Kbal Spean

What an amazing walk! We happily climbed the 1400 meters from the information center to the top of the Kbal Spean river through a lovely track set in the middle of the luxurious and varied vegetation that covers Kulen mountain an hour away from Angkor. This place is known as the river of the 1000 lingas and the riverbanks and stones bear stunning carvings of figures, animals and gods that date back from the 11th Century. The aim was to bless and purify the water in order to fertilize the downstream rice fields of Cambodia.

Ta Prohm

How to describe the experience? We should marvel at how Angkor Wat or Angkor Thom are well preserved but yet the desolation that is Ta Prohm steals the magic from the here before mentioned temples. It must be the way the nature and mostly the enormous kapok trees literally swallow the terraces and walls of this maze like temple. It is mystical. I can only imagine being there without the crowds (even though apart from a few huge Asian groups the place was more deserted than what I was expecting). To make a long story short, if there a temple not to be missed while visiting Angkor it is this one.

Angkor

The morning was spent exploring Angkor Thom. We started through the Bayon, checked a couple of other temples around, were amazed by the bas-reliefs on the enclosing walls and astounded by the Terrace of the Elephants. Being Saturday and still during the high season the place surely was very crowded but we kind of made our way in order not to feel too oppressed. With the heat and exhaustion we decided to go back to the hotel for lunch and a well deserved shower and nap. It is all refreshed we beat the heat after 3 pm to finally visit Angkor Wat. It was the realisation a long life dream for the three of us.

Siem Reap

Even though Siem Reap is not too far from the Singapore, we took the long way through Da Nang in Vietnam before reaching Cambodia late afternoon. Therefore, most of the day was spent travelling after having relaxed a bit in the morning around the swimming pool. As a result there is not much to visually report apart from an entrance view of Le Meridien Angkor we are staying in. Just a 5 minutes walk from the main temples, and a relaxing place after the hustle and bustle of the city outside, without feeling too out of place nor exclusive.

Turning The Wheel

If you've ever visited a Buddhist temple you might have seen devout turning wheels. On the wheels are depicted or encapsulated prayers, mantras and symbols. According to tradition, spinning the wheel will have the same effect as orally reciting the prayers. Nevertheless, I was more than surprised to discover today that you could actually turn your computer hard drive into such a wheel. If you fancy a computer generated wheel you can simply follow this link. The real wheel above is from the Buddha Tooth Relic temple in Singapore.

No Durians

After yesterday's post the above sign just struck me when I sat in the taxi this evening. Eating durians is a bit like smoking. As briefly mentioned in the previous post, it is not allowed to even carry a durian in places like hotels, trains and taxis. That said, the other day I took a cab and there is no doubt what the driver was carrying in his own booth.

Durians

They have a very strong smell and a unique taste. No, I am not talking about weird and rare French goat cheeses but about durians that are unique to Southeast Asia. Most westeners cannot even usually pass the smell and are reluctent to try the custardy flesh of that strange and different fruit. The smell is so strong that it is normally forbidden in public places like hotels or transports. But I admit the taste and consistency are quite appealing once experimented. People tend to gradually develop an addictive taste for the fruit that is considered the King of all fruits here. It is for that reason that its price also never drops unlike other seasonal fruits.

11300 kilometers away...

It is always amazing how relatively quickly and smoothly we can cover such distances. I know it has been a while since airlines have been able to cover lots of ground (the longest flight currently being the incredible direct Singapore-New York flight by Singapore Airlines) but we always expect progress. When the A380 started its service I was more than happy to enjoy the supposedly airlines revolution, but a trip in that plane quickly made me realise it was only an advantage for the airlines not for the customer unless you are flying First Class. Economy and Business Class remain exactly the same except you are sharing the cabins with many more passengers. A real revolution for the passenger would have been to double the speed. Why didn't we make any progress in that field since the Concorde? Airlines are fast to blame the fuel efficiency / consumption for this but the truth probably lies more into the fact that they are more than happy to get super jumbos transporting masses rather than smaller jets transporting their customers faster.

Joyeuses Paques

Happy Easter.

