There's a movie that I liked called "Something New" and while the plot is simple and expected enough, I think the message I got from it was clear: that it shouldn't matter what's your skin colour or what cultural norms you have to conform to. The main point is not to go through life with a checklist of what is right and wrong; what to look out for for the 'perfect man/woman'.
During my adolescence, I was very upset with how much I had to conform to the notion of being 'malay' and I never accepted it. By the time I finally became an undergraduate, I finally understood that race is a state construction, imposed on us and because my mental reality does not correspond to what the government tells me that I am and it led to a lot of conflict, socially and culturally.
It pained me to be forced to do Malay cultural activities such as drama and dance not because I do not like the culture but of how the schools seemed to feel that we token Malays (in Chinese-dominant schools) ought to fill up the space for that particular CCA, regardless of whether we liked it or not. Socially, the rejection of my race also spilled into my choice for cliques and even relationships.
Throughout my primary school years, my friends were all chinese and I was one of the 4 malays in my class yet I never did group projects with them... because I identified myself more with my chinese friends. Why? Maybe because I went to chinese kindergarten or maybe because I was always sitting beside a chinese guy/girl in class. [we used to seat according to height and I was the tallest in class so I sat at the back]
It took me 11 years to realise that I was the top Malay PSLE student in my school AND IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME THAT I WAS! Lol. I saw myself as equal to my friends and not separated by skin colour or language and me being the top didn't mean a thing. The logic that the government is enforcing on us is to recognize our differences so blatantly by saying 'ooohhh look, she's the top psle malay student!' like some zoo animal to be separated from the general population. But it shouldn't be like that.
Despite my desire not to be part of my own 'racial' constructed society, I've been constantly reminded by my parents and by my family and community of how much I have to conform to their values.
Let's take marriage for example - to conform is to get married early, have lots of children and the checklist would include:
-a man who is of the same academic qualifications as you
-has worked for a few years so he has enough CPF to buy a flat with you
-muslim so that he can lead your family through prayers etc.
-preferably malay so he can integrate into the family easily
And the list goes on.
Two years ago, when my [ex] bf asked my mother if he could marry me, she said no because she thought he wasn't university educated and just a simple technician in some company. But of course he's doing his degree part time and a year later when she found out, she started taking cards from weddings for their catering and decorations, she's putting aside money for me to get married etc. And it disgusts me.
He meets the requirements on the checklist - he's malay, muslim, university educated, worked enough with lots of cpf and is of acceptable age, kind, gentle etc etc.
But the truth is... this is not my list. This is my mother's list, my community's list... and never mine. But in Singapore, you have to have that list because everything is too ordered, there is no place for mistakes and no place for adventure.
It took me a long while to finally get it. There's a lot more to life than carrying this checklist around. I'm not saying that it's bad to conform, but are the actions that we take while conforming to societal expectations a result of our own agency or simply passive acceptance of someone else's list?
So I hope in 10 years time, when I look back at this entry and see how much of my life I've gone through without following someone else's checklist, I hope I'll be happy. =)
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Clubbing in Singapore
Clubbing was always seen as one of those 'vices' which was reserved for the very bad but bold. I was warned that it was a scene of sleaze alcohol and shameless dressing. For me, that sounded like something I had to do at least once in my life. It wasn't just the rebellious part of me speaking but it was also that I hated listening to my parents telling me that was something was bad without me judging it for myself.
Even then, I got into the clubbing scene much later than most of my peers. Only at the age of 23 did I dare to venture into a club as my curfews were set much later to 12 or 1am. However, that is the time when the party's just started eh?
My first experience was at St James Powerhouse with some of my former secondary school friends. I remembered feeling extremely fat as most of the Chinese girls (I didn't see girls of other races much) were slim, petite and had nice legs. And the guys there were obviously into that kind and treated anything above 60kg or equivalent to their weight an eyesore. And I'm sorry guys... you really spoil the scene with your passive standing-around and furious typing on your handphones like your life depended on it. I appreciated the music, for I loved dancing but I felt extremely rejected and almost unappreciated as a woman. Subsequent visits there and to other places like Butter Factory proved my point.
