My HK Discovery

Sometimes, I feel that the best way to travel is not to plan too much and just let nature takes it course. That seems to be how I travel these days. I may do a little research for some ideas of what the places of interests are, but not plan a timetable to be at a certain place at a certain time, because then it defeats the purpose of having a holiday as well. Though I may not get to every place of interest, I can take my time to enjoy the place instead of having to rush from point A to B. It allows me to experience the sense of "being" and "in that moment".

Being the "jet-setter" that I am, a nickname that I procured during the past two months because of my closely scheduled holidays, I had no expectations of what I was going to experience in HK. I had a few friends that I wanted to meet and spend time with, and there were a few places of interest to visit, but nothing inked. All I had booked was the hotel and brought was what I printed out of the interactive itinerary from the official HK website, and an instruction sheet on how to get to the hotel from the airport.

I had been told of the wonders of the city but work had been so busy and I had projects and a function to plan right before, so there was no preparation I could do. I was planning to just wander around the streets and do nothing too much. I ever contemplated shortening the trip, but I was aware on my first day that I had too much to visit ... very quickly.

The hotel was much lovelier than I expected, and the first breakfast of fish porridge was a real welcome to this busy city. I stayed on Nathan Road, and it is considered old and dirty looking, but it was love at the first sight for me. After my trip in Europe, I had learned to appreciate history and I enjoyed wandering the streets of old HK. I wanted to eat at all the "dirty" places instead of the glitzy restaurants because they offered so much more local flavour, which was quickly diminishing in many parts of the civilised world.

I enjoyed looking at the old trade and the way that the HK people went about in their lives, especially the older people. HK is possibly one of those places where I see more shirtless men working in hard labour than any other places I had visited. It was probably due to the humidity which was rather high during my visit there. I also experienced the rainy days which I did not enjoy because I ended up walking in wet socks and shoes as a result.

One of the best decisions I made on my second day was to visit the HK Museum of History. There was a special exhibition celebrating 60 years of liberation in Chinese history which I particularly enjoyed. I remember now I was rather interested in history when I was in secondary school but when I moved onto the final two years of my secondary school education, we were forced to take Geography and Literature in my class, instead of History and Literature, which I would have much preferred.

This trip invigorated my interest in Chinese history and I spent about two hours reading through the revolutions, atrocities, tragedies, mistakes, and all the happenings in its rich history. Incidentally, I also decided to go against my previous beliefs that it is better to travel myself than go on a guided tour, and that day marked a new turning point in my trip.

The tour was extremely informative and the tour guide, being very charming and jovial, injected humour within many historical facts to keep us all interested. There was so much to learn and it was great that she was able to laugh at herself and applauded us at the end for being the first group that she took that did not fall asleep when she started talking history.

I shared many of these stories with my three HK friends, Anthony, Jerry and Tina, who remarked that I probably visited more places of interest in HK than they did. For starters, they were not even aware of the HK Museum of History, but it is not uncommon at all for the residents of a city to not patronise these places of interest because it is considered too touristy. I just hope that they will consider visiting it after my recommendation.

I visited many other places of interest like the HK Art Museum (which was interesting but not as good as the History Museum), the Kam Tin Walled Village (where male chauvinism still rules!?!), and the Lok Ma Chau Lookout (where one can see Shenzhen on a clear day, but not on ours). Others included a cable car trip to the big Buddha statue and the nearby monastery for a deluxe vegetarian meal, Wong Tai Xin temple, Temple St (where the night markets are), Lan Kwai (FongHK Night Sight), and the Dr Sun Yat Sen Mausoleum. Many thanks to Anthony, I also visited the Peak (day and night), Repulse Bay. The other place that left a deep impression on me was Mongkok where I found HK's love for Jpop is still alive and vibrant and it is such a joy immersing myself in Jpop heaven. I also watched the glorious display of fireworks on China's 60th celebration through Anthony's colleague's office window, a special private view from the 30 something storey, all by myself.

