Raye's First Hash

After 27 years of marriage, at age 55, Raye is no longer a "virgin". That's what hashers call someone who hasn't run a hash before. Raye completed the hash and has the t-shirt to prove it. And she wants to do it again!

She wasn't originally planning to participate, just come and watch. Then she was introduced to "Black Horse" (Janet), a Chinese national who has been living in Singapore for 2 years. She explained that she walks (doesn't run) the hash trail. The short-option trail was estimated to be about an hour's walk, so Raye decided she'd give it a go.

It started off nicely enough: down a paved road, leading away from the picnic pavilion at Sengkang Riverside Park. But a quick right turn had us going north under the Tampines freeway and we were off into the woods, threading our way between the trees and vines.

And then it got interesting.

The hares (the people who lay the trail using flour and toilet paper to mark the way) decided we needed to cool off. And so the trail lead right into a stream and out on the other side. It was only thigh-deep for the most part, but the bottom was sticky muddy, and especially so at the banks. The mud was surprisingly deep; you sank into it up to your calves.

It took a team effort to get everyone down into the water and doubly so when getting out on out the other side. There's no chance of being left behind; the run has "sweepers" who know the trail and make sure they are the last to finish. You also hear people calling "RU" (are you on the trail?) and "ON-ON" (I'm on the trail.)

Unfortunately, the mud was so sticky, two of the hashers had the soles of the shoes separate from the tops. Raye's new friend, Black Horse, was one of those so afflicted. Some trail ingenuity kept things together for the rest of the hash.

They called it "the bionic shoe".

On the run, you see a very different side of Singapore. The runs are in the still-undeveloped parts of the island. The trail led us through jungle, and along fences that mark the border of military installations. We went across streams using logs as bridges and (on the long trail) a bridge made of 2 bamboo sticks lashed together. We saw and actually ran through through some the homes which we guessed are used by some of the "off the books" laborers.

We were on the trail for about 90 minutes and got back as the sun was setting. After the hash comes The Circle, the equivalent of a college fraternity or sorority party where some people give everyone else a hard time about things that happened on the run. Raye got called into the circle twice: once because it was her first hash, the second time for helping Janet with her shoe. And yes, beer is involved.

This was the Singapore Sunday Hash's 400th run so instead of going to a HDB hawker center for dinner afterwards (called the "On On On"), the organizers arranged for a buffet dinner of great Indian & local foods. We also received goodie bags containing a variety of promotional items, include a 400th run commemorative t-shirt.

The next run will be in two weeks. Raye and I are planning to be there. And, according to the slogan of the Sunday Hash, "our next run could be good."

Sure & Begorrah - Meh?

They say on March 17, the whole world is Irish. We can report that this saying extends all the way to Singapore. And of course, where there is St. Patrick's day, the Guinness cannot be far behind.

St. Patrick's Day arrived while our friends Susan & Ed Hurley were visiting us. They were able to sneak away because their younger 15-year-old son was traveling to Rome over Spring break. It was a fast visit; they arrived Sunday at noon and left Thursday around 11:30 pm. Even, so we were able to pack in a full dose of Singaporean experiences.

Including the St. Patrick's Day Parade. We stumbled upon this on Sunday afternoon as we were walking along the Singapore River. There were perhaps 20-25 groups marching in the parade and the variety was remarkable. There were traditional marching bands. But then there was this group marching in full Star Wars costumes. And the Chinese girls' bagpipe group.

Of course there was plenty of green to be seen. But news to Paul was the large number of people wearing orange. Turns out that Irish Catholics are the ones who wear green and Irish Protestants wear orange. (Clearly our living in Chicago and Boston had given us a monochromatic perspective.) And this being Singapore -- where Chinese, Malays, Indians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Caucasians, and everyone gets along (the government makes this a national priority) -- the Greens and Organges were parading together... along with Darth Vader.

Unfortunately, the luck of the Irish was not in full measure on Sunday. The tropical skies decided to remind everyone that Singapore was originally a rain forest. So we did not stick around, threading our way back using the five foot way that protects pedestrians from the elements (and thanking Sir Stamford Raffles for his architectural foresight).

On Tuesday, Raye, Susan and Ed, visited the Dubliner, the Irish pub closest to our place for a pint and to take in the spirit of the holiday with the local denizens. We then adjourned for the Newton Hawker Center where there was no corned beef and cabbage (nor green beer) to be found. However, we were able to feast on several local foods and enjoy a pleasant evening together among the crowds that are always present at this popular spot.

