The Ultimate Passport

One of the coolest perks of playing Ultimate is being able to meet cool people wherever I travel.  Every other week or so Megan and I have played pickup Ultimate at the beach and in the city proper.  The playing has been fun and afterwards we’ll grab food or drinks and just hang out.  It’s been a great way to meet new people who are considerate, humorous, easy-going and intelligent.  There’s something wonderful about the ultimate community that attracts such good people (maybe it’s the whole spirit thing?).   It’s been a blast meeting you John, Wolf, LT, Keegs, Siwei, Nico, Hui Fang and others.  Catch you later on an Ultimate field somewhere around the globe.

Hanoi - A beautiful synthesis of past and future

While Megan and I really enjoyed Ho Chi Minh City, all the travelers we spoke to emphasized that Hanoi was much better.  Hanoi is a beautiful and grand old city (a few years past a 1000 years old).  Hanoi still has many of the cultural elements from its history and combines that with the hustle and bustle of a modern dynamic city.  It is a beautiful synthesis of past and future that creates an amazing present experience for tourists and residents alike.

Hostel

While in Hanoi we stayed near Hoan Kiem Lake near the old city center.  It was a great base of operations from which to investigate the city.  Hanoi's streets were quite narrow with plenty of sidewalks so it is an extremely walkable city (if you can cross the street through traffic).  We spent hours on foot exploring the parks, shops, alleys, cafes and street vendors.  We chose Central Backpackers as our hostel in order to experience dorm living for our first time in SE Asia.  Unfortunately we don't have crazy stories about violent cocaine addicts, inappropriate public sex acts, or dramatic cheating scenarios (things I ran into during my backpacker times in Australia).  We did however meet a number of interesting folks from the US, England, Germany and Dubai.

By Hoan Kiam Lake - gorgeous setting in the city center

I'm excited to be by one of the few still existing Lenin statues
#nerdy

Fun Nights

The hostel had a free beer happy hour which helped facilitate the meeting of the cool people.  The most interesting character was a middle aged blue color guy from the US who was amazingly well traveled and spoken for his socioeconomic status.  After the free beer ran dry, Megan, myself, and our new friends decided to try authentic Vietnamese snake wine.  This particular jug of wine had seven snakes and multiple spiders in it.  The taste was surprisingly likeable, better than house whiskey or vodka.  The hangover however did leave a bit to be desired.

The bar nightlife scene in Hanoi is amusing.  There are many regulations on the bars and nightclubs but there's a wink-wink nod-nod culture and lots of blind eye turning by the police.  For example, we had to clear out of a bar multiple times when the police came by but then we resumed our merry festivities as normal after they passed.  We capped off our most exciting night by going to one of the underground clubs.  The part of town was so quiet, I had Megan hold the cab until I could verify the place actually had a nightclub.  Inside it was a rager of a party and we enjoyed letting loose with our new friends.

Our Jug of snake wine

The Sights

One of the most interesting sights we visited was the Temple of Literature which is Vietnam's oldest University.  At the front gate is an amusing sign commanding each visitor to dismount their horse before entering.  The temples inside were ornate and the grounds were immaculately landscaped.  Across that street was a quiet oasis-like park juxtaposed to the busy neighborhood and packed apartments.  Here Megan and I stumbled upon an illicit cock fighting ring.  Quite shocking seeing the poor animals wickedly hurt each other.  Another interesting sight was the Hanoi Hilton.  Famous for having hosted John McCain and other American POWs.  The Vietnamese propoganda about prisoner conditions is quite humorous.  It wouldn't fool many people except maybe for Jane Fonda. The one attraction we were able to see was the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.  Uncle Ho, the still revered leader of Vietnam's independence, was in Russia for repair.  The respect they pay him to this stay is impressive.

Entrance to the Temple of Literature - hold your horses

John McCain's flight suit

Water Puppets!!

Another cool cultural experience was seeing a performance of traditional Vietnamese Water Puppetry.  This artform originates from the rice paddy fields in Vietnam's villages.  The music, puppets and lights display were entertaining: sometimes informative, sometimes funny and sometimes confusing.  It is definitely worth checking out.  We even had a blooper moment where one of the hosts forgot her lines, had to excuse herself and came back later with a printed script and red face.  The other hosts had to stifle their laughter.  The video doesn't quite do it justice so check out youtube.

The puppets

Street Food that Rocks

And lastly we really enjoyed the food.  We raved about the food in Ho Chi Minh City and again Vietnam delivered awesome food for cheap.  The pho was fragrant and flavorful.  Amazingly the ingredients (including the meat) were high quality given the bargain prices.  The bun cha was amazing with the really tasty Vietnamese fish sauce.  And the spring rolls were excellent.  We ate the majority of our meals on short stools  on the sidewalks.  Nothing fussy or pretentious, just really good food.

