London Expat | Singaporean in London

"Give that man a beer, it's Tiger Time" - the Singapore beer

2010-07-28T01:22:00.004+01:00

There is one beer that most Singaporean guys wouldn’t touch. Incidentally, that’s the local beer – Tiger. Not that Tiger is lacking in its marketing efforts. In fact, the ‘It’s Tiger Time!’ jingle still rings at the back of my mind every now and then.

Interestingly, its Tiger’s monopoly in army camps that did it in. For two and the half years (presently only two years), all able bodied Singaporean guys, still in their late teens, are ‘initiated’ into their unit with one drink and one drink only. Tiger, being the cheaper of the only two alcohol available in most messes (the other being Guinness Stout, which cost twice as much), has always been the natural choice.

The more common initiation would be the famed ‘screwdriver’, where the senior would pierce the thin aluminum casing of a very well shaken Tiger beer and shove it on the newcomer’s mouth before pull the can’s tab. If you are lucky, you might not catch most of the gush but you’ll invariably have beer oozing out of your nose for the next couple of minutes. Not the most pleasant experience I must say.

But that’s not the reason why we avoid Tiger. Well, at a mere S$1 per can, it was dirt cheap even with our measly allowance more than a decade ago. Cheaper beer merely means that its quality is in doubt. I was told by my bunk mate that it has something to do with the brewing process – the better quality ones are sold at supermarkets and the rest, well, straight to army messes. As a result of which, Tiger was branded as the poor man’s beer when we left the army.

I was at Brown’s the other day with some colleagues and was about to ask for Heineken until I caught a glimpse of the familiar Tiger bottle in the fridge behind the bar.

“A Tiger please,” I handed over a tenner. The lady came back with a bottle and a fiver. Five quid for a small bottle. That’s something to reckon with.

As I was nursing my Tiger (I know how that sounds), I began telling my colleagues about how we avoid Tiger back home.

“Really? He loves Tiger!” one of them pointed to my colleague who hails from Vienna. Apparently, Tiger is making inroads into the European market and is being marketed as the exotic beer from the far east. In fact, I chanced upon a Singaporean design exhibition in Venice organised by Tiger where all visitors were handed a bottle of Tiger when I was there two years back. To be honest, the one that I had was smooth and feels easy to the throat – nothing like the one that we had back in the army.

One thing’s for sure, I’ll be ditching the green bottle for the dark brown one the next time at the local pub.

What's your favourite poison? Have you ever tried a Tiger? How did you find it?

Evening Standard £1 million plea for The Dispossessed - can you help?

2010-07-23T07:17:00.001+01:00

I was pleasantly surprised to get a seat on the DLR on Tuesday. Normally, I don’t get a seat on Tuesdays. Actually, I rarely get a seat on any other days as well. That’s a good thing really. It merely means that I get to go off work on time to be part of the ‘peak hour traffic’.

Anyway, there I was, settling into a corner seat and proceeded to scan through the daily offerings by Evening Standard until its front page header caught my eye. ”£1M Plea For The Dispossessed” it says. I spent the entire trip home reading about how the fund helped the down and trodden in London to get back onto their feet.

Now, let’s be honest. Charity isn’t exactly the top priority in most of our caffeine starved minds every morning. It might be that we would prefer not to spend our precious evenings reading to underprivileged children, which is a really big commitment. The cynics among us hesitate to donate after reading all about bogus charities that give the rest a bad name. Some of us might be even be irked by media coverage of how some social benefits receivers got away with living in huge Kensington mansions paid for by the taxpayers money.

Then again, there are some deserving cases as highlighted by Evening Standard. I recalled a former colleague whose husband was a narcotic officer recount a drug raid a couple of years back home. Upon kicking down the door, the officers found not only a couple slumping over the bed, thoroughly intoxicated with god knows what, but they also found their 4 year old son hiding in a cupboard clutching a bag of glue and inhaling from it. That was perhaps his only solace.

I don’t know what has become of him but Singapore’s welfare system is almost non-existent compared to the UK or London for that matter. He is most likely one of those who have fallen through the cracks. There are bound to be segments of the society which remain behind even as the GDP continues to grow regardless of whether you choose to admit it or not.

We are measured not by how much we receive but how much we give. Cliché perhaps but it’s all quite true. Evening Standard manages to get the government to match our donations so every penny counts. Come on, even if we don’t do it for charity, consider it payment in lieu for the daily entertainment Evening Standard provides during our daily commute. Downsize that Starbucks coffee, even better, swap it for the office coffee for a week. Put off that novel that you have been eyeing and get another at your local charity shop. Spend some time cooking at home with your loved ones instead of heading out for a meal.

Every little bit helps. Donate now.

Barclays Live Dance Competition at Leicester Square - Deadline this coming Sunday!

2010-07-22T20:32:00.002+01:00

I’m a fan of Britain’s Got Talent. There, I said it. It’s not about the judges though some may disagree. It’s not even about dancing poodles, weightlifting senior citizens, operatic voices from people that you would never even imagine carrying a tune. No, it’s not about the fire-eating, sword swallowing, wheel barrowing strapping chaps.

It’s all about the dances. Be it solo or group performances, the success of Britain’s Got Talent hinges on its dance entries. Yes, that and the judges’ comments as well.

Although BGT has done its rounds in London, Barclays is holding a dance competition live at Leicester Square on Saturday 31st July. After running similar competition in Reading and Birmingham, Barclays Live is finally coming to the capital. With Strictly Come Dancing’s newly-wed Brendan Cole as the judge and a £1,000 prize to the winner, this one is definitely worth looking out for.

For those who think that they have what it takes to clinch the prize and perhaps set themselves for future stardom, I was told that the deadline for entries is this coming Sunday 25th July. To enter, pop by www.barclayslive.co.uk or send a link to a YouTube video showing your moves or email directly at info@barclayslive.co.uk along with the dance clip and contact details. If you have recorded a dance clip, don't let it ferment in your harddisk. Who knows? You might just walk away with £1,000 on 31st July.

For the rest of us, here’s a treat to the previous Barclays Live winner, Steadiflux’s smooth moves. I don't know about you but I'll be down catching it live at Leicester Square.

Towpath Cafe - Hackney's pitstop along Regent's Canal

2010-07-20T23:16:00.005+01:00

There are huge fanciful cafes that serve the most exotic breads with names that you find it hard to pronounce and there are makeshift ones that charges a mere quid for a breakfast tea. And then there are some those that lie just beside a canal.

