In Singapore now

I started this post last night, but fell asleep in bed with my laptop literally on my lap, sleeping right through today. Must be the jet lag. But it does mean that it's 3am in Singapore at the moment and I'm wide awake.

Singapore first impressions

Things I appreciate:
* Quick immigration
* Multiple efficient ways of booking cinema tix
* Clean auto-flushing loos
* Ticketless carparks (and car)

Things I dislike:
- Homogeneity
- Ah bengs
- Never-ending construction

Things I'm not sure I need:
? 24 hour cinemaplexes


Chinese New Year dinner

Roasted suckling pig is a new year delicacy. The entire pig is "spatchcocked" like a chicken and roasted, sometimes over a layer of smouldering black beans to give it a dark, salty taste. Young pigs are used so that there is just enough fat to crackle the skin, but not enough to kill the consumer. I like mine served with the thin layer of meat intact, although some people prefer to cut off layers of the crackling and just serve that. Dipped in a cloying sweet black sauce, mmm... I think my mum has preserved the head and legs in the freezer, so pics will follow. Legend has it that children will be kept filial if they are fed the ears of the roasted pig, presumably so that they will "listen" to their elders!

Vegetarian zhai is another delicacy. It consists of a mixture of chinese white cabbage, vermicelli, fried beancurd skin (tian zhu), chinese mushrooms etc. stewed with salty beancurd (nan yu) and ginger. My gran does it best, but as she's getting along in years, my mother and then me have inherited the recipe.

Abalone and king prawns are traditional dishes in my family too. I like my abalone served just out of the can, but sometimes mum stews it with vegetables. King prawns in Singapore are not the same king prawns you find in London, which we consider ordinary prawns. Singaporean king prawns really look like the king of prawns - huge, juicy, succulent crustaceans steamed with their heads and shells intact, to retain the sweet flavour.

Aside from the above staples, Chinese New Year dinner varies from year to year. In addition, this year, we had claypot rice with poached chicken and chinese liver sausages and fish maw soup and other little assorted goodies. Mind you, all this food was cooked to feed a mere family of five. No better way to welcome the new year than with open arms and a big feast...

Or more correctly, feasts in plural. Since I arrived on the third day, I had missed all the other festivities. But I promise to make up for it!