Another Friend in Town

It sometimes seems like my blog is turning into a play-by-play account of me donning my tour guide's cap for various friends who’ve made their way to Singapore and Hong Kong. It’s no secret that I love showing off the places I love to people who are just discovering them, so it’s not really that surprising that this has become a quasi-record of my visitors and what I’ve done with them. And honestly I couldn’t care less. Some of the greatest memories I have of my time in Asia are from when friends were in town and I got to shape their impressions of a new place. This past weekend, with my friend Sarah here in Singapore, was as fun and memorable as they come, and I’m glad to have a record of our adventures posted for posterity on here.

The level was set pretty high for Sarah’s first trip to the Lion City. You see, the last time I played tour guide for her was back in June. You may remember that my friend Jackie was visiting me from the States, and Sarah was visiting my ever-working roommate Ally. She piggy-backed onto our Hong Kong itinerary, and lo and behold wound up quitting her job in the U.K. and moving permanently to the Pearl of the Orient a month or so later.

Sarah found herself a job and built herself a life in Hong Kong, and I’ve loved watching her adjust to that new life and relish each and every crazy experience. Her job involves planning law conferences, often in Hong Kong but occasionally in other cities in the region. And last week’s conference found her in Singapore. Although the big event was on Thursday and she had a few meetings on Friday afternoon, she opted to extend her trip and spend the weekend with me and Sonia instead of jetting back to Hong Kong immediately.

Our first Singapore reunion was on Wednesday evening at my office. She had just arrived earlier that afternoon, and she came up to see where I spend most of my waking weekday hours. We went up to the roof deck and she got her first glimpse of the beauty of Singapore from above. Post-work, we headed down to Boat Quay for Happy Hour, nabbing a waterfront table at the Prince of Wales, a popular pub. After having downed a couple of pints of cider each we took a stroll around Chinatown, one of my favorite parts of town—past the old colorful shop houses and market stalls, the lantern-lined market streets and assorted temples.

View of Boat Quay

Singapore's favorite spot for Happy Hour

We met my friends Johannes and Leza for dinner around 8:30pm at a tasty Peranakan restaurant called Blue Ginger. Set on quaint Tanjong Pagar Road, the restaurant was truly a find, and I hope to make it back soon. The Peranakan culture came about from the fusion of the Chinese and Malay traditions, and the Peranakan people had a strong hand in shaping Singapore. Their cuisine is a mouth-watering mix of ethnic spices and sauces, and it’s truly delicious.

Thursday was Sarah’s big day, and she was occupied from dawn till dusk with her conference, so the next time I saw her was at Friday lunchtime. She had some commitments in the afternoon, so we just strolled around the Marina Bay for a bit before I ultimately deposited her at the venue of the first meeting. And around 4:30pm, she was back in my office, a free woman for the remainder of her time in town.

That evening, I had booked tickets for an event we had both been looking forward to for weeks—Shakespeare in the Park’s Othello, an outdoor presentation of one of the Bard’s most famous tragedies. I had seen the signs and advertisements all over town and investigated a bit. When I realized opening night was Sarah’s only Friday in Singapore, it seemed like a foregone conclusion to book tickets. Luckily I booked early, because it wound up selling out!

From my office we headed to Cold Storage, a popular local supermarket chain. There, we stocked up on goods—plates, forks, knives, cheese, chips, guacamole, a yoga mat to act as our picnic blanket and, of course, champagne and red wine. We traipsed over to Fort Canning Park and got in line for the show, and the gates opened right on schedule at 6:30pm. We staked out a good spot and began to feast away, until we realized we had completely forgotten the bread for our cheese! A near calamity!

Luckily, a food stall was selling (overpriced) meals for people who hadn’t (wisely) planned ahead, and one of their options was beef stew with some bread on the side. I was relieved and asked the staff at the counter how much I could pay for just some bread.

I was confusingly told that they couldn’t sell the bread by itself, as it only comes on the side of the stew, (and even then only four slices). “Can’t you just sell me the bread alone? I really don’t mind what I have to pay,” I begged. But the inevitable prognosis was negative. (This type of idiocy is, sadly, all too common in Singapore, yet it never manages to be anything less than wildly frustrating to a Westerner.)

“Look, I’ll take the stew with the bread on the side, but I’m just going to throw the stew away, because all I want is the bread. So if that’s what you have to do, do it,” I said, quite frustrated. However, one man behind the counter just said, “Charge him the price of the stew, but just give him lots of bread.” Thank goodness! In the end, it was pretty pricey bread, but sitting in the open air with Sarah, excitedly waiting for the play to begin, sipping on wine and munching on delicious cheese, I knew it was money well spent!

The play was amazing, and the cast was uniformly excellent. I was only mildly familiar with Othello before that evening, never having seen it performed in its entirety or having  actually studied the text in school (to the best of my recollection). But it’s fair to say I was pretty blown over by the power of the story and dialogue. To boot, the set was really cool, and the staging felt clever and fresh, with the action having been relocated to modern army camps and naval ships. After the final curtain, five or six of the main actors came out to do a question and answer session with the audience, which was enlightening and entertaining.

We strolled around the heart of old Singapore afterwards, passing the National Museum, the Singapore Art Museum, CHIJMES and the Raffles Hotel. And we ultimately made it all the way to Arab Street for a post-theater cocktail at Blu Jaz before heading home (via my office to pick up Sarah’s belongings). In a moment of poor timing, I got a text from a friend about a get-together at her friend’s apartment while we were in the cab home. So after depositing a tired Sarah at Sonia’s house, back I went to downtown Singapore to continue my Friday night.  