Much of the credit of this joyful trip has to go to my dearest friends Anthony and Jerry who were so generous in spending so much time with me. Without them meeting me almost every day (Anthony met me very day), this trip wouldn't have been half as enjoyable or as fruitful. It was so nice knowing the two of you and I certainly hope that I will be able to return both your kindness some day. Thank you so much.

There were other friends that I would have liked to meet, but I guess it was not meant to be. I never regretted a moment or felt any loss because it was just so nice getting to really know the two of you better. It's ironical that our obsession for Akina would reap such fruits of labour in our older years. I strongly believe that our friendship will last the test of distance and time. As Danny says, Akina may not always be a nice person, but her fans are. I can't agree more. Akina had brought so many of us from all around the world, and mostly everyone is such a joy to know.

The biggest discovery of this trip, besides getting to know my dearest friends so much better, is my rekindled interest in history. I was in the first batch of Singaporeans to learn Singaporean history instead of Chinese history in school, as part of the Education Revolution in the late 70s, to cultivate nationalism, and a Singaporean identity. I do not regret it because I think it is important to feel proud of one's national identity, but Singapore's history is young and less colourful than China and its counterparts. There is still time to learn and one is never too young to learn.

Ironically, during my last evening as I was packing my luggage to depart the next day, I ended up watching an Australian current affairs program about the "caged people" in HK. It portrayed how the economic crisis had affected the HK population and the widening of the income parity, resulting in many impoverished people living in cages in HK. The unsanitary and inhumane living conditions saddened me dearly and made me feel extremely lucky that I am living in such comfortable conditions. It made me realise that I need to practise more kindness and generosity towards people in more need than I, and to focus less on myself.

The program also featured a mother and daughter though not living in a cage, is in a room that is almost as big as most people's toilets or kitchen. They have a double deck bed, TV, small table and stool all in one room, and the mother is weeping while being interviewed about how frustrated she is every day when she returns home from the two jobs that she has to work, to be able to keep this barely humane lifestyle going. She and her 8 year old daughter had moved from China, so that her daughter would be able to get a better education in HK. She says that her toilet back in China is bigger than the room that they now reside in, and she hopes that she will be allocated a public housing unit soon.

The social workers group have highlighted their case in the program because they are concerned for the little girl's mental well being, but they did say that there are about 100,000 cases (caged people) waiting for the allocation of public housing as well. The little girl has a few digestive biscuits for breakfast, goes to school and then comes home to watch TV while waiting for her Mum to come back from her second job, where she earns A$4 an hour at a local 7-Eleven store. Their room is next to the toilet and bathroom which is used by over 20 people who live on the same floor as they do. Her husband and son are back in China, and it is only her love for her daughter and her desire for her to have a better education and life that she is putting up with this lifestyle. It is truly heart-breaking, especially to know that there is such poverty in a developed and prosperous city like HK. It is not difficult to feel vulnerable and weep for such people. We do not need tragedies like natural disasters to remind us that life is fragile and there are always people in greater need than us.

The true definition of masculinity lies not in invincibility and power. It lies in human kindness, mutual respect and love above all. It is not an exercise of emasculation to cry or feel vulnerable. It helps make us feel love for others and empathise. All great human behavioural characteristics.

All in all, it has been such an enriching experience and I am thankful for everything. Such deep awakenings and discoveries that has left me hungry. I am sharing this so that we can all be a lot more aware of the happenings around us, and not to take our lives for granted. If we can practise a little more, donate a little more, give a little more, love a little more, then we can possibly make this world a better place for all.

My Shopping Haunts in Singapore

If you understand me well, then you know that I will never pay big bucks for branded clothing. Nothing against people who do, but I was brought up in a middle income family, and the only time we bought new clothes was for Chinese New Year. If we bought them early, then Mum would insist that we keep it for a special occasion or for Chinese New Year. We shopped mainly at Metro, Isetan or OG because those were the places that had sales. As we grew older, when we could finally afford some disposable income of our own, we adopted this same policy of being frugal. After all, isn't it more important to look good in the clothes rather than blindly following fashion?

