British Christmas Nosh

Well, it's Christmas Day, and I'm in the tropics, listening to BBC World Service, instead of being in the UK preparing the traditionally biggest meal of the year. (For Christians, or lapsed-Christians, at least!) I am of course not complaining about being under swishing palm trees in SE Asia, but as a bit of nostalgia, and for non-Brits who might have wondered: here are the traditional - and things that have become suspiciously traditional - items UK people eat on Christmas Day!

The Roast Bird (traditional)
This is the big one. The roast would be for either lunch or dinner on Christmas Day - or in my family, because it was such a huge deal, at about 3pm as the sole meal for the day! The eating, drinking and conversation for this feast might actually last for a few hours anyway. Depending on your family size / preference / budget the bird might be turkey, or chicken, or (more rare) goose. Even more rare are pheasant or duck, which are old-fashioned traditional options.

The bird is usually served with stuffing (mixed ingredients that get roasted inside the bird - often apricot and chestnut, or sausage meat and herbs but there are many recipes); roast potatoes; cooked winter vegetables such as Brussels sprouts and carrots; cranberry sauce (for turkey); and gravy. You also might have additions like roasted parsnips, bacon / sausage, and other things depending on your family preference.

This meal is very much an at-home event for families or shared with friends if you are away from your family. We often accompany it with Christmas Crackers (festive items which 'pop' when you pull them, and usually have inside a toy, a joke or proverb and a paper crown). You will thus see many UK Christmas tables surrounded by people wearing ridiculous paper hats. Adults might drink alcohol along with a Christmas roast. 

Christmas Pudding (traditional)
A hot, very rich-tasting dessert made with raisins, candied fruits and other things, which is traditionally steamed over hours before eating (now it can be microwaved - phew!) Often a liqueur such as brandy is poured over the pudding, and then set on fire as it is brought to the table (pretty blue flame!) Christmas pudding is too rich to eat alone, and is normally served with brandy sauce, brandy butter, custard, double cream or sometimes these days, vanilla ice cream. It is usually eaten as dessert to the Christmas roast. 

In old tradition, a coin would be included in the pudding mixture as well. The person who then got the coin in their dessert portion was believed to have good luck for the coming year. I am not sure how popular this custom still is, however. I think it was removed from ready-made puddings perhaps due to health-and-safety concerns for people mistakenly swallowing coins!


Christmas Cake (traditional)
And if you weren't already feeling stuffed enough, there is always Christmas cake for later on. This again is a very rich-tasting fruitcake recipe. Basically, as with the Christmas Pudding, it contains raisins, sultanas, candied peels - ingredients which traditionally would be available during winter months. Christmas cake is usually wrapped in marzipan, and then frosted with white sugar icing. In my opinion, you only need the tiniest slice of this cake as it is a pretty intense experience! 

A Gammon Ham (traditional)
A large cooked ham, often glazed with honey, or brown sugar and cloves. You don't eat it with the Christmas roast, but maybe (if you can manage it) cold as a snack before or after the big Christmas meal, or at other times over the festive break.

Mince pies (traditional)
These are my favourite Christmas food! They are small pastry pies filled with mincemeat - which in this case does not mean 'meat' but a combination of raisins, sultanas, preserved fruits and spices. So they are sweet. The pastry is usually shortcrust, but you can also have puff-pastry varieties. Mince pies are best served hot as a snack or with tea, and are nice with a bit of cream, custard or brandy sauce.

Satsumas/tangerines and clementines (traditional)
I think these were originally introduced to the West as luxury items from Asia in the 18th or 19th century. Little oranges are sometimes also called 'Christmas oranges' due to their popularity as festive treats. And they are possibly the only low-calorie snack that is tradition over the season! 

Chocolate Brazils & Quality Street (new-traditional)
Chocolates in general are ubiquitous at the modern British Christmas. But chocolate-coated nuts (in particular Brazil nuts) have become part of our tradition! I have a feeling this trend might have started in the 1970s, I suspect as a result of clever marketing by Cadbury or other chocolate-brazil vendors! 