It was a late start the next morning, way behind schedule. But it was relaxing and fun none-the-less, with former schoolmates Sarah and Sonia catching up while flipping through an old year book. Sarah had also never met Motez or seen an episode of Modern Family (afterwards referred to as “that funny show”), both of which also took up significant portions of the morning.

Eventually we got our act together and caught the local 32 bus from Frankel Avenue to Arab Street. Sarah got the idea of finding a Middle Eastern buffet for lunch, and we grabbed a quick beer at Istanbul Grill while Sonia used her trusty iPhone to try to find a suitable place. Her first phone call was most promising: “Hello, is this Amirah Restaurant? … Do you do a lunch buffet? … No, you don’t do a buffet but you can make a buffet for us on the table? … You’ll bring us lots of dishes and keep refilling them until we say to stop?” It sounded about perfect, and it was only a couple of doors away, so we booked a table and made our way down the street.

Lunch was delicious, with all of us getting uncomfortably full. We had chicken kebabs, a Middle Eastern fish dish, beef stew, lots of vegetables, garlic bread, hummus, baba ghanoush and pita bread for dipping. And, as promised, the food was unlimited.

Afterwards, we had a stroll through Bugis to the MINT Museum of Toys, a small museum that I had heard about but never actually visited. Inside was a gem of a collection, apparently the passion of one man who amassed the various toys over years and years and finally found a way to share it with the world. We spent about an hour wandering passed dozens of glass display cases chock full of every kind of toy imaginable. There were old Mickey dolls and Batmobiles, Tintin models and old-time lunchboxes, games featuring characters both beloved and obscure. It was a tour around the world, across generations, and I really loved it. Sonia seemed a bit disappointed that it wasn’t more interactive. She heard “toy museum” and though she’d be playing games and getting to handle old dolls. While that would have been very cool, I was thrilled with the reality of the museum, and I heartily recommend a visit to anybody who makes their way to Singapore.

After the museum, we grabbed ice cream at my favorite Singapore creamery, Tom’s Palette. I am now a frequent visitor, going several times a week. I’ve even rearranged my evening commute home so that I pass by the place and can stop in on a daily basis. While there are some standard flavors, many others are quite out of left field—salted egg yolk, chocolate stout, durian and garlic butter. And the friendly staff are happy to take fanatics on an around-the-freezer tour, giving out free samples of every flavor your heart (and curiosity) desires.

One place Sarah had specifically wanted to visit while in town was the iconic Raffles Hotel. Sipping a drink in the storied Long Bar is one of those Singapore traditions that every guide book insists is a “must-do.” I love me a drink at the legendary watering hole, and was happy to oblige my visitor. I also invited Taz to join us there, since she hadn’t been yet.

Raffles Hotel Long Bar

So the five of us grabbed a table and—in a first time ever occurrence for me at the Long Bar—everybody at the table ordered something other than a Singapore Sling. It’s funny, but I’d say 95% of patrons to the Long Bar imbibe on that single, sweet cocktail. What madness! Although I agree it’s a cool Singapore tradition, the bartenders know how to mix some killer concoctions back there, and that the vast majority of visitors opt for a pre-mixed Sling is practically a crime. That evening, I chose a drink called “The Rink by Charlie Chaplin.” It was a combination of gin, balsamic vinegar, basil and lime juice, and it was served over dry ice to keep it cold. It looked like something from a mad scientist’s laboratory, and I was delighted with my choice.

We lingered over our round, since drinks at the Long Bar, although delicious, are also quite pricey. We probably sat there for over an hour, just chatting and snacking on peanuts, littering the tiled floor with their shells.

Sonia and Motez had to head home afterwards, but Taz, Sarah and I headed to the Esplanade waterfront to watch the nightly laser-light show. As you know, Hong Kong’s light show is a signature attraction that I always take my visitors to see. I hadn’t yet made the effort to view the Singaporean competition, so this seemed like a great opportunity. The Marina Bay Sands shoots off lasers and spotlights, while plumes of water from the bay fly into the air as flames shoot off behind them. It was a pretty nifty presentation, and I need to actually see it from the proper viewing area so I can get the full effect of the music. Even without it, it was a stunning display—a notch below Hong Kong’s perhaps but worthwhile nonetheless.

We took a brief stroll around Esplanade Park afterwards, but the truth of the matter is that we were all exhausted. Taz went home, and then Sarah and I caught the next cab back, too. Although I put on an episode of “that funny show,” I was asleep before I knew it.

The next morning we woke bright and early, having gone to bed so early the night before. An original itinerary I wrote out allotted the morning to chili crab in East Coast Park and a potential cycle along the waterfront. Sarah’s flight was just after 4pm, so we had until around 2pm to continue the adventure. But I’m not exaggerating when I say the heaviest rains I’ve yet seen here constantly poured down from the heavens for hours on end. The rain usually comes all at once in a short burst lasting under half an hour, but this particular morning, it just kept coming. 

I tend to over-plan, over-think and over-cram my itineraries, especially when I’m trying to impress someone… In the end, spending the morning in Sonia’s home, watching the rain fall, watching “that funny show,” eating pancakes and ordering Pizza Hut turned out to be a perfectly chilled out, awesome Singaporean Sunday. Sarah kept saying how great the day turned out, and when she got in the taxi around 2:30pm to head to Changi, I was so glad we hadn’t rushed about the whole morning.