Bun Cha - my new favorite Vietnamese food

Enjoying some relaxation in the gorgeous cafes by the streets

Conclusion:

• Hanoi has a great blend of authentic and dynamic
• It's a city that is friendly for on-foot exploration
• There weren't any killer sights to see (maybe Halong Bay)
• The nightlife was fun and the food tasty
• Go visit Hanoi!

Leisure Time at Halong Bay

Located near Northern Vietnam in the South China Sea is a beautiful bay featuring thousands of limestone islands.  The most famous part of this bay is known as Halong Bay. It’s unique geography and pristine setting make it a UNESCO world heritage site.  During our trip back to Vietnam, Megan and I explored Halong Bay and neighboring Cat Ba Island via a cruise with Vega Travel.

Enjoying the scenery on one of our more relaxing vacations.

 Boat Life

We arrived at Halong Bay after a treacherous 4 hour bus ride from Hanoi on 1-lane roads with many narrow accident misses.  Our tour guide and boat team helped us navigate the hectic bay and make the way to our Junk Boat.  One of the cool things about Halong Bay is the number of interesting boats.  There are plenty of authentic Junk Boats operated by tour operators that give the bay an authentic Vietnamese feel.  Each boat has lodging available for guests and staff, as well as a kitchen, a dining room, and a sun bathing deck.  Families and crew live onboard.  They work to make each guest's experience relaxing.  It was a like a mini-cruise ship experience.  Throughout our trip we had excellent views of the numerous limestone islands.  Megan and I enjoyed hanging out with the little kids living on board.  There was a cute 2 year old girl who enjoyed playing with our food and a 5 year old little boy who loved playing soccer with us.       

Panorama of the bay from our boat.

Good friends and food

We also met some interesting travelers from all over the world.  There were couples from Germany, France, Ireland and two other couples from the US.  Although it sounds like a "couples retreat" it wasn't all that bad.  People shared war stories from their travels and tips on what to do and see in the region.  We enjoyed drinking and getting to know the Irish folks Alex and Sarah.  The family from the US was great, they taught us a bunch about Vietnamese food and were real fun to spend time with.  Throughout the cruise we were feed really well.  The food quality was solid and the variety of Asian cuisines was nice.  Some of the highlights were: grilled fish, fried shrimp balls, and spring rolls.  It was impressive how excellent the meals were despite the limitations of a small kitchen and boat supplies.   We also enjoyed attentive and inventive bar service.

Adventures on the Bay

Exploring a cave in Halong Bay.

While on the bay we were able to explore the beautiful sights up close.  We had opportunities to kayak at dusk and dawn.  At dusk we entered a peaceful cove that was inhabited by adventurous monkeys.  We got up close and personal with them as they climbed down the jagged limestone cliffs to check us out.  The setting was movie-like in its serene lush aesthetics.  We also were able to kayak around the floating villages of fish and oyster farms.  It was fascinating to the see the juxtaposition of the gritty shanties next to the beautiful abundance of the bay.  While life may be beautiful for the locals it was certainly not easy.

Many of the limestone islands also had interesting caves.  We toured the largest one and were treated to fascinating sights of geological formations.  Our tour guide was hilariously inventive with the animal shapes he saw in the rocks.  Some of his greatest finds were: a lucky turtle, a dragon, a shark, and kissing chickens.  We hiked to the top of one of the islands to get a great panorama of the Bay. 

Boats in the Bay in the early morning

The gritty boating villages in the Bay.

Cat Ba Island Fever

On the last full day of our trip we visited Cat Ba island which neighbors Halong Bay.  There we biked through the country side and saw farms, jungles, mountains and villages all on the same island.  The highlight for me was channeling my inner Tarzan as I climbed a mountain side using a few footholds and ginormous tree roots.  We spent the night in Cat Ba city which isn't much to blog about.  The rainy weather (really the only bad weather we've had in all our weekend trips) was a bit of a downer but even without it there seemed to be little to do and see during non-peak season. 

Climbing the caves in Cat Ba's jungles, using only
tree branches and rocky make-shift footholds.

On the beach taking a break from kayaking.

Conclusion

Seeing Halong Bay was great.  There was a bit of adventure but the main benefits were good service and seeing one of the most beautiful and unique places in the world.  It is definitely worth the trip.   

So what's Singapore like Part 2

This is another post on interesting things in Singapore.  In the last Singapore post, I covered the mystery of Singaporean restaurants specializing in Toast.  After trying the toast for the first time I give it a verdict of pretty good but nothing worthy of staring a restaurant trend.  

