so about 3 to 4 times a day my neighbors blast their music and i’m treated with the bass reverberation shaking the walls of my place. at first i thought they just did this to cover up the sex, but i might be wrong. they can’t possibly be doing it that often.. right? they also have a young boy who likes to scream, so it might be to drown him out. or maybe they’re doing little 10 minute dance parties…

regardless, it’s pretty obnoxious and i’m close to knocking on their door to ask them to keep it down but for now i’m settling with cranking my music up as loud as this little macbook+altec lansing can handle. it’s passive aggressive, i know, but it’s working for now. and ever since my neighbors in pasadena took to banging on my walls at the slightest hint that i was listening to music, i’ve made a little pledge to prevent myself from being like them if the roles were reversed. well now they are, and here i am. blasting my music. not to send them a message, but to rather drown out the ruckus. (or maybe both.. :) )

on that note, the klaxons rock. you might know them by such great hits as golden skans and it’s not over yet. between them and jim sturgess singing all my loving i should be able to hold my own against singaporetechnofever2008.

speaking of, i got to check out the butter factory a little while back and had a rather good time. some things i’ve noticed about the singapore night life:

- the drinks are very soft. most of the bartenders measure the shots.
- it’s rather expensive for ‘brand’ drinks that soft (15-17 SGD$ / 10 $USD) but their house vodka is usually smirnoff so it’s not a bad pour.
- some locations have just one person running the cash register so all transactions get queued at this choke point resulting in a long wait for change.
- since you don’t tip on drinks, 10 USD$ isn’t that bad after all.
- most of the people in the club look 15.
- there is an air of.. innocence and little pretense amongst the locals. easier to understand in person than put into words, but it’s really refreshing.

the first room is adorned with cute (and familiar) illustrations.

the second (dance) room before i got this party started.

and once people got the hint that it’s a dance floor.

the butter factory is in a rather touristy place called clark quay. there is a stretch that’s covered by a rain canopy and has some blower vents attached to the columns that are circulating air. very cool aesthetic.

translucent canopy at clark quay.

blower vents.

there are also a lot of night life spots to check out in that area for food, drinks, and ambiance. one that stuck out was clinic. a themed, chic restaurant that didn’t receive that best praise for it’s food by bourdain, but gets points for creativity. i haven’t had the pleasure so i’ll just point out it looked neat.

fetish even.

yeah, those are wheelchairs.

oh and i’m almost over this bug. thanks to antibiotics, lots of toilet paper, and sleep. some may think i’m pushing it by keeping to the spicy food so soon after i was ill but i figure it’s training for india. and it’s so hard to say no to the vat of soysauce with the little floating chilis… that and it’s blasphemous to eat chicken rice without the chili sauce. which brings me to — food!

at the direction of the makansutra i headed to another die, die must try spot for hainanese chicken rice. i’ve been itching to have some good chicken rice since i got here and this place really hit the spot. the rice was subtle and not very oily but had a good flavor. it’s not the most flavorful rice i’ve had but the light taste was a welcome change from the predominantly oil filled dishes here. the chicken was really good but after being in taiwan and having that chicken, this didn’t really compare. in all fairness, i don’t think any chicken compares to the stringy, free range awesomeness that taiwan has to offer.

but i will say that the chili sauce is top notch. there was a hint of orange zest lime juice on top of the ginger and chili that added a few layers of yummy. i’ve yet to find a better place for chicken rice here, but i’m still searching so i think it’s too early to rule this as king.

tian tian chicken rice.

the long queue at maxwell center for the goods. usually a sure sign of a winner.

planning a trip to india is a bitch. especially for someone who’s never been, knows little to nothing about the country, and isn’t even sure what he wants to see. but it’s been a rather pleasurably rewarding bitch. i’m learning the lay of the land and how transportation works, and the more i read the more exciting it gets. it’s great having sites like flickr and webshots around. it’s extremely convenient to get a glimpse of where i’m going to go. i also stumbled across wikitravel which is also very insightful (and free!). flying into to mumbai on sunday, then touring the south/east. still not sure what the best way of booking a driver is so if you have any insight, let me know (book through hotel, airport, find someone on the street willing to take me around…).

i’m also making good use of couchsurfing. it’s a site based on trust and user reviews intended for travelers who are interested in meeting/welcoming others in their respective home towns. it seems to bring the trust back into social encounters making me all the more grateful, though i suppose there is a fine line between romantic hopes for humanity and naivete…

feeling a little ill. it might be all the spicy chili i keep throwing on my food, or the typhoid fever shot from the other day (my arm is still aching from the tetanus shot. feels like a dead arm) though it’s prob just a bug from hanging out on the mrt so much. hope it passes before the trip. c’mon echinacea infused yogi tea…

