Taking5

One day in Wuhan (武汉)

2020-03-07T23:36:00.002+08:00

Yellow Crane Tower, Wuhan

I've been struggling a bit with this post. Just over a month after I had visited the city, news started emerging of a number of unusual pneumonia cases emerging. Yes, I visited China and went to Wuhan in mid-November, as the start of my cruise through the magnificent Three Gorges of China. And at end December, China would officially report the news that a new disease, what would become known as COVID-19, had struck the city.

In the end, I've decided to proceed. I'm not trivialising the seriousness of the disease which has (to date) struck tens of thousands, and killed significant numbers as well, both in China and around the world. But I think that others deserve to know that this is still a lovely city visit, particularly in November, and that the area has indeed so much to offer tourists. And so, I will proceed to recount my visit there.

Mine was not a long visit - just around a week. After arriving late the previous night, we spent a full day in Wuhan, then took the train to Yichang the next morning where we boarded the Century Legend which took us down the Yangtze River, to Chongqing City. So, if you ever want a one-day leisurely itinerary for Wuhan, do read on. But if you have a longer stay, you may want to read more here.

One aspect of life in China which we wanted to experience was its "cashless society", where all the hawkers had their own QR code for WeChat Pay or AliPay. Just a few weeks before our departure, these two ubiquitous payment apps had extended their services to foreign tourists. In the event, it was not possible to use WeChat Pay but fortunately the AliPay payment service was quite easy to figure out and we could use it to also pay taxi drivers, and to link up AliPay to DiDi (the Uber of China), so we could also hail and pay our taxi drivers via DiDi.

Re Gan Mian and Lotus Root Soup

We used DiDi for the first time when taking the taxi for our breakfast in Hubu Alley, the famed street food alley of Wuhan. I have to admit though, that by the time we made it there, it was really more like our brunch. We had a bowl each of Re Gan Mian (热干面), which literally translates into spicy dry noodle dish. The sauce is served on top of the noodles, with a sprinkling of spring onions on top. I also got some minced pork with mine. We had this with lotus root and pork bone soup, and a serving of "Dou Pi" which came a little later. Dou Pi is essentially rice wrapped in layers of egg, with diced beancurd and I think more minced pork within. It was all quite tasty but the next day we walked around the corner from our hotel and found a number of little eating stalls and what we in Singapore would call coffee shops, all full of Wuhan residents eating their breakfast before going to work. We had quite a quick, tasty meal of chee cheong fun, a prata-like dough pancake and some dumplings, washed down with soya milk. Much better value for money and much more convenient.

The immortal and the crane over the tower

After our brunch, we made our way to the the Yellow Crane Tower (黄鹤楼), a very famous historical site here in Wuhan. It's one of the "Four Famous Towers" of China, originally built for military use on the top of a hill where it has a commanding view of the region and the river running through the city. The building is not the original tower; it has actually been rebuilt a few times but apparently a tower has been on this site ever since around 220AD.

Entering the tower, we admired this large wall mural just inside. It tells the story of how the tower originally came to be built. Briefly, a wine merchant, Xin, gave shelter (and wine) to a visiting monk. Some tales indicate that the monk was actually an immortal come to earth in disguise! Anyway, the monk visited repeatedly and every time Xin gave him food and shelter. To show his gratitude, the monk painted a crane on the merchant's wall. The painting was animated to show the crane dancing, bringing lots of visitors to the shop. So Xin grew rich, and as a sign in turn of his gratitude built the tower. The tower is also immortalised in the classic poetry of China, with the poets Cui Hao and Li Bai both writing about it. Indeed, Cui Hao's poem is probably particularly apt - it tells how the crane has departed, leaving a city bereft, and the poet left far from his homeland. I reproduce it here.

The pond in the compound of the Yellow Crane Tower

昔人已乘黄鹤去，此地空余黄鹤楼。
黄鹤一去不复返，白云千载空悠悠。
晴川历历汉阳树，芳草萋萋鹦鹉洲。
日暮乡关何处是？烟波江上使人愁。

After climbing all the way to the top of the tower and admiring the view, we made our way through the compound to the peaceful, scenic Chinese Garden adjacent to it. The centrepiece of the garden is a large pond, surrounded by weeping willows. A few fountains gush quietly in the centre. To one side, a low wall is covered with the carved forms of cranes - flying, walking, and doing all sorts of things. Following the example of the famous Tang poets, there is also a poetry gallery here, featuring two poems by Chairman Mao, housed in their own pavilion!

A double-sided embroidery screen

We spent quite some time in the Yellow Crane Tower and its surrounding compound, but we had one more stop to make on our 24-hour stopover in Wuhan, in Tan Hua Lin.

Tan Hua Lin is also part of old Wuhan, but of a much more recent date. It's like the "western quarter", where all the Europeans stayed. Here there are a few churches, including a former Canossian convent, and western houses where the various European merchants and traders stayed.

Today, it is full of souvenir shops, art galleries, and embroidery shops. Wuhan is one of the well known "schools" of embroidery in China (another one is Suzhou, for example). The embroidery shops show beautiful exemplars of Wuhan embroidery. These include huge framed pieces - either to hang on the wall or the beautiful double-sided screen which I have shown in the photo on the left. Each stitch is like a brush stroke, so delicate and precise. You can also buy small little embroidered bags or table screens. Embroidery equipment is also on sale - my friend bought herself an embroidery frame, which she dismantled and carried around on her shoulder. Myself, I was just glad to see that this area also had a few cat cafes! Sadly we did not have time to make a longer stay in one of them.

We ended the day off with dinner, close to the hotel. The next day, we would spend travelling - by train to Yichang, where we would then take a coach to the cruise ship which would take us to the next part of our journey, down the Yangtze River, and through the heart of China.

My Three Gorges Flickr album is here.

Goodbye 2019: looking for a brighter 2020

2020-01-01T23:30:00.000+08:00

If I am honest with myself, 2019 was not a great year. As I look back, there were highlights but most of the time it has been a lot of hard work without much time spent on personal growth and pursuit of individual interests and passions. It’s no wonder that right now, I’m feeling like this:

But for the record’s sake, let me just list some of the key events this year:

My dad’s Sister, my dear aunt, passed away in end February. We miss her at our family events. We missed her at Christmas and next CNY will be our first without her. But we came together as a family during this time. Really sad also trying to pack up her belongings... ... only partially completed thus far.

A strong positive highlight of the year was going for a Papal mass and shaking Pope Francis’ hand. He is my hero! Going to St Peter’s Square at night was also a magical moment for me. It’s beauty and serenity was soothing to the soul. Coming back to Singapore, I was in time for the major event which my charity was organising. It was a very successful event, which made the hard work of the previous six months worth while.

I also managed to tick “Three Gorges” off my Bucket List. Haven’t had time to write it up, but sailing down the magnificent, mighty Yangtze River, the river running through Chinese history and culture, was indeed a wonderful experience.

As for the cats, it was a sad moment when Winky passed away so swiftly and subddenly. I worry about them now that they are growing older. Even Ariel has been with us for 7 years now!

Work wise, it has been intense. I covered a colleague for the last six months of the year and (as mentioned) spent a considerable amount of time in the first six organising the major event for my charity. I feel a sense of pride and satisfaction that I managed to get through the period reasonably well, but there is still so much work left undone.

Baking wise, the oven function of my microwave cum convection oven broke down, just as I was trying to bake my mother’s birthday cake! So I had to borrow the neighbour’s oven but the delay, I am convinced, affected the final quality of the cake :-(. One the plus side, I decided to take the plunge and bought a brand new oven.

Well it sort of goes without saying that with all this going on I didn’t have much time for thoughtful, reflective reading. I hope that I can make a start on the book pile beside my bed, over the coming year.

So roll on 2020! Looking forward to a brighter, more productive and fulfilling year ahead.

Papa Francesco and St Peter's Square at Night

2019-11-03T18:36:00.000+08:00

I'm this close to Pope Francis!

This is a short post; mainly to keep track of the key events in my life which took place in 2019. I was privileged to be a participant in the Caritas Internationalis General Assembly held in May this year. The GA opened with a Papal Mass celebrated by Pope Francis. Definitely one of my Bucket List items!

It was a wonderful experience, sitting there in the Basilica with Catholics from all over the world around me. The Universal Church!

After mass, there was a reception and dinner. We had the pleasure of walking back to our bus through St Peter's Square. What a serene atmosphere it was, in the still and peace of the night.

A few days later, we had the additional honour of a Papal Audience. Truly a moment to remember.

St Peter's Square at Night

Rome and the Romantic Poets

2019-10-20T18:58:00.002+08:00

I visited Rome in May this year, for the first time since my pilgrimage 10 years ago. Unfortunately, I didn't have much time for sight-seeing as the main purpose of my visit was to attend the one-in-four-years assembly which my Catholic charity has in Rome.

Temple of Aesculapius, Gardens of Villa Borghese

But I did get there one day earlier and managed to visit a few places I've not been to before - the grounds of the Villa Borghese, and the Keats-Shelley Museum. They are quite near each other, and make quite a pleasant day's sightseeing.

The Villa Borghese was originally owned by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V, hence the name. The Villa holds one of the top art collections in Rome - unfortunately I didn't realise I had to book well in advance to enter (something to note for future reference). So I could only visit the Borghese Gardens, the park surrounding the Villa and itself one of the largest public parks in Rome. The park is also the site of a famous horse show arena, the Piazza di Siena, hence the statues of horses I saw there. I didn't realise it but there was a famous horse show going on at the time - so the grounds were full of caravans and the like.

The Church of Trinita dei Monti

From the park, I took a slow walk to the Spanish steps. The Spanish Steps are so named because the square they lead down to (Piazza di Spagna, or the Spanish Square) houses the Spanish Embassy to the Holy See which is still here today. It's one of the most famous squares/stairs in Rome, made famous by the movie, Roman Holiday starring none other than Audrey Hepburn.

But, the steps are really called Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti in Italian as they lead up to the Church of Trinità dei Monti. The Italians have recently stopped visitors from sitting on these famous stairs but when I was there, the restrictions were not in place and it was a rather nice, happy atmosphere, of people sitting and chatting and taking in the atmosphere.

T he other strange little irony about this area is that this Spanish Square is practically the "English Quarter" of Rome! The English loved Italy, attracted by the warm weather (so different from the rainy weather back home) and good food. Many came here for the opportunity to study classical Rome and others to admire the architecture and art, and to be inspired by the glorious scenery. So around this area are cafes such as Cafe Grecco, the oldest coffee house in Rome where luminaries such as Byron and Goethe used to hang out. Another English favourite was Babington's, an English tea room just on the left of the Spanish stairs (as you ascend the stairs). It's been around since 1893!

John Keat's room

On the right of the Spanish steps is where John Keats stayed, and died. This building is now the Keats-Shelley Museum, dedicated to the memory of Keats, Shelley and Byron (who lived across the square at No. 66). Since I occasionally fancy myself a poet I decided that this was where I would spend my precious afternoon in Rome.

Indeed, the tragedy of Keats' short life is preserved here in this little museum. There are just a few rooms in this little museum - a main living area, and two bedrooms. Keats' room holds his bed, a chest of drawers and his death mask beside his bed.

He was just 25 years old when he passed away of tuberculosis, convinced that he had not achieved anything in life. His published works were few, and due to his ill-health, he could not marry the lady he loved, Fanny Brawne. He was buried in the Protestant Cemetery in Rome. As per his instruction, his name is not on the tombstone and it only states that "Here one lies whose name was writ on water", ie a name which doesn't leave a mark but is washed away as the water flows...

English Romantic Poets in Rome

Despite his own modest assessment of his worth, Keats today is regarded as one of the geniuses of English literature with his famous odes, such as Ode to a Nightingale, Ode to a Grecian Urn, and my favourite (which I have referred to already once on this blog), Ode to Autumn.

Sadly, the three Romantic poets all died young. Percy Bysshe Shelley, Keats' good friend, drowned after the boat he was in floundered in a heavy storm. He was just 29 years old. Shelley's widow, Mary, is of course very famous in her own right thanks to her novel, Frankenstein. In fact her creation is probably more famous than she is!

The last of the three, Lord Byron, or George Gordon Byron, died at the age of 36 years, from a disease caught whilst he was fighting for the Greeks in the Greek War of Independence. For that he was considered a hero amongst the Greeks, a true Romantic who died for his ideals but whose memory lives amongst them still.

