the lion city II: the flowers

And now we come to the real jewels of Singapore. I've already chronicled my lengthy journey to Singapore, and all the mouthwatering food that I partook of, but now we get to the really good stuff.

Singapore is a tropical country (it's located a smidge above the equator), and its climate tends to bring out the most beautiful and enchanting treasures of all. I'm speaking of course, of my family (cue "awww").

We traipsed all over Singapore, and it was great to see my family laugh and ride buses and subways and eat food.

I wanted to share some of my favorite pictures of some of my favorite people. For those of you who thought this post was actually about flowers, never fear, I'll sprinkle some of those in as well. If you have walked a mile with me, then you know I have always loved taking pictures of the flora and fauna that I happen to find myself surrounded by.

We'll start this party off with a real looker, shall we?






My mommy. She makes me happy!

The Ian. He's usually walking a couple steps behind us, so I really had to be patient to end up behind him! (I love you, little man!)

Who doesn't like a good head rub? Dad does!

She has a great laugh. I like capturing laughter.

I just love vibrant colors.

We love nap time. An ancient and venerable tradition. Brought to you on the metro.

Sentosa's Flower Festival:

I convinced my family to go with me to Sentosa's flower festival so I could play with my camera.  The following are from this outing. It was already later in the day, so lighting wasn't ideal, but I think the pictures turned out ok. At this point, Ian didn't want to have any part of it, so he sat in a KFC and read a book or played a game. All this to say, he isn't in the flower shots.

There was a dragon built from pink flowers at the entrance. I didn't take a picture. Sorry, it seemed a little too oxymoronic for me, if only for its lack of fierce-ness. I just wanted to mention it. In case you were interested. It made me a little wary of what other flower creations they had in store. But they didn't disappoint, don't worry.

Allow me to open with some pretty yellow

My aunt. She doesn't like to smile with her teeth because she's self conscious, but I think she beats those flowers any day.

Mom. She's laughing because I asked her to squat, and she's not sure if she can get back up. I knew you could do it Mom!

This was in the "Lover's Lane" section of the festival. There was a heart pattern in front of the swing, but this looked better.

I got a tooth smile! Guess I surprised her enough with the hug that she let a real one out. Don't mind my whiteness. I know I throw off color in most photos.

:)

I was trying to get some bokeh, but it wasn't dark enough outside yet, so I just kind of made my parents lean out awkwardly. Oh well. It's still cute.

Finally got me some bokeh!

To show our appreciation, Singapore (I'm super mature. Though in fairness, Dad played along!)!

Orchids are the national flower of Singapore.

Ian Pian. With his sulky, emo, teenager look. Rocking the muscle shirt, to maximize the impact of those guns.

Clearly, it was delicious. What'd I tell you? Food. Is. Awesome.

This is my big sister skeptical, patronizing look. How's it doing?

Oh, I just couldn't resist. This is when he is most agreeable. Since he's on the other side of the world, I think I'm safe. I'll at least have a 24 hr head start if I have to run for my life. But I don't think I will because I don't know that this blog makes a bleep on his teenage radar. Sigh.

We're all about making new friends.

Especially Ian. Very friendly.

We had a little surprise partay for my mom since her birthday was right after they got back to China and of course I wanted to get in on the festivities. And throw in another surprise. Why not?

Awwwwww

And on that note, I will bring this post to an end. I hope you enjoyed a little peek into my family and our adventures. I'm planning on one more post in Singapore, so stay tuned, and thanks for being patient!

Any surprise parties or funny pictures to share?

the lion city I: priorities

Mr. Merlion.

The Lion City is, for those of you who are unaware, a moniker for Singapore. Why? you might ask? Are there many lions roaming the city? Is it shaped like a lion? Do people walk around with lion-mane-esque hair? To these excellent and inquisitve questions, the answer is no. At least, I've yet to see a lion walking down the street (I know you were really concerned for my wellbeing--be at peace).

To the best of my knowledge (I admit haven't done any Wikipedia-ing or Googling), the title "Lion City" comes from Singapore's national animal. Kind of like how the bald eagle and America are besties?  Singapore's bestie is a mythical animal called a Merlion. It has the head of a lion and the body of a fish/merperson hence, Merlion. I can't say I know how this creature came into being, but that would be a wonderful little weekend/work procrastination project for you, no?

So, after my arduous and lengthy experience of actually getting to Singapore (read about it here), I was finally back in this wonderfully tropic, beautifully green city once again. My family was waiting for me at the arrivals hall and after I took a detour to the bathroom to shed a couple layers, change my shoes and officially mark my arrival (hey, when a girl's got to go, she's got to go), we headed to the taxi stand.

