Taste of Singapore

Posted on 19 March 2009 by christao408

Some say that Singapore doesn’t have great food, only okay food. One thing I like about it, though, is the variety. The quality is good and with such a mélange of cultures, the number of different styles and flavors is enough to pique my interest for days at a time.

Here are a few of the treats I enjoyed:

Roti Prata with curry. Coming from the Malaysian side of things (and tracing back to Pakistan and India), roti prata is an unleavened bread fried in oil. Many layers and nice and crispy. Served with a bowl of vegetarian curry and, for in this case, a side of stir-fried greens. Roti is available here in Thailand, too, mostly from Muslim vendors and mostly served sweet.

Hainanese Chicken Rice. This is the ubiquitous Singaporean dish. Chicken (either boiled or roasted – in this case boiled) served with “oily” rice, some broth and a plate of braised tofu and duck eggs.

Claypot chicken rice. This is one of my favorite Chinese dishes, originating from southern China. Cooked over a charcoal stove, the rice at the bottom bakes on, forming a nice crispy texture. The sausage is sweet, the chicken succulent, and the bitter greens provide a nice counterpoint to the satisfying savoriness of the overall dish.

Funny story about the claypot chicken rice, though. I ordered this at a food court and the guy looked at me for a long time, like he couldn’t decide whether or not to serve the dish to me. It wasn’t a case of him not understanding me, though. Instead, after a few moments he walked out from behind the counter, crossed the sea of tables to a person collecting dirty dishes, and poked through the tub of used dishes to find a clay pot and lid.

Then he returned the dish to the kitchen and I proceeded to wait ten minutes for them to prepare the meal, hoping the whole time that they were really going to scrub the pot first!

The high heat of the fire would kill any germs, right?

Additional vegetarian selections at the restaurant downstairs from Otto and Han’s place. Big line outside in the morning makes me think this is the neighborhood hot spot.

NAACP Chair Addresses Human Rights Campaign

Posted on 18 March 2009 by christao408

NAACP Board Chair Julian Bond spoke Sunday evening at a gathering of Human Rights Campaign, a gay-rights organization, in Los Angeles. In his 25-minute speech, he eloquently compares the push for gay marriage rights to the struggle for civil rights for people of color.

As you may or may not be aware, there has been a lot of friction within the gay community since the passage of Proposition 8 in California, over the way that pro-gay marriage campaigners failed to effectively engage the communities of color, including gay and lesbian people of color. In the days after Proposition 8 passed, there were nasty attempts to pin its passage on the members of black churches who turned out in record numbers to vote for President Obama.

It is against this backdrop that the words of Mr. Bond are especially important to listen to. This is a man who has been involved in the struggle for civil rights and who has joined his gay and lesbian friends as they push for equality.

Walking the Dog in Singapore

Posted on 17 March 2009 by christao408

The final night of my trip, I stayed with Otto and Han at their condo near Sentosa Island, in the south of Singapore. (Will Zakiah notice that I didn’t say “Southern Singapore”?) We weren’t alone, though, as they have a Jack Russell Terrier named Mantou (饅頭) – Mandarin for those plain steamed wheat buns popular in Northern Chinese cuisine.

Right: Otto and Mantou.

It is safe to say that Mantou lives a life of pampered luxury and receives no shortage of affection, being lavished with attention and played with throughout the day.

He must have done something right in his previous doggie life – pulled someone from a fire perhaps? – to have earned a rebirth as Otto and Han’s puppy in this life.

One of the nicest things about staying with Otto and Han, besides their good company, is that it gave me a chance to experience Singapore from the perspective of “everyday” Singaporeans, living in the suburban government housing blocks known as HDB flats.

The Housing and Development Board is an interesting organization. Its mission is three-fold: to provide affordable, quality homes; to ensure vibrant towns; and to focus on the community. Set up in 1960, the HDB has overseen a complete overhaul in terms of the way people live. Gone are the slums and squatter settlements, replaced by planned and organized high-rise flats that now house an amazing 84% of Singaporeans.

Left: a typical HDB tower.

To be certain, there is a fair amount of grumbling by Singaporeans and those who have the means to, usually do escape to privately-owned and developed condominium complexes.