I came away reflecting about the transience of life. To everything there is a season. But truth, beauty, love of nature, freedom of expression, life and liberty, the importance of being true to oneself - these were indeed the externals which the Romantics stood for and whilst they passed away, their poetry lives on and their message with them.

Wee Willy Winky

2019-08-24T23:48:00.001+08:00

Winky

Our dear Winky left us today, in the early hours of the morning. It was a short illness - maybe about a week or so. The vet thought it was pancreatis when we brought him in just Thursday evening, and gave a shot of antibiotics which was supposed to address the infection. We didn't expect it to be so fast. Just one week ago, he seemed perfectly fine. Then a few days ago we noticed that he was listless, and off his food. That was when we brought him in to the vet.

We have had our dear Winky ever since 2006 when he was a young kitten; he and his three siblings - Inky, Binky and Dinky. Inky (all black) disappeared and Binky got hit by a car. With only the two of them left, they were the closest of playmates. Dinky lived with us until he died of cancer a few years ago. And now, with Winky's departure, all four are indeed gone.

Winky loved his brother Dinky

Winky had all sorts of adorable and not-so-adorable habits. He liked to read the newspaper, jumping up on our laps in the morning as we tried to catch up with the news. He would come when called, jumping up on the sofa where he would snuggle next to us as we watched TV. He was a needy cat, ensuring that we paid our dues of strokes and ear-rubs by digging a single claw in our leg until we complied.

Winky catching up with the cat news

He was our original planking cat. He loved lying on the cool granite floor of our house and would stretch himself out as much as he could.

Planking

Come Christmas-time, he was fascinated by the crib. He would jump onto the cabinet where the crib was placed and lie in it. Whilst it was sweet to see how God calls all creatures to Himself, we did not dare let Baby Jesus rest in his manger for fear that Winky would carry him off.

Winky looking for Baby Jesus

He also liked escaping and making little trips around the neighbourhood. That's why we got him a collar so that at least people would know he was someone's cat and not a stray. But as he grew older, he became more inclined to stay at home.

Winky in his collar

He was a loving little cat, hiding his affection behind his impassive little mask of a face. And now he is gone.

We will miss him.

His photo gallery is here.

Sayonara to Kyoto

2019-05-20T01:13:00.005+08:00

Yasaka-no-to Pagoda - off Ninen-zaka

Reflecting on this trip to Kyoto, it was indeed a peaceful and reasonably paced holiday, despite the uncertain beginning. We experienced different aspects of Kyoto - both the city as well as the surroundings:

the old, historical and cultural heart of Kyoto - the Temples of Ginkakuji and Kinkakuji; Nijo Castle, and the meandering around Gion and the geisha district (including the Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka pedestrian streets); the Ukiyo-e Museum;
the vibrant beat of modern Japanese culture (albeit through the eyes of Yayoi Kusama and the manga artists and Writers)
the serenity of the Japanese countryside and village life in Miyama;
the charm of two different markets - Nishiki market and the Toji temple flea market.

As always, am ending off with a bit more information about our accommodation and foodie choices. We stayed in Gion, near where I stayed on my last visit. Really cosy little place, makes me feel so Japanese! Let me say it again, I strongly recommend renting an apartment if you are staying any time in Japan. It gives you much more room, allows you the comfort of having little meals in your own little living room, and there's a washing machine so you don't need to bring too many clothes.

Udon Sanshiki

As for food, my posts on my previous trips are here and here. I've reached the stage where I'm going back to old favourites, like my favourite conveyor belt sushi at Kyoto station, Sushi no Musashi, and even the yudofu tofu place near Nanzen-ji, Goemon Chaya (again, I wanted to go to the famous restaurant but the wait list was just too long). So this time round, I will just introduce three new places (plus one dessert surprise)

1. Udon Sanshiki

This udon restaurant was near our apartment and we went there on the first day because (i) we like udon and (ii) there was a queue in front and like any normal Singaporean we associate queues with good food. So we stood outside for maybe 10 minutes before they let us in. We really enjoyed the chewy, smooth udon noodles! Liked it so much we would come back for dinner on our last night in Kyoto.

2. Hanamakiya

The buckwheat mill in action

This was an unexpected find. After visiting Kinkakuji we walked back to the main road in the
direction of the bus stop. Looking down one side road, we saw yet another queue, and upon investigation realised that it was a group waiting for a restaurant to open. We joined the queue and were thus one of the first few groups to enter, good thing too as it would fill up quickly behind us. Hanamakiya is a small, unassuming restaurant which serves practically perfect soba (buckwheat noodles). The soba is made on the premises (you can watch the buckwheat mill in operation).

I ate the Nishin soba, which is soba (buckwheat) noodles in soup with herring on top. I understand that the herring is a Kyoto specialty and indeed I bought it in the Nishiki market a few days later. I liked its nice flaky texture, and sweet and slightly smoky flavour. It was served in a slightly sour soup of wild mountain vegetables. All washed down with buckwheat tea (soba-cha).

3. Maguro Factory

Maguro Factory's tasting tuna platter

Now if you know your Japanese you would know that "maguro" means tuna. And that tuna is like "the" fish for the Japanese (certainly not salmon). So this is like a modern Japanese restaurant, serving tuna cooked all ways. We tried out this mini tuna tasting platter where the different cuts are nicely served on top of a little box (see photo). You get to lightly sear the tuna pieces on a hot plate, dip them in a sauce and enjoy.

We also ate tuna sashimi, tuna on top of rice and served with soup on the side (you pour the soup on the rice, for a tuna fish porridge, and top it with freshly grated wasabi). The tofu squares were given as our appetiser and I believe I washed it all down with some beer.

Souffle pancake at Hoshino Coffee

Dessert Surprise: Hoshino Coffee

And now for dessert! We finished our meal at Sushi no Musashi and wanted to have something sweet to end. So we found this nice coffee place near the sushi joint where they serve these hugely thick souffle pancakes, topped with chestnut puree.

I got hooked on souffle pancakes after visiting Himeji Castle during my last visit to the Kansai area - we were tired after our visit, there was time before our return train and there was a convenient cafe. There's no better time to eat one - or two, as the case may be. Accompanied by a cup of mellow, smooth coffee.

So that's it for another year! I must admit that I did not expect to visit Japan for so many years in a row and there is still so much to see and experience in this beautiful country.

Sayonara for now!

A Pair of Markets

2019-05-11T11:04:00.000+08:00

Flea market at Toji Temple

One reason why I like visiting Kyoto is that by now, I can have the pleasure of revisiting my favourite haunts, but at the same time discover new places.

This time, of course it was no different. We popped into Nishiki market which I've been to on every visit to Kyoto, and also the flea market at Toji temple, which takes place on the 21st of every month. I've never been in Kyoto on the 21st of any month so I was glad to have made it here.

But first, a quick recap of the Nishiki market visit.

Matcha and regular soft serve

I have to admit that I went to all my old favourites - we shared a serving of takoyaki balls, all smothered with mayonaise, BBQ sauce, and spring onions; the soft-serve soy ice cream; and a skewerful of marinated raw salmon cubes. Plus other things besides. The beef pao (which I ate last visit to Nishiki) are also extremely good but I didn't have one this visit as I was a little full already. So moral of the story is eat the beef pao first and you'll have a great morning.

Nishiki is also a good place to buy food products to bring back to Singapore - I do recommend the packets of furikake, which are the toppings you put on top of rice, or the marinated preserved mackeral (with its distinctive smoky-sweet flavour). You can also buy pickles, of every single variety you can think of.

The flea market at Toji Temple is quite different. Set in the large, sprawling grounds of the temple, it is full of antique stalls, clothing stalls, craft stalls, food stalls, plant stalls etc.... indeed, there is something for everyone in this extensive flea market! It was a little rainy the day we were there, which means that the photos are not that great but nonetheless we had a nice time wandering around all the stalls.

Antique stall at Toji Market

The thing about going to these markets is that one must not have Marie Kondo and her teachings at the back of your mind. We first went by all the stalls selling kimono and obi - with all their range of material. The prices were good - very good. But I knew it was most unlikely that I would wear one should I buy it. To me, the most interesting stalls were the antique stalls with their mix of items ranging from old kitchenware, little ornaments, artworks, furniture etc. I didn't buy anything as then I would have to figure out where to put it and what to do with it once back in Singapore - but still enjoyed just walking around looking at the goods. And my cousin bought some food items and a little fabric purse, which made up for my lack of purchases :-)

The setting for all the market, Toji temple is itself impressive. The temple was built in the late 700s, when the capital of Japan moved from Nara to Kyoto. "Toji" means "East Temple" and it stood together with its neighbouring temple, "Saiji" or "West Temple" to mark the south gate into Kyoto. Saiji was demolished many years ago but Toji, together with its proud and impressive pagoda, remains and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. More about the temple can be found here.

The temple is best known for its pagoda and the many Buddhist treasures within its halls. We did not go in to any of the temple buildings this time round. But treasures and buildings are static things. For me what caught the eye were the pilgrims walking around the outer walls of the jikido (or refectory) of the temple, stopping and saying a prayer at each scroll. Oblivious to the crowds around them, they quietly focused on their devotions. This, to me, is the tradition and religion which the temple has kept alive and growing for all the centuries since its construction, even as the world around it changes.

Pilgrims at prayer

More photos of my Japan visit here.

A Day in Miyama

2019-04-20T17:16:00.002+08:00

The thatched roof village of Miyama

I enjoy taking little day trips out of the city on my holidays, just so as to see something new and different. We were a little uncertain on what to do this time round, but liked the suggestion of our "Travel Angel" to go to Miyama, a little village which he likened to the more famous Shirakawa-go. (Our "Travel Angel" was assigned to meet-and-greet us at our apartment; he also helps orientate us, and gives suggestions on what to see and do).

It wasn't easy trying to figure out how to get to Miyama and even the Kyoto Station tourist information lady had to hunt around for the bus guide to get there. In the spring, there is a tourist bus, but in the off-peak period, it was not so straightforward. We had to take first a train journey, then a bus journey. Over two hours! Anyway, after the train journey, we boarded the bus and went round through the hills and valleys till we reached Miyama.

Thatch - underside

Miyama is written "美山" which translates as "Beautiful Mountain". And indeed, it is a charming little thatched roof village, amidst the mountains, by a river, way out into the countryside. It is probably very isolated in winter, but in late summer, when we were there, it was a picture-postcard

We walked around the little village - it didn’t really take that long - and took photos of the quaint thatched roof houses. The thickness of the thatch was quite amazing - it's a thick and deep layer and I can see how this really helps to insulate the houses from the cold.

We also visited the little Indigo Museum, housed in one of the traditional thatched roof cottages. This museum was set up by Mr Hiroyuki Shindo, to share his passion for indigo dying. The first part of the museum, on the ground floor of the cottage, covers the traditional indigo dying process - you see his dye vats, loom and of course the indigo plants. There's also a little shop on the ground floor where you can buy some indigo-dyed products.

Kimono with indigo pattern

The second part of the exhibition is on the second floor of the cottage. It is just a single room above, covering the entire floor - you can see the high pitched roof overhead. It showcases beautiful indigo pieces from all over the world including this very lovely kimono (on the right), batik prints, etc. There was even some scraps of cloth and threads which had been dyed from indigo salvaged from an ancient shipwreck! What I also enjoyed looking at was the indigo dying techniques, including the way in which they can develop patterns from tying and then untying the fabric.

After visiting the museum, we found a charming little cafe where we had a simple snack comprising of mochi, ice cream and tea (yes our dessert was our lunch). After that, we could have gone to visit the little village temple/shrine but we were too lazy to do so. So we sat outside the cafe, looking at the view (below) and enjoying the sunshine. I found a Pokemon gym in the middle of the little village where I planted a Pokemon. And we wandered to a little shop near the bus stop where we bought a postcard or two. And then it was time to take the bus back.

It is really very pleasant to just take it easy this holiday, seeing just a few major sites each day and lazing around the rest of the time. We bumped into a Hongkong lady on the bus on the way to Miyama and chatted to her whilst we were waiting for the bus for the return journey. She was travelling for about 10 days, covering Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka! I am glad that I have the good fortune of coming back again and again, to not just glimpse but absorb the rich culture and history of Japan.

