Hungry Ghost Festival

I'm out of the U.S. again. After Singapore, I returned home to Virginia for seven weeks, before leaving again for new adventures in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. I arrived around the beginning of the Hungry Ghost Festival, which is celebrated by Chinese communities around the world. Basically, some believe that the ghosts of ancestors come out during this month and in order to appease the ghosts, their living descendants have to offer them food and entertainment. I have seen people burning incense and offering small platters of snacks along streets in front of homes and businesses. There are a few superstitions surrounding this month - apparently you are not supposed to travel or move house. Oops!

Then I visited a large and famous temple called Longshan Temple to see some major festivities. The temple is a pretty big tourist attraction and has its own MRT station, but on the day I visited it wasn't swarming with international visitors, but full of locals paying respects to their ancestors' ghosts. 

The temple during the Hungry Ghost Festival is quite an elaborate and lavish affair. There are tables upon tables of various foods, from prepared meats and fruits to processed snacks and drinks. Upon entering the atrium, we saw tables full of whole cooked ducks and fish. 

There were pork parts (I think they were pork knuckles) decorated to look like bunnies.

Small dishes full of various dried foods, like red dates and wood-ear mushrooms, were also displayed prominently alongside stir-fried noodles and bottles of beer.

I'm unclear if there are clear rules about what can and cannot be offered to the ghosts. There was quite a diverse and seemingly random array of edibles, as can be seen below - boxes of sodas and biscuits, breads, chips. Some were perishable, some not, others seemed like they were half-eaten or already opened. It was a confusing but interesting assortment!

The strong smell of incense and its smokey haze filled the air in the temple, adding to the muggy heat of the summer afternoon. The intense heat was no joke - temperatures have been in the 90s since I've been here! Some days have had a "real feel" temperature of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (adding in humidity and sun exposure to the air temperature).

The summer heat didn't seem to stop anyone from attending the ceremony at the temple. There were people of all ages praying and holding out incense sticks, from old wizened aunties in flowery flannel pants to young teenage boys with their earphones plugged in to their iPods. People were also reading from little books. I saw a few other tourists roaming around in the crowded temple with big DSLR cameras, but they were far outnumbered on this festival day.

Inside the main temple was some sort of ritual ceremony. Several monks were arrayed inside, playing traditional music and chanting and reading off of books. They used microphones in order to be heard by the mass of people in front and around the temple.

Some people crowded in at the front of the temple where they could see the monks sitting inside, others stood around the outside perimeter of the building, following along the chanting with their own books. There were segments where everyone broke into song.

At about 6PM there was a mass exodus of people out of the temple complex. Perhaps that is when the ceremony ended for the day. Around Longshan Temple are several popular night markets, and it seemed that they were extra crowded due to the influx of temple visitors. It was fun to come to the temple on such an interesting day and observe the local traditions. 

Around Town

I've left Singapore with a year full of memories of my favorite places. I thought I'd share some of the highlights with you!

I love the Tanjong Pagar area because it's such a stunning visual of the mix of the old and the new. There are low-rise, colorful shophouses, framed in the back by giant modern housing estates. Most of the shophouses have now been renovated and exist as hipster cafes, restaurants, and bars, but they still retain some of their historic charm. 

Chinatown is also a unique neighborhood in Singapore. It's a bit strange to think of the existence of a "Chinatown" in a Chinese-majority country, but I suppose it does have its historic groundings as well. Now though, it's not so much residential as commercial and tourist-centered. There are lots of shops and restaurants, and some pretty affordable hostels as well for backpackers. The area gets pretty festive around some of the Chinese holidays like Mid-Autumn Festival. 

Of course, the central business district and Marina Bay area will always be one of my favorite spots. I love cities, and these brilliantly lit up skyscrapers and the still water with their wavering reflections has a certain romantic charm for me. There is a sense of possibility, and the awe of the human potential. In Singapore, the beauty is magnified by the fact that at night the area is almost peaceful in its emptiness and security. You will find it difficult to locate a safer downtown area anywhere in the world. At night, there is such a pleasant solicitude found in walking around the empty avenues. 

Two prominent features of the Singaporean landscape are interesting architecture and shopping malls. The Star Vista, located at Buona Vista MRT, showcases both of these quite proudly. It's an upscale mall, quite close to where I used to live, so I frequented it quite often. At the top of the mall is a massive concert hall and venue for a massive Christian church to hold services. I've stared at this below scene many times as I've waited for the bus to take me home.

And then there's Sentosa Beach, with the pale yellow sands and warm shallow water, probably what a lot of people imagine when you tell them that Singapore is an island in Southeast Asia. Sentosa is just a little stretch of the coastline at the southern tip of the island, but it's a fun place to go if you have a free weekend and want to relax. However, be careful - the sun can be relentlessly hot and there isn't too much shade on the beach.

