Rapid Creek Market

The market season is approaching with the famous Mindil Beach Sunset market soon to reopen as it seasonally does every year in late April. In the meantime you can enjoy a few markets in Darwin, especially on weekends. Yesterday, we went to the Parap Market which is pretty small and a bit hippie but still enjoyable. Today, we were in search of organic fresh fruits and vegetables so we headed to the famous Rapid Creek market. It has a strong Asian influence. Coincidentally, a few people have been questioning me on Darwin's legendary Asian influences lately and I have to admit that I kind of see them less obvious here than in Sydney for exemple. But in between Thai massages, Indian spices and Vietnamese food stalls you could be mistaken for thinking you are somewhere in Asia.

It's Friday, it's fishy... It's fish!

I mentioned it on a few occasions on this blog before and here it is. The Barramundi, also known as Mr. Barra, is THE fish of the Northern Territory. Its name originates from the aboriginal word meaning "large-scaled river fish". It is actually not currently the season and the only Barra you can buy is frozen and as a result is not the best. From the different options to see some "alive" and "for real" are Aquascene in Darwin or the Aquariums that scatter the region.

いらっしゃいませ

Irasshaimase or 'welcome' in Japanese! There cannot be any better introduction than the fish head picture above. Welcome to the land of crazyness! I have always been in love with the contrasts and contradictions the country offers to the visitors. One of the first sights welcoming us in Japan has been this gentleman selling fish shaped donuts wearing this silly fish costume. And if we would have found this ridiculous anywhere else in the world, in Japan this excentricity can only make sense. There is no doubt the time will fly here. Let's enjoy every minute!

Fernando Botero

The Art exploration continues in the streets of Singapore. I was telling you about Niki de Saint Phalle the other day so here is one of the Botero sculptures. This one is temporary but there are quite a few of his sculptures in the streets of Singapore. Whoever is in charge of the Art commisionning for Singapore City must have had something for Botero. Actually, I read somewhere there was an exhibition organised by the Singapore Art Museum some 4 years ago and featuring at least 20 of his pieces. At over 1 Ton each, it is possible Singapore preferred to purchase them rather than paying for the shipping back and forth. (Probably not the case, but anyway...)

Art in the Streets

You could be forgiven for thinking you are in Paris. The Niki de Saint Phalle composition you can see on this picture is one of the numerous Art pieces currently displayed in the streets of Singapore. You have some imposing statues from Fernando Botero, numbers from Robert Indiana, characters from Jean-Michel Folon and other pieces scattered around the busiest streets of the City. It is quite amazing to observe the hordes of pedestrians passing by without even noticing what is on display. Shopping seems to be much more interesting...

Opera Gallery

Hidden in a corner of Ngee Ann city (Takashimaya on Orchard) you can find the Opera Gallery. It has branches in Paris, New York, London, Venice, hong Kong, etc... and is very active on the Arts scene. It is quite amazing though to discover some Picasso, Dali, Calder, Miro or Vlaminck in a small gallery like this. If it were Europe, you would have to queue and purchase an expensive ticket to view these artworks, but as it is in Singapore, it is for free and there is hardly anyone visiting the gallery.

Bamboo Poles

One the specificity of Singapore is that accomodation is widely subventioned by the State. It is estimated that 80% to 90% of the Singaporean population is currently living in HDB flats (I also hear that rents go as low as 40 SGD per month for 3-bedroom appartments and some unscrupulous tenants rent them out for 50 times that amount, that's a ridiculous profit!). As a result, suburban style highrise accomodation towers compose the main landscape of the City-State. All the HDB come equipped with pole holders to enable their users to dry their linen. Rows of windows with (originally) bamboo sticks are therefore also part of the Singaporean image.

Holland V(illage)

Holland Village is located near the Buona Vista MRT station in Singapore. I have not checked the exact history and do not know why it is called as such apart from the fact that its landmark is a windmill that you can see somewhere in the distance on the above picture. What came first? The windmill or the name? Anyway, it is a small enclave full of eateries as well as a few interesting shops. I sometimes go there for some cheap (or not so cheap) meals for lunch. It is too much of an expatriate hangout to my liking but it still manages to retain a different spirit that makes the place interesting.

Working at Height

Being in the Oil and Gas industry, I have been accustomed to particularly high standards when it comes to safety. Ironically, most of the works that I have been involved in were taking place in third world countries where the safety standards are non existent. I kind of got used to these paradoxes but it is always a surprise to continue to witness a lack of common sense in certain situations. Today, while visiting a Port in the Riau Islands I came across this building site. I do not think you need any HSE expertise to observe at least 10 points of safety that could be addressed.

Indonesian Transports

If the sea transports between Singapore and Indonesia are usually 'top class' once you change for a domestic connection it is another story entirely. The terminals are busy, dirty, disorganised and grotty. There is surely no yield management. The boats used to ferry passenger around are disused. For example between the Riau Islands you can take the Miko Natalia which supposedy has a fixed schedule but which can be up to an hour or two early or late. Once on board, if you are lucky you will get a smelly seat, if you are a bit less lucky you can get a plastic chair in the corridor and if you are less lucky you will have to stand somewhere in between the cargo or on the deck. Luckily, I took the Natalia from Batam at a reasonable time today and it was not too crowded and only 30 minutes late but I can tell you I had some funny and interesting experiences in the past!

