Durians in Chinatown.
Posted in Asia, Chinatown, Food, Food Photography, Food Stalls, Foodie Photo of the Day, fruit, Fruit Stalls, Hawker Food Diaries, Photography, Raw foods, Singapore, singapore photo of the day, travel photography, Uncategorized, Weird Asia, tagged Asia, asian fruit, banned fruits, Chinatown, durian, Food, food photography, foodie photo of the day, fruit, Fruit Stalls, Photography, Singapore, Singapore photo of the day, smelly, Street Food, travel photography, weird Asia on April 15, 2016| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Chinatown, city life, Photography, Religion, Singapore, singapore photo of the day, temples, Travel, travel photography, Uncategorized, tagged CBD, old meets new, Photography, Singapore, Singapore photo of the day, skyline, Sri Mariamman Temple, temple, Travel, travel photography, views on November 24, 2015| Leave a Comment »
The Sri Mariamman Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore and was founded in 1827, eight years after the East India Company established a trading settlement in Singapore. Today it is a stone’s throw from Singapore’s Central Business District.
The rural South Indian mother goddess Mariamman is a protector against diseases.
Views in Singapore’s Chinatown are a mix of the old and the new.
Posted in Asia, Beach, island, Photography, Sentosa, Singapore, singapore photo of the day, sunset, tanjong beach, Travel, travel photography, tagged Asia, Beach, island, Photography, sentosa, Singapore, Singapore photo of the day, sunset, Tanjong Beach, Travel, travel photography on August 30, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Posted in Campaigns, culture clash, Interior Design, Restrooms, Singapore, Singapore Campaigns, Weird Asia, tagged campaigns, culture clash, interior design, restrooms, Singapore, Singapore campaigns, toilets on June 21, 2015| Leave a Comment »
One thing about having interior designer friends is you get a totally different perspective on building design and public spaces.
For instance, I had long ago succumbed to the fact that establishments in Singapore don’t always have their own bathroom. You have to leave the premises to find a shared bathroom used by the building. While I find it a little off putting but just one of those quirks about living in Singapore, my interior designer friend was highly annoyed.
“How can an establishment this big NOT have a toilet?” moaned Lee.
“I don’t know, but speaking of, can you tell me where the toilet is?” I answered.
She pointed me out the building and around the corner. While there, I snapped a photo of this.
I sent the photo to my friend in the US who has spent some time in Singapore and also finds these campaigns fascinating. As I have mentioned before, the number of campaigns in this country is staggering.
“Hrm… is that really a problem?” she asked.
“I guess so,” I answered. “Otherwise there wouldn’t be a campaign for it.”
I shared the conversation with Lee and the other folks at the table and received back a unified “Yes, yes, YES. It is DEFINITELY a problem.”
“There you go,” I answered.
Here in Singapore, sometimes the loos are completely spotless, like at Changi Airport or the Zoo. At other times, not so much. It really shows you what an effort is put into keeping the clean ones clean. The next time I use the facilities at Changi Airport and am asked to rate my experience, I am giving the attendant full marks. It’s not an easy job to keep the loos clean, and often a thankless one.
Posted in Asia, Chinatown, massage, Singapore, Spa, travel photography, Weird Asia, tagged Chinatown, massage, massage chair, Photography, Singapore, spa, travel photography, weird Asia on March 27, 2015| Leave a Comment »
A post-dinner cruise through Chinatown had myself and a few friends stumble on this site.
“Huh,” we thought. “Is this legit?” Stephanie immediately chucked the boxes out of the way and sat down for a try.
Unfortunately, the massage chair didn’t work. Massage chair uncle in his most stylish tee came out to troubleshoot the situation.
Ahhhhhhhh. There we go.
A few minutes later we were on our way having made a few new friends in this ambiguous shopfront.
I love everyday life in Singapore Chinatown.
Posted in Food, poetry, rainforest, Singapore, toast, tagged lizards, poetry, rainforest, Singapore, toaster on January 13, 2015| Leave a Comment »
Lizards in the toaster.
Pale tails tripping fuses.
Electroshock therapy divine.
Lizards in the toaster.
It’s morning and my coffee is lonely
But these little guys have a new home.
Lizards in the toaster.
How much for a new toaster online?
The shops on Orchard are crowded.
Lizards in the toaster
They hide so snugly in crevices.
Sigh, I’ve given up my taste for toast.
Posted in Music, Photography, Singapore, tagged Bastille, Hard Rock Colliseum, live music, music, Photography, sentosa, Singapore, unicorn on January 12, 2015| 2 Comments »
Posted in Asia, Asian, china, Food, Photography, temples, Travel, travel photography, tagged 72 hour in transit, Asia, bride in red, bull statue, China, jazz, Jing'an temple, marraige fair, parks, Photography, photos, Shanghai, temples, the Bond, Travel on November 17, 2014| 1 Comment »
My first trip to China was a long weekend in Shanghai last year. I found myself intrigued by Shanghai’s style and culture.
I started my time in Shanghai with a walk down the Bund, the colonial riverside of Old Shanghai lined by historical buildings on the west and the Huangpu and financial district on the east. In the morning, the air was clear but by 4 pm, the haze had rolled in and the buildings weren’t very visible. Luckily, I had a chance to snap these shots in the morning.
In China, red symbolizes prosperity and joy while white symbolizes death and mourning so it’s only fitting that a Chinese bride should wear red. This bride and groom were having their wedding portraits done along the Bund.
The riverfront walkway along the Bund underwent a major reconstruction in March 2010. The benefits are clear.
I took a similar photo of a bull at Wall Street in NYC a few years ago.
Continuing my walk, I ran into these fun guys dishing up some street snacks.
I stumbled into People’s Park and found a man practicing his Mandarin characters.
It took me a while to figure out what was going on with the hordes of people below. Eventually I came to the conclusion I was at a marriage market. Every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m parents of unmarried adults gather to try and play matchmaker. The gender gap in China has widened to make finding a suitable bride more and more difficult for Chinese men. This market has been ongoing since 2004.
All this walking was making me hungry so I made my way to Jiajiatangbao (90 Huanghe Lu) for xiaolongbao. I arrived just in time to miss the long queue and sat across from a sweet local couple who gave me tips on the art of eating the dumplings without spilling out the precious juices or burning my mouth.
There are plenty of temples in Shanghai. This is Jing’an Temple just north of Jing’an Park.
After the temple, we settled down into the lovely grass at Jing’an Park where we were promptly booted out by these officers. They were very strict about the “No sitting or standing on grass” policy. A shame, really. The grass was so nice and well cared for. I challenge you to resist temptation to sit on it.
We topped the evening off with cocktails and jazz, which is apparently live and well in Shanghai.
Until next time, Shanghai!
Editors note: Visas to China are required for many countries and can be expensive, particularly for Americans. If you plan on staying 72 hours or less, you may qualify for the 72-hour Transit Visa Exemption Program. Keep that in mind when booking tickets for a quick weekend and you could save yourself a few hundred dollars.