Monthly Archives: September 2016

Folders

Posted on September 30, 2016 by d4vid

 The lounge at the Xi’an airport has li’l 肉夹馍 (ròujīamó)!   It’s a Xi’an specialty and the name literally translates as “meat folder bun.”

Posted in 西安 | 2 Comments

Hub

Posted on September 30, 2016 by d4vid

Today is National Day, the first day of the week-long 黄金周 (“Golden Week”) holiday. I’m back in Xi’an.  (“Well, at least you’re out of the tree,” Dr. Grant reassures me.) Have a four hour layover here before heading even farther west … Continue reading →

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Supertrees

Posted on September 17, 2016 by d4vid

This is the Supertree Grove at Gardens by the Bay.  They’re supposed to be this symbol of ecological awareness and environmental technologies, but I just found them garish. At the base of the trees were a series of sculptures depicting … Continue reading →

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Cloud

Posted on September 17, 2016 by d4vid

At the Gardens by the Bay, I lingered for a long, long time in the domed Cloud Forest which contains the world’s tallest indoor waterfall.  The interior environment mimics the moist, cool climate of the mountains between 3300′ and 9800′.  … Continue reading →

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Sky

Posted on September 17, 2016 by d4vid

I went to the “Sky Park” high atop the iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel.  Despite being a “Girl Drink Drunk” I had never had a Singapore Sling.  What better place to try my first one than at a bar overlooking … Continue reading →

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Chomp

Posted on September 16, 2016 by d4vid

Singapore is famous for its street food.  And by “street food” I mean clean, well-regulated and inspected food shops clustered in specially-designated areas of the city.  (William Gibson didn’t title his 1993 article on Singapore “Disneyland with the Death Penalty” … Continue reading →

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Safari

Posted on September 16, 2016 by d4vid

One of the highlights of Singapore for me was the Night Safari at the Singapore Zoo.  There is both a tram ride and several winding walking paths to explore. Be forewarned:  what follows is some of the worst wildlife photography … Continue reading →

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Irving

Posted on September 15, 2016 by d4vid

A cute lion because this is the Lion City.  And Washington Irving’s ties to Singapore are so obvious that they require no explanation, of course.

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Canning

Posted on September 15, 2016 by d4vid

A short walk from the National Museum is a small hill called Fort Canning with a sweeping view of the channel and the nearby islands.  For some reason, it reminded me of Copp’s Hill in Boston.  But far more tropical … Continue reading →

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Cleopatra

Posted on September 15, 2016 by d4vid

Visited the excellent National Museum of Singapore. Like so much of the British influence in this part of the world, it bears the mark of Queen Victoria.  Rotunda?  More like So-so-tunda.  Okay, not my best.  Let me workshop that one. … Continue reading →

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Lions

Posted on September 14, 2016 by d4vid

It is said that the founder of Singapore saw a lion here and, so, named the place Singapura (“lion city” in Malay.)  But it was probably a Malayan tiger he saw because there’s zero evidence lions ever lived here. Regardless, … Continue reading →

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Sports

Posted on September 11, 2016 by d4vid

My Mandarin teacher and her husband lived in Japan for several years as he studied at a university.  Their daughter is in second grade now and attend the Shanghai Japanese School, an elementary school which teaches classes entirely in Japanese. … Continue reading →

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