It was only last year when me and my cousins discovered Movida which was housed in St James and that was where I found my calling. I realised that the clubbing/dancing experience lies very much in the company around you. Movida had a live band that played Latin songs and after years of doing Malay dance, you can say I fitted right in. It was all about the gelek (shaking of the hips) and basically dancing instead of jumping up and down on the spot. Heh. And the crowd! The men were dancing! Not just standing pressed against the walls and playing with their handphones. I was thrilled.
Movida however, attracted a different kind of crowd - the expat crowd and perhaps it was their open personalities that attracted me to the place. Although some guys were out to fish for one night stands, some were truly there to enjoy themselves and that was what I liked. They danced crazy silly moves, so un-self conscious (even the girls) that you just know you've got to join them! Plus they always make you feel like you're beautiful (sometimes they'll tell you) and I think a woman deserves to hear that, regardless of what shape she is!
So my verdict after almost two years of trying out the clubbing scene? It's not really as bad as how my mum seems to make it out to be. In fact, I enjoy being around people, tilting my head up to look at the lights and just losing myself to the music. The sociological term for it is "collective effervescence". Durkheim may have used it to describe religious gatherings, but I think the concept applies here as well. It's that feeling of being ecstatic yet faintly lucid, rendered by the close interactions and intersubjective experience with others - which was why I said the crowd is just as important as the music.
Even then, I got into the clubbing scene much later than most of my peers. Only at the age of 23 did I dare to venture into a club as my curfews were set much later to 12 or 1am. However, that is the time when the party's just started eh?
My first experience was at St James Powerhouse with some of my former secondary school friends. I remembered feeling extremely fat as most of the Chinese girls (I didn't see girls of other races much) were slim, petite and had nice legs. And the guys there were obviously into that kind and treated anything above 60kg or equivalent to their weight an eyesore. And I'm sorry guys... you really spoil the scene with your passive standing-around and furious typing on your handphones like your life depended on it. I appreciated the music, for I loved dancing but I felt extremely rejected and almost unappreciated as a woman. Subsequent visits there and to other places like Butter Factory proved my point.
It was only last year when me and my cousins discovered Movida which was housed in St James and that was where I found my calling. I realised that the clubbing/dancing experience lies very much in the company around you. Movida had a live band that played Latin songs and after years of doing Malay dance, you can say I fitted right in. It was all about the gelek (shaking of the hips) and basically dancing instead of jumping up and down on the spot. Heh. And the crowd! The men were dancing! Not just standing pressed against the walls and playing with their handphones. I was thrilled.
Movida however, attracted a different kind of crowd - the expat crowd and perhaps it was their open personalities that attracted me to the place. Although some guys were out to fish for one night stands, some were truly there to enjoy themselves and that was what I liked. They danced crazy silly moves, so un-self conscious (even the girls) that you just know you've got to join them! Plus they always make you feel like you're beautiful (sometimes they'll tell you) and I think a woman deserves to hear that, regardless of what shape she is!
So my verdict after almost two years of trying out the clubbing scene? It's not really as bad as how my mum seems to make it out to be. In fact, I enjoy being around people, tilting my head up to look at the lights and just losing myself to the music. The sociological term for it is "collective effervescence". Durkheim may have used it to describe religious gatherings, but I think the concept applies here as well. It's that feeling of being ecstatic yet faintly lucid, rendered by the close interactions and intersubjective experience with others - which was why I said the crowd is just as important as the music.
Thursday, 25 April 2013
Societal disapproval of domestic partnerships
Recently, I've begun to hate filling up official form because of 4 things:
1) Declaring my status as 'Single'
2) Declaring my religion as "Muslim"
3) Declaring my emergency contact person as my "Spouse" (other options being Father, Mother, Child)
4) Explaining and getting weird looks/voices of people regarding my status.
Yes I am single (according to the census) but I'm also in a domestic partnership, which in some other countries constitutes similar status to married couples. Then comes the stigma of having illegitimate intimacy (i.e. sex) which is also compounded by the fact that I am Muslim (i.e. a religion viewed to be absolutely strict in such matters).
It is hard to explain to a bureaucrat that "single" as a status is a social construct used to label and classify people and also as an assertion of an (almost) deviant nature of not conforming to societal expectations of a nuclear and legitimate (i.e. legal and heterosexual) family. Having worked in a department that handled the population figures, I know only too well what this entails. It involves a lot of singling out (haha) of singles and trying to convert them into the acceptable dominant group.