Make no mistake, Towpath Café, that sits mere metres from Regents Canal in Hackney isn’t one of those fanciful ones. A small cup of hot chocolate sets you back by over two quid – it’s not cheap either. More importantly, it served as a pit stop along Regents Canal and it was packed when Wife and I were there two months back when a bout of heavy rain put an end to our trek to Broadwalk Market on a Saturday afternoon.

Judging by the look of the other customers, we weren’t the only one seeking refuge at Towpath Café. The tiny hole in the wall just isn’t the place where you make a special trip down to if you know what I mean. With the gathering storm threatening to blow away the makeshift cover, the couple of us in the café found ourselves cowering towards the interior wall, not that there was much room to begin with.

Once there was some sign of the rain letting off, those who had been trapped in the café began to getting off at the earliest opportunity. We made a mad dash back home.

While our first visit to the Towpath Cafe wasn't the most pleasant experience, it might be worth your while to make a stop during your weekend walks along this part of the Regent's Canal. When the sun is out and the ducklings residing along the canal banks are out to play, Towpath Cafe might actually be a nice place to spend a lazy afternoon with a group of pals. Oh, don't bother bringing along a novel, it's going to be too noisy for that.

Have you been to any other cafes along Regent's Canal that you would recommend?

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Four things that Singaporean tourists will buy when they visit London

2010-07-17T02:29:00.005+01:00

A couple of years ago, I was backpacking in the east coast of Australia with two other army buddies and came across this beautiful lambskin in Sydney. Come to think of it, it was probably one of those things that tourists would go for - much like the red telephone box keychains that tourists go for in London. At AUD 30, I thought that I got myself a pretty decent deal until I came across an identical item in Singapore upon returning at only two third the price. That got me pretty wound up about buying souvenirs when I'm overseas.

However, after playing hosts to a couple of Singaporeans who visited London, I came to realise that Singaporeans tend to go for certain items in London. Most Singaporeans have got this impression that London is expensive. Well, to be honest, other than food (London can't beat Singapore's hawker centres in terms of pricing), I dare say that a shopping spree in London would set you back much less than a similar stunt in Singapore. With the weak pound to Singapore dollar exchange rate, the Singapore tourist would find that his dollar would stretch a whole lot more over here in London.

Curiously, most Singaporeans know exactly what they need to get even before they alight at Heathrow. In fact, they go for four main things, which are surprisingly specific.

1. Nespresso machines
For some reason, this caffeine machine is a rage back home. Everyone has got to get one. I have no idea Nespresso has done but its marketing done in Singapore is heading the right way. I mean, even people who aren't really into coffee are looking into getting one and it's now cool to have a Nespresso machine at home.

Even with the exchange rates taken into account, it is still way cheaper in London as compared to Singapore. A quick check on the Nespresso website shows that the Citiz model costs S$584 (£292) while the equivalent is sold only for £149 in London's John Lewis. A friend of mine recently carted three back home after pre-ordering it and have delivered to his hotel before he arrived in London.

It's not just the machine we are talking about. Even the capsules are cheaper in London. At £3 per box of 10, it's still cheaper to load up on your trip to London.

2. Branded bags (and shoes too!)
We are talking about all brands here. Singaporeans' love affair for Louis Vuitton and Burberry went on full display once we are let loose at Selfridges. These brands are sold at huge discounts (up to two third off!) as compared to in Singapore not to mention that those back home are probably a season back.

Wife observed that Londoners aren't exactly fans of LV, unlike the French. But that doesn't stop the Singaporeans from jostling with the hordes of Chinese that descended upon the capital during sale periods. Of course, the more savvy ones will head towards the Burberry warehouse at Bethnal Green instead.

3. Harrods biscuits (tins)
There's this little Harrods counter over at Takashimaya, a mega shopping mall along Singapore's Orchard Road and its offerings are nothing to be compared to its flagship store's over at London's Kensington. It was rumoured that you could get anything at Harrods, provided you have the means.

Well, like most tourists, the Singaporean tourist would be fascinated with Harrods' Food Hall. Though they might not lunch at its overpriced oyster bars, they would invariably get a couple of tins of biscuits for the folks back home. Not the boring o' green tins mind you, but the one with London's icons - red telephone boxes and post boxes.

The contents doesn't matter really. In fact, they don't even care about the biscuits. It's the containers really.

4. Macaroons
If Nespresso is the current machine to have, then macaroon would be the next big thing on Singaporeans' plate. However, compared to those found in Europe, those sold in Singapore paled in comparison in terms of variety and taste. After hearing fantastic reviews about TWG's macaroons, I headed to its store at Singapore's Ion Orchard and left disappointed. Its texture couldn't be compared with Laduree, which can be found at London's Burlington Arcade not to mention Pierre Hermé, which has recently set up a counter at Selfridges' Food Hall.

While some may endeavor to bring some back home, most wouldn't risk the macaroons turning stale on the 13hr flight and prefer to savour them on the spot. A wise move in my opinion.

***

Did I miss out on anything? Is there anything else that is a 'must buy' in London for tourists (Singaporeans or otherwise)?

London Borough Market - the mother of all farmers' markets in London

2010-07-12T13:31:00.005+01:00

London Borough Market is one attraction that is often overlooked by tourists to London. Yes, it's essentially a farmers' market but it is the farmers' market in London that you should stop by if you are in London for over a weekend. Though the wholesale market is open every weekday morning (2am - 8am), the retail market (which is the one that you should be interested in) comes alive between Thurs to Saturday (late morning to late afternoon).

I would definitely recommend that you visit on a Saturday between 10am - 2pm. That's when all the retail stalls are open, and the entire market, bustling with activity, is teeming with Londoners and tourists alike. Please go with an empty stomach, well, if you have to, just grab a light breakfast at the hotel before heading to the Borough Market.

A word of caution here, like all crowded places, Borough Market has its share of pickpockets. I know of someone who was relieved of her wallet while she was savouring some of the jam samples. Once your valuables go missing, they are as good as gone. Just keep them in sight and you should be fine.

