Book City

There is a building in Bras Basah Road next to the National Library, known as Book City to the generations of Singaporean school children. Amongst the many book stores in that building, there is a cool book store called "Basheer Graphic Books" and they specialise in books on architecture, design (interior, landscape, fashion, product etc), art and craft and photography. They carry a very comprehensive range of such books and magazines and one can just spend hours browsing and getting lost in the dazzling array of design books in there.

There's also some cool products like lomo cameras, origami-making sets and a humorous set of real plywood stickers which you would stick on convenient locations like your mobile phone in case one needs to "touch wood" for superstitious reasons and one can't find wood conveniently! Next time you are in the area, remember to drop in to check out all the cool stuff in the book store.

Vintage Online Shop

Vintage lovers in Singapore are simply growing. Many young people who are setting up their first home are turning to vintage furniture and housewares such as clocks, drinking glasses, candy trays to make a statement. Retro designs are classic and the quality of those products which have lasted the last 30, 40, 50 years are proof that they are well-made and have stood the test of time.
Ipreloved Reloved is a cool online vintage shop that my partner-in-grime, K and I have set up together since mid March this year. We also have a Facebook page where we aim to have a gathering of the like-minded especially in Singapore. We stock vintage wares that are in good condition, sometimes even mint condition as we get new old stock and items which have probably been sitting proudly in a display cabinet and never been used by the owners because they "couldn't bear" to use them like this half dozen 1950s drinking glasses with gold/gilt rim and printed purple and black floral design from Sydney.

Another popular vintage category of beauties we offer is retro handbags. Why pay $80 or more for a vinyl handbag which is available at all the departmental stores? Why not spend the same amount (or less) on a well-made and uniquely designed bag which will definitely get you compliments and a demand to know where you got it. If you are selfless and kind, you will tell them you got it at Ipreloved Reloved, a cool virtual shop in Singapore!

Little India - Chappati & Keema

When you set foot into Little India, you can almost imagine that you are not in Singapore. The people look different, the food looks different, the shops look different. You can find all sorts of Indian spices, fresh provisions and groceries, traditional sweets, apparel and accessories, music here. There are traditional Indian services like face threading and henna. It is indeed a small piece of India in cosmopolitan Singapore.

If you get hungry, make sure you stop at one of the traditional coffee shops or India eating houses. Skip the ones with the big animal models, tropical trees, coconut trees - those are for the tourists and come with tourist prices.

A little corner shop like this one serves freshly-made wholemeal chappati, made by an old Indian man on the spot. He deftly makes them on the flat hot griddle and pats them down, releasing the air inside, with a fat, padded utensil and then serves them up on the plates. Make sure you order the keema as well and a ginger tea to wash that all down.

Yan Kit Swimming Pool/ Duxton Plain Hill

Yan Kit swimming pool is the first public pool to be opened in Singaopre. It is on Yan Kit road, a little hillock where Duxton Park is, behind Cantonment Road, near to the Pinnacles, the tallest HDB blocks in Singapore. So I guess it is in the area of superlatives - the first, the tallest etc!

Yan Kit is after Look Yan Kit, a wealthy and popular Cantonese dentist who migrated from Hong Kong to Singapore in 1877.

The art deco pool may have been disused and closed for years, but it still brings back lots of childhood memories for me. I used to visit the pool every once in a while, I was about 4 years old and still remember the snack of a rice dumpling with sweet sauce mum used to buy on the way home after a swim as we walk through the unique walkway tunnel that runs under Neil Road. I can smell in the vestiges of my mind, the tobacco leaves as they undergo processing in the nearby factory, where plumes of white smoke would be pumped up through the chimney and we would be able to see if from the pool. Perhaps that accounts for why I actually like the smell of tobacco leaves in a cigarette although I hate the smell of cigarette smoke!

Go check out the architecture of the old pool before the authorities decide to pull it down for yet another condominium development in this prime district. The area where the pool is situated, Duxton Plain Park is a lovely place to have a wander. There are big old mature trees and benches to rest when you get tired. Heritage shophouses back into the park so you can admire the old spiral staircases and other architectural features.

This makes for a nice little walk around a heritage area, end your walk with a cold drink at one of the old coffeeshops nearby.

Ice-Cream Sandwich, Singapore-Style

This is probably an institution which is very Asia. This is the Singapore version of a Mr Whippy ice-cream truck. It is usually an elderly man on a scooter-powered ice-cream "vehicle". I say vehicle because it is a little side cart contraption joined to a scooter with a big umbrella over the top.

The other thing which apparently is unique to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia as far as I know, is our "ice-cream sandwich". Singaporeans are very pragmatic people. We call a spade a spade, ice-cream sandwiched in a slice of bread an ice-cream sandwich. Not so for people in other parts of the world apparently. To them, an ice-cream sandwich does not have bread at all. It is ice-cream sandwiched between 2 wafers.

So the next time you see one of these ice-cream carts (which is common in Orchard Road and some also make daily calls into housing estates and near schools just like Mr Whippy), please stop and for $1, enjoy an ice-cream sandwich, Singapore-style.