Nowadays, I just don't spend as much on clothes as I used to, when I was back in Singapore. I usually shop for clothes now when I return to Singapore, because almost all sizes fit me, and I like to get stuff that no one else will be able to source when I am wearing them in Sydney. So, when my other friend asked me the best places to shop in Singapore, I was a little gobsmacked.

Singapore is a shopper's paradise but how do you recommend your shopping tastes to others? Would they prefer branded goods, which I have faint idea about where to source except the big shopping malls? Or would they be bargain hunters like me, sourcing for cheaper creations of trendy clothing, which a friend once described as "an excuse to get more when that is worn".

Following the trend of this blog, I will seek to introduce some places for good clothing bargains.

There are two South American brands that I like, and thankfully, they are not as pricey as your D&Gs, Armani but more towards the middle income group. They are "Pull and Bear" and "ZARA". The former has nice fabric and good trendy cuts while the latter (especially the womens' wear) takes inspiration from classic French cutting. They are both exquisite and not overpriced, so I was most impressed with it.

There is only one ZARA outlet in Singapore and it is located at Vivo City, which is all the way out from Orchard Road at HarbourFront Shopping Complex. Located in the same shopping mall is "Pull and Bear" but there is another more city friendly store at Wisma Atria.

Shopping on Orchard Road is the best, and you can spend an entire day there walking around CD shops, boutiques, shopping malls, eating places etc.

This is my shopping guide:

(1) Far East Plaza - you can start from here and make your way down Orchard Road to Plaza Singapura and then all the way from there to City Hall and then Suntec City and Marina Square. This used to be playground because you just go crazy with all the eating and shopping. Retail therapy, even if it is just a big dose of window shopping, always helps to brighten up the day.

On the basement to Level 4 of the Far East Plaza which is not very crowded because it is not as fancy as other shopping malls, there are many small boutique stalls of Singaporean independent designers. They are relatively cheap and competitively priced, so it is a great place to shop for stuff that you will never see anyone else wearing in our part of the world because it is not promoted on tourist guides as a shopping destination. I have bought quite a few lovely pieces of clothing there and have gotten quite a few queries about where I sourced them from.

(2) Boutiques that have sizes or cutting that fit me well - the usual U2, G2000, Zara, Pull and Bear (another South American and favourite - though a little more pricey but not too much - nothing over $70 for a shirt for me) etc. You will find all of them at Takashimaya

(3) The shopping malls like Metro (Paragon), Takashimaya, Tangs, Isetan and Robinsons are all good for underwear shopping and they have great deals too specially during the Sale season. You will find them all sprinkled on Orchard Road.

(4) Heeran - Besides the attraction of HMV, there are interesting stores all around for clothes and has Singaporean designer boutiques on the upper levels as well.

(5) Plaza Singapura - a few good CD stores, food outlets, Singaporean designer boutiques etc on the lower levels. There is also a Japanese $2 shop, which I love, love love! None of that crap that you find here. Really good quality stuff from Japan, because they have a 100 yen store there, which most of these stuff are imported from.

(6) Suntec City, Marina Square - many stores in there like Takashimaya. More for families but the amount of different stores make for good shopping.

(7) Bugis Markets - I covered this before in my previous post. I haven't found anything during my last trip that I fancied, but I did fall in love with my "Superman" belt buckle, which has garnered much praise.

If you are looking for branded goods, then the places to visit will be Takashimaya, Paragon, Milena Walk and most of the malls on the Western end of Orchard Road nearer towards Tanglin Road.

Flavours of Singapore Part 3

Finally, what most Singaporeans lament they miss most when they travel or live overseas - the food. Singaporeans have been spoilt rotten with the variety of good food and goodies, and I am honestly surprised that we are not amongst the fattest people in the world, thanks to the relatively smaller servings and the size of the Asian stomach.

Since we tend to eat less at every meal (okay most meals), snacks like fishballs, chicken wings, peanuts and all other varieties of Malay and Chinese tidbits help pepper our appetite all throughout the day, and in a most bizarre manner, keep the metabolism up.

