by witsandnuts on August 31, 2010
(Steel and glass canopy over Pagoda Street, Chinatown)
Among the “China towns” I have checked, Singapore’s is the cleanest so far. Not really surprising, it is Singapore after all. The intended two-hour visit was unrealistic from the start, especially if you are going with me who is much delighted with street photography. Hence, we did the necessary timing adjustments. That’s one of the pretty facts when you are traveling on a do it yourself phase. To begin with, Singapore is very tourist friendly that joining a tour is so remote to me.
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Popularity: 11%
by witsandnuts on August 22, 2010
(Taken inside Beryl’s Chocolate Kingdom)
My preceding post about Bukit Bintang might have led you to think that I did a lot of shopping. However, that scenario/possibility remained just like that. The recent trip to Singapore and Malaysia was actually meant to just enjoying the place, though I was open to spending a little on shopping. Maybe I have successfully reversed psyched myself that I did not buy much and if there were few, most were not even for myself. Yehey, my “the-stuff-that-I-really-need-are-free” and “the best-souvenirs-will-be-my-photos-and-memories-beyond-forever” pysche helped. Haha. Anyway, here are some of the things that I was not able to resist:
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by witsandnuts on July 27, 2010
I recently had another of those “if you cannot buy it, cook it” days. While buttered shrimps, garlic shrimps, spicy shrimps and the like are easy, but if you happened to have dined in dampa (I’ve been only to Seaside Macapagal Boulevard), you will definitely crave for their buttered shrimps one day. But for someone like me who is miles away, I cannot go in any seafood restaurant in the UAE and request the wonderful people there to cook it “dampa syle”. The challenge(s) of living away from home is either you enhance your self-contentment for whatever edible is available and/or you learn to recreate or replicate the dishes back home – no matter what it takes.
I really appreciate the fact that the seafoods are reasonably priced in this part of the globe; probably due to generous supply considering UAE’s proximity to Arabian Gulf. While the main ingredient is very feasible, the problem is that dampa’s recipes are not published anywhere. Options left are to ask around or use the imagination (trying it most of the time). Of course, I did not get it the first time. I am not saying that they prepare it in this manner in dampa. But after trying the other possible secret ingredients, this was the closest I got. Onto my copycat buttered shrimps I just had to have the following:
a kilo of shrimps
1/2 cup of butter
6 cloves of garlic, minced
a little amount of salt
and….. 2 cups of Mirinda (that’s the orange juice-like bottle in the photo with Arabic label)
a little amount of cornstarch (optional)
In a wok, boil the shrimps, salt and soda together in medium heat for 8 minutes. Remove the shrimps from the wok. Set aside the shrimp broth (with soda). On a separate wok, saute the garlic in butter. The smell it produces is always appetizing. After 2 minutes, pour in the remains of the broth (not all) until desired consistency is achieved. Optionally, you may put the cornstarch for thickened sauce. Pour over the cooked shrimps.
Make sure your steamed rice is ready, then you’re all set and may opt to eat kamayan style (eat with hands).
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by witsandnuts on July 20, 2010
(The restaurant revolves slowly, in a manner that will not make you dizzy. You enjoy the sumptuous meal while your eyes are fed at the same time through the panoramic and per minute changing view of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. And yes, the Norah Jones-like charming lady sings Don’t Know Why, I’ll Be Watching You, Somewhere Over The Rainbow, and other renditions that will make your stay more worthwhile.)
Since the first year I have been miles away, I have learned to celebrate my birthday with people back home simultaneously (i.e. we munch on pancit or anything that symbolizes long life and other comfort food). On the other hand, my friends-colleagues and I in this part of the globe do a sort of thanksgiving for the added year that we have wisen up. I must say that we are intentionally mindful of each other’s birthday and other occasions because these are the perfect chance for us to get together, to withdraw from the inherent monotony (we all have that eh?). We have tried something very different from last year, plus that I had a joint celebration with a colleague.
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by witsandnuts on July 6, 2010
Photo from Gulf News. A group of diners at a Dubai restaurant were given a 25% discount after they found four bugs crawling around in their food (in March 2008 though). I think discounts attract almost everyone. But for this reason? No, thanks. It is funny that the receipt actually indicated the words, “Insect on the food”. If I were the manager of the restaurant, I probably had termed it as “Allowance for fortuitous events”. (j/k) And if I were one of the diners, I might have insisted on not paying at all and strategically stated my justification.
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i can still be updated about your goings-on 
On 24th of August, this is how the UAE reporters put it.
We CAN always rebuild
Bukit Bintang
Mini Malaysia