Quality Street is a brand of mixed chocolates, wrapped in pretty foils, which often get given and eaten at Christmas in the UK. The wrappers can be kept and lead to creative sessions for children over the holiday too! (Incidentally, looking this up on Wikipedia, I was shocked to note that the purple one and the red cracknel one have now been discontinued - UK children of the 80s will know what I am talking about here!) 

Christmas Cookies (new-traditional)
These are not British custom as far as I know (British people don't say 'cookies' we say 'biscuits' anyway!) They are traditional across a lot of continental Europe and also North America, using either gingerbread or biscuit recipes. But they're now gaining popularity in the UK. Not least as they are pretty and quite fun for a family to bake and decorate. 

Panettone (new-traditional)
This is a traditional Christmas item from Italy. But it has become popular in some parts of the UK as a (much lighter!) alternative to Christmas cake. It is a light, fluffy bread/sponge containing sultanas and candied peels. You will see Panettone on sale over the break in many shops and cafés in the UK. 

Merry Christmas, everyone! 

Woop - we just hit 8000 views!

Not bad for a very low-key site :)

Painted bamboo shop blinds & the 'Five Foot Way'

These blinds are a total throwback to my early childhood, when we lived in a medium-sized town in Malaysia. The main streets were festooned with illustrative blinds, painted in a slightly naive style I really love now. The purpose of the blinds was purely practical, however. Firstly they were to provide shade for shoppers along the 'Five Foot Way', and keep the shops themselves cooler. Secondly they doubled as advertising hoardings - for the vendor's name, or a full ad for a sponsoring brand. I clearly remember jolly, painted, toothpaste ads - complete with the product, toothbrush and a smiling lady (wearing a slight beehive and appropriately retro fashion). But the paintings could depict - usually packaged - products of any variety. 

In the old 'Chinese shophouse' style of architecture (which you can see even now throughout South East Asia) each street had rows of ground-level shops, separated from the road by both a deep storm-drain, and a covered walkway, which allowed people to move to-and-fro without expiring in the scorching heat. The walkway was roughly Five Feet wide, hence the name. When I was little, additional vendors would set up tiny stools or stalls selling trinkets and other items in the Five Foot Way itself. I used to love these - there was bling galore, a huge attraction for a small child! 

So anyway, the bamboo blinds hung on the outside of the Five Foot Way, thus shielding people from both tropical sun and rain. Some blinds had 'gaps' cut in them, so that shoppers could pass into the street at intervals. I can't find much information about these features, and so I have no idea when the blinds became popular, or the corresponding painted ads. But I'd make a guess at early-mid 20th century for the ads at least, and judging by the fashions depicted, there are still a few in existence from the 60s and 70s. (If anyone knows more - please comment!) 

It's rare to see originals of these delightful commercials now. I am sure they existed in Singapore as well, but have yet to see one after three years living in the city! You can still find a few in the smaller towns of Malaysia, however. And today's modern 'hipster' movement in places like Penang and Ipoh is also restoring and emulating them in a contemporary context. And although I agree that every city needs to develop and keep economically sound, I still have a great fondness for the old originals that remind me of childhood!

I found these examples on a recent trip to Ipoh in Malaysia. Most are originals, and there's even a sign-maker advertised in one of the photos - I wonder if he, or someone in his family, was once a painter of these lovely old ads?  [You can click on the photos for a larger slideshow - picture formatting is a disaster on Blogger, as usual, sorry!]

Tattoos and Lost in Translation

Remember the Western celebrity trend for having tattoos done using Chinese and Japanese characters (also Thai, Sanskrit and other languages)? Britney, P!nk, Angelina, the Spice Girls' Mel C all have them. And I noticed some years ago that this trend was catching on around London as well. Why not, it looks cool, right?