I’m not sure Sarah will be uprooting her Hong Kong life to move down to Singapore any time soon, but I still think the weekend was pretty stellar. And I’m glad how many new things I got to do myself here, including Shakespeare in the Park, the MINT Museum and the light show! Here’s to many more Asian adventures to come! 

Rusty and Britney's Asian Adventure — Part II

It’s always a pleasure to show off a place you love to someone who doesn’t know it yet, and it’s an even greater pleasure when that person happens to be one of your best friends. So for weeks now, I’ve known that this past weekend in Hong Kong, with guest stars Rusty and Britney, was going to stand out as one of my all time favorites in the Pearl of the Orient. It did not disappoint, and though it was short, it was sweet for certain, a nonstop onslaught of everything that has endeared Hong Kong to me over the past three plus years. Food, friends, history, and nightlife, the mesmerizing combination of tradition and modernity, the side by side juxtaposition of East meets West—all of these things contributed to the weekend, and it’s safe to say that the memories we created there over the past few days will linger as some of my most cherished Hong Kong recollections.  

My flight left Singapore at 6:05am on Friday, meaning I had to make my way to Changi Airport around 4:30am. I slept for most of the flight, jumping off and practically running through the arrivals hall to hop on the Airport Express train that would bring me into the heart of the city. You see, Rusty and Britney had actually arrived in Hong Kong the night before, and I had passed off my apartment keys to them in Singapore the previous weekend, so we all planned to meet there when I arrived.

The twenty-four minute train journey felt like it took hours. I positioned myself at the train doors so I could bolt to the taxi queue and grab the first cab, and thankfully there was no line so I was immediately en route to Happy Valley. I can honestly say that I can’t recall ever being more anxious to finally arrive at my front door.

Around 10:45am I was there, and Rusty and Britney were getting ready for the day. I know it had only been about a week-and-a-half since our adventure in Singapore, but something felt so magical about seeing them in Hong Kong, and I can scarcely call to mind a time when I was more excited or energetic. To boot, my French friend Nathan was also staying in my apartment, and it had been about two years since the last time I saw him. Nathan was one of my first friends in Hong Kong back in the early days of my time in the city, and he was passing through town and had asked if he could stay with me. Since we have plenty of space, having an extra houseguest was no problem. In fact, the timing was perfect, and I’m so glad he got to meet Rusty and Britney and spend some good time with us. (Britney couldn't remember his name and kept calling him Ferdinand. She kept saying, "He looks like a Ferdinand, doesn't he?")

We took a taxi to Wan Chai for lunch at my old standard, Crystal Jade. Sarah and Courtney were both sitting in the booth when we arrived, ready to feast on all of our favorite dishes. I love going to Crystal Jade in a big group because you can order tons of varied items and sample pretty much everything. In the end, we wound up ordering three helpings of the signature xiao long bao, my personal favorite dan dan la mian, chicken with cashew nuts, wu xi mushroom and crabmeat pastries and scores of other dishes, washing it all down with Tsing Tao, the most popular Chinese beer.

Something I enjoy most about having friends from home in town is when I get to introduce them to my friends from here. And although the food was delicious as usual that afternoon, I think the one aspect of the lunch I will remember most fondly is how well everybody got along, and how interesting our discussions were, with contributions from Nathan from France, Courtney from Canada, Sarah from England, and a trio of Americans, two of whom had been in Hong Kong for less than twenty-four hours! 

Sarah had to head back to work after lunch, but the rest of us were free to explore. We took a few minutes to wander around Wan Chai, my old neighborhood and without doubt one of the most vivid and colorful parts of town. There’s a side street just off Lockhart Road teaming with all sorts of market life, fish and shrimp flipping about, butchers cutting meat while cigarettes dangle from their mouths, pig's feet, horse tails, bowls of slimy eels, cages filled with toads and turtles and of course, dozens of other animal parts that simply can't be labeled. It’s a bit gritty, a bit dirty, and—um—I absolutely love it. It’s something we definitely don’t have in spick-and-span Singapore, and I revel in it when I’m back in town. Courtney and Nathan seemed to push ahead—they have both spent a lot of time here and these things are no longer novel to them. Britney and, especially, Rusty both took their sweet time, stopping often in front of the various shops, curious about the gallimaufry of living creatures on sale all around them.

The streets of the market wind their way to stately Queen’s Road, where we entered the cylindrical Hopewell Center for a ride on the Willy Wonka-esque glass elevators I’ve written about before. Although we weren’t properly dressed to grab a drink at the swanky spinning bar at the top of the building, the elevator ride is incredible enough by itself and totally worth a detour when you’re in this part of town.

After a quick stop at HSBC to change over some money, we were in a taxi on the way to Stanley. Driving past the beaches and villages on the southern side of the island kept bringing back old memories for me. The five of us were crammed into a single taxi, and some traffic due to roadwork slowed down the normally brisk journey, but eventually we made it to Stanley’s signature market.

After some souvenir shopping, we grabbed an early drink at waterfront bar Smuggler’s Inn, its walls covered in currency from all over the world. We even had a celebratory round of shots before walking along Stanley’s eatery-lined seaside promenade to Blake Pier and Murray House, two reminders of Hong Kong’s colonial past.

