Singapore Sojourn - Part 6 by Roger Smith

SINGAPORE SOJOURN PART SIX May 7 ‐ September 30 2008 Roger Smith 1

All Aboard Wednesday, 7 May 2008 Wall Street jumps on Fannie Mae. So said the morning news aboard the morning's 95 bus as I made my way to work. Poor old Fannie! Fannie is in fact a US company that specialises in financial products. The constant stream of financial data reminded me that Singaporeans enjoy a good punt on the share market. Not surprising when one considers the absurdly low interest rates for fixed term deposits in the banks here. In New Zealand we can get 8.95% percent on an investment over $100,000. The going rate in in Singapore is less than 1%. A middle income family could not afford to live off bank interest and so shares and property are very popular options for investment. Currency trading is another popular past time either using the money changers that can be found in most malls and shopping centres or the banks themselves. At time of writing the Singapore dollar is rising against the US greenback and the NZ dollar which is good news. The latter currency though continues to maintain what I believe to be an artificially high level given the financial underpinning of the NZ economy. Has the "credit crunch" come and gone? Nobody is sure if the worst is over and as a result the tills of Singapore are not ringing as loudly as they did a year ago.

Tales of Beauty and Derision Saturday, 10 May 2008 A fortnight ago an invitation arrived on my work desk. As per usual it was addressed to my predecessor but I go it anyway. Usually these receive a cursory glance and are tossed in to the waste paper basket. However on this occasion the invite in question turned out to be to a screening of Christie’s auction items. Christies no longer use Singapore as a base but they do hold satellite exhibitions to promote their Hong Kong auctions and this event was one of these ‐ the Spring Auction to be held at the end of the month. Equally intriguing was the location for this exhibition, the recently opened St Regis Hotel in Orchard Road. This is currently the grandest dame on the block and has more stars to recommend it than the Milky Way. Officially launched in April, the St Regis received a lot of media publicity as the owner's wife personally involved herself in the selection and development of an eclectic art collection containing amongst others; original works by of Joan Miro, Marc Chagall, Fernando Botero, Le Pho, Fernand Leger, Gu Gan, Chen Wen His and Georgette Chen. We had a wander through the new hotel and took in the art works. There were some interesting sculptural works but personally I find Botero's creations just a little kitschy and plastic in execution. Give me the vigour of a good Rodin any day! According to the St Regis web site one was meant to have a "Bespoke Experience" whatever that is? I suspect the shorts I was wearing was not the tailoring the staff had anticipated when they coined the phrase. Then it was into the hotel's John Jacob Ballroom for the Christies viewing. The art was a fairly mixed bag as art auctions often are. Clearly some of the estimates were printed with a mind to attract the investment dollar. A contemporary Chinese painter, Yue Minjun, had a large work called Big Swans (pictured) with a $US1.2 ‐ $US1.9 million price tag. It was the small but exquisite collection of jewellery that was the most impressive. This included a 69 carat, yellow diamond and some flawless jade jewels in various settings. After our auction viewing we re‐boarded the bus following a quick dash to the opposite side of Orchard Road to do so. Having disembarked at Orchard Emerald we made our way to Robinsons department store who were in the midst of yet another of their sales. On the return journey we passed the only drag queen I have yet seen in Singapore ‐ a balding older man dressed in an ill‐fitting frock and heels. It probably would have helped if he could have afforded a wig, but alas this was not the case and he was given a wide berth by the more conservative Singaporean commuters. 3

Shiok Tactics Wednesday, 14 May 2008 So shiok! What is this Malay term that reverberates around the metropolis? The best way to describe it is as a euphoric statement of delight, usually when something pleasurable has been experienced. In Singapore this pleasure is often food‐related; this will come as no surprise to anyone. I am reminded how such colloquialisms creep into everyday language. In the late 1970's when I was living in Papua New Guinea the common language was Pidgin ‐ a combination of Place Tok, Germanic terms and Aussie swear words. Words such as "buggerup tru" peppered our conversation and referred to something that was completely broken. In PNG nearly everything broke down with monotonous regularity, from the power stations to much‐used refrigerators. It was a favourite phrase of a fellow expatriate New Zealander in the Eastern Highlands town of Goroka. He worked as manager for a local motor company and could never instill into his boys that a diesel land cruiser should not be filled with a tank full of petrol nor vice versa. Comprehension of such minor details was not a strong point of his employees much to his chagrin. For those who would like to discover a wider range of Singlish terminology I suggest this site. At the very least one should master the basics ‐ and here I will conclude, lah.

