Of Moving Houses

Efficiency is one thing I admire about Singapore and its people. I’ve seen it everywhere: at the hospital, at the train, at school and at work. I imagine rows of desks documenting processes and procedures for a whole lot of scenarios and possibilities.

At work, we have a term for clients who are overly bureaucratic — we’d say they’re huge on processes. Well-defined processes are good but can sometimes be stifling. Experience teaches us that efficiency doesn’t always mean effectiveness. I keep coming back to a project we did a few years ago as an example. The client, a huge bank, had outsourced its IT operations to one of the Big Boys. The Big Boys were huge on processes and often used bureaucracy to their advantage but to the detriment of the project. A job that could be done in 15 minutes took 65 hours just because the process gave them the leeway of one to three days to take action on a request.

On that same project, where about seven vendors were collaborating, it was the Big Boys who refused to lift a finger if something was not explicitly stated in their Scope of Work (SOW) even though the rest of the team was trying to find a solution and were willing to go the extra mile, and even if the client was actually prepared to pay extra if necessary. Instead of welcoming the possibility of more business, the Big Boys were constantly slamming the door at the face of the client.

I have another example of how processes can sometimes cause anxiety to the ones meant to benefit from them, especially if the big picture is not clear to the everyone involved. Say you’re moving houses and need to update the address on your NRIC (National Registration Identity Card). To make the example more specific, say you’re moving from Pasir Ris to Sengkang. You surmise that the best way to go about the address change in your NRIC is to head to the Sengkang Neighborhood Police Center. There you meet Ramjoo, a policeman who’s attentive enough to ask you what you need. After stating your case, he asks you to hand him all the necessary supporting documents. He takes a look at the ICs and goes over the tenancy agreement. After flipping the pages a few times, he asks you where the list of occupants is, which he says is supposed to be part of the tenancy agreement. You realize you don’t have it and quickly apologize. Ramjoo tells you he can only update the IC of your husband because only his name is mentioned in the document. You try to plead your case by politely explaining that you’re a family and gently pointing out the same surnames in your IC as proof of that, but it’s not good enough for Ramjoo, who’s already shaking his head. You try to explain that it’s only logical that a husband, wife and an only child would live together under a single roof, but are quickly met with more unrelenting, dismissive shaking of the head. Never mind that you brought along your passports, marriage certificate and your son’s birth certificate. What’s not written explicitly in the process manual can’t be considered. You finally realize the futility of the situation and simply agree with the alternative.

As Ramjoo explains what will happen, you argue with yourself about the validity of your logic. You convince yourself that there is indeed the slight possibility that a family of three would live in separate houses, no matter how unlikely that sounded. Then you begin to think that maybe it’s a problem with the heart, that people are maybe trained to follow processes, not to be considerate or to excel in customer service. Maybe that’s why Ramjoo isn’t very accommodating. Maybe that’s why Ramjoo doesn’t waste any second trying to flash a smile. And then suddenly, the word service triggers something in your head — maybe the police motto is To Protect and To Serve, in that strict order. But then, a quick few glances here and there shows you exactly what you need — you read that the mission of the police is to uphold the law, maintain order and keep the peace. After a few more minutes of rumination, you successfully convince yourself that whatever transpired was probably best for your own protection, that Ramjoo’s job is not to make you happy but to protect the citizens and residents of the state.

You say to yourself that it’s not a very bad day after all as you walk out of the police center and into the outside world under the bright blue sky where all hope is certainly not lost.

A Busy Afternoon On Bugis Street

A search for RC helicopter parts and Bluetooth headsets set my sights on the infamous Sim Lim Square. Prepared to spend the better half of my afternoon walking to accomplish my mission, I armed myself with a camera just in case there was anything interesting to capture. But first, I allowed myself the simple pleasure of sitting on the train ride from the Pasir Ris Station to the Bugis Station.

In hindsight, I realize that the thought about Bugis not being interesting should never cross anyone's mind. For locals, Bugis as the "largest street shopping location in Singapore" is sure to always have their attention, shopping being the favorite national past time, rivaled only by football and gastronomy. For tourists, Bugis is the best place to find cheap souvenirs. And for those who like to dig in a little deeper into Bugis' past, the place has been made famous by transvestites luring sailors and military personnel on their stop in the Merlion City.

