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| Part of the selection |
Sunday, 29 April 2012
Chi chi kimchi
Revelation! Kimchi (Korean spicy pickled condiment) comes in all varieties! (Apparently.) Not just cabbage and cucumber, but many other veggies, crustaceans, fish, strange wiggly things... How about prawn and walnut kimchi... or this one (below)?
Friday, 27 April 2012
England: Sidmouth
Since I mentioned Sidmouth before (as a contrast to Whitney, Thongs and Adventures on Sentosa, 18 April!), I thought I'd write post on it. Actually I haven't been there for a few years, but it is close to where I grew up and it is a very pretty little seaside town!
Sidmouth is situated on the south coast of Devon (a British county) - in the South West of England. It takes 2-3 hours from London to reach the nearest mainline train station at Exeter. From there you will need a car to drive the eight or so miles to the coast. Public transportation does not really exist in rural UK areas, whatever people try to tell you. Trains go the larger towns, after that you need your own wheels!
Summer is by far the prettiest and best time to see this town - though it can get crowded in July and August. In my experience most of Sidmouth's tourists are British rather than international. But if you want to sample English things outside of the 'usual' cities, Sidmouth is not a bad place to start :)
What I like most about this town are the little streets and old-fashioned buildings. You will get a definite feel of how England was back in the late 19th and early 20th centuries here if you explore some of the back-streets. It was once a favourite place of Queen Victoria's family and has an old-fashioned seaside grandeur alongside a cosy, village feeling. A lot of the town is now a conservation site.
Over the summer months there is a folk festival week (normally early August) and I've frequently seen traditional parades of Morris Dancers there. Sidmouth also regularly wins national and international awards for its town floral displays - not to mention people's own gardens. [The population here is tiny - around 15,000 - with a large percentage of garden-proud retirees!]
Sidmouth's beach is mostly made from pebbles, with a little sand at the 'Jacob's Ladder' end. And if you are used to warm waters, be warned: the sea here is cold, even in summer - test it before jumping in! There, are, however, some stunning countryside walks across the clifftops - if trekking and views are your thing.
Other things you can try at Sidmouth:
Sidmouth is situated on the south coast of Devon (a British county) - in the South West of England. It takes 2-3 hours from London to reach the nearest mainline train station at Exeter. From there you will need a car to drive the eight or so miles to the coast. Public transportation does not really exist in rural UK areas, whatever people try to tell you. Trains go the larger towns, after that you need your own wheels!
Summer is by far the prettiest and best time to see this town - though it can get crowded in July and August. In my experience most of Sidmouth's tourists are British rather than international. But if you want to sample English things outside of the 'usual' cities, Sidmouth is not a bad place to start :)
Over the summer months there is a folk festival week (normally early August) and I've frequently seen traditional parades of Morris Dancers there. Sidmouth also regularly wins national and international awards for its town floral displays - not to mention people's own gardens. [The population here is tiny - around 15,000 - with a large percentage of garden-proud retirees!]
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| Traditional Morris Dancers! |
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| Jacob's Ladder & path down to beach |
Other things you can try at Sidmouth:
- Visit the Norman Lockyer Observatory (up the hill, on the outskirts of the town). This is a tiny, friendly place with a real, scaled-down planetarium inside! Really worth a visit.
- Locally made, Devonshire ice-cream
- A proper Devonshire cream tea (with scones, jam and clotted cream)
- Scrumpy (a harsh, local farmers' cider made from apples)
- Visit nearby attractions like the thatched village of Branscombe; plus A La Ronde, Killerton House and other National Trust sites http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/a-la-ronde/
- Local fish and chips
- There is a small, strange local museum!
- Further up the coast: the posher but also very nice seaside towns of Beer and Lyme Regis (Lyme Regis is famous for fossils)
Happy visiting!
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| Branscombe |
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Photo credits, thanks to: Fotolibra, megahowto.com, door2tour, trainsferriesbuses.com, worldheritagecoast.net, paintings-art blogspot
Thursday, 26 April 2012
The British Isles cleaned up
OK. Had some queries about this after the St George post. Hopefully this image will help! My European homeland has lots of different names, and these depend on which regions are included.
