Magic Day @ The Arena

There's a thriving community of illusionists here in Singapore. We've taken in a couple of great performances.

The first was "Magic Box" last July at the Esplanade Theater. It was a father-daughter duo, Lawrence and Priscilla Khong. More than a magic show, it was theatrical performance punctuated with some great illusions.

The second was more of a hip stage performance by Singapore's well known magic duo, J.C. Sum and "Magic Babe" Ning. Titled "Ultimate Magic", it is based at the Arena, a night spot in the popular Clarke Quay area along the Singapore River.

We had a great time. So when we heard about a day of magic that included a performance and instructional talk about the effects by JC and a performance by Ning, it was too interesting an opportunity to pass up. One of Raye's friends here was also interested, so the 3 of us went to the performance.

It was a terrific afternoon. The lecture covered not only the technical aspects of how to perform the illusions, but also great tips about how to organize a performance. Ning performed a show that she did for a magic convention in the UK. What was particularly cool was that it included one of the effects we had just learned so we could see it in the context of a full-on stage performance. It was a great effect to begin with, and we could see how the lighting, music, and stage presence all combined to make for an impressive show.

After the show, Paul got to ask JC about some specific technique questions (and he was very, very helpful) and the two of us both got to talk to Ning for a few minutes and get a photo taken.

The Ultimate Magic show just began its second season, so we'll be looking for an excuse to check it out.

The (Dirty) Old Man Visits

The title does not refer to the Singapore Pepper Crab that my dad enjoyed with great relish, stating "This is the best meal I've worn lately!"

It's actually the job title on his business card.

At 82, my dad might possibly have some people thinking he's my older brother. Perhaps a much older brother, but definitely not your ordinary octogenarian.

Dad's trip was scheduled over the Chinese Lunar New Year. It's a two-day national holiday, and unlike the other national holidays, the majority of stores and restaurants really do close up so the large Chinese community here can observe their many traditions and celebrations. It's worth reading over a couple of Google search results to appreciate the depth and complexity.

We spent the afternoon of "new years eve" wandering around Chinatown. There were plenty of interesting foods to sample: melon seeds in various flavors and colors (for good luck), Chinese sweets in various shapes, sizes, and textures, and some things that -- well -- we opted to pass on. Exhibit A: "peanut buttered squid" (click on the photo to the right and look under Slice Octopus).

We'd learned & practiced saying "gong xi fa cai" and enjoyed saying it to the bewilderment of the people we greeted. I guess it came across something like the pronunciation equivalent of "lee sho-NUFF TOE-vuh."

Raye's friends here also helped welcome Dad, inviting us to various dinners, get-togethers, and club lunches.

And we got to do many of the "tourist things" like visiting the Night Safari, the world's first night zoo, and shopping for electronics at Sim Lim Square. And of course, we drove past Orchard Towers a couple of times, which became a running joke as the "tourist destination" we never found time to visit. (remember his business card or do your own Google search...)

We also dug into the rich variety of Singaporean cuisine: mutton briyani at the Banana Leaf Apolo, Samsui ginger chicken and ginseng herbal chicken soup at the Soup Kitchen, hot & sour soup, pepper crab and steamed fish (for Raye and me) at Long Beach Seafood, Japanese curry at Curry Favor, a variety of eating adventures at the Takashimaya Food Hall, Indonesian food at Garunda Padang, chicken rice at Boon Tong Kee, fish briyani at the Ulu Ulu Safari Restaurant, a great Chinese seafood dinner at Quayside Seafood, and a memorable meal of Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian dishes (including an unusual "hot and sour soup" and a terrific curry dish) at Indochine Waterfront.














But probably one of the more memorable outings was the trip to Har Paw Villa on Chinese New Years Day, where Dad hammed it up with the various statues. It was one of the few places that was open.

We enjoyed an evening at Jazz on Southbridge to enjoy the trio, the singer, the atmosphere, but not "the stingiest drink I've seen in a long time!". We also got to go bowling -- using the Wii that Erica & Jackie delivered in December. And Dad got to experience the S$10 / 10 minute Japanese hair cut. His barber in Cincinnati was on vacation.

We enjoyed the visit very much! And Dad said he had a great time. And as evidenced below, agree or disagree, Dad always calls them the way he sees them!

The Bangkok Family Adventure - Part 3

An introduction that was more than thirty years in the making took place in Bangkok.

After a leisurely breakfast, wee set out on the Skytrain for Chatuchak Market - which some locals refer to as "JJ". This is because the Thais pronounce the "ch" somewhat like a "j", i.e. "Jat-0o-jak". This is the big one; and I mean really big: about 35 acres and thousands and thousands of stalls.

You have never seen so many alleys ("sois") of stuff you didn't know you needed. Sure, Thai souvenirs were present in abundance: silk scarves, silk pillows, wood carvings, costume jewelry. There were plenty of t-shirts will all kinds of interesting-to-bizzare-to-tasteless things on them. And there were some nice furniture items, many made from teak. Need a statue of Buddha or a dragon? Check. Interested in an "imitation" watch (sounds so much nicer than "counterfeit" doesn't it? Plenty to choose from. How about something more obscure -- say miniature finely detailed food items for that doll house? Gotcha covered.

And not a price tag in sight. (Raye was in her element.)

But there were plenty of signs, many of which warned you about pickpockets. A few let you know which "area" of the market you were in. And mercifully, there are actually maps to let you know where to find things.

Fortunately, we didn't have to worry too much about finding our way around as we had a local guide, someone I've known about since 1974 but had never met.

Prof. Ilkkya Kauranen was an AFS foreign exchange student from Finland that my sister became friends with during her senior year of high school. They've kept in touch over the ensuing decades and Kay knew Ilkka, his wife Ritva, and son Kai were living in Bangkok. Ilkka is a Visiting Professor of Management at the Asian Institute of Technology. We them at the Skytrain stop, had lunch together and spent most of the afternoon wandering around (only a fraction of) the market. They were wonderful company and it was great to finally meet Ilkka after hearing so much about him from Kay.

After we returned from Chatuchak (using the Bangkok subway), we decided we all needed to experience those two famous Thai cultural activites: Thai massage and Thai traditional dancing. Fortunately, a nearby place called Silom village offered both plus a nice restaurant for dinner. And as an extra "experience bonus" we opted to all pile into a "tuk-tuk", one of the 3-wheeled scooters that serve as low-end taxis (and amusement park thrill ride).

Did I mention that the fare in a tuk-tuk is a negotiated item? Of course the driver started with the "white face" fare of 100 baht ($2.85). That is, until Raye pulled out her Chatuchak-honed bargaining skills.

We got there for the local Thai rate of 40 baht ($1.14). And quickly, too.

And she did it again when it was time to go back to the hotel. Something like "If I paid 40 baht to get here, what makes you think I going to pay you any more to go back?". And she always smiles so nicely when she does it, too.

On our last day, we decided to take a river taxi to Wat Arun, the temple of dawn. The river taxis are a great way to go: cheap, scenic, and quick. We climbed up to the highest level we were allowed to go, up some incredibly steep stairs. The view was spectacular as the Grand Palace that we visited on the first day was just across the river. One the way back to the hotel, we stopped at one of the piers to look around one of the local areas. The girls enjoyed a local "pop-sicle" which is just frozen Pepsi on a stick for 2 baht each.

The traffic to the airport was light and we arrived in plenty of time to have a leisurely check in at the Suvarnabhumi Airport before our short flight back to Singapore. A great family adventure!

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