My first Nengajou

This year I received my first Nengajou (年賀状), a New Year's Card from Japan. What a lovely surprise! These traditional postcards serve a similar purpose to Christmas cards*, to send news and good wishes to long distance friends and family.

Apparently in Japan, the postal service guarantees the arrival of Nengajou on 1 January, if sent within the correct timeframe. (Try that one out with the UK postal service, lol!) Though cards must be clearly marked '年賀' (as you can see under the stamps on mine) or use special New Year stamps to qualify.

Like Christmas cards, Nengajou can be bought, printed, or home made. Within Japan, it seems that lottery numbers on Nengajou are also popular. A special mid-January lottery is run by the ministry of post and telecomms, with household goods as prizes. 

The Japanese have used the Gregorian calendar's New Year's Day (1 January) since 1873. Prior to this, New Year accorded with the traditional calendar used today by the Chinese, Koreans and Vietnamese (and still used in Okinawa). Despite the above, today's Nengajou in Japan often depict the incoming animal of the Chinese zodiac.

(I have deliberately blurred details for privacy!)

* (Christmas is celebrated, but generally not a huge deal in Asia, unlike in the West)

Japanese custard cornet things

Yum! OK I am not 100% sure what to call these. I just bought them in a Japanese food shop. They have the クリ-ム (kuriimu = custardy stuff) of the famous  シュ- クリ-ム (shuu-kuriimu = yummy profiterole-type thingy*). But they're not shuu (choux) pastry... rather a puff-pastry 'cornucopia'. And in fact, almost identical to a delicious custard horn thing that was sold by an Italian bakery local to my Aunt's in Tuscany, when I was child.

The only difference, these Japanese ones had chocolate custard as well! (I say 'had' as obviously they are no longer.)

* Beard Papa is a famous, international vendor of these outrageous treats. If you have not been / tried - go now!

ZoukOut 2012 & raving in England

Yep my second visit to that lucrative party-place Sentosa island. I was invited to this by friends, or would never have thought to go. Zouk is a nightclub in Singapore (and also Kuala Lumpur.. there may be others!) and ZoukOut equals Zouk, outside..

It was kind of a rave / festival on Siloso Beach. But in a very nice, commercially organised way! Apparently it's the biggest in Asia, with people coming from all over the region to join in, totalling an estimated 40,000 partygoers over two days. Music was all DJs, international, including celebrity ones like Calvin Harris. It was good for dancing, with some fun sideshows etc too. The party ran from 8pm-8am and by around 4am we were all a bit sandy, and ready for home. (Plus it got packed, and the music took a dive once Harris arrived!) Anyway, it was worth a visit. (Maybe just the once.)

Back in the day I went with four lads from my hometown to a rave. It was a really big, illegal one - somewhere outdoors in Southern England. To find it took some doing, and required beetling up motorways (you need a car) and finding others who were heading there; stopping at service stations to get intel from fellow ravers from all corners of the UK.. it was like a big treasure hunt! Finally we convoyed with a bunch of other souped-up, boy-racer cars and found it. It was open air, out on a deserted moor - with a huge, impressive sound-system and set-up. A £20 admission fee was required to get our car on site. Then a further surprise £20 was levied to get in through the (farm!) gates on foot. It opened at around 1am with a very impressive laser show - flashing out shapes and messages across the clouds. But.. aaahh.. the UK and cloud! Before long, down came the rain. We all got back in our cars and waited. And waited. And waited. Sound equipment and water are not good friends, and after several wet hours, the entire plastic-covered set was packed up. That was the end of our rave!

I guess the lesson here is: if you are holding an illegal rave in England, make sure it's indoors. Or, hold it in Singapore, where you are pretty much guaranteed a good, open-air climate. Of course, it can't be illegal here, though!

Christmas lights on Orchard

For some reason, London Christmas lights have a reputation. Often my friends outside the city (especially those with small children) will say, "Please send us photos of the Oxford Street / Regent Street lights!" In fact there is even an official ceremony for switching them on (usually conducted for local press by a B- or C-list celebrity.)

But the truth of the matter is that the Oxford and Regent Street lights are usually pants. I have lived in London for over 15 years and this has been fairly consistent! Usually they are simply a set of illuminated advertisements for the latest Christmas Disney movie, or another big-brand commercial. There ain't much creative, pretty or Christmassy about it!*

I am guessing Westminster Council is cost cutting (and the advertisements pay for themselves).

