1. I found myself at a SingPost (short for Singapore Post Office), one afternoon, this week, sending off a package to NYC. After waiting for a good 10 minutes, when I walked up to a counter, I was politely alerted towards the "token dispensing" machine, that I had so nicely seen through at first. The systematic functioning of a post office was literally in my face, here. People waited punctually, like in a 'desi' bank and when their token number flashed on the screen, they went up to the respective counter. The staff was courteous, professional and warm even (This guy I was dealing with was patient enough to walk me through all the options I had, to send out mail to NYC, how much each one would cost, what would work better for me. He, finally even spoon-fed me how/ where to write the address of the sender and the 'addressee' If I hadn't been looking, he would've probably held my hand and helped me write the addresses as well!).
No, this was not my first time ever at a Post Office, but this staff person must definitely have thought otherwise, going by how 'extra nice' he was being towards me. I was left wondering where are these 'nice' Singaporeans when my daughter shouts her heart out greeting them in the mall only to get barely any response at times! All in all, my first experience at SingPost was surely a very pleasant one. Guess I can start sending out snail mail to all my friends soon!
2. Khyati - my new friend in Singapore, (aka Varnika's mom), and I went out on the first of many (hopefully) weekly lunch dates. We met at Takashimaya - a shopping mall in the Orchard Area and originally had plans to eat at a restaurant called Pique Nique. But this was a place that seemed to make no adjustments for vegetarian customers (Khyati is vegetarian). So we took our business and our hungry tummies to Beanstro - a cafe version of the otherwise popular CBTL chain (Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf). Here, over an open-faced shrimp and avocado sandwich (which took me back to my lunch days at Le Pain Quotidien on 19th between 5th and Broadway in Manhattan) and pasta, Khyati and I spent a delightful afternoon chatting each other up on various topics - from babies to Bombay, Manhattan to motherhood and work to wine. We've decided to make these lunches into a regular weekly affair for as long as possible (both of us have travel high-up on our agenda, so co-ordinating these might take some effort).
I've always had this thing about lunch hours spent with friends. It was in NYC, where this concept walked into my life. Spending the lunch hour with someone, has always been my way of staying in touch with friends from all walks of life, especially those one doesn't often hang out with on weekends. Besides, weekday lunch breaks add so much pleasure into a regular weekday afternoon as well.
If you're reading this and have been one of my lunch buds in the city, know that you're being thought of right now :)
3. Janet's (our helper's) mother, who lives in a small village in The Philippines is unwell and has been hospitalized recently. Naturally Janet is worried as are we, when we see her otherwise sunny and bright face look a little forlorn, now and then. So we've decided to send her home to go see her ailing mother. As it turns out luckily for us, we are going to be in Mumbai and Delhi ourselves towards the end of this month. So timing wise it works well for Janet to leave then too. As is the case with the legality of the maid-issue in Singapore, as her employer, we had to take care of some paperwork and pay a 'home leave' allowance to the government to sanction her travel and time-off. Thankfully, all that got done with, in time and now with her tickets all set, good ol' Janet's smile is back on her happy face! She tells me she prays everyday that we get to stay in Singapore longer, so she can keep working with us. Umm..while I won't just as yet say 'Amen' to that I will definitely hope her prayers regarding her mother are heard soon!
4. I got so used to seeing 'calorie counts' of food items in cafe display windows in NYC, that I find it a little odd to not see that anymore now. I must have made Mayor Bloomberg very proud, when in NYC, I would order something to eat, only after glancing at it's total calorie count. In Singapore, naturally there is no such law, so the 'voice in the head' has to assume charge and take over, to refrain me from ordering that yummy looking fancy shmancy croissant-lookalike snack. Perhaps there's an app made that I can use, which by merely flashing my phone at a snack, can tell me it's calorie count right away?
5. Zoe's pre-school culminated their 'Chef's Week' with a rather fun educational tour of the Supermarket. I was delighted when they picked our neighborhood Japanese supermarket (my personal fave) - Isetan, for the tour. Zoe and her school buds along with Teacher's Grace and Sabrina, met me and a few other parents at the supermarket for the tour. Teacher Grace picked up strawberries, bananas, cabbage, onions, pumpkin etc to introduce their textures, English and Mandarin names and smells to each little one. As is usually the case with Zoe (and her mother too, now that I think of it) when around food, she finds it hard to not eat it. Her logic is simple - if it's food, it's got to be eaten right? So I had a hard time trying to say "No" to her each time she cried out "Opunnnn" or "Eat Eat" for the veggies and the fruits. We then thankfully moved on to the frozen food section, where she could make no such request thankfully. Here Teacher Grace picked up frozen fish, crab, tiger prawns etc to introduce the concept of 'big & small' and 'hard & soft' to the kids.
I have a feeling Zoe might grow up wanting to be vegetarian, going by the tremendous love and adulation that she shows for anything that moves or doesn't. (She went all "Awwww Fishyyy sleeping" at the Frozen fish who's sad eye was open) She surely is taking her 'flower child' title very literally, this one!
6. Everyone knows Singapore barely grows anything on it's own, so naturally all the food we eat here is imported from all over the world. I still remember the first time I made Pav Bhaji here in Singapore, I referred to it as Global Pav Bhaji as I had used Chinese Cauliflower, Aussie onions, Japanese potatoes, Dutch tomatoes & Californian carrots. All that to be eaten with 'desi' pav's. Actual melting pot - my pressure cooker was, that night for sure!
Cold Storage is one of the largest supermarket chains in Singapore. Their tag line reads - "Cold Storage - The fresh food people!" Always brings a smile and a smirk to my face, both at the same time somehow!
