Dragon Boat Festival Day

June 16th was the Dragon Boat Festival. Years ago in China, a famous poet drowned himself in a lake as a political statement (seriously, he couldn't just write to his congressman? ...although I've also heard a version of the story in which the drowning wasn't so voluntary). All the poet's followers raced out to save him, paddling dragon boats. They also threw rice dumplings wrapped in leaves into the water to keep the fish from eating his body.

They didn't save him.

However, now the tradition in China (and Taiwan and the like) is to race dragon boats and eat the rice dumplings on June 16th.

In Singapore, we couldn't find any dragon boat racing (Although reportedly there may be some in July. Will keep ya posted). But there was definitely lots of rice dumplings. We had to wait in a long line to get them.




But it was totally worth it. They were sooo good!

Dragon boat day was also supposed to be my first day of work. I say supposed, because very little work got done. I got a tour of the psych department and of main campus, and got introduced to some profs and admins, and settled down in my new office for all of a couple of hours before Pony asked if I wanted to go to dinner with her friends from Hong Kong at 8. Sure, I said. A little while latter, she said, "Come on, lets go". But it is only 4:30pm. "Yes," she said, "But we can get some more dinners on the way."

I seriously don't understand how people here eat so much. They say that eating is the national pastime in Singapore. Which sounds facetious until you realize it is true. Since coming here, on several occasions, we have literally finished one meal and then walked to the next. And I thought the force feeding in Taiwan and China was bad. I don't understand how people here stay so skinny. I've asked and they say it is the weather and the walking and the smaller portion sizes. But I am in the same weather and have been walking just as much, and eating smaller portions than them and I sure as hell am not any skinnier.

So I ended up with 3 dinners at three different restaurants. Which(as much as I bitched and groaned about how I was going to be sick if we kept it up), honestly was pretty fantastic.

In our NSF orientation in DC, they told us all about the food culture. And they recommended three classic Singaporean dishes that we just had to try. I had all three in one day. =)

First was Laksa. Which is really Malaysian I think.



It's noodles and meat and veggies in a broth. But then they add lots of hot sauce and coconut milk. Really fairly amazing.

Next was Chicken Rice. Which is exactly what it sounds like:



Also good, but in a much more average way, compared to all the exotic stuff I've been trying.

Last, but in no way least, the one, the only, the infamous...Chilli Crab:




There may be words to describe it. But none that would do it justice. Just really really good.

We had our last dinner at an amazing super fancy restaurant right along the waterfront. We sat outside, and for once, the Singapore weather was perfect. No rain, no humidity, no heat. A perfect 75 degrees and a cool breeze off of the water, a clear night sky and a postcard view of the sparkling downtown skyline. Just the right mixture of romantic, exciting and relaxing. If I sound a little smitten, it's because I am. I have to admit, thus far, I was not particularly taken with Singapore. It's hot. It's humid. The traffic is awful. It's crowded. It's not as exotic or fascinatingly foreign as the other countries I've been to. Yet it's not quite as convenient as being at home. It's expensive. It's strict and confining. It is a country of consumerism. I have never seen so many malls in my life. I hate malls. ...But that night...it was also magic. It reminded me of hanging out in Circular Quay in Sydney, my favorite city in the world. Sitting outside the Opera house at the Opera bar and watching the world go by. ...and I'll admit it, I was a little bit in love.

After dinner, we took a long and relaxing stroll along the waterfront, before hopping a cab back to NTU.

I could get used to this.