Kaya Toast - it's a big deal here

I mentioned before how Singapore is extremely well run and clean.  The transit system (MRT) exemplifies this.   I've never been to a city with a cleaner, more efficient transit system.  Eating and Drinking is not allowed on the trains, punishable by steep fines.  The train information is completely digital so it’s convenient to see when the next train is coming.  And they come about every 2-4 minutes.  The trains themselves are not overly crowded and even when they are, people are amazingly civil.  And the MRT network itself is excellent.  Since my last time in Singapore three years ago, they’ve added another entire line that circles the city.  This is something that Chicago needs desperately.  The swipe on/off infrastructure is effective and smart.  The trains have to be the safest in the world too.  Signs are posted warning about even the least dangerous things (watching the inch-wide platform gap, old people using escalators, people breaking through the glass and getting electrocuted {physically impossible}).  The Singapore transit system is world class.  And as a kicker, every MRT stop has a shopping mall; which leads into my other interesting Singapore idosyncracy.

The hyper efficient Singapore MRT network

Super clean and uneventful

Singapore loves shopping.  So much so, that some call it the country’s national pastime.  Retail is everywhere selling junk, designer goods and luxury items.  I work on a block that has three malls with practically all the same stores.  And Singaporean women love their fashion.  Every woman, including lowly assistants and poor students, has to have a designer handbag that costs thousands of dollars.  It’s insanity.  I’m predicting a Singapore retail bubble.  Singapore has the most high-end retail square footage in Asia.  Eventually the masses will grow tired of their conspicuous consumption and then the thousands of empty square footage could be used for something useful.  Like maybe more restaurants selling Toast!

Consequences to Fantasy Football Ineptitude

This past week I had to take a rather disgusting shot of vodka, milk and chase it with brat/beer water.  No this is not an weird Asian custom.  Rather it's a byproduct of the company I keep.

In 2011 we instituted a rule in our fantasy football league that each week the worst performing manager would have to take a shot of the choosing by the best performing manager.  Why?  Because we love schadenfreude.  Given our group of friends things have escalated.  Shots of cinnamon that have lead to puking and shots including borderline inedible stuff (grass and dirt) have been taken.  

I had dodged the bullet for 20+ weeks but this past week my team was, in the words of Charles Barkley, "turrible".  I finished with a third of the points that the winning manager, Danny.  This is about three standard deviations of suckitude.  Danny gave me a penalty that was relatively mild by our league's standards, but nonetheless unpleasant.  Enjoy for your viewing pleasure, the recipe is at the bottom.

"Your shot, inspired by the great state of WI:
1) Cook yourself up a Johnsonville brat (or the closest thing you can find), in water and 1 pint of your favorite brew. Eat the brat, and enjoy. Save the juice.
2) 1 shot of Fleishman's Vodka (wisconsin's best) mixed with 1-2 shots of ice cold milk
3) Chase with 8 oz of brat/beer water. And enjoy."

At least it's not as gross as fertilized baby duck eggs. Other interesting shots:

• Fish sauce, Andre & Miller High Life (given by me to my buddy Ryan) 
• Bailey's and Lime Juice 
• A man shot

Cool Travel Tools

Megan and I have used two cool tools for booking travel that we want to share with everyone.  The first is Flocations.  It’s a search engine that has you input a starting point, dates, and flight costs and returns a map of destinations with flights that meet your criteria.  This tool is absolutely perfect for comparing multiple travel options for a particular weekend.   We choose our flights to Kuching and Penang using this tool.  

Flocations results for round trip flights from Singapore for $260 or less

Flocations is Southeast Asia specific but don’t fret because Kayak has an unknown feature that’s similar and available globally.  The Kayak feature I’m talking about is Explore.  It’s hidden away but you can get to it by clicking on More in the top tool bar and then Explore in the Find Travel options at the bottom of the next page.  Alternatively, here's the link.  Like Flocations, Kayak will let return different flight options that meet your budget from a particular destination.  Kayak doesn’t quite have as much date input specificity as Flocations, but it’s still a great tool for researching trip options.

Kayak Explore shows there are plenty of flight options from Chicago to some place warm this winter

Knowledge is power, so go forth and travel to some place cool in the next couple months.  All we ask is a simple thanks on a postcard J.