And if we're talking about somewhere prosperous that does not need to cost-cut in the way we know it, Singapore is your place! I went to a party on Orchard Road last night, and what a perdy, perdy job they have done of the lights there! And it's not even a Christian country (OK, I know the connection between Christmas and Christianity worldwide was probably severed ages ago) but if they do this for Christmas, what does Singapore do for the real biggie - Chinese New Year?

Anyway, here are a few snaps I took last night - for your viewing pleasure ;) (You can click on pix to enlarge.)

* If you want to see pretty, Christmassy things in London I would recommend Bond Street (posh but nicely done) and the arcades: London at Christmas: festive arcades

Fireworks shaped like hearts!

The man-made island of Sentosa is quite a big deal over here in Singapore. (See also Whitney, thongs and adventures on Sentosa from April) It is, indeed a Disney in its own way (also housing... a Disney). Anyway, each night apparently, Sentosa puts on an impressive fireworks display. And if you happen to be at VivoCity (the large mainland mall next to Sentosa) you will get a good view.

We were eating sausages outside at the Bavarian-style bar Brotzeit, when this show kicked off. And it was impressive! They even made exploding hearts :)

And a little nicer... Tsujiri

Yep, back on the desserts wagon. I am becoming known as one of those with, as the Japanese say, a 'betsu bara' or 'second stomach', reserved for puddings! (Though I am by no means alone!)

Today I went with a friend to try out the new Singapore branch of Kyoto's renowned Tsujiri outlet. Tsujiri is famous for matcha (very fine, good quality green-tea powder). So here you will find matcha cakes, teas, shakes and desserts. In Singapore, it's a small, modern, unglamorous place at Tanjong Pagar, but the fare was pretty good.

My try: a shiratama parfait (squidgy shiratama balls, matcha jelly, red bean ankou, smooth Mr Whippy-style matcha ice cream); plus a rather nice hot yuzu* citron tea.

The parfait was yummy - I am no expert but my friend was impressed with the shiratama, and I personally much preferred this kind of smooth, green-tea ice cream to the often ice-gritty stuff you find elsewhere.

The yuzu tea was like a hot marmalade tea - sweetish and with real fruit peel pieces in it. A little medicinal perhaps, if you are from Europe - but actually perfect and comforting for me, as I currently have laryngitis!

www.tsujiri.sg

* Yuzu is a Japanese citrus fruit which has a taste somewhere between an orange and a lime. (Not as tart as a lemon.) It is used quite a lot in Japanese cooking.

Spleen: moving around in Singapore

1. Recently I went on holiday to Europe (where I grew up, and then worked for around 15 years). And the first thing I noticed, even on my exit in not-so-glamourous Heathrow? I am watching a video in fast-forward! In the UK, people walk fast, and with purpose. It was really pronounced!

2. I am also currently nursing a sprained ankle I received here in Singapore.

Here is the explanation for both the above:

1. Singaporeans en masse walk REALLY slowly. And without purpose! I don't know why. This country is admittedly like a strange comfort bubble - insulated from all the pressures, aggression and necessary street-smart of other countries, perhaps that's why? But if you are from London (New York, Tokyo etc) you will find getting from A-B really difficult. It is like finding yourself in a zombie-horde! You might SEE your train coming into the platform just metres away, or your bus arriving. But you won't be able to get it, because there is a crowd of people wandering aimlessly in front of you. Yes, they're all in the same station, mall, or street and presumably also wanting to catch a train, bus etc. But the sense of purpose / urgency you find in big cities simply doesn't exist here.

Climate-wise I totally understand it. You'll sweat to death in two nanoseconds if you try the 'Big City' approach outdoors here. But most of Singapore (certainly stations, malls etc) is air-conditioned and covered. Also, crowds move relatively quickly in places such as Kuala Lumpur, up the road, where the climate's the same.

So, who knows what's going on! But if you are from overseas, just make sure you allow extra time; and be prepared to get exasperated (or, just expect it and take it in your - enforcedly small - stride!)

Incidentally, I've mentioned this slow pace to Singaporeans who have been incredulous and said 'But we walk really fast!'. Nope. I'm getting used to it now, but it is ludicrously slow compared to other countries! And internationally known as the 'Singapore Shuffle'.

2. Conversely, when there's any kind of 'queuing potential' in Singapore, people get incredibly aggressive. So if you are right next to the train when it comes in, or near a pedestrian crossing when it goes green - expect to get shoved, elbowed, 'tsk'd' at, and battered by an array of designer handbags. In the case of buses, once people have beaten you up and are ON the bus, they go back to the zombie pace, picking a seat at leisure while a huge bottleneck-scrum builds up behind them.

