23/52 - Road trip to Malacca

Week 23 of 52
Malacca River by night
Malacca, Malaysia

We had a day and half off of work this week for the Indian holiday of Deepavali.  Instead of just hanging out in Singapore my friends and I took a road trip to Malacca, Malaysia.  Alan and I take road trips all time back in the US but I've never done one here in Singapore.

This was us starting out the trip.  We stopped for some lunch before heading out so that is why Sonya is about to take a giant bite of her sandwich.

Since they drive on the opposite side of the road here I was out voted for being able to drive so got stuck sitting in the backseat.  Oh well...at least I got out of Singers!  To get to Malaysia you have to go through an immigration and customs checkpoint in Singapore and then again in Malaysia to enter the country.  I even got a stamp in my passport!

The is us on the bridge between the Singapore and Malaysia checkpoints.

Once you get into Malaysia it is only about a 2-2.5 hour drive to get to Malacca.  It took us about 3 hours due to some pretty bad storms and a couple of accidents.

This is us stuck sitting in traffic due to one of the accidents.

It may seem a bit odd but it was so nice to see lots and lots of green.  Living in Singapore you get used to being in a metropolitan area.  There are buildings and concrete everywhere.  While I make an effort to get out and enjoy the fabulous park system here it isn't the same as seeing green all around you.

Boring photo of the side of the highway in Malaysia.

Malacca itself is a great little city.  It is much bigger than I expected but could be best described as being quaint.  It has an interesting mix of being a typical Asian city but with a very noticeable Portuguese presence. 

The streets are all very narrow and the majority of the buildings are row houses like those above.  Some of them are split in the middle so there are separate things if you enter from the front versus the back.  Some have maintained the original structure and they are very long.

Along the river was a great area with tons of restaurants.  We stopped at one that served typical Nonya style food.  It is local to the area and is a mix of Chinese, Indian, and Malay food.  Is pretty spicy but oh so tasty.

We had a great dinner and evening on the river.  I would highly recommend eating the local food and enjoying the view.  Wednesday morning we wandered around the town a bit.  There are a lot of great old churches to see.  One of the most photographed is this one...

It was a lot of fun to get in the car and take a trip versus having to go through the ordeal of dealing with an airport.  I would certainly go back to Malacca and do some more exploring.

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22/52 - Phuket

Week 22 of 52
Sunset over the Andaman Sea
Phuket, Thailand

I took a weekend trip to Phuket, Thailand with a couple of friends.  Just about everybody living in Singapore takes a trip to Phuket at some point.  I hadn't been and wanted to see what all of the hype was about so booked the flights and hotel.  When I originally planned the trip I figured I'd get out and see a bit of Phuket...instead...I ended up lounging by the pool and ocean by day and then watching this beautiful sunset at night.  It was the perfect way to get away from what has been a crazy period at work lately.

So...I cannot tell you what Phuket is like at all but I can tell you how awesome it is to lounge around all day and not think about work.

Here's a shot prior to the pretty sunset...

And one from earlier in the day when we took a little stroll down the beach...

Yep...it was a tough, tough weekend...

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21/52 - Knock out

Week 21 of 52
The end of a stressful Monday
Singapore

I have had one of those Mondays where I should have just stayed in bed.  Nothing terribly earth shattering or truly horrible but just an annoying and stressful day to start the week and coming off of a rather stressful weekend.  In the grand scheme of things it is no big deal...but annoying nonetheless. 

I had a personal training appointment tonight and was supposed to go for a run.  It is nice and breezy out and rather cool by Singers standards so was looking forward to it.  At the last minute my trainer texted me and told me to bring my gloves...change of plans...we'd be boxing!  Wahoo!

Working out is actually a good release for me to let go of the stress and ick of the day.  Boxing...is a seriously awesome way to make me laugh and smile.  Come on...punching things...kicking things...so, so great and such a stress reliever.