Everything Going Swimmingly Saturday, 17 May 2008 I finally did it! After a year of indecision I finally 'braved the elements' such as they were and plunged into the condo's pool. This action was prompted by the spell of hot weather and the realisation that as our condo Queens has one of the largest pools in Singapore, it was about time I made use of it. The sensation of cooling off was indescribably pleasant, even though my swimming skills are rusty. Of more concern was whether my swimming togs which had been languishing in a bottom draw for several years where still up to the task ‐ perish the thought, literally! I rediscovered muscles that hadn't been used for such exercise but felt particularly virtuous afterwards. Our changing rooms by the pool even have hot water to rinse off any chlorine. Our condominium utilises a security system that allows one to use an intercom from outside the security grill and for the occupant to release the security gate if satisfied with the request. My wife who remained in the apartment while I trod water several stories below, explained this system to me and why I would not be taking my swipe card and apartment key. So it was that I stood clad in a damp towel negotiating this system on my return journey to the apartment. After several futile attempts at pressing "07" to begin the sequence I discovered that I had in fact been pressing the well worn "C" instead of the "0", thereby clearing any attempt to make contact. Before hypothermia set in I realised the error of my ways and safely returned to the 7th floor. I shall be swimming again tomorrow.

Super Chlorination Extra Halitosis Sunday, 1 June 2008 Today is the first of June. Time to recap on some recent events that either befallen yours truly or been the focus of recent Singapore interest. Old friends and regular readers of this stream of consciousness (hopefully one and the same) will recall that a couple of weeks ago I went swimming for the first time in many years. What I have failed to recount since were the events that followed. Firstly, I went decidedly deaf in my left ear, which those of you who are married will be the first to acknowledge, has some advantages. This lack of hearing failed to clear and I ended up going firstly to the university doctor and then to the NUH Ear specialist for a cure. Nothing major, but it was somewhat of a novelty having a miniature vacuum cleaner hammering against my ear drum as the E&T doctor probed and pondered. A short half an hour later (and in true biblical fashion) I leapt from the bed and walked out the door. In this case I was reassured that I was covered by medical insurance. Had I not been, then the modest $20 I paid to both medicos would have ballooned out to a sum of several hundred dollars. There is no doubt about it, health matters are very expensive in this country and insurance is essential. The flip side is that the doctors and specialists here are excellent. The other swimming pool related matter came a week later, when an A4 typed notice from the condominium management informed us that the pool was closed. It transpires that either a child, or a pet Chihuahua on the loose, had deposited 'something unmentionable' into the water which even the chlorine had failed to eliminate (if you will excuse the pun). The removal of poop from a large pool is a costly business and according to the latest management bulletin, after two days of "extra chlorination" it is now safe to go back in the water. This I duly did today. It has become my Sunday morning routine to swim a few lengths and enjoy the water ‐ children and pets notwithstanding. Other matters of national interest have included the list of punishments metered out to members of the prison and security services. It was their lapses that saw the terrorist Mas Selamat escape with relative ease. This case continues to occupy the minds of the populace. I have been surprised to discover how this episode has engendered such strong feelings amongst who believe that only the minor miscreants have been punished and that the politicians in charge should have at very least offered their resignation, even if such an offer were to be subsequently rejected by the PM. The escapee in question is still at large. 6

Just Passing Through Saturday, 7 June 2008 It was the hairy‐backed monk that I remember most. Crouching low in his saffron robes as he rummaged around the convenience store's lower shelves looking vainly for a small bottle of shampoo. His Esau‐rian attributes seemed strangely at variance with his religious persuasion. We had been visiting friends passing through Singapore and staying in the Peninsula Excelsior Hotel off Coleman Street ‐ one of the less salubrious districts of Singapore but handy enough to the main shopping thoroughfare of Orchard Road. By all accounts the Excelsior is not to be recommended and numerous online reviews are less than flattering. Dr Des and his wife arrived after a 12 hour trip from Rome using a Singapore Airlines stop‐over package. The hotel however did not have their room ready upon their arrival at 6:30 am and they had to wait until 10:30 to finally get to their billet. Given that it was an SQ package and a Singapore Hotel you would think that the airline and accommodation would have been better coordinated with the guest in mind. It must be the season for people passing through Singapore, en route to somewhere else. Possibly this is a reflection of the change of seasons as the Antipodean hordes emulate the swallow and fly north for the winter. Whatever the reason it is good to catch up with old colleagues, professional acquaintances and close friends when they are in these parts. Not that one is missing anything of the latest news as the Internet has changed all that. Long gone are the days when the steam packet from 'The Motherland' delivered month‐old handwritten letters into the eager hands of expectant expatriates. Nowadays such news are just a click away, as is sport if one chooses to follow it. Here in Singapore football is soccer and there is very little coverage of rugby and none of league. Not a problem though, as I listened to the All Blacks vs. Ireland commentary online. Somehow the tight five of the All Blacks forward pack remind me of that monk.