More photos will be put up when ready.

The charming village of Miyama

A Trio of Museums

2019-03-31T00:00:00.002+08:00

I am embarrassed to admit that I have been to Kyoto on two other previous occasions but did not step into even one museum. Gardens, cherry blossoms, autumn leaves, ponds and streams (and one cat cafe), but no museum. This time round, it would be different. We started off with one museum on our planned itinerary but ended up seeing two more, partly because there was quite a bit of rain on our last two days in Kyoto so we moved our activities indoors.

The Great Wave - taken off the museum poster,
not the original print

The museum we had put on our agenda was the Kyoto Ukiyo-e Museum. After looking so hard and failing to see Hokusai's "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" in the Tokyo National Museum last year, I was so happy to find out that the Kyoto Ukiyo-E Museum had a special exhibition on Hokusai's work. To recap, ukiyo-e are Japanese wood cut prints. The word, "ukiyo-e" literally means "sadness of life", but the prints typically depicted scenes of every day life, and of nature. Because it also commonly was used to make posters advertising performances of Japanese kabuki performers, geisha and teahouses, or the places and scenes of the “floating world”, ukiyo-e also came to describe life’s impermanence. Nothing however could be less impermanent than these prints. The ukiyo-e artist first draws out the print on paper, and it is then transferred to a wooden block. In fact, depending on how detailed and how colourful each picture is, it could be transferred to many wooden blocks, each translating to a different layer of colour. The wooden blocks are then covered with pigment, and carefully stamped on a piece of paper, layer by layer making the prints. In this way, numerous prints could be made. It was art for the ordinary man.

At the same time, it was also highly influential. Ukiyo-e and the Japanese sensibility towards nature and art inspired western artists - in particular the Impressionists. Monet, for example, had a roomful of ukiyo-e which I saw when I visited his home in Giverny earlier in 2018.

Hokusai is one of the great ukiyo-e artists and he is famous, in particular for his "Thirty-six views of Mt Fuji" of which "The Great Wave" is one. Unfortunately the museum was very small - it is literally one room and a shop so it is not really worth the 1000Y I paid. If it was not for the special exhibition, I would have been rather disappointed. But I managed to see not only the "Great Wave" but “Black Fuji” and “Red Fuji”. Whilst these three prints were enclosed and behind glass, I could also see most of the other prints up close. Sadly we were not able to take photos but it was really so impressive to see how the wood carver must have delicately carved each line, each curve of the outline.

Today, ukiyo-e continues to influence artists from all over the world. I watched a video on the flight back to Singapore, on how this US artist started drawing a series of prints, entitled "Ukiyo Heroes", which was subsequently transferred on to the woodblocks by a craftsman based in Japan.

Yayoi Kusama

Our second museum was the Forever Museum of Contemporary Art's Yayoi Kusama : “Pumpkin Forever” exhibition. The "Forever Museum" is in Gion Corner, beside the theatre where I watched the annual Spring Dances or Miyako-Odori in Kyoto. Now, Kusama had held an exhibition in Singapore, at our National Gallery, but at that point in time I didn’t have the time to make a visit. So it was destined that I view her art here back in her home country.

Again, we were only able to take photos of selected exhibits. Yayoi is quite a controversial character and artist; she left her native Japan to go to the US in the 1950s where she tried to break into the art world, a difficult feat for a Japanese woman. In the liberal air, love and sunshine of the 1960s, she became a performance artist, in addition to her work as a painter and in creating soft sculptures (they look like sea anemones to me, although they are apparently soft phalluses). She returned to Japan, but the stresses of life got to her and she admitted herself into a mental institution. There she continued to paint. Today, her fame and popularity has spread across the world and her work is exhibited in many countries.

Infinity Room

There is a Yayoi Kusama Museum newly opened in Tokyo. Here in Kyoto, the exhibition is held across a few rooms in the Forever Museum. She is famous for her polka dots and pumpkins, infinity rooms and mirrors and the combination of all three. So of course the exhibition includes an infinity room of a mirrored pumpkin with polka dots and a wall with mirrored polka dots. There are rooms full of polka-dotted flowers, of polka-dotted pumpkins (apparently no two are alike) of varying dimensions and colours. I have to admit that there's a certain compelling quality to her art. Sadly photography is not allowed of most of her works.

(Postscript: Apparently the Forever Museum of Contemporary Art closed in Feb 2019. Sadly it was more ephemeral than the name suggests. Anyway, for more info, click here.)

The third and last museum we visited was Kyoto International Manga Museum. Totally something I never expected I would go to! But it was a rainy day and googling "things to do in Kyoto on a rainy day" resulted in the manga museum coming up multiple times, on multiple lists. So I decided to give it a go! My brave attempt to understand the Japanese youth culture.

Inside the Manga Museum

This was indeed a very educational visit for me, especially as I have never opened a manga comic in my life (till now). The museum is sited in a former school building and this history is apparent in the wide staircases leading up to each floor, the steps low and broad to accommodate the little legs of the younger children, the regular rooms where the classes must have been held. The museum traces the history of manga, and how it evolved over the years. Here I learnt too about the different types of manga - violent tales of the samurai warriors, stories of ghosts and spirits living side by side humans in the modern world, some really more fantasies and others of school days (cos they are targeting at a youth audience, obviously). Anyone can take down a manga and read! Of course much of it is in Japanese, but there is a foreign language section, including an English section so I actually browsed through a few volumes worth of popular manga, “Natsume’s Book of Friends”. But even the English manga are printed Japanese-style, in other words you start reading from the back of the book, and it goes right to left not left to right. Takes a little getting used to.

So that's it - a trio of museums, each portraying aspects of Japanese culture, ranging from traditional ukiyo-e to the modern manga and the polka-dotted world of Yayoi Kusama.

More photos will be put up when ready.

A Family of Temples

2019-03-02T15:22:00.003+08:00

Spectacular Kinkaku-ji

Last September, I went on my fifth holiday in Japan for five straight years. And this time I went on my third visit to Kyoto. Each visit, I learn more about Japan - about Japanese culture, history, and way of life. On my previous visits to Kyoto, I went to enjoy the Hanami (cherry blossom) and Momiji (autumn leaves) seasons. I was so busy viewing the blossoms and leaves that I didn’t get around to visiting some of the more famous sites. This time round, there was no foliage-related activity planned. It was time to deepen my understanding and appreciation of the historical and cultural aspects of this ancient Japanese city.

We had a rocky start to our trip. In fact, it was fraught with uncertainty. 2018 was not a great year for Kyoto. There was an earthquake in the Kansai region in June and just before we arrived, a major typhoon flooded Kansai International Airport, knocking it out of action. All flights were cancelled, whilst the flood waters were being drained away and the access road and bridge to the airport were being repaired. In the meantime, air services were being restored in slow stages. Every few days, a few more flights were added. We started checking out alternatives, in case we had to fly in to Nagoya instead. Fortunately, just a few days before our flight was one of the few which were allowed to proceed as planned and we flew in on a half-filled plane into a very empty airport. Phew! Unfortunately the typhoon damaged some of the sites we were planning to visit and so visitors were not allowed in some areas (one example below). I was reminded of my visit to Tokyo last year when my attempt to see a snow-capped Mt Fuji and autumn leaves on the Irohazaka route to Nikko were thwarted by a typhoon just a few days earlier.

At least this year, my key “visit objectives” were not significantly affected by the bad weather. As I said, despite my multiple visits to Kyoto, there were some famous sites I’ve never been to before - such as Ginkaku-ji and Kinkaku-ji, the Silver and Gold Temples. Kinkaku-ji is the older of the two, built by one of the shoguns, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, as a retirement villa. It was converted to a temple after his death. Ginkaku-ji was built by his grandson, Ashikaga Yoshimasa, also as a retirement home and also converted into a temple. Like Grandfather, like grandson.

We tried to get to Kinkaku-ji early, to beat the crowds. But to no avail - such is the popularity of this famous temple that it was full of crowds. The temple itself is beautiful - a golden pavilion (it’s covered in gold leaf), floating on the waters of the lake, and mirrored in the waters. We ascended the hill behind the lake, taking in the view of the surrounding hills and the temple beneath.

The silver sands and cone of Ginkaku-ji

Ginkaku-ji, however, was my favourite of the two. There is no silver gilding on the pavilion - apparently the construction of the buildings were delayed by war and other reasons, and rather than a big lake there are smaller ponds which we could stroll around, admiring the buildings, the pond and the mossy gardens from all angles as we turned each corner. But the highlight is the beautiful silvery gravel plain, with a cone representing Mount Fuji in one corner. There we sat, just in front of the carefully raked gravel, and scrutinising the smooth sides of the perfectly formed cone, indeed the resemblance is there :-)

Shrine on the Path of Philosophy

After the Ginkaku-ji visit, we took a walk down the famous Path of Philosophy, or "Tetsugaku-no-michi", which runs along a canal flowing from the temple down to the Eikandozenrin-ji temple (which I went to on my previous Autumn Leaf visit). The path got its name because a Kyoto University professor used to take his daily walk on the path, presumably contemplating life, the universe and everything.

Fortunately, out of cherry blossom season, the path was rather deserted and we were able to have a quiet, peaceful stroll. Every now and then there is a little landmark - a small shrine, a stone with a poem carved on it, a little shop or eatery inviting the traveller to stop for a moment. Although there were no cherry blossoms, there were lots of flowers and greenery along the way.

Guardian mouse, with a scroll signifying learning

We passed a few little shrines and temples but only stopped once, at Otoyo-jinja Shrine. Its key distinguishing feature is that this temple actually has a lot of cute little animals, in particular mice! These are guardian animals, as the god of the shrine, Okuninushi, had a special relationship with them. As the story goes, Okuninushi wanted to marry the beautiful Princess, Suseri. Alas, her father disapproved. Okuninushi had to complete a few tasks in order to win her hand. In one task, an archer shot an arrow into a rice field. When Okuninushi went to retrieve the arrow, the field was set on fire. The mice directed him to a safe spot and retrieved the arrow for him. And that's how our hero got to marry his Princess.

We didn't go to many other temples after these but we did pay a visit to the historic Nijo Castle. I had visited Nijo-jo before, on my first visit to Kyoto, to look at cherry blossoms at night. But I had never been to the palace itself and was glad for the opportunity to learn more about its history. It was the Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa who had started building the Castle, although it was his grandson who completed it. Sadly, this time round the gardens were off limits as they had been damaged thanks to the recent typhoon so we could only walk around the famous Ninomaru Palace.

This Palace contains the main audience chambers and reception halls - the furnishings, as would be expected, are very spartan with only the tatami mats on the floor and maybe a niche or storage cupboard built into the wlal, but the walls are covered with magnificent paintings - of tigers and leopards under palm trees, or flowering trees, etc. (We were not allowed to take photos so that's why you don't see any here.) It was here that the Shogun would meet foreign envoys, meet his Council or his feudal lords. It was also here that the 15th and last Shogun of Japan, Yoshinobu, gathered his retainers and announced the end of the Shogun era and the restoration of the Emperor, hence starting the Meiji Restoration and modernisation of Japan.

Photos are here.

Ninomaru Palace, Nijo Castle

Goodbye 2018, Hello 2019!