Muay Thai boxing is very popular in Asia.  As you can tell by the name it originated in Thailand and is a huge sport there.  I've never actually been to a live Muay Thai match but will try and go if I get back to Bangkok.  It is a form of boxing where you throw normal punches...jabs, straights, uppers...don't I sound like a boxer...but you also knee, elbow, and kick.  It is an all-out workout that wears you out in no time at all.  I don't actually fight anybody but instead just spar with my trainer based on him calling out the different punches and kicks that I should do.  We've been boxing off and on for the past two years.  Although, we haven't actually boxed since July so this was a timely change of plans.

In case you were wondering, those gloves are my personal gloves.  I wandered through some dodgy alleys in Bangkok near one of the big Muay Thai arenas in order to find them.  I didn't intend for them to be so fancy but the only ones they had in my size were these...

I'm not sure how well you can see it but there is a dragon on the end of each glove.  At first I wasn't a big fan but now I sort of like the fact that if I ever were to really box somebody the last thing they'd see before I punched them was a dragon...insert evil laugh here...

So, I should have had a 52 weeks post over the weekend...I never said it would be 52 consecutive weeks...or if I did...tough, I changed the rules...
And I probably should have gotten out and about to explore someplace in Singers but it didn't happen...
Feel free to argue with me...I'm in a fighting mood!
Actually not really...just thought I should sound a bit tough since my post was about boxing.  I sincerely hope your Mondays in the US are much better than mine was here.

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Fun with food - Bau

What, you ask, is bau?

Still don't have any idea after looking at the picture?

They are buns filled with yummy goodness.  Officially, they are steamed buns made of wheat flour and filled with various meats or vegetable pastes.  They are a great size for a quick snack and super easy to eat while on the go. 

The bun itself is pretty light and sort of squishy.  If I had to compare it to something it probably has the consistency of a sponge cake.  They are a bit sponge-like...hence the comparison in the last sentence...to the touch and bounce back to their normal shape...think angel food cake.

Most of them fit in the palm of your hand...

The picture above is a normal teaspoon to give you an idea of the size.

You are probably wondering what the pink dots are on the one on the left.  As I mentioned, there are a number of varieties and the colored dots on the top are what let you know what is in the filling.  I got a barbecue chicken one (pink dots) and one with a sweet black bean paste.

So, how do they taste?

I actually really like them.  The bun part of them is a pretty bland taste and the real flavor comes from whatever the filling is inside them.  I also like that you can get both savory and sweet versions.  The barbecue chicken is just exactly what it implies...although is probably a bit sweeter than what you find in the US.  The sweet black bean paste probably sounds horrible but I really enjoy it.  It doesn't taste anything like beans to me and is truly sweet.  You get a little bit of the consistency of the beans but otherwise you wouldn't know. 

You can get bau at most hawker stalls, at grocery stores, and even at the 7/11.  The 7/11 ones aren't the best but like any convenience store food they do in a pinch...and actually are far better than roller dogs from the convenience stores in the US...probably a little healthier too.

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20/52 - SAM

Week 20 of 52
Singapore Art Museum
Singapore

Friday evening I went to the Singapore Art Museum (SAM).  I had a teleconference until the early evening and then didn't have any plans so thought I would take advantage of the free admission on Friday evenings.  It is a place that I have walked past many times but have actually never ventured inside. 

The museum is housed in a former Catholic school and the building is really interesting.  

They have done a good job of utilizing the space inside.  However, I was a little less impressed with the contents of the museum.  I'm not sure if it was because it was Friday evening or just poor timing on my part but quite a few of the galleries were closed indicating that the exhibitions were under construction.  I walked all throughout the museum and was unable to locate a gallery with any sort of permanent collection.  It was a bit disappointing.

I did see two of the current exhibits by Asian artists.   

The artist in the pictures above is Liu Kang who was one of the most influential artists in Singapore.  He occupied three different gallery halls and his paintings and sketches were colorful and and were the types of pictures that if you stood back from them you saw the beauty of them but when you got up close you could see all sorts of detail that wasn't noticeable before.  He also used a lot of Indonesian influence in his painting which I liked having just been to Bali.