That Sinking Feeling Wednesday, 18 June 2008 In excited tones the reporter on last night's Channel News Asia informed us that traffic had been mysteriously stopped in the area of Marina Boulevard. A clearly nervous and reticent foreman in a hard hat did his best to avoid answering any questions, even at one point attempting to hide his identity by pulling the brim of his hard hat over his face. After several seconds of muffled response the hat in question was pushed back to its original position but the answers were no more forthcoming. Was an event of great national significance unfolding before our eyes? A threat to national security? The answer was far more mundane. There had been a subsidence in the road and it appears to be related to the construction of an underground tunnel at an adjacent construction site. As a result, Marina Boulevard was closed for six hours while inspectors evaluated the situation and determined there was no lasting danger. I mention all of this because such incidences appear to be an increasing occurrence in Singapore. The underworld of the Republic is becoming a rabbit warren of underground pedestrian walkways, MRT lines and utility tunnels. Add to this the vibration of the many fold construction sites and the fact that much of Singapore does not sit on bedrock and it is therefore not surprising that such events occur. The resulting blockage to road traffic occurred on the same day as government agencies announced a further hike in ERP charges. These increases are an attempt to dissuade the use of motor vehicles in the central city areas at peak periods. The charges are levied electronically as a car passes under an ERP gantry and every vehicle carries a digital box and cash card from which the sum is subtracted. This miracle of technology appears to be having some effect in curbing motor vehicle use and enhancing the value of public transport. As the ERP rates climb, Singaporean motorists are also experiencing that sinking feeling.

Butane Bungles Sunday, 22 June 2008 There is a push to integrate so‐called 'citizen journalism' in to the local Singaporean media. This means in practice that daily rags such as My Paper have a section called Ground Zero where miscreants are exposed. Today's riveting entry was the discovery of a broken cigarette lighter in a bowl of fish head curry. No doubt a different interpretation of the culinary flambé process. When the patrons said something like "waiter there's a lighter in my soup" the response they received from the proprietor was terse. He is reported as saying that he would cover any medical bills should his patrons require treatment after consuming his curry. Very generous I must say. Given the cost of medical treatment here it could turn out to be the most expensive dish of fish head curry ever. Continuing on the subject of seafood, Ground Zero's next story covers some enterprising Singaporean merchant who is apparently using his local car park to sun dry ikan bilis. Ikan bilis for those of you who are not familiar with the name are the small anchovies that are much beloved in Malaysian cuisine. They have a pungent odour when drying but not as pervasive as the small dried shrimps that are used for Malaysian sambal. According to the experts when buying a catty of ikan bilas one should look them in the eye. The best quality ikan bilis will have bright blue colored eyes according to the pundits. Given their size when processed I don't think I will bother. They all taste good to me and are the perfect condiment to a good nasi lemak.

Heroic Pork & Pig Knuckles Saturday, 28 June 2008 The story of the Hero Porker attracted my interest earlier this week. This was an account of a large pig that was buried in the recent Sichuan earthquake but somehow managed to emerge alive after thirty six days trapped beneath the rubble. So it was with just a twinge of guilt that I got stuck into a large roast pig knuckle with lashing of mash potato while lunching at The White Dog Cafe in Vivo City. We enjoy this eatery for its $10.80 set lunch and for its eclectic mix of western and eastern cuisine. Best of all is the view out to Sentosa Island and watching the Temple of Mammon (i.e. the Sentosa Integrated Resort/casino) take shape. There is more than a touch of motor mania in Singapore at the moment as the city builds towards the hosting of Formula One's first night race later in the year. On display in Vivo City was a racing car sponsored by MediaCorp and it had the rapt attention of youngsters lining up to try out the driver’s seat. Some (as in the photograph) were perhaps a little young to fully appreciate what was happening. Anyone who has been involved with motorsport will tell you it is the sound of high speed cars and the smell of the high octane fuel that makes the sport so addictive. At an early stage of my life even I joined a central North Island car club in New Zealand and was the proud owner of a modified purple Mini Cooper. But those days are long past and the thought of watching a seemingly endless procession of cars career around a track at night hold little interest for me. The roar of engines however stays with me. One good reason that it does so is that for the past two Saturday evenings, just on dusk, the aerobatic team from the Singapore Air Forces go through their paces, as they practice for the forthcoming National Day Parade early in August. These jet aircraft in synchronisation are truly a magnificent team and the rate of climb into the evening sky is wondrous to behold. All of this is viewable from the sanctity of our condominium lounge.