Blake Pier was the old docking point for when royalty and other important personages arrived from Mother Britain, and Murray House is a beautiful Victorian building that once housed British officers during the olden days. Both structures once stood in the heart of the city, but modernization almost saw them destroyed. Luckily preservationists fought hard and though both have been relocated from their original locations, they have been preserved so that future generations have a tangible glimpse into Hong Kong’s colorful past.

We took a quick peek into a nearby temple dedicated to Tin Hau, the goddess of the sea, and then grabbed another cab to the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen Harbor. The weather was far from ideal, but the rain held out and we were able to enjoy a rooftop cocktail on the Top Deck. We practically had the place to ourselves, with a view over the countless boats in the marina and the amusement park rides of Ocean Park. I’ve always loved the Jumbo, so I’m glad we found the time to slip it into our day. Courtney and I even split some oysters while sipping on our Jumbo margaritas as the skies darkened and night fell

I really wanted to squeeze in A Symphony of Light, even though it was slightly foggy out. So we dropped Nathan off at the flat, grabbed a slice of pizza from Paisano’s in Wan Chai and made our way to Golden Bauhinia Square in Wan Chai to try our luck with the nightly laser light show. It’s best on a crystal clear night, as forty buildings on both sides of the harbor shoot off a colorful light-and-sound show. Unfortunately, visibility was diminished, but I’m still glad I got to show Britney and Rusty one of the city’s signature tourist attractions.

Back home, we started to get ready for a night out on the town. After some drinks on the roof, off we went to Lan Kwai Fong. There’s a lot I miss about Hong Kong now that I live down in Singapore, and it would be impossible to choose the single thing I miss most. However, partying in Lan Kwai would surely at least make my short list.

Our first stop was Al’s Diner, the uber-popular watering hole famous for its Jello shots and sing-along tunes. After a few drinks there, we took a little tour around the best of LKF’s bars, stopping at our fair share of hotspots. My favorite moment of the night was probably forcing Rusty to drink a Flaming Lamborghini, an intimidating favorite local cocktail that every visitor is obliged to consume. The bartender lights the concoction on fire as you sip it through a straw, and fearless Rusty made me proud, though he did spit a little bit back on the bar at the end because, as he said, “it tasted like melted plastic.”

We enjoyed another drink in the heart of “Club Seven,” local slang for the area in front of any 7-Eleven, where cost-conscious crowds gather to imbibe on cheaper drinks than those sold at the nearby bars. Lan Kwai’s “Club Seven” is probably the city’s best. Situated on a pedestrian-only corner, it is an atmospheric place to chill out and grab a quick beer.

Courtney and Nathan then made their way to Drop, but since that’s not really my scene, we parted ways, and I took Rusty and Britney to Wan Chai, Hong Kong’s other hub of nocturnal revelry. Jäger bombs in my old local bar Typhoon, the live bands of Escape and Dusk Till Dawn, early morning kebabs at Ebenezer’s… It’s no wonder the sun was coming up when we finally caught a taxi home. But what a perfect Hong Kong night out!

Saturday was the one day I had set aside to show my visitors the core of Hong Kong Island, where I’ve spent the bulk of my time over the past years. We took the rickety old tram from Happy Valley through Wan Chai, Admiralty and then Central. About halfway through our ride, it started to rain pretty heavily, but through some generous twist of fate, the rain stopped just as we neared our disembarkation point.

We rode the Central Mid-levels Escalator up into SoHo, making our way to Yorkshire Pudding, one of my favorite restaurants in this part of town. My friend Eleni was there to meet up for lunch, and we ordered a round of Bloody Marys before tucking into our main meal. (I’m convinced their version of the cocktail is the best I’ve ever had.) We started with the restaurant’s namesake appetizer, a scrumptious pastry-like dish best enjoyed with savory gravy. The girls then had salads while Rusty and I opted for all day breakfast selections, the perfect complement to our Bloody Marys. A delicious sticky toffee pudding capped off the meal, which I’ll submit as evidence that anybody who thinks British food is lacking is horribly misinformed.

While we were walking through SoHo afterwards, Bernadett came down to join our party, since we literally walked right by her apartment. As we continued to wander up and down side streets, we made a pit stop in my office so that Britney could try to change her flight home. You see, she had originally planned to visit both Shanghai and Beijing after her time in Hong Kong, but ultimately she had concluded that it would be best to fly home from Hong Kong on Monday.

Literally across the street from the office is the exotic Man Mo Temple, with its spiraling incense smoke, joss sticks, burning oil, effigies and offerings. Painted in hues of red and gold, the interior of the main hall of the temple is one of my favorite places in Sheung Wan, and I love how close my office is to the iconic structure. Down a flight of steps just in front of the temple is the quaint Cat Street Market. Antique stalls spill out into the tiny street, hawking all manner of curios, from watches and clocks to old photos and magazines. At one stall we even found an old Hong Kong identity booklet from the colonial days!

After strolling around some more of Sheung Wan’s streets, including Chop Street, Britney, Rusty and I ultimately had to head home. It was about to get dark, and I had invited friends over for some pre-dinner drinks on the rooftop.