Actually the politics of all the regions (Wales, Scotland etc) and how they are governed is pretty complex and I don't want to get hooked up with all that here. In fact some of the naming for the Irish parts is also quite complicated. But to put it very broadly, The Republic of Ireland (Eire) does its own thing. While England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are linked.
(Geographically, however, Eire is still part of the British Isles.)
Hope I got that right!
ps I hope you like my stunning, hand-crafted drawings (^^)
Actually the politics of all the regions (Wales, Scotland etc) and how they are governed is pretty complex and I don't want to get hooked up with all that here. In fact some of the naming for the Irish parts is also quite complicated. But to put it very broadly, The Republic of Ireland (Eire) does its own thing. While England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are linked.
(Geographically, however, Eire is still part of the British Isles.)
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| Click to enlarge image. |
Hope I got that right!
ps I hope you like my stunning, hand-crafted drawings (^^)
Nosh of the Day: black cakes
From Muji (which as I mentioned, sells food in Asian branches). In fact the cakes are black sesame (黒ごま) with something muffins. If anyone can read the second set of characters let me know! Mildly sweet, nutty flavour with small sesame bits in. Not as scary as they look!
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Singapore: Chinatown
Free Sunday, sunshine, charged-up camera. Time for some exploration! I'd seen Little India and the Arab quarter on previous visits, so Chinatown it was.
A Chinatown in Chinese Singapore? I hear you cry! Well Chinatown is an expat term; locals apparently use the original Chinese or Malay names for the area. Plus Singapore was once a British Colony, and back then, it seems this district was more concentrated with Chinese residents.
Today, a lot of the area's small streets and pretty, shophouse-style architecture is listed, and you will find 'trendy' SMEs have their offices here. Some parts are also heinously touristy. I avoided the latter as much as possible, and wandered other streets. I even found some graffiti, and a small, hidden park behind a row of houses!
(Again, ridiculous Blogger picture layout - it won't even load in the order I specify and has started deleting pix I try to caption! - but click on images to enlarge!)
A Chinatown in Chinese Singapore? I hear you cry! Well Chinatown is an expat term; locals apparently use the original Chinese or Malay names for the area. Plus Singapore was once a British Colony, and back then, it seems this district was more concentrated with Chinese residents.
Today, a lot of the area's small streets and pretty, shophouse-style architecture is listed, and you will find 'trendy' SMEs have their offices here. Some parts are also heinously touristy. I avoided the latter as much as possible, and wandered other streets. I even found some graffiti, and a small, hidden park behind a row of houses!
(Again, ridiculous Blogger picture layout - it won't even load in the order I specify and has started deleting pix I try to caption! - but click on images to enlarge!)
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| Buddha Tooth Relic Temple |
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| Affectionate pigeons in the park! |
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Graffiti by graphics agency on their own offices - I doubt it would be tolerated otherwise in Singapore!  |
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
England: St George's Day
Yesterday was St George's Day - officially England's national day. And I only found out because a Chinese friend of mine mentioned it on Facebook! It's SO not a big deal back in London. This is probably partly because it's not a public holiday (always guaranteed to be more memorable to Brits!) and we're generally uninterested in things with religious connotations. But to be honest, St Patrick's Day* isn't a London holiday either - and we see more celebrations for that in the capital than for George.
Each of the states in the British Isles has a 'patron saint' (a sort of 'mascot saint'). Saints are characters (I am not sure how many were real people, how many are myth?) that were awarded the sainthood by doing something very laudible in the Christian faith.
St George is England's patron saint, and his cross forms the English flag (red cross, white background - also incorporated into the British Union Jack flag). In fact, it turns out he was a Roman soldier from Syria who existed around the 3rd century AD - and he's a pretty big deal internationally. In folklore, his famous and laudible action was to slay a dragon and save a princess.
It seems the soldier and Christian martyr George did really exist. But the tales of his dragon-killing adventures did not appear until around 1000 years after his death - and might not be true!
