Love, Hate, Name Something You Ate II by venitha

• One thing I love about living in Singapore is...
  being right in the middle of so many cool travel destinations! We're starting to make travel plans for the rest of the summer, taking advantage of the time before I start work in September, and, aiyah! All the choices!
  
  The two trips we've planned so far: celebrating our anniversary (9 years) this upcoming weekend at a beach resort on the Indonesian island of Batam and celebrating my birthday in August in Bangkok.
  
  
• One thing I hate about living in Singapore is...
  the way everyone says yes when they mean no. My annoyed Western understanding of this phenomenon is that it's basically more polite to lie than it is to say no. It's really frustrating.
  
  
• A new thing I ate recently is...
  Haw Mok, a spicy fish curry/custard served in a cute banana leaf bowl. Rita Golden Gelman raves about this dish in a her book, writing that she suspects her purpose in life is to introduce haw mok to the Western world. So when I chanced across a festival yesterday on the grounds of the Thai embassy and saw haw mok listed on a food stall menu, I was thrilled! Woo ho!
  
  But, alas, it wasn't ready yet. This was not an opportunity to be missed, so Jim and I met there later for supper. It was delicious, but honestly no better than the mango salad, the mint chicken, and the Thai popiah, all absolutely incredible, that made up the rest of our meal. Thai cuisine, always light, tangy, and spicy, is easily my favorite so far.
  
  
• A new thing I bought recently is...
  Beautiful batik handkerchiefs - at the Thai festival. A handkerchief is a new thing that's found its way into my bag here in Singapore. One reason is that food stalls don't have napkins; but mainly, it's that the slightest bit of outdoor exertion causes you to break out in a sweat. And that's just the first few stairs. Climb all the way to the top, and you're glad you've got a handkerchief in your bag.
  
  
• Something I recently discovered is...
  Tropical plants need lots of water. Our new landlord is leaving us all of her amazing outdoor plants. She is completely unconcerned about them, but I'd hate to kill them within the first week. When I asked how to care for them, I was thinking that surely my inclination would be to overwater them, seeing as how I'm from a place where you might conceivably walk up several flights of stairs and remain dry.
  
  Twice a day. Holey moley.
  
• Singlish o' the day:
  Can. Essentially means No problem.
  
  How does Friday work for you for getting our keys?
  Can.
  
  Will we be able to stay in our service apartment until our ocean shipment arrives?
  Can.
  
  I'd like to stop at Cold Storage on the way home.
  Can.
  
  Of course, can could also mean No chance in hell - if someone is just being polite. Argh.
  

venitha