WEATHER: Never changing: Hot as blazes and dripping humidity
Trauma today. Last evening, we fed our cat Sita, and then she went outside, which is her normal routine.
BUT -- she didn't come back! I stayed up until midnight waiting for her to return but finally had to go to bed. I was hoping/expecting to see her this morning on the doorstep, but she was not there. I worried about her all day. The homeowners told us that she roams around, but always comes home to eat. Today she did not. I was about to give up when she waltzed in the front door this evening. Whew! She seems a little stressed. There is a tomcat nearby that might have held her hostage. I'm going to keep her inside until the homeowners return, just in case.
Since we couldn't do anything about her disappearance during the day, we decided to keep with our schedule. We took the bus and light rail to another section of town to look at the historic houses. This area had been settled by the Peranakans, wealthy merchants who were the go-betweens between the Chinese and British. These are called shophouses. The first floors were shops; the second floors were the shopkeepers' homes. The top floor has an extended balcony which gives the first floor a covered walkway, to keep out the sun and rain. This is an example....
Now, most of the shops have been converted to residences. Many were being refurbished while we were visiting. This area is called Emerald Hill, presumably because of its greenery, and quite a juxtaposition compared to its skyscraper neighbors....
We had lunch in one of the Indonesian restaurants along the street. We learned that this used to be a nutmeg plantation until the crops failed for several years. It is near Orchard Street, the busy shopping district where we were yesterday, which used to be full of apple orchards.
We stopped in the visitors' center. They invited us for a demonstration of a Singaporean snack. We sat next to a couple from Australia and the Netherlands. We tasted muah chee, a sweet glutinous rice ball. When the lady pronounced it, I realized it is just like Japanese mochi, the same sticky sweet rice balls that the Japanese love. I wonder which came first - muah chee or mochi? Interesting.
We stopped at the grocery store in the light rail station hub on our way home. Saturday must be market day as it was packed. We lugged the food home, and then relaxed with airconditioning. DINNER: I made stir-fried udon noodles with veg and shrimp.
Love all the photos! Glad Sita made her way home. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad the cat came home. In Singapore my cats were outdoor cats too...much like Sita. Here in Atlanta, my cats are indoor cats. That is why getting used to using "kitty litter" was a challenge ...now there's a story to that one, which I'll save for a little later.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that you all went to Emerald Hill. It's great that the government preserved and conserved these buildings despite all the modern buildings that rose up around it.
That's Singapore...you have pockets of old buildings and historical places like that in the midst of all these tall and modern buildings. It's very refreshing! Back in the 70s, when I was in primary (elementary) school, there's a girls' school, called Singapore Chinese Girls' School at Emerald Hill. Our school bus will wait there for our school bus-mate to be let out of school. While waiting for them, my friends and I will play along the corridor of these same buildings. I'm so glad there's still there and they look the same.
I thought they had a museum that showcases the Peranakan culture... if there was, their clothing and jewelry is ornate and the details are very intricate - it's very interesting. Of course their food is one of a kind, their plays are over-the-top, hilarious!
Now...Muah Chee...I used to love this. Why used to? Ever since using "kitty litter" became necessary - it reminded me too much of that. I have to sieve through kitty litter to pick out clumps...now I can't look at Muah Chee with the same fondness as I did before...* SIGH*. :)