After yesterday's awful day, today is graced with a beautiful sunny winter weather. Still cold but with a perfect blue sky. Exactly what I like about French winters (erm, isn't it supposed to be spring now?). Unfortunately, I will find myself in one of those planes again tonight to reach Singapore back tomorrow afternoon and face the humid and hot weather that prevails in that other part of the world.

It's winter, or is it?

That comes as a perfect warmer for such a pityful winter day. Today was all grey and cold and rainy and snowy and windy. Brrrr... As a result we headed to my sister's place to enjoy a nice winter mountainy dish called La Raclette (melted cheese) in front of the chimney.

Furtivo

No. No. I promise. Nothing is wrong with the above picture... it is just the effect of another clever sculpture from Xavier Veilhan. When in Paris I always enjoy gallery hopping. One of my favourite being the Galerie Perrotin mostly due to the fact that they previously housed and promoted pieces by some of my preferred artists like Maurizio Cattelan, Tatiana Trouve, Mr., Aya Takano, Chiho Aoshima and most importantly Takashi Murakami. While in the area I also entered a few more galleries and I had the pleasant surprise to discover a new artist at the Galerie Eric Mircher called Steve Galloway. If you happen to be in the area I would strongly suggest you pop in any of those places.

Louise Bourgeois in the Park

To complement Louise Bourgeois' comprehensive exhibition at Pompidou, I highly recommend a walk in Les Tuileries where you can admire two major artworks from this Artist. Welcoming Hands next to L'Orangerie are a series of bronze hands sculptures placed on granite blocks that are meant to be touched. They have been exhibited there since the late 1990s when it was decided to turn the gardens into an open air and public Modern Art display (alongside works by Giacometti, Rodin, Lichtenstein, Dubuffet or Moore). If the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern was a place of choice for the gigantic Maman sculpture (I vividly remember my first impression when I entered this hall and discovered the big spider for the first time), there is no better place for her than in Les Tuileries. You could nearly expect this sculpture to be peacefully strolling within the gardens.

Ca, c'est Paris!

Not too difficult to understand where I was today. A quick glance suffice to identify Paris unique architecture and rooftops. The weather was not as bad as expected and we were even blessed with some nice periods of sunshine. After some tasty Galettes Bretonnes (Savoury buckwheat Crêpes) at Montparnasse (the Breton quarter) we headed to Pompidou (Beaubourg) for the Louise Bourgeois exhibition. She really is an incredible person and I highly recommend the documentary/interview that was made by Camille Guichard when Louise was 82 in 1993 (DVD on Arte Video here). It really helps to give a new depth to her majestic work.

Western Sky

Le Divan Du Monde - 18 March 2008 - American Music Club

I have never been at the right place at the right time to catch an American Music Club gig. In the past I even had to travel as far as New York, Madrid or Brighton to attend a performance but this time I was lucky enough to find myself in Paris for a few days at the same time as one of the rare Parisian appearances of Mark Eitzel and his band. To be honest, even though I have always been a great fan of their recorded music, I have often been disappointed by the lack of osmosis of the band on stage. But now is a new line up and it results in a completely different vibe. The group finally seem happy together and it brings a new and fresh approach to Mark Eitzel's emotional songs. Tonight's show was graced with beautiful and sometimes nearly funky renditions of old classics (Western Sky, Revolving Door, Johnny Matthis' Feet...) as well as tracks from the latest album (Lost Souls, Sleeping Beauty, Windows of the World). Probably the best gig as a band I have experienced to date (My fondest memory, mostly for personal reasons, remains a solo acoustic concert in the intimate cellar of the Madragoa in Madrid - 3 May 2003).

Les Croissants

I do not usually really miss French food as such. After all, I have been living away from France more than half my life. But if there is something that gives me a great pleasure when I return to the hexagon it is Les Croissants. I have never been able to find Croissants as good as they are here anywhere else in the world. You can easily find some nice bread abroad - even some nice baguettes sometimes -, some saucisson or some Camembert but croissants the way they are baked in Frog's country... Never!