Cool, until a friend from Beijing  pointed out to me with some amusement, that the girl at the table next to us had a tattoo on her arm which meant 'Ladies Toilet'.

And this is the thing. I have a very rudimentary grasp of written Chinese and Japanese, but even EYE know you can't translate things literally. How you combine characters matters! Every modern language has nuance and colloquialisms, and in fact the whole way of thinking behind Japanese and Chinese language systems is completely different from Western languages and thinking. So you can't just pick up a dictionary and translate things word for word. You need to know how the language works to convey the meaning ...and also how these characters might be read in the modern context. It's like my Japanese friends who keep saying 'I will meet you around the backside'. This makes perfect sense, logically - it is the back, side of the building. But in everyday British English backside only has one real meaning: somebody's posterior! 

And the same for this poor girl's tattoo.  女 is a Chinese character meaning 'woman' or 'female'. But in everyday Chinese - and you see this here in Singapore too - it is the sign for Ladies Toilets!

There has also been controversy over some celebrity tattoos - which look great but have no or confusing meaning in the Asian language they're supposed to represent. Tattoos are kind of a permanent thing. And you would think that (especially if you're a wealthy celebrity) it would be worth getting a proper translator on board before actually committing to the design! 

Meanwhile, I welcome any input from Japanese or Chinese speakers as to whether Mel C's tattoo (below) really means 'Girl Power' - or not! 

Body consciousness in Singapore & My Daily Juice

Ha! Food and martial arts labels in one post! Well, actually because apparently we're all supposed to be on 'warrior diets'. But mainly because this store is the place I now drop in to after training to re-hydrate at an affordable price :)

Here in Singapore, there is a big fashion for fitness and healthy eating. High protein, high fruit and veg diets, with low carbs, lots of juices, kale, avocado, beetroot, coconut being very trendy right now. Eating healthily is important for all athletes, but to be honest, most of us are not Michael Phelps (who I seem to remember eats large amounts of pizza?) and I strongly suspect it's in large part, a fad. From the States, maybe? I trained for years in the UK among some fairly serious athletes, without all this coming into play! And a lot of trendy juice bars cost a fortune, which is simply impractical for mortals.

Also of course, we have hot weather in Singapore, and this has led to pockets of very body-conscious (or body self-conscious) people. In Northern Europe, your weekend exercise relaxation might be a country walk/run wrapped anonymously in fleeces, wicking pants and a kagool; in SG it might be beach volleyball. That means trunks / bikini. (Argh!) And there are a lot of people here, and venues, which (yes, this came as a hilarious surprise to me, after a lifetime in Europe!) focus on looking good in swimwear, and posing in it socially! (Wefie, anyone?)

Anyway, I'm no Jessica Biel, but I do like a tasty juice after hours of sweating and punching. Mostly after training one craves KFC, so to find a yummy, affordable replacement, without the processed fat and chemicals is defo good!

I stumbled upon this place in an unglamorous mall near Chinatown (and fortunately on my walk from boxing gym to bus home!) Not sure if they've entirely got their market sorted out yet - they seem to do a bit of everything. But I go there for the fresh juices. They specialise in Avocado juices, but there are Kale, Beetroot and all the other fruit/veg options. And most of the juices are around SG$4 (UK £2), which works for me. The only issue is I think it shuts on Saturdays, and around 7pm on weekdays - so if you're training late or after work, no go. But for my daytime training days, it's my go-to! Yum.

Avocado, banana, honey

Avocado, green apple 

My Daily Juice
#01-03 China Square Central
Singapore

Matcha of the Day: Muji instant matcha latte

Yes, Muji in Asia sells food !* And while I was rummaging around I found this! Woohoo! My matcha obsession continues - so what better than to have it at home?

