Thaipusam!

Now that I have your attention, please click here to learn what the heck these pictures are about! Thaipusam, the Hindu festival of, well, masochism, is held annually at the temple on our street. Though originating in southern India, Thaipusam is now banned there, so the biggest festivals are here and in Kuala Lumpur. And big it was! The pictures say it all.

The Sites of Seoul and Engrish too!

This is my last Korean lovefest. The sites, the scenery, the Engrish! Good times!

Korean Teddy Bear History

When you go to Seoul, one of the most important and entertaining attractions is the Teddy Bear Museum, which teaches you about Korean teddy bear history. Please see the pictures.

Delicious Korean Food

This post is my tribute to Korean cuisine. If you live in a major city, I suggest you go try some immediately! Korean food is unlike other Asian cuisines, and it's spicy, savory, and surprisingly healthy. Some of our favourites include:

1) Banchan: numerous little appetizers that come free with every meal, and tend to include vegetables, pickles and more.

2) Kimchi: spicy pickled cabbage, which is part of every meal, served in numerous ways, and has its own museum in Seoul. This may be an acquired taste for some, but is worth the acquisition. Particularly tasty is Kimchi pancake, called buchingae. Below is a mall foodcourt kimchi stew.

3) Bibimbap: Delicious dish where you mix multiple ingredients with rice, which cooks in a stone dish for fun along with tastiness.

4) Korean BBQ: Cook your own food in the restaurant, which helps men feel manly and food feel tasty.

5) Bulgogi and Yuk Hwae: Cooked and raw marinated beef, respectively. Both delicious.

6) Western food. Korea has their own western food joints, with Koreanized burgers, pastries, street food and fried chicken. Interesting. Tasty.

7) The mysterious world of Korean alcohol includes hot mulled cinnamon drinks, soju, fruit liqueurs and rice concoctions. It is not something I understand well, but something about which I hope to learn more.

Korean Cheese

We now return to regular postings with a preview of several upcoming posts on our fabulous long weekend trip to Seoul, Korea. This is how many laughs $6 and a helpful cheesy-photo store employee can provide! The pictures, decorated by our savvy use of a machine only in Korean, are small, but have actual glitter printed on them.

Pongal Pongali!

This week, the Tamil people celebrated Pongal, the harvest festival. This festival involves crowds, cows, goats, free food, and especially boiling over milk in a jug, and yelling "Pongal Pongali"! (I accidentally wore my milk-spilling shirt, too). Please see more pictures here.

Laura cooks Peranakan

What do fish bladders and fried chicken have in common? They form part of Peranakan food. Peranakans are people of mixed Malaysian and Chinese decent. When the Singaporean Straits Chinese realized that a male-only society was unpleasant, they brought in women from Malaysia, and a new cuisine was born.

Bicontinental Holidays

Above are waterfront panoramas (click to enlarge) of Singapore and Vancouver where, it turns out, the holiday seasons are the same. Here are some examples. Below, natural decorations include holly and Christmas-coloured orchids.Spending time outdoors.Christmas trees in Canada and Singapore. Hanging out with the little people in both places. People are a tad more little in Singapore.

The only notable difference is that we had Chinese hot pot in Vancouver and French cheese fondue in Singapore.

Merry Christmas from Singapore

Freaky Biker Barry and much more normal Laura wish you a wonderful holiday and fabulous New Year 2009!

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Singapore

Tired of the cold? Planning your vacations for 2009? This is a good time to consider visiting Singapore, and here are the top ten reasons why:
10. Fabulous guest quarters, including a balcony off of the bathroom for drip-drying, and luxurious spa treatments.
9. Exploring different religions, all within walking distance of our home.
8. Fabulous views day and night from our 18th story apartment. 7. Exotic local wildlife. 6. Relaxing by our pool by night.
5. Traveling to exotic, yet conveniently nearby locations.
4. Relaxing by our pool by day in the sunshine, under the palm trees. (Including the kids' pool)
3. Fabulous food of all flavours at low prices.

Including the occasional homemade truffle .

2. Eating lovely meals outdoors on a patio.

1. Spend quality time with friends on the other side of the world!

Green Rooves in Singapore

This entry is dedicated to my journalist friend Anu, and her work on green roooves. Though I'm less talented, I still think green rooves are good, so I decided to show you some around here. Singapore is a surprisingly green city, with huge trees and parks. With its rain and humidity, any minor crack or decay in a building can yield vegetation. Even trees. Here are some examples.