Neighbourhood News

What is new in Little India. Well, we have extra Dengue. However, I'm not sure how much, as I have no idea how big my neighbourhood is. Our condo alone has over 2300 people in it...

The local hotel got a new paint job, but kept is less than ideal name.

Bikes continue to grow out of the grass.

And we've learnt a little more about what goes on one block over.

I'll give you a hint. The men wait in line at the backs of the houses, and didn't like the looks of my camera.

And the front of said houses look like this. Which is sad for prime real estate, really.

However, it does provide shelter for cuter beings.

In the same block, there are small temples to purge your sins, and also this fine establishment. (We only know of one murder here in the past 5 years).

It's Singapore clean and tidy.

And men play checkers, a more virtuous pass-time.

All of these discoveries inspired Barry to shop. He got new bike shoes which you form to your feet in the oven. This sounds like a gimmick to me.

He did them too tight and it made him make this face thereafter.  And I mastered the chocolate peanut butter martini.

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Marché des Gourmands

Sometimes it's important to stop and smell the flowers.

Or the artichokes. These ones were the size of small durians.

And even if you don't try, you will smell the cheese. Oooh affiné. (Thank you here to google's strong reluctance to accept my accent égu.)

Anyway, there are a lot of good things to eat in France, and I didn't have the time or space to eat them all.

But I did eat a lot of the above. And I still am.

In France you get too into your food and start taking pictures with it.

Food and Eater photography is not yet an appreciated art.

I brought a few small things home so that Barry could also savour the saveur.

Obviously, Singapore is not so freaked-out about the importation of stinky cheese. The one on the bottom right leaked in my suitcase ever so slightly. There should be a better food word there. Oozed? Seeped? Wept?

Finally, above is the result of my 15 minute discussion with the saucissier. Boar, lean pork, and chorizo.

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Gender Bending and Blending

Not much is new here, but Barry recently went backless to a party.

I went hairy, but my moustache melted later.

In other news, scallops with melty goo made Barry do his focus eating thing.

Then we were inspired by Japanese chili plum wine. Who isn't?

Barry was inspired enough to begin martini making at home. This is the MaliBarrytini.

This is the Barry's Chocolate Orange.

And this one, made with cilantro, is just named Barryuary, after Barry's favourite fictional month.

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Cemetery Past

Why is this bird angry? It has more to do with exhumation than iphones, I think.

Welcome to Bukit Brown cemetery, the first ancient site we've found since 2009.

Bukit Brown was discovered and researched by my tiny parents, shown here.

Some graves are a tad overgrown.

This nature allows for a lot of birds and wildlife not often seen in Singapore.

Many graves were from during the Japanese occupation in WW2. I suspect the grave carving was not actually done during the war, though.

Many graves are being exhumed for the expansion of a road. You can register your relatives' graves somehow, in support of a new resting place for them I think.

In preparation for her new home, this woman has a new pair of earrings, it seems. Intriguing.

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Engrish Matching

Sometimes it can be hard to match your Engrish shirts to the occasion. Here, I show you how. The above shirt is about joy and peace. So it's appropriate to wear during your picnic in the sakura cherry blossoms.

Some Engrish has very specific uses. This gender bender works well for a costume party.

Feeling like you don't fit in?

That is the sentiment expressed in this shirt. Half-bunny head can help you get over it.

Got a headache?

Probably time for a Coffee Addict shirt!

Feeling abandoned?

Let your Engrish encourage you!

Experimenting with fashion?

Have your shirt express this.

The shirt below is obviously very sporty.

Appropriate perhaps for a Japanese baseball game.

Here you can also fit in by having a balloon and releasing it at the right time.

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