Seeing Red. And Dogs?!!

Frank and I arrived in Singapore as the residents were preparing for the most important event on the Chinese calendar – Chinese New Year. It’s a big deal here because seventy-five percent of the Singapore population is ethnic Chinese (15% are Malay, considered the indigenous population; and 15% are ethnic Indian). As in China, Chinese New Year is a public holiday and the festivities last for several days. Singapore is all decked out in red (the color of luck) with lanterns and banners everywhere. Something else you’ll find everywhere? Dogs!! Each year of the Chinese calendar is assigned one of twelve animals; 2018 is the Year of the Dog.

Chinese New Year reminds us of Christmas with its decorations, parades, cheery greetings and its focus on family. I love the concept of the traditional Reunion Dinner, held on the eve of the new year. Family members rush back home (sometimes from very far away) to share this one most important meal of the year with loved ones. The following days are spent visiting other relatives and friends — enjoying time with the ones who matter most.

Frank and I felt very fortunate to attend a Chinese New Year celebration. We made a new friend — a relative of Milwaukee friends – who graciously invited us to the home he shares with his beautiful fiancée and charming teenage son.

We went to the store to grab some wine for the party and started talking to a very nice older woman. She had two decorative boxes of mandarin oranges and I asked if this was something one would traditionally bring to a celebration. She said “Yes, but you must bring two; they symbolize good luck.” I was super excited to be “in” on the tradition and proudly presented the two boxes of citrus to our hosts. They seemed puzzled. “They symbolize good luck,” I explained. They chuckled, “It’s supposed to be two oranges, not two boxes of oranges!!” We all laughed. Guess, they’ll have a lot of good fortune in 2018!

Along with their friends, we participated in a uniquely Singaporean tradition – Lo Hei. A salad, made up of specific, symbolic ingredients, is set in the middle of the table. Everyone grabs a pair of chopsticks and begins to toss the salad inward and higher with each toss! At the same time, everyone yells out wishes for themselves and those gathered for the upcoming year, “Wishing you good health!” “Happiness and love!” “A new job!” “Riches!” One of ours, the wish for “New friends and adventures?” – well, that came true that night!

Happy New Year and Good Luck in this Year of the Dog!

Pawparazzi

Lo Hei. See my tweet for a live action shot: https://t.co/kcMqs1O0Sd

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Chingay 2018 – “Make Some Noise!”

I love, love, love a parade – the color, the bands, the people watching – everything about them! Singapore’s annual Chingay Parade is the largest street performance and float parade in all of Asia and I was sooo excited to be going.

The parade started back in 1973, when the People’s Association (an organization charged with nation-building programs to promote social cohesion and multiracialism) teamed up with the Singapore National Pugilistic Federation (an organization to promote and advance martial arts) to hold a street parade depicting aspects of Chinese culture, i.e. dragon and lion dances, martial arts and street opera.

It was so well received, organizers made it an annual festival, held the first weekend of the Lunar New Year. Two years after its inception, the parade was made more inclusive of the country’s other ethnic groups — Malays, Indians and Eurasians. Chingay is now billed as epitomizing “the dynamism of Singapore’s vibrant and multicultural society.”

The event has a very proud, patriotic feel. The enthusiastic and very loud emcees encouraged crowd cheering and participation. “You are all part of this celebration! We are all Singapore! Here, we celebrate together as one!”

The Chingay Parade is held in Singapore’s F1 Pit Building, which contrary to its name, is outside. In all of our time here, we have never felt a drop of rain — until Parade Day! Rain ponchos were the fashion accessory of choice and necessity!

Fortunately, ponchos were thoughtfully provided in the cool Chingay swag bags!

It takes over 2,000 volunteers to put on the show.

Teen volunteers were charged with being “Crowd Motivators”

The young volunteers by us were adorable!

Loved the corsages we received while waiting for the parade to start!

Please don’t rain on my parade . . .

. . . and it didn’t!! The skies cleared just before the pre-parade activities were to begin.

This group of teens warmed up the crowd with an amazing, acrobatic hip hop performance.

I couldn’t get enough of these cuties waiting for their call to perform.

Chingay 2018 Opening performance

Chingay 2018 Opening performance

Chingay 2018 Opening performance

The guests of honor, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his wife Ho Ching, arrived in the first float to officially begin the Parade.

Let’s make some noise Singapore!

The young kids’ float and dance were a highlight!

Singapore in Bloom

Sometimes you don’t need words.

Singapore – a “fine” city

Frank and I were riding the subway on our first full day in Singapore. It was hot. I took a drink of my water bottle. A guy nudged Frank and whispered, “She could get fined for doing that.” He pointed to a sign we hadn’t noticed:

No eating or drinking. Fine $500. Yikes. I quickly shoved the bottle back in my bag.

