Posted by Kanga.
Remember this in Singapore?
This is in Abu Dhabi –
Gate Towers at Shams Abu Dhabi on Reem Island
Author Archive
Vacation Reading
July 13, 2012Posted by Kanga.
You may not be dying to know what I read during vacation, but I’m gonna tell you anyway.
First, some context:
1. I am a high school librarian, so I tend to read children’s and young adult’s literature.
2. My students are all male and the epitome of reluctant readers. English is not their first language.
3. They are interested in horror and scary stuff. Due to cultural sensitivity concerns, I have to read the books before adding to the library collection.
The two books by Darren Shan are actually four books (double bound editions, two titles per book) in the Demonata series. I attended a session by Darren Shan at the Emirates Airlines Festival of Literature. I decided to try his books, now I’m hooked. The characters are believable, well-developed, and easily relatable. They may not make the best decisions, but that’s what makes them realistic.
Skulduggery Pleasant: The Death Bringer is number six in the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. I enjoy this series because it is smartly written, witty, egalitarian, and action packed. I generally tune out during fight scenes in movies and books, but the fight scenes Derek Landy writes are gripping and easy to visualize. I especially like his villains who can be incredibly funny, Vaurien Scapegrace being the king of hilarious villains. Valkyrie Caine is a marvelous, strong female lead character. She is the anti-Bella. She may make some bad boyfriend decisions, but she’s honest with herself about how bad those decisions are. I haven’t finished this volume, yet, mainly because of it’s physical format. It is too big and heavy to travel in my purse, so it is a recliner/bedside only read, which limits the amount of time I have to read it.
Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba is the first manga series that I have enjoyed. It is well written and the plot line is interesting. I have only read the first two volumes of the total 13. I’m curious to see where the plot goes from here. Graphic novels, in general, usually put me to sleep. Reading them seems to be more tasking for me than straight text. The few manga titles that I have tried before this were either too complicated with new characters being added each volume or poorly written with characters yelling at each other in non-sensical ways.
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness travelled along with me, but technically I didn’t read it on vacation. I have read it before and intended a second read, but my obsession with the Darren Shan books got in the way. The main character of this book is a young boy, so it has been labelled as “young adult fiction” when the truth is that adults can enjoy and appreciate it. It takes on chaos, family dynamics, and death – some serious issues. It is an unpredictable story and told in a very creative way. It has won awards for both the text and the illustrations. This is a highly recommended read, in my opinion.
Travelling via Books
I’ll be taking another three weeks of vacation in August, but we’ll be staying home. My plan is to travel by reading. I’m looking to select a few titles for my book vacation. If you have a specific title you can recommend, please post it in a comment. I’m looking to travel to other countries, cultures, times, or planets via fiction or non-fiction.
The Road Home
July 10, 2012Posted by Kanga.
Singapore Airport has the best piece of public art. It is hundreds of silver tear drops, each suspended on a transparent thread and animated to move up and down in a variety of patterns. Very zen.
It was mesmerizing. We could have easily missed our plane while watching it.
Luckily, we tore ourselves away and made it back to Dubai safe and sound. Our plan for getting back to Fujairah from Dubai was a reverse of how we got there (taxi – bus – taxi). We fully expected to have a long wait in the heat waiting for the bus, however, we could not have timed it better if we tried. We arrived at the bus stop at 2:40 pm. A bus was waiting and it departed at 2:45 with us on it.
Singapore: Days Twelve & Thirteen
July 7, 2012Posted by Kanga.
With only two days to go and a long list of things we hadn’t done, I had to beg off for a bit of a rest, so most of day 12 was spent with my feet up. Then, it was time for dinner.
Our friend, Adrianna, guided us on our evening repast adventure. First we stopped for a snack of sashimi. Our final destination was a small Japanese restaurant (Restaurant Chako) in which it is best to call/email ahead to get your order in, because everything is prepared fresh, even the sauces. Therefore, dinner can take a few hours to complete. (We all forgot to take pictures of the appetizers – oops! We had edamame [soy beans], shishamo [small grilled fish], and maguro yamakake [raw tuna with yam sauce])
DaddyBird’s dinner was yosenabe (claypot soup with seafood, chicken, mushroom, and tofu).