So, what are the foods that I miss most, and are must-haves when I go back to Singapore. Having been in Australia for almost ten years (give or take a few days now from my 18th Feb anniversary), I have gotten used to not having them in my life ever since I gave up the idea of replicating them at home, because read this: It is impossible.

In no particular order, these are my loves ...

(1) Hokkien Prawn Mee - the best I have tasted is in the "Food Republic" foodcourt on the 4th Level of a shopping mall called "Wisma Atria", just above Orchard MRT Station. Wrapped in banana leaves and cooked with prok, calamari and prawns, this is a delicious concoction of flavours. The other version, which is the Prawn Noodle Soup is also just as divine! You must not miss this because it is to die for, and one major regret that no one sells it here in Australia or comes close to replicating this heavenly creation.

(2) Fried Carrot Cake - comes in "black" or white versions, with prawns or without. The white version is without the addition of sweet soy sauce, which sweetens the "black" version. Though called carrot, it is actually made of radish and in my opinion, beats the carrot cake any day hands down.

(3) Char (Fried) Kway Teow - basically translates into Fried Soy Sauce Noodles. Similar to the Thai Pad See Yew, but cooked with Chinese sausages , fish cake, beansprouts and cockles instead. Since I am not a big fan of cockles and oysters, I usually make a special request for them to remove it. I like the Pad See Yew better but this is still very nice.

(4) Mince Pork and Fishball Noodles - Cooked with Shitake mushrooms, pork slices and mince, fish cake and fishballs (not testicles of fish - just fish meat rolled up into balls) and a slice of lettuce, this is a very popular breakfast item, along side the plain fried noodles, roti prata and coconut rice. Opt for the "Dried" version which comes with a bowl of soup. I usually ask for them not to include pig's liver, because I hate it, but you may like it.

(5) Roti Prata and Murtabak- mentioned in 1st Post, these are Indian pancakes served with dipping curry sauce. The former is a popular breakfast and supper dish while the murtabak filled with mutton or chicken is a hearty meal in itself. Beware that the murtabak is rather spicy and can sting. ;-)

(6) Nasi Lemak - Coconut rice with a small piece of omelete. fried anchovies or fish, slice of cucumber and its famous chilli. Wrapped traditionally in banana leaves, this is a popular breakfast item. With the passage of time came the "glamorisation" of this simple dish with curries, fried chicken, beef, mutton etc.

(7) Nasi Goreng, Mee Goreng and Nasi Briyani - I am not a big fan of the former two because they are just simple dishes of Malaysian fried rice and noodles, but I love Nasi Briyani, which is yellow ginger rice and its accompanying fried chicken or curries.

(8) Chicken Rice - quite similar to what is served in Chinatown but Singapore is famous for its Hainanese Chicken rice (I believe there is a very good stall at Lucky Plaza Shopping Mall. The chicken is boiled, but it is tender, juicy and flavorsome.

(9) Claypot Chicken Rice - Chicken rice cooked in a claypot with shitake mushrooms, Chinese spinach, chicken and a little garnishing of salted fish adding flavour to the dish. I prefer to this to the former, but it is not as famous.

(10) Fish Soup with Rice or Noodles - Comes in fried or boiled, fish fillets or fish head, it is one of the healthier options. I prefer the noodles but I know it is not for everyone.

(11) Oyster Egg - Cooked with small oysters, eggs have never tasted this good and I dare you to disagree. I'm not a big fan of the oysters, but then again, it has never stopped me from devouring the eggs.

(12) Popiah - The Chinese version of pancakes packed with eggs, peanuts, bean sprouts, Chinese sausages, and turnip wrapped up like a small kebab.

(13) Stingray with chilli - I know this killed Steve Irwin, but if only he knew how good it tastes. One of my absolute favourites.

(14) Famous Singapore Crabs - I know they market it here as Singapore famous chilli crabs, but if you want to try it in Singapore, you must have either the pepper crabs or crabs with salted egg. For someone who is not used to salted egg, the former is a safe choice. The best place to have it is at Jumbo Restaurant at East Coast Seafood Centre

(15) Beef Noodles with thick gravy - Much better than the Vietnamese ones that you find here, if you ask me.

