Singapore

Pineapple Tarts

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 1 Comment

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We are almost at the tail end of the Chinese New Year celebrations, where we say goodbye to the the year of the Wooden Goat and welcome in the year of the Fire Monkey! Doesn’t life already sounds so much more exciting ;)

On Saturday night we were invited to a Singaporean friend’s housewarming and Chinese New Year celebration here in Brasilia. It was potluck, and I immediately knew what I wanted to bring. Nothing says ‘Chinese New Year’ more to me than Pineapple tarts, and as this is such a popular biscuit in Singapore, I thought they would also bring a little bit of home comfort during this very important celebration to my new friend. Keep Reading

Well hello Singapore…I mean Brasilia!

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 5 Comments

Today at midnight I would have been in Brasilia for exactly 3 weeks, it is amazing how quickly time flies. I really feel as though I have settled in rather well and am already feeling quite at home here.

Naturally when I talk to my friends and family, they all ask me what my first impressions are of this city, and they are all surprised by my answer.

Brasilia reminds me of Singapore! No wonder why I am feeling so at home!

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Care Package from Home!

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 2 Comments

We all know how comforting food from home is – and every so often, no matter what exciting country you find yourself in, or what stage of your life you are in, you will at some point or the other feel immense nostalgia for the food of your childhood. Maybe it’s not so much for the flavours (although that is a very large part of it), but for all the memories that comes hand in hand with those flavours.

A couple of months ago, C and I were watching old seasons of Top Chef where the finale was in Singapore.  I was so incredibly excited about seeing those final two episodes and sharing the moment with C who has not yet been to Singapore, that I could barely sit still on the sofa. I found myself shouting and pointing at the telly with every new screen shot: “oh my goodness that is Seetoh!”, “there is lau pau sat” or “clark quay” or in a rather condescending way “what?! you guys don’t know what a rambutan is?”

I think I worked myself up into quite an emotional state, as when the show was over – I felt this incredibly emptiness and for the first time since I left Singapore almost 2 years ago I real sense of homesickness. Although I know without a doubt that moving to Mexico was the best decision I have ever made, I cannot help but be nostalgic about my old life and remember all my good friends that I left behind, and of course my parents who still live there – and the amazing life style that Singapore has to offer. I find myself with this lingering question in my head of will I ever move back?

That night, I posted something on facebook about missing Singapore, and a couple of weeks later look what I received:

A packet-and with the beautiful and familiar slogan of Singapore Post!

What a fantastic feeling and better yet when I opened it, it had these brilliant gems inside..box after box of my favourite mixes of these Singaporean dishes: Hainanese Chicken Rice; Laksa; Bak ku te; Mee Goreng; Prawn Mee; Chili Crab; Singaporean Curry – I could of cried.

Two of my very good friends back in Singapore saw my little distressed facebook post, and decided to send me a care package from home. Justine and Michelle it meant the world to me! I have all the boxes neatly lined up in my larder and every time I walk past them I am not only reminded about home, but the amazing friends that I have!

Thank you with all my heart!

XXXX

Rememberance Sunday

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 2 Comments

Its ‘remembrance Sunday’ tomorrow and I wanted to do something in my own little way, to honour those who have fought and died throughout the years in the world’s numerous wars, but also spend a minute thinking about my own family.

 Every year in Singapore there would be a beautiful ceremony at the Kranji war memorial – which is a cemetery dedicated to the Allied soldiers who lost their lives during the Second World War in Singapore and South East Asia under the Japanese Occupation. On Remembrance Sunday my father and I would attend the 7.30 am ceremony that honoured the lives of all those soldiers who died, but also would remember those who survived.

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