As for my own experience, the visit of friends to Singapore is almost always never complete without a tour of Bugis. And why not? T-shirts, mugs, key chains, trinkets and other items that are light on the budget and easy to carry are golden to visitors wanting to take a piece of Singapore with them. A huge percentage of friends from neighboring countries are also interested in purchasing electronic goods during their visit, and for that, if you know what you're doing, what better place to go than Sim Lim Square?

As to my very own adventure during this particular visit, I am tempted to summarize it in two words: mission failed! Not only did I not find the helicopter part, but I also ended up not buying any Bluetooth headset. But then, all things considered, it wasn't a total failure. After all, few things could rival satisfying one's curiosity, and I say this after watching sales pitchmen go about their business — it was a priceless 10-minute education in making high impact presentations. (I will confess that I have more than once bought items they were selling even if they were speaking in Mandarin, a language I could count on my fingers the number of words that I understand.) How about the joy of drinking fresh juice after a long and tiring walk? Or the inexplicable pleasure of my longstanding affair with Ya Kun's kaya toast? Or the fact that I managed to buy something from the fruit stand for just $5? And oh, I made four people happy by bringing home Ritz' apple strudel.

This must be the weirdest way I've ever ended something I wrote, but I'm having a slice of that apple strudel for my midnight snack just after hitting that orange "publish post" button. Chow!

Atop Singapore's First Vertical Mall, Orchard Central

Orchard Central is Singapore's first vertical mall. This fact wasn't apparent to us during our earliest visits, so we got to explore only the first few levels then. It was through friends that we learned the entire building was actually a mall, and that the upper levels were worth checking out. Last week, in the company of friends, we decided to spend a few hours of our Saturday afternoon wandering through the place.

We had a grand time gallivanting around the 18-month-old establishment going shop by shop, floor by floor. Some of the things that made a lasting impression were the indoor climbing wall, the Asian Food Channel's kitchen studio, the virtual indoor golf simulation center and the dance studio. (More on this, including pictures in a future post.)

We also didn't pass up the opportunity to go see the roof garden. Aside from giving a view from above of Orchard Road and its neighboring surroundings, the roof garden also features several restaurants — Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Vietnamese and Singaporean —, and exhibits a number of artworks. Waterfalls, pools, garden walls, hyacinths, orchids, bamboo groves, and other types of trees and plants make the rooftop an oasis of calm in the center of the city.

Trying out the different restaurants is certainly a good reason to come back. There shall be more pictures to take too — hopefully there would be no lovers talking by the waterfalls to interrupt next time around. ;)

Little India's Masala Hut

A trip to Little India became the consensus when we couldn't find a place to eat in Suntec City. It was past ten o'clock in the evening on a Tuesday night.

I made the suggestion of looking for a place to eat near the hotel of our visitors. After all, they had a four-year old daughter in tow, and I wanted to make it easy for them. Eva agreed, and suggested we go very near their hotel, which was located in Farrer Park. Her husband —who's originally from Finland by the way — turns out to be a lover of Indian food. Feeling a little adventurous, we alighted at Little India instead of Farrer Park.

Except for a few stalls, the market right beside the Little India station was already closed. We had second thoughts about our adventure and thought of taking the sure route to Clarke Quay instead. But we trudged on and after only about two minutes of walking, we seemed to have found what we were looking for.

From a distance Masala Hut appeared inviting. It was well lit, its patrons and homey interiors could be seen through the windows. Inside, the place was spick and span, with wooden tables and chairs and the familiar stainless utensils common in Indian restaurants.

I had learned to eat Indian food only here in Singapore. In previous posts, I had documented my adventures in Aangan, a North Indian restaurant, and Annalakshmi in Amoy St., which practiced the Eat what you want, Give as you feel concept. Well, this was a somewhat different experience, a delightful one still.

We had dosa, cheese naan, garlic naan and Masala chicken. I gave the kulfi or Indian ice cream a try too. I didn't regret it. The total bill came to S$50 — not bad at all for five people.

If I ever get lost and hungry on Little India again, I know where to go.

Suntec City's Fountain of Wealth

We had a chance to visit Suntec City's Fountain of Wealth, which is also known as the World's Largest Fountain a few days ago, thanks to visiting relatives who were touring Southeast Asia. The place made it to our relative Eva's list of places to go in Singapore and we were glad to meet her and her family for dinner there.