Why why why? Is this scrum the result of all those who have missed the previous three buses / trains by being in a zombie-horde?? If that's the case a) at least then be considerate to the others who have also been waiting b) the whole thing could be remedied by moving in a speedy, orderly, purposeful way to start off with!

So anyway, I didn't sprain my ankle (which will take 4-6 months to heal due to ligament damage) doing parkour, taekwondo, or some other activity. I sprained it when I got pushed off the pavement by an aggressive housewife at the pedestrian crossing - going to buy milk on a Sunday morning!

(Though on-foot I still overtake 90% of Singaporeans even WITH the sprain....)

Wheezy, breezy, beautiful Covergirl.. ?

A new strapline for a glamorous asthma inhaler, perhaps?

Actually I am just observing that it is nearly Christmas and not only has half the UK population gone down with colds / flu (normal for this time of year); but so, suddenly, has our entire office. In Singapore. Where it is HOT and summery. All year round.

So I am going to query: are colds simply a psychosomatic reaction to the fact it is the Christmas season?

Any medics, you are welcome to comment.

In the meanwhile, I am off to take some Beecham's remedy and few more puffs on the inhaler.

Elephant dung coffee?!

Oh my giddy aunt! Just when we thought we had got to grips with Kopi Luwak / civet-cat-poop coffee - a new one has been invented! A friend just found this article... :/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2244475/Black-Ivory-coffee-Thailand-using-beans-digested-elephants.html

(NB it is no every day I would want to quote the Daily Mail in any shape or form, consider this a rarity!)

Je voudrais une tasse de cafe a porter..?

NB the gist of 'porter' here is 'to carry', not 'to wear'... though in this particular instance both might be appropriate...

Well, as we have already observed on this blog, things are different in different countries. And takeaway is one such example in France.

London, along with Singapore, Kuala Lumpur (in fact most modern cities - be this for good or bad) is encrusted with takeaway coffee shops. You can sit in too. But for a quick bevvy on your way to work Starbucks, Costa, Nero, Pret and others will happily offer you an ample, cardboard cup of your favourite hot drink to go. And it will probably have one of those handy spout/lid things so you can both keep it warm and drink as you walk. Hurrah.

So was my thinking as I set out one early morning from my Paris hotel to get breakfast. The hotel was charging 19 Euros for its own meagre offering, and I'd already located a fab local patissier / bakery nearby. So, croissant purchased, now all I needed was a coffee to go with it and I'd trot back to the hotel room. Down the street splayed a great selection of Parisien cafes. But takeaway..? Mais non!

It seems that the vibe of these establishments is most definitely SIT IN, chill, and enjoy the atmosphere at a leisurely pace. Rushing rudely out with your beverage in a crude American stylee seemed to be most unwelcome!

Finally I did find un cafe which said they could do takeaway for me. It was clearly not a regular thing for them, though, and caused a bit of confusion! In the end I got a small plastic cup (like the ones they have on water coolers) of cappuccino, no lid, for 2 Euros. So began a treacherous and careful trip back to the hotel clutching my flimsy open cup on a windy, winter morning.

But hey, the coffee and I both survived. And I got a pretty good Parisien breakfast for 4 Euros instead of 19. Can't complain.

Incidentally, later that day I discoverd a Starbucks in the small mall near to the hotel. I could have gone there. But you know, Starbucks is the same the world over, and sometimes it is nice to have a change!

PS Translation of title allowing for a few grammatical mistakes: "I'd like a cup of coffee to take-away"

Paris: Deyrolle gardening equipment & taxidermy...

Yes, as some of you know, I have been jetsetting around Europe. (OK just London and Paris.) And I must say this was one of this trip's Paris highlights for me!

You wander into this beautiful old building to find it sells gardening equipment, plus quality books and prints of plants and animals. So far so normal. But go upstairs and you will find an entire menagerie of creatures. Stuffed and preserved. Zebras, lions, a polar bear, pheasants, peacocks, mouse-deer, even guinea pigs and hamsters. Flying overhead are an array of beautiful, colourful birds; glass cases house hundreds of butterflies and exotic insects (some mounted formally, some arranged like they're flying gracefully). Also, that old Victorian classic - the amalgamated animal: a rabbit with wings and other oddities.

And it's not a 'fusty dusty' old stuffed creatures thing.. this place is very clean, and the animals are pristine.

Actually I had wondered what Deyrolle was; perhaps it was somebody's collection, or another sort of museum? In fact, the creatures, like the books and illustrations (and gardening gloves) are all for sale. If I had wanted to (I didn't) I could have purchased a beetle for 4 Euros... or a civet cat for a few thousand.