In the myth, George reportedly saved a Silenian princess, who was decked out in bridal gear and offered as a sacrifice to the dragon. Visions of Harry Hamlin on a winged horse spring to mind? The tale could well be an adaptation of the ancient Greek myth of Perseus and Andromeda, though other old myths also fit the bill.
Unfortunately in the past few decades, the cross of St George (and Union Jack) were used as emblems for the English fanatical and violent right wing, and thus have a bad image. Perhaps this is also a reason why the bulk of English citizens somewhat ignore St George's Day? But the brand is changing a bit today, and there are movements to reclaim both flags as inclusive and patriotic rather than as a sign of bigotry. In fact I think there is also a lobby to make St George's Day a national holiday.. let's see how that pans out!
*St Patrick - Ireland's patron saint. On St Patrick's day even in England you will still find celebrations, and people wearing daft hats (usually orange/green or with Shamrock leaf motifs) going on drinking binges. Scotland has St Andrew, Wales has St David - neither of which we hear much about in England, though I am sure they are celebrated locally!
Each of the states in the British Isles has a 'patron saint' (a sort of 'mascot saint'). Saints are characters (I am not sure how many were real people, how many are myth?) that were awarded the sainthood by doing something very laudible in the Christian faith.
St George is England's patron saint, and his cross forms the English flag (red cross, white background - also incorporated into the British Union Jack flag). In fact, it turns out he was a Roman soldier from Syria who existed around the 3rd century AD - and he's a pretty big deal internationally. In folklore, his famous and laudible action was to slay a dragon and save a princess.
It seems the soldier and Christian martyr George did really exist. But the tales of his dragon-killing adventures did not appear until around 1000 years after his death - and might not be true!
In the myth, George reportedly saved a Silenian princess, who was decked out in bridal gear and offered as a sacrifice to the dragon. Visions of Harry Hamlin on a winged horse spring to mind? The tale could well be an adaptation of the ancient Greek myth of Perseus and Andromeda, though other old myths also fit the bill.
Unfortunately in the past few decades, the cross of St George (and Union Jack) were used as emblems for the English fanatical and violent right wing, and thus have a bad image. Perhaps this is also a reason why the bulk of English citizens somewhat ignore St George's Day? But the brand is changing a bit today, and there are movements to reclaim both flags as inclusive and patriotic rather than as a sign of bigotry. In fact I think there is also a lobby to make St George's Day a national holiday.. let's see how that pans out!
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| Famous painting of St George and the Dragon, by Paolo Uccello, 1456 |
*St Patrick - Ireland's patron saint. On St Patrick's day even in England you will still find celebrations, and people wearing daft hats (usually orange/green or with Shamrock leaf motifs) going on drinking binges. Scotland has St Andrew, Wales has St David - neither of which we hear much about in England, though I am sure they are celebrated locally!
Monday, 23 April 2012
Five Things You Can Do in Singapore - but Should Never Do in London!
Yep, more culture clashing! Some good, some bad. Brits in Singapore (including myself!) have been deeply offended by some of the below; trusting Asian friends in London have had downright scary experiences such as muggings. Hopefully a little pain and hassle can be avoided with the below observations and advice...
1. Walk openly with a map. Blissfully OK in Singapore. You can probably get away with this in the central, tourist parts of London, too. But in general reading a map equals "I don't know my way around and am vulnerable." Vulnerability in London means a more likely target for thieves / pervs etc. As a female walking alone there, I'd never show I'm unsure of surroundings - even as a local! Ideally prepare your route before you leave and only check map discreetly if you must.
2. Ask personal questions such as your age, religion or salary. This seems common in Singapore. It's considered rude in the UK, and the above are actually restricted by law. If you ask a colleague their salary you can be dismissed from your job in the UK. In England, all these questions are absolutely verboten in job interviews and will be very unpopular socially too!
3. Not continually guard you bag / pockets. In Singapore you can do things like *gasp!* put your bag on the floor while you eat in a restaurant; walk with your wallet obviously in your back pocket, or with your bag unzipped / open; or leave your phone on the table while chatting in a public place. Do not do these things in London! Sadly, they are a pickpocket's dream.