These are just some of the distinctive places that I will miss about Singapore! There aren't many other places in the world that manage to combine all these unique areas into one city, and where you can hop from beach to financial district in twenty minutes. Sometimes the vibe surrounding these places can feel a bit manufactured, but I do admire the way the island has been designed to maximize the tiny amount of land that Singapore has to work with. It's a true wonder in many ways!

Ubud, the Sacred Center

Before I returned to the states from my one year contract in Singapore, I decided to take a relaxing vacation in the center of Bali, Indonesia in a town called Ubud. 

Ubud is unlike the party and surfer vibe of Kuta, or the luxury resort feel of some other towns in Bali. To imagine it, think of the novel and movie Eat Pray Love. The small town is a spiritual hub for meditative yogis, hippies, anyone seeking to get away and to get reconnected with themselves. I believe the town itself experienced a surge in tourist numbers because of the novel! What great unintentional marketing for the tourist industry. In some ways, it feels extremely cliche, but I can't deny that the various amenities offered in Ubud do support this holistic lifestyle quite well. 

The town is almost entirely made of businesses to support these lifestyle tourists - resorts and hostels, massage, yoga, and holistic health centers, raw restaurants and vegan cafes, fair trade boutique shops and temples around every corner.

The local art scene is also thriving, and there are numerous museums and galleries dedicated to showcasing some of this talent.

There are three main streets (Jalan Monkey Forest, Jalan Hanoman, Jalan Raya) in the town, crammed with shops and businesses, but it is still possible to find a bit of nature in Ubud. One morning, I walked through a small side alley from Jalan Monkey Forest to a parallel road named Jalan Bisma. Rather than a busy paved street, I was greeted with rugged dirt roads and lovely rice paddies.

Unfortunately there was a fair bit of new development occurring alongside this road - new resorts, villas, and inns to add to the tourist industry. I'm guessing in a few years it will look completely different. It's a tough ethical point - tourism completely changes the landscape of the area and the lifestyle of the locals, and makes them completely dependent on foreigners, yet the industry is very profitable and helps maintain some parts of the local culture, though of course in a commercialized and simplified manner.

On a less serious note, the food in Bali was great! Affordable, healthy, largely organic, and well-prepared. Many of the restaurants and cafes had cool ambiances and design concepts, made to promote relaxation. It's strange; because there is such a large number of businesses, at any given time, all but the most popular ones will be mostly empty, with many staff members lounging around waiting for customers. I'm not sure how they manage to stay in business! Most of them are experts in the tourist industry though, and facilities are clean and service is friendly.

For example, one morning I went to a lovely restaurant for brunch called Maha on Jalan Monkey Forest. It was completely devoid of customers but I decided to give it a shot, having passed by it a few times before. It has a lovely interior, with a nice garden in the back and patio seating.

This whole brunch, including a latte, was only around $6 USD.

Ubud is definitely a health foodie paradise - crammed full of cafes and restaurants offering fresh blended juices and smoothies, raw chocolates and desserts, big colorful salad bowls. Again, it does cater to a specific clientele, and they can't get enough. I don't think you can go wrong with a meal - everything I had was delicious.

I prefer the relative peace in Ubud to the craziness of the beach town of Kuta, though the main town is quite bustling. There isn't too much to do if you are an active tourist who is always on the go, but it is a nice place to relax, let go, and get some affordable massages and nice food. 

The Foodie Nation

I've almost lived in Singapore for a year at this point, and I now understand how it is known as the foodie capital of the world. There are so many beloved, iconic dishes; diverse cuisines represented; and delicious foods available from the humblest hawker centre to fine dining establishments.

The most famous dish is chili crab - an enormous crab cooked in thick sweet and spicy gravy. It's such a good dish for sharing, but be prepared with lots of napkins! There are quite a number of popular chili crab restaurants in Singapore, especially along the East Coast.  

One of my personal favorite dishes can be found in many food courts and hawker centres. It is called Yong Tau Foo, and it's quite a healthy option to have for a meal. Yong Tau Foo is a bowl of vegetables, various proteins, and sometimes noodles, all boiled in a light and savoury broth. You have the option of picking out all the items you want in your soup, and will be charged per item. I usually like to include seaweed, greens, and eggs. Everything tastes wonderful when dipped into the special chili sauces you can get on the side.

The bakeries here sell pretty ingenious and creative items. My favorite bakery is called Breadtalk. The breads here are baked with lots of milk and butter, with interesting flavors and ingredients. Some of their selections are below: steamed pumpkin cake, tuna stuffed bun, and pork floss roll. 

Seafood food is quite abundant, as you can imagine it would be for an island nation, and can be seasoned with lots of strong and spicy ingredients, like this BBQ stingray covered with a thick chili sauce, cooked on a banana leaf, and eaten with lime juice.

