Acrobatic Street Performers on Orchard Road

Bradley Farless2 Comments
Asian Acrobats on Orchard Road in Singapore
Asian Acrobats on Orchard Road in Singapore

In January I happened to be walking down Orchard Road and I saw a crowd gathering.  There were two girls doing an acrobatics performance for tips.  They were really good, so I pulled out my camera and tried to record some of it.  The lighting was pretty bad since it was late, but this is what I got:

This past Saturday I saw them again, doing another performance on Orchard Road.  I was a bit surprised, but their act is good, so I suppose there’s no reason for them to stop.  This time, it was still early evening so I got out my camera and managed to get some better video this time, as well as the nice photo at the top of this post.

At the end of the second video, you’ll see a man walk up and lean forward.  He was dropping money into a basket.  We decided to chip in too, since the performance was really good and when we dropped our money in we saw that they were doing really well for themselves.  That’s good.  Real Talent should be rewarded.

I hope you enjoy the videos!  Let me know what you think of this pair and their act!

A Twitter Anniversary Card

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My wife and I recently had an anniversary and we got a card in the mail from my dad.  When I pulled it out of the envelope, the first thing I thought of was Twitter.  Maybe I’m using Twitter too much, but this card looks oddly similar to the Twitter bird, and to one of the default background designs you can choose for your Twitter home page.

If you’re curious, the card is made by Hallmark, but I wasn’t able to find the design on the Hallmark website.

“Knowing” Review

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We finally got around to watching “Knowing”, with Nicolas Cage.  Nic has done some bad movies recently, which is unfortunate since he’s such a good actor, so I wasn’t expecting a lot.  It turned out to be a lot more engaging and entertaining than I thought it would be, though.

The movie focuses around a sheet of numbers that a little girl puts into a time capsule as part of a class project.  50 years later the time capsule is dug up and the envelope with the string of numbers is handed out to Caleb Koestler (Chandler Canterbury).  When he opens it he’s intrigued, thinking it might be a puzzle.  He mentions this to his dad, John (Nicolas Cage) and later that night John discovers that there is indeed a hidden meaning to the numbers.

The movie has some light religious undertones and some strong scientific themes and invite the viewer to consider some pretty deep questions about life.  The movie also deals with a lot of personal issues between John and his son.  Instead of detracting from the movie it adds to it.  Another thing I like about it is that the plot twists aren’t typical and it’s not going to end the way you might think.  It keeps you guessing the whole way through, right up to the end.  There’s also a lot more action that I thought there would be, and the imagery is very vivid.

I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but the movie does a great job of building suspense and mystery concerning the numbers, what they mean, and who the “whispering people” are.  The acting is really good and so are the special effects.  The special effects are really good in fact!

The end of the movie left me with a lot of questions, but one more than others.  Why rabbits?

Worth watching!

Craving Food From Home

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Lately I’ve had the weirdest craving. I really want a can of pork ‘n’ beans. Ya, weird right? Sometimes I crave NYC pizza (‘cuz no other pizza comes close), sometimes I crave my grandmother’s homemade biscuits and gravy (yup, made from scratch). Lately though, it’s just plain old canned pork ‘n’ beans.

I suppose it’s just a symptom of my having been outside the US for such a long amount of time. A couple of other expat bloggers I’m familiar with have also been expressing similar sentiments recently. Sometimes, no matter where you are, and no matter how good the food is, you just want to eat something that reminds you of home.

Luckily, Singapore is fairly well modernized and most grocery chains like Cold Storage, Fairprice, and especially Giants carry a fair amount of imported products. They do come with a higher price tag, but occasionally I feel the need to indulge myself and get that bottle of Aunt Jemima’s pancake syrup, that box of Bisquick buttermilk pancakes, that bottle of Season All, or a can of Campbell’s Chunky Soup.

Imagine my surprise though, when I found this:

I haven’t seen this for sale in a grocery store in a long time. I haven’t exactly looked for it actively, but the last time I made it was 8 years ago and I remember it being very good! This Hurst’s HamBeens Brand “15 Bean Soup” comes with 1 pound of beans and a seasoning packet. You’re encouraged to add pork or smoked sausage to it, and the last time I made it I tossed in some jalapeños which really added to the flavor. When it’s ready to eat, it’s a very thick soup that can be eaten by itself and is very filling. Though, after living in Asia for so long, I have this weird craving to eat it over rice.

Sometimes, small things like that make all the difference.