Into the Jungles of Borneo

Megan and I ventured into the wild lands of Borneo during the Hari Raya Haji long holiday.  Borneo was unlike any place we had visited in Southeast Asia.  Borneo’s natural wildlife and indigenous cultures are quite unique.   For our trip, we based operations out of Kuching, the capital of the province of Sarawak.*

The exotic wildlife

Borneo’s wilderness is exotic and fascinating.  The island’s separation from mainland Asia has allowed wildlife to evolve in unique closed environments.  Consequently many animals found in Borneo are found nowhere else in the world.  A great example is the Probiscus Monkey.  The Probiscus Monkey has to be one of the uglier members of the primate family.  They have a strange fat body, bizarre coloring and a weird nose which makes them seem almost alien like.  They live in small groups high up in the trees where they feast on fruits and leaves.  We encountered a number of these creatures up close while staying at Bako National Park.

The unfortunate looking Probiscus Monkey

Bako National Park is a protected reserve on a peninsula in Sarawak.  We stayed there for two days and one night in order to see lots of exciting wildlife.  The lodging at Bako is quite humble and gets ripped on at Trip Advisor “Far and away, this is the absolute worst accommodations we have had anywhere. We have been to 64 countries, traveled backpacker style. We are not all that fussy, but these accommodations were disgusting.” and "Before I'm misunderstood I spent a week living in a jungle before coming here and am not unused to insects, cheeky monkeys or "roughing it" but honestly you're better to tent it than to stay here.", but the nature elements more than compensated.

The humble accommodation - not great but not the
apocalypse of crap that the reviews warned of.

The Park is home to 7 different ecosystems, 3 primate species, lizards, reptiles and 150 different species of birds.   We hiked for 7-9 miles each day through jungles, mountains, and grasslands to deserted beaches.  Along the way we spotted numerous monkeys, bearded boars, carnivorous plants, and much more.  The smells and strange sounds of the jungle were intoxicating.   At one point one of the macque monkeys made a kamikaze style run at Megan to grab her ice cream.  You gotta watch out when you are in Borneo!

Megan crossing the waterfall on a treacherous bridge.

An example of the rough terrain we hiked through

Looking out across the South China Sea.  At the end of the
land mass you can see the landmark Sea Stacks.

At night the rangers lead tour guides back into the jungles to see the wildlife in their nocturnal state.  We came across a Wagler's Pit Viper, the 3^rd most poisonous snake in Borneo.  We saw frogs whose croaks could be heard for miles away.  We saw a beautifully colored Kingfisher bird sleeping the night away.  We also ran into bats, tarantulas, spiders and florescent mushrooms.   The tour provided tons of night time thrills.  As a bonus we had two amateur photographers competing for the honor of being “that guy”.  They both took about 10 pictures and 7 minutes for every animal we saw, no matter how insubstantial the creature.  Megan’s patience was worn to the point where she referred to one of them as Mr. DSLR.  A note to Mr. DSLR if you ever read this blog: ‘We get it dude, you have a nice camera.  In the future can you please take just one picture and stop blinding the animals with your obnoxious flash?’

After Bako we took another trip to Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Center to see Orangutans in their natural habitat.  Despite the inclimate weather (our first time with bad luck in any of our trips), we were still able to see 3 Orangutans feeding.  These animals were amazingly graceful, coordinated and human-like.   The way they shook the trees as they floated from branch to branch was impressive.  Orangutans live solitary lives and are endangered, so it was truly an incredible experience being able to see them in the wild.  Megan and I made sure to leave a good impression in case Planet of the Apes ever becomes real. 

Orangutans in Borneo

The Culture of Borneo

Like many of the countries in Southeast Asia, Borneo is a melting pot of diverse ethnicities and religious beliefs.   What’s different is that Borneo has a fascinating indigenous population.  The Dayak are tribal people who dominated the island until colonization in the 1800’s.  They previously lived in the jungle areas of the land and had extremely different beliefs than the cultures of mainland Southeast Asia.  For example, the Iban people practiced head hunting which was the decapitation and then proud display of enemy human heads.  The people were also impressively interested in body art.  Many of the males had intricate tattoos in painful places.  The tattoos and body modifications are still observed by their modern descendants.  Megan and I learned much about the indigenous cultures during a stop at the Sarawak Museum.

Megan underneath human heads in a replica Iban longhouse.

The City of Kuching

The City of Kuching kept us busy for a couple days.  Right near the Sarawak Museum were other nicely curated museums on Art, History, Islam and more.  They provided hours of intellectual stimulation, especially the exhibit on different funeral and death customs.  Kuching also offers a nice riverwalk, a variety of souvenir shops and pretty good restaurants.   In terms of local food, the Sarawak Laksa was most excellent.  It was sweet and a bit spicy, not sour like Penang Laksa.

