Appam

Back in SinCity. Two girlfriends of mine arrived for a visit. It is always gives me an opportunity to rediscover the city. We went through non-touristy places like Geylang, expat-places like Holland Village and had a nice dinner at my old time favourite Keralite restaurant. Instead of the usual Parotas or Chapatis I made them discover the wonders of Appam. Some people find them bland and they are usually used the same way we use bread in France. But well prepared they can be very tasty and that's the case here. Bowl-shaped thin pancakes made from fermented rice flour. We wanted more but the kitchen was closing...

Hairy (Fruit)

In Bahasa Indonesia, 'rambut' means hair. Hence the Rambutan fruit is the hairy fruit (often also jokingly referred to as the hairy bollock). It is very common in this part of the world and it is even considered to be originating somewhere in between Malaysia and Indonesia (that puts Singapore on the map doesn't it?). Today I was still in Indonesia though and I could not refuse the plate that was in front of me when I went for my Nasi Pandang. For those who have never tried this fruit and consider it as exotic I can tell you that it is somehow a bit similar to the Lychee or Longan. One of the two seasons for this fruit is now.

Indonesian Mangrove

The Mangrove is a threatened ecosystem and the main tree growing there, knowned locally as Bakau, is its main component. Bakau is well used by traditional coastal communities. It is said that the young shoots can be eaten and the juice made into wine. But honey collected from the flowers is said to be poisonous. The timber is heavy, difficult to saw and not durable unless it is dried for a long time. Nevertheless, it is used for construction, to make fish traps, house frames, pilings and poles. In Singapore in the past, Bakau poles were used extensively as scaffolding for building construction and renovations. Bakau wood is the preferred mangrove wood for firewood and to make charcoal. It produces an even heat and is easy to split for firewood. It is also chipped and used in commercial paper and rayon production in Indonesia and East Malaysia. Tannins are extracted from the bark; a black to chestnut dye is obtained from the leaves. Bakau is fast growing and thus often used to replant mangroves either for conservation or as part of a managed forest to produce timber for construction or charcoal. Bakau is also used extensively in traditional medicines. Various parts of the tree are used to treat digestive problems, bleeding and other ailments. But I discovered another use when I asked this young dude on an Indonesian beach what he was doing with the leaves he was collecting today. He simply told me it was to feed the goats who love chewing on them.

Record of the Week: Pacific!

Ah, the mysteries of the record industry... I got the 'Reveries' album from swedish band Pacific! back in February and I was surprised to see it was being released in the UK this summer on the 11th of August on Half Machine which is a satellite label of XL. Let's hope it will give the exposure it deserves. It is very difficult to describe their sound somewhere in between Beloved, Pet Shop Boys, Sebastien Tellier, ELO or the Beach Boys (Erm...!). But what is easy to understand is the reason why it is only officially released now. Hey! It's summer after all and their music is a much better soundtrack to hot summer days than grey winter days. Great melodies: Record of the week!

Listen to the tracks and visit their webpage here

Visit Half Machine at blogspot here

A-Ma-Gau

Macau's name is derived from its temple A-Ma-Gau or rather a corruption of its name by the Portuguese. As you can see from the picture above, when you find yourself at Largo do Senado you could be forgiven for thinking you actually are in Portugal. This week-end came as a good break from the shopping cities of the area (Singapore, Kuala, Jakarta) where apart from spending money on consumer's goods there is no much to do. In Macau you can surely spend as well (especially if you are a gambler) but there is more than enough to keep you busy for a whole week-end otherwise. The only downpoint was the extremely hot weather that made me sticky sweaty for two days but the other good thing is that you can easily catch a bus for 2,5 MOP (20 Euro cents) anywhere in the city.

Hong Kong & Macau

The picture above announces one of the ferries I took today between Hong Kong and Macau. All in all, in between all the Companies, there might be ferries linking both cities every 5 minutes.

When Hong Kong was British and Macau was Portuguese my preference and fascination were deeply going for Hong Kong. At the time the city just left me gobsmacked. But 10 years or so after I am amazed by the way Macau negotiated its new status. Of course, casinos remain the main activity (even more than ever) and since the market was opened a few years back, the major American Vegas companies are setting up offshoots here. But what is fantastic is the way Macau retains its identity. Overall there have been links with the Portuguese for over 400 years and, as everywhere they went, the Portuguese left some interesting features without forcing them to the local inhabitants (unlike the Brits and the Frogs). It is always interesting, wether you are talking about Brazil, Cabo Verde, Angola or Macau to see how the coloniser and the colonisee kind of mixed (incuding genetically) but always voluntarily. Each side only adopting what they were interested in. For example, the Macanese adopted some Portuguese ingredients in their food habits and vice versa to create a unique cuisine. I am now about to go and enjoy the city by night (but without gambling).

