Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

Well, it's been Christmas again. And we're now counting down the 12 days of Christmas. Remember the song with the Partridge in a Pear Tree? Well, in Western Christianity, it is not about the 12 days leading to Christmas, but Christmas day and the 11 after it - leading up to 6 January, known religiously as 'Epiphany'. This, traditionally, is the day when The Magi visited the newborn Jesus. (And in the modern day we barely recognise this period / event, beyond the tradition that decorations must all be taken down before Twelfth Night to avoid bad luck!)

In UK biblical tradition, there were Three Kings (or Three Wise Men, or Magi) who visited Jesus when he was born. They came from the East, and followed an unusually bright star in order to navigate their way to the stable where he was born. The Magi knelt before the infant Jesus, and it was a sign that powerful people had realised Jesus's significance from day one. And they brought with them three precious gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.

In fact it seems the number of kings was not made explicit in the Bible, and some branches of Christianity believe in larger groups of Magi. Magi is the Latin plural of 'Magus', meaning magician - and in ancient times, referred to Zoroastrian priests from maybe Persia or Babylonia, who were expert astronomers and astrologers. 

But anyway, back to the gifts. All these gifts are traditionally viewed as presents fit for a king. And Gold, we all know about. But Frankincense and Myrrh? What's going on there? They're peculiar words which Christian children make jokes about. Because in the West, most people have never seen or used them. 

In fact, I've seen Frankincense a few times, in markets in Dubai and Jerusalem, for example. It's actually the fragrant resin from a tree, and looks a bit like chunks of crystally rock, or rough brown sugar crystals. It can be used as incense, for aromatherapy and can even be chewed to aid digestion and for other medicinal uses. In some cultures, it was mixed with oils for anointing people (including infants) as a sort of initiation, and symbolised Godliness. Frankincense comes mainly from North Africa and Arabia, and was traded widely in olden times, even as far East as China. It was used as far back as ancient Egypt. Today in the West it is used nearly only as incense at some 'high Church' ceremonies. Which is why most of us had never seen it as children. Apparently it's still used as part of traditional medicine in India and other countries. There are different grades and types of Frankincense, coming from different varieties of the same tree.

Frankincense resin

The smell is a sort of sweet, woody, piney fragrance. Some varieties are 'lemony'. The modern English name comes from old French, meaning 'noble incense' - basically, if you were a Wise Man, it was a posh gift to give! 

 

Myrrh is a bit more obscure. Though actually it is also an aromatic resin originating in Arabia and North Africa - but from a different tree. I'm not sure I've seen Myrrh in modern markets, and in ancient times is was considered a rare substance. But it, too, can be used as an incense and medicine, and it can be ingested if mixed with wine. It generally has a reputation as an analgesic and  antiseptic, and is also used in Chinese and Indian traditional medicines to correct bloodflow. Myrrh was used in embalming processes (by the ancient Egyptians, for example) and some people took this gift from the Magi to symbolise the fact that Jesus would die early to save man. (Now there's a cheerful baby shower gift.) Though some parties state that in ancient times, Myrrh could also be used to rid infants of both coughing and worms - thus it had a healthy, practical use too!

Myrrh apparently smells more like a bitter aniseed. The name originates in the Middle East, and means 'bitter'. Both Frankincense and Myrrh are obtained from their respective trees by slicing the bark, so that the beads of resin drip out and harden.

Oddly enough, in their day, it is likely that both of these resins were more valuable than the third gift: Gold. 

Myrrh resin

Harvesting Frankincense

Absinthe

I ended up trying absinthe for the first time in Singapore. Randomly. The drink is European (famously from France) and I've made plenty of trips to Paris from the UK intending to try it, but we never quite managed! So, I ended up trying it in Asia.

Absinthe is one of those slightly enigmatic drinks. It has a 'glamorous' history of inspiring great artists to create great art in the 19th and early 20th centuries, alongside others getting generally quite sick from it. It's supposed to be ludicrously strong, hallucinogenic, and generally not a healthy thing. And as a result it was banned throughout most of Europe and the USA for a good chunk of the 20th century. (Real, clean absinthe has since been scientifically proven to be no worse than other spirits, and the bans have mostly been lifted - in fact I don't think it was ever banned in the UK.)

Absinthe is made from the Wormwood plant, along with fennel, anise and other herby things. The famous illustrations generally depict it as green, but in actual fact there are a few different versions. And these depend on how it is distilled. A superior product is green from natural processes, but many are artificially coloured nowadays. The drink can also be clear, known as blanche (white) or bleu (blue) absinthe.