Sunday

It is so enjoyable to have a lazy Sunday from time to time. I have actually kept my past weekends so busy that I had no time to rest as much as I would have loved to. But today started by a late morning in bed, followed by a late breakie. We then went out with a friend to Pulau Ubin to enjoy a very nice bike ride and walk. And came back to have a late lunch at Clarke Quay (picture above) after the clouds had cleared. The afternoon turned out to be quite beautiful with a lovely blue sky that is so rare in this City.

かわいい

The Japanese influence. McDonald's hamburgers are boring and disgusting! But I am quite curious to try the new Wasabi Filet-o-Fish accompanied by its Wasabi Shaker Fries. I have actually just received this ad in my inbox and if I had not just eaten a big late lunch I would probably have already gone out to try this one in my local burger joint...

Japanese Sweets

Not that I am mad about sweets (to the exception of sugar free Fisherman's Friend I hardly eat any) but I often find myself buying some Japanese sweets. Just for the packaging... I like these old fashioned metallic tins and the images printed on them. As a result I find myself with a collection of sweets that are laying there untouched!

Singapore Biennale '08 - Pt. 2

Last Sunday I visited the Biennale at City Hall. Today, being a public holiday, I took time to visit the free set up called the Central Promontory Site. The place itself is very interesting since it is a temporary shelter made out of containers. The addition of columns make it look like a modern Roman temple. Unfortunately, the space is underused and to the exception of a couple of displays I was not particularly overwhelmed by the Artworks proposed (neither in quantity nor in quantity). Nevertheless, it remains a very interesting idea and experience and I am sure in the evening you can also enjoy some nice views over the cityscape...

Bird Nest

Some time ago I reported about the Birds Nest breeding places in Indonesia but I never actually showed how a bird nest looks like. Well, as you can see from the picture above it has nothing to do with the bird nests we are used to in Europe. They actually come from a little bird called the Edible-nest Swiftlet of the swift family which is found in South-east Asia. Its nest is made of solidified saliva and is used to make the famous bird's nest soup.

Traffic Jam

Today I went to explore the Mekong Delta and some of its smallest rivers buzzing with activity! It is quite extraordinary to paddle along these tiny overcrowded streams and difficult to negotiate some its narrow bends due to the heavy Sunday congestion. It was an interesting experience and left me wanting to explore the area deeper.

On my way...

The 'Check In' is done, the immigration card is filled. I am ready to escape Singapore once more. This week-end will take me to the Mekong Delta area at Ho Chi Minh Ville (Saigon). I did not have time to really prepare the trip and I am not quite sure what to expect but it is very good to keep a few surprises. Life would be boring without them...

Public Transports

Is it just me or are the things that I used to appreciate in Singapore are getting bad? Let's take the public transports for example. The authorities announced some months back that the MRTs (Trains) frequencies were increased. Indeed, at peak time I used to have a train every two minutes. But for the past week the frequency is back to 4 minutes or more which creates a chaos as at peak time the trains become so crowded you sometimes have to wait for several to pass through. And what about the feeder buses which are a disaster. Off peak, and if not rushed I continue to enjoy the buses though even if it takes much longer to reach my destination but these are only handy on weekends for me. And what about the cabs? 90% of the drivers do not actually know how to drive, they are not necessarilly pleasant and they always find false excuses to refuse your credit card as they prefer cash. And I am not talking about the masses who prefer to hide in a corner or refuse to stop when hailed at peak time as they much prefer to take an "On Call" course which will add a few $$ to their fare (on top of the peak time surcharge, the ERP surcharge, the CBD surcharge, etc...). Not a pleasant situation.

For the love of bread

It is interesting how whenever I happen to read a French expat blog there is always someone complaining about the local bread and how no other bread can match the French baguette. I admit it is difficult not to resist a cracking golden crust but I am always sad to read how French people can never admit something good can also be produced elsewhere. No Camembert? Try the local cheese, it can bring some unexpected and wonderful new tastes. No white Bourgogne? Why would a Chardonnay from Chili or South Africa be inferior? To make a long story short, it is impossible to find a good French baguette in Singapore - or if you do so it will get all soft after a few minutes due to the high humidity levels - but as the local newspaper was reminding us this weekend there are hundreds of amazing local offerings.

Back to School!

It is funny how things that you usually take for granted can be different in other countries. In France (and in most of Europe) it is the new school year. It has always been logical to me that the new school year should start after the summer holidays. But it is very different in many countries and particularly in the southern hemisphere where the new school year starts, well, after the Christmas summer holidays... logically in January. In Singapore, a country of many cultures, there always seem to be some kids at school. They officially follow the calendar year (starting school sometimes in January) but many - mainly European - schools were having their own start today as well.