(16) Assorted Chinese, Malay or Indian Rice - pick from an assortment on dishes served on white rice, you get to taste a variety of typical dishes that we have at home

(17) Yong Tau Foo -An assortment of mainly tofu and fish cake combinations served on noodles. Comes with a sweet based sauce or chilli.

(18) Hor Fun - Thick flattened rice noodles cooked with seafood and a delicious gravy. One of my favourite nooodles

(19) Satay - beef, chicken, pork or mutton on stick with a a side of cucumber, raw onion or order of rice cakes with peanut gravy. Divine!!!!

(20) All the other food on sticks - ToriQ (Japanese yakitori - chicken on sticks), Old Change Kee (curry puffs, prawn and fish cakes, cuttlefish balls and squid heads) and the Nonya cakes. Mouth-watering goodness.

(21) Goreng Pisang - Fried Bananas, tapioca, sweet potato. One is enough to last me for weeks.

(22) BBQ Pork - The aroma of the thin pork slices on barbecue are enough to drive me in every single time. I remember it being a luxury item that we could savour only during Chinese New Year when we were young, but it is now everywhere. The famous Bee Kim Heng brand is the best with their crisp and fresh produce.

(23) Desserts - cold or hot. Sorry, no muffins. The cold ones usually go better with foreigners because they are usually made of ice with different sorts of syrups.

There is just too much to eat and if you ever feel like trying, don't let me stop you just because it is not on this list. There is just too much for me to remember. I am attaching the photos below which will correspond to the above order. With all these food, I am sure you will leave Singapore craving for more time to savour all these goodness and more. You will truly understand how lucky Singaporeans are, to be able to have the best of most worlds with this multi-cultural cuisine. If you think I have missed something here that is worth recommending, please feel free to add or review.

Hokkien Prawn Mee
Prawn Noodle Soup
Fried Carrot Cake
Fried Kway Teow
Mince Pork and Fishball Noodles
Murtabak
Nasi Lemak
MeeGoreng
Nasi Briyani
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Claypot Chicken Rice
Fresh Fish Soup
Fried Fish Soup
Oyster Egg
Popiah
Stingray
Pepper Crabs
Salted Egg Yolk Crabs
Beef Noodles
"Assorted" rice
Hor Fun
Yong Tau Foo
Satay
ToriQ
Yakitori
Old Chang Kee
Food on sticks
Goreng Pisang
BBQ Pork
Nonya Kueh
Hot Sweet Potato Soup
Iced Soursop on Jelly
Iced Kachang

Flavours of Singapore Part 2

Continuing onto other tourist spots, these are places you shouldn't miss:

Little India

Closest MRT Stations - Little India and Farrer Park, but stick to Little India.

The beauty of Little India is that most of it is still relatively untouched, so you get the vibrancy in full colours. The hustle, bustle and the curries and all flavours and odours that associated with India.

The absolute time to avoid it is on Sunday nights from about 6 pm unless Caucasians want to play "Spot the white guy" game or if you are feeling adventurous. Since there are many Pakistani construction workers who only get a break on Sunday night, this is where they gather, and though they are all very nice and cordial, it might come as a culture shock to those who are uncomfortable with huge crowds and little physical distance between each other. Watch out for your comfort zone to be invaded in the nicest of ways.

Food: You must have the Roti Prata - an Indian pancake which can be eaten any time of the day and I mean it. You will see people eating it for breakfast (most common), lunch (lesser) or dinner (much lesser) or dessert (very common). The three varieties they have are Plain, Egg or Onions Special. You will dip them in the accompanying curry sauce and it is divine.

Their richer cousins, laced with either chicken or mutton (not lamb), is called the Mutarbak (Mu-Ta-Bark). This is the reason why Roti Prata is seldom had for lunch and dinner. This is where these richer fanfare feature more and I recommend the chicken version because it is delicious. You can also have the Nasi Briyani (yellow ginger rice) with Chicken or Mutton, Nasi Goreng (Malay Fried Rice) or Mee Goreng (Fried Noodles). I have to warn that these four varieties are rather spicy, so you may want to tell them to add less chilli if you're not up for the challenge. There are many other types which you may want to try and feel free to buy off the stalls on the street because Singapore has very strict health regulations for all food hawkers.

