A Life Far Removed from Durian Trees

Sorry for the three-year hiatus! But rest assured, there were plenty of durian fixes. Now we're on the road again... this time: Malta. No durians in sight, except for last weekend when I went to the Asian food store and saw a sad looking durian that did not look fit for consumption! Malta is great! Two main islands, around half the size of Singapore. Beautiful clear blue sea everywhere, even in the ports. English widely spoken because it was a former British territory. I love being back in a small city. The plusses: Beautiful. Delicious, fresh food. Healthy food (lots of salad, fresh seafood, vegetables and olive oil). Big portions. Lots of halal kebab places. Cheaper than the UK, France and even Singapore. Nice people. Clean streets (no dog poo). Very organised (took me a while to figure out the rubbish collection system). Unique mix of architecture, between old Arabia and Europe. The language is also a mix: Arabic, English, Italian, French and some others. Driving is ord...

The new Downtown line in Singapore

In 2012 we bought a new house in the town of Seremban, south of KL. We spent the last year renovating the place but keeping the main structure and some of the mid-century features. The house had been empty for many years and a lot of the electric wiring had been stolen and the plumbing broken so it needed a massive overhaul.  So watch this space for our house warming! 

Got this pointer thing for answering a survey at Changi Airport! Fingers are so passé, darling

Ever noticed that condensed milk is missing from Malaysian supermarket shelves? Here's why according to this article. Luckily Singapore still got. http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/1147184/all Condensed milk: Canned for good 2009/08/30 SONIA RAMACHANDRAN and CHAI MEI LING You have added taste to the tea, coffee and chocolate drinks of many a Malaysian. A tasty spread upon their bread you have also been. For many children in the 70s, you were a delicious snack when they squeezed you directly into their mouths. But all good things in life must come to an end, write SONIA RAMACHANDRAN and CHAI MEI LING IT is time we say goodbye to an old friend from yesteryears, the good old full-cream sweetened condensed milk. There was a time when never a day would pass without seeing advertisements in the newspapers or television where condensed milk was spread on bread, added to drinks or drunk as a milk drink by itself. Today, the full-cream sweetened condensed milk is missing from su...

Light taste and smell, so probably okay for durian 'lightweights'! Moist and not too sweet.

Been eating at a lot of food courts and hawker centres, but often disappointed. Found some gems though... Warung M. Nasir on Killiney Road for Padang food - love the rice (kinda sticky) and the dishes are really authentic-tasting, Johorean-like food. Really sedap. Like home cooking. For me, the best Malay food resto in Singapore so far. The portions are balanced i.e. not too much rice, the juices are not too sweet and the sweets are yumm. Muslim food stall @ Hopspot on Killiney for nice roticanai with good dhal curry. The best roticanai/paratha I've had here so far. Mee goreng not so good. But it doesn't beat my #1 Roticanai place of all time: Raju's in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. Thick, fluffy and not oily. Raju... me love you long time!

A month since my last post. We are 90% unpacked - just need a bookcase, shoe rack, dish rack and a couple of foldable mattresses... and we're good to go! Our first guests will be my family - they are coming for Hari Raya. Will be a nice change... Otherwise, life in Singapore has its good and bad. I like the freedom and independence. I like having cooked lunches. I like dressing up for work and wearing clothes that have been in storage for ages. I like that most things are in English (a relief after years of only Portuguese/Arabic/French). I like that we can get almost everything here. BUT I find it TIRING. Struggling with the long commute and still adjusting to office life... who would've thought that socialising and listening to gossip would be so draining??? In my former life, I would have finished work, gone to the gym, showered and started dinner by 7pm. Now I get home to an empty and messy apartment, sweating and cranky... and barely having the energy to put i...

Not that I've looked very hard but this is the closest thing I've seen to a durian so far...

Singaporean invention? Haven't seen this before

Sugar-free Ritter Sports chocolate at Candy Empire in VivoCity (a little guilt-free treat for my diet!) Pumpkin puree (brings back memories of having pumpkin pie during my uni days in the US - one day I will learn to make this) and Knorr halal chicken cubes (surprisingly hard to find abroad) at Tanglin Mall Reese's chocolates at The Cocoa Trees at Tanglin Mall (childhood favourite) Hediard Café and Restaurant! (tried to look for chestnut cream, i.e. the French 'kaya' as my sister puts it) I feel like a kid in a candy shop...

