National Museum of Singapore

This banner blankets the front of the museum.  In case you can't make out the subject, it's Brad Pitt, shirtless, in white boxers...in the rain.

And who said Singapore wasn't a gay-friendly country?

Homesick and a Little Bellysick in Hong Kong

Flew to Hong Kong this past weekend - traveled with two co-workers. Reminded me a lot of NYC with its frantic energy, old buildings, and diverse people. Walking around the city made me sort of homesick.

Here is a random listing of common sights/observations:
- The air-conditioning in Hong Kong is out of control.
- The Indian tailors have an eye for me. Got harassed for tailored suits repeatedly. Could see them coming from a mile away and what you would think would be annoying turns out to be amusing after a while.
- Local teenage girls love knee-high boots.
- Chinese men like to spit.
- People say the Americans are loud, and that's true. But we got nothing on the Chinese.
- When you're tired of local food giving you diarrhea, just visit McDonald's. There's one on every block.
- It's because of that last point that McDonald's now has a place in my heart.
- Something about the police in Asia scares me. In NYC, the police hang out and drink coffee, while posing for the occasional picture with a tourist. In Asia, the police just seem to pace and look, quietly.
- Print ads everywhere for breast enlargements at local "bust centers for women."
- A simple, easy-to-use subway system makes me finally empathize with all the foreigners who come to NYC and get utterly lost and confused.
- The jumbo-tron in the local Times Square switches to Obama's first press conference as President Elect and tons of people stop to pay attention.
- The old lady behind the counter at 7-Eleven and I have the following conversation:
Old Lady: Where are you from?
Me: The States
Old Lady: You like Obama?
Me: I love him.
Old Lady: Me too.
- The geography of the city is utterly amazing. Over 100 islands make up Hong Kong, and the mountains are beautiful. High-rise apartments are everywhere.
- That being said, 8 out of 10 apartment buildings look like utter slums. And some of those slums rest above polished high-end retailers like Vivienne Westwood - a very strange dichotomy.
- A 35 min. cable car ride amongst the mountains of Landau Island ends with the revealing of the largest seated bronze Buddha in the world. It sits on a hilltop, hidden by the surrounding landscape and when you're high-up in the cable car and it suddenly appears, the sight is absolutely gorgeous and humbling.

My Shout Out to the U.S.

Happy Election Day!  

I voted by absentee ballot a week ago, and being able to vote for Obama made me more proud to be an American citizen.  

Go get 'em, Barack!

Happy Deepavali

Celebrated Indian New Year with co-workers on Saturday night. We lit sparklers and had some great food, including Chicken Briyani, which required much white wine to calm the spices.

Flower Power

Checked out the Botanical Garden yesterday. Very pretty. It's essentially a rainforest in the middle of the city.

Wasn't able to cover the whole thing - the park is too damn big and the weather is too damn hot. After a couple hours walking through the Ginger Garden and the National Orchid Garden, I had had enough flower power for one day.

Did you know the banana is considered a part of the ginger species of flowers?

Malacca (aka Melaka)

My first trip outside Singapore took place a couple weeks ago when a co-worker and I went across the border into Malaysia (aka the place where Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones starred in Entrapment). A few of my experiences:

1) Singapore has Chicken Rice, Malacca has Chicken Rice Balls: rice that is boiled in chicken grease instead of water. Rather than serving it to you in a pile, Malaccans make balls out of it. An unhealthy gimmick, but a very tasty one.

2) My first tasting of Chendel: a mountain of shaved ice that sits on top of coconut milk, red beans, grass jelly, and sweet corn, with a drizzle of molasses-- damn good. The locals say it's much better than Singapore's. When asked why, the response is, "it just is."

3) Parts of the city have been overly restored, such as the Dutch Square, where everything is painted in a fresh coat of red and a fake windmill was propped up in the 90's. Get it- windmill, Dutch Square. Other parts are crying for help - exposed outdoor pipes, empty buildings, crumbling sidewalks. And then there's Chinatown, the perfect combo of deterioration and historical charm where you can find the best food, nightlife and shopping.

4) Malacca has the most entertaining public transportation: pimped out rickshaws, driven by crazy locals who blast everything from gangster rap to techno dance music. Each one is decorated with tons of fake flowers, religious & patriotic symbols, and Christmas lights. When we asked our cyclist who decorated his rickshaw, he responded, "My wife. It took us a whole day."

5) No tall buildings + Not many trees = No shade. This is why you always stay at a hotel with a pool. Which we did.

Pile o' Coconuts

A common drink here is Thai coconut water. A man with a machete hacks an opening into the coconut with two quick stabs, inserts a straw and hands it to you. Very tasty, and a tad bit scary.

Here's a bunch of empty ones that the waitors are piling up on one table. Are these recyclable?