Cats Are Good For Singapore

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I’ve heard a lot of complaining about cats in Singapore, both first hand and second hand through friends. People seem to think they’re a nuisance and that they should all be gotten rid of.

Well, it’s true that cats can be noisy sometimes at night. They’re territorial and they like to fight. Sometimes they’re horny and they want to get laid. How can you fault them for that? It’s in their nature to do those things. It’s also true that they sometimes utilize cars as cat beds. I know from personal experience that it can be annoying to come out of the house in the morning and find a fresh set of cat tracks on the hood of a car. It doesn’t make me want to get rid of them. It certainly doesn’t make me want to do something cruel and insane like mass poisoning.

Instead of focusing on the things cats do that may annoy you, you should focus on what they do that’s good for Singapore!

First and foremost, cats are good pets. If you see a stray cat, instead of kicking it, take it home. It’s a bit costly up front, but once you get your cat used to being in your home, and fatten him or her up a bit, they’ll become lifelong companions. There’s nothing quite like having a warm cat on your lap while you watch a movie. There’s nothing quite like having all your cats waiting at the door for you because they recognize the way you walk and want to welcome you home. There’s nothing like waking up with a cat warming your head, or sleeping curled up next to you.

Every cat has its own unique personality. I never knew that before I had cats of my own.

Tangible Benefits From Cats in Singapore

Besides being great, or at least interesting, companions there are other reasons to respect cats. If you’re thinking that indoor cats are fine, but it’s the outdoor ones that are a nuisance, ask yourself this: Would you rather see stray cats or see a massive increase in huge rats in your neighborhood? Which do you think carries more disease? Heck, which carries more of the ‘gross’ factor?

Cats are natural mousers. Having cats around keeps down the rodent population. If it weren’t for cats, the rodents might overrun the neighborhoods and that would be bad, because I’ve seen rats in Singapore that were as big as a six month old cat. Also keep in mind that rats aren’t as tame as cats. The chances of your child being bitten by a cat on the playground are slim. The cat would generally run away from a human being. A rat on the other hand might be more prone to attack.

To illustrate I have some photos of a cat doing his work. I was lucky enough to see this guy cleaning up the 24 hour hawker in Pasir Ris the other night. This is in the bushes just in front of the air conditioned area of the hawker center, near where people typically park motorbikes and bicycles at night.

 

 

As you can see, cats do a good job of keeping things tidy.

A Better Option

If, however, you simply cannot stand having a lot of cats around, or think there are too many, there’s another option. Volunteer your time and money to safely and humanely treat the problem. Work with the SPCA or the Cat Welfare Society. Or, do something above and beyond. Every month, catch a cat (lure with food into a carrier) and take the cat to a vet to have it neutered or spayed. Then, care for it indoors for a week and put it back out. That will effectively reduce the cat population by potential dozens for every ‘fixed’ cat.

Summary

[Update: Just to make it clear, the pictures below are not of the same cats. The ‘bad’ pictures were taken from online news articles in Singapore. Images of similar looking cats were used to emphasize the fact that cats are cute, and shouldn’t be hurt. Thanks!]

Do Not beat up, maim, harrass, torture, or kill cats. That goes for dogs too, though it’s not so much of a problem here. Besides the fact that it’s just sick and wrong, there are stiff penalties in Singapore for that. Are cats really so horrible that you want to risk a 10,000 SGD fine and/or up to 1 year in prison? Use your head! Think of alternatives!

This:

(Source – Edit: 2016, source no longer exists)

 

 

Or this (my cute kitties):

 

 

Which Do You Want To Have On Your Conscience?

Chili Sauce or Ketchup?

Bradley Farless4 Comments

One of the things that I had to get used to when moving to Singapore was the abundance of chili sauce and peppers, and the tendency people have to eating it.  It’s included with most dishes from hawkers, or in a bottle on the table.

There are a few varieties of it.  Sometimes there’s a thick, dark brown chili paste that’s added to the dish itself.  There are also green, slightly sweet peppers that are served alongside the dish in a small cup.  Or, there are red peppers mixed with soy sauce that are served the same way.  Those are just the most common.  There are quite a few more.

Typically I’m not a big fan of chili sauce or peppers.  I think this is mostly because in the US when you get something with peppers in it or have chili sauce, it’s really really hot.  The chilis and peppers in Singapore don’t hold a candle to their heat.  This is especially true of jalapeno peppers.