2019-01-01T15:35:00.001+08:00

2018 was a busy and eventful year for me. I hit my 50th year - a milestone indeed. Some key highlights include:

Celebrating the Big 50 - most notably, going with a bunch of friends on a road trip to Malaysia. We went caving, stayed dormitory-style in a lodge in the Malaysian highlands and ate and ate in Ipoh. We also had assorted birthday celebrations throughout the year.
Ticking items off my travel Bucket List - most notably, visiting Chartres Cathedral and Monet’s divine garden at Giverny. I was happy to be able to take my Mother on a mini-pilgrimage in Paris, where we met up with my sister and Brother-in-law. Spending time with family was a big item on my to-do list this year, so I was also happy to go with my cousin to Japan. I’ve not had time to blog about it yet!
2018 was also the year when the homes of my childhood/young adulthood moved out of the family. My Grandmother had died a few years ago and this year, my mum and her siblings wound up her estate and sold her house. Then, a few months later, my parents’ apartment was handed over to the developer after the en bloc sale was finalised. So we had a massive clearing out to do, unearthing lots of childhood possessions and memories along the way. We cleared the stuff out of the apartment but now some of it is sitting in boxes on the landing!
All the cats survived the year, although poor Marlon was ill for some time with first a bad wound and then a liver complaint which led to him getting daily saline drips, poor thing. He also got to eat the good quality premium cat food to reverse his weight loss so it was not all bad though.
I didn’t get to read much last year as I was too busy organising holidays (I went to Malacca and Penang during the year, in addition to the Road Trip, France and Japan) and clearing house. But I was very pleased that I finally managed to finish “Gene” by Siddhartha Mukherjee, all 500 pages worth (excluding notes and the index). It’s a subject I’m not familiar with - learning about Mendel way back in Sec 3 really doesn’t count. Now, at least I am a little more informed about the science and promise of precision medicine, gene therapy, etc, and the ethical dilemmas and challenges ahead. In addition, I read Philip Yeo’s biography, “Neither Civil Nor Servant” and ESM Goh Chok Tong’s biography, “Tall Order”. On a less serious note, I read the “Crazy Rich Asians” trilogy! And saw the movie too! Yes, I’ve decided I’m a fan.
I was also too busy to do much serious baking during the year but I am pleased that I managed to bake gingerbread men (recipe thanks to Sally’s Baking Addiction) and rolled out fresh pasta for the very first time (my technique needs improvement).
I’m also pleased to say that whatever I tidied up during my “Konmari” phase (clothes and books) has largely stayed tidy. Although I still have the remainder of the “paper” category to complete, overall progress on clearing out my piles of old bank records, bills etc has been good.
And of course work was quite busy too :-)

At this point, I don’t really have any firm plans for 2019. Work wise, it is shaping up to be a very busy first quarter. Then I’ll be busy with organising an event in early June for this charity I’m involved in. And clearing those boxes on the landing has to be done. So maybe it’s a good thing to leave much of this year unplanned, giving myself more time to potter around, meet up with friends, read a good book or two, count my blessings and just enjoy what each day brings me.

Photo by me, taken in the Flower Dome, Gardens by the Bay

Paris : Shopping and Eating

2018-12-22T19:28:00.005+08:00

Galerie Vivienne

I always like to leave a free day at the end of a holiday to do a little shopping and also so that there is time to squeeze in that one last activity. Then we can go back home with no regrets... But before we get to that, let’s first do the round up for food and shopping in Paris.

I have, even before my Konmari stint, stopped buying souvenirs on holiday and started buying specialty food. But even so, it is possibly to have lots of fun shopping for food or even just cruising the shops. So here are my highly personal shopping “to-Dos” in Paris:

1. Walk through their covered passages. I wanted to be a “flaneur” and walk around the elegant
covered galleries of Paris. I forgot (silly me) that the French shopkeepers don’t work on Sundays and the galleries were closed. I did manage to find one (Galerie Vivienne) which was open to people who just wanted to walk through, and it was full of charming old-fashioned shops which made me wish I could go in and explore further. So try going there on a weekday, to get away from chain stores and discover something unique to bring home from Paris.

The queue outside Louis Vuitton, Galeries Lafayette

2. Look at the Louis Vuitton Queue at Galeries Lafayette, which spills out into the corridor... .... I just went to the Galeries branch of Angelina, where I enjoyed a glass of their famous chocolate (I got it cold, which is probably a crime but it was a warm afternoon). I had a hot chocolate at Café de Flores on another day, which is another must-do.

3. Visit Shakespeare & Co. I just said that I don't buy souvenirs but there is always the exception that proves the rule. For me, it is that one book from Shakespeare & Co (see earlier post), so I can get it stamped with the bookshop logo.

4. Gawk at Le Bon Marche - Le Grand Epicerie.
I loved the huge food hall where there are so many exotic foodstuffs on offer, from all over the world. I bought some biscuits and other edibles to take back to the office. There are also a few counters where you can sample the fresh seafood (cooked on the spot for you), or get a quick sandwich (we did this) and also an extensive boulangerie section. .

5. Have it all at G. Detou - ah, the owner’s boast is true they do indeed have everything (j’ai de

J'ai de tout

tout) an aspiring baker could ask for, all packed within the two little shop units which make up this old-fashioned shop. As Clothilde from C&Z says, it’s magic! Like her, I got pearl sugar, about 1 kg worth... that's going to be a lot of choquettes. But that's one item you can't get anywhere in Singapore.

There are many other kitchen equipment shops in the vicinity of Les Halles, as documented here. In particular E. Dehillerin, which like G. Detou, is an old fashioned little shop with wooden shelves going up to the ceiling, all filled with amazing copper pots and pans.

6. Buy a baguette! The French buy a baguette every day. You had better do it too. There is a great boulangerie just below my sister's apartment, so that is where we got our daily bread.

7. Buy cheese at the airport! ‘Cos then you can be assured that it is packed for air travel and won’t stink up your luggage. I got a slab of Comte, and a little round of Camembert.

We had a nice time eating in little bistros and restaurants around Paris, including Breton buckwheat crepes at a creperie in the St Michel area, steak frites (steak with fries, another classic meal) and a simple salade Nicoise at a small cafe on the same road as G. Detou.

But I thought I would mention a few in particular, in case you are looking for a (moderately priced) place to go to after you've finished a morning's sight-seeing:

Whimsical decor at La Fourmi Ailee

1. After a visit to Notre Dame, when visiting the Latin Quarter, try La Fourmi Ailee, at 8, rue du Fouarre, Saint Michel. It is a charming little place, where the walls are covered with paintings including one of a tortoise and a series of Chinese characters.

I had a yummy fresh pasta dish with tomatoes and black olives. Warm, hearty fare at reasonable prices. There were only a few diners when we got there but the place filled up swiftly thereafter.

Mona Lisa as painted
by the computer

2. Near the Louvre, you can find the Cafe de la Regence, 167 rue St Honore. It is an elegant brasserie, with bookshelves and paintings lining the walls. It was a little strange however to see a pixelated Mona Lisa on the wall just beside our table.

When in France, embrace French food. So I ordered a duck confit (duck cooked in its own fat) and a bowl of French onion soup topped with a crust of bread and cheese - it's as traditional and French as you can get. The duck drumstick was tender and tasty, and it was accompanied by the most marvellous tiny new potatoes! The onion soup is such a French classic but it is so filling that it could be a whole meal in itself. I was glad that we shared it.

Beef bourguignon

3. After visiting the Sacre Couer, or when wandering around Montmartre: Try L’Anvers du Decor, 32bis Rue D’Orsel. This is definitely not in the super-crowded area just next to Sacre Coeur, so the serving staff had time to go through the menu with us.

It is supposed to be famous for its beef dishes so I had the beef bourguignon with French beans on the side - lovely and tender meat, hearty, rich stock. And of course this is another French classic meal. My sister had a pot of mussels though.

Les Nympheas

Moving outside Paris, we had a lovely outdoor lunch in Les Nympheas in Giverny, just outside Monet's house. The name translates to "water lilies" in English and is obviously a reference to Monet's iconic work. The little restaurant is surrounded by a veritable sea of flowers and so we were happy to sit outdoors for once, where we were able to enjoy the sunshine and the beautiful blooms around us. Go early, to beat the crowds and visit the garden after lunch.

I had a quiche for lunch but my mother and brother-in-law tackled the rabbit dish. It looked rather yummy but the quiche was really very good so I have no regrets.

Quiche at 3 Rue Pichet

In Chartres, we had lunch at 3 Rue Pichet. This is another small unpretentious, charming restaurant where the waitress brings the menu for the day on a little chalkboard. I ordered a salmon and potato dish - well cooked and tasty but it was a little light, even for me.

My mother took the quiche and my sister the duck served in a broth with carrots, potatoes and bacon (!) with a crust of bread on the side.

So we had lots of tasty meals but I have to give praise where it is due, so lots of kudos go to our favourite Chef, my dear Brother-in-law who would whip up something yummy most evenings so we could have home-cooked, value-for-money food rather than go out to eat. He did a great steak frites, prepared a salad of buffalo mozzarella and after a day of sightseeing we got back to a dinner of asparagus, his famous roast potatoes, savoury sausages and a baked vegetable dish (I can't remember what vegetable exactly). And that was really eating like the French :-)

Dinner en famille

More photos will be put on Flickr, when I get round to it.

Last but not least... we did go for that one last activity in Paris ... a totally touristy activity, a boat cruise down the River Seine! And so I end off this series of posts on Paris with a photo of the Eiffel Tower:

Au Revoir Paris!

A Jewel of Cathedrals - Chartres

2018-12-15T23:45:00.001+08:00

Chartres Cathedral

Chartres Cathedral, or more properly called Notre Dame de Chartres, is a jewel of Gothic architecture. The first church on the site was built as early as the 4th Century, but was destroyed a few times and rebuilt each time. Charles the Bald, the grandson of the great Charlemagne, donated the "Sancta Camisia", or the shift of the Virgin Mary, to the church and it became a place of pilgrimage. (The shift is still to be found in the cathedral today). Eventually, after yet another fire, Bishop Fulbert built a vast cathedral which was completed in 1037. Whilst some part of this building was destroyed by fire, the bell tower and part of the front face remained. The church was rebuilt and extended further (including the addition of another tower), and finally consecrated in 1260 in the presence of King Louis. Today, the cathedral is renowned for its spectacular stained glass windows dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, its medieval crypt and the mysterious labyrinth embedded in the centre of its nave. It is no wonder that this famous cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The North Rose Window

To say that the cathedral is beautiful is an understatement. It is magnificent! The tall vault above the nave, the majestic pillars, lead the eye up to the heavens. The statues in the screen around the choir are so intricate and expressive. The stained glass windows, with their vibrant colours and beautifully detailed panes - I could spend hours just trying to work out what scenes they depict.

We managed to get to the cathedral in time for the tour by THE authority on Chartres Cathedral, Malcolm Miller. Miller has been giving his tours since 1958! He doesn't have a fixed tour per se, but brings visitors to different parts of the cathedral each time. Apparently he is not really affiliated with the cathedral per se but they support his tours and he is listed on their website. But you need to get in touch directly with him to check whether he is holding the tour on a particular day. We were lucky enough to go on a day when he was conducting his tour. (There is another English language tour available so you can go on that if you miss Miller's tour).

Indeed his knowledge of the cathedral was truly encyclopaedic. He pointed out the various biblical stories told in the stained glass windows, similar to how perhaps the illiterate peasants would have learnt the bible stories way back in the Middle Ages.

Detail - Adam and Eve

He also revealed the deeper theological references within the windows - for example, that whilst the tale of Adam and Eve described the Fall of Man, the Parable of the Good Samaritan spoke of God's Salvation through Jesus Christ. In the parable, the traveller represents Adam, cast out from paradise; the priest and the Levite walk past him; but Christ is the Good Samaritan who brings him to safety and promises to return for him. On a more prosaic note he also showed us the details in the windows which showed who had donated the cost of their production - be they tradesmen, or nobles etc. More on the cathedral's stained glass windows can be found here.

Miller also took us outside the church, to take a look at the statues adorning the doors and entrances to the church. He showed us the Last Judgement, found at the South Porch of the church. Christ sits above the doorway, with Mary and John the Evangelist on either side, the angels above and around him.

We decided to go on a second tour, around the crypt. The tour was in French but since you can't go to the crypt on your own and that was the only tour available... we went on it. (Most of the people in the tour didn't speak French so we were all in the same boat). The crypt is the largest in France and it is here that the early origins of the cathedral are most obvious, as being underground, it survived all the fires above. The cathedral was rebuilt on the foundations of the crypt, and you can still see the ancient pillars on which the building above rests. Old, faded murals on the walls also reflect the antiquity of this place.

The Labyrinth

The other well-known feature of Chartres cathedral is its labyrinth. In the old days, pilgrims would walk the labyrinth (some on their knees). It was symbolic of the twists and turns of life, the trials and false turns made along the way. But eventually, the pilgrim could reach the centre where the way out was straight towards the altar, i.e. to God's saving presence.

When we were there, labyrinth was partly covered by chairs. It is revealed fully some days (I believe Friday afternoons). I did not realise it was such a large labyrinth - reaching out to almost the entire width of the nave.

Around the altar, are the little chapels and shrines. We saw the Lady of the Pillar (a local devotion to the Blessed Virgin), the Sancta Camisa as mentioned earlier.

