1. It's strange that Singapore, a country otherwise so stringent with it's law system, should not have a law against drinking in public! One can often see people drinking here out in the open. No, I don't mean sitting out in the park, with a blanket spread on the lawn, sipping on a lovely glass of red while gazing at the stars kinda drinking-in-the-open scene. I mean sitting out in the park, with a blanket spread on the lawn, drinking a quarter of vodka/ rum or even cheap alcohol complete with 'chakna' as it is popularly termed in India (snacks such as masala peanuts, spiced cashews etc that are consumed while drinking) kinda drinking-in-the-open scene. Not that there's anything wrong with that, except of course the after-effects that it has on some drinkers.
I go back again, to one of my pet topics here in Singapore - the 'macchas' that one finds in plenty in Little India, especially on the weekends. As I wrote in my last week's update about the 'maids' at Lucky Plaza, this is yet another parallel weekend phenomenon - the 'maccha' gatherings in Little India.
Dozens of buses bring 'macchas' in hordes to Little India, not just from all areas of Singapore but even from Malaysia to spend the weekend here. To cater to their 'happy hour diets' one can find the enterprising 'desi' mom-and-pop grocery stores in the area, selling mini quarts of hard liquor accompanied with small packets of 'chakna' food, the likes of which I've described above. The large maidan-like green lawns in Little India provide for a natural open-air setting for these gatherings, where 'macchas' and their mats spread themselves, to enjoy their weekends.
What irks me most though about this drunken revelry is that because of this 'maccha happy hour' phenomena, girls hanging out in the area, often tend to get looked up and down by some of these men that get drunk and thus lose their senses. A friend once even analogised this 'maccha' happy hour phenomenon in Little India, over the weekend, to a sausage fest! Ahem!
2. The In-laws took off to Malaysia for half of this week. FIL wanted to sight-see around KL for a bit and visit the rain forest on the outskirts of the city. On their return, we found ourselves continuing our 'food tour' of the city with them.
Zsofis Tapas Bar was an impromptu find, for tapas and sangria sampling. Hidden in the heart of Little India, this gem of a tapas bar, surprised us with it's open rooftop that takes one back to Europe or NYC momentarily. A homely feel was lent to the venue by it's small terrace that easily accommodated 10 tables and a separate area that had a private party going on in it. One look at the area and Hubster and I stepped back into our NYC days, discussing how this would have lent itself beautifully to one of the many parties we hosted there. The rooted, down-to-earth and homely atmosphere served as a beautiful venue for the In-laws, Hubster and I, as we drank our hearts away, feasting on some yummy tapas that came along with pitchers of sangria.
Run by two friends who were inspired to set this up, from their backpacking trip to Granada, Spain, this rooftop restaurant is a delightful break from the otherwise high-end, posh and expensive restaurant culture in Singapore. Based on their experience of throwing parties on a rooftop during their time in Granada, the friends/ owners of this place, decided that Singapore needed one such place, where people could walk-in and order drinks accompanied by free tapas to go along with it.
Their vision has given this city-state a much needed oasis of a true European style restaurant. Zsofis ranks way high-up on my list of must-do restaurants in this city-state!
3. It was the In-laws wedding anniversary this week, which we brought in at Mustard, another restaurant that guarantees a delicious Indian fare - both Punjabi & Bengali. After having had our Diwali dinner here, we made a mental note to return for yet another celebration. (It's that kinda place that befits celebrations and not regular weekend eat-outs somehow). The In-Laws anniversary offered us just that opportunity.
The daughter had perhaps gauged, that this was a special occasion since we were all dressed up, so decided to be at her best restaurant behaviour, in a while. That means, she sat on her high chair for the entire time, co-operating happily with the rest of the group, only singing out aloud and jigging her shoulders at times, when the music called to do so. Yes she did have to be kept busy with her patent spoon-in-tumbler activity that I like to believe is a way of concocting new recipes, in her make-believe world. This place has left such an incredible culinary stamp on our hearts, that we can never get enough of it and now await the next set of guests that want to eat good Punjabi-Bong fare, so we can take them there. Until then, we are on a self-imposed restriction of no repeats; i.e going to a new place each time we eat out!