While I was getting ready, Keleigh, Allison, Hope and Emily arrived. They are four Villanova freshmen currently participating in the new Global Citizen’s Program in Singapore. I met them all a couple of months ago at a panel discussion and networking session organized by the university, and we’ve kept in touch and met up in Singapore since. Of course, I am always full of wonderful things to say about Hong Kong, and when they mentioned potentially organizing a weekend there, I basically told them they had to see the city before leaving Asia. It was a nice fluke that the weekend they chose also happened to be the one when my friends were in town, and so I invited them to join us for the night.

I chose Wan Chai’s American Restaurant as our dinner spot, and I know I’ve written about the place quite a few times before. You can rest assured this particular meal lived up to the same high standard as all of its predecessors. Ten of us wound up joining for the meal, enjoying an unending supply of Tsing Tao augmented by Peking duck, sizzling prawns, beggar’s chicken, sizzling beef with spring onions and all the other culinary treats that the kitchen prepares so well. I’ve had so many memorable meals at this place, like when my mom came to visit, the time my Navy friends were in town, the second anniversary of my arrival in Hong Kong and of course my recent going away birthday dinner just before moving to Singapore. This makes a great addition to the roll, and I hope I get to enjoy many more meals dinners in the future.

It was a fun dinner.

Post-dinner we grabbed some 7-Eleven drinks and hopped on the tram to Lan Kwai Fong. With an even bigger group than the night before, including many other friends who met up with us over the course of the night, you can imagine how much fun we had. I was so happy Rusty and Britney got to meet even more of my Hong Kong friends, and as the night took us from bar to bar, and eventually from Lan Kwai back to Wan Chai, I felt like I was flying.

V for Villanova—Allison, Keleigh, Hope, me, Emily and Rusty

At Al's Diner, always one of my favorite LKF bars 

Sunday was set aside for a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland. You see, Britney is about as big a Disney fan as they come, and Hong Kong’s park was the last on the list that she needed to check off. Since she told me this a long time ago, I was able to book a table at Crystal Lotus for the character-themed dim sum, and we feasted on all the delectable little dumplings and buns shaped like Mickey, Chip 'n' Dale, Chicken Little and other Disney favorites.

After lunch, we entered the park itself, parading up Main Street and meandering from one themed land to the next. It was my ninth trip to Hong Kong Disneyland, and it still hasn’t gotten old for me. From Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters to Space Mountain, from It’s A Small World to Mickey’s Philharmagic, from the Festival of the Lion King to The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, I always love a day there. It was a perfectly clear night when the fireworks went off over Sleeping Beauty’s Castle at 9 o’clock, as myriad colors exploded to the strains of some of Disney’s most famous songs.

Britney was flying at 8am the following morning, and Rusty was right on her tail at 10am, meaning we had one last night in Hong Kong. There were so many things I still wanted to show them, and I knew from the beginning that I’d never have the time to take them to all my favorite spots. With time ticking down, we chose Victoria Peak as our post-Disney destination. To save time, we took a cab up to the summit, where Courtney was waiting for us. But stepping out of the taxi, we were faced with the frigid reality of Hong Kong’s highest locale. The Peak’s cool temperatures are its greatest blessing in the sweltering summer months, but on this windy April evening, the air literally felt freezing.

The forty-five minute circular walk that I’ve taken every previous visitor on was not an option that night, especially considering our attire of shorts, t-shirts and sandals. Instead we had to settle on the view from the observation deck atop the Peak Galleria, and even up there, we hardly stayed outside for fifteen minutes. Still, it was the clearest it had been all weekend, and the stellar view of the city below, complete with twinkling lights and the glass-like water of the harbor, made for a nice close to the day.

We took the historic Peak Tram down the mountain to Central before heading home with the intention of packing and chatting on our last night together. After all the exhausting non-stop action the weekend had thrown at us, though, we all were in bed within half an hour of arriving back at the flat.

Britney and Rusty’s early morning flights mandated even earlier wake up times, and we left the apartment just after 6am yesterday to get traveler number one checked in and en route to the airport on time. With about two hours to kill before Rusty needed to head to the airport himself, I decided to take him for a very authentic Chinese dim sum experience. It was pretty much the polar opposite of the previous day’s version at Disney with chinaware, white napkins and tablecloths.

At Lin Heung Tea House on Wellington Street, you have to seat yourself and chase after the trolleys, lifting up the tops of the bamboo baskets and pointing to what looks good. There’s no English menu and most of the staff only speaks Cantonese, but the food is delicious and it’s one of Hong Kong’s few remaining traditional dim sum establishments. I knew Rusty would appreciate the authenticity of the place, and I’m really glad we found the time to fit it in.

After the cheap but tasty meal, we roamed around some more, exploring the market streets of Central as Hong Kong awoke for the start of another work week. We walked up past the Graham Street Market and through Grand Millennium Plaza, down Hillier Street and along Bonham Strand. We even grabbed a strong coffee at Capo’s Espresso just off Queen’s Road West before chilling for a few moments on the roof of IFC mall. Of course the two hours just dissipated and before we knew it, Rusty too had to board the Airport Express and head back to California. I’ve been waiting for him to come visit since pretty much day one, and I couldn’t believe he was already leaving. There was so much I still wanted to show him, so many things I would have loved to have included on his and Britney’s Hong Kong itinerary, but I’ll never forget the two weekends I got with them in Asia.

I spent the rest of the day wandering around Hong Kong, grabbing lunch with friends, riding the tram, meeting up with a buddy for a quick catch up and stopping by Sonia’s parents’ office to spend some time with them. After packing my bag, Nathan and I headed to Red Bar on the roof of IFC mall, where Courtney met us for some farewell drinks.

