traffic. This way all the drivers can see and avoid you by going dangerously close to your toes or heals. If you speed up and slow down they can't anticipate where you will be as they zip past. Its not for the feint of heart but it works. Sophia usually just closed her eyes as we crossed.
Saturday we had breakfast at a Pho place recommended by the Kraft Country Director for Vietnam. www.pho24.com.vn/index.php Nothing like a big hot bowl of soup with noodles, known and unknown meets and chilli sauce at 9 AM! We also had our first sample of the legendary coffee of Vietnam. The coffee comes in a cup with a small drip strainer on top. the water slowly drips into the cup (part of the ritual of taking a long time to brew and then enjoy the coffee). The "white" version also has a good dollop of condensed milk in it. It is super strong and super sweet. They bring out extra hot water so you can dilute it a bit. The most expensive blend is called "chon". The chon is a weasel-like animal that lives in Central Vietnam and it only eats the coffee fruit. When it relieves itself the locals gather up it's excrement and process the beans. This is no joke. By the way there are no Starbucks in Ho Chi Minh -------- yet!
After filling up we walked around the city. The people were extremely friendly and while there are clearly many poor people there the outright poverty that you see in places like Manila and Jakarta is not evident. We took in the Art Museum (great building but a little light on art) and then walked to the War Remnants Museum. This is the museum that chronicles the war from the North Vietnamese perspective. The grounds are full of captured US tanks, planes and artillery and the exhibits highlight the atrocities carried out by the Americans. It was very interesting to see. I thought he Jane Fonda statue was a bit over the top though.
Back in steamy Singapore where I think winter has ended. We had a nice run of almost comfortable temperatures and low (50%) humidity since early January but things are picking back up. Its high 80s/ low 90s and 60+ humidity now. But it does cool off to about 79 at night.
Off to Bangkok this week and then I will be making my first trip to Milwaukee since last year. I will be stopping there on the way to a meeting in Miami.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Let's Try This Again
I had a blog. Kept it up for almost a week. Time to try again. Now that I live in Singapore and travel around Asia I hope I may have more to say and more pictures to share.
Let's see if I can stick with it. The over under is set at 1 month. Any takers on the over?
Let's see if I can stick with it. The over under is set at 1 month. Any takers on the over?
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