A salt beef sandwich could be had for £4.50, a chicken or beef burger under a fiver, sweet pastries just over a quid per piece, some scallops with bacon bits (from Shell Seekers), all that down with a cappuccino from Monmouth. That's basically your brunch. If you haven't got your fill, I'm sure the samples available from a number of stalls (cheese, artisan breads, homemade jams, chocolate fudges) would top it up nicely.

What's a farmers' market without fresh produce? If you are thinking of conjuring up some meals at home, meats, vegetables and fruits don't get fresher than those in Borough Market. Mind you, they don't come as cheap as they do at Asda or your local supermarket but the quality more than make up for it.

If you have got some time on your hands, grab some takeaway and settle down for a nice picnic at the grounds of the nearby Southwark Cathedral. The Cathedral has been a place of worship for over 1000 years though it has only been a cathedral since the turn of the 20th century. Take a peek into the glass showcase within the Cathedral that shows the layer of dirt beneath the structure displaying the Roman water pipes and other artifacts.

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London Borough Market

8 Southwark Street

London SE1 1TL

Why Netherlands will win the World Cup 2010 - Singapore's psychic steps in

2010-07-09T18:29:00.001+01:00

Let's be honest, no one is going to give a hoot about the Saturday's match between Germany and Uruguay. I mean, how many of us can remember who took the second place much less the third and fourth. With all eyes on Sunday's World Cup Final, the number one question on our minds would be who will be lifting the cup when the final whistle is blown.

Paul the German octopus has spoken and he has picked the Spanish team. He hasn't been wrong thus far for the World Cup 2010. To give him some credit, he didn't even flinch when his prediction of Germany's loss to Spain came true and Germans football fans are looking to serve him on the local restaurant.

Mani, the psychic parakeet at Singapore's Little India (image source)

Lo and behold, Singapore got its spot on the UK media. Mani, the psychic parakeet from Singapore's Little India, picked the Netherlands. He, like Paul, has been right thus far for this World Cup, much to the delight of local punters.

So it's Mani up against Paul. I was all ready to head to Ladbrokes for Spain until Wife across the Daily Mail article on Mani. With no affiliations to either teams, I spent some time trying to imagine which will emerge victor in a tussle between a parakeet and octopus to no avail. Looks like I would just sit back and enjoy the match this time round.

What about you? Any psychic prediction on which team will be the World Cup 2010 champions?

5 best cheap eats in London Chinatown (Leicester Square) - where to grab a quick bite before a play

2010-07-06T23:06:00.002+01:00

All theatre goers can be placed into two main categories - one who would go for a proper three-course pre-theatre dinner (tables to be cleared by 7.30pm) and another who prefers to go for something cheap and cheery. Regardless of which group you fall into, you'll be spoilt for choice in London's West End for the area is literally littered with eateries and restaurants.

Now, I'm definitely not the type who will go through a starter, main and dessert just before a play. The last time I tried that, I was glancing at my watch all the time in case I turned up late for the play, and then dozed off during the play itself when the full meal finally settled in my stomach. Not something that I want to repeat.

For those of us who prefer a quick bite, Chinatown itself offers a wide selection. Please, for gawd sake, give those five quid Mr Wu's buffets a skip. They are seriously not worth the effort unless you relish the notion of being fed like battery chicken. I foolishly walked into a £4.95 all-you-can-eat buffet during my first few weeks in London and the experience was just horrible - pineapple rice, which was essentially white rice and some yellow dye, fried chicken wings with tiny broken bones, sweet and sour pork that almost broke my tooth, and the list just go on.

Anyway, after mauling through a couple of choices, I came up with a list of five best cheap eats in London's Chinatown.

1. Jen's Cafe

Freshly made Chinese dumpling is always a crowd-pleaser. A portion of that with a cup of bubble tea (pao pao cha) makes an apt light meal just before a play. My favorite? Roast pork noodle for just over a fiver.

2. Special Zone 1997

A full meal for just £3.80 in the heart of London? Oh yes, you read that right. Special Zone 1997 offers a special lunch menu before 5pm. The offer is advertised on the menu pasted on its window. If you aren't offered the menu, just ask for it. Go for the beef tendon hor fan (flat rice noodles). On a good day, it's the best I've ever tasted.

3. Lan Zhou La Mian (Noodle Bar)

Granted that this is technically outside Chinatown but hey, it's literally a couple of meters away from Leicester Square Tube station, the station that serves Chinatown so there you go. Watching the chef transform a simple piece of dough into strands of noodles is an absolute joy. Serve it with beef stock and chunks of tender beef, and you'll be good to go.

4. Joy King Lau

Joy King Lau isn't the most fantastic dim sum around but at just £2.10 per portion, its prices are hard to beat. This is the place to go if you are in a hurry and would prefer not to pay Yauatcha's prices.

5. Sun Luen Snack Bar

When all else fails, there's always Sun Luen to fall back on. This simple Hong Kong style bakery offers the usual suspects - char siew buns, ham and egg buns, custard egg tarts, fried dough stripes (you tiao), beancurd (tofu hua) among others. I normally ended up eating more than a couple of buns whenever I'm there.

Here you go, the five cheap eats that, in my opinion, offer the best bang for your buck. Have you got any others to recommend in the area?

After The Dance review - London National Theatre (Lyttelton Theatre), a play ahead of its time

2010-07-03T23:04:00.002+01:00

After the Dance couldn't be one of the plays Terence Rattigan was proud of. When it first played in St. James Theatre in 1939, the audience response was lukewarm at best. Nothing wrong with the play really, it was rather the unfortunate time it debuted - it reminded Londoners too much of the liberties that Hitler was taking in Europe and how Britain was turning a blind eye to that.

David Scott-Fowler (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) and his wife Joan (Nancy Carroll) are at the prime of their game. Living in the 1920s London, which is fresh from the triumph over the Central Powers in the Great War, David and Joan are no strangers to frequent Mayfair parties wining and dining their way.

John Reid (Adrian Scarborough) is the ever present 'guest' in the house. The scene opens with John laying across a sofa after a hangover from the previous night's drinking proclaiming to David's cousin, Peter Scott-Fowler (John Heffernan) that he has been able to stay in David's place for the past couple of years being the 'court jester'. True to his word, John came in throughout the play with straight-faced wisecracks, appreciated not only by his hosts but the entire audience as well.