Plans For National Day Saturday, 5 July 2008 The weekend of August 9th provides a rare holiday opportunity given that it in encompasses Singapore's National Day. As we are planning a trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia later in the year we thought a couple of days away might be all wished to do in August. Given the spiraling costs of travel with everyone except Singapore's few remaining trishaws adding a fuel surcharge, the options are not that great. Younger Singaporean colleagues love to travel to Bangkok but having been there before, it doesn't appeal all that much and my wife had a very unpleasant experience with food poisoning on her one and only trip into Thailand many years ago. I recall also being laid low with the Thai equivalent of "Delhi Belly" as I was half way up the steps of one of the many Wats in the Thai capital ‐ not an experience either of us are keen to repeat and the traffic congestion in Bangkok, once experienced is never forgotten. With all of the above in mind we opted for a two day cruise aboard the Star Cruises Superstar Aquarius. Some great deals are currently advertised in the papers so yesterday we went down to Star HQ in Singapore, Park Mall. Alas, the dawning of the age of "Aquarius" is not to be. The two day cruise on the Friday and Saturday night was booked out. Why we asked do they not indicate this fact in their advertising? This would save a lot of time and bother for nothing. Naturally we got no straight answer. So it was that we got back on a bus and headed to a travel agent in Chinatown that we had used before when we booked a previous journey to the Malaysian Highlands. We have decided this time to travel on the overnight bus to the Genting Holidays and then stay another two days in the First World Hotel. The bracing zephyrs of highland air will be a welcome respite from the June/July hot season of Singapore. One just has to hope that the deteriorating political situation in Malaysia doesn't put a dampener on proceedings or for that matter that the bus does not catch fire or run off the road as it descends from the resort ‐ which seems to happen with increasing frequency if one believes the local press reports. Meanwhile the National Day bunting has gone up at the front and back gates of our condo and Singaporean flags are reappearing on the HDB balconies.

Feeling Drained Tuesday, 8 July 2008 I have a predilection for using blade razors. Not that I aware of any 'Sweeney Todd' genes in the family pool, it is a case of a smooth chin as opposed to a machined stubble. This preference has given rise to rather an interesting scientific phenomenon; a sludge problem in basin pipes. Caused in the main I suspect, by the copious quantities of shaving gel I use in any given month. So it has been quite noticeable in recent weeks that water in the aforementioned basin was taking ever increasing lengths of time to drain away. In our condo drainage pipes are not of a large diameter and clearly some remedial action was needed. There were two choices. The first would have involved arduous deliberations with a Singaporean plumber. It is noticeable that these tradesmen can never give an accurate time of arrival ‐ usually the indicate somewhere "between 9 am and 6pm". This means that one is held captive in the home waiting at their pleasure. The second choice and the one we adopted was to use a 'liquid plumber'. A bottle of this mix was purchased on special from the latest supermarket. Fortuitously I was at work when my wife chose to experiment with the concoction. Having emptied half the contents down the sink hole she stood back and watched it bubble and foam as it went to work. This was far more entertaining than the local fare on Singapore television. The instructions said leave this brew to bubble away for an hour and flush away with warm water. I confess I half expected to get a call to say that the plastic waste pipe had dissolved due to a chemical reaction but fortunately no such calamity transpired. The stuff actually works! Buoyed by this success "she that must be obeyed" has returned to the supermarket and bought several more bottles. We will have the cleanest drains in all of Queenstown of that I am sure.

Hard Luck George Tuesday, 22 July 2008 Things are looking up this morning. There was actually a cool breeze at the bus stop. That is 'Cool' with a capital 'C'. Normally the air is fetid and there is crush of bodies waiting to board. This was followed by a deluge which caught most commuters out, as they were not carrying their umbrellas. It has not been easy finding the time to write this past fortnight as two of our staff left for greener pastures reducing our small team by 50%. This means that yours truly is doing the work of three people and also trying to pack up an office in preparation for the shift into our new building. The other piece of good news is that the share market is staging a small rally this morning. Not that I 'play shares', but the fluctuations of the market do affect my New Zealand superannuation fund. The local media is plumbing the depths for items to print. This morning's edition of My Paper shows a copulating tortoise under the heading "Lonesome George finally has sex after 36 years". He is apparently the last of his sub species according to the text which makes one wonder what he actually mated with? No doubt when we see a camel with a hard shell on the streets we will know why. Organ trading is also a hot news item with the recent indictment of one of Singapore's wealthiest businessmen, who apparently attempted to procure a replacement kidney. It would appear that the government is now quite serious in reaching a legal conclusion on organ donations beyond the regulations that already exist. Well its back to the packing!