And you don't just drink it, straight, on the rocks, with a mixer. There are special procedures for drinking absinthe, which is one aspect which drew me to it. It is consumed by mixing sugar and water with the spirit. This sometimes takes the form of resting a sugar lump on a special absinthe spoon, and then slowly dripping water (from a special absinthe dripping jug!) through the sugar into the drink. 

We tried a good quality absinthe bleu, and in the bar we visited, the process involved resting an absinthe spoon + sugar lump on each glass, and lighting the sugar, so that it melted and dripped into the spirit. Then we added water. When water is added, the drink turns cloudy. We were told to add roughly 3 parts water to 1 part spirit. 

The verdict:
I liked it. It's understandably quite sweet, but the flavour and aroma are - also not surprisingly given the ingredients - strongly of aniseed or liquorice. And I like the natural forms of this flavour (my companions were less excited!) And the entire ritual of preparing it was kinda fun. My opinion: I think 3 parts water is a bit too weak! I'm not much of a drinker but even I didn't struggle with the alcohol content here - did Manet and co. really turn crazy and artistically inspired by this?! So if you try, maybe add 1-2 parts of water and sip a bit first! 

Next on the list is to try a green absinthe, somewhere in the world. And maybe with a different preparation process. Still researching on that one, and once I find it I'll be sure to blog it :)


Photo courtesty of Yohei.

Frozen beer foam beer

This is a fairly recent trend from Japan, and popular in Singapore. Basically the froth on your pint of beer is replaced by fluffy ice-beer-froth. This seemed like a great idea in the tropics, actually, as potentially your beer could be even more refreshingly cold (and for longer) and thus more enjoyable. 

Kirin seems to be one of the leaders in this trend, and they even sell a special 'beer froth slushy machine' so that you can make your own at home. But in Singapore at least, you can find most Japanese beer brands served 'frozen'. And I was pretty keen to try one!

The verdict: Not as nice as normal, chilled beer! For me, anyway. The froth has no real flavour (like the unfrozen version) so there's no particular joy in eating it, but instead of making your drinking experience colder and more refreshing, the frozen foam kind of makes the lager underneath feel warmer, and creates a barrier to actually drinking it! I also got less flavour from the beer itself (frozen tastebuds?) 

So, anyway, it's fun to try this unusual way of serving beer, and I can understand why establishments would serve it - for novelty value. But I won't be forking out for another pint of it! 

You can watch the Kirin beer slushy maker ad here: 

Genki Desu Ka? Starstruck in Singapore

Here's an unexpected happening in Singapore. Last weekend some friends and I exit a late movie and could only find one bar still open. In that bar was a rowdy Japanese crowd, celebrating. One of the group turned around to apologise for the noise, explaining that it was a birthday event. And I kind of recognised him, thinking he was a Muay Thai instructor I'd had. Then realising that my Muay Thai instructor wasn't Japanese... In fact the guy was Sudo Genki (Genki Sudo to Westerners) - an absolute legend of the MMA and fighting world, and quite a bit more besides!

Sudo san has been a massive hero of mine, and of countless fight friends for years. His combat style (not to mention ring entrance style) is extremely entertaining but underpinned by beautifully skillful technique. He's famous for moves such as the spinning back fist and flying triangle  - and has inspired many a young thing (me included!) to try the same.

In 2006, after multiple wins at K-1, Pancrase, Hero's and UFC - and while still young - he retired to focus on performance / dance. He founded the group World Order - a performance band of seven Japanese 'business men' in suits, doing intricate robot dance moves in global and deliberately ironic places. They seem to make comments on modern (Japanese) society. He has also written several books.

Anyway, I got talking to him and he came over to our table for a chat and photos. He speaks good English and was genuinely interested in how such a multicultural bunch of us (a mid-Western American, an Austrian, a Japanese-speaking Uruguayan, and a Japanese-speaking Brit) met in Singapore. Apparently he fought at UFC in London's Royal Albert Hall (they had UFC at the Royal Albert Hall?!*) and now calls himself a lover not a fighter. The rowdy bunch were World Order and their tour group, who were celebrating three birthdays and the end of a one-off gig in Singapore. He was just a regular, intelligent, friendly chap, actually. But this evening has to go down as one of my most surprising experiences in Singapore!

Anyway, here are a couple of videos of Sudo san, in case you are not familiar with his work: 

Sudo san in Singapore

:)

* The Royal Albert Hall is a 'posh', old venue in London. With a capacity of about 5000. It is the place you would go to see ballet,  classical music, The Proms - UFC was a surprise!  

The title of this post relates to the standard, polite Japanese greeting 'O genki desu ka' which means literally 'Are you healthy?'. In fact Sudo san's name is the same genki (元気)

Rotisserie Joules

As some of you already know, I'm currently in a temp apartment in Singapore - and the air-conditioning has broken. Joy.

