Tiong Bahru Market, Fiber Net Installation, and Getting our Vacuum Cleaner.

Friday was my last weekday that I would be in Singapore, before leaving to be at home in Chicago with my college kids for the summer.  I needed to make sure that I had done as much as I could to prepare Rich for his time alone.  Many things can only be done on weekdays, and Rich is gone on those days from 8:30 AM to 8 PM.

I started the day by going to the Fresh Market.  I wanted to visit my vegetable, cookie, salmon, fruit, eggs, pork, beef, chicken and coffee vendors.  I wanted to make sure that Rich was supplied with all the food he likes, and take pictures of all of my vendors, so he would know who to visit if he made it to the market.  For the first time that I visited the market, my coffee vendor was not there!  Now Rich will probably spend way too much money buying Starbuck's coffee!!

Michelle had very kindly and adeptly scheduled our fiber net installation that day.  The men were coming to cut a hole in the ceiling in the hallway, and the installers from Starhub were coming to do the chunking, and connect the wires to our hub.  The installation went smoothly, but took awhile.  I worked on catching up my blog while they worked.  Michelle was planning to come to oversee the installation, but had gotten caught up at work.  She called to make sure that things were going smoothly, and offered to pick me up for lunch, but I declined, as I still had to get our vacuum cleaner.  Just as the chunking guys finished, they told me that another person would be coming in 30 minutes to an hour to test the line.  So, it was a good thing I had not gone to lunch with Michelle.

I ate lunch, worked on my blog, and waited for the line tester to arrive.  Michelle called to tell me that he was at the front entrance, as he couldn't figure out the intercom system.  I let him in, and he went to work.  Unfortunately, when I went to get him, I discovered that the hydraulic catch on our apartment door was disconnected.  I almost put the door handle through the glass of the kitchen door when I opened the door!  That was very troubling.  The line tester worked quickly and efficiently, and was on his way.  I was finishing a blog entry so I stayed a little longer after he left.  As I was working, I heard water dripping.  I looked out the window to see if it was raining, but it wasn't.  The water was coming from the air conditioner unit in the living room.  I turned off the unit, cleaned up the mess, and called our air conditioner service company.  Luckily, they had a cancellation on Saturday at 2 PM..  The good news was that I could make sure that the a/c was running properly before I left.  The bad news was that the service men were expected at the time of Ollie's birthday party!

With these jobs done, I headed out to pick up our vacuum cleaner.  The correct building was very easy to find, but the storefront that distributed the products was more elusive.  I checked in and got my queue number; "1234".  Picking up the vacuum cleaner was easy.  The only complaint that I had was that I couldn't change premiums. I did not know that Rich had signed up for a vacuum cleaner as a "Thank You" gift, so I had bought a vacuum cleaner earlier.  Rich called to see if he could get headphones instead, but was told that since the letter had been issued, it was too late.  Rules are meant to be followed.  Very discouraging.  I didn't think anything of it, but people did look at me when I rode the bus back to my apartment with my vacuum cleaner in my lap.

My vegetable seller,

...my salmon person,...

...my fruit lady,...

...my egg man,...

...my pork stall,...

...the woman who sells me beef,...

...the chicken sellers right across from the beef lady,...

...and my closed coffee stall.

The rose bush on the right was bought at the market for $12.   The one on the left was from IKEA for $10.

Visiting Chinatown and Meeting the Happiest Man in Singapore

I returned to Chinatown to look for gifts for people at home.  I was especially looking for tea for my college students, as it is their beverage of choice.  I was also looking for fans, because Singaporeans have shown the benefit of a good fan when fighting the hot and muggy weather.  I found a store that sells boxed tea and tea drinks.  Unfortunately, there were so many options, and many of the boxes were in Chinese only, so I could not make a choice.   Luckily, the rest of my souvenir shopping went more smoothly.

After I finished shopping, I went down to the Chinatown MRT Station.  A few weeks earlier, my electronic transit pass had stopped working.  I knew I had about $12 on the card, so it wasn't lack of funds.  When I had stopped at an MRT station earlier, they told me that I could get the balance put onto my card in 2 weeks.  The balance had to be collected before the end of June, and I was getting ready to return to the States soon, so I needed to get the money put back on my card before I left.  Once I located the correct window, the process went smoothly.  As a bonus, I got to see a part of the Chinatown Station that I had never seen.  I saw a really cool mural, so I took a picture of it to share.

