Singapore Part II: We finally ventured out
We are proud that we did make it out and about in Singapore despite our attachment and addiction to Casa Becky. For more on Singapore…
Gong Xi Fa Tsai – Chinese New Year in Singapore’s Chinatown
We spent the night walking the crowded streets of Chinatown, checking out the markets and eating street food. I know the first expectation that comes to mind when I think about lots of Asians out and about, especially if its for some big event, is crowds and chaos – A LOT of it. The crazy thing is that was most surprising and intriguing about our Singaporean CNY experience was the fact that there was such crowds and chaos. Let me explain…
Singapore is the land of peace and order. It extremely clean, neat and well put-together – no loose trash anywhere – well-manicured lawns and landscaping, smooth black roadways without a single bump or pothole, not a single beat-up car as all were shiny and looked brand-new (apparently, any car over 10 yrs old isn’t allowed on the road by law – with the exception of classic collector’s vechicles of course), and clean buildings. What’s hardest to get used to is that is is a big city with lots of big buildings and activity – people out and about and cars on the road. Along with this big-city environment, one would expect to also experience the “big-city feel” but to our surprise, this wasn’t the case. Maybe the simplest way to explain is that Singapore is like a big city with the volume dial turned all the way down to the ‘MIN” setting. It is so quiet and peaceful – it’s not loud, people don’t bump into you on the street, everyone is extremely polite and mild-mannered, and ít’s true – no one jaywalks! It’s like a city with every possibly irritating, intrusive, scary or threatening aspect removed from it – it was nuts…. and pretty freakin boring. Therefore, you might understand why the chaos in Chinatown that night was so shocking as it was such a juxtaposition to the behavior the people exhibited during the everyday – as if everyone did a sudden 180, let down their hair, stripped off their clothes and ran down the street naked for a night. Ok, not quite but you get the idea.
Touring the Downtown Area
We spent a day out and about in the city, checking out the downtown area. The architecture of the city is really interesting as it is a combination of modern simplicity and colonial style. The pictures below show the skyline (check out the big durians – as Becky likes to call them) and the Merlion fountain downtown. We also caught some CNY fairs and a big “parade” downtown. Though we never caught site of any moving groups, we did get to see some popstars perform and the Singaporean bagpipe organization (who were actually REALLY good).
For Singapore pics check out:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanlovesphotos/sets/72057594059377586/
Best Eats:
Black Pepper Crabs: The BEST crabs that both of us have ever had. They are delicious – so good you”ll find yourself suckin the marinade off your fingers for the flavor. Worth the work of deshelling. A culinary MUST HAVE if you get the chance. (http://www.visitsingapore.com/publish/stbportal/en/home/about_singapore/fun_stuff/recipes/pepper_crab.html)
Beef Rendang: This dish rocked out world – beef cooked to perfection: tender chucks of meat that just falls apart under the weight of your fork. Awesome flavor – fragrant, spicy, tangy and sweet with the perfect amount of curry.
Most Memorable Moment: When we’re with Becky, there is a laundry list of fun and memorable moments. This time, if I had to pick one, it’d have to be our night out looking for the perfect karaoke bar. We finally found it at a friendly gay bar called Jia. A karaoke fiend’s dream: Only a small group of patrons, didn’t have to wait long for the mike, and good song selection. Everyone was friendly and supportive and clearly there to sing, drink and have a good time. The nights winning performace was a karaoke rendition of Richard Marx’s “Right Here Waiting” by a man with the prettiest women’s voice (though we can’t say the same for his face) we’ve all ever heard.
Over and out,
Shan
Tags: SE Asia, Singapore, Travel
Shan