The Fear Of Fong ‐ A Passing Wind Saturday, 2 August 2008 It is noticeable that many Singaporeans shun their vegetables. Apart from the vegetarians you will often see people in the Heartland food centres (and especially the young) just eat their meat and fish, nibbling on their greens and leaving them on the plate. Even when they buy a meat and vegetable dish from the Rice table stall, it is often the vegetables that remain forlornly on the plate once they have departed. Coming from a western culture, this is a somewhat surprising revelation. To paraphrase religious texts "Man cannot live on curry puffs alone" I suspect it is also due to the old Chinese (mainly Cantonese) belief that certain foods including raw vegetables give you "Fong". The nearest western equivalent term is "wind". This is not an uncommon phenomenon in the human body and Mel Brooks even made a movie, "Blazing Saddles" which incorporated a running gag about the effect of beans. The Fear of Fong however has more direct consequence amongst the local populace. It also applies to much raw fruit so I can imagine that there are a significant number of people who are not getting the nutrients they need. Our fellow diners look askance as we order and tuck into a large vegetable salad. Fresh vegetable are certainly not cheap in Singapore as, almost without exception, they are imported. Actually all this talk of Hawker Centres raises another and more pressing matter. The second generation of hawker families is due for retirement and the third generation in many cases, has no plans to succeed them. This means that much of the traditional hawker fare will be lost forever as the recipes are jealously guarded and handed down through the families. Today being Sunday I have enjoyed my weekly swim in the condo pool – breast‐stroking my way through various assorted inflatable animals and water craft that are loaded to the gunwales with excited Asian children of various nationalities. We have more Expats in our condo now as the high rents in right in the centre of Singapore are driving them to accommodation such as ours ‐ a short bus trip away from Orchard Road. Ang Mo tend to sunbathe like beached white whales around the pool, especially those from Europe who remain oblivious to the threat of skin cancer. The Chinese prefer to watch the goings on from the shade and the Japanese women all sport wide‐brimmed sun hats. It's time to stop writing and go to our favourite family restaurant "Jacks Place" for Sunday lunch ‐ I have date with a green salad.

The Night Bus to Genting Saturday, 9 August 2008 The Poo Seafood Restaurant is on the outskirts of Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur. Somehow this mesmeric title summed up for me the quality of food experienced at the bus stops, en route to and from the Genting Highlands this past weekend. On a previous trip I tasted the worst bau (steamed bun) I had ever tasted and this trip it was a portion of Chicken Rice that captured my attention. Where the chicken itself was captured is another story ‐ I suspect a local kampong, as the bird bore no resemblance to the excellent Chicken Rice of Singapore. I don't know what it is about these road stop eating places, the quality of their fare is inevitably bad. Last Wednesday we took the Night Bus to Genting (not to be confused with the Midnight Train To Georgia). We had been assured by the agent in Chinatown that said bus arrived in Genting at "about 8 am". Given that we left at 9:30 pm and it was a 7 hour trip, this timing didn't add up. Still we thought, perhaps the driver had to pull over and have a break for an hour or so? We arrived at 3 am in the morning. Adding to our misery was that I was still nursing a sore back (not helped by the steady vibrations of the bus's chassis) and my wife had picked up a virulent flu bug the day before. In short a couple of 'crocks' emerged bleary‐eyed from the Night Bus. At reception we were told to wait a further hour until the ticket operators commenced their duties. "Couldn't we just check in we?" asked Reception. "No" was the reply. "You need to take a numbered ticket first and when you number is called then and only then can you come up to the Registration point". I felt obliged at this moment, and not being in the best of tempers, to point out that there were only three of us trying to register and there were at least five staff behind the reception counter ‐ doing very little. As such pleadings proved futile, we asked "If we paid for the night of our arrival as well, could we get into a room?" Of course we could. So for any extra 130 Ringgit (about $Singapore 60) we were duly registered and went to our room. Last time we came to Genting we stayed in one of their standard rooms, which had the dimensions of a large chicken coop. This time we opted to pay a little more for a "deluxe room". Our "deluxe room" appeared exactly the same dimensions as our previous "standard room" with the same view of an adjoining wall. This time it came complete with dripping cistern, a blown light above 15