I also needed to pick up a vacuum cleaner that my husband had received as a "Thank You Gift" for subscribing to the "Straits Times".  My husband had told me that the vacuum was to be picked up at the Yue Hwa building, and this forced me to exit the Chinatown Station a different way than I had ever gone.  As I was walking to the Yue Hwa Building, I passed a shop selling cards and gifts made by the disabled.  With Mother's Day and Ollie's birthday approaching, I thought I might be able to find some unique cards and help the disabled.  It would be a win/win.  I love win/wins!  I found some beautiful cross stitch cards and a beautiful Mother's Day card with pressed flowers on it.   I was very tempted to buy some earrings made from Guinness Beer cans for my sister, but I had run out of cash, and they don't take NETS (debit).  Hopefully I can get them another time.

The real highlight of this store, however, was the man who ran it.  When he heard that I was from the United States, he started showing me his casino cards from different places, including New York and Las Vegas.  Apparently he loves to gamble, but, more importantly, he loves life!  After I paid, he pulled out a bag with tattered news clippings in it.  In 2008, there was a contest to find the happiest person in Singapore, and he was nominated.  I am not sure how many people were nominated in all, but he was among the final three when all their attributes were tallied.  The other 2 people were women, and the judges told him that they couldn't name him, because it would make the women cry.  He said he could cry, too!  But he didn't cry.  He was happy to come behind the 2 women, as that made him the happiest MAN in Singapore!  He was delightful.  I will be sure to visit him and the store again!!

I then went to Yue Hwa department store.  This really did not look like the place to pick up a vacuum cleaner, but I was supposed to pick it up on the 6th floor, and the store did have 6 floors, so there was a possibility that this was the right place.  Despite the fact that I'd been past the store at least 20 times, I'd never been inside.  With Mother's Day approaching, there were some beautiful displays of gifts for her on the first 2 floors.  But the real star of the shows was the vibrant glass block of the ceiling.  On the fourth floor, there were candy and food options for sale.  There was tea here, but the price was much higher than the tea in the Chinatown stalls.  When I reached the 5th floor, I had to take an elevator to the 6th floor.  The elevator doors were decorated with bamboo plants.  I took some pictures, and then noticed that no pictures were allowed!  Oh well...

When I finally reached the 6th floor, I spoke to a receptionist, who did not seem fluent in English.  Sure enough, I was in the wrong building..  Not only that, but I was in the totally wrong neighborhood!  A kind man told me where to catch a bus to get to the the right location.  But I was hot, tired, penniless, and it looked as if it was going to rain, so I called it a day.

Here are some floral teas...

...and some fruit teas at the tea shop in Chinatown.

Here are many varieties of loose tea, many written in Chinese, so I don't what kinds.

One of the streets of Chinatown...

...and another

The mural in the Chinatown MRT Station.

The "Happiest Man in Singapore".

1st Floor Mother's Day display and glass block ceiling.

The 2nd Floor Mother's Day display and glass block ceiling.

The elevator doors with bamboo on them.

 

Shopping at Vivo City

Michelle was having Ollie's 4th Birthday Party on Saturday, so my plan for Wednesday was to head to Vivo City.  People in my complex had told me that there was a Toys r Us there, and that was THE place to get pool toys.  I love the pool and pool toys, maybe because I've always lived in Chicago previously, and pool season in Chicago is 3 months at most!

I jumped on the MRT (subway) at Clarke Quay, and it was an easy 3 stops until I reached the Harbourfront Station.  When I exited the subway turnstiles, I was in Vivo City Shopping Mall.  It is amazing that you always enter the mall from the subway through the food section!  I had eaten lunch before I left, so I didn't need any food - yet!

I eventually got my bearings and figured out where the Toys r Us was located.  Of course it was on the opposite side of the 2nd floor from where I was standing!  As I walked in its direction, I noticed a large wooden deck outside the mall.  When I went out to investigate, I found myself looking across at Sentosa.  Sentosa is Singapore's newly developed island resort area.  In addition to many resort hotels, it is also home to Universal Studios - Singapore.  There was a train and cable gondolas to get you to the island from Vivo City.  I never realized how easy it would be to get there!

