Shock culture and durian chee cheong fan

I've just remembered - that i haven't updated this blog for nearly 6 months ! 


Anyways - am in a good mood - so i might as well upload bits of my travel notes. This is happening early Feb - just when i decided to move out of the company and look for new adventure. A trip which i had been longing for... finally ! So.. here's the first part. Enjoy !

Feb 6, 2010 – Shock culture and durian chee cheong fan

Arriving in S’pore. First time traveling out of the country – alone. Shame on me 25 years but have not yet traveled crossing the border. Anyway, that’s another story coming along.

I took Jetstar / Valueair to catch up with some colleagues who had left earlier for Bangkok. Was supposed to go along with them, but then I decided to resign, so the company cancelled my ticket and I had to go with budget airlines. And lucky me, Jetstar offered US$ 176 for round trip ticket to Bangkok via S’pore with one night transit in S’pore. Hmmm… striking two birds with a stone J

So, there was I. Arriving in S’pore around 3pm, and my next flight is still in another 16 hours. A friend of mine (who resides in S’pore) has left me with pre-paid MRT card a week before. He already left me an SMS message when I landed – to meet in City Hall station.

I decided to leave my luggage in Changi to avoid hussle carrying a yellow big backpack (which is bigger than my 160cm size). Trying to find left luggage counter which in the Indobackpacker mailing list said that it’ll be just behind Sincere watch. Ok, the watch’s store name had changed. And it is really located behind the store – so not visible from the main aisle.

T1 Transit Area:
- Level 2, Transit Mall East
- Near Sincere Watch shop
T1 Public Area:
- Basement West

[P.S.

- check from which terminal you are going to leave. If not from terminal 1, then it’s best to left your luggage in the basement.

- left luggage counter should be available in other terminal as well, but they had renovation on-going, so when I checked with the counter keeper, they said that the left luggage is only available in T1]

Left my bag there with only 3.15 SGD /night. Still with the kampong mind (yeah, I’m an urban city girl – with a kampong mind :P), I couldn’t find the sky train. So I asked the left luggage counter man. With speedy Singlish, he tried (at least he try !) to explain to me that I need to go to the 2^nd terminal using skytrain, then find the MRT station in the basement.

Heading to the sky train – I was wondering. Singapore is really a melting pot. Back in Jakarta, Indians and Bules ruled my previous company (even in my present company). But there, they’re working as porters, securities, shopkeeper… geez. I’m used to be nice to any foreigner back in Indonesia, so every time I had to ask them, I ask them nicely – as if I’m talking to my bosses.. Kampong banget !

Again, in the sky train and MRT, I was really amazed on how punctual they are. Even when waiting for the trains, no one stand in front of the yellow line !

[put pictures of the yellow line]

One Indonesian family – who was holiday-ing and heading to Orchard road was mistaken me as S’porean. They were asking how to get to Orchard – while the MRT map was actually in front of their eyes. Then I took a look around, yes… all look similar to me , so I guess my University of Indonesia Starbuck’s version shirt was not working L

No problems and no hassle when I reached the City Hall station. I headed right to the malls… wait, which mall ? once I got out the trains, everywhere is mall. Hhh… well, let’s just find a 7/11. So there was I. hungry (well, I haven’t gotten any “afternoon snack yet”), thirsty and …errr… kinda lost. So 7/11 is really a savior.

I got myself a Meiji coffee flavored milk for 1 dollar. Gosh ! this is the best coffee flavored milk ever ! Not too sweet (and no bitter after taste), silky, not too bitter, just the right aroma and taste. (throughout the journey, I kept on searching for this one, even in Bangkok)

Then, I meet up with my friend. Noticing my growling stomach, he immediately took me to a Chinese stall (well, it’s not really a standing stall… but also not a restaurant yet). We took the MRT and got down in Killiney road. On the right, I noticed that there’s a kopitiam, but we’re not heading there. We’re actually going to the other one next door. [put the name]. Nothing fancy about the place, but my friend mention the durian chee cheong fan. Okay, sounds tempting... hmmm…

We ordered pork porridge (10 SGD each) which came in huge portion … Barley tea for me, I forgot what he ordered. Then jelly fish salad .. which looked and tasted beyond my expectation. And finally the durian chee cheong fan !!!!

Time for verdict :

Pork porridge, well I can say that it’s okay, but nothing special about it.

Jelly fish salad, this is nothing like the chuka kurage in Sushi tei or Jelly fish Salad in the Imperial La Mien something… they put sliced onions, leeks, and mixed it with the crunhy jelly fish. Seasoned with vinegar and sesame oil. Refreshing ! But ended up with me taking all the jelly fish and my friend have to finished the rest.

Barley tea, hehehe… this is nice. It’s like sweet ice tea – thick sweetness (legi) , but with out tea. A bit beanie somehow.

 

Durian chee cheong fan : durian wrapped in thin rice paper sheet, topped with sweet condensed milk and crushed peanut. But really, it is the durian. Sweet, succulent, chewy durian. Just the right ripeness, low alcoholic content, no bitterness at all.  Hope they can make the chee cheong fan with the same quality, all year round !

[no name – It’s written in Chinese….sowwiiieee..]

75 Killiney Rd

S’pore 239529

Tel : 6736 – 1355

After that, we went to a small bun store next door – which I totally forgot the name Tang Kee or Teck kee… really. It’s a nice bun, but too small and not value for money. Hence, I will just skip it here.

Spent the rest of the night scouring every malls (well, not literally every malls), only to those which my friend referred to. We went to a big – Japanese kind of Acer store – which has all kinds of household / furniture products made in Japan. Don’t ask about the price – having only 100 SGD in hand (and already spent the 26 SGD on Charles and Keith shoes :P ).

In short, Singapore is a city of malls. If you’re thinking that you could just go sight seeing and not prepared for “accidental” window shopping.. and wishing to be back home happily, then don’t go to S’pore.

In every mall, you will find cute – nice – interesting – TEMPTING things to buy, if not, foods. Went to a mall, where they have all kind of Japanese foods and snacks. From Papa beard’s mochi cream filled, wasabi coated peanut, “cute looking” fro-yo and etc. Hence, be prepared.

Not much to tell after that, we went to the China town, but it was over crowded (nearing the CNY), hence we left and headed for Clarke Quay. Lively, a larger scale of CiTos. Wish we could hang out there, have some booze and enjoy the river view (or get partying). Unfortunately, both of us were too afraid of getting drunk (with a 7am flight to catch in the morning). So we decided to close the day with Haagen Dazs ice cream.