Bugis

Nearest MRT Station: Bugis and Little India

If you're within the vicinity of Little India, you will be rather close to "Bugis", which was was renowned internationally for its nightly gathering of transsexuals from the 1950s to the 1980s, making it one of Singapore's top tourist destinations during that period. If you are looking for cheap electronic goods, Sim Lim Square (a blue building) is just right around the corner from Bugis and Little India on Bencoolen Street.

There are good deals there and most Singaporeans will venture there to get their stock on new computers, cameras and other electronic gadgets. My advice is to venture upwards to the higher levels before just making your decision on the ground level. Opposite Sim Lim Square and not far away is the most famous Goddess of Mercy Temple in Bugis. Many Chinese flock there during the weekdays and especially so during the weekends, public hoildays, to pay respects, thank the gods or ask for good intervention. If it falls on special occasions like Vesak Day (Buddha's Birthday), then there will be little breathing space, so watch out! It is quite a beautiful temple, and a stone's throw-away, so it is worth venturing and having a look.

Not far away is Bugis Street shopping which is a market of shops resembling Chinatown. They are all situated in the market opposite Bugis Junction, where Bugis MRT Station is, and along the main streetway are many food stalls selling typical Chinese snacks. Don't bother looking for a muffin because you won't find any. You will find really delicious peanut, tapioca or coconut cakes, or a wide assortment of Chinese cakes, which we called "Kueh-kueh" (or Nonya Kueh which is the official term - look at this site for delicious photos and recipes) made mostly of coconut milk, tapioca, pandan leaves, flour and gelatine etc, but very delicious.

If you happen to pass by a food stall decked in white and yellow called "Old Chang Kee'" and mostly see many people queuing up, feel free to have a look at what's on offer. They are unfortunately, or luckily for some, all deep fried goodies on a stick like fishballs, fish cakes, calamari or squid as we call it, prawn cakes, and the devine curry puffs, which is what they originated with. My mouth waters at the thought of all these everyday delicacies of my 26 year stay in Singapore. Certainly beats any world best muffin any day for me.

Note I think I just received a verbal warning for using the word "delicious" too often, but you can't go on a diet when you're in Singapore. The food is an integral part of its culture, so be prepared!

Singapore Raffles Hotel and Swiss Hotel

Nearest MRT Station: Town Hall

From there, you can walk in the direction of the right (south) to the famous Singapore Raffles Hotel, which is old English fashioned beauty (Micheal Jackson stayed there for $10,000 a night during his first concert in Singapore in the 80s) and further south is Swisshotel, which used to be the tallest hotel in the World until the Twin Towers in KL tookover. If you go up to the New Asian Bar on Levels 71 and 72 at the Swisshotel during the night, which is cheaper than having a meal during the day (dress code: smart casual and no sneakers allowed), you will be able treated to a bird's eye view of the Singapore night lights. If you have their trademark Tower or Merlion drink, you will be able to bring a replica of the bottles that you drink out of. Killing two birds for the price of one. Priceless.

At the back of the hotel across from where you will see a great oval (Padang), is the Esplanade, the Performing Arts Centre of Singapore. Structured like two huge durians (thorny fruits which are also named the King of fruits). You can take the scenic walkway across the bridge from the Esplanade to the Merlion Park. You will be treated to a panaromic view of the Singapore Harbour and the CBD skyline. The Merlion is the first animal that the natives of Singapore reportedly saw when they first embarked on the island. The Singapore Harbour is also world famous and usually ranks amongst the top three busiest ports in the world. Singapore is also currently building its first Casino, so you might be able to see some construction works going on on the reclaimed land as well.