The first thing I noticed when I walked toward Toys r Us was a large Merlion made from Lego bricks in its entrance.  I took a picture from every angle for Joe.  Then I paid for a cart and headed to the Barbie aisle.  (That is always my first stop in a toy store!)  There were some interesting things, but nothing I couldn't find in the States.  Then I found the pool toys.  The kids in my complex like to play with these little nerf-like squirt guns, called water cannons.  They look like 2 foot pool noodles, but they suck up the water and shoot it as far as 30 feet.  There were several designs, but I went for the "Max Eliminator".  I got some for Ollie, and his brothers, Alex and Max.  I also got two for me and Rich to have a water fight.  I also got some for my kids.  We don't have a pool at home, but I figured we could each have a bucket in the back yard, and have a big water fight some warm day.  I also got Ollie a giant inflatable turtle to ride on in the pool.  I bet Ben will have fun blowing that up!  Before I left, I noticed that Mega Blocks has new Barbie building kits.  How fun!  But again, I'm sure I can find them in the States, rather than paying Singapore prices and carrying them in my luggage.  I had to get out of the store, as I had spent enough money, and the sounds from all the different promotion videos for all the new toys was driving me crazy!

Before I got back onto the MRT, I did stop at one of the food stores to get a chocolate bun.  It was quite tasty.  Right after I gobbled it down, though, I noticed a sign at McDonalds advertising a vanilla and butterscotch ice cream cone for $1.  I wished I had waited...

Sentosa, as viewed from Vivo City.

The cable gondolas that take passengers to Sentosa.

A panoramic view of Singapore's Harbourfront and Sentosa.

A snowman outside the mall?

A closer view of the snowman's 3 tiers.

Toys r Us and the Merlion.

A closer view of the Merlion, in which you can see the Lego bricks.

Front view of the Lego Merlion.

A view of the Lego Merlion from the other side.

This fountain and sculpture are outside the Clarke Quay MRT Station, and I had never noticed them before!

Fabric Shopping on Arab Street

After the book lecture and lunch, I headed to Arab St.  Michelle had told me that there were many exotic fabrics to be found on that street.  As I was waiting for my bus, I noticed what looked like a large temple.  I had gone down this street many times during my stay, but had never investigated before.  It turned out that the building was the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.  Now it made sense that the large, multi-leveled building was not a temple, but looked like one.

After I exited the bus, I was met with many Arabesque sights and smells.  I was absolutely magnetized by a large mural on a restaurant wall.  I passed many street cafes, from which delicious smells wafted out.  One restaurant, with its porcelain-tiled tables and decorated benches looked really interesting, and had a great menu.  I would like to come back with Rich, but I have to check the reviews first, because it was absolutely empty.  It was mid-afternoon at the time, but other restaurants had patrons.  I saw a beautiful mosque, and an area near the mosque had recently been redeveloped, to acknowledge the trading route that has always existed between Oman and Singapore.

Arab Street was filled with shops that sold material and rugs, as well as sewing stores and seamstresses.  There were so many types of material, many of them catering to the Arab community for special occasions.  It got too overwhelming walking among all the material; especially because I did not have a specific project or projects in mind.  Because it was hot and humid, and I needed to find a bathroom, I went to a nearby mall to collect my thoughts.  I stopped at a store, where a very nice Arab woman explained the uses of several types of women's dress.  Then I found a store that sold fun, inexpensive jewelry.  I could deal with this!  I found some cute things for my girls at home.  I wandered back down Arab Street, and found some pashminas, but was still overwhelmed, so I called it a day.  I would definitely like to return to that area when I have a project in mind!  I found my Lamborghini, and headed home.

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

I loved this mural!

The Mosque.

These murals...

...depict the Maritime...

...and Trade connections...

...that continue with Oman to this day.

"The arches reflect Kampong Glam's role as a hub for Arab Traders in Singapore's early history."

This is the cute little restaurant that I saw...

...with its pretty tiled tabled and benches - but no patrons!

Here's my Lamborghini.

I wish Rich had gotten it in red.  Red is my color!  But baby blue will have to do...