Things aren't the way they look and the good times come to an end when David succumbed to Peter's fiancee Helen Banner's (Faye Castelow) adoration and advances. "The difference between David and me is that he wants to change but doesn't have the character, and I have the character but just comfortable where I am" John quipped. And how true that is. David's seemingly strong front hides a a weak character that ultimately lead to tragedy.

After The Dance, a beautifully written play was ahead of its times. Directed by Thea Sharrock, the three hour play (with three acts and two intervals) has its fair share of memorable scenes that are subtle yet played out with great impact. Watch out for the scene with David nursing a lonely drink transforming into another scene where Scott-Fowlers play host to a party.

After The Dance is on a limited run and is playing in London National Theatre till August 2010. Prebook your tickets now from UK Theatre Tickets now. Oh, National Theatre offers free entry passes to 15-25 yr olds.

After The Dance

National Theatre (Lyttelton Theatre)

South Bank

London SE1 9PX

Tel: 020 7452 3000

England lost the World Cup - going through the ritual and the aftermath

2010-06-27T23:33:00.001+01:00

Just a couple of days ago, I came across Simon Kupur's (author of Why England lose) article in Financial Times entitled "England's timeworn elimination ritual". In the article, he went through the six phases that the English will invariably go through every World Cup tournament.

1. England enter the World Cup certain they will win it.

2. The campaign is upended by a freakish piece of bad luck that the English conclude could only happen to them.

3. England lose to a former wartime enemy.

4. The nation decides the team is spoiled, overpaid and unpatriotic.

5. A scapegoat is found.

6. England enter the next World Cup certain they will win it.

image source

So far, he's spot on for the first four points. With the defeat still yet to sink in, the hordes of English fans which have descended on South Africa this summer will be drowning their sorrows doused in local beer this evening. While the English team awaits the verdict that would no doubt be cast by the dailies in tomorrow's headlines.

The million dollar (or pound) question would be who is to be blamed? Is it the Larrionda, the referee who denied Lampard's goal? Or was it Capello, the disciplinarian who has misread the game and fielded the wrong players? Or was it the lamentable defence, ineffective midfield or weak attack (ahem, Rooney)?

I went down to the local Sainsburys after the game. The cashier asked,"Did you watch the game?" I nodded,"Not exactly the best of games, was it?". "You can say that again. Well, I didn't expect it to be that bad," he handed me my change and looked over my shoulder to the next customer. There was a positively sombre tone along the streets.

If the game ended in 2-2, the complains of Lampard's 'lost' goal might hold more weight but with Germany trouncing England 4-1, any review of score is moot. But one thing is for sure, regardless of whether Fabio Capello will continue coaching the English team, England will heading to Brazil in 2014 convinced that they will win it.

Enron review (Noel Coward Theatre) - slick entertainment with a message to deliver

2010-06-23T23:22:00.005+01:00

Mention the word Enron and the first thing that comes to your mind would be corporate fraud that dominated the business world at the turn of the 21st century right. Even though the losses in Enron was eclipsed by later by WorldCom and then Lehman Brothers, its name would forever be imprinted in the corporate world as a corporate governance case study.

That said, most of us would struggle if asked what exactly caused the collapse of Enron, which subsequently brought down Arthur Anderson, one of the big five accounting firms worldwide. Enron, directed by Rupert Goold, playing at Noel Coward Theatre along St Martin’s Lane, seeks to present the story behind the scenes in a frank entertaining manner. And he accomplishes just that.

Jeffrey Skilling (played by Corey Johnson), a rising star, was the smartest guy in Enron. With his proposed ‘mark to market’ accounting, Enron was racking up profits as money that hasn’t actually been made show up in its financial statements. With the endorsements from stock analysts and investment firms (Lehman Brothers showing up as a Siamese twins), its stock price rocketed and became the darling of the stock market.

The play goes on about how Skilling wanting people to understand about what ‘mark to market’ really means and the special investment vehicle that he orchestrated really does – to no avail. With the share price heading through the roof, no one bothers really even when Enron couldn’t even produce a viable balance sheet. When it all came crashing down, it came down hard. Goold showed an unrepentant Skilling, determined that he didn’t commit any crimes and he was merely ahead of his time.

Enron the musical presented the story behind the ascension and fall of Skilling in an entertaining and concise two hours show. At some point Enron did look like a very slick high school play (in a good way really) with scenes of chaos at the trading floor and celebration parties. While Power Of Yes might be more academic, Enron the play, through parodies and ‘slow-mo’ effects, made it more palatable to the audience.

Debuting at Noel Coward Theatre earlier in January this year, Enron will be playing till August 2010. It was still packed when we went last weekend. Well, to avoid disappointment, book your discounted tickets at Discount Theatre now.

Enron

Noel Coward Theatre

St Martin's Lane

London WC2N 4A

Enron image source

Ambala - Euston (Drummond Street) Indian sweet and savory snacks shop

2010-06-21T23:06:00.003+01:00

'Say, if you are heading to Zeen for dinner, why not drop by Ambala as well?' Ab asks. 'That, my friend, is one of the most established and popular Indian sweet shop in the UK.'

Fortunately for me, I don't really have a sweet tooth. That's perhaps the sole reason why I have yet to be categorized medically as 'obese' given my penchant for fatty meats (see Leong's Legends Continue). But when someone come up with a comment like that with the likes of 'popular' and 'established', I find it hard to ignore. Ab scribbled two words on a post-it - Ambala and rasmalai. 'Be sure to try rasmalai when you are at Ambala.' That didn't help matters a single bit.

You can't really miss Ambala when you get to Drummond Street. True, there are other sweet shops along the street but with its respectable looking facade, Ambala could very well be mistaken for a bank branch.

It must be getting late when we stepped into the shop at around 7pm; most of its shelves are already cleared. Other than some freshly prepared savory snacks, there was nothing very much else.

Wife and I began to mill around the shop and it was pretty obvious that we have no idea what to get when I caught sight of the rasmalai that Ab was talking about. 'There,' I point it out to Wife. 'Why not get some savory snacks as well? You would want something to munch on during the (World Cup) matches - she'll do anything to get me off crisps but I'm not sure whether the Ambala's spicy deep fried battered potato strips would help.

'We go a long way back, people come from all over the place,' the cashier helpfully informed me at the counter after giving me the go-ahead when I asked for permission for taking some photographs. That, I believe as the customers streaming in come in all ages - from elderly gentlemen who spoke to the staff in their native tongue to youths who prefer to stick to English.

