Love, Hate, Name Something You Ate III
by venitha
- One thing I love about living in Singapore is...
All the great curry mixes at the grocery store. Our favorite so far is a Thai red curry by Dancing Chef. Combine these with the really cheap red bell peppers and pineapples and bean sprouts and eggplants and mushrooms and... yum!
- One thing I hate about living in Singapore is...
The lack of easy recycling. It depresses me to keep throwing away things that could be recycled; just imagine how much this entire country of nearly 5 million discards without a second thought. A recent newspaper article touting exciting futuristic features of newly constructed condos teased me with the idea of a recycling chute right next to the garbage chute. Brilliant!
There is, however, no recycling at the Pasadena. When I asked our friendly guard, Dawood, about newspaper recycling, he assured me that he'd be happy to come up and get my old newspapers and dispose of them for me... in the garbage bin. When I mentioned my disappointment with Singapore's lack of recycling to a native, she was surprised and proudly pointed out the many recycling collection points, which save a single raindrop from a monsoon deluge of waste. Our nearest collection point is at Newton Hawker Centre, a ten-minute walk away, and is comprised of three very full bins shorter than me.
- A new thing I ate recently is...
Tulang, an Indian dish, which is basically mutton bones in chili. Very tasty, and how can you not love food that you must eat with your hands and can't help but get all over your face? In spite of our appearance as carnivorous heathens dripping blood from our mouths, Jim and I both passed on the sucking-the-marrow-from-the-bones aspect of this dish. Maybe next time.
That's shredded cabbage, not cheese, on top. So add a side of rice, and you've got your four main Singaporean food groups: meat, veggies, rice, and chili.
- A new thing I bought recently is...
Phone wrap. Ridiculous, I know, but I did need something to protect the screen since I run around with it in my pocket a lot. It'll last about six months, and then I can get a new design! Recycling? Never heard of it!
- Something I recently discovered is...
The Istana and its grounds will be open to the public this coming Sunday in celebration National Day, August 9. As we look out from our rooftop across a sea of city lights, the nearby Istana grounds are a dark and mysterious island. We won't miss this chance to explore its manicured grounds and posh staterooms.
- Singlish o' the day:
Kiasu. Hokkien for, literally, afraid of losing. Remember when you were a kid and you had piles of Barbies that you could not have cared less about, but you had a fit when your little sister wanted to so much as look at one of them? That's kiasu. Talking Cock calls this possibly our - meaning Singaporeans' - defining characteristic. Harsh, meh?
venitha