the bed and an extractor fan in the bathroom that threatened to break loose of its moorings at any minute. All of which conspired to make much needed sleep impossible. I must record that these matters were addressed later in the morning by the maintenance staff of the hotel. The weather was cold and wet on the first day making it impossible for children to go outside and use the theme park. I thanked my lucky stars that we had packed my warm jacket and hood. The one thing we both enjoyed was the coolness which meant that you could sleep soundly under an extra 'helping' of blankets. This was a pleasant relief after the cloying heat of Singapore. The other thing that hasn't changed since our trip to Genting over the Chinese New Year of 2007, was the complete non‐compliance of the no‐smoking regulations and the hotel's adjoining walkways. When we pointed out to a ruddy faced Chinese gentleman that he was smoking in a non smoking zone he got very agitated and yelled out "Get Used to it, you are in Malaysia". I thought this was a very sad indictment on the country. The laws are there but seldom policed. The big difference at Genting Resort this time around was the large numbers of Middle Eastern families, the room enveloped in their traditional black abayas. While they do not gamble in the casinos they were certainly spending large sums in the shops and on the children's indoor activities. They of course were staying in the Superior deluxe rooms and the suites. It would appear that tourism from other Islamic countries into Malaysia is booming. As long as they not tempted by the chicken rice, this trend will probably continue.

Plumage Power & Hungry Ghosts Wednesday, 13 August 2008 The soiled brown beret was worn at a rakish angle. A solitary and bedraggled peacock feather hung forlornly from under its band at the back. The owner of the headwear, a thin Indian gentleman, was walking ahead of me as we disembarked from the Buena Vista MRT station. Why had this caught my eye I wondered? In all likelihood it was because such displays of male plumage are rare in the drab conformity of the Singapore morning rush. In Papua new Guinea I recall being quite accustomed to seeing men walking around with half a football on their head, or bunches of coloured grasses, as adornment. The term for such finery was 'bilas' (Pisin from the English word 'flash'). I wear short sleeve shirts in Singapore in deference to the climate. Apart from the uniformed young men undertaking military training, few follow my example and most men wear long sleeve shirts. However I have noted that almost without exception they are rolled up towards the elbow ‐ which rather defeats the purpose of wearing along sleeve shirt in the first place. On the subject of business, Singapore too is experiencing the effects of the global downturn but thus far, the impact is far less than in many Western countries. Large reserves and prudent management from government has greatly helped. Inflation is high and biting nevertheless. This is reflected in local traditions such as the giving of hongbao (red packets) at wedding dinners. If you are invited to a wedding banquet you are expected to pass over such a packet and the going rate was until recently $100. To this you can now add another 20%. We are currently in the Festival of Hungry Ghosts which is not the most propitious of times to move in to new buildings and undertake new ventures. Families spend large sums “feeding" the ancestors and there are also certain activities that take place at this time. One of these is the Getai performances which are staged for appreciative audiences. As times are tougher the costs of putting on these performances has also risen so there has been a resurgence of interest in the traditional puppetry as a substitute. The coverage of the Beijing Olympics is dominating the media here and the all day coverage shown in Singapore seems to be a direct feed from New Zealand television, as I recognise the voice of John McBeth the NZ sports commentator. By comparison to "he of the bedraggled peacock plumage" the costumes of the opening ceremony were simply stunning. There has been much publicity here also about the organisers substituting the child who sang for a "prettier" version.

Want Want Pig Organ Soup Sunday, 17 August 2008 The Want Want Pig Organ Soup stall is open for business in Queenstown across the road from the condo where we live. It is a popular stop for older Singaporeans who enjoy the heartiness of its fare. They swear by its rejuvenating qualities. On our side of the road, tucked away near the MRT elevator is the motorbike and side car combination of our local ice‐cream seller. For the princely sum of $S1 one can enjoy a hand‐crafted slice of Kings ice‐cream sandwiched between two thick wafers. While Kings ice‐cream may not have all of the creamy virtues of a good New Zealand Hokey Pokey delight, it is none the less a most pleasant and cooling experience on a hot Singapore day. Also running hot at the moment are the "paddlers' from the Singaporean table tennis team who have just won Singapore's first Olympic medal in 48 years. Irrespective of the fact that they were thrashed by the Chinese in the gold medal match, the Singaporeans (and I use the word advisedly as they are in the main Chinese imports) were deserved winners of the silver medal. Singapore of course is not alone in buying in talented athletes and coaches. It is very much part of the international sports scene nowadays. Meanwhile across the Causeway, the Malaysians have reintroduced their paper‐based white immigration card system. We were fortunate last week not be held up by this arcane process. It is also the season for National Day speeches and setting a precedent, the Singapore PM Mr. Lee Hsien Loong deferred his English presentation a day to allow the nation to view the ping pong finals. One of the key topics of his speech this year has been to encourage Singaporean men to take a more active role in child raising as the problem of a low birth rate remains. For many career women, child rearing is not high on the agenda. Personally I think a good hearty broth could raise the Singaporean libido and I know just the stall to deliver it!