I thought that it would be really useful for some of us who know nuts about Indian sweets and snacks to have some signs beside the items on sale. Then again, I guess majority of the customers know exactly what to get.

If you catching a train at Euston the next time round, forget krispy cremes and Cornish pasties, head to Ambala to get a bag of savory snacks instead. Trust me, you'll never get enough of it. Oh, if you are getting the samosa (yes, they have those as well)

Ambala

112-114 Drummond Street

London, NW1 2HN

Tel: 020 7387 3521

Household Cavalry Museum - life of a Queen's cavalryman

2010-06-17T20:25:00.001+01:00

Most first time visitors to London would definitely pay a visit to the Horses Guard to watch the changing of the guard or simply just to take photos with the impressively attired mounted sentries at the entrance. Very few would actually pay a visit to the Household Cavalry Museum situated just a few steps beyond where the arch of the building marks the entrance to the royal residences and where the cobbled floors of the 18 century stables lie beneath your feet.

Opened only in 2007 the household cavalry museum provides an interesting insight into the history and day to day of the household cavalry. It houses a variety of exhibits from the uniforms of centuries past to the present day, on the changing role of the household cavalry, on the ceremonial and active service roles it plays and the day to day life of a soldier in the household calvary.

I am by no means a military afficandio but the succinct information bites accompanying the exhibits kept me interested throughout. I learnt many interesting tidbits - each of the members participating in ceremonial mounted service has to spend 10 hours each day getting their kit ready and the reason for the 4 pm inspection parade has a story behind it - Queen Elizabeth I found on a visit to the guard house that the entire guard was gambling and ordered that a 4 pm punishment inspection be conducted each day and the tradition continues to this day!

Apparently the horses could be tyrants and have thrown their riders off many a times. The dedication to their roles by the guards is most impressive. The LCD TV displays showing the household cavalry at work and in training also helps to provide depth to the exhibition. You would also be able to look into the working stable where the magnificent horses are housed and you could see the servicemen going about their tasks. Those visitors who love to hassle the guards while taking photos should pay a visit to this museum and give those guards the due respect. All in all a very fascinating visit and well worth the 6 quid ticket and there's free entry for London Pass holders.

The Household Cavalry Museum
Horse Guards
Whitehall
London SW1A 2AX

Tel: 020 7930 3070

Email: museum@householdcavalry.co.uk

TT, a regular contributor to Singaporean in London and London Chow, goes around London in her free time, determine to enjoy every bit of the capital.

How to get from Heathrow Airport to Malaysia Hall in London - oh, the Canteen in the basement as well

2010-06-13T00:01:00.006+01:00

Some time back, the yearn for a good roti prata and teh tarik drove me to hunt for the ever elusive Malaysia Hall in London's Bayswater. I mean, if you have to have it, might as well go for the best in town isn't it? Well, I wouldn't say that it was the best but its price tag is certainly a stark contrast to Awana's.

We thought that Malaysia Hall lies at the northern end of Queensway but decided to ask stop and ask for directions (after being given the ultimatum by Wife). "Er, aww, Malaysia Hall huh, you go straight then turn left and then turn right," an affable chap manning a convenient stall promptly pointed us to it.

What greeted us was a huge Malaysian flag flapping in the wind. You can't mistake that for any other building, can you? Just in case you missed that huge flag, there was a stern notice at the basement entrance to the renowned Malaysia Hall Canteen - "Only Malaysians need enter".

Holding my breath, I pushed the door in, fully expecting to be pinned to the ground the very next moment. Such was desperation for a decent piece of roti prata (or roti canai in this case) and a creamy teh tarik.

There was a healthy bustle inside. It reminded me of Cafe Bonda just a couple of streets away. No one even glanced up when we stepped in. So far so good. I went up to the counter, mustering up my entire Malay language vocabulary, "Encik, teh tarik dua... bulapah? (forgive my spelling)".

The Malay gentleman behind the counter looked up and gave me a smile and replied, "Two pounds."

Incidentally, I received an email the other day asking me what is the cheapest way of getting from Heathrow Airport to Malaysia Hall. Short of trekking all the way, I guess the best bet would be the London Underground.

I did a quick check at the Transport for London website. It'll cost him a grand total of £4.20 during peak periods and only £2.40 during other times if he's using a Oyster Card - another reason to get an Oyster card. Even if he were to insist on using cash, it'll just be 30p more.

Take Piccadilly Line (purple blueish line on the London Underground) and transfer to Central Line (red line) to Queensway at Holborn. The Tube ride should take under 90 minutes. The walk from Queensway to Malaysia Hall shouldn't take more than 10 minutes.

That said, I wouldn't really advice going that route simply because the cost saving isn't worth the agony of having to travel for over an hour on the Tube, which can be rather stuffy at times. I recommend that you get the Heathrow Connect to Paddington (£7.90 for one way) and then hop onto the Tube (Circle or District Lines) to Bayswater and take a 15min stroll from there.

If you are feeling peckish, why not just drop by Leong's Legends or Kiasu at Queensway for a quick bite before continuing your way to Malaysia Hall?

Malaysia Hall

30-34, Queensborough Terrace

London W2 3ST

Tel: +44(0)20 7985 1262

Cha Cha Moon engrish and chaineese - definitely a first!

2010-06-11T23:12:00.001+01:00

If you could occasionally peel your eyes away from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social networking sites, you might just stumble across some of the ‘engrish’ websites that are strewn across the internet. Most popular are those that show incredulous translation to English from local signs found mainly in Japan, China and sometimes Hong Kong.

However, having said that, the saving grace is that even if you have absolutely no idea what the particular signs are referring to, you can always refer to the local language. That is if you understand the local language to begin with. That makes sense, isn’t it? I mean, the language has to be correct in the local language.

That was exactly what I thought until I came across the promotional material at Cha Cha Moon.

It came as a poem (nice!). As I went down the two short stanzas, I couldn’t help but think of the zombie movie, which name I had successfully blocked out from my traumatised mind, that I saw as a kid. Foolishly thinking that I would be able to seek some solace in the Chinese translation, I glanced over to it.

My grimace must be quite obvious. Wife took over the bright red card, looked at it.

