MacRitchie Nature Trail, Singapore A puff of mist rose from the jungle as I approached the wet boardwalk. A siren began to wail, calling the stray kayaks back to the shore as a rumble echoed across the water. I hesitated. Another loud wave crashed into the sky and rippled above me. As I counted the…
Tag: Singapore
Yoga Three Ways
I was running late. In flip flops, I clumsily sprinted past the Chinatown stalls and hustled my way through dawdling groups of tourists. Passing the Hindu temple, I paused to allow some worshippers to cross my path as they made their way towards echoey chanting. Sprinting across the road and ignoring the oncoming traffic, I…
Teaching English – one month in
I’ve completed my first four weeks teaching English here in Singapore. I’m enjoying the job, and mostly teaching Kindergartners (aged 4-5) their phonics to enable them to read, along with expanding their vocabulary. However, I have some older groups up to Primary 3 level (8-9 years) which focus on comprehension and honing productive speaking and…
Reconfiguring
Moving abroad can feel like falling into the Catch-22 mechanism where every incremental step forwards relies on something unattainable. Take my case, for example. I arrived in Singapore with an IPA (that’s an In Principle Approval letter). That’s enough to get you in to work, with an understanding that you’ll obtain the Employment Pass (EP)…
Familiarising fast
Moving back to London was daunting after my stint in Asia. Just as I was busy settling back into autumnal Suffolk, enjoying food that wasn’t coated in fish sauce and remembering how to drive, I was launched back up to the capital for interviews. This was an uncomfortable experience for a few reasons. Number one,…
Singapore Food Festival 2013
The food festival is a month long celebration showcasing the vast range of culinary dishes available in Singapore. Established in 1994 to promote Singapore’s gourmet arsenal, it has since become an annual festival to celebrate its hawker food heritage. This year, the food village at Marina Bay opened from 12th until 21st July. Featuring 40…
The Smog Blog
It has been the talk of the nation and it even made international news. The Singapore haze descended on us last Monday, and the acrid yellow bonfire smoke has only just started to desist. I am suffering from cabin fever and my local pool is still closed, with the National Environmental Agency continuing to encourage…
Eating fluffy clouds
I crave these two fluffy white local cuisines on a daily basis: 1) Kueh Tutu is a traditional Singaporean delicacy which is sadly facing distinction due to lack of local demand. However, in a stroke of good fortune, we have a legend here in Clementi in the shape of a white haired elderly lady named…
City of colour
Here’s a collection of shots from the last fortnight: Flower ‘mala’ necklaces in Little India Rainbow shutters on the Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts, Clarke Quay Grapefruit, watermelon and green tea breakfast Traditional architecture near Chinatown Sunset at Sentosa Island beach Two hungry chicks waiting to be fed Park Royal Tower, with 15,000…
Singapore – 10 things you should know
Having been here for over a month now, I’ve noticed some interesting things about Singapore: 1) ‘Kiasu’ is something ex-pats and tourists will learn about very quickly here. It describes the local ‘fear of losing,’ and this mentality of ‘not coming last’ causes people to ignore queues, politely shove you out of the way and…
Ferns and forest 