I had felt inexplicably strange since Britney and Rusty's departure... and then it hit me that this was the first time I was leaving Hong Kong since first setting foot there in 2009 where I hadn’t already booked my return flight. For all I know, I might be back in a couple of weeks, but not having the ticket booked, not knowing for certain when the day will be, was a strange and emotional feeling. Luckily, Nathan and Courtney helped ease the pain, and I boarded the 8:20pm Airport Express last night, making it to Gate 23 in time for my 9:45pm flight.

Thanks Britney, Rusty and everybody else who made this weekend so great. It was truly unforgettable, one of the most special I’ve had since I moved out here, and I hope you’ll keep the memories as long as I will!  

Rusty and Britney's Asian Adventure — Part I

In early March—in fact just about a month ago—my college roommate and one of my best friends, Rusty, told me some exciting news: he was coming to my corner of the world! You see, his girlfriend Britney was planning a massive two month backpacking extravaganza all around the region, and Rusty figured it would be as good a chance as he was ever going to get to come out and visit me.

Over the course of a few weeks, we discussed plenty of potential options. It started with a simple twelve hour layover in Singapore on his way to meet up with Britney in the Philippines. Then we would all meet up a few weeks later in Hong Kong. But then he figured it would be silly to have such a short amount of time in the Little Red Dot, so he opted to extend his stay for a night or two.

After Rusty booked his flights, Britney, originally flying from Bangkok to Manila, decided to come to Singapore instead for the long weekend, with the two of them then flying off to the Philippines together. They left yesterday evening, and this past weekend was the first real chance I had to play tour guide for an extended period of time in my new city. I had a ball showing Singapore off to Rusty and Britney and will never forget the great laughs we all shared here.

Rusty arrived just before noon on Friday, and I was at the airport to pick him up. It was slightly surreal to see him walk through the customs checkpoint at Changi! But it was so good to catch up, as I hadn't seen him since I was back in the States for Joe's wedding in October. We hopped straight in a taxi and headed to Sonia’s house, where I am still staying. And Sonia was gracious enough to let both Rusty and Britney also take up temporary residence for their stay in Singapore. 

Amy and Chiara were both at home, enjoying their last hours in Singapore before flying back to London and Shanghai, respectively. It was very good timing that Rusty landed about fifteen hours before their departures, getting to meet two of my best friends who just happened to be in town. I was supposed to head back to the office to finish off the work week, but I made an executive decision to take the afternoon off. It isn't everyday one of your best friends from America is in Singapore, and I wanted to enjoy the luxury. The four of us enjoyed some drinks and conversation before Chiara, Rusty and I all headed to the beach at nearby East Coast Park. Amy had to pack, but we wanted to enjoy the beautiful day!

We walked along the beach and found ourselves a seaside table at a local restaurant called Mana Mana. With a couple of jugs of Tiger Beer, some delicious satays and the restaurant’s signature fried rice, we kick-started Rusty’s first weekend in Asia. With a view of the waves and countless container ships waiting to unload their goods in Singapore, the afternoon passed quickly, and before we knew it, we had to head home to get ready for a night out.

Back at the house, there was more imbibing and chatting, especially when Sonia and Motez arrived. Eventually we were all showered, changed and ready to go, and we hopped in two cabs to head to my office. I know what you must be thinking: “Why the heck would you head to your office on a Friday night, especially when one of your best friends had just arrived in Asia?” I don’t think I’ve written about it before, but my building is in Raffles Place in the heart of downtown Singapore, and it has a sky deck with a pretty spectacular view over the Marina Bay. This is where I watched the New Year’s Eve fireworks, and it's a place I love showing off to all my friends.

Since drinks tend to be very expensive in this town, we brought our own and enjoyed them in the open air, overlooking the sparkling nighttime lights of Singapore. It was like we had our own private rooftop bar!

After finishing our drinks, we made our way to LeVeL 33, a microbrewery with delicious beers and a killer view of the city. Although it’s not quite as economical as drinking from my office's sky deck, it’s undeniably impressive, and the home brewed beers are pretty stellar, so it was a place I really wanted to take Rusty.

At Lau Pa Sat, a nearby hawker center, we feasted on more satays and a delicious local delicacy called black carrot cake. There’s no relation between Singaporean carrot cake and the popular Western dessert of the same name. In fact, carrot isn’t even one of the ingredients in the local version, making its name very strange. One bite, however, immediately makes you forget this quirky aspect of the dish. It was pure heaven!

Midway through the meal, Rusty and I had to hop in a taxi to head back to Changi Airport. You see, Britney’s flight was scheduled to land at 12:40am, and we didn’t want to be late. In the end, she had already gotten through immigration and cleared customs by the time we got there, but we quickly found her and again hopped in a cab to whisk her back to Sonia's.

Chiara was at the house already, preparing for her own 6am flight, and before too long, Amy, Motez and Sonia all arrived home as well. It looked as if the night was about to die, but luckily for me, Britney and Rusty agreed that we had no interest in sleeping and wanted to head out to experience a Friday night, Singapore style!

We took a cab to Clarke Quay, enjoying some more cheap 7-Eleven beers on what I fondly call “The Expat’s Bridge,” a simple bridge spanning the river where scores of expats bring their own booze and create an impromptu party.