OK I am not sure how healthy this instant version is, but it's easy and tastes pretty OK. It's actually sweet even without added syrup .. in fact it is suspiciously like Starbuck's matcha latte which makes me wonder if they use the same instant stuff! The real deal - such as Tsujiri - is neutral/bitter without syrup. For this instant version, you just add hot water (or water with hot milk like I did) to a tablespoonful of the green powder, stir, drink. The packet costs around SG$6.50, so even if you can only make 6 drinks from it, that's still a good cost saving on getting a daily Starbucks. Worth a try.

 

* Muji in the UK only sells clothing and home/office items (or at least it still did in 2012 when I was last there!)

The Art of Armpit Advertising

Hmm. OK this is not a cultural thing, as these ads are mostly Western brands. But while shopping for sports gear recently, I was struck by the number of armpits that appear in sports and fitness ads. OK, I know we sporty people do some things with our arms up - but we also do a lot of things without our armpits on show. And not sure if pits are really the most impressive part of an athlete's physique either! But most of the ads used them and it started to become a bit of a hilarious cliche. ^^ Just a thought, if there are any sports marketers reading this! 

A Gift of Pickles

I think. Well, OK, I was told they were pickles and they taste pretty picklish! This was a gift brought over from Japan, which is a major treat. And like most gifts from Japan, it came beautifully packaged too. The pickles seem to be vegetables - slices of gherkin type things, and maybe mushroom? - in different sauces.  My Japanese reading is not good enough to translate the labels, so I just went ahead and ate the contents on rice! All good. :)

A visit to Ramen Champion

Ramen Champion is a 'mini village' (in a mall) in Singapore, which has exclusively ramen restaurants in it. It's quite famous among local ramen-fans (there are a lot!) and I made my first visit there last weekend.

In fact Ramen Champion is a competition, which I think was conceived in either Singapore or Hong Kong. A cluster of top ramen outfits from Japan were invited to set up a stall at the Ramen Champion site, and each vendor competes on sales (and I believe social media voting). The winner gets to keep the stand in Singapore. The rest get sent home. The competition started in 2011 apparently, and is still going. With new vendors being continually invited in to 'ramen-off'. I'm not sure how long each competition period lasts for, but presumably previous winners are still there. The outcome either way, is some very nice ramen!

What is ramen?
Ramen is a type of Japanese noodle, which is usually served in a soup along with other ingredients (often char-siu pork; bamboo shoots; fungus; some nori seaweed; often a delicious kind of preserved egg - but there are many variations). Anyone from the UK: ramen is not that watery soup you find in Wagamama and other outlets! Nor is that just-add-hot-water packet stuff you can buy for 50p in Chinatown ;) I have never found proper ramen in London, and was surprised / delighted by what I tasted in Japan! Ramen is acually a delicious, flavoursome broth packed with goodies, and the whole deal feels like a very fulfilling meal. There are many regional variations of ramen across Japan, with different broth recipes, different add-in ingredients. There are red versions, black versions, white versions, spicy versions, fishy versions... You can usually choose your type of ramen noodle as well (thin, thicker, 'al-dente' whatever). Yum! So in E Asia, you get many ramen-buffs, who savour and compare the different types. In Asia, most good ramen outlets serve only ramen. 

Anyway, I went with two ramen-buffs to Ramen Champion, and was recommended a shio ramen option from the Shodai Koji stall (shio ramen is one of my favourite types). I kept it simple, and I must say it was pretty good. But I will be going back again to try more and more unusual options! (The Pork God sounds interesting ;) )

 

Singapore: Ten Ways to Spot a McGym / McDojo / McDojang

As some of you know, I've been training at martial arts, pretty seriously, for nearly 10 years. A few different styles, both traditional and modern/competitive. I am no Grand-Master or Olympic athlete, but I love it. It really is one of the most rewarding, challenging and fulfilling things I have found - not to mention that I've met great groups of people in my clubs and squads, who feel the same way!