Scripture With Fries Saturday, 30 August 2008 There is something all pervasive about fundamentalist religions, whatever creed they might be. Not that I begrudge anyone their religious persuasion but I really do not enjoy having someone's beliefs bombarding me at every turn. So it was with a degree of chagrin that I noted the raised arm waving staring back at me from the restaurant menu. Sandwiched between the offerings of burgers, fries and Tex‐Mex specialties were large dollops of religious text. The proprietor of the establishment in Cuppage Place was clearly out to share the "word of the Lord" as much as he was to satisfy my hunger for more physical sustenance. I should have read the small print before being seated. As we were about to leave a woman whom I take was one of the owners (should that be congregation) passed my wife a pamphlet explaining that they also had a riverboat option moored at Marina South Pier. Not that we will be paying it a visit as its name "Santa Fe All American Tex‐Mex Grill (Marina South Pier) / Breaking Bread " has all the religious trappings of its sister establishment on dry land. One reviewer has described the riverboat's decor as "fervently Christian" which I think is an apt turn of phrase. Clearly though it is the boat moving in 'mysterious ways' that causes most concern as other reviews refer to sea sickness as dampening the dining experience aboard. On to more temporal matters; the Formula One promotion is gathering force as can be witnessed by this image taken in Vivo City last week.

Gourmet Fair Saturday, 6 September 2008 It's another Saturday afternoon in Singapore and as is our want, we spent the middle part of day in town and then returned home to take time out to read the Straits Times. Today's visit took us back to Suntec, this time to take in the Gourmet Food Fair (pictured below). If truth be known there has been a promotion in the above mentioned newspaper which encourages people to visit the fair and leave their coupon, in the valiant hope of winning $6,888. I am not sure of the odds of winning but they must be very long indeed. It was noticeable though that the foot traffic in the malls is definitely less than the same time last year. No doubt this is a result of financial downturn affecting all major economies, including Singapore's. There were nibbles galore to sample as we did the round of the stalls from herbal jellies to various version of the classic Bak Kwa. Following this we went down a couple of levels and visited the large Carrefour supermarket. Here too were a range of delights to try, as a variety of sales people did their best to get us to buy their products. If one is clever enough is possible to sample the equivalent of a three course dinner without paying so much as a penny! Judging from one old Auntie I spotted making here second circuit around the display booths I suspect other have already worked this out long before I. From the upper deck of the 111 bus on our return journey one could see the development of the Marina Bay areas and dominating the scene, the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort (casino). It is meant to open next year but there still seems a lot of work to complete it? Good news... the $New Zealand dollar has fallen below the $Singapore for the first time in about two years. This means that we can send funds back to put on deposit as the interest rates in NZ remain close to 9% whereas in Singapore one is lucky to get over 1%. This week promises to be an eventful and exciting one and I hope to expand upon this observation when next I write.

Mongols in the Fall Saturday, 13 September 2008 The carpet of yellow and red stretched for as far as the eye could see. From 25,000 feet it was a scene I remember well ‐ the Canadian Fall. "Fall" always seems such an appropriate and utilitarian term for the season of "autumn". Apparently we have the French to blame for the term "autumn" as it comes from the Old French word autompne and was later normalized to the original Latin word autumnus. Before the 14th century however the season was known as "harvest" a solid, self‐explanatory and sensible British term! Why do I mention the above while being safely ensconced in tropical Singapore away from all of the vagaries of the aforementioned season? The answer is very simple ‐ we are currently celebrating the Mid‐Autumn festival, an event which is actually the Moon festival and dates back some 3,000 years to the Chinese Shang Dynasty. The mid‐Autumn date is the time that the Moon is meant to be at its most beautiful and everyone admires it. There are no falling leaves in Singapore in the autumnal sense, just expanding waistlines as everyone buys and samples Moon cakes. These 'weight‐watcher delights' are given as networking and relationship building gifts not only to family and friends but also by businesses to valued clients. Legend also has it that the Mongols where overthrown during this time by embedding messages related to the popular uprising inside Moon Cakes. Now the only embedding that takes place is the insertion of new and exotic fillings within the crust. Each year there are more and more unusual fillings literally breaking the mold. This year for instance I have sampled; champagne Moon Cakes, rum liqueur varieties, roast chicken/pepper & lotus, bilious green pandan versions, green tea and even durian moon cakes. I remain however a traditionalist with a strong preference for lotus paste and double egg yolk, the latter being salted duck eggs which are a strong counterpoint to the cloying sweetness of the lotus paste. One is of course meant to take a small slice of the cake and have it with tea. The novice Ang Mo may attempt to eat a whole cake at one sitting but I doubt that this attempt would ever be repeated ‐ they are simply far too rich. There are also quite distinct regional variations of this delicacy. I prefer the Cantonese style crust which is a red‐brown and baked. Also popular in Singapore are the Teochew style which is a flaky pastry version that is deep fried.