Kuching’s only disappointment was it’s dead nightlife scene.  Megan and I twice explored the city at night and all we found were a few empty bars.  The best place to relax and grab a drink was our Hostel Bar which was themed after an Iban Longhouse.  For a couple nights we enjoyed a few drinks and good company there.

Conclusions:

Borneo was an adventure.  The crazy wildlife, the exotic cultures and the interesting city of Kuching provided great experiences.  Kuching is a great base of operations for travelers interested in exploring the natural and cultural elements of Malaysian Borneo.   Travelers shouldn’t expect a rapidly growing cosmopolitan city like Ho Chi Minh City or somewhere in Bali.  Nevertheless it works as a solid base.   

Relaxation at Rawa

Megan and I recently traveled to Rawa for the weekend with our friend Jesse McGannon.  We had been contemplating a Rawa trip but to officially book it, it finally took a friend coming to town.  Rawa is a pretty undeveloped island in the South China Sea off the eastern coast of peninsular Malaysia.  The island is quite unknown due to this lack of development.  For the weekend it was a perfect spot to relax.

Rawa the beautiful

Getting to Rawa requires a 3 hour cab ride to Mersing and a 30 minute boat ride through the South China Sea.  There's definitely something adventurous and romantic about having to take a boat to get somewhere.  We passed a number of small jungle islands and ragged rocks as we traveled across the sea.  Upon reaching Rawa we were treated to beautiful sights.  The beaches of Rawa were white sand and they mixed perfectly with the light blue water.  We saw corals and schools of fishes as the boat pulled up to the small wooden dock.  The resort shelters were separate bungalows that tastefully blended in with the cliffs and vegetation on the island.  The environment made us forget the outside world and made us excited to explore.  It was similar to the feeling one gets as a kid when they arrive at the first day of camp.  

Resort bungalows built right on the shoreline

Fun in the sun

Right away we wanted to explore, play with all the cool stuff and meet new friends.  After checking in, we changed in to beach attire and made a bee-line to the one of the sweetest water slides.  It was around 3.5 stories tall and had vicious turns that would invariably almost throw us out of the slide.  A number of times kids would go down it, get owned by the aggressive speed of the slide, start crying, and then immediately run to get back in line again.  

The destroyer - kids beware!

After about 3 (or more like 10) times down the slide, we rented kayaks and snorkel equipment.  The kayaks were great for seeing the undeveloped jagged coastline on the other sides of the island.  The caves, waterfalls, and cliffs were quite interesting.  Since Rawa is right on coral, there is great snorkeling and diving within swimming/walking distance.  At low tide I was able to get a great view of the coral reefs.  I even found Nemo!

Nemo and Dad in the Sea Anemones 

And of course no beach vacation would be complete with out some sports on the beach.  We recruited from the young/fun resort and coaxed some folks into the playing.  The diversity of visitors was quite impressive.  We meet people from Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia and England.  We all had a blast playing despite the net being so low that even Tom Cruise could spike on it.

Playing with the boys

Sunset and Night time activities

At night we enjoyed a BBQ buffet filled with eastern and western delights.  There was cocktails, beer, and soccer on the big screen for all to enjoy.  After dinner we ventured back over to the young/fun resort and hung out with our international friends.  It was a bit like a house party combined with the Hangge Uppe.  Good times.

Relaxing by the beach before sunset

Jesse likes Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain, but mostly sunsets

Conclusion

Sunday afternoon had us traveling back to the real world and modern civilization.  We all had a little sun and were ready to regroup before the next week.  Rawa was an awesome hidden gem in Malaysia.  The environment is glorious without being overdeveloped like many of the popular tourist getaway spots.  The activities were numerous and the people were interesting without being to numerous.  I would highly recommend Rawa to both young travelers and families alike.

Singapore Fun with Guests

I’ve been living in Singapore almost three months now, and it’s easy to find myself habituating to the city.  Interesting peculiarities like the MRT (the subway system), the funny signs and even the diversity of the city are no longer top of mind.  And interesting places have been put on the back burner in order to focus on weekend travel and work.  So it was great when two groups of friends came to visit the past two weeks.  It provided a reminder of Singapore’s uniqueness, a chance to share our knowledge, and an excuse to knock off a few items on our Singapore bucket list.

Mr. & Mrs. Blevins come to Singapore

  

Mr. Jim Blevins and Mrs. Michelle Blevins, parents of our friend Eric, came into town for work.  I was so excited to hear that they were coming that I excitedly wrote up a Singapore’s greatest hits list as a guide.  The list ended up being a bit too long but it was good starting point. Here are the highlights:

Eat - the food in Singapore is phenomenal, whether it's a fancy restaurant or a cheap meal, you can find tons of interesting experiences that rival New Orleans food.