Changi - T3

Here's a view of the new T3 terminal at Changi from the Krisflyer lounge. It is a very spacious space filled by both natural and artificial lights. You can notice the presence of real trees. As it is not yet running at its full capacity the whole place seems rather empty which is a good change compared to T1 or T2.

David

I am often amazed by the creativity of local Artists (Just check the current skyrocketing prices of Chinese Art on the world markets and the incredible installation housed at the Guggenheim by Cai Guo-Qiang that everyone is talking about). This week saw the installation of the David replica at the National Museum of Singapore. It is just a perfect space for that kind of artwork. Titarubi (could nearly sound Italian) is an Indonesian artist who got the brilliant idea to assemble this 8.5 meters high replica and dress it with the textile ornament traditionally used for the kebaya. A kebaya is a traditional blouse worn by women in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore, sometimes made from sheer material and usually worn with a sarong, batik, or other traditional knitted garment such as a songket with a colourful motif.

Fujiya & Miyagi

The Mosaic Festival is nearly getting to an end and the choice of Artists on the program has just been quite surprising for Singapore. The Bird & The Bee, Broken Social Scene, Múm played during the week and tonight Fujiya & Miyagi came all the way from Brighton to give us 90 minutes of pure pleasure. As they mention to those who might not know they are neither a duo nor Japanese. But they play exactly the kind of music that strikes all my right body chords. Their electronica is funky and sexy yet phat and dirty. They take you through pure moments of trance not too far from atmospheres previously achieved by bands like the Spacemen 3. They sound 80s yet futuristic. They sound mellow yet psychedelic.

The Past - the Forgotten Time

The Past – The Forgotten Time is an exhibition that was part of the Fringe festival and that is finishing in 10 days time. It features the works of 7 Indonesian artists that deal with the reinterpretation of historical facts, specifically of the Suharto regime where historical texts were used by the ruling regime to reinforce its authority. I don't necessarily understand the link between some of the pieces and the theme of the exhibition but it remains an interesting small display.

Anderson Bridge

This morning I read in the newspaper that it was the 'birthday' of the Anderson Bridge. As it is one famous little bridge here I did my research and came up with the following facts. Anderson Bridge is a vehicular bridge that spans across the Singapore River. It is located near the river's mouth in the Downtown Core Planning Area of Singapore's Central Area. The bridge was completed in 1910, and was named after the Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner for the Federated Malay States, Sir John Anderson (1904-1911), who officially opened the bridge on 12 March, 1910. It will become one of the key venues of the F1 Singapore Grand Prix, slated for debut on September 28, 2008.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple

Down the street from the Hindu temple mentioned yesterday you find the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple which contrary to the former is probably the newest temple in town. It was founded in 2002 and was only open a few months back. It is dedicated to the Maitreya Buddha, which means 'The Compassionate One' also called 'The Future Buddha'. In its short lifespan it has already become one of the great sights not to be missed on any tourist itinerary.

Sri Mariamman

Singapore is dotted with an impressive number of Buddhist monasteries, Hindu temples, Christian churches and Muslim mosques. Sometimes all sitting next to each other. The oldest Hindu temple is the Sri Mariamman founded in 1827. I believe it currently needs a bit of maintenance and renovation or at least a little of paint but it nevertheless remains an interesting feature if you happen to visit it at the right time (which means when something is actually going on and the gods and goddesses are not hidden behind curtains).

East Coast Park on Sunday

The East Coast Park is the biggest Park in Singapore stretching from Marina East all the way to Changi. It is entirely built on reclaimed land. But it is a very pleasant outing with many activities offered from water skying to swimming (not sure I would enjoy a swim in Singapore waters but why not?). It is also dotted with many seafood restaurants. Therefore, if you happen to ride your pushbike, like we did today, or run along the lovely tracks you will probably feel like recharging your energy with some nice prawns or lobsters. Perfect for a sprty yet relaxing Sunday.

