Ordering your Kopi

In our house these days, if you call out for Kopi-O you'll get this:

Because that's our new kitten's name. But what does it usually mean in Singapore? It means black coffee with sugar. There are is a complex language of ordering drinks in Singapore which is best explained in this little gem of local culture:

Story of a Singapore rescue kitten

On March 1st someone left this tiny kitten in a plastic shopping bag at a market in Singapore. Luckily he was found quickly and a fosterer brought him home for a night. Lynn at the Cat Welfare Society texted me his picture and asked if I could take him.




I took a taxi to the far end of the island and found a small pet shop in a very old HDB. The owners led me into a back room where a ragtag crew of local alley cats greeted me. The fosterer of the kitten I'd come to see eventually showed up and placed this tiny little fluff ball in my hands. He was skinny, filthy, covered in fleas so naturally I loved him at first sight and took him home. He's now in his forever home with us.

The Cat Welfare Society
www.catwelfare.org/

Bali in Monsoon

We took a short weekend trip to Bali at Chinese New Years with our friends from Victoria who are traveling around SE Asia on their honeymoon. It was my third trip in this past year (and Joel's second) but we were just as excited to go as ever. Heading back to Ubud during monsoon season was interesting. It was less crowded than the July and September trips I'd done. It was also a little hotter at night and there were quite a few mosquitoes likely due to all the puddles of water left after the rain showers. Some things were easier, like finding a place to stay or walking down the mains streets unimpeded by tour groups. There were also a few challenges which were rain related.

We flew on one of the KLM direct flights from Singapore which is what I generally do. It's actually cheaper than Air Asia and you don't have to deal with the gong show of the discount terminal at Changi. So that's my first travel tip.

We booked Saren Indah for the weekend but the first night they were full so I went onto Agoda to look for something nice for a one night deal. On a whim I booked a brand new four star guest house/hotel which hadn't even been added to trip adviser yet. It was a gamble but we were rewarded because this was actually a very beautiful brand new place done in the traditional Balinese style that had only been open for a month. They had built large guest suites with gorgeous carved furniture and nicely appointed bathrooms and the hospitality was impeccable. The temple gardens had just been painted with gold leaf and their pool over-looking the ravine was quiet and pristine. Heaven! The place is called Pondok Pundi Village Inn. I think once they finish building their reception and restaurant building at the street it will be much more expensive then the $75 USD a night we paid.

 

Eating across Paris

Paris is one of those places where you want to be able to say "I had the best meal of my life" but sometimes with all the tourist traps it's hard to really find a truly great meal. It's harder still to find a truly great meal that's not going to break the bank.

Before we left for Paris my good friend and fabulous Parisian, Noras, sat down with me one afternoon and shared her hidden gems of the city with me. I made several google maps that can be easily printed out for your next trek to the land of caloric bliss.

New Years in London

_MG_6493, a photo by coach_stacey on Flickr.

After a week in Paris we took the Eurostar (the chunnel) to London where we had one last night with Joel's parents. After that we had a great visit with all my second cousins (my mother's first cousins and their kids). The weather allowed us to walk the heath and take in some views of the city we'd never seen before.  Cheers to all of you who came out to see us! We wish we were in the UK more often to visit. 


We spent New Years with our long time friends Ben and Jess in the Camden Town area where we visited markets and laid out a spread of food and had an evening of great conversation and fun with their circle of expat friends. We trekked up to a park just before midnight to see the fireworks downtown. You can't get more jovial than the Brits when it comes to any holiday or Sporting event (or really any occasion with alcohol involved). 

The trip to the UK was far too short to really fit in more than that. I know we'll be back before long. London is one of those places in the world where we feel very at home and this being my fourth trip through I was very aware that I need to spend more time here.

The Eiffel Tower

 

On our first trip to Paris on our honeymoon over four years ago we eyed the long line ups for the Eiffel tower. It was tempting to queue with the masses but instead we satisfied ourselves with strolling around the base like most visitors do.

Joel's parents bought special tickets to have a small group tour on this trip which allowed us to jump the queues and enjoy the tower with almost no waiting at all. We went this morning and were rewarded with a clear beautiful day for the experience. I thought I'd chicken out at the second level but I made it all the way to the top. The views were incredible and above all the feeling of being in this iconic place is hard to describe. So many history lectures came to life in my imagination. I really had no idea I would be this swept away by a monument but there you go. That's the beauty of travel.

Tomorrow is our last full day before we leave for London. It's one we have chosen to fill with domestic tasks... Stocking up on toiletries and buying hardware. You'd think we lived on an island or something.

Christmas in Paris: the 24th

We expected the 24th to be a day of shops closed for the season and shelves bare of breads and pastries. We started the day with a walk down to a bakery we found that has the most marvellous crossants. They were very busy and there were certainly many special orders lined up but we were surprised at the surplus of bread they had for the day. As we walked the city the rest of the afternoon we saw an over abundance of food at bakeries everywhere and hardly anyone out shopping. Shops were staying open late but it was clear that there was going to be a lot of food to waste this year. We mused that the financial climate in France right now may have taken a toll on consumer spending. Floral shops were packed to the gills with arrangements that looked as if they had over-ordered many times what they needed and the christmas tree vendor still had almost full stock of trees left by 3pm on Christmas eve...

We spent the early evening taking a river boat down the Seine on a special champagne tasting cruise. It was truly the most gloriously touristy thing, we began under the Eifel tower and cruised past Notre Dame and the Louvre while our guide walked around with bottles of bubbly answering our questions about champagne production.

After the boat tour we cabbed back to our apartment and began heating all the part of our Christmas dinner. It was a great feast and a very memorable Christmas.

Christmas in Paris: the preparations

We spent our second day, Dec 23rd, out walking the streets of the city trying to gather all the ingredients for our Christmas dinner on the 24th. Not all things made it to the 24th... here are some of the places we went and things we consumed.

First there were Macarons from the Laudree patisserie. We had all the most unusual flavours we could find. I really liked the gingerbread flavour.

Quatrehomme is a magnificent cheese shop. We filled a bag with an impressive spread of cheese for our feast. Not sure what its official name is but we especially enjoyed a truffle cheese which the shop makes just for the season.

Rue Cler, the famous gastro corridor was our stop for lunch but it was also where we found street vendors selling roast potatoes, roast chickens and all the sides. We picked up a quiche here for me and I fought off the cold with a hot chocolate thick enough to pass for fondue.

We couldn't have a proper Parisian Christmas feast without a visit to Lenotre... Our purchases here included a pyramid made of dinner rolls in every variety they make and a Buchedenoel which you can see in all its glory below.

Landing in Paris

Paris, a set on Flickr.

We landed in Paris yesterday at 6am and are now staying at an apartment Joel's parents are renting. This places is like a movie set, frecos painted in the hallways, Victorian furniture, chandeilers over the beds, windows opening out onto views of historic buildings.

We spent our first day out walking and shooting a few pictures on the iphone. I have started an album on flickr which we'll keep adding to as the week progresses.

A year in the rearview mirror

It's December in Singapore. Something I know only because my iphone tells me so. It's 33 degrees Celsius outside and all the greenery is extra bright due to the intermittent rains of the monsoon season. I thought it might be a good time to reflect on the past year and maybe bring family and friends up to date on the highlights (and low points) of the year.