- – -

thanks to ye ol’ makansutra foodie guide i headed over to the gallery hotel where miharu is located. itching for some good ramen this place got the highest marks in the book. contrary to the recommendation i ordered the wabushi shoyu ramen (the miso recommendation had bean sprouts and corn which didn’t sound appealing right then). a tiger beer later i was in for a treat. this is probably the best ramen i’ve ever had (little tokyo, ca included)! the noodles were made to a perfect al dente and the shoyu broth was light and not overwhelming, but still retained a solid flavor. the pork was excellent too. succulent and tasty. even the egg hit the spot. probably the first time i’ve finished a full bowl of ramen with no regrets.

store front tucked behind the gallery hotel.

wabushi shoyu ramen @ miharu, singapore.

in my tummy.

then i went back another day and ordered the hot tsuke-men plate. essentially separated ramen that you dip and eat. there was an option to get a stronger tasting (vinegar-y) broth that i went with and it was great. just as good as the wabushi shoyu. damn i love this place. each dish is about 10-12 $SGD (7-8 $USD).

tsuke-men dipping broth.

tsuke-men set.

dice was so excited to get good ramen in singapore, he ordered the miso ramen and the tsuke-men.

- – -

ventured over to mint toy museum to check out the wares. great collection! 5 floors of narrow halls with display cases filled to the brim with classic toys. there was some really priceless stuff there. the lighting for most of the cases was extremely poor (to prevent fading), and just as i was about to pack up the camera, some small spot lights came on in some of the displays. it turns out there was a thai media group doing a piece on the museum so the lights would be on so they could film. great timing (though not every case had spot lights)! also came across some non-pc toys that i thought were interesting. amazing how blatantly racist our country was (is?) just a short time ago.

robota!

some classic mickey and minnie pieces.

lots of first editions.

sadly, this case is probably worth more than my life.

stwf, but did fly.

stwfbdf.

stwfbdf. surprisingly, i saw a newer version of this toothpaste downtown:

nice save…

and some more STWF while walking around vivo city.

stwf.

happy year of the rat! can’t say that i’ve done much to celebrate the lunar new year in the past, but if it means good food and quality time with friends, i’m in.

this was actually taken at a festival in singapore.

following ruth around.

just got back from a little under a week in taiwan. spent most of the time in hsinchu where audrey’s family lives. ate, explored, ate, played with the dogs, ate, walked around to find new places to eat, ate, and shopped a little. lots of in-house family time since most of the stores shut down. it was cold as balls (had to wear 5 layers and a scarf indoors!) but a real treat of a trip. especially getting to see all the new year treats and festivities (REAL fireworks!).

walking around the streets of hsin chu.

a good majority of the people ride scooters. i wish l.a. was as scooter friendly. it could only help the horrific commutes.

cold and rainy night.

inside one of the many cramped stores that are scattered in the city.

yummy fatty pork dinner! (courtesy of terry liu).

i also got to visit a small town on a windy hill called jiu fen just north of taipei. the rainy, misty weather added to the already charming alleyways and store fronts. it was pretty crowded from all the people visiting for the new year, but fun nonetheless. some really inspirational asian-alley spots.

looking up the windy road right before the entrance to the walkway.

lots of people, small walkway, umbrellas at eye level. oof.

audrey keeping dry.

inside a 100 year old teahouse for a quick breather and some hot tea.

itching for tea.

serving plate with the traditional cherry blossom stick.

pano outside of the teahouse.

the next city i got to see was badu which wasn’t too far from hsin chu. some more treats and temples. oh and a guy puffing glue out of a bag. that was pretty interesting to see (though frowned upon by my company at the time).

right before entering the promenade.

yummy treats. not sure what these are called (anyone know?) but they’re like pancakes with red bean inside.

didn’t get to try this but i thought it was neat how he made it.

cute truck!

back to hsin chu to shoot off some fireworks. the great thing about the home of fireworks is that it’s the home of fireworks. you can actually buy some cheap, loud, explosive goodies on the street. we spent a good 2 days just blowing shit up in the back yard. much to the dog’s disapproval. i also saw a bunch of little kids shooting off bottle rockets. something you wouldn’t see in the states. actually, there is a bunch of shit that won’t fly in the states that i’ve seen here so i’m going to start a collection of ‘STWF’ (in america). if you’ve got anything to contribute by all means send it my way and i’ll put it up.

stwf – fireworks sold all over the city. bottle rockets, roman candles, and more.

i’m the smiling sucker who gets to light this puppy.

the beautiful aftermath all over the yard. really something spectacular. the explosion scared the shit out of audrey and i, though her dad was surprisingly unaffected!

our bottle rocket assault on the neighbors!

spent a day in taipei shopping and eating with some family friends. i had some of the best sushi i’ve ever had that night. i’m going to blame the sake for my not remembering to get the name or a business card, but it was tucked away in some back alley. supposedly they import a lot of their fish each day directly from japan. everything tasted incredible from the taro root to the clawless lobster, to the kobe shabu shabu. i’ll get the name of the place and post it later. really. really. good. i can’t emphasize it enough.

amaebi is one of my favorite dishes. this one came out whole with the head attached, then once we ate the body they took the heads and deep fried them so we could eat those too. cha ching!

sea urchin and… mackarel?

