Do you have a reservation?


Today, once again I get to blog something about Singapore. I mean I live here right? Besides it will be a month until I can go away to some other place to hopefully snap some cool photos to showcase in my gallery. And well, the truth is that there are very unique - sometimes exotic - things that you can find in this land of shopping centers.

The culinary experience is quite wide so I will rip it apart and focus on the daily lunch time and I will go even more specific.

Where I come from, when you walk into a food court or self service restaurant you basically get your food first then look for a table. Of course, if you are with someone else usually one finds a seat and the other one gets the food. Teamwork!

Well, Singapore is different. Here your buddy can be a 'tissue'. Yes, a tissue or more common a little pack of tissues. This has become the booking system for excellence in Singapore's food courts.

Some foreigners will figure this after, which sometimes results with a local mumbling a few Chinese words that I'm sure are not very friendly. Good thing is that violence is very rare around here.

And well, I mean the first times I even thought those were the napkins or the wet tissues they give in some sushi restaurants. I could not be more mistaken.

But what if you have no tissues? Well, there are alternatives. You can use your newspaper. Singapore is supposed to be pretty safe and low crime but no one leaves valuables sitting there to show the table is taken; even if the counter is 5 steps away.

I don't get used to this system yet but maybe that because I have sticked to the 'send your buddy to find a table' policy which by the way results 'foreigner' proof.

Bon Appetite!

The guy in the picture is not my buddy but he hangs around the local food court (hawker) every now and then. Though he is a good representation of some of the people that I work with.


Aplausos!


So this is one of the many great translated signs in Singapore. This is at Chinatown night market (pic was taken with my cellphone, that the reason to be crap, but hopefully it reads).

These little cages have nice plastic birds inside and when you clap they sign! Awesome! That is if you can clap with on hand of course.


Hello?


So my friend Rob got this call just some minutes ago. I think it's worth a post.

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Rob: Hello?

- Ni how ma?

Rob: You got the wrong number.

- Can you please speak chinese?

Rob: I dont speak chinese, you've got the wrong number

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A time for celebration



This is smoky Singapore during this season. Lots of people will just burn some special crafted paper. They will use some containers to do this and some, well, just anything will do. I have to do my homework and get the whole story right about this offerings and traditions, but I have to say it is not my favorite season. The smoky smell brings me bad firing memories. Apparently the government has been able to reduce a big amount of this activities around the city. I still think this is terrible for the environment and the people nearby. They must also spend a good amount of money. But well traditions are traditions so I just try to go around when I can. The good thing about this season is that lot of Chinese people also believe that is not good to swim since the bad spirits might get into your body. So, I'm enjoying that quiteness at my pool while it lasts.


And it rains, rains...


I am guessing that Monsoon is here and when it rains, an umbrella won't stop you from getting wet. This is why this bum...err.. John I mean decided to eat a still dry lunch before adventuring with his tiny umbrella to cross the street. Rob decided to join him since he was looking very lonely.

That pie looked really good John!