• Hawker Centers - you need to stop by one of these places just to check it out.   They are food courts on steroids and offer extremely cheap foods of very diverse varieties.  You can't go wrong with the Indian food or Chicken Rice.  Look to go wherever has the longest line.
• Chilli Crab - this is a Singapore delicacy and absolutely phenomenal
• Char Kway Teow - a fried noodle dish that is really tasty, can be found in the Hawker stands
• Laksa - a spicy coconut noodle soup, can be found in the Hawker stands

See - there are plenty of cool attractions in Singapore given the cultural diversity and the country's desire to become a tourist hub

• Chinatown - lots of cool shops and souvenir shops.  A bit touristy but the shop house architecture is cool and the Chinatown museum is fascinating.  I'm sure you could find Eric lots of Hello Kitty souvenirs to bring back :)
• Little India - the aroma, the pace, the people - it's like being in India but without having to get sick!  I recommend coming here at night.  There are beautiful Chinese, Hindu and Muslim temples
• Museums - the Asian Civilizations Museum is great.  It shows the history of the major cultures here in Singapore.  Really well done.  The Art museums are pretty cool as well.  Fort Canning is nearby and is a good spot to see the city and to get some wild life.
• Orchard Road shopping - this one is for you Mrs. Blevins.  Singapore's national past time is shopping, and Orchard Road is the most popular place to do so.  Things are not necessarily cheap, but there's tons of places and selection.

Megan and I were able to catch up with Jim and Michelle for dinner at Indochine before they left.  We traded stories of travels, mishaps and ironies.  As the adventurous semi-locals, Megan and I took responsibility for widening Jim and Michelle's food experience.  We had some very tasty cuisine at Indochine (a Southeast Asian fusion restaurant) including scallops, shrimp, black pepper beef and fried rice.  When desert came, we tried our best to sell them on ice cream sandwiches with real bread; but that was just too out there for them.  It was a great dinner and it was special talking to folks from back in the US. 

Jesse McGannon Rolls in

Our friend Jesse came in town as part of his Asian/US vacation tour.  We showed him some of the best Singapore has to offer, as well as the island resort jewel of Rawa (to be covered in the next post).  Friday night we went out to One Altitude at the world’s highest al fresco bar.  The views of the city skyline and Marina Bay were inspiring at night.  We then ventured from there to Clark Quay for some socializing and dancing at China One.  The melting pot of cultures makes the nightlife scene especially interesting.  It’s quite easy to meet really nice people and bond with them despite the fact that they are completely different.  We got a ride back from the most Singaporean cab driver ever.  See was bragging about how her night was going really well because she was hitting all of her KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators).  I tried to convince her that excessive honking should be one of her KPI’s but she was unconvinced.  On Monday night, Jesse tackled the Marina Bay Sands casino and found good luck at Blackjack.  The casino is outrageous in its annual profitability so we expected extravagance.  The experience was better than Midwest casinos but not quite as nice as Vegas.  The games at MBS were quite kooky and strange like Sic Bo and Lucky 8.  The blackjack table even allowed gamblers to bet on other people’s hands; a lot more pressure to make the right call to hit or stay!

Jesse clearly enjoying the Boantic Gardens

During the day we’ve been able to visit some of the cultural attractions with Jesse.  One example is the Singapore Botanic Gardens.  This is a majestically maintained park that has a diverse set of fauna and the world’s largest Orchid garden.  A really nice and relaxing place in the middle of the bustling city.  Another attraction we visited was the National Museum of Singapore.  Here we learned about Singapore's  history through a tablet and headphones that provided an interactive element to the exhibits.  Top-notch museum.

No visit to Singapore would be complete without trying some of the interesting foods.  We took Jesse to the hawker stalls to sample authentic Singaporean cuisine and atmosphere.  La Pau Sat is quite the experience for visitors.  We visited Little India Sunday night to try some excellent Indian cuisine and to experience the hustle and bustle of the area.  Sunday night is an active night in the community and the neighborhood was packed with people doing business and socializing.   Interestingly it was extremely male dominated in the streets and social areas.   We ate at the Banana Leaf Apollo and had butter chicken, garlic naan, bryiani rice, and fish head curry.  The fish head curry was something I wouldn't normally order but since it was on the Singapore must try list, I ventured out.  The tastiness of the curry sauce and sweetly flavored meat trumped the ugly looks and fish bone logistics.  Megan even enjoyed eating the eyeball after losing a rock-paper-scissors battle.  We also had Chili Crab one night which is another Singapore must.