For those who haven't been here, Singapore is just North of the equator and it's tropical - a year-round 30 degrees, with about 80% relative humidity. In short: it's very hot and very sticky, every day.

Living in South East Asia has revised my previous views on air-conditioning. While I pootled in cold, rainy Britain, I viewed aircon users with ecological indignation. Now I'm in Asia I see it as a necessity, and probably a key factor aiding SE Asia in becoming globally competitive. Fans don't work - they merely waft around the hot air. And when it's this hot and humid, everyone becomes sleepy and it's almost impossible to work (quickly). With aircon, however - your mind and body awaken in a spry temperate state. And so until a better alternative emerges, I'm with with aircon.

But now I am suddenly without it, I have found myself sleepless, climbing walls (sweatily), and falling back on old European instincts - such as hurtling to open windows when it is too hot indoors. In Europe of course, this lets in colder air and a breeze. In SE Asia, it just lets in a thick, suffocating wall of more heat!

Perhaps surprisingly, the human body does adapt to a change in climate after a while. I remember when my Asian father visited England for short stays, he was perplexingly wrapped in a jumper even in summer. I was born and bred in Northern Europe, and while I almost failed to cope with the 24/7 dripping sweat, frizzy hair and all-over shine during my first six months in Singapore - that feeling that you need to shower every 5 minutes to be clean - I can now tolerate it like most locals. Even for outdoor sports. And in fact, like Dad, I've even had to reach for a cardi on days when it has dipped to a shocking 25 degrees!(25 is a heat wave in the UK!)

But tolerance is one thing; and the climate here is still not comfortable. My apartment is currently like a rotisserie, and me a choice cut of meat smouldering in it! To sleep and work smartly, you definitely need aircon.

PS if any of you are visiting Notting Hill in London (and it is still there) the Rotisserie Jules does very nice spit-roast chicken! http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/restaurants/rotisserie-jules-7431305.html

Biscuits and some issues with US & UK English

OK, we all know the classic British English / US English clangers: 

Pants UK = elasticated underwear 
Pants US = trousers
Rubber UK = eraser you have in your pencil-case at school
Rubber US = condom
Pissed UK = drunk
Pissed US = angry (in UK we say 'pissed off' for this)

But there's more. I have a friend from Chicago and we recently went out here in Singapore. No Chinese dialects to contend with, second language grapplings that me and my Asian friends have.. and yet we had conversations like this:

She: I went to IKEA and I bought this comforter.. 
Me: What's a comforter?
She: You know, like a padded blanket thing you have for the bed
Me: Oh, you mean a duvet !
She: What's a duvet? 

Also (in Chicago at least) you can go tailgating as a student. In the UK this means you're possibly creeping along, illegally following someone's car. To my friend it meant taking vehicles, crates of beer and getting drunk in the car-park before watching a big football / baseball game.

And I also discovered that Americans have biscuits. We all know that they call real biscuits 'cookies'. But biscuits exist too.. and they're not 'biscuits' but basically crumbly, savoury scones, which you have with gravy! I joined her and her friends at a US restaurant, and I tried one. Here it is! (Underneath the bacon)

Older women, leopard-print and the Osaka obachan

About 10 years ago I made a humorous pact with a friend that if either of us hit 55 and started wearing leopard-print clothing (along with mini skirts etc) we would be roughly admonished by the other. We're thankfully neither of us near this point yet, but the reason we made the pact is as follows:

In the West, for some strange reason (and I suspect heavily rooted in 1960s or 70s fashion) some women of a certain age wear animal-print designs to look sexy. But it in fact the look has been for some decades, anything but sexy, and instead distinctly cheesy!* Animal print clothing might also be accompanied by a lot of make-up, dyed hair, a heavy fake tan, and a lot of gold jewellery. Another aspect that might chaperone this look is the fact that it won't change - it might start at a sexy 55 but continue on well into a lady's senior years. The look was very popular in the 1980s, even among Hollywood types. A major protagonist was (is) UK/US racy fiction writer Jackie Collins (pictured below left).

So I was slightly amused when I was introduced to the concept of the Japanese Osaka obachan (literally 'auntie from Osaka'). Osaka is famous for having an outgoing, humorous, 'louder' population in Japan. And the Osaka obachan is a type: an older woman who might be quite loud and is characterised by a wardrobe of animal-prints, with dyed hair, a lot of make-up and gold jewellery! I have no idea if the Osaka obachan style is derived from the Hollywood celebs of the 70s and 80s, or if she has grown up independently. Are women of a certain age - globally - naturally attracted to animal-print clothing?? A mystery that perhaps could make an entire PhD topic of investigation.