Unfortunately, they arrived late and only made it towards the end of the last laser show for the day. All wasn't lost though as Eva's four-year-old daughter had a grand time admiring the colorful lights, the spurting, pouring and flowing water, and the towering bronze figure (almost 14 meters high). There was also no stopping her from getting her hands (not feet) wet from touching the water.

They also didn't pass up the chance to get up close and take part of the ritual of going around the fountain three times while touching the water for good luck!

Singapore 360 - Day 36: United Colors of HDBs (A Change In Perspective)

It still amazes me how a change in perspective alters the way we see things. There was a time when I expressed my opinion that it would make HDBs look neater and maybe a bit more sophisticated if they were painted mostly white, or at least a lighter shade. I imagined the entire of Singapore having rows and rows of white buildings where people lived in. When I finally listened to what I was saying, I wanted to smack myself in the head.

I see two ironies in this. First, a lot of people already say that Singapore is boring. Just do a Google search on "Singapore is boring" and you'll see what I mean. Bringing my stupid idea into light, not that it would even be considered, doesn't exactly help disprove this notion.

Second, for most part of my life, at least up to the present, I have never been one to live inside an ordinary and dull white box. I realize now that choice had a lot to do with it but I will not deny that in the past, especially during the dark moments, that I was plagued with the victim mindset. What lead me away from the victim mentality? A change of perspective of course. And a decision to live under bright light.

Living outside a boring white box means life being an adventure, taking risks, learning new things and setting up one's self where a thing or two eventually goes wrong. It is a life filled with colors, one that requires a person to see things not in black and white but in the full spectrum of light. But it is also a life where things don't always go as planned and therefore one filled with tears, hope, laughter and disappointment. But isn't that what life is all about?

It's true, a change of perspective can shed new light and bring fresh color to an otherwise dull and boring view. Perhaps it's time to tilt those lenses?

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Singapore 360 - Day 35: Do Everything In Love

Do everything in love. This is the message one of our fellow pedestrians earlier wanted to let the world know about today.

The line written on his sweater caught our attention as we were about to cross Orchard Road. As if on cue, he sat on one of the pedestrian bollards right in front of us. I guess the message was meant to be shared, the meaning up to the reader to decide.

Singapore 360 - Day 34: VivoCity Rooftop Water Pool

Q: Who belongs to this?

A: One of the few enjoying themselves, dipping in the cool waters of the shallow pool on the VivoCity rooftop, exposed directly under the debilitating noontime sun.

This is a common scene, and as far I remember, it has been like this since the first visit I made to the VivoCity rooftop. The kids wading in the pool seem to be inured to the scorching heat. Come to think of it, what's the best course of action when confronted by a dizzyingly burning sensation all over but dipping in cool water? As the sun goes down, the number of people increases — more children wading means more parents looking after them.

There is no lack of conspicuously displayed no swimming signs around the area. The water is too shallow to swim in anyway, but that might not be the case for little children. The entire picture reminds me of a place in Sentosa, where a sign that says "no children playing" is prominently displayed but is never really a deterrent for kids wanting to enjoy the refreshing water. Oh well, kids will be kids. And parents will always be there to support them and keep them safe.

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Singapore 360 - Day 33: Baby Asleep On Bike

We saw this happen while waiting for the bus a few days ago. The toddler fell asleep on the bike and so the mother had to get off and hold the baby's head to keep it from further falling sideways and disturbing his peaceful sleep in the process. Good thing the father, who appeared to be following them, was just a traffic light away. By the time the father was close enough however, the baby was awake and had already straightened up, possibly from hearing the voice of its own mother calling for backup.

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Singapore 360 - Day 32: Old Hill Police Station

The building with colorful windows on Hill Street has an equally colorful history. For starters, the lot it occupies used to house a school and a theater. When it was built in 1934, it served as a police station, which also held Singapore's first jail, and was then regarded as a skyscraper. During the Japanese Occupation, it was used as a holding area and torture ground for prisoners. After that, it resumed its use under the police department for over three decades before being closed and renovated to house other various government departments. It was declared a national monument in 1998.

The structure is now called MICA Building as it is primarily being occupied by – aptly so I think due to it's appeal — the Ministry of Information, Communications and The Arts. This doesn't stop cab drivers from calling it the Old Hill Police Station though, and I can guarantee you'll be inviting questions that aim to clarify where you want to go if you use the new name. Well, you can get there too — and I dare you — by saying you want to go the building with colorful windows in Clarke Quay.