I have a rule that when I travel for any period of time, I try to train at some martial arts in that country. I've done taekwondo in Malaysia, muay thai in Thailand, went to karate HQ in Tokyo, tried (and failed!) to find Khmer boxing in Cambodia ^^ (though I did find Western boxing). Basically I have been lucky to find that in many countries, I can join places where I find like-minded people. People who love their art, respect it, and train determinedly, through mental challenge, sweat, bruises, and inevitable injuries to improve. For life. And know the rewards this brings. I've found this mindset is pretty similar world-over, and regardless of language, culture and the style of martial art.

So when I moved to the modern city of Singapore, I was pretty confident I'd find a good club or clubs. Taekwondo is my main art, with a few others thrown in. And taekwondo is one of the most fast-growing and accessible martial arts in the world. But actually I have now been in SG for nearly three years, tried out countless clubs for my different arts, and have found it extremely difficult to find anything genuine. Yes, there are a plethora of taekwondo, MMA and other schools here, a lot are flashy, brilliantly advertised, claim to be the best of the best, and seem to have instructors with incredible CV's - but they don't actually teach you real martial arts.

This kind of 'martial arts' establishment is known, and joked about in real martial arts circles as McGym / McDojo / McDojang (depending on what you're trying to learn)! They're the butt of hilariousness in the UK, but I'd never actually encountered a fully fledged one before. In Singapore, there are A LOT of McPremises!

A real Dojo or fight gym puts your (yes your!) training at the heart of everything it does. Your instructors will identify your strengths, potential, things to correct, and work with you on bettering them. If you're good, or enthusiastic, they will notice and nurture it. If you're struggling, they'll guide you. In the end all students hopefully will be learning and improving, together. The aim is to make you and your team better.

The aim of the McGym/McDojang is crucially NOT to coach their students individually through a fascinating life-journey (though they will undoubtedly claim this in their advertising). Their aim is to boost their own brand, make cash and pull in increasing volumes of new customers (to make more cash). There's nothing wrong with cash per se (though I believe it goes against some traditional martial arts philosophies) but at the McGym, cash and their own external image will come first, second and third - before any consideration of students' learning, passion or talent. Real martial arts is like a delicious, nutritious roast dinner - the McGym will give you.. well Fast Food! (But unlike a McDonald's, it claims to be a home-cooked roast dinner and actually charges you more!)

In short: McDojo might look and be great for a pose, but you won't learn much, or reap any of the life-building rewards that the real deal offers. 

More confusingly, in Singapore at least, McPremises will market themselves as The Real Martial Arts - when they certainly aren't. I guess there is no trade description about the spirit of martial arts! But I've had to go through a lot of trial and expense to find this out.

So, particularly for newbies who might be considering martial arts in Singapore, here are ten things to be wary of, and which most McDojos and McGyms share in common: 

1. They cost a lot. And this is a classic case of Perceived User Value. Beginners look at the flash premises, shiny marketing and exorbitant fees and think, 'It must be good, maybe I should sign up?'. Actually, all it really means is that they charge a lot, look great, and provide nicer toilets than the local community centre. But you might get better teaching at the CC. 

2. They will try to lock you into a contract, which you have to pay a penalty to exit. Some will even refuse to let you progress through classes (regardless of talent!) unless you sign your life away on the locked contract. This of course has nothing to do with how skilled or passionate you are, or how hard you train; it's about them reaping cash rewards. It also means that however carelessly they might treat you as a customer, you can't leave without penalties. This implies that maybe existing customers ARE quietly disappointed - and would have left if not locked into these contracts. Don't sign it! A place which allows students flexibility, and is STILL full of regular members is probably a far better prospect! 

3. It might be in a prominent place in town, with large windows so that passers-by can watch you train. And you can show off. This is more nifty advertising by McDojang. You are being used as a showcase / lure for their endlessly targeted 'new business prospects'. It's about playing on people's narcissism, and they've assumed you're stupid enough to fall for it. Martial arts is not about looking hot, or having a great matching crop-top ensemble to show the public. If you're good at real martial arts, you will most certainly get respect, and you won't need to do this 'on show'. (Except at tournaments etc, obviously!) 