A hearty bowl of porridge is a comfort food for many Singaporeans. It's a thick and creamy rice, mixed in with various toppings such as chopped century egg, slices of pork, green onion and chili. You can easily find porridge stalls at most hawker centers for around $3 a bowl. Portions tend to be generous, making for a filling breakfast or supper. There are some pretty good stalls at the Maxwell Hawker Centre.

As a country with a significant Indian population, you can expect to find pretty delicious Indian food here. Little India is an obvious place to find lots of good and cheap restaurants and coffee shops, but there usually will be an Indian stall at most large food courts and hawker centres, serving everything from naan bread to curries and biryani dishes. 

One tradition I really enjoy is the traditional breakfast at the local coffeeshop or kopitiam. These small neighborhood eateries serve an interesting mix of eastern and western breakfast foods, including soft boiled eggs with soy sauce, toast with kaya spread, and sometimes noodle or curry dishes. The concept of the coffeeshop has become commercialized, so now there are chains of these shops, removed from the neighborhood and put into modern spaces like shopping malls.

Being a very westernized Asian country, Singapore also offers many European and American-type restaurants and cafes. They tend to be a bit fancier and more expensive. For example, eggs benedict for brunch!

Lastly, there are also many American chains that can be found in Singapore, sometimes offering their own unique twist on the usual offerings! Starbucks sold moon cakes during the mid-Autumn festival. They weren't bad! There are also various green tea type drinks. 

As you can see, Singapore has a very unique and diverse food scene. I'll miss it a lot, and I hope you will have a chance to experience it someday!

Beautiful Colors of Penang

Georgetown is such a vibrant city, full of culture and beautiful architecture. I promise, I did more there than hunt for street art and eat food in cafes! For example...

I walked around the historic district for hours each day, taking in the sights and sounds of the streets. The old shophouses, mostly restored, retain their gorgeous and distinct colors. 

Trishaw drivers pedal tourists around town, though this has become more of a novelty than a practical way to get to destinations. They are almost as expensive as cabs, a far cry from the cheap fares in Cambodia. The drivers are mostly old uncles rather than the sprightly young men we encountered in Phnom Penh - it's impressive that they have so much energy!

Whenever I travel to a new place I always look for secondhand bookshops. Usually the shops have a unique and cheap collection of interesting books. Georgetown's Chowrasta Market has many of these shops located on the second floor. Look at these massive piles of books, all bound together with string to keep them from tumbling down in a cascade. It takes a lot of patience to go through all the outdated textbooks and mass-produced romance novels, but I managed to find some good reads!

One of the highlights of the trip was touring the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, a beautiful and historically significant restored house that now functions as a landmark and upscale hotel.

The house was built by Cheong Fatt Sze, a successful Chinese immigrant and businessman. It was used as the filming site for the award-winning film Indochine.

Tours are conducted three times a day in Mandarin and English, and the guides are quite knowledgeable about the history and the architecture of the house. I highly recommend it if you have the time, and it's a nice way to spend a hot afternoon indoors.

Fort Cornwallis was also on my list of things I wanted to do in Penang. It's a star-shaped fort located near the water, and makes for a nice walk when combined with the other old colonial buildings in the area. By itself though, it was a bit underwhelming. Not many of the original structures remain, so it's mostly a flat grassy area with some plaques describing the history of the place.

One thing I noticed on my walks throughout the town is that there are so many religious sites. One street is called the street of "religious harmony," because along that short way there is a mosque, a Hindu temple, a Buddhist temple, and two Christian churches of different sects. It's so nice to see this diversity in such a dense and small place.

Lastly, Penang Hill makes for a nice half-day outing. It's a bit far from the Georgetown area, so you definitely want to catch a cab or a public bus if you are on a budget. One bus, which I took, drives from the jetty area all the way to the hill in about 40 minutes, and it takes a nice winding route around different neighborhoods of Penang.

The hill is a very tall hill indeed! There is a funicular train which goes up the hill; roundtrip is 30 MYR for visitors. The ride takes about 10 minutes, during which you are going up the side of the hill at about a 60 degrees angle to the ground. It's quite steep and your ears might pop like mine did!

The view at the top is gorgeous, about a kilometer above sea level. Another bonus is that the temperature is much cooler at the top of the hill.

Besides the nice views, there isn't too much to do on top of the hill. There is a nice food court, a quirky-looking Owl Museum, a playground for kids, and you can also take a buggy ride around some of the paths. Still, it's a nice way to spend a few hours in a semi-natural setting. 

I'm really glad I got to visit Penang - it was one of the last places I haven't visited that was on my list. It's not a major tourist destination in Southeast Asia (it has neither exciting nightlife nor beautiful beaches), but it has a lot of understated charm which I think would appeal to many types of visitors. It's not as big or chaotic as Kuala Lumpur; it's larger and has more diverse activities than Malacca. Additionally, Georgetown itself is only one part of the larger island of Penang, which does have beaches, water sports, and fishing villages.

 If you are ever in the region, you should go have a look for yourself!