In addition, there was a small little side shrine devoted to St Therese of Lisieux. Beside it, preparations were being made to add one more - for St Therese’s parents, the newly canonised St Louis and Zelie Martin! The first couple to be canonised as saints for their unique role in creating an exemplary Catholic family environment for their children.

We ended up spending the entire day in the Cathedral, without even going anywhere else in Chartres! But it was indeed a day well spent, absorbing the beauty of the surroundings and praying in this sacred place.

More photos will be put up here.

Chartres Cathedral - Interior

A Day in Montmartre

2018-12-01T13:58:00.002+08:00

The Basilica du Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre

Aside from our mini-pilgrimage to the Catholic sites in Paris and its environs, the other "theme" of this holiday is probably getting a glimpse into the lives of the Impressionists. Not so much their paintings (been there done that), but where they lived and worked. Today, our visit to Montmartre covered both areas, starting with our visit to the Sacre Coeur and then, after lunch, around the Musée de Montmartre.

Montmartre is the "hill of martyrs", so named after the first Bishop of Paris, St Denis, who was decapitated here. A most appropriate place to site this beautiful basilica! The building itself is rather new - construction started in 1875 and was completed in 1914, a mere 39 years after! It is truly a pilgrimage, having to walk up the hill to get to the basilica (and braving the touts along the way) but of course it was one we willingly made :-) We were rewarded of course by a spectacular view over Paris.

We got here in time for morning mass (it is our routine now) and we celebrated the feast day of that most French of saints, Joan of Arc. Maybe it is because we are visiting so many French Churches this visit, but I find they do love their French saints - St Joan, St Ursula, St Vincent de Paul, St Louis IX, St Therese of Lisieux etc - whose images appear in the stained glass windows and whose statues pop up in the various little shrines. Whilst mass was in French, the choir was a small group of nuns and their pure, sweet voices needed no translation to be appreciated. They continued to sing even after mass had ended, which added to the atmosphere of faith and joy which I felt during my time here.

St Joan, as peasant girl
and warrior maid

After mass, we explored the huge church in greater depth. It was not my first time here (I think more like my third?) but it has been sufficiently long ago for memories of previous visits to have dimmed (although I do remember coming for Sunday mass here, the entire building packed despite its size). We admired the humongous mosaic above the altar (apparently the largest in France), and wandered around the little chapels, many of which were dedicated to the French saints. But there are two conspicuously non-French saints featured. First, there is a chapel for St Ignatius of Loyola (also called the Chapel of the Jesuits, it was certainly funded by them), who apparently came with his companions to the nearby Church of St Pierre (of course there was no chapel in those days) and it was here that they started the "Society of Jesus", or the Jesuits. Another chapel has a sign to commemorate the visit by St John Paul II to the basilica in 1980.

I did not know that the Basilica is the venue for perpetual adoration of the Eucharist, something which started way back on 1 August, 1885! Pilgrims come here to spend the night in the guesthouses here and take their turn to pray before the Eucharist. Maybe it is an idea for another time.

For more photos, look here.

Life is Art

We had lunch at a little bistro somewhere down the hill. Due to our unfamiliarity with the area, we did not realise that we would have to make our way back again to get to the Musée de Montmartre, where we intended to spend the afternoon! Ah well, the exercise was probably good for us. It was also quite pleasant to wander around the narrow, steep streets of the area. Montmartre formed no part of Baron Haussmann's plans for Paris and so it has no gracious boulevards or majestic squares. It is full of staircases, twists, and turns, with a little bit of graffiti in the corners. And when you turn around the corner there is indeed a little square, but full of shops and street artists plying their trade. And all of a sudden, you feel that you have indeed walked back into a picture which Renoir could have painted, of people just enjoying the sunshine and each other's company.

12 Rue Cortot

The Musee de Montmartre is described as the "most charming museum in Paris" and indeed it is full of atmosphere. We could almost see Renoir sketching in the garden, with Toulouse-Lautrec wandering in for a visit before going off to one of the nearby caberets (maybe the Caberet du Lapin Agile, or "Agile Rabbit", or the Theatre du Chat Noir, or the "Black Cat", or the Cabaret du Moulin Rouge, named after one of the windmills, many of which were once found here ). Above the gardens, Suzanne Valadon would sit in her studio painting away at her easel.

Suzanne Valadon's atelier-apartment

The visit starts off with a short video on the history of Montmartre, before leading us through the gardens and to 12, Rue Cortot, where some artists (including Renoir) had their studio. It is here that the collections of the museum can be found, with paintings of Montmartre over the years, and also featuring works by Toulouse-Lautrec, Suzanne Valadon, her son Maurice Utrillo and others. We ended up with a visit to Suzanne's studio apartment right on top of the building. Of course I am an utter dunce when it comes to art and aside from the big names (Monet, Renoir) I tend not to be so familiar with the others, including Suzanne. But she had an interesting life - starting off as a model/muse for Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas, and then going on to be an artist in her own right. She was completely self-taught, except for what she picked up by observing and talking to the artists she was modelling for. Got to respect a woman like that.

It was indeed a day of contrasts, from the sacred to the secular, from the serene beauty of the Basilica to the more tumultuous, vibrant life of the Bohemians. But together, both Sacre Coeur and the Musee de Montmartre bring together and tell the story of this little corner of Paris.

Saints Extraordinaire

2018-11-18T00:40:00.004+08:00

St Catherine praying at the feet of Mary

In a little corner of the left bank of Paris, just behind the trendy St Germain area, is "Religious Orders HQ". We came here to visit the Chapel of the Miraculous Medal, but found also the motherhouse of the Mission Etrangers de Paris (MEP), and the Espace Nicholas Barre of the "Souers de L'Enfant Jesus"! Without them, my life would indeed not have been the same!

The visit to the Chapel was one of the more significant stops on our mini-pilgrimage. Hidden behind an insignificant little entrance way on the Rue du Bac, this is the original quarters of the Sisters of Charity (also called the Daughters of Charity), co-founded by St Vincent de Paul and St Louise Marillac. It was here that the Virgin Mary appeared to St Catherine Laboure, then merely a novice of the order. A detailed account of Catherine's story is here, but I shall give a short summary: Catherine had a vision of Mary, seated on a chair. Mary asked her to have a medal made, with the image of Mary with beams of lights emitting from her hands on one side, and with the Sacred Hearts of Mary and Jesus on the other. Around the person of Mary, the words, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee". Thus, the medal is more properly known as the "Medal of the Immaculate Conception", and confers graces and blessings on the wearer. Catherine had the medal made but her identity and role in its making was kept secret for most of her life. She was subsequently canonised as a saint.

The Chapel at Rue de Bac

The Chapel of the Miraculous Medal itself is a shrine containing the perfectly preserved bodies of St Catherine Laboure and St Louise Marillac. It also holds a reliquary containing the undecayed heart of St Vincent de Paul, which had been removed earlier from his then undecayed body. Unfortunately, the body of this great saint subsequently decayed after being affected by a flood. We visited his shrine later on, just around the corner.

Anyway, we had timed our visit to the chapel in good time to attend the morning mass, but it was quite crowded what with all the groups of pilgrims coming from all over and seats were in short supply. So we had to split up. But we were fortunate, for others could not even get a seat! I took some time to admire the chapel - it is truly a little jewel, with lovely mosaics covering the arch above the altar, and on the side chapels. On the left of the altar is St Joseph, bearing the Christ child, and on the right, Mary holds a globe in her hands.

It was a powerful experience being there for mass and even after, as the pilgrims stayed back for quite some time after mass ended, to venerate the saints and to pray at the foot of the altar. Thereafter, we went to the little shop and bought lots of medals and got them blessed by one of the priests who said mass.

We went next to the Shrine of St Vincent de Paul, just around the corner. It was behind yet another nondescript door but what splendour awaited us on the other side!
.

Magnificent shrine of St Vincent de Paul

The shrine is richly decorated, with an ornate ceiling and pillars along the sides. The bones of St Vincent, covered in wax to create a wax model, are in a transparent case above the altar, and apparently you can get nearer if you go up a staircase behind the altar. Well, we did not know it at the time and so did not go up...

Two other, lesser known saints lie along the side aisles of the church - St Jean-Gabriel Perboyre and St Francois-Regis Clet, both martyred in China. More of their background is told in this article. These two martyrs are priests of the order of the Congregation of the Mission (CM), which is a missionary order set up by St Vincent de Paul (again). They are also called Vincentians, or Lazarists. The main church is this shrine of St Vincent de Paul and hence this is where the other two saints were laid to rest. Interestingly, the one society St Vincent did not found is the Society of St Vincent de Paul! It was in fact set up as a lay society by a French lawyer, Blessed Frederic Ozanam, who was inspired by St Vincent to do this work for the poor.

After the visit to the shrine, we went back to Rue du Bac to have lunch at La Grande Epicerie de Paris, the food section of Le Bon Marche, Paris' oldest department store. We had a simple sandwich there and thereafter made some purchases (mostly goodies for the office) before making our way onward.

The "Meridian Line"

After lunch, we went on to our next stop, the Church of St Sulpice. St Sulpice was born in 570AD (!) and died in 647. He was the Bishop of Bourges and was greatly concerned with the poor and the sick. The current church replaced an older one on the same site and was built by the then Parish Priest, Jean-Jacques Olier (1608-1657). It is the second largest church in Paris, smaller only than the Notre Dame and includes a seminary as well. There are a number of interesting features about this church, such as its impressive pipe organ, and more unusually, its "gnomon", which is an astronomical device meant to help determine the dates of important church feasts. The gnomon was featured in the Dan Brown book, "The Da Vinci Code", and called a "Meridian Line". It was meant to act as a red herring to confuse those who sought the grail... ... but the use, and description of the line in the book were in fact erroneous. Even so, due to the book's popularity, the number of visitors to the church increased, all looking for this device. So much so that there was apparently a small notice indicating that a lot of the details about the gnomon in the book were in fact wrong. I didn't see the notice, but then again I never even realised that the obelisk had anything to do with the Da Vinci code ...

After this visit, we had certainly seen enough churches for the day, so we went to the Cafe de Flores for hot chocolat and tarte au citron. Then back home to rest.

More photos of the Miraculous Medal here, of the Shrine of St Vincent here and of St Sulpice (from both this and a previous trip) here.

Monet's Garden at Giverny

2018-10-28T14:28:00.000+08:00

A perfect garden, a perfect day.

The Water Lily Pond at Les Jardins de Claude Monet at Giverny

I have always wanted to visit the incredible gardens of Claude Monet at Giverny. And this time, with my garden-loving mother around, it seemed like the perfect opportunity! Especially since my brother-in-law kindly took leave to drive us there. So off we went in our little rental car to Giverny.

Monet established his family at Giverny in 1883 when he was 43 years old. It was not a conventional family. His first wife had died some time after the birth of her second child, following which Monet became "romantically involved" with the wife of a friend. She and her children, stayed with Monet and his children at Giverny. Monet was already an established painter, and his home and gardens in Giverny provided the inspiration for some of his most famous and spectacular works. More on Monet's life story is here.

Monet found inspiration in the Japanese aesthetic for his art, and I like to think that he was also inspired by the beautiful Japanese gardens for his Water Garden too. We walked down a little pathway to emerge at the water lily pond. The pond was like a mirror, reflecting the sky, the trees and plants surrounding it. As we strolled around the pond, different aspects of the pond appeared - the willow, draping its branches over the bridge; the boat (and boatman) going across it; the multi-coloured flowering plants. On the pond, the lily pads floated, and reeds peeked above the surface. It was as though I had walked into a Monet painting. Indeed, this was what Monet wanted to do when he created his huge images of his garden for the Orangerie museum (his gift to France, which I had visited on a previous trip), to create an entire world in itself, without horizon, of water, lilies and light.

We went next to the formal gardens beside his house. It was full of beautiful spring flowers, a blend of colour and light - again, just like a painting! I learnt however that they plant with the season in mind, so that the gardens are flowering all the time.

The formal gardens

Monet's first studio

From the gardens, we entered Monet's house. The first room we went in contained Monet's collection of Japanese Ukiyo-e (woodcut) prints, including those by great masters such as Hokusai. But the highlight was visiting his first studio, a large room overlooking the garden, with big windows all along the side. The walls were covered by his paintings (replaced since by reproductions) so visitors could admire his genius. Monet subsequently moved into another studio and it would appear that this became the family living room.