Blogging on Fridays

Monday is my blog day for the Record of the Week. But you might have noticed that Fridays are turning into airplane days! Sorry about this but it is the day I tend to go somewhere else. Even though I am somehow always somewhere else. I just had the time to come back from Indonesia this afternoon, branch to the office, out for dinner, back to the appartment to unpack and repack, have a quick sleep and I'm off to Hong Kong with JetStar coming back on Sunday through Macau. Have a nice week-end!

Forgotten Islands

I am still in Indonesia until tomorrow. I am always amazed by the number of pretty spots that grace those tiny Indonesian Islands just a few hours away from Singapore. It is quite incredible that nobody is trying to develop tourism to these places as they are so near to the urban world and yet remain completely off the beaten path. May be they should actually remain so but unfortunately the area is being developed with factories, construction yards, shipyards, quarries and the like completely killing the natural environment and erasing pretty hills and destroying forests. The worst is that I am remotely participating to all this. I so often think I am doing the wrong job. The beach you see above will have disappeared within a year time.

Tanah Merah

In Malaysia, in Papua, in Indonesia, in Singapore, in all those places speaking Bahasa Indonesian / Bahasa Malay there are some places called Tanah Merah. But what does Tanah Merah exactly mean? It is as simple as Red Earth. For Europeans like myself we are not used to those bright red colours for earth but that is how most of the dirt looks like in that part of the world. Not forgetting Australian's red centre of course! The picture above was taken today while on another Indonesian Island.

Geylang East

There are not many interesting facts I can report today as I have been fully and extremely busy at work but I could luckily make it back home before the sunset. The view above is from my living room window overlooking Geylang East and the sea far far away on this picture if you look at the skyline (but much nearer and more visible in reality since I can even see Batam on a clear day).

Record of the Week: Port O'Brien "All We Could Do Was Sing"

The sound of California transposed to the cold landscapes of Alaska! I discovered Port O'Brien last year when they issued their first album which actually was a compilation of their first singles. I immediately fell in love with the sound, lyrics and emotions and I was delighted to be able to preview their first album proper which is officially out in the UK on the 4th of August. It features lots of brand new tracks as well as new instrumentations of older ones. One of the mainplayers of the band, Van Pierszalowski works every summer on his father's commercial salmon fishing boat, the Shawnee, in the Kodiak Island area in Alaska. The whole biography is an amazing story in itself and can be found on their MySpace page (as well as a preview of some tracks) and their blog (on this very blogspot) is another richly informative and interesting read.

Marina Beach

Marina Beach is a beach stretching over 13 kilometres along the Chennai coast. It is an extremely popular spot. Indians really love beaches but not at all in the same way we, Westeners, do. They love to come here to sit and discuss, walk around, play cricket, flying kites, buying fish directly from the fishermen or any other products, consulting a fortune teller, anything really but not really to swim. The currents are also pretty bad anyway and not exactly suitable for an enjoyable bath. As anywhere in Indian urban places the crowds are amazing mainly because of their numbers.

Mahabalipuram

At first sight, Chennai is that big cosmopolitan city that does not have much to offer to the average tourist. But there is always something special about India, something attractive. The food, the people, a laidback atmosphere amidst the chaos. I went 30 kilometres south to Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) a World Heritage city filled with temples and rock carvings. Unlike your usual carvings depicting gods and religious subjects, Mahabalipuram mainly features scenes of everyday life and of ordinary people. Most of the carvings were completed during the reign of Narasimha in the 7th Century but the tradition lives on and you can find excellent sculptors at every corner in town.

Air India Express

Just the time to branch back to Singapore, organise a couple of things in the office, unpack and repack my bag and I am off to Chennai (Madras) in Tamil Nadu with another budget airline. How do they honestly keep their prices so low? There is not a single day without reading reports of the bad state of the airline industry but passengers continue to be able to enjoy amazing fares. Not that I am complaining as it is not so often the general public can take advantage of this kind of situation. I don't think I will be posting any trip report as some other blogs do it so well but I will surely be posting a couple of pictures of Chennai even though I will not have much time to visit the place. Talk to you tomorrow from yet another place. I am taking off now!

Ojek

Second day on the Island. I have just taken the ferry back. When I arrived at the ferry terminal there were people disembarking from Dumai on the Sumatra mainland. As you have seen yesterday that the local transports were not really developped, the most common way of travelling as in the rest of Indonesia are the Ojek (motorcycle taxis). They are not licensed (by the Government) and the specificity on this Island is that the helmet is only compulsory for the driver. You never see any passenger wearing any safety devices. Ladies are usually sitting sideways and it is not uncommon to see families of 4 (in addition to the driver) riding a single bike! Of course, if you are not a local and know the standard prices you have to bargain hard before you accept a ride. I only took some in Sulawesi and have always avoided them in crazy cities like Jakarta!