That's all for Week 21. Week 22 sees the In-laws visiting us - our second house guests here in Singapore. And then on, the doors are open for many other visitors who plan to come all through March & April.
Big Cheers to Travel - whether we are the one's doing it or it's bringing others to us - it never fails to make us happy!
Happy reading,
Shweyta
No, this was not my first time ever at a Post Office, but this staff person must definitely have thought otherwise, going by how 'extra nice' he was being towards me. I was left wondering where are these 'nice' Singaporeans when my daughter shouts her heart out greeting them in the mall only to get barely any response at times! All in all, my first experience at SingPost was surely a very pleasant one. Guess I can start sending out snail mail to all my friends soon!
2. Khyati - my new friend in Singapore, (aka Varnika's mom), and I went out on the first of many (hopefully) weekly lunch dates. We met at Takashimaya - a shopping mall in the Orchard Area and originally had plans to eat at a restaurant called Pique Nique. But this was a place that seemed to make no adjustments for vegetarian customers (Khyati is vegetarian). So we took our business and our hungry tummies to Beanstro - a cafe version of the otherwise popular CBTL chain (Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf). Here, over an open-faced shrimp and avocado sandwich (which took me back to my lunch days at Le Pain Quotidien on 19th between 5th and Broadway in Manhattan) and pasta, Khyati and I spent a delightful afternoon chatting each other up on various topics - from babies to Bombay, Manhattan to motherhood and work to wine. We've decided to make these lunches into a regular weekly affair for as long as possible (both of us have travel high-up on our agenda, so co-ordinating these might take some effort).
I've always had this thing about lunch hours spent with friends. It was in NYC, where this concept walked into my life. Spending the lunch hour with someone, has always been my way of staying in touch with friends from all walks of life, especially those one doesn't often hang out with on weekends. Besides, weekday lunch breaks add so much pleasure into a regular weekday afternoon as well.
If you're reading this and have been one of my lunch buds in the city, know that you're being thought of right now :)
3. Janet's (our helper's) mother, who lives in a small village in The Philippines is unwell and has been hospitalized recently. Naturally Janet is worried as are we, when we see her otherwise sunny and bright face look a little forlorn, now and then. So we've decided to send her home to go see her ailing mother. As it turns out luckily for us, we are going to be in Mumbai and Delhi ourselves towards the end of this month. So timing wise it works well for Janet to leave then too. As is the case with the legality of the maid-issue in Singapore, as her employer, we had to take care of some paperwork and pay a 'home leave' allowance to the government to sanction her travel and time-off. Thankfully, all that got done with, in time and now with her tickets all set, good ol' Janet's smile is back on her happy face! She tells me she prays everyday that we get to stay in Singapore longer, so she can keep working with us. Umm..while I won't just as yet say 'Amen' to that I will definitely hope her prayers regarding her mother are heard soon!
4. I got so used to seeing 'calorie counts' of food items in cafe display windows in NYC, that I find it a little odd to not see that anymore now. I must have made Mayor Bloomberg very proud, when in NYC, I would order something to eat, only after glancing at it's total calorie count. In Singapore, naturally there is no such law, so the 'voice in the head' has to assume charge and take over, to refrain me from ordering that yummy looking fancy shmancy croissant-lookalike snack. Perhaps there's an app made that I can use, which by merely flashing my phone at a snack, can tell me it's calorie count right away?
5. Zoe's pre-school culminated their 'Chef's Week' with a rather fun educational tour of the Supermarket. I was delighted when they picked our neighborhood Japanese supermarket (my personal fave) - Isetan, for the tour. Zoe and her school buds along with Teacher's Grace and Sabrina, met me and a few other parents at the supermarket for the tour. Teacher Grace picked up strawberries, bananas, cabbage, onions, pumpkin etc to introduce their textures, English and Mandarin names and smells to each little one. As is usually the case with Zoe (and her mother too, now that I think of it) when around food, she finds it hard to not eat it. Her logic is simple - if it's food, it's got to be eaten right? So I had a hard time trying to say "No" to her each time she cried out "Opunnnn" or "Eat Eat" for the veggies and the fruits. We then thankfully moved on to the frozen food section, where she could make no such request thankfully. Here Teacher Grace picked up frozen fish, crab, tiger prawns etc to introduce the concept of 'big & small' and 'hard & soft' to the kids.
I have a feeling Zoe might grow up wanting to be vegetarian, going by the tremendous love and adulation that she shows for anything that moves or doesn't. (She went all "Awwww Fishyyy sleeping" at the Frozen fish who's sad eye was open) She surely is taking her 'flower child' title very literally, this one!
6. Everyone knows Singapore barely grows anything on it's own, so naturally all the food we eat here is imported from all over the world. I still remember the first time I made Pav Bhaji here in Singapore, I referred to it as Global Pav Bhaji as I had used Chinese Cauliflower, Aussie onions, Japanese potatoes, Dutch tomatoes & Californian carrots. All that to be eaten with 'desi' pav's. Actual melting pot - my pressure cooker was, that night for sure!
Cold Storage is one of the largest supermarket chains in Singapore. Their tag line reads - "Cold Storage - The fresh food people!" Always brings a smile and a smirk to my face, both at the same time somehow!
That's all for Week 21. Week 22 sees the In-laws visiting us - our second house guests here in Singapore. And then on, the doors are open for many other visitors who plan to come all through March & April.
Big Cheers to Travel - whether we are the one's doing it or it's bringing others to us - it never fails to make us happy!
Happy reading,
Shweyta
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