Meanwhile, here is a video from Japanese theatrical concept group 'Obachan' with the Obachan Theme! 

*Cheesy is non-rude British slang meaning without sophistication, cheap, dated, and perhaps slightly amusing as a result.

Ah

Today in Singapore I was given this. It shows that Coke is smartly localising its personalised cans. But also it got me wondering what 'ah' means before a noun in SG. Another one I've seen said 'ah kong'. And there is a popular local movie here called 'Ah Boys to Men'. What is 'ah'? 

A local friend informed me it has no real meaning, but signifies an affectionate way of referring to the person. (FYI in Singapore you will commonly find local dialects mixed together, with Malay, with English, anything goes really!) Ah kong means grandpa. And this 'ah' is mainly from the Chinese Hokkien dialect (though it seems there are Cantonese and other 'ahs' as well!)

Funnily enough, in Northern England we also use 'our' to refer affectionately to family members and close friends, usually preceding actual names - our Sarah, our Gary etc. (ie 'belonging to us'.)

In Singapore, I've also heard the Hokkien terms 'ah beng' and 'ah lian' which refer to gangsterish, badly dressed young males and females respectively. I can only guess these are also seen affectionately?

Nutty sweet thing from Sulawesi

Actually not Sulawesi, but the delicacy from a microscopic island just off it. I don't even know what this is called, but they were offered to us by our boat Captain, and were quite yummy!

The actual sweet is mainly sliced almonds (I think) bound with a kind of molasses. Not sweet enough to be Gula Melaka* - but perhaps a relative of it? Each piece was wrapped in a leaf. No coconut in this one, which is unusual in sweets from this part of the world - but actually made quite a refreshing change!

 

*Gula Melaka is the Malay name for a kind of dark, sticky palm sugar used a lot in South East Asia. You buy it in rock-hard pellets, which look a bit like patties of boot polish. Then you usually grate or melt it for cooking. It has a different name in Indonesia. I think in India and Sri Lanka it is called Jaggery.

Things I Miss About the UK 4: hyrangeas

Yep, it's summer time back home. Which is the time I feel most homesick - as it's the time when England is truly joyous and beautiful. And it reminds me of childhood, when we lived in a rural country cottage, with an acre-big garden full of trees, flowers and shrubs. 

And hydrangeas were - and still are - one of my favourite summer plants. Hyrdrangea flowers actually change colour depending on the acidity of the soil. A strongly acid soil produces blue flowers, an alkaline one, pink. With various shades (even on one plant) of mauve in between. There are also 'lacecap' styles - frilly, flat bursts of flowers; and the traditional ones which give you large 'puffs' of blooms. The ones we had at home were in both styles and mostly blue/purple. 

But what I love about them the most is their cool lusciousness. Getting amongst a big, healthy, dark-leaved hydrangea shrub is like hanging with a huge, fragrant, cooling, salad-y thing. They were one of my favourite spots in the garden in hot summers! These plants require a lot of water, which is possibly why they can be so generous with their green calmness in the heat; it also explains their name.

In fact (perhaps ironically) hydrangeas originate from Asia, chiefly North East Asia - but apparently with some varieties found in Indonesia (I've never seen any). But the ones I remember are the temperate shrubs over an English summer :)

10,000 views!

Woop, woop, this blog has just passed the 10,000 views barrier!! I know this is what Vin Diesel's Facebook page gets in three minutes. But Diesel has much heavier publicity than I do. (And, in fact, is probably much heavier in general.) I've never promoted this page, purposely. So thanks all for coming to browse curiously and read! :)


*Vin Diesel's FB page was recently awarded the most liked and viewed in the world.

And in your mall this afternoon...

Competing with the grey-robed nuns buying toiletries in The Body Shop, a posse of red-robed monks casing the crockery section in Daiso?

Clearly, Singapore is truly a 'shopping paradise for all'! (Though good choice re Daiso in my opinion; everyone needs 'Hello Tomato' plates.)

PS We don't have Daiso in Europe. And I'm not sure what I will do without it when I go back! (Apart from lobby to have it open branches there). Daiso is basically a pound / dollar store, but from Japan, and REALLY NICE QUALITY AND DESIGN. With lots of weird (and yet useful) inventions we don't have outside Japan too. Half of my home in SG has come from Daiso and long may this be the case!  

See also: And in your mall tonight.. 