I've always felt that it is precisely this insistence on legitimacy that contributes to Singapore's low birth rates. And this is problematic for two reasons:
1) Many Singaporeans view sex as taboo. I swear, I have married friends who have yet to consummate their marriage thinking that sex is dirty. And there are others (both men and women) who complain that their spouses are not interested in sex even after marriage. Which is ironic, seeing how the whole idea of intimacy, conception and family is reserved only to a legitimately married couple! So if our married population aren't even at step 1 of reproducing, how can we expect a rise in birth rates? On the other hand, we also have those who may not be married but enjoy sex very much. However, doing so has to be done in secret and shame and guilt is often a product in retrospect. And to have a baby out of wedlock?! Unforgivable! Sometimes I think the pagans got it right. Before religion, sex, fertility, reproduction were given importance and women were given very high regard in this respect. And after religion - well, let's face it, we're all sexually repressed individuals.
2) We need to start accepting (and supporting) other forms of healthy relationships that can/may nurture children. This includes single parents, LGBT couples and then of course socially-unacceptable statuses like mine. I think a child-centric approach is the way to go but I also understand that moving out of this nuclear-family discourse is also hard for many Singaporeans.
[NB: This is of course a generalist and personal view based on experience and anecdotal evidences]
Right, I digress.
My point is that, even on a form that is supposedly unbiased and neutral suddenly becomes a site of contestation of my identity and implicitly, my morality. I know, when I see it in the eyes of the HR exec or in their intonation that their disapproval of my status affects their perception of my ability to perform my assigned duties. So in other words, I might as well declare that I am lesbian and I would face the same prejudice. I feel for them, honestly.
There is always a tendency to fall back on the familiar; the comfort zone and I can honestly say that there are times I wish I could just go back to my family home, forget about this whole independence thing and trying to find my own way in life. I wouldn't say that I recommend everyone I know to try and be in a partnership with someone but I will say that it has taught me so much about living than if I had been a hermit crab all my life.
1) Accomodation
We Singaporeans are so pampered that we don't even realise it. We live so comfortably under our parents' roof; we have their support while we anxiously wait for our Built-to-Order flats. Take yourself out of that, you realise what a cut-throat world the property market is and how precious your salary is to fork out for rent, which you previously had not thought about.
2) Housework
Thankfully I've been doing my own laundry, cooking and cleaning since I was 18. At that time, my brother fell ill and the household chores automatically became mine. But housework in a partnership is very much different than that. Of course I naturally feel compelled to play the role of the housewife (especially now that I'm home most of the time) but I know I'm not obliged to because of the word of God/state law ascribing to me such wifely duties. Housework in a partnership is like dancing around each other as seamlessly as possible. Maybe it's just my luck to be with someone who does his own laundry, cleans the toilet and loves cooking because to me, our relationship is as egalitarian as it can get.
3) Taking Chances
I've recently learnt that Frenchy and I have different conceptions of what a holiday mean. To me, it's something you take for 1-2 weeks every 6 months but for him, it's small little escapes every month or so. In fact we've just booked ourselves two holidays in the coming months out of the blue last night. I think the reality still hasn't sunk in yet because I'm rarely the kind of person to do such things unplanned like this. But ever since I've been with Frenchy, life is pretty much about taking chances. It's all about going to random places, not planning but going with the flow kinda thing. From a wound, uptight person, I can safely say that I have come to view life in a much more relaxed way and try to accept the little unpredictabilities that come my way.
There's still a lot more for me to learn, but one of the most important lesson from my decisions so far is that no matter what you do, you'll always regret what you did not do. Life then seems like so full of regret, so why not do what's best to allow you to live?
1) Declaring my status as 'Single'
2) Declaring my religion as "Muslim"
3) Declaring my emergency contact person as my "Spouse" (other options being Father, Mother, Child)
4) Explaining and getting weird looks/voices of people regarding my status.
Yes I am single (according to the census) but I'm also in a domestic partnership, which in some other countries constitutes similar status to married couples. Then comes the stigma of having illegitimate intimacy (i.e. sex) which is also compounded by the fact that I am Muslim (i.e. a religion viewed to be absolutely strict in such matters).
