Let's talk Food

I asked my roommate last night over dinner what her favorite meal was thus far in Singapore. Her answer, after a considerate hesitation, came to be ‘chili crab.’ I have yet to try chili crab, but now know that it is not to be missed. I asked her this question after I had asked it to myself, because the truth was it was sitting right in front of me on the table. Satay.

Chicken, Beef, and Mutton skewers grilled to lip-smacking perfection paired with a spicy yet sweet peanut sauce. They must marinate the meet because after it is grilled the meats’ crust takes on an almost caramelized tenderness.

We ate this incredible meal at the Lau Pa Sat hawker center, which happens to have been started in 1897. This open air Victorian style pagoda takes up about half a downtown block. Next to it are some of the tallest buildings in Singapore. At night the street surrounding the center is blocked off and transformed into an open-air barbeque Mecca. The street is filled with tables and those tables are full of hungry people.

It’s fair to say that the white Victorian building looks and feels a little out of place when experienced through Singapore’s combustible nightlife. But then as always here, that unexpectedness makes it fit in even more snugly.

Malaysia- Pulau Aur

Never waste a long weekend

On Tuesday of last week my plans for Indonesia fell through, but how fortunately. I ended up on a scuba trip to Pulau Aur, an island off of the eastern coast of mainland Malaysia. The group consisted of avid divers from Germany, Bulgaria, Australia, Philippines, United Kingdom, Singapore, and of course, yours truly.

Our rustic resort was nestled on such an incline that even though my cabin was 3 meters behind the cabin on the water, my room had a perfect view of the sea, as well as their roof. The steps connecting the various cabins and paths were more like ladders.

The diving was very different from the Caribbean. The water was warmer, a bit cloudier but not much, and the corals were very different. Staghorn coral was by far the most prevalent kind of coral on the reef. It was also the most diverse within itself that I have ever seen. There was bright green staghorn coral, red, brown, and the list goes on. If I were more of a biologist this list would be more impressive, but I can simply speculate at how interesting the diversity truly was. There was a head of stony coral the size of a shed; it could easily have been a few centuries old. On the dive site adjacent to this remarkable grandfather species, you could see evidence on dynamite fishing practices where the coral was left in rubble. There were very few fish to be found in this sad and desolate part of the fringing reef. It is remarkable how obviously destructive these fishing routines can be.

Another hazard to the reef, which I have heard horror stories of but never actually seen with my own eyes, is the Crown of Thorns. Found most recently on parts of the Great Barrier Reef, this echinoderm can literally eat its body size in coral a day. The ones that we saw this weekend had around 15-20 arms, 4-inch spins, and a very malicious demeanor about them. The main part of their star shaped bodies were an eerie color of muted mauve, but reached their spine points with a milky but poisonous blue. The whole being, about 12-18 inches in diameter, was undeniably menacingly beautiful. Literally, Star-worthy.

Despite these unrelenting threats to the reef, if was wonderful to visit this weekend. I saw bump-head Parrotfish, blue spotted eagle rays, yellow boxfish, clown fish, and my personal favorite- Lionfish. All three of the lionfish were found perched under soft coral, remarkably well camouflaged.

The weekend was a complete success. I thought it would be harder to travel solo but it was actually liberating. Now I know to always make the best of those few and far between three-day weekends.

The Travel Tales of One Hopeful Polka Dot Umbrella

Travel lessons learned on the spot.

Introduction:

Ni Hao!

I have always wanted to travel. The ability to appreciate other cultures and their customs was a value my parents instilled in me at a very young age. Traveling alone at an age of 15 was terrifying and unsettling, but it prepared me to travel as an adult. Now I am much too intrigued by wild looking fruits and ruthless desserts to be frightened of a different zip code. I’d like to share this experience with the people I care about who happen to live on the other side of the planet. If I can persuade just one of them to visit me, this blog will be a success.

Why Polka Dots?

After learning that Singapore is the kind of place one needs to have an umbrella on hand always, my mother bought me this polka dot umbrella. It's important to have a cheery umbrella, and this one certainly brings a bit of sunshine to a rainy day. When I can’t find my keys or I’ve forgotten to pack a pen in my purse, I’m sure to have my umbrella.

History:

Since the colonization of Singapore by the British Empire, this small island at the tip of Malaysia has taken advantage of its watery location and made itself into an incredible port of commerce. Singapore declared its independence as a country in 1963. Since then it has flourished as a city characterized by cleverness and efficiency. There are practices here that literally put the way we do things in America to shame.

Purpose:

1) Hopefully, this blog will be witness to something exciting and interesting.

2) "You don’t learn anything until you write it down.” Lessons are all around us, everyday. It is a matter or recognizing what one has learned that prevents it from being lost.

3) Ultimately, and if all other goals fail, the most important goal of this blog is to entertain my eccentric and internet surfing mother.

These shoes were not made for walking

My most beloved pair of walking shoes, which stitch comfort and style together seamlessly, are unfortunately not what they appear to be. Actually, I think they are still great walking shoes, just not in Singapore, where the walking never stops.

The public transport here is incredible. Think Carte d’Orange in Paris, but you can use it on the metro as well as all of the buses. No tripping over quarters and dimes here, one little prepaid card can get you around the city above and below ground.