No smoking. Fine $1000. No flammable goods. Fine $5000. No durians? (Wait. What? We’ll talk about that later). Thankfully, I wasn’t fined when I got off at our stop, although I have to admit I was a little worried!

That same day, we saw this shirt . . .

We chuckled and then we understood. To live and get along in Singapore, you have to follow the rules. And that’s OK. It’s why the subways and trains are immaculate. It is why there is no litter in the streets. It’s why we never got gum on our shoes (!).

Now, about those durians . . .

Durians are a fruit and they stink. We’d catch a whiff when we’d walk past a stand. The fruit can be eaten raw or made into baked goods, popsicles and candy. People either love them or hate them. But that stench . . .

According to travel writer Richard Sterling, “Its odor is best described as . . . turpentine and onions, garnished with a gym sock. It can be smelled from yards away.”

Anthony Bourdain calls them “indescribable . . . Your breath will smell as if you’d been French-kissing your dead grandmother.” Alrighty then.

To make matters worse, we were told that that smell sticks to anyone or anything nearby. So, therefore, my friends, no durians on the Singapore subway. And no durians for us. And that’s fine with me.

Singapore

Lifestyle magazine Time Out ranked Singapore among the world’s least exciting cities. In our month here, we found it to be anything but.

The Singapore government frowns on Airbnbs so our housing options were limited to hotels, which were super-expensive, and resident apartments, which were still pricey but legal. We chose a complex fifteen minutes outside the city center. It turned out to be a great decision! The pool gave Frank a chance to resume his exercise routine. While we never took advantage of the free weekday breakfast (served until 8:30 and I was never up and ready), I relished the cleaning lady who came with clean towels and made our beds 3 times a week!

The complex had a van that went into the city six times a day and mass transit (which goes everywhere we needed to go) was just minutes away. So go we did. Every day.

Singapore is multi racial and multi cultural. The goal is integration, not assimilation, so cultures are preserved. Chinatown, Little India, the Malaysian area/Arab Street — all reflect the unique culture (and amazing food!) of those who have settled here.

When we first arrived, we noticed the many residential towers. The city state has a population of 6 million and that’s where most live. The towers are their own neighborhoods with shopping centers, restaurants and links to mass transit.

The efficient mass transit system provided us easy access to the various neighborhoods, as well as to beautifully maintained parks, the lively waterfront area and the vibrant city center. Art and cultural exhibits, sporting events, festivals – we always found something to do. And shopping? I have never seen so many malls! And they’re all busy!

Yes, the city state is a bit regimented. There are countless rules (see previous post) and they are very strict on crime. But for us, it provided a certain level of comfort. Everything is clean and orderly and we never felt unsafe. On top of that, the people are very friendly.

In fact, it could easily be a place for us to settle if it wasn’t for the extreme heat (Singapore is 1-1/2 degrees north of the equator — tropical rain forest climate with no distinct seasons). It’s also very expensive.

That said, it is an amazing place to visit. And it’s far from boring. Cheers.

First impressions of Singapore – green and clean.

Our home for the month – Wilby Bukit Timah residential apartments.

Our neighborhood was outside the city center and we were surrounded by residential towers and . . .

massive one-family homes.

The bus stop was a five minute walk. When we wanted to take the MRT (train), we could ride the bus two stops to our train line.

The MRT was immaculate.

The city has an initiative to expand its many covered sidewalks. They are a saving grace in the mid-day heat.

Downtown Singapore

Scattered amongst the tall residential and office skyscrapers, are the older, original neighborhoods.

We arrived as the city was preparing for Chinese Lunar New Year. Chinatown, as expected, was especially decked out.

Chinatown

Chinatown shop houses. Most are original from the early 19th century. Shops were below and people lived upstairs in rooms which varied in size, depending on the family size and job.

When we got to Singapore, we visited Bugis Street Mall for cheap summer clothing. The crowds over a holiday weekend made the place claustrophobic.

Frank and I have never seen a city with more shopping malls! (Orchard Road)

Orchard Road is always buzzing with locals and tourists ready to open their wallets.

Marina Bay Sands Mall was even more upscale than Orchard Road.

I want.

Marina Bay Sands Hotel. And why are there so many high-end designer shops here?

Because it’s connected to the Marina Bay Sands Casino! On a side note: Singapore loves tourists who come here to gamble but aren’t keen on their citizens doing it. They charge $100 for Singaporeans to enter the casino!

You can find anything and everything in Singapore!

But you will pay the price – very expensive!

We caught some really good food in Singapore.