We also stopped in one of my favorite Clarke Quay bars, called Highlander, to dance and party. The time just evaporated. We found ourselves at a local noodle restaurant for some late night food, and eventually hopped in a taxi to head home. (On the way we stopped for early morning McFlurries at the local McDonald’s!)

By the time we got home, Chiara had already left for the airport, and Amy was awake finishing up her packing. Of course we all kept her company until she left herself around 7am, as the sun was coming up. It had been great to have her around in both Hong Kong and Singapore over the past month, and I look forward to our next reunion, wherever in the world it happens to be!

With Amy gone, we finally got our much needed sleep, but we still awoke relatively early the next morning (i.e. a few hours later), ready to explore the heart and soul of Singapore.

Our taxi driver took his old sweet time driving us into town, steering clear of highways and sticking to the local roads all the way. Normally this would have annoyed me and I would have asked him to take a quicker route. However, we weren’t in a rush to get anywhere, and I enjoyed pointing out interesting sights and driving along some of the island’s quieter, quainter streets.

We jumped out of the cab at Lau Pa Sat. I wasn’t planning on eating anything there, I just wanted to show Britney the cool venue since she hadn’t been there with us the night before. However, one of the Indian stalls had some enticing dishes on display, and we ultimately decided to order some beer and food and get a little sustenance in our stomachs.

Of course, Mother Nature decided to throw more than a fair share of rain into our day, and while we were eating, the skies opened up. 

I was at a loss for where to take my friends. When I drew up their packed itinerary, I hadn’t considered that rain might thwart my plans. (Of course, this being Singapore, I should have known!) Luckily, Lau Pa Sat is near my office, and I had deliberately brought my building pass with me.

We tiptoed through the raindrops to Raffles Place, where Rusty changed over some money and we loaded up on some more 7-Eleven drinks. And since the sky deck is actually covered, it made for a nice venue to wait out the heavier part of the storm, as I pointed out different parts of the city and we just had a good chat.

After an hour or so, the rain calmed down to a faint drizzle, and we decided to man up and head out into the city. From the office, we headed across the river, walking up along the bank opposite Boat Quay, past the Asian Civilizations Museum. We snapped photos with the statues along the water, making our way to Clarke Quay and—ultimately—Chinatown.

A pair of quick pit stops in KFC and yet another 7-Eleven (not to mention a ‘massage chair’ where Rusty enjoyed a $2 automatic massage) and we were off exploring Chinatown. The Pagoda Street Market winds its way up and down atmospheric side streets lined with colorful restored row houses, and we snacked on some Indonesian dumplings before heading into the Sacred Buddha Tooth Temple, a multi-story complex built to showcase its namesake relic.

Just across the street from the temple is the Maxwell Road Hawker Center, not quite as visually stunning as Lau Pa Sat but no less attractive from a culinary perspective. With last night’s carrot cake still fresh in our minds, we found a stall serving it here, and ordered another helping.

Then we just wandered around. And wandered. And wandered. We made our way up and down street after street, stumbling upon fascinating statues, temples and buildings. Rusty thought a bar we passed, Our Korner at the Scarlet Hotel, looked interesting, so we stopped for a drink. I had a Pimm’s, Rusty had a caipirinha and Britney had her signature drink, a shot of vodka with a Diet Coke chaser. And we sat outside on the small veranda and discussed our plans for the night.

There was one bar in the area I wanted to show somebody since the day I strolled by it a month or so ago during my lunch break. I just couldn’t get over how ridiculous it was and wanted to make sure I hadn’t imagined it.

We wandered around for so long that I was starting to believe I had dreamed it! Nobody we asked seemed to know what we were talking about and eventually I had to call Sonia and ask her to Google it for me. At last, we got there. O’Bama’s Irish Pub. You read that right. O’Bama’s Irish Pub, located on Tras Street, has got to be one of the strangest places in town. There are obviously-photo-shopped pictures of the president wearing Leprechaun hats and holding pints of green beer all over the place. It is almost too ridiculous to be believed, so we had to stop for a pint. Turns out it was the bar’s fourth anniversary that night, and there was a special offer on pints, so a Guinness for me and a Strongbow for Rusty it was.

We visited yet another 7-Eleven to load up on goods before heading home to Sonia’s. After some power naps and a quick freshen-up, out again we went, this time to Arab Street for dinner. I know I’ve written about it before, but Arab Street almost immediately became my favorite part of town when I first explored it back in September. The quaint architecture alone would have been enough to endear it to me permanently, but mix in an abundance of out-of-this-world authentic Middle Eastern restaurants and you have an unforgettable quarter of town.

My favorite restaurant here is a simple one called Istanbul Grill and Café. With a handful of tables neatly arranged on the sidewalk under the watchful gaze of the fanciful Sultan Mosque, Istanbul Grill and Café quickly established itself as my restaurant of choice in the area.

We had hummus, tziziki, baba ganoush, stuffed grape leaves and plenty of other dishes, washed down with Effes Turkish beer and accompanied by the sights and sounds of Singapore’s Muslim neighborhood.

Just around the corner from the restaurant is one of my favorite Singapore bars, Blu Jaz. With an ever-changing roster of live bands and a chic interior, it’s one of the best places for a post dinner drink. Rusty had a coffee to try and wake himself up, but ultimately the jet lag won out. We decided to cut our night short around 1:30am and take a taxi home, so we could be up bright and early and fully take advantage of Sunday, Rusty and Britney’s last full day in Singapore.