4. As mentioned, it will have a roster of impressive-sounding instructors. But this means nothing unless the McDojo actually teaches you real martial arts, AND you get to train directly with these stars. You don't need a Boxing World Champion in the room if all you are doing is keep fit, hitting a bag. If you are already a competitor at boxing and can get proper classes with, and coaching from this Champ, then you might well find it useful. But my experience in Singapore is, for example, fabulous sounding Korean taekwondo instructors, who might be brilliant fighters.. but the most you will actually be allowed to get from them in McDojang is 'kick drills'. I can do these kick drills at home. Or at the community centre! Again - it's all about image and marketing. And not about actual service. 

5. Classes / gradings are surprisingly non-taxing. Classes might be just long enough to give you some cardio, but not really too exhausting. And your gradings to get belts require a few dance moves, or sloppily executed techniques, but nothing that actually will require hard work or push your limits. The real way you learn (and not just in martial arts, I think!) is by challenging yourself, pushing yourself continually a bit more than you think you can humanly manage. And you will survive. And next time, you can do more. And you will realise that your limits and abilities are far greater than your comfort zone. THAT is real reward. NOT a gilded certificate, or new belt, that looks great to show off with, but taught you nothing. McGym thrives on the superficial and on some unfortunate people's attraction to it. A high fee with a pushover grading is kind of equivalent to just walking into a store and purchasing a certificate or belt. (And, incidentally, will become embarrassingly obvious if you ever find yourself exposed to real martial artists in the future!) Don't you deserve the chance to get the real deal? 

6. Fabulous advertising. Well, it's all about image and revenue, so what do you expect? The slicker the marketing is, the more 'Mc' this establishment probably is, unfortunately. Great ads and frequent TV appearances doesn't mean they offer a great service to students; it means they have an impressive, well funded PR department. This in turn implies a couple of things: a) that they're investing a ton in marketing, which in another place might instead be going back into services for the students; b) that getting new customers might be more important to them than looking after their existing ones (which of course works doubly well if you're forced into that locked contract!) I've even been turfed out of training at one SG McGym, to clear the space to video shoot for their all-important, glossy PR machine! (And, most interestingly, they didn't want us pesky, flawed, high-paying students in the video either!)

Of course, any business needs to market itself, but in Singapore you might do better investigating the clubs that pop up further down the search page, rather than those at the top. And beyond any advertising or print, word-of-mouth recommendation from an established athlete in the sport will be your best advice. 

7. While this might happen at your CC due to lack of resources, McDojang might have  'sparring' classes where senior belt adults are supposed to train alongside 5 year olds. Because Mom thought it would be super-cute to have her little Jason in the class with her. Beware! Obviously nobody is taking this class seriously. Mom is paying a lot for her little Jason to be in there, and this cash talks louder to the club than sense, respect for the learning of the other adults - or the safety of the child.. I have actually experienced this in Singapore McDojangs, and for this reason. What you have here is not actually martial arts, but 'family keep fit'. Kids of course do train at real martial arts, but any good club (especially one commanding high fees and with plenty of staff!) will have separate classes for them, where they can learn at their own pace and with people their own size. ESPECIALLY for sparring. 

8. Those fabulous, flashy-looking premises. Mats and bags are pristine - because nobody is really using them, and/or the cleaning regime of the place takes precedence over people using them. (I've also experienced the latter in SG!) Hygiene is important - and you only have to enter an immaculate Japanese Dojo to know that - but if cleaning actually prevents people from training, it might be more about brand image than students' wellbeing. Yep, that word again 'image'! One of the best schools I trained with, which has spawned Olympic athletes, took place in a dusty sports hall in North London. And it was very reasonably priced. The reason: what makes the difference is the focus on good teaching, the inspiration, the team spirit and the students' dedication. Not architectural interiors, or fabulous bathrooms. 