It is hard to explain to a bureaucrat that "single" as a status is a social construct used to label and classify people and also as an assertion of an (almost) deviant nature of not conforming to societal expectations of a nuclear and legitimate (i.e. legal and heterosexual) family. Having worked in a department that handled the population figures, I know only too well what this entails. It involves a lot of singling out (haha) of singles and trying to convert them into the acceptable dominant group.
I've always felt that it is precisely this insistence on legitimacy that contributes to Singapore's low birth rates. And this is problematic for two reasons:
1) Many Singaporeans view sex as taboo. I swear, I have married friends who have yet to consummate their marriage thinking that sex is dirty. And there are others (both men and women) who complain that their spouses are not interested in sex even after marriage. Which is ironic, seeing how the whole idea of intimacy, conception and family is reserved only to a legitimately married couple! So if our married population aren't even at step 1 of reproducing, how can we expect a rise in birth rates? On the other hand, we also have those who may not be married but enjoy sex very much. However, doing so has to be done in secret and shame and guilt is often a product in retrospect. And to have a baby out of wedlock?! Unforgivable! Sometimes I think the pagans got it right. Before religion, sex, fertility, reproduction were given importance and women were given very high regard in this respect. And after religion - well, let's face it, we're all sexually repressed individuals.
2) We need to start accepting (and supporting) other forms of healthy relationships that can/may nurture children. This includes single parents, LGBT couples and then of course socially-unacceptable statuses like mine. I think a child-centric approach is the way to go but I also understand that moving out of this nuclear-family discourse is also hard for many Singaporeans.
[NB: This is of course a generalist and personal view based on experience and anecdotal evidences]
Right, I digress.
My point is that, even on a form that is supposedly unbiased and neutral suddenly becomes a site of contestation of my identity and implicitly, my morality. I know, when I see it in the eyes of the HR exec or in their intonation that their disapproval of my status affects their perception of my ability to perform my assigned duties. So in other words, I might as well declare that I am lesbian and I would face the same prejudice. I feel for them, honestly.
There is always a tendency to fall back on the familiar; the comfort zone and I can honestly say that there are times I wish I could just go back to my family home, forget about this whole independence thing and trying to find my own way in life. I wouldn't say that I recommend everyone I know to try and be in a partnership with someone but I will say that it has taught me so much about living than if I had been a hermit crab all my life.
1) Accomodation
We Singaporeans are so pampered that we don't even realise it. We live so comfortably under our parents' roof; we have their support while we anxiously wait for our Built-to-Order flats. Take yourself out of that, you realise what a cut-throat world the property market is and how precious your salary is to fork out for rent, which you previously had not thought about.
2) Housework
Thankfully I've been doing my own laundry, cooking and cleaning since I was 18. At that time, my brother fell ill and the household chores automatically became mine. But housework in a partnership is very much different than that. Of course I naturally feel compelled to play the role of the housewife (especially now that I'm home most of the time) but I know I'm not obliged to because of the word of God/state law ascribing to me such wifely duties. Housework in a partnership is like dancing around each other as seamlessly as possible. Maybe it's just my luck to be with someone who does his own laundry, cleans the toilet and loves cooking because to me, our relationship is as egalitarian as it can get.
3) Taking Chances
I've recently learnt that Frenchy and I have different conceptions of what a holiday mean. To me, it's something you take for 1-2 weeks every 6 months but for him, it's small little escapes every month or so. In fact we've just booked ourselves two holidays in the coming months out of the blue last night. I think the reality still hasn't sunk in yet because I'm rarely the kind of person to do such things unplanned like this. But ever since I've been with Frenchy, life is pretty much about taking chances. It's all about going to random places, not planning but going with the flow kinda thing. From a wound, uptight person, I can safely say that I have come to view life in a much more relaxed way and try to accept the little unpredictabilities that come my way.
There's still a lot more for me to learn, but one of the most important lesson from my decisions so far is that no matter what you do, you'll always regret what you did not do. Life then seems like so full of regret, so why not do what's best to allow you to live?
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Japan holiday
My first ever trip overseas (no kidding) at the age of 25 with my girl friends was to Japan. I was desperate to get out of the country and so I took the first opportunity that came along and I would say I had no regrets.
Japan in spring was like a sharp twinge in your head after eating a sweet sour lemon tart. It was refreshing and a real eye-opening experience. The people were the most polite I've ever met; their transportation so efficient and the food? Simple and affordable (if you eat in the small little street shops).
