Fish Tales

That’s “Happy New Year” in case you don’t read Chinese. Appropriate for my second New Year’s Eve in Singapore, I’d say.

Welcome to 2010. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Year's Eve fireworks from the apartment

Expensive. That sums up my grocery shopping experience in Singapore during the last eighteen months.

Especially for cherries.

Why must my favorite fruit cost so much!

Expensive cherries @ Singapore Paragon Marketplace

A conversion for those who need it:

1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds.

$47.90 Singapore dollars = $34.03 US dollars

Do the math.

Rainier Cherries cost nearly $15.50 USD a pound!

That’s a lot, especially considering cherries are in-season in Australia right now.

By my calculations, that’s about $13.50 a pound more than I’m used to paying.

That’s the pits.

One of my friends at work warned me to stay away from the shopping malls in Singapore on Christmas, but I didn’t heed her advice.

And, then paid the price.

Holy smokes!

I’ve never seen anything like it before. Literally, the Wisma Atria Mall walkways were jam-packed with people. Wall-to-wall. Front-to-back.

Apparently, the traditional “day after Christmas, rush the mall” activity common in America starts a day early here.

Or, perhaps it has something to do with stores offering great sales.

But, the only special deal I noticed was for huge crowds.

Christmas Day crowds @ Wisma Atria Mall

Three guys wondering why they didn't stay home

Bling! Bling!

Every Christmas season Singapore gets iced out. In a big way.

It’s flashy, over-the-top and beautiful all at the same time. And, you can almost hear that stereotypical sound as you roll down Orchard Road.

You need to see it to believe it. Hope this helps a bit…

Electric blue snowflake above Orchard Road

Electric blue snowflakes across Orchard Road (west)

Orchard ION shopping mall & Christmas tree

Thousands of blue orbs along Orchard Road

Christmas tree across Orchard Road (central)

Red stars across Orchard Road (east)

Thousands of red & white orbs along Orchard Road

Snowman orchestra - one of many carousels along Orchard Road

At our local drive-in restaurant, I always enjoyed watching the carhops roller skating from car to car. And marveling at how much they could carry without dropping anything.

That last part provided the most excitement. Not dropping anything.

How could that be?

So, a routine developed.

After spotting a medium-sized pebble, or other suitable debris, I would zone-in on that and hope for contact… and a resulting ’unfortunate accident’.

I wanted a crash. A big one with food flying everywhere!

Why? I have no idea. It’s probably related to watching too many Saturday morning cartoons. It was the 70s, and slapstick comedy ruled the airwaves. Plus, I had big hair – most likely accompanied by brown corduroy pants and an Incredible Hulk t-shirt. What did I know?

It just seemed like good entertainment.

But, it never happened. Ever.

So, I enjoyed my chocolate-dipped ice cream cone and saved my hatched notion for our next visit.

[flash forward to present day]

Last night, at the new 313@Sommerset Food Republic, those childhood memories resurfaced.

But, the game had changed. Good-bye roller skates. Hello Segway!

Food Republic beverage delivery girl

Like a learned behavior, I quickly scanned the environment looking for a weak link. A possible disruption. Anything.

But, being Singapore, there was nothing. Well, almost nothing.

I eyed the escalator nearby. The loooooong, moving escalator.

But, that would just be mean.

Right?

I’m not sure how many people in Singapore ever heard the iconic Wendy’s campaign tagline, “Where’s the Beef”. But, back in the mid 80’s it took America by storm. Everyone was saying it.

It’s a classic case of older being better, considering their current slogan is, “You know when it’s real”. Blah.

Anyway, this week when the inaugural Wendy’s opened in Singapore, the more famous phrase entered my mind – especially when I stopped by for a snack.

More later on why the doors were open

It’s been nearly two years since I’ve eaten a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and a chocolate FROSTY!

Too bad I didn’t get either one.

Quarter pounder and mini vanilla Frosty

I left the restaurant thinking of several variations of “Where’s the —-“.