Thieves Market

This is the original flea market in Singapore. This is the Sungei Road Thieves Market where I guess from its name was the fence for where thieves come to offload their stolen wares. Today, I am sure it is not a fence anymore (the police would be onto them in a jiffy) but more of a flea market for mostly low-end, secondhand household goods.

However some of the more interesting finds that day when we stumbled onto the market quite by chance, were retro turntables in great working order and ancient-looking ceramic bowls. "Ming Dynasty!" so claimed the vendor but I didn't bother to get more into it because I am just a cynic and I don't think I would be so lucky as to score a Ming Dynasty treasure at a bargain price.

I had been lucky once, scoring a Steve Sheridan bowl in a garage sale for a song in Sydney, and I think I've used up my quota in that department.

But a wander around the Thieves Market is an interesting way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Free Concert In the Botanical Gardens

The Singapore Botanical Gardens is a lovely and huge park right smack in the city, at the fringe of the Orchard Road shopping belt. Admission is free and the garden boasts of tall, old trees providing lots of shade for park goers. The rolling hills are great for picnicking, kicking a ball around or just generally hanging out with friends. Lovely flowering plants, beautiful bronze sculptures, a few big ponds with gorgeous lotuses dotting their surface are some of the attractions of the gardens. Remember to save those stale bread and cut crusts to feed the colourful Japanese kois, and the lazy tortoises. The gardens is magical because when you step inside, cocooned in the vastness of the greenery, you see no tall skyscrapers and hear no traffic noises - you can almost make-believe you are not in busy, bustling Singapore.

As an additional attraction to enjoying the gardens, the Singapore Symphony Orchestra often performs free concerts in gardens as part of the Classics in the Park series. There is no better way to enjoy the gardens than to pack your own picnic basket, come on down when the sun is setting, on a lazy weekend to spend an hour on the grass with a thousand or more like-minded park-goers. Kids kicking balls, dogs chasing kids, kids chasing dogs - everyone finds their own fun in the gardens, especially during these events.

Anyone who says Singaporeans only stay in the air-conditioned bubble of malls and cinemas and shun the outdoors, just need to come to one of these concerts. You will see a different side to the people and the city.

An Oasis In Orchard Road

Orchard Central, the mall, is not much different from the other 47 malls you find along Singapore's most famous shopping street, Orchard Road. (Ok I made that magical figure of 47 up in case you were wondering) However, if you go up to the roof top, this is what you will find - a secret garden.

It is an oasis for the tired shopper who needs to rest his/her weary feet and give their eyes a vision break. Here is lovely green and better yet, more public art in a surprising location. I particularly like the immediately recognisable Victor Tan installation of twisted wire. His amazing work which is larger than life size is installed cleverly in between the 2 walls. This Singaporean artist who is almost blind, proves that you do not need sight to see beauty.

Hunt For A Good Cuppa

Coffee connoisseurs especially those who love Aussie and Kiwi coffees often lament the lack of a good cuppa in Singapore. Starbucks should be left to Americans who don't know any better and only want to seek out a familiar place and taste when they are travelling. We pity them, but should not join them in their folly.

I have done much research on the search of a good coffee in Singapore and am hereby declaring Forty Hands, a quirky cafe run by 2 Australian brothers in the gentrified area of Tiong Bahru which is now becoming hipper by the passing day (rents are shooting up there now), nestled amongst these Art Deco old Singapore Improvement Trust (predecessor of the current Housing Development Board) flats - to be the best Australian-style coffee in Singapore. I have an acute palate and have particularly high standards when it comes to things like food and coffee - and that's why you should believe me when I declare this tops in Singapore in the Australian-style coffee category.

Please also note that the prices are Australian as well, it costs $6 for a soy flat white ($1 extra for the soy milk) and $3.50 for a cookie to go with your cuppa.

Helix Bridge

The Helix Bridge which links the Marina Square/ Esplanade area to the Marina Bay Sands is one cool structure, mostly stainless steel and glass. Designed by a team of Australian and Singaporean architects, the Bridge affords you a great view of both sides of the water - the old CBD side with the familiar skyline, helmed by the Fullerton Hotel (old General Post Office), and the new side with the distinctive design of the Marina Bay Sands casino and hotel. The Bridge lights up at night with the contribution of the lights of the Singapore Flyer in the background.

Kung Fu Tea

Tea lovers please take note. Martial arts lovers also please take note. And if you are a fan of both tea and martial arts, all the better and you have come to the right place. The Chinese restaurant, Sichuan Douhua on the 80th storey of the UOB Plaza is the place to go.

First of all, the view from the top is great. One can get an almost 360 degree view from up there. But that is just the side show.

Once you have finished drinking in the view, you must turn your full attention to the tea master who wields a copper tea pot with a spout which is about a metre long. He goes from table to table, filling up your tea cup with a flourish, aiming the spout with deadly accuracy against the inside of your cup, at an angle which causes the tea leaves inside the cup to swirl in a whirlpool. He also occasionally performs a show with his tea pot, almost like how a bartender tosses his cocktail shaker and alcohol bottle around, except more stylishly and with higher stakes seeing as the liquid content is scaldingly hot. The master flips his teapot across his shoulder, stretching the long, thin spout behind his back as though it were a pole or a spear. This display of martial arts is highly entertaining. Visiting this restaurant just for the kung fu tea is alone worth it.