“Doesn’t quite make sense, does it?”, she mumbled. That could easily qualify for the understatement of the year. It seems that Cha Cha Moon has achieved that dubious accomplishment of having engrish and chaineese on a single page. The terrifying image of the zombie with a grotesque smile crawling at the window got stuck on my mind. Darn.

Sweet Charity review - Sixties once again at Theatre Royal Haymarket

2010-06-09T00:41:00.002+01:00

With a name like Charity Hope Valentine, it’s hard to feel dejected and that’s even in the face of obvious rejection one way or another by all the men in her life. A bright, cheery and feisty lady, she was even optimistically defiant in protecting the man of her dreams when she was pushed into the river after that chap made off with her lifesavings.

Well, throw in the fact that she worked as a dance hostess in a dingy bar under a stocky manager affectionately known to the hostesses as Adolf Hitler and having to contend with customers’ fondling every single evening. But Charity (Tamzin Outhwaite) remained certain that one day she would end up with a man she can spend the rest of her life with. Not even the cynicism of her fellow hostesses could put her down. You get the picture.

Loud sixties band music dominated the set. Sweet Charity was all Austin Powers from the start till the end. With flashing lights and flamboyant costumes, I was half expecting Mike Meyers to leap onto the stage with his smothering “Oh, behave!”.

Other than Outhwaite vivacious interpretation of Charity, Mark Umbers who played all the men (oh, yes) in her life was the pillar of the show. The silent hunk, the Italian Casanova, the stuttering accountant – Umbers was all over the place.

Though Charity did put a smile on my face (and I supposed everyone’s as well) throughout the show I couldn’t help but feel that there was a lack of vulnerability in her character. But all in all, Sweet Charity with its Hey, Big Spender, If My Friends Could See Me Now and The Rhythm Of Life would be perfect to the evening on a high note. Get your discount tickets at Discount Theatre now.

Sweet Charity

Theatre Royal Haymarket

18 Suffolk Street

London SW1Y 4HT

Tel: 0845 481 1870

Teasmith - Spitalfields Tea Specialist shop

2010-06-07T00:13:00.002+01:00

Tired of the usual cappuccino? Prefer an earthy brew of tea instead? Teasmith is your kind of place then. Situated in the Spitalfields market, Teasmith is a godsend to tealovers with the varieties of tea it has on offer. Black tea, green tea, white tea, flower tea, you name it they have it.

It has a modern feel to it with a tea bar where the staff would brew your tea right in front of you and where you can enjoy your tea. When I was there I had kuki hojicha, a Japanese roasted tea which had a wonderful fragrance and subtle taste.

Teasmith carries cookies from William Curley as well to go with their teas and I had a chocolate sable and walnut/miso biscuit to go with my roasted tea. I was initially skeptical about having cookies with roasted tea as it had always seemed to me that cookies are meant to be dunked in milky teas but to my surprise the cookies worked a treat. I was particularly impressed with the walnut/miso biscuit, its slight saltiness went really well with my tea and the taste was really out of this world. One of the most interesting flavours I have tried in a while. The staff were also really helpful when asked for advice on the tea selection available which really enhanced the experience.

When I checked out Teasmith's website, it mentioned that Teasmith carries William Curley's other delicacies such as green tea cake and chocolate yuzu cake but I didn't spot them when I was there. I am curious to see how they would work with greean tea. Now that gives me a reason to go back to Teasmith!

Teasmith

6 Lamb Street
London E1 6EA
020 7247 1333

TT, a regular contributor of Singaporean in London and London Chow. She is out and about the city and looking out for the finer things in life.

Museum of London - from prehistoric to the modern day London

2010-05-24T12:30:00.015+01:00

I highlighted this as one of the museums to visit if you have been to London earlier. Unlike the massive British Museum, Museum of London is a more compact and can be easily managed in one afternoon if not lesser.

As the name implies, the exhibits in Museum of London is primarily on London an it makes scant mention of the fact that it was once the capital of the largest empire the world has ever known.

'London before London' deals with the prehistoric settlements in the area where London now stands. Tools, stone weapons and scale models made up this part of the exhibition.

The came the Romans who provided the roads and other infrastructures, not to mentioned the name Londondium, the precursor of the modern name - London. 'Medieval London' came soon after that. A projector display shows the development of London from a settlement of 8,000 to a sprawling metropolis that we are more familiar with.

Pier at Londondium

Roman kitchen

The main attractions include the 'Black Death' multimedia show. Killing nearly half of its inhabitants in 1665, it saw the London awashed with corpse with blistering wounds - the tell tale sign of a plague victim. The Great Fire of 1666, which raged for a few days and claimed not only tens of thousands of homes but also the St Paul's Cathedral itself, was also featured in another mutimedia show against the foreground of scaled model of 17th century London.

St Paul's Cathedral before it was burnt down in the Great Fire of 1666

Look out for the Museum of London's newest 'You are here' galleries that showcase London from 1666 to present day coming your way on 28th May 2010. Three years in the making and over a million new artifacts on display, this is something that no visitors or Londoners should miss. Watch this space for an overview of this exhibition once it opens!

Replica of Shakespearean theatre

Museum of London
London Wall

Tel: 020 7001 9844
London EC2Y 5HN

One difference between London Underground and Singapore MRT that is often overlooked

2010-05-23T08:16:00.002+01:00

A colleague of mine who visited Singapore some time back was so taken with its MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), which is it equivalent of London Underground, that she took more pictures of it than the durian shaped Esplanade.

"It's marvelous! Not only the trains are wider, the hallways are huge and there's even air conditioning!" she gasped, "You could travel from one shopping mall to another without even getting up to the surface and oh, don't even get me started about the wonderful murals."

All very true. I'm sure she was comparing Singapore's MRT with London Underground when she made the comments. Then again, Singapore has the benefit of almost a century of hindsight, not to mention the wizardry of Japanese technology.

So there I was, waiting for Wife outside a busy London Underground station flipping through my Evening Standard for the umpteenth time, when something struck me. Other than the wide trains and hallways, murals and air-conditioning, there is another key difference between London Underground and Singapore's MRT - their fare gates (or gantries if you prefer).

Paddle styled gate panels at London Underground (image source)

Clamping contraption at Singapore's MRT fare gates (image source)

The Underground's fare gate is essentially two flimsy panels that open away from the passenger as she walks through. The fare gates at MRT consist of two sturdy bright red contraptions that extend and clamp shut when the passenger is through.Therein lies the difference - one pushes you back while the other crushes you. Believe me, you wouldn't want to be caught between the two lobster red clamps. The experience could be kidney crushing, literally.

