Pontian and Asian Gorilla Juice

Posted for January 25, 2012
After work, I had dinner at the Marina Parade Hawker center. It’s located directly across the street from the hotel. I went to a Stall called Pontian. It was Hella good. Chili and Black sauce with pork and Bok Choy, 2 fried wontons, and Asian egg noodles that had a bite like Italian pasta. It was also served with 2 more wontons in a clear vegetable broth on the side. Total cost for the meal.. $2.20 SGD. Next to the stall was a juice stand. I had Star Fruit Juice to go along with my meal. Star fruit – found in Asia - tastes similar to a green apple.



After dinner, I went back to the hotel. Not being able to find Ice Machines, I went to the Lobby bar and asked for a cup of ice. I still had my cup of Star Fruit Juice, but most of the ice had melted and it had diluted the last of my drink, which measured about 3 spoons. With the hamster wheel turning in my brain, I came up with an idea of creating a new variation of Gorilla Juice. For those who don’t know what Gorilla Juice is, it’s taking a new 40oz bottle of Olde English Malt Liquor Beer (OE) and topping it with Orange Juice. With the ice obtained from the bar at the lobby, I took a few cubes and put in the cup with the diluted Star Fruit Juice, then filled it with the OE. Baddah Bing, Asian Gorilla Juice.

Breaking In My New Flip Flops With Old Gawkers

Posted for January 24
Before I had arrived, I had set my mind on my first meal in Singapore - Hainanese Chicken Rice; and that’s exactly what I had last night for dinner. With the majority of all businesses closed, from the Lunar New Year celebrations, I was able to find a Hawker stand. It was ok, but good enough.

I woke up at 5 am and had breakfast at the hotel. After cruising the Internet, I got ready and walked the neighbor hood to the Geylang district. Not knowing how far of a walk didn’t concern me since I had the whole day to myself. I left the hotel at about 10:30 am.

After an hour of walking and with no map in hand, I reached the Geylang district with no issues. I saw a conjugation of old men and was curious to see what was going on. As I got closer to see what was going on, I quickly realized they were all gawking at the “working women” who were posted along the sidewalk adjacent to the main street. Just like the men who were ogling, the “working women” were old and dirty looking.

Feeling hungry from walking, I ate across the street. I had chicken rice and Tiger Beer. The chicken rice wasn’t that good, but it didn’t really matter as I was hungry and thirsty for a beer. After the meal I explored the area a bit more then headed back to the hotel.

I got back at about 3:30 pm. My feet were hurting and I had a small gash (strawberry) on top of my left foot caused from the sandals rubbing on my feet. I wanted to break in my new slippers/sandals, so I wore them and walked in them for a total of 10+ miles. The pain was so intense, that even walking bare footed in my hotel room caused pain. I sat in one of my chairs with my feet raised for half hour then decided to go swimming. I figured dunking my feet in the pool would help alleviate the pain, and cleansing my sweaty self in the pool would be refreshing.

After 2 hours in the pool, I cleaned up and had dinner at a place called Ajisen. I’ve never heard of it but found out they’re a global chain famous for their ramen. I was tired, thirsty, and was craving for Ramen. I ordered the Aso Volcano Ramen, which was a spicy soup base with pork, egg, and other good stuff. After dinner I walked for just a bit – with shoes this time - and ran into a bar next to my hotel. I took a peak inside and found it filled with old service girls. I closed the door right away and headed back to my to my room.

I went to bed at 9

Cravings

The area that I’m staying at must be posh. The reason why I have come to this assumption is because of the fact that I’ve seen more Ferraris, Porsches, and Maseratis in a 5 day span than in the past 3 years.

I noticed a Japanese restaurant tucked in a small plaza near my hotel while I was exploring yesterday. I’ve been craving for Sukiyaki in the past 3 months, so I decided to head over there and give it a shot. Prior to walking into the restaurant, I peeked around the plaza. There was an electronic store and several other restaurants- Korean, Filipino, and Churrascaria. Seeing the Churriscaria, with a huge sign in their front patio stating the pork knuckle was their specialty of the evening, I had to take a look. I spoke to the waiter. He explained the menu, their specials, and their happy hour. The happy hour consisted of a bottomless glass of wine with appetizers for $22 SGD. I had a huge smile on my face and was tempted, but because I was craving for Sukiyaki, I said thank you and I’ll return later.