Photo courtesy of http://www.burmese-buddhas.com

Pseudo-ku : the curse of the 'intellectual'

I was interested to note in a recent Harvard Biz Review article, that it’s been proven that those with very high IQ, are strongly disposed to lack EQ (emotional intelligence – ie ability to be socially and emotionally aware) - and thus need different management techniques. Basically, it was telling us how to lead nerds. And to be brutally honest, there does seem to be a very high frequency of nerds in Asia. I am not sure why this is (OK I suspect it has a lot to do with developing economies, cultures with strong parental controls etc). But that strange, small species of (usually) males who we thought were peculiar, dull and one-dimensional as we cavorted and experimented aged 18 at Uni in the UK, are just ‘regular guys’ in Asia. And there’s a strong chance that the ones at Uni might have actually been from Asia too..  Low EQ is not very popular at University, or with girls – though a very high IQ might be valued in some industries later on, regardless of social skills. Hence the management advice.  

What does seem to be thankfully lacking in Asia however, (or at least in Singapore and Malaysia, where I have lived so far) is the pseudo-intellectual. People over here in Asia more commonly train in ‘useful’, traditional science subjects like engineering. And the popularity of things like art history or philosophy are just not the thing. Yet. And while science-y subjects can attract/breed nerdy, not-great-socially types, the pseudo-intellectual (or simply ‘pseud’) is another kind of social ineptitude which goes with beard-scratching* arts and humanities subjects. (I know this; I went to art school and architecture school, then spent 10 years working in contemporary art!)  

The pseud is the person – usually under 24 years old – who will ambush you at a party and bore you senseless as they launch into a diatribe about Heidegger, Kerouac, the ‘meaning behind their work’ (if they’re an artist) or try to compete with you about conceptual thought or analysis in film/philosophy/literature etc etc. Even if you’re in the middle of enjoying a shandy, and have not expressed the slightest interest in their views on Heidegger or any of the aforementioned.  The subtext from the pseud is often that they're slightly intellectually superior to you (and thus impressive and more cool) if you don’t spar, are not interested in sparring or don’t know who Heidegger is. The real subtext is that they’re immature and lacking in EQ. What might have a place in a crit** or seminar discussion in class, is not necessarily appropriate at a BBQ, or to chat up a date. And that insensitivity stands, regardless of whether you’re boring someone with physics or philosophy. (The difference with the pseud is that unlike the nerd, he/she might not also have a high IQ.) 

Artist pseuds - and this happened A LOT among the amateurs at art school - might go a stage further and actually commit ‘shocking and attention seeking acts’ in order to showcase their intellectual superiority. That ancient adage that notoriety will bring you real fame or respect. I think this is vaguely catching on with some artists in Asia now, actually! *sigh* (Incidentally, the really successful living artists are generally shrewd marketers and business people, not simple attention-seekers, although they might brand themselves that way.) 

Anyway, thankfully, once you're out of college years in the West, pseud numbers start to dwindle rapidly. And given the choice today between a nerd and a pseud, I might well opt for the nerd... or hurling myself into the BBQ pit. In the interim am very happy that the pseudo-intellectual is not yet omnipresent in Asia.

*Beard-scratching, or beard-stroking, is a mocking term referring to the actual act of scratching a (usually goatee) beard, by a pseud, while in ‘deep and meaningful’ thought. 

**A crit is part of art and architecture school training – where you stand up, present and justify your work to a panel of tutors.

Two Alleys

In London, and most towns in the UK, you would never walk down an alley. Day or night, really. Unless you know it very well and are possibly armed with a bazooka. Alleys are generally home to perverts, drug users, weirdos... It's not where you want to be! Singapore, however, is a bit different. And one day recently I explored two new alleys.

Alley 1
What and where: A Murakami-esque mysterious lane near my house. I pass it every day, had always wondered what was up there - or where it would lead. 
What was there: Some plants, back doors, storage spaces. It leads nowhere (ending in a small concrete yard). You couldn't fit a car up there, it's just a regular blind alley. But I find it oddly charismatic in its own way! (Click to enlarge pix)

Alley 2
What and where: some place in Kampong Glam in Singapore at about 11.30pm. Just a regular alley, no reason to have been down there before (we hadn't!) 
What was there: This. I love this! Actually it was part of a whole series of art installations in the area that night; but this one was by far my favourite. (What, I hear you cry! - a light / video installation without feedback, or 'difficult' rumblings and scrapings as soundtrack?! Yep.)

Unsatisfactory beer candies

I found these at a Japanese pub in Singapore and bought them as a fun Christmas present for a friend in the UK. I've never seen Japanese beer candies before. In the end they were too heavy to post, so I ended up eating them myself. ^^

The label says 'Sapporo' but it's not the Sapporo Beer logo - I think it just means they are beer candies from Sapporo (which is a city in Northern Japan, and has this pictured clock tower in it). 