9. They have Free/Open Gym* time but there is hardly anybody in there. This is probably because the students aren't learning martial arts there. They're doing keep-fit-with-martial-arts-gear - which doesn't necessarily require extra work on your own, perfecting a tricky kick, or training for competition. At one real martial arts place I trained at in Europe, it was always a competition to get he free studio space where we could do our own training! We'd teach each other techniques and generally knuckle down and get a bit ahead of our competitors. Even during weekdays

*(non-class time, when students can do their own, independent, training)   

10. They put high focus on keep fit and/or body-beautiful in their advertising. Of course, a lot of real martial arts will keep you fit, if you work at them. But that's not the aim of it. Martial arts is about skills, underpinned by fitness. Keep fit is about ..keeping fit. If you are a keen martial artist you will probably do fitness training in your spare time anyway, IN ORDER TO DO WELL AT THE MARTIAL ART. Not instead of it. 

So, in addition to watching out for points 1-9, at your trial class you should ask yourself: 

• Have I learned some moves which are technical, and which I can begin to perfect over the months?
• Have I seen other students [not just instructors] doing technical moves?
• Have my instructors talked about my range, footwork, stance, rhythm, or the precision of how I put that lock on to make it work?
• (If it's a sparring martial art) Have I seen other students [not just instructors] sparring? 

If the answer is: 'No to all of the above. But we ran about a lot and hit pads, and I felt puffed out at the end' - you probably have a McDojang on your hands. 

 

Photos courtesy of LEGO.

Jurong Bird Park

Finally (after nearly three years in SG) I got to visit the Bird Park! I'm a big nature fan, and particularly of bird-life, so it's been on my hit-list for months. I'd actually been advised to avoid this Bird Park, as it was apparently boring and a bit 'Disney for kids' (which would NOT be a winner for me!) But in actual fact, I enjoyed my day there. I went on a Monday, so it would be quiet. I didn't experience any Disney and you can avoid the kids' stuff if you wish.

I found the young, seemingly student-y staff particularly nice and helpful, and although getting there is a hike, there is a handy circuit bus 194 which runs from Boon Lay MRT to the park and back. 

Crowned Pigeons

But I really enjoyed seeing the birds. To me, the small, 'insignificant' ones are as interesting as the big crowd-pleasers (though harder to photograph!) And there were both to be seen here: owls, macaws, penguins, finches, doves, kingfishers, birds-of-paradise, birds of prey, dinosaur-like birds (the cassowary was especially strange/interesting!) and a lot more. The hornbills seemed to be particularly curious of their visitors, and quite a few of them swooped down to take a good close-up look at me - quite a privilege for me! The birds-of-paradise enclosure was rather ruined by the introduction of a loud TV, but otherwise the park was more 'authentic' than I expected.

And if we're going for impressive - or if you have limited time to spend at the Bird Park - I would go to the Waterfall Aviary. This one's a biggie, fitted out like a jungle walk with a huge waterfall in it. And of course, all sorts of birds living in the place if you can spot them! 

 

It took me about three hours to see all I wanted to, avoiding any 'feeding times' and other family-focused activities. The place is not enormous, and there are plenty of pit-stops with fans, seats and toilets. But do take water and a hand fan (and maybe some snacks) with you, as walking anywhere in SG for three hours is a hot deal!

[You can click on pix to get a slideshow / larger images]





For more about Jurong Bird Park:
http://www.birdpark.com.sg/index.html
 

Mini intro to Noh and Kabuki

Noh and Kabuki are two types of traditional Japanese theatre. I went to a short, free talk at one of Singapore's libraries yesterday, and learned a bit about them for the first time. I've seen examples of both (and tbh they look a bit long-winded!) but it was interesting to learn a little about their histories. Maybe one day I will actually get the courage to watch a full show?

Noh is the oldest (established c 1300) and it is quite formal and elegant, and the characters wear masks (which in turn restricts their movements, as it's apparently very hard to see out of them!) Kabuki is younger (c 1600) and a bit more lively / showy. Kabuki characters have painted faces but no masks.  In fact both styles of theatre share common stories (as does the impressive puppet theatre known as Bunraku) Stories and themes might stem from religious fables or reflect social issues of the time. One of the common themes is the dance of two lions (father and son) among the peonies.

