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 )

The new klia2

Hurrah (and thank goodness)! The new klia2 low-cost air terminal is finally open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! 

For those who don't live in SE Asia, and haven't travelled to and from Kuala Lumpur (KL) frequently, you might not be aware of the delights of the previous low-cost terminal / dump, LCCT. That grubby warehouse with no transportation links, bar a dodgy, cramped and extremely slow coach to KL Sentral. OK, it's low-cost. But even then, the shock of flying from normal airports elsewhere (or even somewhere fabulously comfy like Changi Airport) then having to contend with LCCT was a major disincentive for flying low-cost. 

This summer, after a lot of delays, the new klia2 replaced LCCT. And I just took  my first trip through it. A far better experience! 

The good bits:
1. It's on the KLIA Ekspres shuttle train route straight into KL Sentral (which is not actually in central KL, but it is a good train/LRT/taxi terminus to other parts of the city). Woo! The trip from the airport took 40 minutes (it seems to stop at a couple of random stations en route) but TO the airport took 30 minutes direct. It currently costs RM35 each way and trains run roughly every 20 minutes. More info here: https://www.kliaekspres.com/klia2/

2. There is a decent choice of shops to browse both awaiting and on exit from your flights. Though oddly the ladies clothing shops weren't accessible on my flight out (maybe the Gate I was directed to - or are they only for Arrivals?!) There are also decent cafes and snackeries all over the venue.

3. On my international exit Gate there was a Movie Lounge and (quieter, child-free, and thus more appealing to me!) a Sports Lounge, where you can watch with a frappuccino while awaiting your flight. Kind of a treat for low-cost I think.

4. It's clean. For now, at least!  

5. Check-in, security etc were all fine/normal and pretty efficient.  

The less good bits:
1. There are long, long distances to walk (I mean really long - even by my power-walking, leaping taekwondo standards!) with, on my journeys at least, only one or two short travelators to ride on. So bear this in mind if you have any injuries, small children, arthritis or bags without wheels!

2. Crap signage. This is a bit of a Malaysian special (the posher KLIA also has crap signage - same contractor??) You'll find you're led to Departures or whatever, then the signs suddenly disappear and you're left only able to access Arrivals. Because Departures is one storey up by lifts, but there is no indication of this unless you find someone who knows! Or there might be signs, but they're obscured by a pillar along the normal route for footfall, so no one can see them. All this is one thing if you're super-fit, travelling light, and have bags of time. But if you don't have these luxuries, wandering all over the place (long distances) to find your way is not helpful. When people are in a hurry, or maybe stressed for travel, signs do need to be ultra-clear-in-words-of-one-syllable and easy to see. 

3. Very limited sit-down toilets. I found one in every Ladies' bathroom of maybe 10 cubicles, so keep searching for it! The rest are squat-over - again a nightmare if you have injuries, arthritis or just don't fancy the splash-back. The good news is there are quite a lot of bathrooms, which is a must for (though not always provided by) every airport! [Sadly time didn't allow me to investigate the Gents' for journalistic research purposes...^^]


So, klia2 is not perfect and not Changi. But then again, it is for low-cost carriers and a vast improvement on the previous offer. Happy travelling, people!