Sunday morning we tidied up the apartment a bit, as it had gotten understandably cluttered what with all the people coming and going over the past weeks. Then we walked down to East Coast Park, with a bottle of champagne to share on the way. Singapore is famous for its food, and perhaps its single most famous dish is the tasty chili crab. In East Coast Park, there are some of the most famous chili crab restaurants, several of whom claim to have invented or at least perfected the well-known dish.

We snagged oceanfront seats at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, one of the most popular purveyors of chili crab. We also ordered one of my favorite local delicacies, cereal fried shrimp. Chili crab isn’t necessarily easy to eat. It’s about as messy a meal as I’ve ever head. Luckily bibs are provided, and we had no problem digging our hands into the saucy bowl, breaking apart the juicy crabs to get to the meat inside.

After the meal, we took a taxi to Changi Village. From there, boats leave every few minutes for a small island called Pulau Ubin. I first read about Ubin over a year ago but somehow I had never managed to make the journey over. It seemed like something Rusty would particularly enjoy, and I thought it would be cool to discover a new part of Singapore with my guests, so we took the short bumboat ride over to what is popularly referred to as the last remaining patch of undeveloped, old-fashioned, 1950s Singapore.

Ubin is unlike any part of town. It’s a small island with many unpaved roads. There are only a few restaurants and shops near the ferry pier, the rest of the island is dotted with humble villages and huge swaths of natural, undeveloped forest.

We rented bikes from one of the local shops and cycled around, heading to the Chek Jawa Wetlands, a waterfront park teeming with wildlife. We climbed an observation tower, explored the boardwalks over the mangroves and saw all kinds of animals, from crabs and birds to roosters and wild boars! At one end of the island, there’s even an old, Tudor-style seaside cottage, built by a colonial bigwig back in the 1930s. It’s quite a surreal sight, and it’s very lucky for locals and visitors alike that such a spot still exists in the uber-modern megalopolis I call home.

Cycling back into town, we stopped for an al fresco beer at a local seafood joint called Ah Lian’s. We then returned our bikes, made our way to the pier, and hopped on the bumboat to cross back to Changi Village. I remarked to Rusty and Britney that I really miss how often I used to take boats around when I lived in Hong Kong. Both cities are built close to the water, but in Hong Kong, boats just play a much larger role in the daily life of its citizens. I relished the short ride back, feeling the spray of the ocean on my face as we skidded over the waves.

At the local Changi Village Hawker Center, we indulged in some uber-local nasi goring and uber-American cheese fries and onion rings. That’s one of the fun things about hawker centers. You can take a chance on a random local dish and hedge your bet with some guaranteed comfort food. This time, since the local dish included some unforeseen dried anchovies, I’m really glad we hedged our bet! We ate our little meal on the steps, as the bustling crowds loitered about eating all manner of food.

After some sugar cane juice and a gruelingly painful attempt to find a taxi, we finally were en route back to Siglap. We made one quick stop on the way home, at Udders, an ice cream parlor up the street from Sonia’s house. Udders specializes in alcoholic ice creams, and the three of us split two sundaes, the Boozy Mudslide, (a chocolate and Bailey's combination topped with caramel vodka) and the Irish Nut (a mix of Bailey's, peanut butter and hazelnut ice cream that was absolutely delicious).

That evening, we headed to Singapore’s nocturnal stunner, the Night Safari. One of the Lion City’s most popular tourist attractions, the Night Safari is hard to describe. It’s a zoo that is only open from 7:30pm to midnight, and it attempts to shine a light on the night-time activities of the animal kingdom. By way of live action shows, walking trails and a remarkable tram ride past all sorts of animals, the Night Safari is unforgettable; as Frommer’s Singapore points out, "This is the one place where all Singaporeans bring their foreign visitors, and I have yet to see anyone walk away unimpressed."

We stayed until midnight, when the park closes, and took a taxi back to Sonia's where we promptly fell asleep. Three jam-packed days and three late nights and you can bet I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow!

Monday I had to be in the office at 8am, as usual. It was a pretty uneventful morning, but I was in contact with Rusty via email, and we had made plans to meet again for lunch at Ku De Ta, the rooftop bar and lounge atop the stunning Marina Bay Sands. Taz joined as well, and though Britney and Rusty got held up a bit because of an overlong bus tour, we eventually all met on the 57th floor of Singapore's most iconic structure.

After a spicy cocktail  we actually opted to head to Boat Quay to eat, since nothing on the Ku De Ta menu was particularly inspiring. We wandered all the way along the Esplanade past the Theatres on the Bay and the Merlion. Strolling up along the river, we passed all kinds of restaurants and eventually settled on Forum Seafood for spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken and a typical Singaporean bee hoon noodle dish. Mix in a couple of jugs of Anchor Beer and you have a fitting end of perhaps my most memorable Singaporean weekend thus far! I lingered for a few minutes at the table after watching Rusty and Britney walk off to make their way to the airport, not wanting to head back to work and certainly not wanting my friends' time in Singapore to come to an end so quickly.

Rusty and Britney are in Manila now, and they plan on spending a nice chunk of time in Boracay while they are in the Philippines, too. Then, in a couple of weekends, we will all meet up again in Hong Kong, where I'll get the chance to show off a second Asian metropolis to my friends. I can't wait and hope they are just as excited as I am. Stay tuned for part two of Rusty and Britney's Asian Adventure!