If anyone's looking for more reason why it should remain being called Old Hill Police Station, it has 911 windows. And oh, for clarity's sake, the emergency number for Singapore is 999.

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Singapore 360 - Day 31: Wave House Sentosa

Surfing isn't among the list of sports that is popular in Singapore. Also, while the country is surrounded by sea, it's fair to say that Singapore isn't much of a beach destination.

Well, those reasons shouldn't stop anyone from trying out something that resembles the sport right in Singapore's most popular tourist destination. With the opening of Wave House in Sentosa late last year, the lack of ginormous surfing waves seems to have been addressed.

Their solution is, of course, technology-driven, with good results — surfer-to-die-for waves artificially generated over and over again. Judging from the big smiles on the faces of those who have tried the wave simulator, it looks like a lot of fun.

I've always thought of myself as a beach lover. But I find that statement ironic given the fact that I have never tried surfing. Although I'm quite sure my case is hardly unique, I feel my claim as a beach lover doesn't hold much water (pun intended) until this hurdle is surpassed. Well, here's my chance, you might say.

Looking back, my love for the beach was brought about by those yearly summer trips to the beach my family would make. As a young boy, the beach was always the one thing that defined my summer. I always looked forward to the gentle kiss of the sea breeze on my face, the taste of salty water on my lips, the ticklish feel of sand at my feet, the hypnotic splashing of the waves against my torso and even the painful sunburns all over my body afterwards.

I guess it's time to plan for striking one item off that long list.

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Singapore 360 - Day 30: HDBs

This is what a typical house in Singapore, commonly referred to as HDB, looks like.

I realize I have a previous post about HDBs but I've never actually posted a picture of an entire building.

As you might have guessed, I live in one of these flats. The government does a good job of maintaining them and is pretty strict —this might not be news to you— on implementing its set of rules for the occupants. For instance, placing flower pots on ledges where they can easily fall off and hurt or even kill someone is a no-no. Posters constantly reminding residents that they "may be jailed or fined" for violating such rules are omnipresent.

The main difference between a condo and a HDB, aside from the dollar sign, are the amenities. There are no swimming pools, gyms, barbecue pits or clubhouses in HDBs.

A friend points out that one of the things she doesn't like about HDBs are the pipes: they are conspicuously displayed — for good reason though: ease of maintenance — not only in the bathroom but sometimes in the living room. Her imagination gets the better of her, visualizing what sort of thing passes between those pipes.

As for me, I'm still happy living in an HDB flat. The nearby Pasir Ris Park and my own gym membership more than make up for the missing amenities. As for the pipes, I can live with that, as long as they don't ever leak.

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Singapore 360 - Day 29: Riverside Point, Clarke Quay

Here's a shot of Riverside Point in Clarke Quay.

Jumbo Seafood Restaurant, known for its Chili Crab, is at the extreme left. Brewerkz, a local microbrewery restaurant is at the extreme right. Both are favorite spots among our circle of friends. The bridge takes you to the clubs, bars and the G-Max reverse bungee.

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Singapore 360 - Day 28: Shiraz Belly Dancer

Shiraz. Two things come to mind when I encounter the word: the variety of red wine that's powerfully flavored and full bodied, and the city in South Iran that's also been called the city of gardens.

That changed a few months ago when I finally took note of the name of the bar in Clarke Quay that occasionally features a belly dancer shaking and grooving to a lively beat. Whether I like it or not, I knew my brain would associate belly dancing with Shiraz from then on.

We'd normally pass by the bar as part of the Clarke Quay tour we give to visiting friends. On one particular day, the couple we were showing around was in luck. So was I, for I had brought my camera with me.

It's not surprising that everyone within a 10-meter radius of the bar turned their attention on her: first, the curious glances; then the bedazzled stares; next, the suddenly ubiquitous flashes and staccato clicks of the cameras; and after the performance, the applause.

Just a few days ago, when we were on our "tour of duty" for another visiting friend, there was no belly dancer doing her thing in Shiraz. It seemed, at least for me, that the whole of Clarke Quay was a little less lively.