We stayed at Ikebukuro in Tokyo which was not exactly a touristy place and for that we were rewarded with the pleasure of eating in cozy little street shops and actually watching people cycling to get to work; mothers shepherding their kids to school in the morning and such. Also, that meant that I got a lot of curious looks as I don't exactly look Chinese/South Korean/Japanese (the likes of which would blend in more easily). Travelling with a group of Chinese girls but rattling in English was also another source of curious looks.
Day 1
On our itinerary was a trip down to Tsukiji Fish Market. You can find more info here: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html. But the place is stunning. We didn't make it early enough to see the tuna auction but by the time we reached the market was buzzing with life and not to mention fresh products.
The aim of the trip was to eat the freshest sushi for breakfast/lunch but that also meant queuing for hours. We stood in the cold for about 3 before we were rewarded with our meal (to me, 14 degrees is freaking cold seeing that the airconditioning in Singapore never falls below 16). But the wait was worth it. Although, I must shamelessly say that I got too hungry to take photos.
Moving on, we decided that after a good meal, we deserved to walk a little so we ventured to Ueno, hoping to see some Sakura blossoms! And we did! We were actually really lucky as it was nearing the end of the sakura season and most of the trees had turned green by then.
Ueno park itself, is beautiful. It is at times like these that I wish Singapore wasn't so hot so it would be this enjoyable to stroll down the park and just admire nature's beauty.
Day 2
We started the day with no plan in mind. Our only aim was to find a cat cafe and eat street food. So, we walked around Ikebukuro, exploring the many shops and admiring the Japanese sense of fashion.
Eating in Japan was a funny experience. As you can see, we had to buy our food from a vending machine which issue us with coupons to be given to the cook. We were amused by this process and yet impressed by the efficiency. However, having everything on the screen in Japanese was difficult for me as I couldn't tell what was pork and what wasn't. I try not to consciously eat pork, so as much as possible I wanted to avoid it. Thankfully there were some similarities in the characters between Chinese and Japanese so my friends helped to select the food for me.
First meal of the day consisted of a beef bowl with poached egg and miso soup. It was really affordable as well at only 600yen (about $7). I realised that in Japan, the portions are really big and generous and we were really wondering how the Japanese women stayed so thin. Seriously. So we shameless had to admit that we were glutton for when we stepped out of the little Japanese shop, takoyaki was awaiting us.
With our bellies full, it was time to find the cat cafe. I must say that I'm not a cat person, although I love cats just as much . But my experience here only strengthened my resolve that dogs are much friendlier and we would have had a better time in a dog cafe.
Absolutely loved this warning sign.
However, I must admit that they were very well groomed and well mannered as Japanese people are. I'm not sure if such a cat cafe venture would work in Singapore, but according to Frenchy, they've started one in the UK (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2290629/A-purrfect-place-unwind-Britains-cat-cafe-set-open-London.html)
So after my lacklustre experience with the cats, we decided to do something touristy - aka shopping and visiting Sunshine City! Here we went to the Aquarium and also an Observatory (which we later realised was a dating hotspot!).
Just some highlights of the shows that we managed to see. On the right here was the diver surrounded by a school of fish. It was like he had a gravitational pull (as he wasn't feeding them anything) and they simply followed him everywhere he went.
And below we have the view from the Observatory, overseeing Tokyo. The place was dark, quiet and strangely romantic, so the three of us felt extremely out of place.
As you can see, the portion was much smaller than that we had in the other places we ate. So, my advise is - if you're on a budget and you eat a lot, then avoid the shopping areas and city centres.
Visitors aren't allowed inside the palace grounds except for two days of the year - 24th Dec and 2nd January. So we could only take pictures from outside. The sun was bright that day and we saw lots of joggers having a run along the popular imperial palace route. It's like running to MBS in Singapore after work.
As I mentioned earlier, there was a certain sterility even amidst the beauty of this place. Perhaps it was the culture or just the fact that we were only allowed on the perimeter that enhanced my sense of distance from this place.
Moving on, we came upon the Statue of Kusunoki Masashige outside Tokyo's Imperial Palace. He was a 14th century samurai who is revered as a mark of Samurai loyalty.
