Singapore Air Show

I'm not an aircraft buff but for some strange reason, I've always wanted to go to the Singapore Airshow. My brother is a big fan & goes every year.

So naturally since we are around this year, I dragged the family along with me.

The security there is tighter than tight. I guess there were expecting a lot of people. As we were entering, a guy gave us one of his trade passes so we got one free ticket. Yeah.


Don't even ask me what these models are. When we arrived, it was a little too early for the *air show* so we headed over to the indoor booths. Most people were in there to escape the hot sun, stand in line for souvenirs or oogle at the model planes. After a while, we got tired of jostling with the crowd & decided to go back outside which is really more interesting.


The Singapore fighter planes had the longest line as everybody wanted their pictures taken there. Me, I'd rather be flying the planes.


The Americans were out suntanning & ever obliging to have their photos taken. They were awesome.

In the market for a private jet ?

Looks like something out of a sci fi movie

Small distraction as we were waiting for the show to start

Sorry for the bad pictures cos I forgot to bring my zoom lens. Maybe because I had great expectations of the show, it was a bit of a letdown. I wanted to be wowed & that didn't happen. Maybe next year ?

La Salle College of the Arts

La Salle College of the Arts
Beautiful spaces inspire me
Especially when you don't seek them out
You just stumble upon them
I wonder what lies inside

Teochew Porridge

Teochew porridge - the favorite late night supper. What is it about this that works so well after a session of partying ? Sigh something I could never find in France.

For the uninitiated, it's basically a selection of dishes done Teochew style accompanied by a bowl of rice porridge. Sliced goose meat, minced pork, preserved vegetables, salted egg, fish cake, hae bee hiam....
There is a place within walking distance from our apartment that is good. If they have hae bee hiam, I would be there every weekend.


For the overseas Singaporeans, does this not make you miss home ?

Thaipusam

Thaipusam has always held a strange fascination for me. For one, I can't imagine doing it myself.

So what is it ? For my overseas friends, it's a Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of a deity. It's also an occasion for thanksgiving & atonement. Devotees fast for days prior & on that day, go through a ritual of piercing their face, tongue, bodies before finally loading a kavadi on them. Then carrying this kavadi for several kilometers from one temple in Serangoon Road to another at Tank Road.

Want to find out more ? Carry on reading.

Going into the shops along Serangoon Road is like entering Aladdin's cave. You never know what you are going to find.

Alright back to Thaipusam. Along the specified route, free drinks & snacks are offered by the shopkeepers or organisations for everyone. The devotees walk barefooted & because the tarmac floor can get very hot in our weather, shopkeepers would splash water on the floor & also offer drinks.

Look at this beautiful little Indian girl with her gorgeous eyes.

Women & young children get involved in the procession by carrying milk buckets.

A simple kavadi

During the procession, the devotees are accompanied by family & friends who are singing & chanting & cheering them on. It helps to have moral support.

The more elaborate ones have many tiers decorated with peacock feathers & figures of deities & could weigh as much as 15 kg. Imagine carrying that & walking 4km in the heat barefooted while being pierced all over - that's faith.

These are little milk carriers that are hooked to the body. It's amazing how there's no bleeding & no pain. The more piercings the more merit points. The white powder on their bodies is holy ash which supposedly helps to numb the pain.

Kids, please don't try this at home.

It never fail to amaze me every time I witness this.

My first lo hei of the year

This is going to be the first of many yushengs I will be having this Chinese New Year.

Yu Sheng or Yee Sang means raw fish in Chinese so it's basically a raw fish salad. Contrary to what you may think, it's not a Chinese dish per se. It's recognised & eaten only in Singapore & Malaysia.

It's a salad of raw fish (generally fresh salmon), shredded carrots, turnips, ginger topped with peanuts, crackers, sesame seeds & a whole bunch of other ingredients with a plum sauce dressing.

I'm not crazy about the salad but I love the whole process of Lo Hei. If you're eating this in a restaurant, the server will recite auspicious wishes as he/she pours & sprinkle ingredients over the salad. Then when it's ready, everyone stands up & gets ready to Lo Hei - tossing the salad as high as possible - wishing one another plenty of good fortune !

Tempura salmon roll

I'm showing off X's food again.

Food Porn.

Tempura Salmon Roll.

Yum.

Last Meals

I have a lot to blog about but I just haven't had time to sit down to organise my photos & thoughts. It's 2am I'm still awake so I thought I'd quickly post a couple of entries else you guys think this blog is dormant.

Last month while going to Esplanade, I came across an exhibit by Jonathan Kambouris entitled Last Meals. The artist cum photographer came across public records of what convicted felons had requested for as their last meals just before execution & decided to do a series of prints on it.

With a budget of $20, the requests range from justice & world peace to steak & fries.

Disturbing ? Fascinating ? Thought provoking ? You decide.

Ted Bundy, serial killer
Steak, eggs, hash brown, coffee

Stanley "Tookie" Williams, ganglord
Oatmeal & milk

Timothy McVeigh, Oklahoma bombing
2 pints mint chocolate chip ice cream

Victor Feguer, murderer
A single unpitted olive