We hopped into a taxi and cruised our way back to my aunt's apartment. My aunt lives alone now that my grandmother has passed away, but that's the place we always stay when we go to Singapore. It's a wonderfully familiar little two bedroom where I have memories of inspecting the marble tile patterns when I slept on the floor instead of my mattress because the tile was cooler than my mattress. Using the blue ceramic squatty potty before it was updated to a sit-down toilet. Watching my grandma use a wooden washboard for laundry and playing in the laundry water we swept around to clean the floors because everything was tiled. My mom or grandma giving me a shower with a bucket of water and a ladle.

All this to say, I've seen changes happen in the area, but it was still home (Sorry, the reminiscing went a little further back than I intended!). So, to maximize the impact of the surprise, I went up to the apartment by myself. Now, a lot of homes in Singapore have a normal door, and then a metal or aluminum frame door that can be kept closed while the solid door is left open to encourage air circulation. When I got to the door, my aunt was perfectly seated to see me. She was sitting at the square mahjong table (it's a family gathering tradition, and relatives usually play for hours, rotating players every now and then) facing the door.

My little cousin. Basically the definition
of cute. Sorry for the lack of pictures.
Again, celebrating, not clicking :)

She was shocked, saying things like "What are you doing here? How come you're here? What is this?" After much laughing and hugging, we moved in my luggage and called my cousin to come pick us up. A couple of my cousins and their families were having hotpot dinner at my cousin's house.

I sat on a bench by the curb and when my cousin and her husband pulled up, I could see the confusion. My cousin gets out of the car and asks "is that Michelle?" Why yes, yes it is. I had a great time surprising my family. My cousins said things like, "The best new year present," and other surprised yet pleased exclamations. I'm glad they were happy to see me and we were able to pull off the surprise despite my delays.

Then, the food fest began. I love food. I love Singaporean food. I love the fusion of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Thai and other southeast Asian flavors. I love the food that comes at a low cost from the hawker centers but leaves a high and satisfying impression. I love the abundance of fresh fruit. Guava. Mango. Mangosteen. Rambutan. And yes, Durian (don't hate, just leave me to enjoy).

Brace yourself for a deluge of drool-worthy images. Warning. Images may cause inordinate drooling and stomach growling. I recommend moving your keyboard and other electronic devices out of harms way. Oh, and don't lick your screen. It won't work. And that's not healthy.

Also, if I don't include the name of the food below the picture, that probably means I don't know its proper name. I just know it's mm mm good. I'll do my best to translate Chinese names. But I don't run a restaurant nor am I perfect, so you'll just have go with my flow on this one.

Breakfast. Noodles and Fishballs in a bag. Red Chili added at will.

I know it doesn't look like much, but I HAD to include it because it's one of my favorites. Lao Shu Mian (Literally, mouse-tail noodles) and fish balls. I haven't seen these noodles any where else and they have the perfect consistency!

And she gave me cake. She, being my mother. Cake being... A layered pound type cake. But not as dry. Or heavy.

DIM SUM

The following images are some of my favorite dim sum dishes.

Zong-zi. Sorry I don't know what it's called in English. It was yummy in my tummy.

Feng-zhua. aka... Chicken feet. Yes I did. Yes I love. If you're still reading, I know we're true friends.

Luo-bo-gao. Basically... Radish paste cake? It doesn't sound quite so attractive translated, but trust me. Drool. Look Mom didn't even wait for the camera before she dug in. Actually, it was a team effort to polish off the first square :D

Chang-fen. Broad Rice noodles? They had Chinese bbq pork inside. Seriously. Watch where that drool lands.

Momentary interlude from food.

Here are my mother and I enjoying ourselves during food coma. This is my explanation for the faces.








We were doing Rock, Paper, Scissors sequences. Don't fall off your chair.

Back to ze food! 

Fresh Guava! With Suan-mei-fen (sour plum powder) Really gives it extra umph.

My mom and I have a similar palate, so it's not unusual to find us munching on one delicacy or another. Even if it's outside a subway station. (Note. Eating aforementioned guava) We also had durian pancakes but I failed to get a picture. Basically, a thin cake with durian in the middle. Be still my flowing drool (yes, just humor me)!

Yu-sheng. This is a dish that's only available in Singapore at Chinese New Years. It has shredded vegetables, crackers, raw salmon, pomelo, honey, lime juice and probably one or two other ingredients I don't know about. 