But for the vast majority of residents, HDB housing provides the opportunity to affordably own a clean, efficiently-designed flat in a community that is walkable, has most of the services you would need in one place, and includes spaces for public life to occur.

Idyllic, utopian, and very typical of the trade-offs that one makes if you live in Singapore.

One observation I’ll make just from staying with Otto and Han: their place is quite spacious for two people, nicely laid out, has an excellent view of an adjacent green space, and enjoys very good cross-ventilation. In fact, the house was very comfortable just with a ceiling fan going. From my perspective, it has a lot going for it.

Sunday morning Otto invited me to join him and Mantou on a walk, which gave me more of an opportunity to see the suburbs and various HDB “towns” – each of which have their own elected town council.

The first thing I noticed, as we set off through their own town, was the amount of community interaction. Breakfast business at a vegetarian restaurant downstairs was hopping as people came and went. Cars were being washed, dogs were being walked, and at a pavillion designed just for that purpose, residents hung their birds and admired the incessant chirping. (Each birdcage hook has a number, just so you don’t forget where you left your bird!)

We headed out the front entrance of the town and made a right turn, heading to the main street. Along the way we walked on smooth, level foot paths that were incorporated into broad, grassy shoulders next to the road. Large trees provided plenty of shade and even though it was a warm day, it didn’t feel as hot as it does when you’re stumbling down the uneven pavement in Krungthep, sweltering in the direct sunlight.

Over the years, the HDB has collaborated with private developers to create towns with a little more flair and individuality. One we passed had a bit of a nautical theme to it.

We continued for about ninety minutes, following wherever Mantou would lead. Along the way we passed a Thai Buddhist Temple, a sect of Buddhism that is growing in popularity throughout Southeast Asia. This temple looks just a little like the one on Russell Street in Berkeley.

Our path took us across a main expressway into town. Even then, the pedestrian facilities were clearly marked and crossing this large intersection didn’t feel like a life-or-death game. To top it off, the expressway was clean, smoothly-paved, well-marked, etc. Can you imagine something like this in Thailand?

To be certain, comparing Singapore and Thailand is really comparing apples and oranges. As much as I wish my footpaths were smoother, my government less corrupt, and the trees along my walks provided more shade, there are many good aspects about life in Krungthep.

And I’m well aware that many Singaporeans and expats who live there feel a bit stiffled by the “big brother” government, the almost sterile cleanliness of the country, and a sense that there isn’t anything to do there.

If anything, Singapore provides a pleasant change of pace, a different view of the world, and a few moments of wistfullness, hoping that maybe, one day, the Governor of Krungthep will have the power to implement a few small changes that would make the Big Mango a little more beautiful, a little easier to navigate, and a little more pleasant for those who live, work and visit here.

Why are my pictures disappearing?

Posted on 16 March 2009 by christao408

In the past few days, I’ve had several pictures from my Xanga photo album disappear, replaced with an unhappy looking computer cartoon saying “image not found”. These are my own photos, so it isn’t as though there’s a copyright infringement issue.

Any ideas why this is happening?

Breakfast in Singapore

Posted on 15 March 2009 by christao408

Singapore was the first place outside of the US and Canada I ever visited, way back in 1996 or so. In the dozen-plus years since, I’ve visited any number of times. I’ve enjoyed watching it grow and develop. At the same time, having visited so often, I’m less inclined to snap a lot of photos and document each visit. Thus my three days of blog silence. Here’s a little bit to share, though.

Saturday morning Suyoung picked me up at my hotel to take me for brunch. She and I worked together for a few years at the SF International Asian American Film Festival (going on now – visit http://festival.asianamericanmedia.org/2009/ for information) and then again at the Hamptons International Film Festival. Now she’s working in Singapore doing marketing for a high-tech firm and we’re able to meet up either here or there every year or two.

Suyoung took me to this beautiful restaurant called PS Cafe, located up on Harding Road in the Dempsey Hill district, a rennovated complex of former British Army barracks that now house galleries, furniture shops and restaurants.

The entrance, down a flight of steps from the road, looks small and secluded but when you walk into the restaurant you see that the entire far wall is glass, looking out on a small meadow with lush trees and tropical foliage. The style is very Californian and it makes for a beautiful setting for brunch.