Going upstairs, into the bedrooms, gave an even better view of the grounds and there were even more paintings. In his bedroom - paintings by other Impressionists, including Renoir. There was another bedroom, I believe the one used by his stepdaughter who was living in the house after his death.

The front entrance and the house

Going downstairs again, we saw the dining room and the most enviable kitchen, with its tiled walls, copper pots and gigantic kitchen table.

In short, this was truly a comfortable and welcoming family home for Monet and his family.

With this visit, as well as my earlier trip to Rouen, to see its famed cathedral, I have really had the oppportunity to see for myself how the artist reperceives his subjects - whether it is the lily pond, or the formal garden, or the ancient cathedral - and transforms it into a masterpiece. What a privilege!

But this was not the end of our day. My sister wanted to do a little more sightseeing before returning to Paris so we went next to the little town of "Le Petit Anderlys".

It's a charming little village, with its half timbered houses, ancient church and fortress on a hill, Chateau Galliard built originally by Richard the Lionheart of England.

Half timbered houses, Le Petit Anderlys

Indeed, visiting this little town reminds me just how much history this corner of France holds. It was from Normandy, of course, that William the Conqueror hailed from. His descendants linked Normandy and England for so many years, and it was here that so many battles between the French and the English were fought (and thereafter, the battles of WWI and II).

There is so much more to learn and see. One day I must really do a proper visit to Normandy!

Many more photos here.

A Pilgrimage to Nevers

2018-10-06T21:09:00.002+08:00

St Bernadette's shrine, in the convent chapel
(no photos of the saint are allowed)

You are going to Nevers? Pour-quoi?

Apparently that’s what my sister’s colleagues said when she told them that we are going to Nevers. I suppose that these days, the French are not that religious and so they do not know that St Bernadette's intact body rests in a quiet convent chapel in this small town.

My mother and I had made a pilgrimage to Lourdes previously, where we saw the grotto where the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin appeared to Bernadette, and various places associated with the Saint's life. (The entire series of posts can be found here).

So this time round, visiting the shrine of St Bernadette was definitely going to be a stop on our mini-pilgrimage. Bernadette's body rests at the convent of St Gildard, where she first entered as a postulant to join the Sisters of Charity of Nevers. The Sisters had had a small school in Lourdes, and had taken in Bernadette as a pupil, so when she entered religious life it was a natural choice for her. The convent of St Gildard was where she spent the rest of her brief life, dying as she sat in a chair in the infirmary. Today, the convent has become a place of pilgrimage and retreat centre, called Espace Bernadette. We walked through the quiet grounds, visited the little museum on the life of the saint, and went for mass in the chapel where we also prayed by the body of St Bernadette. A replica of the grotto at Massabielle is beside the chapel, but it was so hot that we didn't linger there.

Inside the Chapelle of St Joseph

Nevers itself is about two hours from Paris, so we got there around 11am+, just in time for mass (in French). It was on 25th May (so you know how late this post is), so we celebrated the feast of St Philip Neri. There was a small group of schoolchildren and they were the special guests sitting next to the altar. Later on, we saw them exploring the grounds, worksheet in hand, looking for the answers to their assignment.

The convent itself is surrounded by its grounds - gentle meadows and gardens. There is also the little Chapelle of St Joseph was where St Bernadette was originally laid to rest. She was exhumed for inspection in 1909, 1919 and 1925. Each time, it was found to be intact even though the skin has darkened over time (it is covered with a wax mask). There is in fact a detailed write-up about the condition of the body, including the organs (the liver was found to be still soft). After the last inspection, the body was placed in the shrine in the chapel. And, of course, Bernadette was canonised as a saint!

Our Lady of the Waters

Coming here, it is easy to picture Bernadette walking down the garden paths, going all the way from the big convent building to the shady and peaceful corner where stands Our Lady of the Waters. It was a favourite spot of Bernadette's as it was this particular image of Our Lady which reminded her of the One she met.

We also visited the museum, which features some of Bernadette's belongings - the clothes in which she came to the convent, the apothecary scales which she used to weigh medicine (she worked in the infirmary) and the chair she died in. There are also a few of her writings featured.

According to the tourist sites such as this one, there are other things to see in Nevers such as the cathedral, a former ducal palace and a ceramic museum. But we didn't really have time for a visit. By the time we finished visiting the convent (taking into account our break for lunch after mass) it was late afternoon and we had to catch our train back to Paris. So we walked through the old town, past a large park full of children practicing their roller-blading, and past the old town walls. Then we wandered back to the train station and took our two hour train journey back to Paris.

A tiring day but one, according to my Mum, which helped her check off one more thing off her Catholic Bucket List.

More photos here.

The old town wall and cathedral beyond

Notre Dame, St Chapelle and Latin Quarter

2018-09-02T11:31:00.000+08:00

St Chapelle by Candlelight

Four Seasons

Undoubtedly, the highlight of this second day in Paris was our concert at Sainte-Chapelle. Vivaldi's Four Seasons sung through the chapel.

Sainte Chapelle was built by King Louis IX (later St Louis) to house the Crown of Thorns (at least what was thought to be the crown of thorns). Completed in 1248 (!), it is a beautiful medieval chapel with tall windows of magnificent stained glass. Whilst there has been some destruction over the years (for example during the French Revolution), apparently two-thirds of the stained glass is original, and the chapel underwent an extensive restoration fairly recently. It is one of the most difficult attractions to get into in Paris, due to the small size and the length of the queues outside. So I thought that the best way was to combine the visit with this classical music concert.

Indeed it was a very special experience. The queues were long, it is true, but needed in any case to get through security and into the chapel. As the sun was still shining (days are lengthening at the end of May) we still got to see the stained glass lit by the light of the evening sun outside. The strains of "Air on a G String", followed by the "Four Seasons" filled the chapel as the light slowly faded outside. But then the exquisite screen, just behind the musicians then took prominence. It was really an unforgettable evening!

Chapel of the Crown of Thorns

After the concert, we were surprised when the rain started pouring down when we left. The day had been so bright and sunny that we were not expecting such strong, gusty winds nor the torrential rain. It was as though we were experiencing Singapore's own two seasons (tropical heat and thunderstorms) in this one day!

But back to how we spent the day. We started off at Cathedral of Notre Dame at the Ile de Cite, which I have been to twice during previous visits to Paris. But as always, you find new things to see. This time, I particularly noticed the chapel devoted to the Crown of Thorns relic (moved over from Sainte-Chapelle during the French Revolution). I am always rather sceptical as to the authenticity of these relics but one can and should remember the symbolism of the crown of thorns, and the suffering of Christ which he endured on our behalf.

Restored - the Visit of the Magi

The Cathedral itself is undergoing its own slow process of restoration. The exterior has been largely completed and within, various areas have already been restored. The screen around the high altar is in progress, so half of it looks a little grubby whilst in the other half, the expressions and features figures in the key biblical scenes have emerged from centuries of dust and grime.

Within Shakespeare & Co

After our visit to Notre Dame, we had lunch across the Seine in the Latin Quarter and from there we last visit to Paris. This little bookshop is so popular with tourists that it has even managed to start up its own little eatery on the side. But I like it for the quirky little upper room, with its beautiful view of the towers of Notre Dame, and the resident cat (I didn't spot the cat but I did see the cat bed!).

I bought a book (of course) - David Leibovitz's The Sweet Life in Paris which I had borrowed previously from the library. I like his irreverent style, his self-deprecating humour, and the yummy recipes sprinkled throughout. My sister read the book prior to moving to Paris and apparently can relate to the tussles with the French bureaucracy both within government and with the service standards and processes in even the commercial retail establishments. My mother too ended up reading the book during the rest of our stay.

Christ child meets John the Baptist

We continued to stroll around the Latin Quarter, visiting the church of Saint Severin, famous for its gargoyles, stained glass, and magnificent architecture. It has also got a majestic pipe organ, so the church is also famous for its sacred music performances. We were lucky that someone was rehearsing whilst we were there - click here for my video. The stained glass is huge - so you can actually see every single detail clearly! There were more small churches in close proximity to St Severin, but we didn't go visiting them (two in one day is quite enough).

We also walked on the banks of the Seine, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On Pont Neuf we took in the views over the Seine including the impressive Conciergerie, a palace turned prison turned Department of Justice. We ended the day with dinner, and of course the concert at Sainte-Chapelle.

A long but enjoyable day! More photos here.

The classic view of the Conciergerie with the tourist boat sailing past

Living the Expat life in Paris

2018-08-19T00:14:00.001+08:00

It has been about ten years since I last went to Paris on holiday! Some people find it odd that I don't mind revisiting places that I've been to. I don't find it odd at all! Big cities have so many things to see and do that you can't see them all on one trip; places change and I and my interests change too.

Anyway, this time round it was very different as my mother and I were visiting my sister and her husband, who are currently working in Paris. It was an opportunity to experience the life of the expat in Paris.

The Arc de La Defense, from Neuilly-sur-Seine

So first of all, we were not staying in the central Paris area; the Paris planned by Baron Haussman. We were staying in the prosperous suburb of Neuilly-sur-Seine, in a small one bedroom apartment within 5 minutes' walk from my sister's apartment (rented off AirBnB).

It's also a straight metro ride to the centre of Paris, and to my sister's office in the La Defense area - Paris' business district. We paid a visit to La Defense, sat beneath the arc, visited the local Decathlon and walked around the towering, modern office blocks in the area. It's a totally different Paris! There's also residential blocks in this area, but we were glad that my sister had chosen to stay in the quieter, more traditional Neuilly area.

Trompe L'Oeil wall, Neuilly-sur-Seine

Here, the houses are the traditional 6 to 7 floors high. What was once an old house has now been divided up into apartments (about two per floor) typically with a caretaker staying on the ground floor. There are typically shops on the ground floor too - a florist, or baker, or butcher. You enter through a large front door, big enough to drive a car through. As in the old days this would be a carriage, just beyond the entrance there is a smaller yard area where you can find another building which would be the stables. My sister's apartment is on the sixth floor, with lovely views over the area. Our apartment was over the stables, with a view of the yard. But very quiet, with no traffic noises.

We spent our first day in Paris mostly walking around La Defense and here in Neuilly-sur-Seine. Whilst there are quite a few restaurants in the vicinity, we typically had nice home cooked dinners most nights. The local supermarkets are just nearby and there's also this frozen food paradise called Picard (the ultimate in quality and convenience). We bought our bread from the bakery, our other breakfast items and fruit from the either the supermarket or the little shop at the corner, which was open all hours (run by migrants of course).

Eglise de St Pierre

There are also a number of churches in the area - St Peter's, St John the Baptist. Handy to get to for Sunday mass. But we didn't go to either! Instead we went to the English language church in Paris, St Joseph's (apologies, I forgot to take photos here). It is a smaller, intimate and more modern little church with a very diverse and cosmopolitan congregation. Including of course all the Singaporeans! So it was that when we went over for Sunday mass, my mum met two people she knew from our parish back in Singapore. They too had moved over to France...

For the rest of this trip, we would be visiting many, many more churches. My mother had decided on a "DIY Pilgrimage" and so we had listed down all the major Catholic sites to see in Paris, plus a few others to visit on day trips. I'll be slowly covering our visit in my next few posts.

In the meantime, check out this France album for all my shots this trip.

Colours of Impressionism - National Gallery Special Exhibition

2018-03-10T23:40:00.002+08:00

Palace of the Popes, by Paul Signac

The National Gallery held a special exhibition, Century of Light from 16 Nov 2017 to 11 March 2018. It was actually features two exhibitions, Colours of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musée d'Orsay and Between Worlds: Raden Saleh and Juan Luna, who hail from Indonesia and Philippines respectively.

Impressionism is one of my favourite periods in art - the use of light, the freshness and the spontaneity of the paintings are what appeals to me most. So I was indeed very happy to view the beautiful artworks from the Musee d'Orsay which had been specially brought over to Singapore, by artists such as Cezanne, Renoir, Manet, Pissaro, Monet and so on.