The food and ingredients are symbolic for prosperity and long life and other well wishing sentiments for Chinese New Year. Once the ingredients are all piled on, the group gets together and tosses it, saying well wishes for the new year! Delicious and fun! My broski even got in on it. The tossing. Not the eating. We all know he avoids green edible things. Unless it's mint ice cream.

Porridge. Perhaps plain to the eye, but this is definitely a comfort food in my book.

To throw in a beverage: Homemade Barley Water. Homemade as in made by the hawkers. Mildly Sweet. Very Yum.

Char Siew. Drool worthy. Barbeque pork

LAKSA. A coconutty curry with fish cake, bean sprouts, tofu and noodles. Usually with prawns or shrimp but since I'm wary of shellfish, I forgo that ingredient. Seriously, one of my favorite foods. Excuse my while I go wipe my own drool.

This is a sweet bread. A little heavier, but sooo good. I don't actually know what it's called. My mom just knows
I love it and so she gets it for me. So short story.  I've loved eating this since I was a wee little tyke. However, this bread is actually used as an offering/gift to ancestors or traditional Chinese deities. I'm not sure how my family figured out that I liked this bread seeing as it was used for religious purposes, but I guess since I was impishly cute (?) they overlooked what might have been a sacriligous offense to their beliefs? Sorry. No offense intended. It's just sooo good! If it makes any difference, I didn't eat ones that had already been offered. I think.

Mee Siam. Not as spicy as it looks. Rice noodles, sprouts, fried dough, egg. I'll wait while your mouth waters.

Soup+Nutritional Goodness. This came from a stall where you could pick your ingredients and they would cook it in a broth for you. That orange-green-white thing is a pepper with fish paste in it.

Dou-suan. Slightly sweet. Let's just say I tried to make it once and it looked nothing like this. Sad. So I went for the real thing while I could.

He-fen. Friends with my taste buds and tummy.

Peanut Mo-chi. Sweet, chewy satisfaction with a little crunch. Don't be jealous.

Last Family Meal at my Eldest Uncle's home. There were mushrooms, tofu with meat, noodles, meat and that tan/yellow pattie on the top right side of my plate is fish with spices wrapped in a palm leaf to cook. So. Good. And it definitely had a kick to it. 

Beverage 2! Malacca Tea. Technically, Malacca is in Malaysia, but I got this at the airport on my way to India. It was like milk tea, but that dark stuff at the bottom had this Longyan type flavor to it. I'm not sure if that's even right. I can taste it in my head and I'm sure I've tasted that flavor before, but alas I have no name for it. Whatever it was, it was good. Oh, and you have to mix it all together. FYI.

Well, that concludes the food portion of this saga. I was pretty sure that was what you were really interested in, anyway, so I didn't want to make you wait any longer! The Singapore saga is not over, however, because I haven't talked about anything other than food and come on, did you really think I was that much of a glutton? That was a rhetorical question.

I know I began this post a little wordy, but I definitely finished with an abundance of illustration. Hopefully you weren't bored! Sorry if some of the pictures seem a little blurry. The lighting wasn't ideal and everything smelled so good I didn't always take the time to adjust. It took great self control to even wait to eat it! There were a couple longsuffering looks from my family members as I made them wait while I took pictures of their food too. All for the sake of this post.

Until next time... which of these looked good to you? Are we still friends even though I eat chicken feet? Any favorite foods you'd like to share about? I'd love to hear!

blastoff

You may have noticed that I was absent for two weeks. I have a very good reason for this. I was on the other side of the world from my normal posting location. Not that this necessarily affected my ability to post, however, I was preoccupied with enjoying my precious time there, so that when I returned, I would have stories and pictures galore to go back and reminisce about.

Without further ado; the reminiscing.

Let's start at the beginning, shall we? A very good place to start (please, someone guess what song is going through my head).

Sometime back in October/November 2011, this trip began to take shape. A little bit of family, a little bit of friends and a lot of fun and surprises. All the skyping and online chatting and scheming finally came down to this: I was going to take a two week break from work to spend Chinese New Year with my family and since I was going to be over there on that side of the planet, why not throw in a side trip to India (no big)? I was meeting up with my family in Singapore (they live in China) and this ended up being perfect because they were going any way, and I didn't have to spend money on a visa (US citizens don't need a visa for entry to Singapore; with a 90 day limit, but they do for China-- don't get me started on how I have to have a visa to go home).

Our last tryst, circa 2007, Manila, Philippines

My mom's family lives in Singapore, so I asked my family not to tell anyone that I was coming (insert diabolical glee- have I mentioned I love surprises?). Since my family only had one week vacation for Chinese New Year, I decided to mosey on over to Delhi to visit my girl, Anusree (I wrote about her here). Since my other darling, Nikka, lives and works in the Philippines, we cooked up a reunion.