Outdoor seating is pretty well-shaded although we had a few minutes of strong sun before the clouds of a thunderstorm brought back the shade. The fans kept a nice breeze and all the surrounding plants kept the temperature comfortable.

Service is a little slow and disorganized but with such a nice setting, it was easy to overlook this hiccups and instead enjoy a relaxing meal.

PS Cafe’s menu is international with typical brunch dishes as well as salads, sandwiches, and mains with a generally western feel. Truly, this restaurant would not be out of place in Napa and its selection of baked goods is extensive.

Suyoung had a beautiful eggs benedict which she said was tasty. I had the buttermilk pancakes which, made from a combination of spelt flour and whole wheat, were just a little dry – especially as they were stingy with the maple syrup. They were tasty, though.

After brunch we walked around the different shops, stopping in at Jones the Grocer, an upscale cafe and gourmet grocery featuring specialty products like pastas, preserves, teas, coffees and spices.

A very relaxing Saturday afternoon.

The Thai Pickup

Posted on 12 March 2009 by christao408

When you ask people to name the motor vehicle they most associate with Thailand, most will name the tuk-tuk, the (t)rusty three-wheeler that death-defyingly (and not always defyingly) careens through the congested streets of Krungthep. But the tuk-tuk isn’t the most Thai of motor vehicles: the pickup truck is.

Why are pickup trucks so popular here? First of all, imported vehicles carry a tariff of about 100% or more, depending on weight and price tag. Many brands of pickup trucks, particularly Toyotas, are built here in Thailand, making them much more affordable. In fact, Thailand produces more Toyota pickups than any other country.

The other reason pickups are so popular is the sheer utility of them. Why buy a sedan that only seats six or seven or eight when you can get fifteen or more into a pickup? Yes, even the advertisements for Toyota pickups shown in the cinema have images of a truck transporting an entire team of child footballers, cheering their victory. No mention, of course, that driving with people in the back of the truck is tremendously dangerous especially when those people are children.

Driving down the roads and highways of Thailand, we see no shortage of pickups filled to the brim with all sorts of cargo, all manner of people, and even some buffaloes. Even on the hottest days people are huddled in the back, jackets draped over them to keep the sun off their bodies.

So as Tawn and I start thinking about replacing his nearly 12 year old Nissan sedan, maybe we should start thinking in practical terms and consider a pickup!

Sunday Morning Solo Ride

Posted on 11 March 2009 by christao408

Sunday morning I set out about 6:30 for another bicycle ride, this time solo since none of my other fellow cyclists was available. I traveled the usual route – about 50 km roundtrip (a bit more, actually) from Thong Lo out to Minburi and return.

This time I explored a few new side streets out in the countryside, discovering a way to get “back to nature” more quickly. Sure enough, I was able to arrive at rice paddies and quiet canals a good 5 km earlier than usual.

On the way out to the ride site, I follow alongside the airport expressway. It isn’t the most scenic part of the route but the frontage road has wide shoulders and is smoothly paved. That counts for a lot. Along the way I pass a couple of large mosques. Since Islam forbids the depiction of animals or humans in artwork, mosques are instead decorated with gorgeous geometric patterns and architectural flourishes. This one is fairly basic in design but I still think the lines are so graceful.

Where the expressway intersects with the outer ring road there are many new housing developments, gated suburban communities that wouldn’t seem so out of place in Los Angeles, except for the lotus flowers in a pond outside the gate.

Not long after taking the above picture, I found myself riding through rice fields, down small rural sois with unfriendly dogs, and on a narrow elevated concrete path two meters above a peaceful canal. I dismounted to take this picture, managing to catch my riding shorts on the bicycle seat and pulling a muscle in the process.

Continuing a few kilometers down the road I came across an area where people dump a lot of garbage, particularly the insulation from old refrigerators and other appliances. Judging from the scorching on the ground, it looks like they dispose of this garbage by burning it. What a terrible shame!

This area out in Minburi is a beautiful place to ride. However, since my bicycle rack for the car broke a few weeks back, I’m forced to ride all the way out here. By the time I’ve fit that 50 km in, I haven’t much energy left for exploring! Maybe I need to eat a proper breakfast before I start out. Normally I just have a bowl of soup noodles along the way.