Grace Kelly: Style Icon exhibition - Victoria & Albert Museum

2010-05-15T11:45:00.003+01:00

If you like a good story and pretty frocks, hop down to the Victoria and Albert Museum this instant. V&A museum is now hosting an exhibition "Grace Kelly: Style Icon" which shows the spectacular wardrobe of Grace Kelly, Hollywood royalty of the 1950s who went on to become a real life princess when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco.

I had expected the exhibition to be on a scale similar to that for V&A's The Golden Age of Couture in 2008 but it was much smaller and could easily be covered in an hour or less. Neverthess it showcased a well edited collection of dresses from Grace Kelly's films as well as the haute couture gowns that she wore as Princess Grace of Monaco.

I particularly liked the simple dresses that she apparently wore on the school run - chanelling effortless American chic and yet sensible enough for day to day wear. The old news clips showing footage from her films as well as her royal wedding which were screened on the walls next to the dress displays livened things up a bit and lent some old world glamour to the exhibition.

Well worth a visit but do book your tickets in advance as it is very popular especially if you are going on a weekend! The first time I went it was entirely booked up for that day and the next day as well And if you are at the V&A, do check out their museum shop. They have an alluring display of costume jewellery inspired by 50's glamour such as this pearl curved stud earrings, good for a treat or as a present, simply not to be missed!

Grace Kelly: Style Icon

Victoria & Albert Museum

Cromwell Road
London SW7 2RL

020 7942 2000

The author, who goes by the moniker of Twinkle Toes, is a sporadic contributor to London Chow and Singaporean in London. She, like most of us, loves her food and the finer things in life.

The Wallace Collection at Manchester Square - a vast gallery not to be missed

2010-05-09T18:45:00.005+01:00

The last time round, I wrote about 5 things to do in London if you have done all the touristy things. Well, this one came up just after that post. Curiously, I never got the chance to pay The Wallace Collection at Manchester Square a visit whenever I was in the vicinity. With Selfridges to the south and Maryleborne to the north, you could hardly blame me.

The Wallace Collection was left to the British nation by the widow of Sir Richard Wallace after her death on a sole condition - nothing ever gets added or removed from the Collection. As a result of that, not a single art piece that you see in the Collection would ever be loaned to any other museums. Best of all, admission's free.

Other than countless portraits of the Tatlers of a past era, the mansion was stocked full of French furniture belonging to King Louis of France, bought by Richard Seymour-Conway, the 4th Marquess of Hertford at a 'relatively affordable price but still not cheap by any standards', as told to us by the guide, to avoid complete destruction by the Republicans.

Queen Victoria when she was just 19 years of age

One could easily spend a whole day (and I kid you not) at The Wallace Collection. Opened every single day from 10am to 5pm except for Christmas and Boxing Day, it is definitely the place to be to escape the maddening crowds along Oxford Street.

Can't finish everything at one go, fret not, head towards the bright skylight lit cafeteria in the courtyard. One thing is for sure, I highly recommend the free guided tour. Check out the timings for that one the The Wallace Collection's website. The hour long guide will bring you through the more significant pieces and more importantly the intriguing stories behind each of them.

The Wallace Collection

Hertford House

Manchester Square

London W1U 3BN

Tel: 0207 563 9500

Things to do in London if you have already covered most of the touristy places

2010-04-30T07:05:00.007+01:00

Someone wrote me an short email some time back asking me what she can do in her trip to London. I was all prepared to come out with a long list until she added the caveat: she has been to London before and has been to most of the attractions frequented by tourists.

Well, to be honest, there are quite a bit of things to do in London still and believe me, the ‘hop-on, hop-off’ buses can only cover so much. Then again, I recognize that tourists tend to look out for different things to do as compared to Londoners. I know of someone who came to London with a list of places (it was a checklist literally) that he must go to. To me, spending fifteen minutes outside of Tower of London and posing for photos beside the London Eye hardly counts as the London Experience.

Anyway, I did mention that I would clobber something together for her. Here are 5 things to do in London if you have already done all the ‘touristy’ things.

Kew Gardens

A sprawling garden located outside central London in the southwest (Zone 3) is a five minute walk from, well, Kew Gardens Tube station. The best time to visit would definitely be late spring, early summer when flowers are in full bloom and it’s not too warm. Mid-autumn is a good time as well with its brilliant burst of colours before winter sets in.

The admission (£13.50 for adult) is a bit steep though. However, London Pass holders get in free and there are also 2 for 1 coupons available at major train stations (I got mine at the ticket office counter at Waterloo train station.

West End plays

Yes, you probably have watched the major productions (Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables etc.) during your first visit but a visit to London is never complete without catching another West End production. I would definitely recommend The 39 Steps at Criterion Theatre (it’s at Piccadilly Circus, you can’t miss it) or Woman in Black at Fortune Theatre (just off Covent Garden).

Museum of London

You have been to British Museum, haven’t you? If you haven’t, I recommend you head there. That said, you would notice that there’s nothing very much about London in the British Museum. Presumably there are much more interesting items from the former British empire than its capital itself.

To have a more local context, heard to Museum of London at London Wall. It can’t compare with British Museum’s grandeur but I find London Museum more digestible, for the lack of a better word. The museum has exhibits from the prehistoric London to the Roman occupied London and finally the medieval London. Oh, it’s free as well.

Speedboat along Thames

Now, this is something that I have always wanted to try but didn’t get a chance to. If you fine taking a ferry along River Thames being too tame for you, why not take a speedboat down the river at 35 knots (the top speed of some modern battleships) with London RIB voyages? This is definitely not for the fainthearted but hey, I trust that you wouldn't forget the experience in a hurry.

Clarence House

You have watched the changing of guards at the Buckingham Palace and perhaps even visited the Palace itself. But do you know that the official residence for Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Princes William and Harry is actually a rather discreet white building not far from the Palace.

Unlike the Palace, Clarence House feels very much like a residence. It hasn’t got high ceilings, gilded chandeliers and tapestries. Instead, it has photos, personal items and even an unfinished painting that the Queen loves. A visit to the Clarence House would give you a glimpse into the personal lives of the English royalty.