I know I sound calm and collected, but truly, words cannot convey our excitment. Anu and I have seen each other since we graduated from high school, but Nikka, we haven't seen since graduation. If nothing else, this trip was destined for greatness simply because of the 5 year wait! Two of my greatest friends in the world (literally) automatically gold starred this trip. Oh and INDIA. Need I say more?

Fast forward to Jan 21- day of departure.

If things had gone peachy as I would have loved them to, this post would be quite brief and mostly boring, filled with details of airplane seats and how the pillow I carried made fitting in my seat more challenging than normal (it was firmer and fluffier than I anticipated, making my Economy seat that much cozier) and how the airplane food wasn't atrocious.

Preparing our little plane to fly on down to Singapore.

However, there were no peaches to be had on this already long voyage. NONE. Ok one. I set foot in Japan. After years and years of flying through Japan on our way from China to the US and back again, I have never left the airport. And this time, I did not plan on a stopover in Tokyo. But, nevermind about my plans, because for this little bit, they went to pieces.

My little footsies waiting.

My first two flights were uneventful. Got some sleep. Watched some movies. Stretched and did calf raises in the back of plane (yes, really- it's a long flight). Then we touched down at Narita. Got off the plane. Went to the gate that would board all of us pleasant sojourners on the exact same plane that I had just left and waited. And waited. A 20 minute delay turned into 40. Then an hour.

And then we got on the plane! Happy Day! It was pretty empty and I was looking forward to a nappity nap nap time. Sat down, buckled in, passed out. Awoke. Plane had not moved. It had been at least an hour and a half. I napped for over an hour on a stationary plane. Just as I was figuring this out, a flight attendant got on the intercom and told us she was very sorry but our flight was being canceled. WHAT.

To say I was bummed is an understatement. At this point I hadn't had more than 4 continuous hours of sleep in over 36 hours. And definitely not in a laying-down posture. And I don't function very well without sleep (not kidding. picture slightly crabby and super bad balance.).

So, I stood in line after deplaning to get my compensation certificate and directions to our hotel. Hotel Niko. I tried to absorb as much as I could of Japan after leaving customs and the airport (silver lining, right?). Unfortunately, the airport bus stand didn't give me much. And the drive to the hotel was uneventful since at this point it was dark.

At the hotel, I got in another line to get my key. Along with a room key, I got a dinner and breakfast certificate. Oh good. No need to figure out how I was going to pay for anything with my Yen-less currencies (actually, I had Singapore dollars, Euros and Chinese RMB and a US quarter--none of which would be particularly helpful in this situation).

My biggest concern was getting online to let my parents know what had happened. I knew my dad was tracking my flights (thanks Dad!) and would be wondering what was going on. Although there was no wi-fi in my surprisingly hot room, they had a wired connection (thank you Jesus). At which point I was able to get my rents on video and let them know what happened. I only had a minor tearful breakdown at this point. The combination of disappointment, sleep-depravity, general exhaustion and stress of doing all this by myself broke a couple flood gates.

After composing myself, I went down to get some food. I was hoping for sushi (is that cliche?), but they didn't have any (must have had something to do with the unexpected 100+ guests at midnight). Their potato salad was excellent, though.

Early bird view from my hotel room

So after eating a bit, I took my little self back to my room to get ready for bed. Enter culture awakening. I haven't been in Asia for a while, but I think even in China, things are not quite so drastic. When I got ready to brush my teeth, I realized how far away the sink was. By far away I mean low. Like an appropriately-lengthed-pair-of-shorts low. I know I'm tall by Asian standards but really?

After being thoroughly made to feel like a giantess, I decided to go the whole nine yards and take a shower. Oh it felt so good. For any of you traveling with transit locations, I recommend bringing a change of clothes. I highly recommend bringing a change of underwear. Easy to pack, it can make all the difference in helping you feel human again. The other necessities were provided by the hotel.

I was hoping a train would come bursting through the
tunnel, but alas: no such luck. Maybe the train was hanging
out with my decommissioned plane. That wasn't nice.
Sorry. Bitter comments, reigned in.

I slept about 4~5 hours (not bad, jetlag), and got up, picked up my new boarding passes from the front desk and tried to sleep some more. After figuring out how to turn off the sauna that was my room heating system, I got about 2 more hours of sleep, ate breakfast and headed down to hop on a shuttle to the airport.