I confess to being "moon‐caked out"! Yesterday we visited Takashimaya department store and in the centre court there were dozens of stores featuring mid‐Autumn goodies and there was much sampling to be had. After doing the rounds of the various stalls we both felt rather ill from too many sweet offerings. As a footnote I should also record that after more eight years of working in the university world I am leaving to take up a new role as Director of Online Operations (East Asia), for a well known international organisation that has its regional hub based in Singapore. This is a challenge that I am very much looking forward to and, as my work will involve travel to at least 12 countries in the region, I will be able to further expand the geographic coverage of this epistle.

Killem Tru Tuesday, 23 September 2008 "Killem Pest, Simply the Best" proclaimed the T shirt. It was worn by a slight man on his way to work on the MRT. The slogan reminded me of two things. Firstly the Papua New Guinea pidgin language that I was used to hearing in the Highland of that country where a similarly sounding word to "killem" is deployed, usually in the context of "kilim tru" i.e. make sure he, she or it is truly dead! Not a very reassuring phrase if one is being chased by a kukakuka tribesman with the pig tusks through his nasal septum turned skywards. The second thought that came to me is about the pests that one finds in the tropics ‐ the cockroaches of various sizes and hues, ants of every scale and description and not forgetting the ever‐present mosquitoes which carry a variety of nasty diseases. Pest control is a growth business in Singapore and at certain times of the year 'fogging' is all the rage with large clouds of presumably noxious chemicals smoking out the hiding places of every creepy crawly. I am not sure what the chemical makeup of this 'fog' actually is, but what continues to surprise me is that very few of the operators wear protective masks as they apply the mixture. Seeing the pest control man on the MRT yesterday was part of a final journey to Buena Vista MRT station and onwards on the 95 bus to my former place of work, the National University of Singapore. I will not miss this trip. If I got to my Queenstown station by 7 am then the journey was reasonably comfortable. Afterwards the crowds packed the carriages especially in recent times where more and more people have been leaving their vehicles at home and turning to public transport.

The wait for the 95 bus at the Buena Vista bus stop was the worst part of the journey ‐ hot, sticky with little moving air, one often was left feeling in need of a second morning shower. Now I am temporarily a man of leisure, with a couple of week's annual leave to use up before commencing my new job with the British Council, based in Singapore. Quite apart from the new Director's post, I am looking forward to renewing my acquaintance with an old favourite ‐ the 111 bus ‐ which will transport me to the British Council in the Tanglin area. But this is three weeks away and in the interim I have a holiday in Taipei to look forward to.

Raining On The Parade Thursday, 25 September 2008 As I write we are experiencing a tropical deluge with accompanying gunshots of thunder and lightning flashes. Nothing too unusual about this, given that we are in the Tropics and the rain comes as welcome relief after a week of high humidity and brain‐numbing heat. The big difference is that today is the first time the Formula One drivers get in their cars to try out Singapore's new road circuit ahead of Sunday's grand prix. The F1 Night race is not resonating with most Singapore's despite the media's attempt to talk up the event. I have yet to find anyone who is going to see the race in person. Some politely say they think they might watch it on TV but I actually doubt that many will. Most comment has been about the inconvenience to public transport and the lack of custom in the large shopping malls due to road closures. Welcome to the world of street circuit racing! These events are by their very nature disruptive. I recall promoters in Auckland, New Zealand desperately trying to convince the local City Council of the economic benefits to that city when in reality it would have seen the main arterial route into the city from the North Shore completely cut. Fortunately the race did not go ahead. Here in Singapore millions have been spent of lighting and other infrastructure for the world's first F1 night race. I hope they see a return on their reported $105 million investment. When public statements in the media a week before the event switch to talking about 'intangible benefits' then one gets the sense there is a growing realisation that the receipts are not going to match the outlay? I am not against motor sport, far from it ‐ I even belonged to a car club at one stage in my life. I have however worked in, and been associated with, international events so I recognise hype over substance when I see it.

F1 is no different in many respects from yachting's America's Cup. It is a rich man's sport projected to the masses. Along the way it sells motoring product, but to the rich list followers it is just another event on the annual social calendar. It also transpires of course that these super rich moguls rarely pay to attend the races as they are feted by corporations and the finance sector that cover all expenses to get them track side. Commentators should therefore not be surprised that the people in the Heartland are tuning their TV's to watch English soccer in preference to motor racing. This event has little relevance to their daily lives and the cost of tickets means that they are unlikely to attend in person. Some will even be leaving Singapore to escape from the event if reports in the local papers can be believed.

Noodles Roger Smith

Ion Mall Roger Smith 25

Queenstown Supermarket Roger Smith 26