Trip to Taling Chan Floating Market

Posted on 9 March 2009 by christao408

On the to-do list for many visitors to Thailand is a trip to the floating market. But the challenge is finding one that is reasonably authentic and is reasonably nearby. All the pictures you see of floating markets in your Lonely Planet guide are of Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi province. This is a strictly-for-tourists operation and isn’t particularly worth it.

There is also a nighttime floating market that operates Friday-Sunday at Amphawa in Samut Songkram province. This is geared towards Thais and is great fun, but requires you to drive ninety minutes each way, which is a drag.

Closer to home there is the Bang Nam Phung market in Phra Pradaeng. That’s weekends only and has a nice selection of food, but there’s nothing floating about it. Still, you have to take a ferry across the river to reach it, so there’s at least some nautical action along the way.

A fourth market, Taling Chan, is one I’ve heard about before but assumed it was very touristy and had never sought it out. Finally, this weekend I had the opportunity as Otto and Han were in town from Singapore with their friend Dixon in tow, all at the same time as Pong from Kuala Lumpur.

After meeting them all for dinner on Friday evening at a local place near the Lumpini police station, Pong and Dixon decided that they were game for some sightseeing. I met them at Saladaeng BTS station on Saturday morning and we headed to the end of the line at Saphan Taksin. Instead of fighting with the touts, I stopped at the travel desk inside the station and negotiated a 2-hour canal tour for the three of us with a stop at the floating market for 2000 baht – about $20 per person.

Above: Long-tail boats floating on the Chao Phraya River.

We headed up the river for about about twenty minutes, passing all the fancy hotels (Oriental, Peninsula, Shangri-La, Sheraton, Hilton), until we reached the area of the Grand Palace. Across from Tammasart University, the “UC Berkeley” of Thailand, we turned into Khlong Bangkok Noi – “Bangkok little canal” and headed west.

About ten minutes along the river we came to the Taling Chan floating market. This is a combination of a land market and then a series of covered, floating platforms with seating areas in the middle of each. Boat-borne vendors are moored alongside and you can order your food from them.

The crowd was mostly Thai, although I did see several other tour groups stop. Our guide took the easy way out and left us to our own devices for a half-hour. Perhaps if I had not made the effort to speak Thai with him, he’d have done his work.

Above, Dixon and Pong seated at the floating market. The vendors are just over the side on the water.

We ate all sorts of nice things. I didn’t take pictures of them all, but here is a selection:

From left to right: gwuitiaw moo – mixed pork over rice noodles; satay gai – chicken grilled with coconut milk and served with peanut dipping sauce; gung ob wun sen – Baked shrimp with vermicelli noodles, normally served in a clay pot but here on a banana leaf.

Dessert – khanom buang. A Thai taco with a crispy shell, a meringue-like paste (not from egg whites, though) and either shredded sweet pork or shredded egg yolks cooked in palm sugar syrup.

Across from the market some children played in the water. The canal is surprisingly clean, more so than the Saen Saeb canal.

Back on the boat, Pong poses for a picture.

We had a nice ride back, enjoying the breeze and continuing through the canals until we came back to the river about halfway downriver from where we turned into the first canal. Even on a hot day, the temperatures are cooler when you’re on the water.

Above: a picture of the Thai Navy headquarters and, on the right, Wat Arun – the Temple of Dawn.

Since we started so early, we were back at the Taksin pier before 11:00, plenty of time left in the day for other things. I’m glad I took a chance on the Taling Chan market, though. Well worth another visit.

What is Design?

Posted on 8 March 2009 by christao408

Two weekends ago Ben and Jason met us for breakfast and then stopped by the condo to interview Tawn. I recently mentioned their art cafe, Kiosk, located at TCDC – the Thailand Creative and Design Centre. Jason is creating a series of short videos in which various Thais are asked about design. The resulting clips will be edited together to show at the cafe.

After reviewing the questions and setting the lighting (don’t you like our professional stage lighting?) the ten-minute interview began. Questions including things like “What is design?” and “Should designer items command a higher price?” It was interesting to hear Tawn’s thoughts on these issues.