There you go, 5 more suggestions added to your list on your second trip to London. Have you got any other suggestions? Feel free to leave a comment. Cheers!

The London bus experience - you never know what you are getting yourself into

2010-04-16T23:22:00.003+01:00

I have forgotten how terrifying bus rides can be with more frequent rides on the Tube these days. That’s until two days back when I absolutely have to take the bus (I try not to).

The thing about Tube rides is that you know where you are going when you get onto the train proper. Well, when you actually get to your destination station is a totally different matter but you know you are heading in that direction simply because the driver can’t do a sharp left if he so desire.

But that’s not the case for buses, is it?

I knew something was amiss when the bus driver came out of the bus and chatted with a fellow passenger. They never do that at interchanges or terminals if you will. Especially so when the weather is cold and wind is acting up. The bus drivers would rather huddle in the comfortable warmth of the driver seats with the door shut to passengers shivering in the cold waiting in line outside.

So this particular bus driver opened the door and actually got out of the bus, walked towards one of the passenger with both of his hands in his pocket (it was quite cold on that day) and started mumbling something. The chap whom he spoke to looked surprised for a moment, reached into his knapsack and pulled out a London A-Z. Who carries that in his bag nowadays anyway?

Back to our little story here. The guy started flipping his A-Z furiously while driver shuffled his feet nervously. Bad sign. I should have headed to the Tube straight away but my survival instinct failed yet again. The A-Z guy finally found what he wanted, jabbed his finger on a page and muttered something to the driver who gave him some quick nods and a thumbs up.

Somewhat relieved, the driver skipped back up the bus (another bad sign) and opened the front door. The rest of us herded up the bus. That was the surest evidence that humans’ brain just don’t function once temperature drops beyond the threshold where intelligence gets snuffed out.

The driver said nothing when we got up the bus one after another like lambs heading for slaughter. I noticed that the ticket validator wasn’t switched on. Woohoo, another free ride. Not that it matter to me anyway as I tapped my travel card on the validator to no avail.

The bus got out of the interchange and some of us whose brains hadn’t been frozen out realised that the bus wasn’t going on the regular route. We glanced at each other, no one said anything and that included the driver as he stared right ahead and looked absolutely sure of where he was going.

Finally after the longest ten minutes ever, someone finally had enough. He walked out to the front and gave a soft tap on the plastic sheath that keeps the driver safe from the rest of us. “Where the hell are we?”, he demanded. Apparently, not everyone has got a A-Z handy. He exploded after a few moments, “Then why didn’t you say so before?!”. He turned to the rest of us and helpfully informed us that the driver was notified of some roadwork earlier and had taken to an alternate route. The look of ridicule on his face would have been comical if not for the fact that some of us would have to figure out where we were and how to get back home.

Looking at the reactions of the other passengers, the driver must have been grateful for the plastic sheath. Rumours say that the sheath is shatter proofed as well. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Dry cleaning and Laundry home delivery in London - cheap and reliable

2010-04-10T11:55:00.003+01:00

The door to my living room is filled covered with scraps of paper that we have collected over the years - recipes, photos, postcards, brochures and even newspaper cuttings. But the one single piece that takes centre stage is the price list from Shirts n' Blouses Drycleaning and Laundry.

Shirts n' Blouses was introduced to me by an acquaintance when I mentioned that I got this stubborn stain on my jacket, which was likely to cost me a tidy sum to get rid of. "Why not get Karl to clean it for you?" she suggested and promptly passed me his contact.

Karl, a friendly guy with a James May styled floppy mop, who runs Shirts n' Blouses would pick up your laundry from your home, clean it and send it back to your doorstep within 2 working days. We have since used his service a couple of times for dry cleaning purposes. So far, he has been pretty reliable and his rates are reasonable for home delivery laundry - dry cleaning a coat cost £6.95.

Well, while I get a feeling that he operates only within central London, I might be mistaken. Rather than bringing your laundry to a local laundry store the next time round, why not give Karl a call?

Shirts n' Blouses

Dry cleaning and Laundry (Home delivery)

0786 027 6709 (ask for Karl)

Mrs Warrens Profession review (Comedy Theatre) - a tad too tedious

2010-04-07T22:43:00.005+01:00

I have got no issue with long dialogue. Wife will attest to that, usually with her doing the talking and me, listening. Not only that, I count Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy's 1995 “Before Sunrise” and 2004 “Before Sunset” along my favourite movies. For the uninitiated, Sunrise is the sequel to Sunset and both involve a couple who hooked up on a train and found solace in each other through long conversations through the sunset and many years later, through sunrise.

And I kid you not, for the entire length of these movies was dominated with dialogues between the unlikely couple as they stroll along streets of Vienna in the first installment and subsequently Paris in the sequel. Now that I have convinced you that I have absolutely no problem digesting hours of mere talking, a disclaimer should be put in place. At no point in time was the dialogues boring. Ranging from life as it was and societal issues, they were, on the contrary, rather engaging.

Mrs Warren’s Profession currently playing at Comedy Theatre was a totally different matter altogether.

The two hours and fifteen minutes play written by George Bernard Shaw in 1893 revolved around the relationship between a mother and her child. The latter (Vivie by Lucy Briggs-Owens), an aspiring actuary, was brought up alone, attended good schools and boarding houses, all using money sent to her by her mother (Mrs Warren by Felicity Kendal) who was based overseas.

Though I had not come across Shaw’s original play, it didn’t take me too long to realise what Mrs Warren’s profession was. Four minutes into the show to be exact. So imagine having to sit through two more hours of tedious dialogues between the six characters revolving around Mrs Warren’s profession, not to mention the understated anguish Vivie displayed when she realised that the money that she had been spending all those years didn’t exactly fall from the sky.

So that was how the play went. Vivie’s struggle to maintain the moral high ground while Mrs Warren berated her stubbornness in an increasingly tiresome staccato tone. Believe me, it was painfully tedious. It reminded me of Judi Dench’s Madame De Sade, another play that I actually felt like withering in my seat. Even Jude Law’s Hamlet was marginally bearable compared to Mrs Warren’s Profession though I must admit that I was never a student of Shakespeare to begin with.

Unless you are a hardcore fan of Shaw and long monotonous plays, I suggest that you head towards Bedroom Farce instead. It’s a different genre I know but really, there is no need to subject yourself to two hours of agonizing Victorian sensitivities. Seriously.