It turns out that this shop was opened in 1881 by Emile Deyrolle, a naturalist and natural history dealer (from a family of naturalists, in fact). And it had a predecessor elsewhere in Paris which was opened in 1831.

Today I would guess Deyrolle caters for a niche, and I do wonder who their market is! For a casual observer, though, it's a strangely educational and rather beautiful experience. Worth a look :)

(Btw photography is not allowed in there, so these pix are somebody else's!)

Deyrolle, 46 rue du Bac, Paris

A Chinese Tea Ceremony

I had never heard of one of these before, but found myself pulled into one today (by friends) at Chinatown's Tea Chapter. Luckily we had someobody who knew the good blends to choose, and how to do the 'works'. So here it is, annotated! You should be able to click on pix for zoom views.

The Tea Set - includes cups & 'fragrance cups' (the tall ones), plus a 'Justice Jug'. The Justice Jug is where you pour the tea before serving, as the tea direct from the pot changes in features during the pour. The jug ensures everyone gets an equal experience.
 

The Tea - the dark one (which has been smoked) left, and the light one of the same leaf, right.

The Implements - shovel for the tea, pokey thing to clean leaves out of the pot between brews, tongs to pick up hot cups etc.

 

Coasters :)

Warm all the chinaware (including tea pot) with hot water before starting. You can tip the used hot water into the tray afterwards. The glass water pourer is kept warm (but not boiling) over a small flame in its stand (you can just see it in background)...



You can empty out the boiling cups using those tongs!

Use the shovel to collect the tea - make sure not to break the leaves while doing this.

Fill the teapot about 3/4 full with leaves and add hot water. Let brew for less than 1 minute. This is the white porcelain teapot for the light tea. 

Tea is first poured into the 'fragrance cup'. Here you take in the aroma, then transfer the tea into your drinking cup (on the left). You then rub the tall fragrance cup between your hands, and smell again. The smell is actually different this time! You can do this again - the residual fragrance changes as the cup cools down. Now drink your tea. The light tea was very refreshing and aromatic. You don't have to use the fragrance cup for second pouring.

Next up: the dark tea - which is brewed in a clay teapot. You repeat the same process, however.

The dark tea had a much woodier fragrance, and was much stronger / more bitter to taste. It is more caffeine-laden too, which is probably why I'm writing this blog at past midnight! Incidentally, if you are a VIP, you should sit on the pourer's right.

As a snack to accompany our tea hours, we tried these boiled eggs, which have been steeped in tea and spices. The eggs kind of shrink inside the shell, which looks crackle-glazed. Actually, they were quite tasty - slightly sweet and tea-like! - though they might not be so appealing visually!

Our venue before it filled up.

Tea Chapter, 9-11 Neil Road, Singapore 088808
www.tea-chapter.com.sg

Construction

I have just moved (temporarily) to a beautiful new apartment in a posh part of Singapore. Weekends are glorious. But weekdays: non-stop 1 million db construction. Throughout working hours, the flat reverberates loudly with the sound of heavy duty drilling, hammering, pile-driving from next door.. They're putting up more condos nearby (and a new MRT I think). I have noticed that almost anywhere you go in Singapore (HDB*, condo, whatever) there will be full-scale or imminent construction nearby**. I even visited the ultra-swanky, family-focused Bukit Timah area, to note that building was underway on almost every corner.

Sinagpore's property prices are sky-high - more than London, and (from what I am told) more than Tokyo. Both renting and buying (if you dare) are hefty undertakings here. There is a lot of cash to be made from property, and huge swathes of the city cater for the ultra-rich.

But what I don't understand is, if one happened to be ultra-rich, why would you buy one of these amazing condos, when there are several miserable years of Towers 2, 3 & 4 going up next door? It's not so delightful being woken by, then listening to this mega-racket all day long; and not everybody works. In fact, observing wealthier groups, the model across races is quite likely to be high ranking working husband / stay-at-home wife with kids. Family life is strongly encouraged over here. But how many wives and babies are going to enjoy this?? And if you are rich, you have choices.

Surely not ALL these apartments are purchased by corporations, or mainland Chinese looking for rent-out investments? Do locals not mind the noise? Are half these condos empty? Or is it simply a question of ubiquity - ie you cannot avoid it, so why bother?

Personally, if I had a few million dollars to blow on Singapore property the first thing I would consider is peace, and the proximity of zero construction! Having said this, the likelihood of actually being in that position is on the wafer-slim-side. ^^

Right, off to do some work wearing earplugs.

One of Singapore's latest swanky condo developments
can't remember its name!