The verdict: They taste nothing much like beer! Maybe a slight beer aftertaste? They're definitely boiled sweets, and quite pleasant. But they could be any kind of boiled sweet; it's just the label which suggests beer. 

Oh well! It was good to satisfy my curiosity with these 'biiru doroppusu' (that's what it says on the can, btw) and slightly glad I didn't spend $10 posting them to Europe! 

And in your mall tonight..

Neat, grey-robed, Buddhist nuns en masse in The Body Shop stocking up on toiletries at Novena, Singapore. 

You don't see that often in London.

Grey robes usually mean nuns from Vietnam, China, Japan or Korea, apparently. (Other countries tend to favour reds, ochre and orange).

Word of the Day: tiga suku

OK, words of the day..

Language: Malay
Meaning: literally 'three quarters'. In use: (referring to a person) 'a bit crazy or simple', 'not quite all there'. In other words, there's a quarter missing somewhere. it can be used jokingly, or more directly. 

Pronunciation: teegah sookuh

Compare English phrases 'a pepperoni short of a pizza'; 'not playing with a full deck'. These phrases are slightly affectionate / joking.

^_^

Cheryl Cole in sizzling choc knock shock!

(FYI this post is completely unrelated to Cheryl Cole) 

Chocolate in South East Asia is pants. Oh yes. Instead of that cocoa-y, creamy stuff I grew up with in Europe, the same brands here in Singapore are an unsatisfyingly waxy, flavourless affair. (Oh no!) 

There are probably some crucial reasons for this: recipes do vary worldwide - for reasons of market preference amongst other things; many regions have their own, more economical, supply chains with local production facilities; and SEA is generally a rotisserie - so transporting and vending British-style chocolate over here would be a sticky mess (remember the London uber-summer of 2003, what did KitKats look like then?) And if a recipe accommodates not-melting in transport, it's probably not-melting in your mouth too. 

Here's an example bought excitedly on an Asian trip last weekend: so-called Maltesers. Yes, Maltesers, those light, crisp, meltilicious little baubles of joy! And a different market from Singapore. How hopeful was I! And the messaging still says 'the lighter way to enjoy chocolate'. But no. These were made in Australia for Asia: cue waxy, unmelty, thick-crunchy little cannon balls. *sigh*

I've bought more upmarket brands in Singapore and it still doesn't seem to be that good (with the possible exception of some Japanese brands like Royce, which are also prohibitively expensive to keep as a habit!) The upshot of all this is that while I'd happily look forward to wolfing down a bar a day in London, I've gone off chocolate during the past three years living in Asia. Fruits here are good, and I'll happily have those instead. It's much healthier. And even when I returned to Europe recently, I no longer felt any particular desire for choc. I guess I should really thank APAC manufacturers for this!

So, if by chance happen to find yourself minted, and gagging for chocolate in Singapore - go here - https://www.royce.com/contents/english_singapore/

Bonkers British Festivals no1: The Ottery Tar Barrels

('Bonkers' = crazy, incredible)

OK, this is not very timely, but it's from my home town in England, and it does qualify as bonkers.

What happens:
Every November 5th (aka Guy Fawkes Night) certain people of Ottery St Mary pad up in sack-cloth and run through the streets carrying giant, flaming, tar-soaked barrels on their shoulders. There are 17 barrels altogether, which are lit outside the town's pubs (where rollers spend a fair amount of time before and after their run). Barrel rolling is not a race, but a demonstration of local custom. 

Ottery (as Ottery St Mary is known locally) families might compete down the generations, and traditionally it was just the men and young men who rolled. Nowadays women can do it too, and it's a very impressive, if crazy, event, attracting tens of thousands to the town for the night. (The town is tiny, btw, so this is a huge crowd!)

The barrels are soaked in tar for up to 12 months prior to the event, and filled with straw and paper before lighting. The larger ones for the men's event might weigh up to 30kg, and they become increasingly unstable as they burn. It's not necessarily a safe event for rollers or onlookers, and there have been cases of burns and serious injuries to both. As a result, I think there are 'health & safety' restrictions being applied to the festival now (not to mention high insurance costs). 

 
Why: 
Nobody is quite sure. I tried to write a piece about the tar barrels as a journalist some years ago and hit a distinctly muddy wall with its history! The event dates from the 17th century, and has been pegged to Guy Fawkes Night - the commemoration of the date when, in 1605, Guy Fawkes was thwarted in blowing up the British House of Lords (part of Parliament) with gunpowder. (On the same night, British towns today burn an effigies of 'The Guy' on a bonfire - how's that for lasting propaganda!)