If you're eating out in London, make sure your bag is zipped and on your lap or looped around your foot / knee. If you're a guy, don't leave a wallet or phone in a jacket draped over your chair. Make sure you can phyically feel anything valuable at all times. I've had my bag stolen from the floor next to my feet; friends have had phones/wallets stolen from cafe tables. Both involved some sort of diversionary tactic by the thieves, such as one asking you to buy something, while the other deftly takes the items. Beware!
4. Make an entire journey on public transport (with changes) while engaged with your smartphone. I have discovered this is one of the key reasons why people walk slowly in Singapore!
If you try this in London a) you'll probably get squished by fast-moving commuters. b) someone might well grab your phone. Again, using flash gadgetry in public is merely an advertisement to thieves.
5. Accept gifts (such as meals) from friends or contacts, without protest. You can accept in England too, but it is customary to put up a protest such as 'Oh no, please let me pay', even if you accept in the end. If the offerer is somebody who is clearly not so wealthy or on an equal sort of job level as you are, you might insist on paying for your half. In England this is considered polite / considerate. In Asia, it could seem like a rejection - the gift is offered as a sign of willing generosity, so don't knock it!
Minefields indeed. I don't wish to scare you off London, btw - it's a fab place! - but the difference between London (and I suspect also New York, Paris etc) and safe cities such as Singapore or Tokyo is quite marked, so it's good to be aware when you visit!
1. Walk openly with a map. Blissfully OK in Singapore. You can probably get away with this in the central, tourist parts of London, too. But in general reading a map equals "I don't know my way around and am vulnerable." Vulnerability in London means a more likely target for thieves / pervs etc. As a female walking alone there, I'd never show I'm unsure of surroundings - even as a local! Ideally prepare your route before you leave and only check map discreetly if you must.
2. Ask personal questions such as your age, religion or salary. This seems common in Singapore. It's considered rude in the UK, and the above are actually restricted by law. If you ask a colleague their salary you can be dismissed from your job in the UK. In England, all these questions are absolutely verboten in job interviews and will be very unpopular socially too!
3. Not continually guard you bag / pockets. In Singapore you can do things like *gasp!* put your bag on the floor while you eat in a restaurant; walk with your wallet obviously in your back pocket, or with your bag unzipped / open; or leave your phone on the table while chatting in a public place. Do not do these things in London! Sadly, they are a pickpocket's dream.
If you're eating out in London, make sure your bag is zipped and on your lap or looped around your foot / knee. If you're a guy, don't leave a wallet or phone in a jacket draped over your chair. Make sure you can phyically feel anything valuable at all times. I've had my bag stolen from the floor next to my feet; friends have had phones/wallets stolen from cafe tables. Both involved some sort of diversionary tactic by the thieves, such as one asking you to buy something, while the other deftly takes the items. Beware!
4. Make an entire journey on public transport (with changes) while engaged with your smartphone. I have discovered this is one of the key reasons why people walk slowly in Singapore!
If you try this in London a) you'll probably get squished by fast-moving commuters. b) someone might well grab your phone. Again, using flash gadgetry in public is merely an advertisement to thieves.
5. Accept gifts (such as meals) from friends or contacts, without protest. You can accept in England too, but it is customary to put up a protest such as 'Oh no, please let me pay', even if you accept in the end. If the offerer is somebody who is clearly not so wealthy or on an equal sort of job level as you are, you might insist on paying for your half. In England this is considered polite / considerate. In Asia, it could seem like a rejection - the gift is offered as a sign of willing generosity, so don't knock it!
Minefields indeed. I don't wish to scare you off London, btw - it's a fab place! - but the difference between London (and I suspect also New York, Paris etc) and safe cities such as Singapore or Tokyo is quite marked, so it's good to be aware when you visit!
PS Here's an extreme version of Point 5 - actually two Irish women, but the sentiment's the same! ^^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=571YIyOkAEM
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Singapore: Bare grills
I love this fab, 60s/70s ironwork around Tiong Bahru. It reminds me of my childhood in SE Asia. Iron grillwork is good for keeping windows/doors open for breeze, but not for burglars / creatures!
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