As always, it was a fascinating learning journey. I did not know that actually Impressionism was not just a new approach towards art, but that it was also made possible through newly invented pigments and colours which made it possible to capture the colours of the world so much more vividly than before. That's why as time went by, the artist's palette itself changed, from more dark colours (and black) to the bright, fresh greens and blues, rosy pinks and glowing yellow which we see in so many paintings of the era. To further illustrate the point, the exhibition also featured a palette of one of the Impressionist painters (I think it was Renoir) with the little blobs of paint still on it.

I didn't take that many photos (there are so many good photos of the paintings on line, and in any case the photo is a pale shade of the actual artwork). What I did do was to record paintings which had a special meaning for me. For example, this painting by Paul Signac, because it is of the Palais des Papes at Avignon, which I had visited a few years back. I had not really heard of Signac before but he was a painter of the Pointilism school (made famous by Georges Seurat) where each painting is composed of carefully placed dots, or points! Indeed, the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Just like the painting is so much nicer than any of the photos I took of the Palace.

Family of J.C. Baud by Raden Saleh

Whilst the d'Orsay paintings showcased the famous artists of the day, what I really appreciated about the National Gallery is that they also try to remind us visitors that we should be proud of our own painters from this part of the world. Hence, the second exhibition on the works of two South East Asian painters who had in their own different ways also achieved international standing.

Detail from "House of the Resident of Banyuwangi, East Java"
by Antoine Auguste Joseph Payen

The first was Indonesian painter Raden Saleh. Born in 1811, Raden's talent was first nurtured by Belgian painter Antoine Auguste Joseph Renoir who was working for the Dutch colonial administration. Thereafter, Raden went to Europe to further his training. He painted quite a few portraits, including this charming family scene (J C Baud was a friend and mentor), but also was well known for his paintings of tigers and other wild animals (there was quite a disturbing painting of a tiger just waiting to pounce on two innocent travellers, and yet another one of a hunting scene with the poor tiger as the victim). He returned to Indonesia in his later years.

Besides paintings by Raden Saleh, this segment of the exhibition also featured some paintings by his teacher, Antoine Payen. I find it amusing that this picture of an Indonesian scene was done by a European whilst the picture of the European family was done by an Indonesian! I suppose however both were done through a European lens.

La Mestiza, by Juan Luna

The other artist featured, Juan Luna was a Filipino painter and activist. He too would travel to Europe to study painting and in fact, ended up winning an award at a Spanish art exposition, the National Demonstration of Fine Arts, for his painting, "The Death of Cleopatra". However, tragedy struck in later life when he murdered his wife and mother-in-law in a fit of jealousy. He was arrested but eventually was acquitted of murder on grounds of temporary insanity.

All in all, it was an engrossing weekday afternoon, spent "Between Two Worlds" of European and South East Asian painters and subjects. For a much better review, read the Straits Times article here. More of my photos of the paintings here.

Tokyo Neighbourhoods: Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park

2018-02-10T17:40:00.003+08:00

For almost three centuries, the Tokugawa shogunate founded by Ieyasu Tokugawa ruled Japan whilst the Emperor was marginalised. This changed in the mid-19th Century when the last Shogun lost the support of the feudal lords and resigned. The Emperor took charge again. Recognising that Japan had slipped behind the western powers, he opened up Japan to foreign trade, technology and know-how. It was he who presided over the industrialisation of Japan, and the renaming of "Edo" as "Tokyo". The Meiji shrine was erected in memory of the Emperor and his Empress and is meant to "enshrine" their spirits.

Bonsai

Today, the shrine remains very much a key centre of Japanese religious life. Indeed, when we were there we saw no less than four separate activities taking place at the shrine!

First, there was a chrysanthemum exhibition, featuring also bonsai bonsai plants. The Chrysanthemum is always associated with the Imperial Family - a specific variety is the Imperial flower, and the Emperor sits upon the Chrysanthemum throne. So it was most appropriate that there was yet another chrysanthemum exhibition to visit here. In addition, there was also a selection of bonsai plants to be admired. Personally I much preferred the bonsai exhibitions as the miniature landscapes displayed far more Creative flair and imagination compared to just viewing gigantic chrysanthemum flowers.

Sake from distilleries throughout Japan

Second, to commemorate the Meiji Emperor’s birthday on 3 Nov, every year, major producers send a special gift of their best produce to his shrine, in hopes of continuing future prosperity. This is displayed in a small corner of the shrine area (I presume there are more but they select only a portion to display). I was quite impressed by the number of sake bottles on show! Of course there were other products exhibited but none of them made such a convincing display.

Dressed in her best kimono

Third, we saw lots of little boys and girls dressed up in their traditional clothing, looking ever so sweet and cute. I was wondering what it was - on checking up it is a "shichi-go-san" or "3-5-7" festival, so named because children of these ages are meant to visit the shrine as part of their "growing up" rituals. Accompanied by their parents and sometimes their grandparents, the children
walk into the shrine, to get a blessing - a candy representing longevity and health. The families don't need to go to the Meiji shrine in particular - any shrine will do. Technically the festival is on Nov 15 (3+5+7) but families do go to the shrine even a few weeks beforehand, presumably to beat the crowds. All dressed up in their best clothing, the children looked as they were having a good time, getting their photos taken, playing with their balloons etc etc. I'm afraid to say that we did go around "stalking" the especially cute ones, to take their photo!

Fourth, we saw a wedding procession! Not entirely unexpected, as I had read earlier that the shrine is a preferred location for couples to solemnise their weddings. So we came to the shrine hoping to see a wedding. This, to be honest, was my highlight of the day. Earlier on, I had seen the Shinto priests just outside the main courtyard of the shrine talking to two women who must have been the mothers of the bride and groom. Then, as I was busily trying to catch a photo of a cute kimono-clad kiddie, the bridal procession marched in. Dressed in traditional clothing, the bride and groom walk in behind the priests, accompanied by their entourage. Everyone looks quite stern and serious. They walk into the shrine, ignoring the gaping tourists around them. After a few minutes (presumably after the appropriate rituals are completed) they return to the courtyard. Just before the exit, the Shinto priests stop, exchange bows with the couple before making their way out.

To me, the Meiji shrine visit really gave me an insight into the spiritual heartbeat of Japan. It is a "working shrine", one where the spirit of the great Emperor Meiji continues to be venerated and thanked for helping to bring about modern Japan.

We went for lunch thereafter (at Heiroku Sushi) but made our way back to walk around Yoyogi Park. It's one of the restful green lungs of this busy city - where Tokyo residents spend time with family and friends in the peaceful environment of the park. An elderly bunch of Elvis imitators were gyrating near the entrance, and we walked past a group of men playing frisbee, girls chatting under a tree, a poodle club (and owners) meeting and so on. We reached a little lake in the middle of the park where the trees around were just beginning to show their autumn colours. It was a lovely end to the day.

Autumn colours in Yoyogi Park

I've been visiting Japan every year from 2014 to 2017 and with each visit here, I am slowly learning more about the rich and distinct Japanese culture, history and society. This is a society which appreciates beauty and nature, believes in the pursuit of perfection, and filled with an ancient pride and spirituality which makes it distinct from all others. Can't wait to see what my 2018 visit has in store!

In the meantime, all photos from this Tokyo trip here.

Tokyo Neighbourhoods: Ginza and Tsukiji Market

2018-02-03T14:56:00.002+08:00

Tsukiji Market

If you have not visited Tsukiji market, you have not visited Tokyo. Due to the problems found on the site of the “new” Tsukiji market, this famous fish wholesale mart had not yet shifted at the time of our visit, so we decided to take a trip and see the old market before it was torn down. The other reason is of course that we went to find the freshest, yummiest sashimi to tuck into.

Now if you read all the websites, they give you lots of advice on how to get there - the need to get there at the truly unearthly hour of 3am in the morning, bring warm clothing because it is pretty cold in the market etc etc.

Within the inner market

None of this was relevant to us as we were not so fanatical as to make the 3am trip to the market. Insteadwe went there after the wholesale market is opened to visitors, after 10am. The area itself is a cavernous place, and at this point in time it had mostly emptied out, with the remaining stallholders mostly just cleaning the place up. But I could see why there was a need to redevelop - shops cramped together; the floor was uneven and the lighting dim. Big styrofoam boxes line the narrow lanes between the stalls and every now and then we have to get out of the way as a little electric vehicle transports yet another load of boxes out of the market.

We walked around the stalls but quickly returned to the outer market. It was still in operation - here is where tourists can buy themselves some yummy seafood, which is what we did. But it was a bit late so we did not have much to choose from. I have to admit that I had a much better food experience my previous visit to Tsukiji, with my Japanese-speaking colleague. We had our fill then of Uni, grilled shellfish, prawn sashimi, all washed down with some crab soup.

Outer market - selling tuna

Nonetheless, it was still quite interesting to walk around the small buildings and shops. One stall was selling freshly cut tuna, from a gigantic fish - half of it had already been cut and sold. I wondered how long this gigantic fish had been swimming around in the ocean, until some fishing boat had hauled it in and brought it here for sale. I don't think I am going to stop eating tuna but somehow the sight of the fish reminded me that we should also not eat to excess, and neither should we waste. Anyway, I bought my lunchtime sushi from another stall.

Famous Wako building

After eating our sushi, we walked over to Ginza. Technically this should have been in the “shopping neighbourhoods” post but then it would have been a really long post. Ginza is the most exclusive shopping district in Japan. You can read all about what to see and do in Ginza here.

The famous 4-chome intersection in Ginza is in fact where all the famous stores are - Wako, Mitsukoshi, Ginza Place (where the Nissan car gallery is) etc. We went to Mitsukoshi, where we were delighted to find a quiet and restful oasis - Mitsukoshi has a whole floor worth of space to rest, have a meal or cup of tea whilst looking at the roof tops of the surrounding buildings.

From here, we could see Mikimoto pearls - where Melania Trump had visited just two days earlier. Ah yes, we visited Tokyo the same time as Donald Trump..... probably that also accounted for the helicopters flying around overhead too.

Ginza Place - opposite Wako

We didn't buy anything from Mitsukoshi, although we did wander around the store and visited its Food Hall in the basement (great temptation, but I did not succumb).

But we did manage some purchases at Uniqlo! The Ginza Uniqlo is Uniqlo's flagship store - it is the largest in Japan with its 12 floors. However, much of the merchandise was repeated across floors so I was not as bowled over by the selection as I had hoped to be. Also, because it was selling more wintry clothing, my choices were further limited. But, since there were some quite sweet baby clothes, I got some for my cousins who just gave birth.

I would not say that I’m a Ginza shopper - I immensely preferred the buzz around Shibuya, for example and the more affordable range and variety around Shinjuku station. But I’m happy to come here just for a short visit, to complete my Tokyo shopping experience.

Tokyo Neighbourhoods: Shibuya, Harajuku and Ometesando

2018-01-28T11:38:00.000+08:00

Hachiko the Faithful Dog

It is said that each Japanese shopping district has its own distinct clientele and its own vibe. Where Shinjuku is the province of the salaryman, or the government official going to the staid Isetan and Takashimaya departmental stores, Shibuya is where the fashionable youth congregate and Harajuku the quirky kawaii side of Japan. Then there is upmarket Ometesando, with its expensive boutiques (and Apple store).

Well, I am pleased to say that we spent an appreciable time in all. I wrote about Shinjuku in this earlier post so I’ll talk about the rest here. Shibuya is of course known for the most famous traffic junction in Tokyo, Shibuya Crossing. This is a “scramble crossing”, in other words, the traffic stops completely and pedestrians take over, crossing to the exact side of the road which they want to go to. It is apparently one of the busiest traffic junctions in the world! We emerged at the “Hachiko” exit of Shibuya station - as everyone knows, Hachiko is the loyal dog who waited for its owner to come back at the station exit every day before they walked home together. Alas, one day, his owner had a heart attack and died before coming home. But the loyal pooch continued to wait for him, just the same until he too passed away. His statue now stands in the spot where he used to wait.

Incidentally, another famous icon of Japan is just by the Hachiko statue - Hello Kitty is the decor theme of the Tokyo Tourist Info Bus!

Scramble Crossing, from the L'Occitane Cafe

Many guidebooks mention also the Starbucks at one junction, as the place to watch people scrambling across the road. But of course we didn’t go there - we went instead to L’Occitane which was on another corner and has a rather nice cafe on the second floor, with a good view of the crossing too. (Of course the main L’Occitane store with all its products is on the first floor.). Unfortunately the tables by the window were taken but we still managed to get quite a good view of the crossing. The cafe itself is a little pricy but I think I would rather have sat here and eaten our dessert medley with a taster of four desserts altogether and a cup of tea each, than gone and queued up at the Starbucks for a pricey cup of coffee.

