LOCATION: House-sitting in Singapore
WEATHER: A broken record - scorching hot with sauna-like humidity
Our housesitting assignment is near the Little Peirce Reservoir, the source of drinking water for the city and a natural "jungle". We took a walk there in the morning before it got unbearably hot. There are a lot of monkeys hopping around the tree tops. This "beggar" welcomed us to the area, looking for a handout
While we were having breakfast, our cat Sita was spying birds out the back kitchen door...
Today's destination was Chinatown, another part of town the Captain Ruffles created to separate the various ethnic traders back in the day. We took the bus and light rail again. This is the view coming up out of the light rail....
As in other parts of town, the architecture is beautiful with typical Singaporean "shophouses".
There are many many restaurants in the area. Alas, none seemed to have air-conditioning. We found one with a nice ceiling fan and craft beer. Almost as good. :).
We had potstickers to start that were yummy...
Then we shared Singapore Char Kway Teow (on the bottom of the menu)....
It was tasty, too, especially after we requested some chili sauce..
We learned that our restaurant is located on what used to be called Japanese Street. Japanese prostitutes sold their "wares" here during the war, to do their part to raise money for the war effort. Then, we walked down Food Street, a long covered street chock full of restaurants.
On our way home, we stopped at our light rail hub which is also a huge shopping mall. Outside, they were having a durian (the world's stiinkiest fruit) festival. As we approached, the smell almost overwhelmed us. I can't think how to describe it....something like a very very smelly French cheese combined with something else.
They were also selling this popular fruit - purple mangosteens.
Back home, we showered to cool off. George napped. The heat and humidity really wear you down.
DINNER: Chicken, eggplant and corn on the cob on the grill.
I love the way you described the weather - "Scorching and Sauna like...". That is so apt and on the spot!
ReplyDeleteThose monkeys are a nuisance and can be very aggressive! They weren't so many back then but I think the government should have implemented the same "Two is Enough" law on them back then! Haha..., a background - much like China's "One Child Policy", Singapore had the "Two Is Enough" campaign. The idea was to have the children replace the parents - hence a zero population growth. They feared a population explosion as Singapore got increasingly affluent. The plan back-fired because the younger generation (my generation) got married later or remained single, so most had one or no children. The government then projected an aging population... and they gave great tax incentives to couples, particularly those who are university graduates, to have three or more children. In my opinion, there were other motivations and rationale behind that stipulation, which I will not discuss in public. :) Anyway...
"Lim Chee Guan" and "Bee Cheung Hiang" the signs in your picture in Chinatown...they sell incredible BBQ Pork (Chinese Style). I will do anyone's laundry by hand for a slice of that! During the Chinese New Year, there will be long lines around the block! I heard of persons queuing for hours for these! This is also a great gift, to wish someone good luck - for any auspicious occasion, like birthdays, Chinese New Year, new births.... I brought a box back to the US, afraid that they might disallow it, I was prepared to eat them all at the customs should they do that. :)
Char Kway Teow - great choice! I'm not sure if they had cockles (a kind of clam) in them but it's one of my favorites... then there's pot stickers... OK, I won't give you all a hard time on that one. :)
I noticed that the streets are "covered" now. I suppose they want to keep the rain out during the monsoon season (usually in December). There are certain places that they have "indoor-ized" the streets by adding in a/c.
Durian... I will clean any person's kitchen just for one durian! We are able to get these in an Asian grocery store here in Atlanta - however, these are frozen and by the time they get here on a ship, it's probably a month old. I did a fund raiser in church to raise money and charge any brave soul $2.00 to try the world's "stinkiest" fruit! ... Well, they each paid me $1.00 to take that away from them. I raised $96.00 and ate all the durians (albeit not as fresh as I would have loved them to be).
In the 4th picture, there's a block of apartment buildings in the background. If you want to get a slightly more up close look at how Singaporeans live, you can actually take an elevator and go walk along the corridor. If some of the doors are open, you can just glance in it from the corner of your eyes (I wouldn't recommend standing there and gawking). You will not be trespassing because the corridor is considered public area. Anyway, at the top floor, you might get a panoramic view of the surrounding area too, Not that you will but just don't pee in the elevators ("lift", that's what they call them) because they are equipped with sensors that can detect a change in temperature on the floor of the lift. If it triggers the sensor, the alarm will sound, the lift will descend to the ground floor, and occupants will be trapped inside until the cops and firemen (civil defense officers) come greet you, with a ride "downtown". Tempting, but don't do it ... :). You don't want to test US' diplomatic relations with Singapore - OK, I'll stop right there and get off my soap box! :)
I look forward to seeing what you all are up to next in Singapore... :)