Islanders public transports

In Indonesia for another two days! And there is no need to fly when time, itself, is flying so fast. Island life is somehow a relief compared to the fast pace of Singapore. Evrything is so slow. No fast cars. No fast lanes for the buses. Talking of which, the picture above will give you an idea of the local transports. There are no public services on the island and the only collective means of transport are those privately and individually owned buses that serve all purposes. No need of A/C as most of them are windowless. The major problem is when it is raining but in that case not only the buses stop, the whole Island life becomes idle. and no, I did not take a picture of the worst one I could find but one of the best!

African Graphic Novel

Last week-end, or ironically on June 12, I received a very interesting graphic novel called: June 12, The Struggle For Power in Nigeria from Abraham Oshoko. I have a special interest on the subject having spent quite some years in the country. But this book could appeal to a wider audience for several reasons: it is a good change from European or american comic books, it is an amazing and disturbing / revolting political event that many westerners are not familiar with, you should support local African Artists who are starting - thanks to the internet - to gain a wider audience but who still need much more exposure than the rest of the world and finally you could somehow draw a parrallel with what is currently happening in Zimbabwe even though the consequences in Nigeria were not completely as dramatic as they are now in Mugabe's country. You can visit Kachifo website if you want to purchase it directly from there for 1,800 Nairas or choose a more convenient option through Amazon. Also, for the record, I was very glad to incidentally get to talk to my best Nigerian friend, Sam, yesterday who is still living in Port Harcourt trying to survive the Nigerian struggle.

How e be Sam-O?

Record of the week: Beck 'Modern Guilt'

My choice for this week's album is the new one from Beck... I could have found something a bit more obscure but honestly this album just stroke all the right chords. I have even been listening to it three times today as a loop when I usually do not necessarily enjoy listening to the same thing over and over in a row. The first single to be taken from that album 'Chemtails' is the perfect choice as it summarises the whole spirit of his new direction. And the album track is also one of the best 'Modern Guilt'. Another essential purchase!

Borneo Craft

When we came to Sarawak over a month ago we spotted this beautiful woven material but were unsure about it due to its hefty price. After doing some research and seeing all the craft involved in the process of this colourful weaving technique I subsequently understood it was more than worth it. This unique piece, called a Pua Kumbu, has been made by a Kapit lady some years back. The Kapit tribes live within the Batang Rejang River system in Central Sarawak.

Happy crowd

I am impressed by the happy atmosphere the Rainforest World Music Festival is bringing to that part of Sarawak. I do not have the figures but it surely attracts a lot of people. And as any good festival, even though the weather has been beautiful so far, the crowd is knee high in the mud. Tonight's performances included some local bands (Kani'd and Tuku Kame) as well as a Japanese drummer (Hiroshi Motofuji), some African grooves (Yakande), an Oud trio from Palestine (Adel Salameh), a Polish folk fusion band (Beltaine) and a final with Trinidad & Tobago jamoo (Sheldon Blackman & The Love Circle). A very good event with an excellent vibe in an amazing setting (the rainforest in the background just makes things amazing).

Fly me to...

I am not particularly a Low Cost airlines enthusiast as I like to travel comfortably (even when I am generally sleeping the whole flight through) but for short hauls I do not mind paying the bare minimum to get the bare minimum as long as I am taken to my destination timely and safely. Compared to all the no frill airlines I have taken so far, AirAsia has to be my best experience: new Airbus A320, clean interior, friendly staff, organised check-in, departure ahead of schedule, smooth ride, professional crew, etc... I must admit I have been pleasantly surprised. The only downpoint is that there are hardly any flights out of Singapore, therefore I had to take the pain to cross the border at Woodland by public transport and get taxied all the way to Senai (Johor Barhu) airport. But my trip to Borneo remains more than half the cost compared to a departure from Singapore.

40% of me is French...

After hearing about it I finally got to see that add from Evian that is posted in a few places in Singapore. It is quite funny... It is true that if you consider that the average human body is made out of 60 to 70% of water with more than half of it coming from your drinking water intake it makes sense. Even though I am French, I must be quite international as I have been drinking water from so many different countries. Maybe I should start to drink exclusively Australian water. It could help me obtain my citizenship?

Exotic?

I got my sister on the phone today and it made me wonder... I was telling her I was once more in between some Indonesian islands and I realised that with the distance she was imagining some kind of exotic islands. If it were Lombok or Komodo as a tourist it could be the case but the Riau Islands have nothing exotic and it is difficult to explain how unattractive those 'industrial' places can be. And when you go to places for work, it rarely is as good as when you go as a tourist anyway. The rare moments that can make you dream a bit are those overloaded inter-islands ferries especially at dusk or at dawn as you can see from the picture above.