However, after living here for so long, I’ve come to appreciate these peppers and the different chili sauces.  Most of them add a lot of flavor to otherwise bland dishes that you purchase at hawkers.  In fact, I think some hawker dishes wouldn’t be palatable without them.  Don’t take that to mean hawker food is bad though.  Some of my favorite dishes are from hawker stalls!

Where it gets weird for me is when I see little packets of chili sauce in fast food chains.  Or when I see a chili sauce dispenser right next to the ketchup dispenser, like at the McDonald’s restaurants here in Singapore.  People in Singapore seem to enjoy dipping their french fries in chili sauce instead of ketchup.  I can’t get used to that taste, especially since it’s a weird sort of sweet chili sauce.

The thing about McDonald’s though, and perhaps all fast food chains, is that they tailor their menus to the country they’re in.  It’s only smart.  If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be able to gain any market share.  For example, in the Philippines you can get a longganisa meal.  Longganisa is a local type of sausage that’s quite good!  (Click here for a recipe.)  The chili sauce is the only difference I’ve noticed with the McDonald’s in Singapore though.

I’m just glad that ketchup is still available for my french fries!

BBQ Chicken Revisited

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Over the weekend my wife and I spent quite a bit of time out and about and we happened to find ourselves at Tampines 1 as evening approached.  We started thinking about where we wanted to have dinner when we saw the Tampines 1 branch of BBQ Chicken.  I believe it’s a local chain restaurant.  We’d eaten there before and the food was pretty decent, so we decided to give it another shot.

This time, we both chose meals from the main course selection.  I got the “Jerk BBQ” and my wife got the “Korean Charbroiled”.  We had a good laugh about that because when I ordered it she said, “Figures”.  Ha ha ha!  We also had another order of an appetizer called Koshi.  There’s a picture of that in the previous post that’s linked to above.

One of the problems I noticed with this restaurant is that they don’t seem to understand the concept of “appetizer”.  It’s supposed to come before the food so you have something to snack on while you wait for your main course.  In both of our visits to BBQ Chicken, at both locations, the appetizer was served along with the main meal, as if it were a side dish.

That aside, the food was pretty good.  It’s still nothing to get excited about, but it makes for a decent dinner.

Here are some pictures:

The top image is the Jerk BBQ and the bottom image is the Korean Charbroiled.  Ya, there’s quite a bit of bad grammar in the menu and in the slogans along the walls.  I should get some photos of that and post it sometime.

What we always want to try, but wind up not having room in our bellies for, is a dessert called Pat Bing Soo.  It sounds delicious!  One of these days we’ll have to go there just to have that dessert.  Here’s a shot of the Pat Bing Soo entry in the menu that shows the ingredients:

Shopping in Singapore

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One of the things you might often here myself or my wife saying as we walk along the aisles in a store or supermarket is “It costs how much?!” One of the hardest things for me to get used to is the difference in the value of the currency. So, costs initially seem high to me on first glance. Often, after I take the time to pull out my phone and check the conversion rate, it’s not as bad as I had thought. Sometimes it’s still priced higher than what I’m used to, but you also have to consider import fees. On top of that, there’s a 7% GST (goods and services tax).

Sometimes though, I just can’t figure out where the difference in cost is going. Sometimes I think it’s just a matter of merchants overcharging because they can. It’s as if anything that even hints of luxury here, whether it be a pair of Asics (225 SGD?) or a pair of jeans (120 SGD?), gets a hefty price tag put on it.

One way to get around this is to keep an eye out for sales. This is also one way I’ve determined that ‘normal’ prices are often too high. The sales will often price items at 50% or more below the normal price. Now, you know that even if there is a sale, the company still wants to make a profit, and if they can make a profit at 50 – 60% off, then the ‘normal’ price is a bit steep. That’s fine. That’s just how it is here. It just teaches you something, and that’s to keep an eye on flyers and make sure you know when there’s going to be a sale on an item you’ve had your eye on.

So, when you’re walking around in Singapore, don’t go nuts when you see the prices. Remember the conversion rates, remember the import fees, and remember to wait for the sales.

Despite knowing all that, sometimes I’m still shocked, like when I saw these cereal prices:

And it’s not just the Cheerios. Have a look at some of the other items along the shelves in this photo:

As much as I love them, I’m not going to pay over 10 bucks for a box of plain Cheerios. I mean, they weren’t even Honey Nut Cheerios. Don’t these go for about 3.50 or 4 dollars a box in the US? I decided to be reasonable and I got the 5 dollar box of Capt’n Crunch instead. That’s a decent price, and the stuff is good!