red snapper split in two.

clawless lobster. yum, cool, yum!, cool!, yumcoolyum.!.,!.!

various cucumbers and roots. really refreshing.

the aftermath.

a local coffee chain in taiwan is 85°. starbucks competition. half the price, just as tasty with some clever innovations.

the menu. an americano is about 35NT which is a little over 1USD$.

sealed top on the take away cup so you don’t burn yourself.

looking down on the streets of taipei.

and speaking of innovations. i wish that there were more timers on traffic lights in the states. if you’re going to have to wait, it makes more sense to know how long you’re going to have to wait for. singapore has a similar ‘minutes remaining’ system for the metro (mrt). you always know how far a train is from arriving. very convenient.

from all that i’ve seen, taiwan is a great place. friendly people, lots of culture, proper transportation, and great food. the fruit is some of the best in the world (so i hear). i really indulged and encourage you to do the same if you go.

my favorite buddha fruit! but with a twist. this is some genetic experiment that results in a sweeter fruit with more flesh and less seeds.

speechless.

spent some time at simlim to pick up some essential electronics. it’s about 20 mins or so on the MRT from where i am.

the power converter for the external hd i brought, was dropping the connection every 10 seconds or so (most likely not getting enough power to the hd), so i thought it best to pick up a local unit. works like a charm now. something to keep in mind if you plan on bring a 3.5″ external here. also got a 22″ LG for a decent price. planning on using it for three months and selling it on the local forums. it’s definitely cheaper than trying to ship/bring one here.

the mall is pretty crazy. 5 stories of electronics with a basement of hawker stands. you can haggle most things, especially if you pay cash, but i found that aside from a slightly lower GST there isn’t much diff b/t here and the good deals stateside. though, there are a lot more people here who will try to gouge prices on you so it’s best to know the conversion and the part’s worth.

riding up the escalator looking down on the first floor.

imagine floors and floors of this.

- – -

next stop, the muji store. i.fucking.love.muji. there really should be one in l.a. but now that i think of it it’s probably just for my own convenience. l.a. doesn’t seem a fitting place to embrace minimalism and responsible design. yet.

but i hear they’ve finally opened one in n.y. (aside from the little moma basement) which is a good start. the stuff isn’t cheap but it’s quality. especially the stationary goods. usually desaturated, earthy colors. lots of cardboard. lots of off white, on white with a kick of burnt sienna.

the store front inside the paragon mall, orchard rd.

window display.

it’s.. so.. beautiful.

obsessively minimalist and compulsive.

i like this muji so much, i want to take it behind the middle school and get it pregnant.

i leave the country and mammoth gets dumped on. 10 feet of snow and it’s still coming down. go figure. i won’t be surprised if the 08/09 season is as bad as 06/07 was. ffs.

- – -

so i set off for singapore on a 90+ day adventure and i’ve been here for about a week. it was the first time flying eva (used singapore air the last time i was here), but i wanted to check out their ‘elite class’ and must say it was well worth it. the seats are much large and there is a good amount of arm room on each side. the recliner is slightly more sophisticated with some control on the leg rest too. 3 movies, a princess of mars, a few asian veggie meals and 18+ hours later i was standing in front of immigration trying to explain why i was going to reside in a country for 90 days without officially working.

yes i left my job. no i don’t know the address of where i’m staying. yes i’m the guy in the photo. no my hair’s not blonde anymore. yes my girlfriend is here already. no i can’t seem to find my return ticket home. yes, that’s really me in the photo.

that and the hour delay on my luggage aside, i’ve had few hiccups since i’ve arrived.

scale model of the island from the ura center.

got to spend the past week settling in (got over the jet lag in a day) and exploring the area. i’m sitting in a 12th floor flat on the west side of the island. great view, amazing cross breeze, and walking distance to the bust stop, mrt, and a few hawker stands. insead is even walkable but takes about 40 mins. a welcome change from sitting in front of a computer all day in a dimly lit room.

here’s the living area where i’ve set up shop.

it’s warm. it’s muggy. it rains off and on most days. and i love it.

looking out from the patio.

i’m right next to the ulu pandan connector which is a long strip of pavement that runs parallel to the canal and invites many-a-person to walk/jog/bike it. although singapore has a reputation for being friendly, i’ve noticed that the locals usually keep to themselves while in public and are less inclined to say hi when you pass them. i’ve gotten most of my ‘morning!’s welcomed only by semi suspicious smiles.

the food is amazing but it’s definitely not the chopped green asian chicken wraps i’m used to. lots of oil. lots of spice. lots of noodles. there’s a good variety if you know where to look but it’s usually a little more expensive than what you’d pay for some chicken rice and a soy milk.

found a great book at the recommendation of david chow called the makansutra and have been using it as a guide to finding some great eats. it’s been pretty spot on so far and i’ll post some more specifics in a bit. oddly i couldn’t find it in the states and had to pick it up when i got here.

sing’s expat foodie bible.

this guy makes some really good milk tea.

lots to see. lots to do. i’ll keep you posted.