There is also a theory that the spectacle might have had roots in an old pagan custom of burning things to ward off bad spirits around Halloween, 31 October.(Halloween was a festival in its own right, long before Christianity appeared and re-appropriated it.) And even today, Halloween and November 5th tend to merge together in the UK festival calendar.

Another theory is that the event is a throw-down from using fires to warn locals of the approaching Spanish Armada (which was earlier, in 1588). Take your pick.

A friend's daughter competing in the women's event. Tx to Becki for the photo!

For Ottery today, the tar barrel event is accompanied by a large bonfire (to burn The Guy) and a fairground. As a child / teen, I used to go with my friends and family every year - mostly to have fun at the fair. And even then it became increasingly difficult to gain entry to the town, or move through the streets, competing with the number of tourists who arrived. I can only imagine it is a lot more hectic than that now. But if you're up for a bit of a crush, and a slightly crazy night, this might be worth a visit!  

Sri Lanka: Does my fridge look big in this?

One curious thing which struck me as we arrived at Sri Lanka airport recently: duty- free shops selling heavy white goods.. washing machines, ovens, refrigerators etc. Hmm.. I have travelled to quite a few airports in my time, and it's the first time I've ever seen this!

On one hand: it makes sense to save duty on expensive, big things. In fact, more sense than saving tax on small items like cosmetics and alcohol. On the other hand: you can't put a refrigerator in your hand-luggage. And even if you're buying it on return to Sri Lanka as a local (which is what I guess people do?) you presumably have to have a van waiting to help take it home?

Interesting. If the logistics are easy for the latter, I am now wondering why other airports don't have duty free shops selling such things - or even for larger items, duty-free cars, for example? I can imagine these cash savings would make pretty good business, but I am guessing there must be legalities which make it not worthwhile in places like Singapore or London. 

Anyway, if you're visiting friends in Sri Lanka and want to take them a washing machine as a gift, here are some of the shops! 

http://www.airport.lk/passenger-guide/shopping-dining.php 

Making Sri Lankan roti & coconut sambol

Yep, I have just been to Sri Lanka! (Surprisingly close to Singapore, and from my brief experience there - a really wonderful country.) Anyway, we did many fab things there, and among them was a rural village visit, with a local cooking lesson from a friendly Grandma. In fact she was both friendly, and extremely strong - as a lot of the daily cooking chores appeared to require quite high amounts of muscle-power! 

So, we were shown some basic domestic techniques such as how remove the husks and make rice flour, make rope from coconut husks.. Followed by how  to make a local roti (flatbread) and coconut sambol (a kind of dipping chutney). 

The Roti
Was made with millet (fluffy, three-pronged 'flowers' which required work in a heavy-duty mill to create flour). Added to the flour was water, seasoning, and coconut milk (made from a fresh coconut, and again requiring some efficient break-in work to access the nut using a scary-looking metal prong!) The dough is quite sloppy, but kneaded, spread flat between two banana leaves (which are soaked in water in advance, so that they don't combust during cooking) and put over a small toasting fire for about 5 minutes. 


 The Sambol
Fresh grated coconut, chilli, salt and pepper, a small reddish onion (I think that's all?) were then ground under a large rolling-pin style pestle and mortar, and served in dipping bowls to be consumed with the freshly baked roti. 

The meal was delicious, actually! The cooked  roti is a sort of dense pancake with a strong creamy-coconut flavour to it, which went really nicely with the spicy chutney. 

Micro packed Oyako don

Another of my Christmas packet gifts from Japan - and it's taken a little guesswork as my kanji reading is not great (to decipher what it is, or how to make it!) But it seems to be a case of add-boiling-water-then put over rice. It might not look it, but it was pretty tasty! And incredibly easy (especially as I also have a rice-cooker). 

'Don' 丼 is short for Donburi, and seems to mean basically 'anything over rice, in a bowl'! 親子 refers to a mix of egg, chicken and a few other ingredients. So it's a kind of flavoured scrambled egg rice topping.

Business, Martial Arts & the Game of Thrones

As a fashionable early twenty-something I remember being perplexed when employers showed interest in people's sporting achievements. Why would somebody's hockey medal or tennis cup be of any support for a professional role? It shows people do something besides just work or study, but surely travel or an interest in the arts also fulfill this criterion? Now, nearly a decade into competitive martial arts (and with many more years in business) I can see why they were interested. 

Taken seriously, sports foster some very positive mindsets. And while I think nearly all offer the below valuable lessons, to me it seems fighting (and perhaps 'adrenalin' sports) do so with more intensity. You might lose points, hopes, reputation if you suck in a badminton championship. In a combat sport, you might also lose teeth, consciousness or operational limbs. There is more at stake in a fight.  