Where’s the chocolate?
How could they run out of chocolate for the Frosty’s? Seriously. That’s the most important item on the menu.

Where’s the rest of the Frosty?
A small really means small. They should just call it a Frosty Shot.

Where’s the spoon?
How can you eat Frosty without a spoon? Not right.

Where’s the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger?
Not on the menu. The best burger Wendy’s makes. Not on the menu.

Where’s’ the dollar menu?
Okay, I get this one. Exchange rates, etc.

Where’s the air conditioning?
Broken A/C. 90 degrees, high humidity, no fans. And heat pouring across the counter from the kitchen. Oh ya, and profusely sweating employees.

A little sweat with your food?

Where’s Wendy’s? Not in Singapore.

Yep, that famous American Dairy Association ad slogan applies to us, way out here in Singapore.

Just not quite as much.

Why’s that?

Because the milk in Asia just doesn’t taste right. It’s hard to put a finger on it, but to generalize… it’s sour. In the “the expiration date is nearing” kind of sour.

We’ve tried all the brands. Same problem. Even the more expensive Australian imports.

All sour.

So, when I noticed a new brand at the Cold Storage grocery store, I nearly moo’d myself.

California Sunshine Ultrafresh.

Got (California) Milk?

The name says it all.

What a great branding strategy. No fancy names. No gimmicks. Just let everyone know the milk is from California. That’s enough.

And, the price is about the same as the Indonesian milk down the shelf.

Did I mention they make chocolate milk too? They do. And, it’s fabulous.

I think it all has something to do with the California “Happy Cows”. They do make better milk.

Correct that. The best milk (at least in Singapore).

Trying a pool cover-up on for size

I’m not entirely positive, but I think Singaporeans appreciate a good bargain more than most.

When it comes to deals, there are two brands of shoppers. One generally knows what they want and then searches for the best value. The other simply hunts for discounts and then decides if they want it.

This shopping behavior is probably typical in most cultures. But, the latter stereotype feels more prominent than I’m used to.

It’s the classic, “you can’t afford not to buy this” attitude. No matter if it’s needed.

Sales driving purchase decisions.

Case in point. When a UNIQLO store opened in the new 313@Sommerset mall, the place attracted the best of the best bargain hunters.

Elbow to elbow traffic. Literally. I’m not exaggerating.

Why? All the pre-launch advertising featured the upcoming spectacular deals. Nothing about the products, just the pricing.

So, what I observed inside the store shouldn’t have surprise me. But, it did.

They featured, and substantially discounted, typical winter outerwear clothing. That’s right. Down jackets with fur trimmed hoods, parkas, quilted vests, wool coats and flannel shirts filled up nearly a third of the floor space!

My first thought. Why are they selling all this? Answer. Because people are buying it hand over fist.

Beat the heat & humidity with a UNIQLO fleece!

PEOPLE, WE LIVE ON THE EQUATOR!

This reality seemed to escape many of the visitors caught up in the frenzied scene.

UNIQLO fleece for only $19.90? Limited Offer! Can’t afford not to buy it.

UNIQLO beach party fleece

UNIQLO equator wear

Flower Hmong Girl

Our early morning visit to Can Cau revealed a vibrant, colorful marketplace nestled against the mountain hillsides.

Each Saturday the local tribes gather to exchange agriculture, animal and textile products. And then some.

In Vietnam, the Hmong represent the primary ethnic group in mountainous regions. And, within this group, several subcultures exist.

The “Flower” Hmong comprise the principle minority in the area and their dress almost resembles a kaleidoscopic vision. The embroidery that decorates their clothes distinguishes each tribe within the various Hmong tribes in the region.

It was an amazing experience.

And a great photography opportunity…

Fabric market

Vibrant colored embroidery

Strong elderly woman

Baby carrier

Mother with child

Packing 50kg (110 lbs)

Leading a donkey (in town)

Elderly man

Yum!