One of the interesting things about the exhibit was the notice/warning upon entering the gallery that there was nudity.  I am fine with there being a 'notice' but I guess in my head there is always a possibility of nudity in art museums.  Just something a little different about Singapore...

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19/52 - Think Pink!

Week 19 of 52
'Treasure the Breast Things in Life'
Pink Ribbon Walk for Breast Cancer
Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade
Singapore

October is breast cancer awareness month both in the US and here in Singapore.  Last night, my friend Kathy and I went to cheer on the participants of the Pink Ribbon Walk for Breast Cancer here in Singapore.  I normally would participate in these things but I didn't get registered in time and for some reason they don't have same day registration here.  So, we just went down to see what was going on and support a cause near and dear to me.

If you know me, you'll know that I am not one to wear pink.  Okay...I'm not one to wear much besides black but did pull out my one and only pink skirt for the event.  And I had to laugh a little when I ended up on an MRT car that also had pink seats...

This event reminded me a bit of the Race for the Cure back in the States, however, this was not a competitive event.  Instead, it was just a walk with an entrance fee where all of the proceeds went to the Singapore Breast Cancer Foundation.  Most of the people that were participating in the walk wore the shirts that were given to them with the entrance fee...but there were a few fun outfits...

 

The couple in the photo above were a riot.  Dave and Roothie were standing near us for a bit and we ended up having a nice chat with them.  In addition to being asked to have their photo taken by lots of people...Dave would sneak in the back of pictures (he is quite tall) that others were taken.  Most people would laugh when they looked at the picture on the camera but one little lady just wasn't sure...it was great!

Even Kathy and I had a little fun with our attire...

It was also nice to see all of the different cultures come together to support such a great cause...

They even had one of the local dragon boat clubs 'paddle for the cure' and they made their entrance just before the walk began...

At the start of the race, they released quite a few white and pink balloons over the Marina Bay area...it was pretty...

After the walk, we had a nice dinner on the opposite side of Marina Bay and were able to see the light show that occurs every night...

If there are any local events where you are that support breast cancer research I would encourage you to attend.  Regardless of if there are any events, be sure that you and your loved ones are performing regular self-exams and contact a doctor immediately if anything seems out of the ordinary.  Early detection truly saves lives!

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18/52 - Bali Birthday

Week 18 of 52
Ku De Ta
Bali, Indonesia

A couple of months back, my friends highjacked my passport and booked a flight to Bali for my birthday weekend.  It was a great surprise and is a fun place to spend a weekend so there were no complaints from me.

We flew from Singapore on Friday night... 

I had a bit of a headache so just relaxed at the villa while Jen and Sonya went out for a bite to eat and some drinks.  We stayed at a different villa than the past two times I've been to Bali.  It was just as nice but just in a different part of Seminyak.  If you ever travel to Bali you really should rent a villa instead of staying in a normal hotel.  They are unlike anyplace that you will stay in the rest of the world.  Here are some night shots of ours...

View from my room.

Outdoor living room

Inside my room

Saturday was my actual birthday so after a nice sleep-in we headed out for breakfast and did a little shopping.  Jen had to attend her cousins wedding later in the day so she went off to see her family and Sonya and I went out for my birthday celebration.

We went to Ku De Ta, which happened to be just a short walk from our villa.  I guess you would call it a restaurant but they have lounge chairs and you can lay around or sit and have cocktails and food and read and relax in the sun with the ocean just in front of you.  We had a nice late afternoon meal and some good wine and cocktails. 

We sat and chatted and laughed and when we started to think about leaving we realized that the sun was setting so decided to stick around to see it.  This is us before the sunset...

And here is the view from our table...

And the sunset...

These short weekend trips to places like Bali have become the norm for me.  I was chatting with someone from the US before last weekend and said I was 'just heading to Bali for the weekend' and they laughed at my saying 'just heading' like it wasn't a big deal.  I really need to soak all of this in before I come back to the US because it really is so different than home.

I wonder where I'll be spending my birthday next year...

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