Friends of the Museums Monday Morning Lecture Series and Lunch at Indochine

After taking Erin to the airport late Sunday night, my Monday was wide open with no plans or commitments.  As I was leisurely reading the paper, I saw an article about a book that was coming out that depicted the Japanese occupation of Singapore during World War II.  It was written by a Sydney author who specializes in historical fiction.  He is married to a Peranakan (or Straits Chinese) woman from Singapore, so he had a personal interest in this aspect of history.

There were several different book launch events being held in Singapore that week.  The first was a talk given by the author at the Asean Civilisation Museum on Monday morning.  That museum is just a short bus ride from our apartment complex.  We had passed it on our way to the St. Patrick's Day Parade at Boat Quay, so I knew just where it was.  The lecture started at 11 AM, so I hurried through my water aerobics, showered, and jumped on the bus.

I arrived to the lecture hall shortly after 11, but apparently I hadn't missed much because there had been some technical difficulties with the author's computer.  The flash drive feature wasn't working, so none of his many pictures was visible to the audience.  He was very frustrated, but was trying his best to joke about it.  His talk was all tied in to the order of the pictures, so he was doing his best to follow the script and give a brief description of the picture we would have seen.

He described a Singaporean society in which the wealthy Chinese members considered themselves to be more loyal to the King of England than any ties they had to the Chinese government.  They were sure that they were so important to the English strategy in WWII that Singapore would be well protected from invading forces.  On February 15, 1942, that assumption proved very wrong, when the British signed Singapore over to the Japanese.  The author, Boyd Anderson, argued that that date should be marked as the demise of the British Empire.  After they threw Singapore under the bus, they were no longer held in esteem as a world power.  He said that being posted to the U.S. Embassy was now the top post in Australia, whereas being posted in Great Britain had been the previous highest position.  (He said that the post in China will be the next highest post.)

He also described the extreme suffering of the Straits Chinese under the Japanese invaders.  He told about the things that could set a man apart, so that the Japanese would make them disappear; interrogate them, torture them, and they would never be seen again.  86,000 men died under the Japanese forces, and at least as many women, but their numbers were not as clear cut, because women were not worthy to be counted!

His book, Amber Road, is about a teenage Straits Chinese girl, who has illusions about what her adult life will be like.  When the Japanese invade, those illusions, society, and life as she knows it, disappear. He wrote the book with Gone With the Wind as an inspiration.  His talk and the book were so interesting that I bought 3 copies of the book; 1 for me, and 2 for gifts.  When I started reading it, the similarities to Gone With the Wind were obvious.  I hope it turns out to be as interesting as his lecture!

After his talk, women queued up to buy his book.  Copies were only being sold for cash, and I had given all of my cash to Rich on the way to the airport the previous night, so I needed to find an ATM quickly.  I was lucky that he had a very large following of nicely dressed women that wanted to buy his book, so he was still there when I returned with my money.  The ladies all seemed articulate and interesting, but I was glad that I had escaped to the ATM, because I looked like I threw clothes on after a quick shower, and they looked like "Ladies Who Lunch".  There were 2 women having an intense conversation with Boyd as I waited to get my book signed.  One woman noticed me, and told her friend to let me get my books signed, as they were going to be there awhile.

After I left the museum, I remembered that Rich had told me that there was a really good place to eat near there, so I tried to call him, but my phone was dead!  I looked around, but didn't see any apparent restaurants.  I was thinking of returning to the pub where we had watched the St. Patrick's Day Parade, as they had the best fish and chips I had ever eaten.  As I was heading over there, I came upon a restaurant that looked as if it had been there when Singapore had been a British colony.  It had the big white wicker chairs and marble and metal tables on a wide veranda.  I could almost imagine the British soldiers sitting there, looking down upon the Singaporean people.  I decided to have my lunch there.  I had spring rolls that came with a type of side salad and iced tea.  The bill came to about $31, including tax and tip.  Yikes!  I know I was paying for the ambience, view, and experience of being a British dignitary, but I think I'll go for the fish and chips after the next lecture I attend!

Boyd Anderson, in front of a very crowded lecture hall.

 

The sign for the Ladies' Room

Many nicely dressed women buying the book.

I liked the way the marble stairs looked with the lights.

A sculpture of Singaporean Traders.

The verandah of the Indochine restaurant. 

Another view of the verandah.

The view of the Singapore River from the verandah.

My spring roll and salad lunch.

The view of the Indochine restaurant that made me want to eat lunch there.

A panoramic view of the Boat Quay area.