Boat Quay and Clarke Quay

Nearest MRT Station: Raffles Place and Clarke Quay

Not far across the Merlion Park is Raffles MRT Station, and if you use the underpass to get to the Station, you will see a stretch of old fashioned two storey townhouse restaurants along the famous Boat Quay, which is very popular with tourists and is very busy during the night. You can take the river taxi and go for a trip along the harbour, or proceed straight ahead further down to where Clarke Quay is. Clarke Quay has been refurbished since I was last there, so I can't tell you too much about it, but it's like an extension of Boat Quay with more restaurants and shops selling souvenirs and antiques, which is its main distinction from Boat Quay (see link above). It also tries to recreate the mood of Singapore in the 60s and 70s, and there are some performances there sometimes, so it should be interesting. It is also very popular with tourists and apparently a nice place to hang out at night where the action begins.

Chinatown

Nearest MRT Station: Chinatown and Outram Park

Not far away, but I may recommend that you take the MRT though it may only be one stop, is Chinatown. As the name suggests, it is where most Chinese congregated in the early days till they expanded to many other parts of the island. Chinese make up about 70% of Singapore's 4 million population, so it was a natural progression towards other parts of the island.

Being a country that many Mainland Chinese immigrated south from China (my paternal grandmother was one lucky girl), it is naturally much bigger than most Chinatowns in Western countries. Here, you will see many older Chinese still taking part in the forgotten trades of yesterday or going on in their idyllic lifestyles after retirement. You will also find plenty to eat and shop around here. Again no muffins or pancakes but almost all Chinese food is delicious. Please refrain from the usual fare that you are used to, and indulge in the exotic food of Singapore. You will also realise that no one, okay, rarely anyone has fried rice in Singapore, unless you are ordering to eat with a big group of people, because there is much else to try.

A plate of food in the less polished and non air conditioned hawker centres usually cost around S$3.50 (around A$2.50 or slightly more) but the serving is not big. The best thing about this is that you get to have two servings. Ha! Ha! The food served in the air conditioned food courts usually located in all shopping malls are more substantial and cost around $4 - $8 or more. I will stay away from anything that has pig intestines in them, but since all or 90% of Singaporeans speak English (or rather Singlish), you will not have any problems asking them what the ingredients are.

All the shopping malls, especially almost every single one along Orchard Road has a food court, and all of them are almost as good as the other. Notable mentions are Food Republic (food court) at Wisma Atria (the Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles are divine), Indonesian restaurant "Resto Surabya" inside Lucky Plaza, a fantastic food court at Takashimaya on the lower ground level (or the lowest level), interesting food restaurants at Paragon and Plaza Singapura at the end of Orchard Road. If you happen to pass by any hawker centres (none air-conditioned food courts), please do not be put off by the less glamorous outlook and potentially higher temperatures, and have a meal there. More often than not, you will find that the food there equally delicious or more so.

Two of the more glamorous Hawker Centres are:

(a) Lau Pa Sat - translates into Old Market. It is very popular, is inexplicably located in the CBD where it is like a ghost town at night and is rather near Raffles MRT or Tanjong Pagar station.

(b) Newton Circus - very popular and opens till the wee hours of the morning. They used to be really good but I didn't find it too spectacular the last time I was there. I guess it is the reputation it garnered in its early days. Still worth a visit but not really near to many places of interest. Click on the link above for a good review and some sumptuous photos. Nearest MRT Station: Newton

The National Museum is near the YMCA, which is in between Plaza Singapura (at the end of Orchard Road) and the Swisshotel. So, I have brought you technically one full circle.

Finally, two other places that are popular with expats in Singapore are:

(c) Dempsey Road Enclave - a very new collection of exquisite restaurants and cafes. Not very Singaporean in flavour but a good escape for tourists or expats who are feeling a little homesick.

(d) Holland Village, an "older" cousin of Dempsey Road Enclave, but more accessible via public transport (only slightly), but more interesting probably of its nostalgic value to me.

Lastly, the tourist destination that is worth paying a visit is the Night Safari, which is the World' first to feature only nocturnal animals. My cousin's advice then was to go for a walk around the park on designated pathways first, and then take the tram ride at the very end with audio commentary. Great advice indeed!