Fish head curry - a real delicacy

Singapore is such a unique and interesting place.  It’s enjoyable to share our knowledge and experiences here with others.  There’s still a few more things on our bucket list, so if anyone is interested in visiting Singapore, feel free to come in the next two months.

Weekend in Penang

A couple of weekends ago Megan and I visited Penang.  Penang is a Malaysian island off the western coast of the Malay Peninsula.  A visit was recommended in order to experience of its great food and laid back atmosphere.  We spent two days and on the island with the majority of our time in Georgetown (the old colonial center).

Monkey Beach at Taman Negara National Park.

We arrived in Penang early Saturday morning and we took a cab immediately to the Northwest corner of the island to visit Taman Negara National Park.  Here we trekked through the hills of the jungle, close by to the seashore.  We saw a number of cool sights: playful monkeys, the largest ants I’ve ever seen and naturally occurring waterfalls.  The sounds and smells of the jungle were intoxicating.  The treacherous hiking path reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.  Our pot of gold at the end of our journey was a really nice beach sparsely populated with locals.  We soaked in the pristine sights, cooled off from the humid hot weather, and then took a power boat back to civilization. 

The unique architectural contrasts (a Chinese temple next to a colonial style building)

In Georgetown we stayed at the Hutton Lodge.  The spartan guesthouse provided a convenient base from which to explore by foot the historic Georgetown area.  We were blocks away from Chinatown, Little India, nightlife and the colonial areas.  The mix of cultures was quite similar to Singapore.  Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its shophouse architecture.  Throughout the area were former Chinese clan houses which were really interesting.  The clan houses were bases where associations would gather to meet, conduct business and protect their own members.  It’s a mix of a Kiwanis Club, a Mafia family, and a Frat House.  The coolest architectural site was a Chinese temple that we saw during a night ceremony.  Impressive during the day, the building really impressed when it was lit up at night.  Sunday we took a self guided walking tour by the colonial landmarks and we learned about Penang’s past.  The Penang History Museum was a great pit stop that provided a cool air conditioning break during the tour.

Megan in front of the Khoo Khongsi Temple

The food in Penang is quite good.  Similar to Singapore it is a mix of Asia influences, especially Chinese and Malay.  We ate at a Hawker center with locals (we were the only white people there) and ordered some tasty Char Kway Teow and Laksa.  Our Saturday late night food stop was a street vendor burger stop.  The burgers were mouth-watering with fried egg, sweet chili sauce, succulent patties and a crisp yet fluffy bun.  It was by far the best burger I’ve had in a while; Megan and I shared one, and then I ordered a second burger just to experience it again.  Another awesome food delicacy was the Bacon jerky seasoned in chili sauce that we got at the street fair.  Slightly crispy yet still soft, the bacon was addicting.  Our only bad food experience was at the Red Garden Food Paradise.  We had to eat rather quickly to catch our Sunday night return flight so we settled on this place.  Upon arrival we realized it was a trap (a tourist trap).  The food vendors were aggressive in selling their food and the pictures looked a lot better than the actual food.  We ordered a Char Kway Teow that was subpar and the worst soft shell crab I’ve ever had.  This crab was cooked in very bready batter and the end result was what Long John Silver’s soft shell crab would be like.  Quite gross.  Penang couldn’t end on a high note, but it was a good overall experience regardless.

Penang clocktower dedicated to Queen Victoria

 Penang is a fun place to visit.  The food and culture are quite interesting and similar to Singapore. Both cities share a history as strong port cities that became important British settlements.  They both have a strong mix of cultures that colors their neighborhoods and foods.  Singapore is more developed but Penang has charm as a sleepy town with gems to find.  Penang is a nice place to visit but not essential to a Southeast Asia tour.

Asia Gangnam Style

While in Penang last weekend, Megan and I came across a street festival in Georgetown.  The festival was similar to those in the US with local business vendor booths, interesting county fair style foods (gotta love fried foods and meat on a stick), and musical entertainment.  Except that the musical entertainment wasn't a live band but a dance off.  And the dance off wasn't teams dancing to different songs but instead they were dancing to the same exact song in its entirety.  And that song was none other than the viral sensation Gangnam Style. 