4. Hubster and I finally got our Malaysian visas this week, which means we are now free to buy air or train tickets and head there, whenever we like. Malaysia is the only country connected by road/ rail to Singapore directly. Hence the endeavour this time around will be to try to take a train ride there. I remember writing about this in an earlier post, but now that we are much closer to doing it, it's even more exciting. So please bear with my repetition atleast this one time.
5. We took the In-laws to the Botanical Gardens one afternoon. This was our first visit there too and we were partially impressed, as we subconsciously compared these gardens to our previous such experience - of the NY Botanical Gardens, where one rode around in an internal tram, on account of their large expanse. Singapore Botanical Gardens are spread out too, yet there is no tram here that facilitates internal circulation as much. The idea probably is to come experience the garden a multiple number of times, sort of like to use it as the city's Central Park. The somewhat proximity of these to our place, makes me happier as I see myself coming here more often than I had thought, yet I am left wishing they were right next door, so I could use them for daily runs whenever I like. For now the streets and the gym will have to suffice for those, I suppose!
6. Our last evening with the in-laws was spent at the very hip and high altitude bar - Ku De Ta - Singapore's iconic bar perched atop the Marina Bay Sands, with panoramic views of the city and even Malaysia in the distance. It's amazing how opulence just hits you in your face everywhere you go in this city-state. Yet here, thankfully it gets balanced out by the average visiting tourist who comes here just to take in the views from the huge outdoor deck. All in all a great place for the aerial Singapore 'darshan' for sure!
7. P.S Cafe is more my kind of place. It's Dempsey Hill location on a huge green landscaped property where kids can run around and play while their parents await their table reservations is fabulous. This is the kind of cafe one wishes one had back in NYC, (if not for space constraints, naturally) what with it's uber cool vibe coupled with an endless outdoor lawn to sprawl on for as long as one likes. Another addition to the go-back-to list.
8. Riders Cafe was another brunch spot we struck off our list with the in-laws. (Yes, you see I was serious when I said that this was going to be a 'food tour' of the city for them). Situated in Bukit Timah Saddle Club, one can often see riders training around here, while eating. This was yet another successful attempt at integrating the site and nature around it, to incorporate a restaurant within, making it into a great space by day or night.
9. Zoe's class culminated it's 'P' week by visiting a Photographer's Studio. It was adorable to see all the kids hold hands to leave school together and walk up to the photo studio, just a few floors away. Zoe could be found yelling out loudly "Hold Hand", each time someone left their friend's hand, as if she was in-charge.
Our little Ms. Pokes-her-nose-into-everyone's-business can get quite insistent especially when it comes to issues such as cleanliness and safety. (Try taking a cab ride with her and not holding the overhead handle by the window seat! This little disciplinarian will make sure she says "Hold" as many times as it takes to get you to grab that handle. You will eventually give in and grab the damn thing, just so you can shut this little nag up sometimes! Yeah I told you, we are bound to have a love-hate relationship; she and I. We are Mother-Daughter after all!)
In the Photo Studio, they all huddled up with each other and waved "Hiiii" and "Cheeese" to the camera, posing in joy for multiple shots. A brief explanation followed by the teacher and the photographer about photos and cameras etc after which it was time to go home.
On that note of 'going home' it is indeed time to head home - to India, for a short visit next week. The In-laws fly back to Mumbai on Monday night and in a comical tit-for-tat sort of scenario of hosts-turning-guests and vice-versa, we land up at their place on Tuesday. Our good-bye's this time with them were casual as we all bid each other "See you tomorrow" before they left Singapore!