Chinese Tea Culture

At the doorstep of Chinatown there is this incredible tea shop that also doubles as a fantastic tea house. Tea Chapter was founded by 13 friends in 1989 and is the finest tea house in Singapore. Tea culture in this part of the world differs considerably in method and equipment from the one we know in England or even in Japan. Tea Chapter is a great place to be explained the whole process. You will understand easily the importance of the colour, smell and taste as well as the differences between black, green, white, red, oolong or pu-erh teas. A fantastic experience. And if you do not already own the whole set you will be tempted to buy those traditional purple clay tea pots from Yixing or white porcelain cups.

Allo Taxi

Taxis are a well developped way of transport in Singapore. There are nearly 30,000 taxis cruising the streets and I remember reading somewhere that it was the city with the most cabs per person in the world. They all are air conditioned and they all are metered. Not all are good drivers though and many have a few problems with gears but most are very honest. Nearly all the lost / forgotten items are returned to their owners if claimed. They also remain a comparatively cheap way of moving around even though the fare hike that took place at the beginning of the year made more than a few passengers unhappy.

Monorail

The theme of the week was supposed to be transports but I suppose it will have to stretch over the month as I sometimes have more interesting topics to post ;-) The picture above is for a mode of transport that is actually quite limited. It's only 2 kilometers long, it competes with the aging telecabins system but the monorail is one pleasant way to travel from Harbour Front to Beach Station. Surprisingly it is not an automated system though.

The Leap Years

Let's be clear! I am not going to rave about this movie because it was a love story full of clichés and it was bordering on naive from time to time but it is always interesting to see a local movie that could go global yet with a strong Singaporean identity. One of Catherine Lim's books, The Bondmaid, has been a best seller some years ago therefore it was also quite natural that this movie based on one of Lim's stories would also become one of the top grossers of the year. But if you want to see a truly interesting local production I can only continue to recommend any of Royston Tan's movies instead.

MRT

This week I will ty to take a few pictures of Singapore public transports. The underground / metro is called the MRT and is clean and efficient. The lines are not very extensive even though the government is now building a new Circle Line that should be completed by 2010. Tickets are quite cheap starting at around 60 Euro cents. The major problem is that the service is not as frequent as in other major cities and the trains tend to be overcrowded (especially at peak time). Singaporeans who succeed in securing a seat are famous for pretending to sleep or 'look away' in order not to give their seats to the persons who might need.

Putu Piring

Am I turning this blog into a dessert adventure? I must admit that the aim of these pages is to talk about anything but work. The highlight of the day definitely was the pleasure to finally taste those famous Putu Piring. I had been seeing permanent long queues in front of this stall at Banquet beside Haig Road hawker centre and was wondering what these sweets looking like indian idlis were. The area is the place of choice for everything Malay. Putu Pirings are delicate steamed rice flour cakes with a gula melaka center (brown sugar). They also have a sweet scent of pandan leaves. I now understand why people are ready to queue for hours for the privilege.

Egg Tarts - 葡撻

If you have ever tried Pasteis de Nata (the original Portuguese tart), forget everything your taste buds remember about it as the Asian version is very different. To me nothing can surely match the ones anyone should taste at least once in his life at the original pastelaria in Belém but the local version can also be very good. Funnily they were not imported to Macau directly by the Portuguese but by the British who modified the original portuguese recipe which had a filling more similar to a French Creme Brulee and naturally adapted it to a solid English custard technique. They were then introduced in Hong Kong in the 1940s and it took no time to spread to the whole Chinese continent including what is now Singapore of course. The ones we had today at Crystal Jade after our Sunday Yum Cha were so fresh that we actually had to wait for them to cook!

Saturday Night Concert

What an experience! Tonight's programme was called Classics Kaleidoscope. An extraordinary performance by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra exceptionally conducted by Piao Dong Sheng. It was exactly as the title promised. Classical oriental music in all its forms. From traditional north eastern chinese Folk to Opera. Using instruments nearly unkown in the west like Erhu, Suona, Liuqin and Zhongyin. It proved once more what a powerful international language music is. There was absolutely no need to be chinese to feel the emotions rendered by the talented musicians. I will definitely renew the experience as soon as the opportunity arises.