Touchdown, Singapore! Arrived about a week ago and then straight to the office. We're both struggling with jetlag for some reason, despite never having had a problem when on holiday in Malaysia. Shipment should arrive in the next week or so, and we should also get the keys to our apartment soon. One thing I know by now: keyword, should. Today I visited the apartment for the first time (S did the viewings during business trips and sent me photos)... and was disappointed to find that the living room is so small... Otherwise it's ok; it's a small development with a pool, gym, BBQ area and tennis courts. Working in the office again, getting used to it. The commute sucks. So does the fact that social apps/pages are blocked. But the lunches are great. And it's been very interesting learning about Singaporean culture through my colleagues. First thing: Singaporeans don't wear sunglasses. In spite of the weather, they don't. Didn't notice until someone said, "N...

The Singapore move is becoming a reality. Flight tickets have been issued. Various pieces of paperwork filed. Packing date is set. Temporary accommodation booked. Employment Pass is ready. My company knows I will show up at work on July 4. Eeek! After 5+ years of working in my pyjamas being a remote worker!

Got a nice surprise in the post today! Future house guests - you have been warned. Chocolates are great... but nothing beats soto and mee bandung FROM MUAR, Johore, Malaysia! Thank you, rellies! You can visit any time...

FRESH ROTICANAI Muniyandi Vilas restaurant 207 Rue Fauborg St Denis (near La Chapelle metro)

When I was in Angola, I was surprised when our French friends didn't know what okra was... I thought to myself, Wha?? How can they say French cuisine is "the best in the world" when they don't know what to do with okra?? Well, there's a first time for everyone. At the supermarket last week, we saw some tomates coeur de boeuf (beef heart tomatoes) and bought one to try. (At the risk of sounding nerdy, the lemon is for scale!)

I'm not much of a shopper but I love to shop in Paris (and taking people shopping in Paris). From my personal experiences, the salespeople are pleasant and patient and not aggressive. And I love that they explain the product to you and will serve you (to the exclusion of others) until you are done. In some other places, you're ignored. Or followed around by a salesperson who is checking that you don't steal anything. Or blatantly lied to ("yes, it will fit you, no problem"). Or verbally assaulted ("you'd better use this, you have big pores"). Or pressured/manipulated into buying other stuff ("if you spend another 150 dollars, you get this free cheapo bag worth 5 dollars "). I get all of the above whenever I shop at home, in Malaysia. In Paris, if you buy lotions and creams, they will tell you how and when to use it. If you buy handbags or watches for example, they will tell you what the brand is famous for, which line, which season (pe...

Five months into Paris, and what have I done? Completed a 40-hour French course. One-on-one classes, brushed up on my grammar and learned new phrases for daily use. Been to most of the tourist sites in Paris (including Versailles and Chateau Vincennes) Only one countryside excursion: Blois Tried a few nice restaurants from friends' recommendations. Met up with old friends living in Paris Had the "best macaroons in the whole world" at Ladurée (shoot me, but I prefer the ones from McDonald's McCafé!) Had lunch at Café de la Paix at Place de l'Opéra Garnier Last weekend, went to Rue Faubourg St Denis...loved it! Loved the vibrant atmosphere and the fact that there are plenty of Pakistani, North Indian, Turkish, Armenian etc places to try out. Stopped by the famous Brûlerie Lanni, which sells excellent whole/ground coffee and herbal teas at reasonable prices. Bought decaf Colombian (throw out the instant stuff after having this!) and two teas ("mystery mix"...

...since arriving in Paris and I can count my posts! Wondering why I haven't been inspired lately...maybe because life is less "quirky" here? Having said that there are plenty things weird in France... Like I'm sure most people don't know that the French state gives women medals for having 3 or 4 kids or more. And steak tartare is not steak with some kind of sauce but is actually raw minced beef. Sometimes topped with a raw egg. It's not a rare delicacy either (excuse the pun). Knowing the names of French dishes and cooking styles is not a trivial thing, there are entire books on it! And I now recognise that the French think VERY differently from the "Anglo-Saxon" way, it's pretty scary how extreme the differences are. (S and I attended a seminar on French culture - it explained a lot! Must admit, now I get less worked up about behaviour that seems strange/rude to me.) I started French classes in January. Had hoped to make new friends but I coul...