There's a lot to look forward to in this trip to India; the ever-magical, effervescent Mumbai, playing Holi after a decade in Mumbai for both Hubster and me & it being Zoe's first ever proper Holi, a mini family reunion in Delhi and meeting our lovely friends and family in both cities! Most importantly though, I was jubilant that after an 8 week hiatus our travel groove is back on!
Got to go pack!
Until next week, Thanks for reading!
Love,
Shweyta
I go back again, to one of my pet topics here in Singapore - the 'macchas' that one finds in plenty in Little India, especially on the weekends. As I wrote in my last week's update about the 'maids' at Lucky Plaza, this is yet another parallel weekend phenomenon - the 'maccha' gatherings in Little India.
Dozens of buses bring 'macchas' in hordes to Little India, not just from all areas of Singapore but even from Malaysia to spend the weekend here. To cater to their 'happy hour diets' one can find the enterprising 'desi' mom-and-pop grocery stores in the area, selling mini quarts of hard liquor accompanied with small packets of 'chakna' food, the likes of which I've described above. The large maidan-like green lawns in Little India provide for a natural open-air setting for these gatherings, where 'macchas' and their mats spread themselves, to enjoy their weekends.
What irks me most though about this drunken revelry is that because of this 'maccha happy hour' phenomena, girls hanging out in the area, often tend to get looked up and down by some of these men that get drunk and thus lose their senses. A friend once even analogised this 'maccha' happy hour phenomenon in Little India, over the weekend, to a sausage fest! Ahem!
2. The In-laws took off to Malaysia for half of this week. FIL wanted to sight-see around KL for a bit and visit the rain forest on the outskirts of the city. On their return, we found ourselves continuing our 'food tour' of the city with them.
Zsofis Tapas Bar was an impromptu find, for tapas and sangria sampling. Hidden in the heart of Little India, this gem of a tapas bar, surprised us with it's open rooftop that takes one back to Europe or NYC momentarily. A homely feel was lent to the venue by it's small terrace that easily accommodated 10 tables and a separate area that had a private party going on in it. One look at the area and Hubster and I stepped back into our NYC days, discussing how this would have lent itself beautifully to one of the many parties we hosted there. The rooted, down-to-earth and homely atmosphere served as a beautiful venue for the In-laws, Hubster and I, as we drank our hearts away, feasting on some yummy tapas that came along with pitchers of sangria.
Run by two friends who were inspired to set this up, from their backpacking trip to Granada, Spain, this rooftop restaurant is a delightful break from the otherwise high-end, posh and expensive restaurant culture in Singapore. Based on their experience of throwing parties on a rooftop during their time in Granada, the friends/ owners of this place, decided that Singapore needed one such place, where people could walk-in and order drinks accompanied by free tapas to go along with it.
Their vision has given this city-state a much needed oasis of a true European style restaurant. Zsofis ranks way high-up on my list of must-do restaurants in this city-state!
3. It was the In-laws wedding anniversary this week, which we brought in at Mustard, another restaurant that guarantees a delicious Indian fare - both Punjabi & Bengali. After having had our Diwali dinner here, we made a mental note to return for yet another celebration. (It's that kinda place that befits celebrations and not regular weekend eat-outs somehow). The In-Laws anniversary offered us just that opportunity.
The daughter had perhaps gauged, that this was a special occasion since we were all dressed up, so decided to be at her best restaurant behaviour, in a while. That means, she sat on her high chair for the entire time, co-operating happily with the rest of the group, only singing out aloud and jigging her shoulders at times, when the music called to do so. Yes she did have to be kept busy with her patent spoon-in-tumbler activity that I like to believe is a way of concocting new recipes, in her make-believe world. This place has left such an incredible culinary stamp on our hearts, that we can never get enough of it and now await the next set of guests that want to eat good Punjabi-Bong fare, so we can take them there. Until then, we are on a self-imposed restriction of no repeats; i.e going to a new place each time we eat out!
