Saturday, April 29, 2006

Exhausted ramblings of a tai tai

The Asian tai tai life? Not for me, at least not yet! But still....

Spent all of yesterday coordinating the first wave of our move into our own home. Since the hubby started his new job, I could "almost" feel like a tai tai during my month off from work. But tai tai's are supposed to play mahjong and shop, with maids who help out all day, damn it! Exhausted, I took this Classic Dames Test just for fun.

Katharine Hepburn
You scored 16% grit, 28% wit, 47% flair, and 26% class!

You are the fabulously quirky and independent woman of character. You go your own way, follow your own drummer, take your own lead. You stand head and shoulders next to your partner, but you are perfectly willing and able to stand alone. Others might be more classically beautiful or conventionally woman-like, but you possess a more fundamental common sense and off-kilter charm, making interesting men fall at your feet. You can pick them up or leave them there as you see fit. You share the screen with the likes of Spencer Tracy and Cary Grant, thinking men who like strong women.



Compared to other people your age and gender:
You scored higher than 26% on grit
You scored higher than 51% on wit
You scored higher than 77% on flair
You scored higher than 50% on class

The Classic Dames Test written by gidgetgoes on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test. Find out what kind of classic leading man you'd make with the Classic Leading Man Test.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Malaysian democracy

One of my US grad friends, now working in Singapore, is looking to publish a photo essay which provides an insightful on-the-ground view of democracy in Malaysia with a focus on Kelantan, the only state led by the opposition, an Islamic party, with a narrow 23-22 margin. The piece reminded me of a debate we once had at an HBS MBA class regarding modernization and democracy, where we contrasted the pros and cons of western, "third world" or developing country, and Islamic approaches to each. Please click on An old Muslim democracy? for the full article. I've copied the abstract below.

The citizens of Malaysia have voted for their Government since independence in 1957. Since then, the country has developed from an agricultural colony into a modern, middle-income country. How has Islam lived with democracy in Malaysia? Is it really a democracy, or is it all just a façade? Have the different ethnoreligious groups gotten along? Is Malaysia a model of multiculturalism? This photo essay explores these issues by examining a recent election in Malaysia.

I was also pleasantly surprised to hear from my cousin about Sepet, a local production about an inter-racial romance between a Chinese VCD peddler and a Malay girl. It appears that director Yasmin Ahmad and her team have succeeded in both highlighting and bridging the racial, gender, language and even religious differences in Malaysia through this critically-acclaimed independent film. Evidently, Sepet was initially banned in Malaysia, but the VCD/DVD version is now approved and available in its entirety.

Friday, April 21, 2006

Still alive

Contrary to popular belief, I've not been hauled up on charges of - God forbid - free speech or jumped off the Johore-Singapore Causeway Bridge in despair. I've just been recovering from a cold which snuck up on me after the long Easter weekend, leaving me bedridden and home alone most of the week. As there's no food delivery in Singapore and it rained every day this past week, I'm officially over my "I-love-hawkers-food" honeymoon phase and am never going to set foot in the food court across the street again. Added to that, this was going to be my first real week off, since I'm still on leave from work while the hubby started his new job on Monday. Murphy's Law, eh?

All is not ill though. At least three great things happened:
#3: I caught up on all my accumulated hours (days!) of sleep loss.

#2: I discovered that taxi drivers in Singapore are surprisingly friendly and compassionate, and fares are definitely cheaper than Manhattan. The cabby who brought me home from the Furniture Mall noticed my coughing, and politely recommended a Chinese remedy for my cold. Sadly, I couldn't understand all the details and instructions....

#1: I actually spoke with everyone in my immediate (and very dispersed) family! Via phone with my mom, bro and sis - who are in Kedah, Texas and New York, respectively. In person with my dad who was chaperoning a group of Brunei civil servants on a Singapore government visit as part of their Executive Management Programme.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

We found a home!

Finally. We struck a deal that satisfied the agents, the landlord, our specific preferences and budget today. We're very pleased with our new home which is larger, newer yet more affordable than our "cosy" 1 bedroom apartment in Kips Bay, Manhattan. Do come visit!

Welcome to the Emerald Garden!
It's centrally located in the heart of the bustling commercial and business district that spans Raffles Place and Chinatown. Its traditional exterior blends in with the heritage conservation neighbourhood, while a gazebo pool garden provides an oasis of calm inside. To top it off, our (top floor) view includes a colourful mosaic of shophouses and rooftops below, and Singapore's skyscraper-peppered cityscape beyond. More photos and details once we move in....

Monday, April 10, 2006

What's a meterosexual?

I was asked this several times today, having recently arrived from New York City, the alleged land of meterosexuals. Sadly, my response was as inept as some of the answers given last night by the Miss Singapore Universe 2006 finalists. Feeling ashamed of my inadequate knowledge of this latest urban social revolution, I've since done my research and humbly present to you "What's a meterosexual?":

The term meterosexual originated in 1994 and typically refers to an urban male who takes pride in his appearance, body and lifestyle. Though this has nothing to do with sexual orientation, meterosexuals are often assumed to be gay as they demonstrate common fashionable feminine traits, e.g. they dress impeccably, love shopping, facials and expensive haircuts. In 2005, the new term übersexual was coined to describe an idealised man with such intellect, passion and professional success as to attain a degree of "greatness and perfection" with "little margin for error and fallacy." Top übermetrosexuals include Brad Pitt, Bono and David Beckham.