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Singapore 360 - Day 26: Pasir Ris Town Park Fish Pond

I haven't tried fishing. But I heard, just like with golf and photography, it's a lot of fun but also requires tons of patience. Fun and patience — they're an odd pair but with certain things you can't have one without the other.

I had the opportunity to visit the Pasir Ris Town Park again during the weekend. Not going there to jog, I did not pass up the chance to take a few pictures. Those who were fishing in the pond didn't seem to mind. Well, I tried not to get in their way.

Before leaving I made a promise to myself to try fishing within the year. I have one person in mind who I think would gladly come with me. And the fish pond at the Pasir Ris Town Park doesn't look like a bad place to start.

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Singapore 360 - Day 25: Marché At 313 Somerset

A few months ago I posted an entry on Marché Restaurant in Vivo City. It really has been one of my favorite places to dine since a friend took me to its original branch in Orchard Road back in 2005.

Last December, I heard from another friend that there was a new Marché in 313 Somerset as we made plans of treating to dinner one of our mutual friends who came here to participate in the Standard Chartered Marathon. Everything was set but when we came on the actual day to eat, we found out much to our dismay that there was a private function being held and the restaurant was closed to the public. We ended up dining in another of our favorites — Din Tai Fung.

This January, we didn't pass up the chance to visit Marché at 313 Somerset for the first time. We had a bit of trouble finding it because it was listed in the mall directory under B1. We searched the entire basement 1 but couldn't find it. Luckily we found the information counter on the ground level, which pointed us to the right direction.

At first glance, the place seemed a bit too small. But we soon realized that we weren't seeing the entire picture. Apparently, what we were looking at was just the bakery and the people who had gathered there were queuing to buy — if that's any indication of how good their breads and pastries are.

The restaurant is actually situated one level below, no wonder it was listed under B1! (I disagree however, because there is no entrance at this level.) The staircase leading to it was decorated to depict the typical Swiss farm life. The lamb sucking milk from its mother almost looked too real.

Pretty soon we concluded that the ambiance was really nice, way cooler than that of their Vivo City branch.

We ordered, among others, an entire pan of Paella and was a bit disappointed when the server told us we had to wait for 50 minutes. He said he didn't want to keep other customers who would order smaller portions from waiting too long. I thought it should have been done on a first come, first served basis. And yes, there were no pending orders that time. We came to a mutual agreement that he'll do his best to cut it down to 25 minutes.

We ended up waiting for an hour. Also, the guy ended up serving other customers in the midst of giving our orders. He looked like he could have used some help. Oh well, we didn't let that dampen our mood and had ordered enough other food to keep us calm until the paella was fully served. I remember we had fried chicken, oysters, mushroom, salad and rosti. I'm surprised we even had room left for coffee and desert!

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Singapore 360 - Day 24: Sri Thendayuthapani Temple

I've seen this Hindu temple a number of times before as I strolled along Tank Road. I finally had a chance to take a few photos when we had dinner at a nearby restaurant.

A quick visit to their website reveals that the Sri Thendayuthapani Temple or Chettiars' Temple is one of the oldest temples in Singapore and was built in 1859.

Not surprisingly, it's listed as a tourist attraction in the Singapore Tourism Board. I'm just not sure if tourists or non-Hindus are allowed to go in because I haven't tried.

If my memory doesn't betray, I remember that a few years ago while going around Little India and China Town, tourists were allowed to take photos up close if they were willing to pay. Oh well, you can see pictures of the temple in the Sri Thendayuthapani web site.



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Singapore 360 - Day 23: Clarke Quay And The Central Mall Christmas Tree

Judging by the number of people there at night, Clarke Quay continues to be a favorite hangout destination for Singaporeans and tourists alike. It's a popular destination for us too, especially when we need to meet up with friends visiting Singapore. It's seems like a trip to Clarke Quay and the Jumbo Restaurant at Riverside or Riverwalk would always be in order.

In one of those recent visits by friends to the Merlion City, this time by two artists, we decided on having dinner in Jumbo — as you might have guessed. I took the opportunity to take a picture of Clarke Quay and of course, the Christmas tree displayed by the Central mall.

It's a pretty Christmas tree but were they able to top what they put on display last year?

I'm undecided. Last year's Christmas tree looked elegant but seemed petite. The one on display today appears to be a bit more grand, a little bit more inspiring perhaps.

Well, I have no complaints. It's pleasing to the eyes and it adds to the holiday cheer.

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