Had I not been busy taking pictures, I would have made note of Tawn’s responses. Maybe once they have a finished product I can get a copy to share with you.

The lead-off question is an interesting one, though. What is design? As an example, we have two fans in our house. The first one, which we bought a year ago, is made by Hatari and is a typical plastic fan. The second one, which Tawn bought last week, is handmade by a small shop in the old part of Krungthep.

The plastic fan is slightly larger than the metal one but they both operate at multiple speeds and oscillate.

So what is “design” in the context of these fans?

I look at design as being the intersection of form and function. Something that is very functional but completely unattractive is every bit as much a failure as something that is very beautiful but utterly useless.

The blades of the metal fan aren’t optimally curved so after about 10 feet, the air flow just dies out. The plastic fan has blades that have an ideal curve to them and moves air nicely throughout the room.

The metal fan has a nice “old-fashioned” esthetic to its design with oscillation gears visible in the rear. The plastic fan, while its lines are clean and modern, isn’t as beautiful.

So which has the better design? For me, sitting at home working on a warm day and trying to save money by not running the air con, the plastic fan wins. It looks okay and works wonderfully. Considering that it is out of my line of sight when it is running, that’s the winning design.

With the metal fan, I appreciate it just as much when it is off, since it doesn’t do a very effective job moving the air. And I save a few baht’s worth of electricity when it is off, too.

Sunday evening I made a simple dinner of homemade ham and bell pepper pizza, mixed green salad with tomatoes and shaved parmesan, and pan-fried orangi mushrooms with balsamic vinegar.

Wittayu and Ploenchit

Posted on 5 March 2009 by christao408

Speaking of movies, this picture I took at the corner of Wittayu (aka “Wireless”) and Ploenchit roads looks like a movie set, doesn’t it?

The corner pictured above is the upper left-hand corner of the property shown in this photo below – just to the right of the shophouses that are being demolished – originally posted in early December.

Please return your attention to the first photograph. There are several things that are very interesting and instructive about this photo. Bear with me and I’ll explain them.

A – Two things here. First, the building on the corner is a police box. Almost every intersection in the city has one. The signals, although sometimes set to “automatic”, are generally operated by a police officer sitting in the box. During rush hour, other policemen will come out of the box and assist with directing traffic. They use radios to coordinate the traffic signals. Whether they are coordinating with any other intersection is anyone’s guess.

The second interesting thing is to notice how narrow the sidewalk is on the corner. The area behind the box (covered by the new metal cage – more about that in a moment) is private land. The previous shops that stood there had outdoor restaurants along this stretch and it became a de facto public sidwalk, making moot the dangerous narrow pedestrian footpath in front of the police box.

It looks like the new owner/developer of the property has agreed to maintain that public right-of-way.

B – Obstacle course… er, footpath. Not only does this stretch of sidewalk (and pretty much every other stretch in the city) have vendors crowding, but you can see where construction work has been done and left in a perilous state. Large plastic conduits lie half-burried in the concrete, creating tripping hazards galore.

The conrete itself is actually a hopeful sign, though: previously, sidewalks were covered with individual pavers floating on a bed of compacted dirt and sand. This looked nice for about a week, but eventualy the weight of vendor’s carts and other traffic would cause the pavers to shift, resulting in a very unstable surface. The Bangkok Metropolitan Authority is now pouring a sub-layer of concrete and then paving on top of that. We’ll see how it works. In the meantime, watch your step!

C – Nice, new footpath. The owners/developers of the new project – which I understand will be a mixed-use highrise – have rebuilt the quasi-public sidewalk so it is level, smooth, and – alors! – has metal posts spaced to prevent vendors and motorcycles from entering. It is so nice, you almost want to cry.

D – Safety cage. I’m not sure if the construction will be immediately adjacent to the footpath or not. Normally, they use plywood to create a solid barrier. This barrier lets in light and air but also any smaller particles that might fall to the earth. I’m curious to see how this works. Nicely, though, they built openings in the cage for the existing trees.

There’s your slice of Krungthep for the day.

christao408

The adventures of an expat American who moved to Bangkok for his husband.

Monthly Archives: March 2009