Adrianna’s dinner was unatamaju (broiled eel on scrambled egg and rice).
I had the Chako set meal (mackerel, breaded chicken, breaded cuttlefish, rice, cabbage salad, potato salad, miso soup, etc.).
We added tempura moriawase (shrimp and vegetables). It was all very delicious. Everything was prepared fresh and it doesn’t get more authentic than this.
We capped it all off with several desserts. Above is coffee flavored gelatin, below is green tea ice cream. Not pictured – cappuccino ice cream and black sesame ice cream. The black sesame ice cream was really interesting – almost more savory than sweet.
Our plan for the last day was to go to the bird park, but when we woke up it was raining heavily, so change of plans. The Asian Civilizations Museum was within walking distance of our hotel and offered an escape from the rain.
The rain had let up briefly, so it was a pleasant walk down the riverside.
We joined a tour that was starting when we arrived. The subject was the influence and use of Chinese art and style in other cultures.
This elephant is Chinese porcelain that was then modified in Turkey with the addition of the metal parts changing it into a hookah base (shisha pipe).
The museum presents all cultures and religions of Asia.
This bowl was made in Iraq attempting to emulate Chinese porcelain, but instead creating a unique and beautiful piece with a style of it’s own.
We left with a long list of places we didn’t go and things we didn’t do, but we enjoyed Singapore very much and will probably go back again.
Singapore: Day Eleven
July 4, 2012Posted by Kanga.
The day began with a metro train trip to Chinatown and pork buns.
These were not just steamed, but also seared for a crusty outside. Tasty!
These pigeons had found the motherlode in the food court and were eating as fast as they could.
DaddyBird chose his lunch based on the length of the line at this food booth without knowing exactly what he was going to get.
This is what he ended up with -soup with fish balls and tofu.
I got a similar soup with greens and noodles from a different food stall.
Our tourist activity of the day was to go to the top of the Marina Bay Sands Towers to the Skypark observation deck.
We purposely got there just before sunset so we could see it in daylight and night time.
The view straight down (Kris this one’s for you.)
This is what people think of the “Do Not Sit on the Deck” signs. Let me rant a bit here about how stupid it is to create a tourist attraction without places to sit down. It is really rude, in my opinion. Tourists are on their feet all day and deserve a place to rest, especially if you want them to stick around (and spend money).
The Singapore Flyer lit up at night.
The view across the bay.
Dinner included burgers.
They claim to be healthy, but the only clarification in the menu or signage was that they are not prepared ahead and kept under a heat lamp. No claims of organic or low fat ingredients. No whole grain buns. So, there is room to improve the “healthy” factor. (Correction: DaddyBird says that whole grain buns were an option listed in the menu.)
It looks more like a Dagwood sandwich than a burger. The patty was savory, which seems to be hard to come by in my burger experiences.
The chili cheese fries also beg the “healthy” factor. They tasted good, but the chili was not hot enough to melt the cheese.
Singapore: Day 10
July 3, 2012Posted by Kanga.
We opted for an uncharacteristically touristy activity – riding the site seeing bus. Let’s face it, we’re getting old and walking everywhere in humid heat is a bit exhausting. This way, we got to sit in air conditioning, see the sights, and learn some details from the canned tour commentary that we wouldn’t have known otherwise.
We started on the Heritage route which took us through Little India, Chinatown, and other older parts of the city.
There is a lot of high density housing here. At least they try to make it attractive.
We hopped off at Suntec City Mall for lunch.
DaddyBird had the “white carrot cake” which is a big, spicy omelette with white radish and shrimp in it. I had char siew and roast duck.
In the absence of lime juice, I tried the delicious celery juice.
Our ticket also included rides on water taxis, so we took another ride on the river on one of these.
We got off at the Marina Bay Sands complex. The complex includes hotel, shopping mall, conference center, casino, and probably more.
There is even a canal with boat rides.
We were headed to the Art and Science Museum for the Harry Potter Exhibition. No photography was allowed, so you will have to imagine what we saw. I stood three feet from Snape’s costume, unfortunately Alan Rickman was not in it. It was a well designed exhibit, although it was aimed at a younger demographic than DaddyBird and I. The Sorting Hat sorted us – I am Ravenclaw and DaddyBird is Griffyndor.