After tea, we went shopping - there’s a lot of shops catering to a younger crowd here, but we didn’t go to them. Instead, we went to Tokyu Hands and Loft. My favourite stationery shops in Japan and maybe the whole world!!! Topped up my collection of washi tape, and bought some accessories for my handphone. I still have not used up all the post-its I bought the last time.

Our beef on a grill

We ended the day with dinner at Aburi Shibuya Honten, a little grill restaurant on the fourth floor of one of the little buildings, just near Tokyu Hands. Not easy to spot, but we were glad we did! The restaurant has maybe six tables, and we got the second last one (the last one was filled up whilst we were there). Service is fast, the meat is very tender, succulent and flavourful. Just goes to show that in Japan you don't need to go to the much reviewed places - just try something a little unexpected and you'll find that it's pretty good!

On Takeshita-Dori

The next day being Sunday, we went to church at Roppongi (St Francis, English masses!) and then went down to Harajuku. We were looking for kawaii gals and punk guys, but we just got loads and loads of tourists :-( Tokyo Cheap gives a great list of things to do in Harajuku and indeed I did make it to places like the Meiji Shrine, and Yoyogi Park (which I will talk about in a future post). But for the youth scene, the place to go to is apparently Takeshita-Dori, so that's where we went. Indeed, the shops are most interesting - check out the exciting costumes sold at Takenoko - you also get shops selling high platform shoes, lingerie, fairy clothing etc. But not that many people actually going the whole hog. But maybe it's all just gotten too cliched to go down the street dressed Harajuku-style. There is also a big Daiso - and that's where we spent a little time. 100 Yen is less than S$2 after all! And of course, lots of sweet things - cotton candy, and crepes galore! We went to Marion Crepes where we had savoury crepes (it was lunch time, after all).

From Takeshita Dori, we walked to the Ometesando area. Just before that, we found Laforet, the departmental store for Lolita wannabes... we went in trying to find some Lolitas but again, not much luck. But it is still worth paying a visit, just to look at all the merchandise.

The Ometesando area is where all the more high-end shops are - again we didn’t really go to these. But there are also children’s shops, and small quaint little boutiques of all shapes and sizes. Just off the main road is Cat Street, which I initially had high expectations of but sadly, it was really just the street name. It is a small pedestrianised road which (again) has lots of charming, quaint little boutiques selling Knick-knacks and the like. Expensive ones, of course.

What with all this walking, it was time for a cup of tea. We had read on-line about Q-Pot, which actually makes jewellery items (pendants, rings, earrings etc) which look like chocolates, biscuits and sweet things generally. So Q-Pot cafe is where they serve the desserts looking like jewellery. If you want a kawaii cafe, look no further! The table decor comprises towers of macaroons and where the lamps are jugs hanging upside down from the ceiling. The "necklace" plates display a lady wearing a Victorian/Edwardian era dress and the piece of cake is displayed like a necklace hanging around her neck.

Food itself was generally ok - I liked my "Russian Apricot Tea", served with apricot jam instead of sugar. I had the BisQuit Tiramisu on my necklace plate which was enjoyable, but not exceptional. You go for the experience, if you want to see the kawaii side of Tokyo.

I have to confess that after taking tea we were a little tired with all the walking and went back to the apartment. But the next day, we did come back to this area because we wanted to try out the sushi at Heiroku Sushi, which we had walked past on our search for Q-pot Cafe. Heiroku is supposed to be one of those well-known sushi bars where all the tourists go to, etc. And yes, we did have to queue, but fortunately it was not peak period so the wait was relatively short (and in any case it was good to take a little rest from all our walking). I have to say that it did not “wow” me as much as I would have expected and the plates coming out were all the high-end, expensive stuff. So you have to order the cheaper items! (I thought that it should be a better mix). But I suppose if you come to this area to shop, you would go for more high-end stuff :-)

More photos of everything on Flickr, here. In brief, if you want to go shopping, these shopping districts of Tokyo can satisfy all your needs and then some. But even for non-shoppers, these are interesting places to visit to do a bit of people-watching and just feel the vibe of this modern, exciting metropolis.

Mount Fuji: The Icon of Japan

2018-01-06T20:31:00.003+08:00

Fuji-San

If there was one thing on my bucket list I wanted to fulfil this year, it was to visit Mt Fuji. Fuji-san, as it is commonly called, is a mythical, mystical mountain for the Japanese. At 3,776m above sea level, this is Japan's highest mountain. Its symmetrical cone, formed by volcano action, rises above the surrounding plains and dominates the landscape for miles around. After coming to Japan every year for the past three years, it was about time to meet Fuji-San.

There are many spots from which you can view Mt Fuji, and many scenic places around the mountain itself to visit. For our visit, we decided upon a day tour from Tokyo, since it seemed the most convenient (although I have to say that I would love to visit again, and spend a night or two at the Fuji Five Lakes area). It is also nice to have someone taking care of things! Unlike the previous tour to Nikko, we had an older Japanese lady who was clearly a more experienced guide than the other two as she could offer more information and background in general, eg on how the mountain was formed, and about Japanese lifestyles. She was also quite firm and reminded us to be punctual at every point in the journey.

Our very first stop on the tour was the 5th station of Mt Fuji! It was truly quite exciting and exhilarating, as we were actually ON Mt Fuji itself and had a lovely clear view of the peak and the surrounding countryside. The weather was beautiful - brilliant blue sky, almost glaring sunshine, and a refreshing wind blowing. We were about 1,600 m above sea level, not even halfway up the mountain, but it was cold, with that crisp chill in the air which makes you feel energised and alert despite the cold. At this point, the vegetation starts to fail so when you look up, you can see the volcanic rock of the mountain rising above you to the top of the peak, interrupted here and there with streaks of white - I assume these are springs off water falling down from the mountain.

Above all, I was so glad that we had such a great view of the peak. We were checking when the best time was to get a clear view (find out more here) and it was wonderful that it all went according to plan. Or at least, almost to plan as I was hoping that the snow cap would be there. I had read earlier that Mt Fuji had experienced its first snowfall of the year just one week before our arrival. Sadly, because of the warm winds brought in by the tropical storm, the snow cap had melted by the time we got there. Which means that another visit is definitely in order!

Wakuike Pond, Oshino Hakkai

Kagamiike Pond - can u see Mt Fuji reflected?

After the stop at the 5th Station we went to visit a charming little village called “Oshino Hakkai”. Mt Fuji had shaped the landscape in the area in many ways, including creating the 8 ponds in this area, spring fed from Mt Fuji.

The crystal clear waters reflect the blue of the sky, the trees, and in some of them... even a mountain. After some trying, I managed to get a shot of Mt Fuji reflected in one of the ponds! (Tip: look hard!)

We went off to our next stop, eating our bento lunch along the way. I have to say that I preferred the nice hot food on the previous tour. We were also enlivened by the conversation of our fellow tour participants. The thing about day tours is that you also meet lots of people - we met a fellow Singaporean (of course) and hooked up with her for photo taking etc. There was a Malaysian family, a Chinese-Australian lady, and a few Americans - one of whom was quite chatty. It truly amazes me how some people can talk about themselves and their lives to chance-met strangers - sharing it theoretically with one person, but in practice at a volume which allows the entire bus to hear all the details!

The secret valley to the Shiraito Falls

Anyway, after a rather noisy interlude, we arrived at the Shiraito Falls, the next stop on our tour and one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Japan. There is another waterfall just next to it as well, Otodome Falls, which is much smaller.

The Shiraito Falls are reached after a short walk along the side of a gorge. We walked down the gorge, turned a corner and there, in this long deep valley was a shining waterfall right at the end. But the waterfall was not just that single stream of plummeting water. As you walk along, you realise that there are a thousand silver streams of water flowing down the side of the valley, joining the little stream beneath.

Our last stop of the day was the Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine - the shrine devoted to the “Goddess of Mt Fuji”, Konohana. Apparently, Konohana is the flower-princess and her older Sister, Iwa-naga, the rock princess. Because Konohana’s Husband chose her over her older Sister, human life ended up being as fleeting as a cherry blossom and not eternal, like stone. Our guide made an offering to the Goddess on our behalf and we proceeded to walk around the shrine compound. Similar to the Oshino Hakkai area, there is another pond which is again fed by a mountain spring from Mt Fuji.

Fujisan Hongu Sengen Shrine

After our long day, our bus turned back to Tokyo and dropped us off at Shinjuku station. We were given some discount vouchers for the Keiō department store - we went there really because we had some discount vouchers from the tour company which we didn’t use in the end. But, at the stationery section of the store, we found a calendar with a lovely woodcut pictures including the Great Wave by Hokusai! So indeed, all our activities today were associated with Mt Fuji! I can’t wait to make a second visit....

More photos of this day can be found on my Flickr page.

Ueno: Visiting Museums

2017-12-25T17:18:00.002+08:00

Ueno Park - the Shinobazu Pond

We spent a day at Ueno! Ueno is the cultural hub of Tokyo, with numerous attractions within the park itself. There are numerous museums, the famous Ueno Zoo, and various temples and shrines such as the Bentendo temple in the middle of the Shinobazu Pond (see picture). Of the many museums, we visited two - the Shitamachi Museum, a small, intimate little museum which aims to preserve a neighbourhood of old Edo; and the Tokyo National Museum, which showcases the history of Japanese art. There is also the natural history museum, art museums etc.

Ueno park itself is a spacious, yet bustling park. Likely because of its fame, as well as the numerous things to do within the park. The two museums we visited were at either end of the park, so I can say we walked through the entire length of the park, from the Shitamachi, past the old Kiyomizu Kannodo temple in the middle, to the Tokyo National Museum on the other end.

Our guide at the Shitamachi Museum

“Shitamachi” means “downtown” and this museum aims to preserve a "slice of life" in old Tokyo. It is just a small museum, but really that is part of its charm. The ground floor presents a street scene, preserving the front room of a merchant’s shop and two other smaller dwellings, one owned by a sweet shop owner and another by a metal worker. We were brought around by an English speaking guide, Mr Fuji, who talked to us about how people lived in days gone by, and shared his own experiences in those days. The second floor features the entrance area of the Japanese communal bath and a more modern kitchen (from the 1970s). Also children's toys (including ones Mr Fuji played with in his youth). It was a very pleasant visit - especially with our own personal guide.

We went next to the Tokyo National Museum. It’s totally unlike the Shitamachi, being a huge three-building complex around a central square. And of course, being a national museum, it has a far broader scope than just old Tokyo. The advice was if you have only a few hours, visit the Japanese gallery so that’s what we did. We didn't have a friendly Mr Fuji to show us around. But the exhibition guide is pretty good and the exhibits themselves clearly labelled.

The main exhibition in the Japanese Gallery presents the “Highlights of Japanese Art” and indeed it was a well curated journey through the history of Japanese art, across different items from the traditional pottery ware, paintings and wood block prints, to kimonos, samurai armour and even a fire-fighters’ jacket. There were also horse armour, and a room full of wonderful Japanese painted screens. It was a truly educational visit, probably my first extensive experience of this aspect of Japanese arts and culture (as opposed to appreciating cherry blossoms or autumn leaves). The only slight disappointment was that I was hoping very much to see some original woodblock prints of Mt Fuji, namely Hokusai’s famous “The Big Wave” taken from his “Thirty-six views of Mt Fuji” but apparently it’s not on display. I am however pleased to say that thanks to Youtube, it is possible to look at all thirty-six views online.

Japanese painted screen

In between the two museums, we went for lunch at the nearby Ameyoko Market, situated under the train tracks. We found this nice unagi (eel) restaurant, Unatoto, which sells nice little unagi based set lunches with a little bit of salad, pickles and soup on the side.

For dinner, we went to a supposedly healthy restaurant, Midori no Kitchen, in Ueno Station (the sort which prints the number of calories per meal) which was recommended by Tsunagu Japan. Not really "authentic" Japanese, but in a way it was nice to have a change! Thus ended our cultural day in Tokyo!

Food photos below, for more photos on Ueno and the two museums, check out my Flickr page here.

Unatoto

Midori no Kitchen