Some things I noticed about Japan, from my uber brief, less-than-24-hour visit:

• They drive on the left side of the road (guess I just never realized this)
• They have a lot of toilet seats, even in the airport, that have a water jet option (an indescribable experience)
• The hotel had a lot of mayonaise based salads (surprising, no?)
• The view from my hotel room wasn't extensive, but what I could see showed me a picture of old and new and developing all coexisting quite charmingly-- and the mist rising from the ground among the trees in the wee morning hours wasn't shabby either
• The roads were on the narrow end (from my American road perspective), but our bus navigated them with skill and ease
• Hilly
• Intricate infrastructure. I would love the chance to explore this country someday. With a local guide, of course. And time to take pictures.
• Every where I went, all the customer service people were super friendly, smiling and doing whatever they could to help this (probably) forlorn and fraggled (yes, i just combined frazzled and bedraggled) white girl. They would say things like "thank you for waiting" and other things that made me feel like they cared. Lots of nodding and smiling. Very pleasant. I have to say, I feel like American customer service people aren't always so eager to help.
• This observation doesn't apply solely to Japan, but really to Asia in general. I think women designed their public restrooms. Why? Because most all of them had a ledge behind the toilet where you could put your things. I didn't have to worry about what might or might not be on the floor where I set my back pack and I didn't have to balance my wallet under my arm as I held my passport in my mouth and pillow under my chin and went to the bathroom. Brilliant! I should email Congress or somebody about this.

Helloooooo family! Long time no see! Why yes, I am the
frumpy one sharing glass of wine with her mama.

I got checked in and waited for my flight. No mishaps, thankfully, and I was arriving in Singapore just in time to make New Year's Dinner. Not quite the large surprise factor I had been aiming at since there were considerably fewer family members, but it sufficed.

All in all, a pleasant, peachy glimpse of Japan. Though I still wish I had gotten some sushi and wasabi. Yum.



Well, I haven't gotten very far in my recounting of my adventures, but never fear, the story will unfold with time. I wouldn't want to shortchange you on all the little details, after all! I may have to dedicate a series of posts just to the food. Yum.

I know this post is wordier than usual, however, I wasn't expecting a sidetrip to Japan, so I didn't take many pictures. Have no fear, I will remedy this!

Until my next verbal and visual recounting, any unexpected travel stories to share?

living Food

Just to be clear, no, I have not eaten live fish or live bugs or wiggling worms. Wouldn't want you to get the wrong idea. Ok. Moving on.

I like food. I like flavor. I often tell people that half the reason I'm excited to go anywhere is the food. I like different kinds of food. If it's got a great, vibrant flavor, I'm all over it.

Then I read a devotional where the author wrote about being physically overweight but spiritually undernourished. Then I read this passage: John 6:53-69 (source; emphasis and colors added)

So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have NO LIFE in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread the fathers ate and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” Jesus said these things in the synagogue, as he taught at Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Together with what I had read and reading this passage, I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

Have you ever felt empty, but you're not sure why? You have anything and everything you could want or need. Once you realize you don't actually need that new shirt or new gadget or new car, what else is there? Your daily needs are provided for. You have clothes that keep you warm and food that keeps you fed. Relationships, as wonderful as they are and as much as we are created for them, are still imperfect and will let you down at times.

So how do you become filled? Surely this emptiness is not meant to be permanent?

My friend, if these feelings or thoughts have ever crossed your mind, then here is what I have to say to you. That emptiness most definitely is not meant to be permanent, but. But there is only one thing that can truly and fully fill it. Living Food. Jesus.

Maybe this is a riddle to you. Maybe this passage strikes you as cannibalistic and you are questioning my sanity. I assure you I am of sound mind. I can't give you a psychologist's guarantee, unfortunately, but I am definitely thinking clearly.

I don't mean to deliver "Christianese" or speak in a fashion that is confusing. The clearest way I can think to explain this is that your soul needs to be fed as much as your physical body needs to be fed. Beyond good-feeling, fuzzy stories, your soul is designed for more. It is designed to be fed by Him who created your soul.

This is an egg and chorizo torta from Frontera
at the Chicago airport. Other than being a yummy
 food,it's a teaser for posts to come about my trip!
Stay tuned!

This isn't a one and done deal either. I mean, how many people have eaten once in their lifetime and lived very long to tell about it? Probably none. No, you need to eat every day. You and your soul.

So if you are feeling empty, consider this new, healthy, invigorating, life giving diet. Where eating more doesn't cause you to be overweight or obese. As the food is used in your life, so you will need more and life and fullness will overflow through you from the Source.

If you'd like to know more about Living Food, we can talk about it! I don't want you to feel empty! Just let me know!