*HDB = public housing. Contrast with condominiums = posh private apartment blocks.

** Both local and immigrant population growths have slowed here over the past three years, but this seems to make no difference!

More lanterns

OK the mid-autumn / lantern festival is over. But here are some more from Chinatown, just because they're pretty. (They look like they were decorated by schools) :)

Add caption

Discoveries of the Week: snails, handbags & Facebook

Some of you will be relieved to know that Facebook doesn't track our likes and dislikes (or anything else relevant) in order to target advertising at us. I know this because since I arrived in Singapore, I have been under bombardment from 'ultra girly' ads. And my likes consist mainly of movies and combat sports. In Europe I was merely sold credit cards and invitations to Farmville. In Singapore, it seems, there are different expectations of women, and it's pretty full-on.

The ad routine - despite my endless 'hide' tactics - goes something like this:

1. Handbags, handbags, handbags
2. Dresses from Korea
3. Designer shoes
4. Designer babies (conceiving, then dressing)
5. Handbags, handbags, handbags
6. Dream (designer) weddings (with designer groom)
7. Handbags, handbags, handbags
8. Weight loss (presumably to help procure points 4 and 6 whilst clad in designer gear?)
9. Embroidered eyebrows
10. Snail cream.

Points 1-8, pur-lease, I do have a brain. Points 9 and 10 however.. more interesting...

'Embroidered eyebrows' (sometimes even THREE D embroidered eyebrows) what these? I have never heard of this before and had visions of foreheads merrily festooned with 'Home Sweet Home' cross-stitching or cute protruding roses. (Well that's how I know embroidery anyway).

And what on earth is 'snail cream' (which I initially read as a the manicure essential 'nail cream') - cream made from real snails?

Yep, more Asian research for me!

Eyebrow embroidery has nothing to do with sewing. It is a lightweight tattoo process, to give people with fine eyebrows, erm, eyebrows. I am not sure if this would be a big seller in Europe (where we spend a lot of time thinning our eyebrows) but who knows.

Snail cream really is skin cream made from real snails, or their slime! Yum. Sometimes the snails are fed on ginseng to boost the properties. It is supposed to make you very, very beautiful. Apparently the creams have already been on sale in Europe for some years... though I suspect under a very different brand name!

The Peranakan Museum

This was my Monday tea-time excursion, and I wish I'd left a little sooner, to allow more time here. I really enjoyed this visit. The museum was curated in a really fun, colourful way, and, it turns out coincidentally, there was a whole exhibition featuring one of my family in there!

Peranakan is a Malay term and it refers to the cultures and people of mixed-race heritage derived from intermarriage of traders and local women. Here (Singapore, Melaka, Penang for example) this normally means Chinese traders and local Malay women. But I found out 'peranakan' includes other groups such as the Jawa Peranakan (South Indian Muslim merchants and local women) and Chitty Melaka Peranakan (South Indian Hindu traders and locals). This region had great importance during the days of the Silk Route, so many foreigners put down roots here. (Not much has changed!)

The museum focuses on the unique culture and customs of the Straits Peranakan Chinese. Their wedding ceremony, housing, eating, religion and crafts. The ceramics are beautiful (pink and orange are included as 'lucky colours' in Chinese Peranakan lore, and butterfly, peony and phoenix motifs are also special. So you can tell these colourful pots and dishes apart from 'regular Chinese' ones!) I especially enjoyed the telephones display: three retro phones are lined up and if you listen, you get a conversation from 1950s, 1970s etc, reflecting a typical episode for Chinese Peranakans from those eras.

Also throughout the museum are 'levers' which will prettily emboss any sheet of paper you have with Peranakan symbols - I wish I'd taken some notepaper with me!

Which brings me on to: Emily of Emerald Hill

The current exhibition. 'Emily' is a well known play by Stella Kon, which tells the lifestory of Peranakan Chinese woman during the 20th century. And one of the famous Emily actors featured in the exhibition is my stepmother Pearlly Chua (herself Peranakan Chinese). All very random, but there you are! I really liked the way the museum put together this exhibition too. It wove in fun contemporary illustrations etc alongside historical artifacts relating to the play and character. And I really enjoyed the 'stamping desk' (results above)!

Anyway, here's the typical Blogger-style badly laid-out pix which I can't caption, but click for slideshow! Check out the website below for more info.

 

 

 

Open most days, admission SG$6
39 Armenian Street, Singapore 179941
City Hall or Bras Basah MRT
http://www.peranakanmuseum.sg/home/home.asp

There's also a shop and cool little shoebox cafe on site, which I must investigate next time.