And oh, the dim sum here is not bad either.

Public Art Along Singapore River

The river bank on the side of the Fullerton Hotel in the evenings is a great spot to sit and watch the boats go by and have a quiet chat with a good friend. I find this side of the river very interesting, not so much for the bars and restaurants along Boat Quay, but between the Boat Quay stretch (before the bars start) and the Fullerton Hotel where the public art is.

You start off under the UOB Plaza in its vast foyer, a little further in from the river, where you will find a Newton statue by Salvatore Dali. It's such a landmark, many office workers tell their friends to meet them "by the statue with the hole in the stomach".

Along the river bank itself coming out from UOB Plaza, you will see the Fat Bird statue by Botero, a lovely, happy art work. How can one not smile when faced with a giant, fat, round bird?

Keep walking down the river towards the Fullerton Hotel and you will be greeted by artworks depicting local Singaporean scene of days gone by. There is the working ox and cart and its owner. Another one of a trio of men discussing business.

Then if you look very carefully by the side of the end of the Elgin Bridge, you will find a kuchinta, a local breed of cat with its sharp face and feline features.

A few more metres down, still on the same end of the Elgin Bridge near to the Fullerton Hotel, you will see a group of cheeky boys, pushing one another and jumping into the river for a skinny dip, including a little fella in mid-jump which is why the work is so dynamic. Such simple pleasures of olden days gone by.

Come discover the public art in Singapore, they will put a smile on your face.

Furniture With Character

Folks who are setting up home in Singapore and looking for cool furniture, read on.

For people who:-

1. do not want a whole house decked out in Ikea or Courts

2. have a love for nostalgia

3. are looking for furniture pieces with a bit of character

4. do not have a huge budget to blow

5. want friendly service and a free beer when furniture shopping

you need to check out Likethatone. You will probably need a map or a GPS to get there as it is tucked in the boonies amongst HDB (housing development board) flats and in a light flatted factory area, but it is not difficult to get there on the PIE (I think) and parking is plentiful and free on the weekend.

The stuff is way cool, with mostly Mid-century local pieces, some of which have had a creative twist added to them by the proprietors. There are so many pieces that are just calling out to me to give them a place in my home but unfortunately, there is the real life issue of space constraints (and of course budget). The folks at Likethatone have a great eye for fabrics and the new upholstery on the armchairs, wing chairs, sofas and stools are often enough of a motivation to want to make those pieces a part of your home.

They have also inspired me to get a move on to restore my own 2 1960s teak armchairs. My family couldn't quite believe how these babies now look as compared to the last thirty plus years we remember them in their old and horrid state sitting forlornly at my mum's house.

A little inspiration, a little imagination, research and effort will get you far. Check out this shop and be prepared to want to bring a lot of gorgeous furniture home.

Red Dot Design Museum

This building on Maxwell Road holds very dear memories for me because my late father used to work in this building when it was the Headquarters of the Traffic Police. I think he was based there for a short period of time and I remember going with him into his office there, I must have been about five years old.

Now it has got a new lease of life as the Red Dot Design Museum. I am glad the wrecking ball didn't get to this old dame the way the old National Library and the National Theatre went.

The Museum shop carries some really cool stuff like the Photo Curator and the best part about this place that I like is the flea market on the first weekend of every month (when there is also free admission to the museum). This is a really high quality market which only admits sellers who sell handmade items. You can get unique and gorgeous things like fabric journal covers, customised key chains, knitted scarfs, origami earrings (see picture below) and other accessories. I am definitely going back to the market to get some more special gifts for some special people.

A Slice Of Bohemia

Haji Lane in the Arab area is way cool. It is bohemian, chill-out cool.

Murals such as this and other street art/graffiti adorn the ways of the buildings in the alleyways. Photographers (usually young people) with colourful Lomo cameras prowl the laneways for a good shot. Not difficult at all to find an interesting composition in this area. Photo shoots take place each time I have visited - from wedding videos to blogshop fashion shoots.

The low shophouses are architecturally very interesting, the things sold are unique - clothes by young local designers (although the pre-pubescent sizes leave me disappointed), collectibles, knick knacks, retro-style furniture, handmade jewellery and all sorts of bits and bobs to attract the shopper who has wearied of the same-old, same-old ubiquitous shopping malls in Singapore.

Stop for a coffee, a teh-halia, a beer or a smoke of the shisha pipe. There is even earl gray and fig ice-cream. What more can you ask for?

Traditional Egg Tarts

Round the corner from Ann Siang Hill, the subject of the last post, along South Bridge Road, is this old-time Chinese confectionery called Tong Heng. The egg tarts are legendary. Not the usual round shape, but a diamond shape with the eggy custard goodness encased in a flaky pastry. You can have them on the premises as they have a couple of marble tables and wooden chairs, adding to the old-world charm. Other fare on offer are old-fashioned biscuits like "wife's biscuits" and other goodies which were traditionally wedding biscuits. You definitely cannot stop at one at this place.