Waraku Restaurant has 3 locations in Singapore. The one I dined in is located near the Roxy Center in the Katong area – behind my hotel. Priced at $17.80 SGD, I ordered the Udon Sukiyaki with a bottomless cup of green tea that was priced at $1.30 SGD. The soup base was delicious. Not salty, nor too sweet. However, the meat was a bit tough. That was expected, as Singapore is not known for having top quality meat. Overall, I enjoyed the sukiyaki and would return if my craving returns.

Layover in Japan

Posted for January 23

On Saturday January 21^st my brother in law picked me up at 7:45am to take me to the airport. At the Airport (SFO) I had a meal at Andale with a couple beverages and boarded my plane at 11am. I stayed up for most of the flight watching movies and had a couple 5 min power naps in between. I don’t’ know what it is about Airplane food, but it makes me super gaseous. Thank goodness they’re usually non-scented.

I arrived in Japan on Sunday January 22^nd at about 4:45pm Japan Time (1 hour behind the scheduled land time of 3:45pm). As I waited at the gate for my connecting flight, an announcement of the flight being delayed was made. There were mechanical issues that were being resolved. After an hour and a half I boarded the plane and dozed off in my seat while waiting for take off. An hour later, I woke up to another public announcement asking all passengers to disembark. We were instructed to go to a designated area and obtain information for accommodations for the evening.

Put up at Hotel Nikko Narita a shuttle bus was also provided. Check in was a breeze. Breakfast and dinner was included with the accommodations. The room was small and the bathroom appeared to be a pre-manufactured room. The toilet had a beday. Yes I used it. On my bed was a complementary Pajama. I have to give it to the Airline Staff at the Narita Airport; everything was taken in care of with no hiccups.

The room was super hot. I opened the curtains and put my hand on the window. It was cold. I couldn’t figure out how to turn the heat down so I turned it off. I figured the window was cold enough to cool the room.

Later on the evening I awoke from my room phone ringing and the alerts from my cell phone. My plan of cooling the room worked as I found my self tucked under the down comforter. The alerts from my cell phone were from messages left by a friend of mine who was going to pick me up at the airport in Singapore. I tried to text him back but my phone was not cooperating. I called the front desk to obtain the message left in the phone of my hotel room. The message was to obtain my Airline Ticket at the front desk. I immediately went down to kill any anticipation of what, when, where and how the arrangement for the flight to Singapore were planned. Looking at the ticket, it was scheduled to depart at 10:30 am.

Back in Singapore

Posted for January 23

After 42+ hours of travel time, I’m back in Singapore. And this time it’s for 5 weeks - not 3 days. My connecting flight in Japan was grounded due to mechanical issues, so the Airlines provided accommodations for an overnight stay in Narita. I was bit bothered that I had stay the night in Narita, but I got over it fast. Hell, safety first right?! The reason why I was bothered was because I was going to miss the NFL NFC Championship Game (49ers vs. the NY Giants) on TV. As some of you already know, I’m a season Ticket holder. I’ve already had to give up my Ticket and now to miss the game on TV didn’t sink in too well. The arrangements I’ve made to meet with a friend in Singapore to watch the game, has been dismissed. My traditional 40oz of Malt Liquor that I drink before the games, which I brought me to Singapore will have to be consumed for other reasons. But as I mentioned, the safety of my well-being supersedes all.

Sports and Priorities

It took me several days to get over that fact that I was going to miss the 49er Game – Live in person. After all, there is a reason why I own season tickets. For this exact reason: The Big GAME. Listening to Sports Talk Radio actually helped me get over it. It was therapeutic to say the least. I had to come to terms with the fact that Sports is exactly what it is, Sports. It’s entertainment that I’m not getting paid to do.
I’ve a list of priorities in my life, apparently travel and my career ranks higher on my list then sports. Just like what was said in the movie Fever Pitch, “You love the Sox, but have they ever loved you back?” A friend of mine was giving me a super hard time about missing the game, which I have to admit, stressed me little bit. But it was partially my fault for calling him the week before and teasing him about missing a monumental game in which critics have claimed it be one of the top 5 best NFL Playoff Games in History. He was on a family trip.

New Years In Costa Rica

Due to the inebriated state we were in, I didn't capture enough footage nor have a steady hand. On the other hand, I made use of what was available.

New Years in Tamarindo Costa Rica from Wackymango on Vimeo.

Curiosity

Happy New Year folks! I wanted to start off the new year with this video that I stumbled on Vimeo.com. In the past few months, I've been asked why I've been traveling so much. And with that question I've been asked if I've gone through a life changing experience that led to this. To be honest, this video that I found is the main reason. I've alway been curious. So should you!

The Future Belongs to the Curious from Skillshare on Vimeo.