Noh has a stage set-up which includes a side entrance with a number of pine trees marking the players' progression. These culminate with a big pine tree at the back of the stage, which is supposed to provide seating for Gods/spirits who want to watch the show. Noh is rehearsed once by the characters before a performance. All characters are played by male actors, and there is singing. Here's an excerpt of Noh (you can see the spirits' pine tree in the background):

Kabuki's stage includes an entry gangway running through the audience, the main stage also might have a circular, revolving section, allowing various set effects. Kabuki was actually started by women, but after problems with prostitution, this was banned in favour of young male performers. But this also had sleaze problems, so in the end all characters (except for children, if relevant) were played by mature men.

Noh and Kabuki performances are not simply about the characters and 'story' but about their  combination with music (instruments are also set, and differ between Noh and Kabuki) complete with chanting (to keep the beat) as well as the dance / costumes. And the costumes are incredible, I must say! Here's some Kabuki: 

What struck me most, is the difference that Japanese theatre has to Western theatre. It's a completely different concept. There is no director, with his/her particular angle or interpretation on each play. The performances are all set pieces, which the various players will have learned and pre-prepared over years. I guess a bit like kata in martial arts. Then they get together and perform. Hence why actors only need to rehearse together once in Noh! To a Westerner, it seems like a recipe for boredom, if each piece is the same, without a new angle or interpretation - but I don't think 'story' is the main focus of these traditional styles of theatre. I guess it's the technical skill of the particular musicians / actors etc at playing out their set part which is key? Also, of course, in the 1700's (pre-internet!) you were probably unlikely to get to see every Noh/Kabuki play on the circuit - so each new performance would have its own appeal.

In the modern day, there are of course more variations and interpretations, which include 'super-Kabuki' (a real showpiece, which might have characters flying on wires etc and looks like fun!) and I believe Shakespeare has been used quite frequently, played out in Kabuki style and in Japanese! :) 

Anyways, this has been a very mini intro to these art forms. Have a look at a few more clips online and see what you think. Maybe worth catching the real thing one day?
 

Hawker: Coconuts & coconut water

Two of my favourite drinks, which you can buy at most hawker centres in Singapore, are Sugar Cane juice (freshly squeezed in front of you - with a slice of lemon!) and then Coconut Water. 

Again to avoid additives and all sorts of nasties, ditch cans and cartons and get the real thing. And there seem to be two kinds: 

The Green One: is a young coconut with no flesh inside, but it will have refreshing, coconut water for you to drink. If you just want a thirst-quencher, this is your guy. And it sells for around SG$2.50.

Green!

The Beige One: is known as Thai coconut. Not sure if it's actually from Thailand, but it's had the green shell hacked off, and I think it's an older fruit - because it has lots of flesh inside. It costs a bit more (maybe SG$3.50) but it is drinks and dessert all in one! (And coconut meat is very filling.) In fact I find the water from this nut considerably more flavoursome as well. FYI if you have a metal spoon handy, it will be much easier to use than trying to scrape out the coconut meat with the plastic one provided!

Beige!

Enjoy your slurping!

Flag-Waving, Solar-Panel-Hat Road Man

Love this! Another note from my recent trip to Malaysia. Where there were road-works, these scarecrow type dummies stand in the road waving you to slow down. They're solar-powered, with the power panel stylishly perched on their heads!

My local friends said it was a good idea, not least as real men stood a solid chance of getting run over if they were to do the job (given Malaysian crazy-driving standards, I believe them!) But I can't help thinking these guys could be a bit of a freaky encounter at night! (Good horror movie material maybe... a follow up to the fabulous Zombi Kampung Pisang?)

(And for those interested: Zombi Kampung Pisang trailer ^^
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qk5Vl6Abwc )