On the board it read that those wishing to pray in the shrine had to wash their hands and mouth. It reminded me of the ablution that Muslims do before prayer and I think this idea of cleanliness and purifying oneself transcends religion truly. In all cultures, the sacred is often linked with purity an holiness and water is a vessel for the cleansing of the body as well as the spirit. 
I loved the firework-like shape of the trees.
Japan in spring was like a sharp twinge in your head after eating a sweet sour lemon tart. It was refreshing and a real eye-opening experience. The people were the most polite I've ever met; their transportation so efficient and the food? Simple and affordable (if you eat in the small little street shops).
We stayed at Ikebukuro in Tokyo which was not exactly a touristy place and for that we were rewarded with the pleasure of eating in cozy little street shops and actually watching people cycling to get to work; mothers shepherding their kids to school in the morning and such. Also, that meant that I got a lot of curious looks as I don't exactly look Chinese/South Korean/Japanese (the likes of which would blend in more easily). Travelling with a group of Chinese girls but rattling in English was also another source of curious looks.
Day 1
On our itinerary was a trip down to Tsukiji Fish Market. You can find more info here: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html. But the place is stunning. We didn't make it early enough to see the tuna auction but by the time we reached the market was buzzing with life and not to mention fresh products.
Moving on, we decided that after a good meal, we deserved to walk a little so we ventured to Ueno, hoping to see some Sakura blossoms! And we did! We were actually really lucky as it was nearing the end of the sakura season and most of the trees had turned green by then.
Ueno park itself, is beautiful. It is at times like these that I wish Singapore wasn't so hot so it would be this enjoyable to stroll down the park and just admire nature's beauty.
Day 2
We started the day with no plan in mind. Our only aim was to find a cat cafe and eat street food. So, we walked around Ikebukuro, exploring the many shops and admiring the Japanese sense of fashion.
Eating in Japan was a funny experience. As you can see, we had to buy our food from a vending machine which issue us with coupons to be given to the cook. We were amused by this process and yet impressed by the efficiency. However, having everything on the screen in Japanese was difficult for me as I couldn't tell what was pork and what wasn't. I try not to consciously eat pork, so as much as possible I wanted to avoid it. Thankfully there were some similarities in the characters between Chinese and Japanese so my friends helped to select the food for me.
First meal of the day consisted of a beef bowl with poached egg and miso soup. It was really affordable as well at only 600yen (about $7). I realised that in Japan, the portions are really big and generous and we were really wondering how the Japanese women stayed so thin. Seriously. So we shameless had to admit that we were glutton for when we stepped out of the little Japanese shop, takoyaki was awaiting us.
Even cats (neko-chan in Japanese) have their own trains and sleeping carriages. They're spoilt rotten here and it's no wonder that they weren't too keen in letting strangers play with them as they know that they get lots of attention on a daily basis!
However, I must admit that they were very well groomed and well mannered as Japanese people are. I'm not sure if such a cat cafe venture would work in Singapore, but according to Frenchy, they've started one in the UK (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2290629/A-purrfect-place-unwind-Britains-cat-cafe-set-open-London.html)
So after my lacklustre experience with the cats, we decided to do something touristy - aka shopping and visiting Sunshine City! Here we went to the Aquarium and also an Observatory (which we later realised was a dating hotspot!).
And below we have the view from the Observatory, overseeing Tokyo. The place was dark, quiet and strangely romantic, so the three of us felt extremely out of place.
But of course the night would not be done without food, so off we went to another small street shop to have dinner. Here we have a sort of hot-plate dish served with sticky Japanese rice. Happy!
Day 3
The last and final day started to dawn upon us with that "awww I don't wanna go home yet" feeling. I was starting to get used to the temperature, finally and wanted to see more of Japan. So of course I'll come back here again someday. Japan is absolutely safe to travel even on your own and I think I wouldn't mind going by myself or maybe with Frenchy the next time.
Tokyo Central Station
For the last day, we took the train to Tokyo Central, deposited our luggage in the lockers and began our little expedition into the Imperial Palace Grounds. But before that, of course we needed to fill our bellies. Tokyo however was different from Ikebukuro and offered no little street shops. Everything felt sterile and extremely ordered to me. So we had to settle for a small restaurant and the basement of one of the buildings.
As you can see, the portion was much smaller than that we had in the other places we ate. So, my advise is - if you're on a budget and you eat a lot, then avoid the shopping areas and city centres. 