Next: Must motivate the hubby about his evolving masculinity....

Primary sources: Wikipedia and the Urban Dictionary.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Which city would you choose to live and work in?

Check out this April 4, 2006 Singapore Straits Times article on Singapore's #1 ranking by Asian expats, as surveyed by ECA International, a human resource consultancy. "The survey, based on expatriate polls and country data, ranked cities using criteria including climate, social network, health facilities, transport, education and crime... Australia was also popular among Asians sent to work overseas, with Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra taking the next three spots." Apart from the infrastructure and qualities of the actual city itself, "language and proximity to home are among the top concerns of expatriates around the world."

Out of curiousity, I asked my fellow Smith College alumnae this question. Curious what this diverse group of talented, culturally and world savvy women have to say? View the current poll results.

Tuesday, April 04, 2006

Foodie heaven, mobile bazaar, banking headaches

Foodie heaven. Everyone has their local favourites. Ours are the Katong laksa, char kuay teow, Qun Zhong dumplings, noodle soups and chilli crabs. In fact, pretty much everything tends to taste better here. Even American fast food outlets like McDonalds have more appetizing, innovative menus tailored for the local market. There's no shortage of upscale restaurants either, although as far as I could tell, online reservation sites like OpenTable haven't quite kicked off in Asia. Solid sites, reviews and top 10 lists for foodies include:
  • Singapore Tourism's official site
  • AsiaOne's Wine and Dine
  • Makan Sutra
  • Eat Shiok Shiok
  • World Gourmet Summit in Singapore

    PS Regarding durians, our love-it or hate-it thorny local fruit, don't forget you can't bring them on the MRT (as my hubby did) and beware those Carrefour sellers who can sniff out a durian-deprived fresh-from-overseas homeboy! (as he is)

    Mobile bazaar. We had a rather bizarre cellphone search given our two mobile requirements: 1) 3G (triband GSM and WCDMA) to make calls anywhere in the world, and 2) Starhub service to benefit from the phone, internet and cable triple play, as well as the free IDD connections. After three hours and twice as many stops at various dealer and company stores, we still couldn't find the right combination of phone and service contract needed. Possible stockout and shadow demand problem in Singapore? That said, folks in North America really miss out on some of the latest phones in Asia. When I left the US, Motorola's RAZR V3 was selling like hotcakes. As for me, I'd like a Nokia N70, 7370 or 6280 for Easter, please....

    Banking headaches. First, after patting ourselves on the back for exchanging all our US currency for 1.60, we (of course) discovered that the Dhoby Ghaut money changers were buying at 1.61. Hey, every cent counts! Then, we found out that neither of us could apply for a credit card from the local Citibank and HSBC branches given our lack of credit and employment history in Singapore. Furthermore, Citibank had a S$15,000 minimum balance requirement to open an account. Are you kidding me?! I suspect some of this has to do with the strict banking regulations in Singapore. But still, UOB, DBS or OCBC - you've got two new customers your way.
  • Monday, April 03, 2006

    Blogging 101

    Let's take a look at the value of online networks and conversations....

    How much is your blog worth?
  • The AOL-Weblogs Inc. deal
  • A blog valuation applet

    Why do we blog?
  • Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers
  • Does Your Company Belong in the Blogosphere?
  • The Lulu Blooker Prize, the world's first literary prize devoted to "blooks" (books based on blogs or websites in fiction, non-fiction and comics), awarded for the first time on April 3, 2006.
  • You SO want to be famous, candid thoughts from a blogger!
  • Jet lag blues

    Up insanely early despite last night's resolution to sleep for at least 12 hours. I feel every inch an INFJ today. Leave me and my muse be! Apart from twiddling with this blog, I've scoured the web, updated some 400 photos online from our 3 weddings last year, eaten a third of the only edible item in the apartment - a bag of Dale and Thomas toffee popcorn, courtesy of my sis, and created my umpteenth to-do list.... Note to self: It's gorgeous outside (that is, before it gets too hot and humid). If this happens again, take the hubby and/or a book for a walk in the Botanical Gardens and refuel with some bakuteh, nasi lemak, roti canai (prata), teh tarik, kaya toast, Teochew congee .... mmm, time for a real breakfast!

    Sunday, April 02, 2006

    Goodbye America, Hello Singapore!

    I've finally created a blog to track our journey here in Asia. Francis and I arrived a little before 7a today in Singapore. The flight was my most comfortable ever - 18 hours direct from Newark, New Jersey, with Raffles Class treatment to boot. That said, my feelings were very mixed throughout, in the wake of all the farewells, logistics and last minute packing in Manhattan. At least the conversation with our driver, Rodrigo, and the ride from Changi Airport to our temporary residence on Orchard Road brought back familiar sights and sounds, precious memories and an odd sense of peace about "being home."


    On our first US vacation since we got married (finally!).


    Taken in front of COPIA in Napa Valley, California.


    Please visit our Photo Gallery for some New York City farewell shots. More to come....