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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The Bangkok Family Adventure - Part 2

Thai silk is world famous, but it wasn't always so. The reason for it's reputation is due to Jim Thompson, a former architect who served in southeast Asia during World War II. After the war, he returned to Bangkok to revitalize this cottage industry. A visit to Vogue magazine in 1947 brought the colors and quality of the hand-woven material to center stage, and the rest is fashion history. Jim Thompson disappeared mysteriously in 1967 while vacationing in Malaysia. His home which is constructed from several traditional Thai houses combined together is now a museum. It contains remarkable antiques and is the second most popular tourist attraction in Bangkok.

So of course we had to make a visit. So after breakfast, we set out on the Skytrain to check it out. It did not disappoint. The house is as interesting as his story and the grounds are beautifully designed and maintained.

For lunch, we opted to take up Jackie's suggestion that we go to a Bangkok institution of a different sort. Founded in the mid-1970's by Mechai Viravaidya, a former government minister, Cabbages and Condoms is a restaurant with a mission. The proceeds from the restaurant benefit the Population and Community Development Association (PDA), a non-profit service organization devoted to AIDS prevention and family planning in Thailand. The name is based on the diet of northern Thailand's rural poor, cabbages, and the early focus of the PDA on the use of condoms for population control -- ahead of the AIDs epidemic. The name comes from the idea that both need to be cheap and easily available.

The food was quite good; the restaurant gets consistently good reviews in travel magazines, websites, and guidebooks. The setting was beautiful and peaceful, even though we were only a few blocks off the major Sukhumvit thoroughfare.

The gift shop and various decoration, on the other hand, had nothing to do with cabbages. If you are shopping for that hard-to-buy-for person who "has everything", well let's just say they probably don't have a condom key chain or a bouquet of condom flowers. And there's more, much much more to choose from.

Oh yes, when they bring the bill, instead of mints, they bring you a stack of condoms. There are more for the taking from a display by the exit.

Erica was in the throws of a full-fledged cold so we headed back to the apartments. Paul & Jackie did a walking tour of the Silom area, including a brief walk-through the Patpong area as the sun was setting, the night market was being set up, and the shall we say more exotic elements of the neighborhood were arriving for the night shift. We also took a look at local Hindu temple. One of our missions was to check out legit establishments for Thai massages and we identifed a couple of good candidates. One featured a 2 hour massage for 300 Baht, less than US$9.

We got back to the apartments and quickly got ready and dashed over to the nearby river dock to board a dinner cruise on the Chao Phraya River. We'd received solid advice from a local (more about him in Part 3) to book with the Manohra Cruises. (photo from their website).

Dinner cruises are big business in Bangkok and there are plenty of options to choose from. Manohra uses antique teak rice barges for their boats and these seat less than 90 people per cruise. Others have gigantic "party boats" with flashing neon, music, and buffet lines.

Our cruise was quiet, serene, and breathtakingly beautiful as we traveled up and down the river past most of the temples we'd toured the previous day, each of which was lit up in spectacular fashion. And no buffet here: it was a 5 course table service meal, from appetizers through dessert. The "dinner" and "cruise" elements both deserve equally high billing.

We sadly left the cruise when it returned to our dock, but our evening plans were not over yet. We walked over to the State Tower to visit the Scirocco bar. It's part of the Lebua restaurant complex and their dress code was strict on shoes so we had to go back to the apartment a few blocks away to get appropriately dressed.

But it was worth it. The view is simply remarkable. Check out the Scirocco link above to get an appreciation for the setting where the photo to the left was taken. That's the Centrepoint Silom with the rounded sides in the foreground and the Chao Phraya behind it. You can also see the lights Skytrain station to the left of the building.

We called it an evening after taking in all the views and looking at a couple of the other dining and bar venues. The streets were practically empty, a sharp contrast to the daytime hustle and bustle of the area. But Silom's activity level is tame compared to where we would venture the next day: Chatuchak Market.

The Bangkok Family Adventure - Part 1

"One night in Bangkok and the world's your oyster
The bars are temples but the pearls ain't free
You'll find a god in every golden cloister
And if you're lucky then the god's a she
I can feel an angel sliding up to me."
- Chess (1984)

With this tune on our iPods and in our heads, we boarded the Swiss airlines flight from Singapore to Bangkok on 25-Dec. Although it's a short 2 hour flight almost straight north, the journey took us from young, clean Singapore to the "real Asian" city that was the capital of Siam and part of the Cambodian Khmer empire before that.