Visitors aren't allowed inside the palace grounds except for two days of the year - 24th Dec and 2nd January. So we could only take pictures from outside. The sun was bright that day and we saw lots of joggers having a run along the popular imperial palace route. It's like running to MBS in Singapore after work.
As I mentioned earlier, there was a certain sterility even amidst the beauty of this place. Perhaps it was the culture or just the fact that we were only allowed on the perimeter that enhanced my sense of distance from this place.
Moving on, we came upon the Statue of Kusunoki Masashige outside Tokyo's Imperial Palace. He was a 14th century samurai who is revered as a mark of Samurai loyalty.
Next up, we headed to Shibuya, the 'hip' and 'trendy' part of Tokyo. And indeed, it reminded me so much of Orchard Road. Youngsters dressed in all sorts of fashion- some even in the lolita costumes were parading on the Takeshita streets, unjudged by their peers. However, I was not one for crowded streets but Shibuya was a must-see as recommended by a friend, so we proceeded.
However, shopping streets, akin to Bugis street were not something that appealed to me, so we decided to head to a Meiji Shrine nearby. And it seemed that we were just in time as we managed to see two wedding processions happening at the shrine itself! I must say that Japanese weddings are so sombre - no offence, but I initially thought it was a funeral. Nothing of the noise and chaos of a Malay wedding, but I guess rituals are often differently practised.
I loved the firework-like shape of the trees.
Soon after, we had to return to Tokyo Station in order to take the train and monorail to the airport. As we said goodbye to Japan, I was starting to wish for home. I guess at the end of the day, I still want my rendang and nasi lemak and of course Frenchy.
So the next few trips lined up are Bali, Rawa (Malaysia) and France/UK. Excited!
Thursday, 18 April 2013
Roasted carrots and potatoes and herbed fish
I love cooking and having an alfresco kitchen is just one of the amazing things about this new place.
Last night I attempted to make fish with roasted root vegetables (carrots and potatoes). It's not a usual pairing but it turned out to be just as nice as if it was a roast chicken or steak.
ROASTED ROOTS (serves 2)
Ingredients
6 washed baby potatoes
1 large carrot
5-6 cloves of garlic
Rosemary (I used dried)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper.
Directions
1. Preheat the oven. In the meantime, cut the vegetables. I halved the potatoes and chopped the carrots into about an inch thick.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil, adding salt and the vegetables. Boil them for about 5-10 mins. I have a neat trick for roasting potatoes which is to partially cook them before roasting. This ensures that the flesh shrinks slightly away from the skin, allowing the skin to turn crisp in the oven.
3. Prepare a baking dish/tray. Drizzle some olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. For the garlic, I chose not to peel or chop them as the skin helps to retain the moisture in the garlic better in the oven. Instead, using the side of your knife, smash the cloves slightly to release some of its fragrance.
4. Once the vegetables are ready, rinse them under cold water in a colander before adding them to the baking dish.
5. Make sure you coat all the vegetables with the seasoning well before putting it into the oven for 1 hour.
HERBED FISH
Ingredients
250g Red Snapper and 250g Grouper (or your fish of choice)
Parsley
Tarragon
Salt+ Pepper
White Wine
Olive Oil
Fresh orange/lemon juice
Directions
1. Cut the fish into fist-sized portions.
2. In a bowl, add the pepper, salt, tarragon and parsley, to taste. Drip in a few drops of olive oil and coat the fish evenly.
3. Add a squeeze of lemon or orange. The citric acid gives it a little freshness and a slight tang that I like. In this recipe, I choose to use orange, just to change the flavour slightly and I think it worked.
4. Cover the bowl with aluminium foil and place the marinated fish in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes.
5. After 20-30 mins, take the bowl out and heat a pan to sear the fish.
6. Once the fish starts to turn white (from its original transparent-like colour), add in the white wine and reduce.
7. Take the fish out and serve together with the roasted vegetables.
Last night I attempted to make fish with roasted root vegetables (carrots and potatoes). It's not a usual pairing but it turned out to be just as nice as if it was a roast chicken or steak.
ROASTED ROOTS (serves 2)
Ingredients
6 washed baby potatoes
1 large carrot
5-6 cloves of garlic
Rosemary (I used dried)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper.