From Myth to Modernity

The somptuous Asian Civilisation Museum is currently housing an exhibition entitled 'Vietnam: From Myth to Modernity'. It explores the history of Vietnam mostly through its religions but remains an interesting insight into the rich country's culture and diversity. I was fortunate to enter the room at the same time as a volunteer guide was starting a tour. I do not always enjoy the guidance offered through an exhibition but I found that without the explanations and stories given by this lady I would have missed a lot of necessary background information. It actually really helped me to understand the whole chronology better and appreciate some relics that would not have made sense without it.

Prime Time

Hey it's Prime time again! The North really gets soul. Back to Mancunia for another great slab of vinyl coming the Linkwood Family / Trusme stable. Prime Numbers is a new label created by this Manchester collective who also put together some great soulful housemusic nights called 'Working Nights'. If you like a wide spectrum sprawling from Ashley Beedle to Gilles Peterson then this quality Deep Dirty Disco is for you. This second EP is actually catalogued as PN03 to confuse the marketplace (to put it in LCD Soundsystem words) and features three tracks bearing a similar feel while being very different from Linkwood, Fudge Fingas (Firecracking Recordings / Scotland) and Discreet Unit. And when you purchase this 12" try to also grab a copy of EP1 while you're at it.

Available from the usual suspects:

Vinyl Junkies, London - Piccadilly Records, Manchester - SoulJazz (Sounds of the Universe), London - Fat City, Manchester -Black Market, London -Underground Solush'n, Edinburgh - RushHour Records, Amsterdam - Fat Dog Records, Middlesborough - Vinyl Underground, Northampton - Juno Online, London and Phonica, London. (See links for most of them on the side column)

Singapore Food Festival 2008

The Singapore Food Festival started this week and finishes on the 27th of July. It is a great opportunity to taste the local food with lots of Chefs cooking for a bargain and promotions agogo in many food courts. Takashimaya also installed its own market in the basement which already proves to be hugely popular since the Singapore Shopping Festival is also still on and is attracting hordes of tourists and locals in the Orchard vicinity. It also gave me an opportunity to set foot on this shopping district since I rarely venture to that side of town which is far too crowded to my taste.

Sir Stamford Raffles (6 July 1781 – 5 July 1826)

Today I went to Malaysia in Johor Bahru to keep myself busy but mostly to see how long it takes and how easy it is to reach the place by public transport as I will be leaving next week-end to Borneo from Johor Airport. Flights are much cheaper from there but I really do not think it is worth the hassle. Anyway, I bought the Saturday paper to keep me busy during the long trip and saw that it was the anniversay of the death of Sir Stamford Raffles while tomorrow is his birthday. I had to pay homage to his most famous representation statue as Singaporeans owe him everything since he decided to establish a post at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula instead of the Karimun Island he was previously eying at.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

There is one thing I never tried since I arrived here: traditional medicine. It is true that I never really needed it either. I am also a bit reluctant as I believe quite a few endangered species are used for that purpose. Herbal medicine is the most common form and can be found in many places in Singapore. Most of the rare animal medicine are used for people who reckon will gain strength or get special powers from some of the body parts like tiger penis or deer antlers. The latter is commonly seen around here. I wonder how it is prepared, Is it grated, is it boiled, is it chewed...?

Traditional Drink For Hot Summer Days

It is not every day I feature a drink. But this one is very special. In India it is called Sambharam. I had a couple of glasses at a Keralite restaurant tonight as well as tasting it a few times in the past. It is made of butter milk which is a fermented sour milk lower in fat than regular milk as the fat has already been removed to make butter. As a result it does not actually contain any butter (shouldn't it be called nobuttermilk then?) and do not get confused with Lassi as it does not share anything with it in terms of consistency and taste. But mind you, it is not for delicate palates. It is stuffed with salt, grated ginger and green chillies. Spicy but so refreshing!

Keropok

Kerupuk, Krupuk, Kroepoek, the name varies from region to region but they are known as Keropok in Singapore. It might not be their place of birth but Singaporeans like their keropoks (and they are not the only ones). They actually originate from Indonesia and everytime I tell someone I made a trip there I am always asked if I brought any back. There was not a place in Indonesia I have been to that was not famous for its keropok (from Western Papua to the Riau Islands). And this is why it is difficult for me to call them by their English name - prawn crackers - since they are not necessarily made out of prawns or shrimps down here. It really depends on the local available ingredients may it be fish, cuttlefish, local fruits or nuts. They can be fluffy, they can be chewy, salty and oily but the real thing should always be light and... yum... very crispy!

Back to school

The month of June was quite sweet as it was the mid-year school holidays. As a result the traffic was free flowing and the public transports were not suffocating. Now everything is back to normal. There is no longer any gain of time if I try to catch a taxi from / to work and I am assured to be sandwiched and standing for the whole MRT journey. I am longing to find that job that could be an enjoyable walking distance from where I live...