So if people fight competitively, I think it can demonstrate some desirable qualities in a potential manager / leader. For one thing, it shows that you (men and women) have balls. As in many business situations, you are never 100% prepared for a fight. You can be pretty well-trained, but you will never know what your opponent will bring, or how things will be on that particular day. So every time you step into the ring, you're knowingly taking a calculated leap of faith. I've noted that calculated leaps of faith are quite handy in business. And I think many competitive martial artists are already fairly comfortable with the concept. 

Personally, I have also found that being physically fit provides me with more energy, and physical and mental resilience. These are useful life tools in or out of work.

For committed athletes, there's also commonly the desire for continual improvement and personal best. (Slightly different from 'competitive' in the old-fashioned sense of 'squashing others for the sake of it, or for personal glory'; I know these people exist in all worlds - but who could really trust a young squasher on their business team?) But if you want to become a biz leader, the drive for personal, and organisational, improvement is good. Also, of course, sports foster teamwork, and even in martial arts where fights are mostly one-on-one, you do get to train and travel with your squad and coaches, and build a feeling of family, support, trust, working together, and pleasure in your team's success as well as your own. And then there's discipline.

But one key thing that I think serious sports and business share is strategic operation.

Contrary to popular belief, fighting (in tournaments, championships) is not about 'beating the crap out of someone'. It's a game of strategy. You try to pick your fights. You study your opponent, you find their strengths and weaknesses, the things they have a tendency to fall for. And you set them up. You fake, you lure, you pace it, work with your own strengths and weaknesses. You create a situation where they are open: and then you go in for the kill. It sounds odd to suggest that this is not about 'squashing an opponent'. But it's not. It's an honest situation, and they are trying their own set of tactics on you, too. The fights where you're expressing anything personal or nasty will probably be the ones you lose. It's not a brawl, it is an intelligent game. And sometimes it doesn't matter so much if your opponent wins, as long as you have learned something, been able to execute a new move, or fulfilled whatever your goals were (hopefully also with intact dentistry). And because it is a game, it is also quite likely that you will genuinely have the utmost respect for, and maybe even be good friends with, your opponents. 

Over years in business, I have noticed many of the same things apply. Those jostling for senior positions don't always do so by 'being good at their jobs', they rise by playing this game of strategy. (Or, preferably, both.) And while it can seem ruthless and unpleasant, a huge element of it is actually a game. Others vying for the same things, will probably know the unspoken rules and be fully aware of all the tactics being used on them. And they play accordingly. This is politics. And some people thoroughly enjoy this Game of Thrones in its own right. 

But there are some crucial differences between a fight and the corporate Game of Thrones:

1. Not everybody in a business environment is actually aware of The Rules, or sometimes that there is even a Game of Thrones happening; so it's not always an honest or fair fight
2.OK, I've never been a CEO, but in some cases one can get on pretty well without playing this game (though I think it's always useful to be aware of it)
3. In the workplace it sometimes is personal
4. Peripheral people who don't want to play, can get caught up in it and hurt 
5. If you're known as a 'player' you have to play very well; as there's a chance many will not trust you
6. And crucially: it's too exhausting! For any game of intensity there is one key rule: you cannot take your eye off it. The minute you lose focus in the ring, you get hit. There are similar risks attached to the office Game of Thrones. But in a fight tournament, you have three, 2-5 minute rounds. After which, whether you've won or lost, you can step out and get on with your life. The corporate game is a 24/7, 365 day scenario of continual focus and 'watching your back'. My view: surely life is too short?

So, for now, I am sticking to the honest game of kicking and punching people! 


Photos:
1. The brilliant Ann Osman (MY, top) takes on Saber of Egypt in MMA
2. WTF taekwondo's Servet Tazegul (Tur)( in blue) v Martin Stamper (GB)

I do not hold rights to these photos, and could not find the photographers' credits online. (Thank you, whoever you are!)

Donkey surprise! And the UK case of the bogus burger..

Some of you might remember a recent scandal in UK/Europe regarding the actual meat content of some supermarket burgers. Basically, it was found to be not beef, but something more equine :(. Anyway, some laughter last night as Tokyo friends revealed that there is actually a burger chain in Japan with the unfortunate brand of 'Bikkuri Donkey' (bikkuri means 'surprise!' in Japanese). 

Which left us wondering what the real surprise might be at this burger joint.. ^^ 

In fact, the 'donkey' part is apparently supposed to describe the stubborn, hard-working business ambitions of the company.. but it still doesn't explain the 'bikkuri' element.