If you are new to Gangnam Style, the quick debrief is that its a Korean pop song that satires the conspicuous consumption lifestyles in the rich Gangnam district of Seoul.  Most Korean pop is sappy garbage (think Michael Bubble and Hannah Montana), so the critique elements of this song are quick unique.  The song itself is very catchy and the dance moves are outrageous.  Which makes it a good candidate for a dance-off competition.  Let's meet our competitors:

Competitor 1: Old Guy who sucked

I'm not sure if this guy lost a bet or was delusional about his own abilities.  He had a relatively serious face with thoroughly mediocre "moves" I don't think his knees bent to an angle less than 165 degrees.  His jazz hands were ok but none of his moves corresponded to the music video or song.  Overall grade: C-

 

Competitors #2: The well rehearsed teenagers

The lead contenders had to be teenagers who were on top of this song months ago and had been rehearsing day and night since then.  These folks were legitimately very good.  They brought energy and performed some physically difficult moves.  They also had good group coordination which cannot be overestimated in difficulty.  Lastly, they gave proper homage to the video by using some of its moves and even having the lead dancer dressing like the singer. The only drawback was that the girl in the group was less into it than the others, dragging down the team effort.  Overall grade: A-

Competitors #3: The adorable kids

These kids were awesome.  They were really well rehearsed and totally unfazed by the large crowds and they had really good dance moves.  The fact that they were 7 and 8 made it even better.  Plus you gotta love the bow-tie.  Overall grade: A+  The Champs!

Conclusion:  Gangnam Style is huge globally right now, and Penang is no different.  The crowds for this event were very large but here was a complete absence of crowd participation or enthusiasm.  Crowd singing and cheering and dancing would have enhanced this competition by 200%.  Nevertheless, Megan and I found entertainment gold when we stumbled upon this.  One of those great spontaneous travel moments.  And the spicy chili bacon from the street vendors was delicious.  Street festivals are wonderful no matter where they are.

Good News in Singapore

Krispy Kreme has arrived:

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1229660/1/.html

Those Toast Shops better watch out.

Singapore F-1 Weekend

Katy Perry and Motor Sports Racing are two very opposite experiences and yet Singapore manages to bring them together in one well run and organized event. 

On Sunday September 23rd, Megan and I attended the Singapore Grand Prix.  In total it's a three day event that Singapore spends months preparing for.  It's arguably the biggest event of the year.  The racing occurs on the city streets passing through the Civic Center; the track winds through the Padang (cricket fields), the Esplanade (open park area), by the Fullerton Hotel and near the Singapore flyer.  The track is very challenging for the drivers given that it is bumpy, it's a city course in a very warm climate and hosted at night.  Starting on Friday we were able to see and hear cars racing in qualifying from our apartment.  During the day, they raced Ferrari and rally cars.  The main event started around dusk and proceeded for almost two hours into the evening.   Under the lights the cars would cruise at speeds of up to 160 mph. 

A view of the track and the city at night.

During the race I was able to catchup with friends.  Two of my former Bain colleagues Valerio and Gavin are in Singapore and I hung out with them and met a few new friends Scott and Winnie.  Megan and I enjoyed beers and food with them in the grand stands and were able to walk around the track and check out different sections of the course (narrow turns, straight aways and multiple tight turns in a row).  The winner of the race was Sebastian Vettel who played the archetypal racing villian brilliantly.  His sktechy moves out of  a restart gave him all the lead he needed to win.  We were cheering for Fernando Alonso, the charismatic driver for the Ferrari Team.  He finished in third.  After the race there were fireworks and an awkward post-race interview.  That transitioned into a Katy Perry concert.

Hard to believe but I've never seen Katy Perry in concert before.  Seeing her in Asia would really up the ante.  Our half hearted attempts to get to the front of the concert were thwarted by the hoards of people for whom seeing Katy Perry was a Teenage Dream.  We showed up around 10:15, the concert was scheduled to commence at 10:30 and Katy graced us with her presence at 10:50.  The set for the concert was decently elaborate with themes and platforms and fireworks.  The music was Hot and Cold.  The fact that 90% of her songs were famous and have gotten air play made the concert interesting.  It was easy to jam along.  The crowd was quite into it with a number of people dancing like nobody was watching.  On the minus side, Katy did not really bring the thunder.  Her passion level was indifferent and for the majority of songs she was singing to a track (Millie Vanilie style).  Another negative was the preponderance of cameras.  At any given time a third of the crowd was taking pictures or filming.  Excessive cameras hinder any concert experience as they prevent one from losing themselves in the experience.  It's an interesting economic problem where self-interest creates a poor outcome for everyone.  A truly innovative entertainment company will find a solution to the camera-mania.

Katy Perry getting racy at F-1.

Katy gave some interesting anecdotes during the show; like how she wanted to make out with the drivers.  She then proceeded to get some crowd participation with a California guy taking his shirt off.  Her showmanship was decent although no where near the levels of the greats (e.g. David Lee Roth).  Overall I would give Katy Perry a B-, I saw her once and I liked it but I would not beat down any doors to see her again.