4. Hubster and I finally got our Malaysian visas this week, which means we are now free to buy air or train tickets and head there, whenever we like. Malaysia is the only country connected by road/ rail to Singapore directly. Hence the endeavour this time around will be to try to take a train ride there. I remember writing about this in an earlier post, but now that we are much closer to doing it, it's even more exciting. So please bear with my repetition atleast this one time.
5. We took the In-laws to the Botanical Gardens one afternoon. This was our first visit there too and we were partially impressed, as we subconsciously compared these gardens to our previous such experience - of the NY Botanical Gardens, where one rode around in an internal tram, on account of their large expanse. Singapore Botanical Gardens are spread out too, yet there is no tram here that facilitates internal circulation as much. The idea probably is to come experience the garden a multiple number of times, sort of like to use it as the city's Central Park. The somewhat proximity of these to our place, makes me happier as I see myself coming here more often than I had thought, yet I am left wishing they were right next door, so I could use them for daily runs whenever I like. For now the streets and the gym will have to suffice for those, I suppose!
6. Our last evening with the in-laws was spent at the very hip and high altitude bar - Ku De Ta - Singapore's iconic bar perched atop the Marina Bay Sands, with panoramic views of the city and even Malaysia in the distance. It's amazing how opulence just hits you in your face everywhere you go in this city-state. Yet here, thankfully it gets balanced out by the average visiting tourist who comes here just to take in the views from the huge outdoor deck. All in all a great place for the aerial Singapore 'darshan' for sure!
7. P.S Cafe is more my kind of place. It's Dempsey Hill location on a huge green landscaped property where kids can run around and play while their parents await their table reservations is fabulous. This is the kind of cafe one wishes one had back in NYC, (if not for space constraints, naturally) what with it's uber cool vibe coupled with an endless outdoor lawn to sprawl on for as long as one likes. Another addition to the go-back-to list.
8. Riders Cafe was another brunch spot we struck off our list with the in-laws. (Yes, you see I was serious when I said that this was going to be a 'food tour' of the city for them). Situated in Bukit Timah Saddle Club, one can often see riders training around here, while eating. This was yet another successful attempt at integrating the site and nature around it, to incorporate a restaurant within, making it into a great space by day or night.
9. Zoe's class culminated it's 'P' week by visiting a Photographer's Studio. It was adorable to see all the kids hold hands to leave school together and walk up to the photo studio, just a few floors away. Zoe could be found yelling out loudly "Hold Hand", each time someone left their friend's hand, as if she was in-charge.
Our little Ms. Pokes-her-nose-into-everyone's-business can get quite insistent especially when it comes to issues such as cleanliness and safety. (Try taking a cab ride with her and not holding the overhead handle by the window seat! This little disciplinarian will make sure she says "Hold" as many times as it takes to get you to grab that handle. You will eventually give in and grab the damn thing, just so you can shut this little nag up sometimes! Yeah I told you, we are bound to have a love-hate relationship; she and I. We are Mother-Daughter after all!)
In the Photo Studio, they all huddled up with each other and waved "Hiiii" and "Cheeese" to the camera, posing in joy for multiple shots. A brief explanation followed by the teacher and the photographer about photos and cameras etc after which it was time to go home.
On that note of 'going home' it is indeed time to head home - to India, for a short visit next week. The In-laws fly back to Mumbai on Monday night and in a comical tit-for-tat sort of scenario of hosts-turning-guests and vice-versa, we land up at their place on Tuesday. Our good-bye's this time with them were casual as we all bid each other "See you tomorrow" before they left Singapore!
There's a lot to look forward to in this trip to India; the ever-magical, effervescent Mumbai, playing Holi after a decade in Mumbai for both Hubster and me & it being Zoe's first ever proper Holi, a mini family reunion in Delhi and meeting our lovely friends and family in both cities! Most importantly though, I was jubilant that after an 8 week hiatus our travel groove is back on!
Got to go pack!
Until next week, Thanks for reading!
Love,
Shweyta
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