On board the flight, Erica & Paul used a Berlitz program in the entertainment system learned to count in Thai. Greg German, Paul's college roomate, lived in Bangkok about 15 years ago and counseled that there are 3 prices in the market: the lowest is for locals speaking fluent Thai, the highest is for tourists speaking only English, and something in the middle for Anglos speaking a little "phasa Thai", presumably because they must live there and know what is reasonable pricing. Paul also took a short Pimsleur audio course before the trip to have some basic phrases available. (If you need to learn a language fast, Pimsleur is the way to go.)

As we walked through the ultra-modern Suvarnabhumi Airport we were eagerly curious about seeing any signs of the recent unrest that had shut down the airport less than a month ago. Not a one. We briefly stood in the cab line where there was a desk that wrote your destination down in Thai to simplify communication with the taxi driver. Ours also spoke "nitnoy phasa Anglit" but since we were staying in a service apartment (Centrepoint Silom) and not one of the regular hotels, he still had to consult with a couple of fellow cab drivers to find the place.

Our first day in Bangkok we spent on a tour of the major temple sites and the Grand Palace. It was supposed to be a group tour, but since tourism hasn't exactly returned in full strength (plus the holiday period), the group was just the four of us, our guide and the driver. Sweet. We visited Wat Phra Kaew where we saw the Emerald Buddha and the Grand Palace. At Wat Pho, we saw the Reclining Buddha. We then went to Wat Bowoniwet and on to Wat Benchamabophit (aka The Marble Temple). There we saw Phra Buddhajinaraja, a beautiful golden Buddha and toured a courtyard with over 52 Buddhas in various poses. Our guide explained each one and what the differences in the hand placements and poses mean, e.g. "stop fighting" or "calming the waters". Our next stop was Wat Intharawihan where we saw the 32m (105 feet) tall Standing Buddah and a neat row of Tuk-Tuks, the local low-end cabs.

By then we were officially wat-saturated and our guide took us to Gems Gallery International, a gianormous jewlery factory and show room as a final stop. The "factory" is miniscule, the sales area is infinitely larger. The jewelry business is a big one in Thailand because of the low cost of labor and the lack of duty on importing precious stones. (It's also a legendary source of various scams.) This place was legit (ISO certified, no less), targeted at tourists, and priced accordingly. Nice tour, remarkable artistry, but only a couple of minor souvenir sales from us. We then returned to our apartments to regroup and get ready for a very late lunch.

We decided to head to one of the famous shopping malls, Mah Boon Krong or "MBK". The 6th floor food center was our destination. So we walked around the corner to the BTS Skytrain for the trip across town. The Skytrain is a huge time-saver because the traffic in Bangkok is unbelieveably bad (and clearly visible from the Skytrain wizzing past all the gridlock).

The food center was easy to find and we had no problem finding a table for lunch, probably because it was about 3:30 pm. We tried a variety of local items and for dessert we had Thai sticky rice with fruit. In this case, we all tried the safe and delicious mango variety and Jackie and Paul had the definitely more adverturesome durian option. Jackie's judgement: "interesting" and she didn't stop with just one taste.

We then made the rounds of two of MBK's floors. One was the Thai souvenir level where we saw these remarkable metal sculptures made out of welded together spare/used autoparts. The Wall-E figure was Erica's favorite. They were pretty pricey and as we encoutered them several times during our visit, the pricing was consistent and not very negotiable. (Turns out there is a website from which you can order them.)

Even though this was a shopping mall, the pricing on this floor was negotiable. Raye was particularly effective at bargaining, getting 40% off a couple of item as she and the salesperson stood in front of a sign proclaiming "no discounts". And of course she did this with no Thai language, putting Erica & Paul to shame.

We also went to the "cell phone" floor where Paul was able to look over the fake iPhones and something called the "iPhone Mini". While these are working cell phones, the only thing they have in common with the real iPhone is the look of the phone and copy-cat packaging. We were able to make a useful purchase: a local SIM card for Paul's cell phone that gave us on-the go internet access and a local Bangkok phone number that was useful for making reservations. We also checked out pricing for Wii items and the prices were the same as in the USA.

It was a long, interesting day so we headed back on the Skytrain to rest up for our next day.