My friends are only visiting Singapore for three days and I think I have written enough for them to spend a good five days there. I had a lovely time recollecting all these memories and this will help form a template for my other friends who might be interested in visiting Singapore some day. In the final segment, I will cover the true essence of Singapore, and that is food, food food.

Raffles Hotel

SwissHotel - The Stamford Singapore Night lights view from the New Asian Bar

CBD Skyline and the PadangEsplanadeActual DuriansFruit insideMerlion ParkGoddess of Mercy TempleChinatown

Flavours of Singapore Part 1

I have never really written about the attractions of my homeland, Singapore, so it came as a pleasant surprise that when I did so for two new friends who are about to pay a visit, I was so overwhelmed with the flavours of Singapore, I could almost taste it in the air.

Food is an integral part of the Singaporean experience and is the main thing that I miss most about it, next to the late night shopping and of course, my family and friends. Hence, all my best plans to "under-eat" when I first arrive in Singapore usually end up in a delicious disaster, because there is just too much temptation and too little time.

I found this site - Uniquely Singapore, which I thought would be a good starting point for them to navigate and find out information about "Calendar Of Events", "Accommodation" and some historical information about Singapore, which like most Australians if they were to take the Citizenship Test, will likely not be able to pin-point the correct information.

Being more interested in places of interest that excluded shopping, it made my work all the more interesting. The only Museum that I know of is the National Museum of Singapore and a small one in the Esplanade - Singapore's Performing Arts Centre.

The National Museum of Singapore has just been revamped and is in the heart of the city, so this is a must see. Like most residents, we have to be educated about visiting our own museums, so Singapore employed one of its most famous comedians on TV to launch an advertising blitz on TV, which apparently worked very well. It is one place that I will have to pay a visit again when I am back because it has been more than 15 years since I last visited it.

The other "museum" that they shouldn't miss is the "Fort Siloso" in Sentosa, the main Singaporean resort island that anyone can spend an entire day on. The "Fort Siloso" attraction chronicles the history of Singapore during the years of Japanese Occupation in World War II, and the wax museum which was my favourite spot to show tourists is now located in the "Images of Singapore". It is a "must-see" because they have recreated various traditions of multicultural Singapore. Tourists will get to see how a traditional Chinese wedding differs from a Muslim wedding as opposed to a Hindu wedding, and also many superstitions, arts and culture of the three main cultural background of Singaporeans. Many of these traditions and superstitions have flown away with the passage of time, so it is always good to show the younger generation what it was like, in the older days when we never had computers, iPods or Play Station.

They are constantly refurbishing and adding new attractions to this resort island and this is where you will find the most scenic beach in Singapore. The three modes of transport to this land are land, sea and air. Land is via transport (air-conditioned buses that they will take after they alight from the Harbourfront MRT Station (MRT = Mass Rapid Transit - like a light rail train, which is the main means of public transport). From the same station, you can also adjourn to the World Trade Centre and either go via ferry or take the cable car (air). You can easily spend a day there though I have to warn in advance that there aren't any food courts to be found on the island the last time I went. However, there are plenty of food courts in the HarbourFront shopping complex "Vivo City", which is a very popular new shopping destination for Singaporeans.

Siloso Beach

There is a really good food court on the top level of the shopping complex called "Food Republic". Decked out in old fashioned fanfare, it is such a refreshing change from the usual stereotypes, because you will actually feel that you are transported back in time to the 50s where stalls used to run side by side on the street. The decor is also very old fashioned Chinese and the food is delicious. Apparently, they are the new "in-thing", so if you miss it, don't worry too much, because there are a few others around.

There is also a huge Merlion (the head of a lion attached to a mermaid's tail) in Sentosa, where if you go up to the top, you will get a bird eyes view of the entire island. It's not entirely my cup of tea but it may be yours. When I was much younger, my parents used to bring us there for a holiday and as we grew older, we would go there with friends, and this would probably happen once a year. Every time we went, we would either stay for the 8.30 pm or 9.30 pm Musical Fountain, where there will be a fountain display and water dances accompanied by laser lights and music. It is still a sight to see, so you may want to stay for that, if you feel like it.