Singapore’s Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle is home to the world’s cheapest Michelin-star meal! It was delicious! The cost was under $2 but now that they have a restaurant with seating it is around $3.50!

Hawker stands are everywhere in Singapore. Prices are good. Most food is good. Hawker stands take the place of street food stands in Singapore so they can be regulated.

We had lunch (at a fancier place) and then had coffee at this hawker stand with Nalin. He is a local who got his Masters at Northwestern and was a mentee of a friend of ours.

A couple days later we ran into him at a local mall – how fun is that?!

Ride share bikes are randomly parked all over and can be used for exercise or to get around as owning a car is beyond expensive.

All that good eating has lead to a government initiative to get everyone moving and fit.

We often took the MRT down to the Bayfront area. Shown is the Singapore Helix Bridge, the Marina Bay Sands Hotel, the mall and the lotus shaped Art and Science Museum.

The area’s floating island was the site of the colorful River Hangbao Festival.

In addition to the Downtown and Bayfront, we loved exploring the old neighborhoods.

We went to Little India with our new friends, Tod Gimbel and Haney Rae.

Tod picked out a bunch of different hawker food and drinks for us to try for breakfast.

We also visited the area’s wet market.

Sundays in Little India are crazy busy as Singapore’s many Indian workers are off and everyone congregates here.

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple in Little India

Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple in Little India

Mustafa Center is the big go-to shop and it carries everything from hula hoops to jewelry to anything you could ever think of to buy!

Oh, and in front of Mustafa’s was where Frank got hit by this van.

The Arab Street area

Arab Street neighborhood

Sultan Mosque

Sultan Mosque

Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple, built in 1827, is the city’s oldest Hindu temple.

Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Catholic Churches in Singapore were plentiful and always standing room only.

Frank and I were impressed to see that Singapore children learn about different religions, laying the groundwork for understanding and acceptance.

Singapore has a major focus on education. Students wear uniforms.

Singaporeans are very proud of their country, their culture and their people. These billboards in the MRT look like movie posters but they encourage respect for the police as well as recruitment.

People back home asked if we have had a Singapore Sling, Singapore’s famous cocktail from the iconic Raffles Hotel. The hotel is closed for renovations but the drinks are still flowing at a pop-up shop adjacent to the property. We stopped in for one. $30 each? No thank you.

We did go to the top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel for views and a cocktail.

We got a big kick out of the infinity pool over the city.

Spago was the perfect place to raise a cocktail to this incredible city. Cheers!

24 Hours in Melaka

A popular getaway for Singaporeans is a bus trip to historic Melaka. The Malaysian city is a striking contrast to the modernity (and prices!) of Singapore. Although our time was short, we enjoyed our weekend here. It was great for people watching and had some wonderful shopping! Melaka is also known for its delicious food.

Historic Melaka

We stayed at the charming Hotel Puri.

Visitors from all over come to Melaka. The gathering place is the Dutch Square or Red Square.

We arrived on the final weekend of Chinese New Year, bringing the celebration we began in Singapore full circle.

Day 15, the last day of Chinese New Year, is filled with fireworks, cultural performances, and celebrations.

Day 15 of Chinese New Year

Festivities included this blocks long trail of fireworks leading to the Temple

So LOUD!

It was quite the party!

Melaka’s culture of religious acceptance is illustrated by the multi-religious “Harmony Street.” Located along the street are Kampung Kling Mosque (Islam), Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple (Hinduism), Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism), and Xiang Lin Si Temple (Buddhism).

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Cheng Hoon Teng Temple

Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple

Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple

A popular tourist activity is a river boat ride. The buildings are colorfully painted and it reminded us of a Disney-themed ride.

Other areas of the old city were colorful, too. Melaka has a lot of interesting street art.

The city’s most famous sight is the Jonker Street Night Market.

Tourists enjoy the decorated tuk tuks.

They even light up at night!

Yes, we took one.

We actually took it to a neighborhood outside the tourist area to try Melaka’s famed spicy lok lok. The problem was that no one could speak English and tell us what anything was!

It’s cheap, only 80 cents per stick. You cook it in a pot filled with water and spices that sits in the center of your table. I have no idea what we ate.

Peranakan or Nyonya cuisine comes from the Peranakans, descendants of early Chinese migrants who settled in Penang, Malacca, Singapore and Indonesia inter-marrying with local Malays.

After seeing all the banana plants on our bus ride to Melaka, do you think we could find even one shop that sold bananas?

Frank finally settled on a banana smoothie at the fancy hotel where we were to meet the bus. It was here . . .

. . . we had a fun, interesting chat with the chef, who told us all about his life in Melaka!