No Studying in Singapore Cafés

Bradley Farless8 Comments

Singapore’s a pretty hot place, and in the heat of the day, a lot of people want to move to cooler locations like the malls, cafes or libraries.  Generally it’s a place where a person can make a small purchase and then occupy space for an extended period of time.

This is also something of a problem. If you go to any Starbucks, or especially a McDonald’s, you’ll see tons of people sitting around with open textbooks, notebooks, and/or laptops. Usually, they’ll have a half full cup on the table, so they can look like they’re sitting there legitimately. They’ll stay there for hours, often with a group of friends so they can hold the spot even if they go to the bathroom. The problem with this is that it takes up seating space that other customers may want to use to actually sit down and eat. It’s so much of a problem that some restaurants, like The Coffee Bean, have put out notices on the tables alerting people that loitering to study is not acceptable, as seen in the pictures included with this post.

I suppose it’s a big problem with no easy solution because of Singapore’s climate and the cultural habits of the people here. What I mean is that air conditioning is seen as a luxury still, rather than something you just use to keep your house comfortable. Most families only turn on their air conditioners at night while they’re sleeping, so during the day it’s extremely hot indoors. In one way this is good because it promotes healthy, outdoor activities. In another way it’s bad because you can’t really write papers or study when it’s so hot that your hand is sweating and smearing your ink. So, people flock to where it’s cool.

Another thing I noticed is that while most every mall in Singapore is equipped with wireless routers that let you hook up to wireless@SG for free (if you register), there isn’t any free seating available. Malls in the US often have a large amount of benches available for shoppers to take a break on. Or, for bored husbands to sit down on while wives rummage through another store! As I walked around Tampines 1, the newest mall in Singapore, I realized that there was only one indoor bench for people to sit on, and it was in an undesirable location: right across from the entrance to the bathrooms on the lower level by the Subway. Plus, it didn’t look very comfortable. It was just a stone bench.

Because of these two factors, people are driven to find better ways to accommodate themselves while they study. What better way to stay cool and have a comfy place to sit than by buying something cheap and lounging about in a booth or at a table in a cafe or restaurant. That’s especially true in a place like Teadot in the new mall, which even provides a few wall outlets for people whose laptops are running low on battery power.

You may be wondering why these people don’t just go to the library, but there’s only so much space in a library. Plus, you can’t take breaks to eat and drink and you can’t have conversations with your friends there. The cafes and restaurants are just more appealing.

So, how do you solve this? I don’t see the habit of only using air conditioners at night changing any time soon, especially with the cost of electricity here. Not to mention the standard homes here aren’t laid out appropriately for it, unless you want to sequester yourself in your bedroom all day. I think the easiest way to solve the problem would be to provide more public seating in malls that have a small table area. Or perhaps to build new libraries larger, with more seating areas and more wall outlets.

What do you think?

Monkey Business and Peacocks on Sentosa

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Before we went into Underwater World at Sentosa last Saturday, we passed by a group of peacocks that were hanging out on a grassy knoll.  This area is situated on the other side of a drainage ditch from a sitting area where people eat.  The drainage ditch is very small, so the peacocks go back and forth, begging for food.

Closer to the entrance to Underwater World we saw another peacock strutting its stuff on the road.

In the same area we saw some monkey business.  Literally.

Seeing peacocks on Sentosa was nothing new to me.  It’s neat, but I’d seen one there on my last trip.  It was in the sitting area of a cafe on the upper part of the island, looking for hand-outs.

The monkeys were what really excited me.  My wife has told me a story a few times about how she saw monkeys in the trees around the Bedok Reservoir.  I always listened attentively because it’s so unusual to think that there might be monkeys hanging out in the neighborhood park.  In the US the only place you’re going to see monkeys is in a zoo.  We went to Bedok Reservoir a few times and I always kept my camera ready, just in case, but I never got lucky with seeing them there.

I was really excited when I spotted the monkey sitting on the sign so I walked over and took a photo.  Then I noticed the monkey up in the tree.  I’m not sure if there’s anything in that plastic bag he’s carrying.  Maybe it smelled of food.  Before long I spotted another monkey off to the left.  Then I saw a baby monkey in the tree above a sign for Fort Siloso.

The locals, and those who seemed to be from this area, walked on by as if it were nothing special, but almost all of the Caucasian people stopped to take photos.  I suppose it’s just a matter of what you’re used to seeing in the woods around your house.  Perhaps the locals would stop if they saw a stag?  There’s nothing entertaining or interesting to me about a deer, but maybe they would think it was interesting because it was unusual to them.