Directions
1. Preheat the oven. In the meantime, cut the vegetables. I halved the potatoes and chopped the carrots into about an inch thick.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil, adding salt and the vegetables. Boil them for about 5-10 mins. I have a neat trick for roasting potatoes which is to partially cook them before roasting. This ensures that the flesh shrinks slightly away from the skin, allowing the skin to turn crisp in the oven.
3. Prepare a baking dish/tray. Drizzle some olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. For the garlic, I chose not to peel or chop them as the skin helps to retain the moisture in the garlic better in the oven. Instead, using the side of your knife, smash the cloves slightly to release some of its fragrance.
4. Once the vegetables are ready, rinse them under cold water in a colander before adding them to the baking dish.
5. Make sure you coat all the vegetables with the seasoning well before putting it into the oven for 1 hour.
HERBED FISH
Ingredients
250g Red Snapper and 250g Grouper (or your fish of choice)
Parsley
Tarragon
Salt+ Pepper
White Wine
Olive Oil
Fresh orange/lemon juice
Directions
1. Cut the fish into fist-sized portions.
2. In a bowl, add the pepper, salt, tarragon and parsley, to taste. Drip in a few drops of olive oil and coat the fish evenly.
3. Add a squeeze of lemon or orange. The citric acid gives it a little freshness and a slight tang that I like. In this recipe, I choose to use orange, just to change the flavour slightly and I think it worked.
4. Cover the bowl with aluminium foil and place the marinated fish in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes.
5. After 20-30 mins, take the bowl out and heat a pan to sear the fish.
6. Once the fish starts to turn white (from its original transparent-like colour), add in the white wine and reduce.
7. Take the fish out and serve together with the roasted vegetables.
Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Unpacking
We've officially moved into the new place and I must say that I'm completely in love with our room. Renting in Singapore is probably just as expensive as New York or Paris and half as satisfying seeing that the space is almost always small. Which is why I'm glad that our room comes with an attached balcony that oversees lush greenery.
Having said that, unpacking for two people is quite a feat! While most girls would wonder if the cupboards could fit two people's wardrobe, I was wondering what else to add on to fill up the spaces! For a girl I have very few clothes and they took up two shelves just as his took up another two. Still as you can see in the picture, there's still so much to unpack! That, on top of trying to personalise the space.
Here are the boxes when we first arrived. And the last photo shows me in the middle of unpacking. It seems like a tornado has passed.
I'm not sure how many girls out there feel this way but my housekeeping style mirrors that so much of on mum's that it surprises me. For example freshly washed and folded clothes always go to the bottom of the cupboard/drawer. Towels must always be hung up to dry, a floor mat must always be in the toilet to dry the feet. Will see what else I'll uncover about myself.
In the meantime, I'm still adjusting to the place, playing housewife and just taking in the freedom that I'm blessed with.
Having said that, unpacking for two people is quite a feat! While most girls would wonder if the cupboards could fit two people's wardrobe, I was wondering what else to add on to fill up the spaces! For a girl I have very few clothes and they took up two shelves just as his took up another two. Still as you can see in the picture, there's still so much to unpack! That, on top of trying to personalise the space.
Here are the boxes when we first arrived. And the last photo shows me in the middle of unpacking. It seems like a tornado has passed.
I'm not sure how many girls out there feel this way but my housekeeping style mirrors that so much of on mum's that it surprises me. For example freshly washed and folded clothes always go to the bottom of the cupboard/drawer. Towels must always be hung up to dry, a floor mat must always be in the toilet to dry the feet. Will see what else I'll uncover about myself.
In the meantime, I'm still adjusting to the place, playing housewife and just taking in the freedom that I'm blessed with.
Sunday, 7 April 2013
The food thief
I've always had this dilemma about sharing things; perhaps it was because I was the only girl in the family and my brothers weren't interested in my toys or perhaps it was because I liked having my things in the same place where I left them the last time.
So the second thing I'm learning about moving in with people (here I mean housemates) is the dilemma of sharing space in the fridge and sharing food. Frenchy and I have been relegated to a tiny tiny cooler shelf while our only female housemate occupies... Well basically every other available space in the fridge. And somehow she manages to even squeeze her stuff into our tiny shelf and unilaterally decide to take some of our stuff into her shelves. :-/
I'm not very sure how sharing a house with other people is like.... But this woman seriously monopolizes space and she will make sure you know it.
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