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.