By the time we finished the sun was down and we were exhausted from a long day of tourism, so it was off to Brewerkz again for dinner. Above is potato skins appetizer with cheese, bacon bits and dip.
DaddyBird opted for the Cowboy Burger – bacon, cheese, and BBQ sauce. I had the Bangers and Mash. I am certain that the sausages were good, but they were overshadowed by the cheesy mash potatoes and sauerkraut. I very nearly asked for additional sauerkraut. Yummy!
Below is the sign that is posted in the area where the brewery vats are visible. We found it amusing.
I think they mean business.
Singapore: Day Nine
July 2, 2012Posted by Kanga.
The day began late with a late lunch at Songfa Bak Kut Teh, our new favorite restaurant which just happens to be about two blocks from our hotel. DaddyBird opted for the pork stomach soup and I had the pork ribs.
… and tea.
We took a short Singapore river cruise. It was cooler on the water.
Clarke Quay
Asian Civilization Museum
Cavenagh Bridge
Marina Bay, Singapore Flyer
Marina Bay Sands Towers, Art and Science Museum
South bay skyscrapers
Tree
Boat Quay – this used to be the area where cargo used to be loaded/off-loaded. Now it is restaurants.
Singapore: Days Seven & Eight
July 1, 2012Posted by Kanga.
We moved to a different hotel and took it easy for a couple of days.
The Best Western: Jayleen 1918
We found the best, THE BEST, food, yet. I have to admit that I wimped out and didn’t order the pork stomach, pork intestines, pork kidney, pork liver, or pork trotters, but I now believe that they could make any of these taste amazing. Above is sliced fish soup, pork tenderloin soup, kai lan, cai xin, and rice. Fabulous!
The mall next door has an unusual arrangement and escalators going every which way, like an M.C. Eischer picture.
Beautiful trees.
The firehouse nearby.
Singapore: QR Codes
June 30, 2012Posted by Kanga.
One thing that has been noticeable all around Singapore is QR codes. (For those who don’t know, QR codes are square matrix barcodes that can communicate more information than a standard barcode. More explanation – click here.) They were invented almost 20 years ago, but are only now coming into the public sphere because smart phones can scan them (with the right app).
Real Estate Ad
Singapore Flyer
Computer Ad
Cold medicine Ad
Job Ads Website
Pepsi
Just about every advertisement in the metro stations
Restaurant Menu (sorry it’s blurry)
College advertisement (in the metro train car)
We have not, however, seen anyone stopping to scan these codes with their smart phone. Just me stopping to photograph them for this blog post. This may be the wave of the future, though.
Singapore: Day Six
June 29, 2012Posted by Kanga.
Day Six began with a stroll through Little India looking for a place to eat. We ended up having the most overpriced meal, yet, not worth posting here. It was a pleasant walk, although hot and humid.
Then we took a metro ride. A few interesting things happened during this transit. While I was standing in the ticket booth area waiting for DaddyBird, an older man got into a confrontation with security personnel. I’m not sure how it began, but I think that he entered through a door he was not supposed to enter through. He began to raise his voice and argue with them. Everyone else in the room stood stock still and stared as if mesmerized by the exchange. It was like a scene from a science fiction movie where time stands still. Anyone entering the room and seeing that there was a ruckus, immediately stood still and stared, too. Very strange.
Later, while we were on the train, a young woman near us got a look at DaddyBird’s beard and grinned big. Her eyes then darted to me and her smile immediately disappeared as soon as she realized he was with me. That’s right, girl. He’s taken! And, before we reached our destination, a family with two children came on. The little girl, who was about 4 years old, pointed at DaddyBird and made a wordless exclamation. She continued to stare at him until we reached our stop.
Our destination was the Singapore Flyer, a large ferris wheel, like the London Eye. It cost $30 each to ride.
Kallang River
Straights of Singapore
Singapore
And the day ended with green beer. Useful information: if you are in a taxi and asking to go to “boat quay” it is pronounced “boh key.”
Living the Travel Channel 