New Images from Vivo City

We spent much of the day at Vivo City today which is down at Harbourfront overlooking Sentosa Island. This was not without some consternation as The Great Navigator inadvertently placed us on the wrong bus. Near Chinatown TGN and I realised the errors of our ways and took the MRT back to the correct location.

Here are some prints that were taken with the 3 megapixel camera in my new phone. I realised later that barely five years ago I was using a 3 megapixel Fuji camera, which was then state of the art. How the technology has advanced since then.

Lime Mao - Artist Roger Smith

Fountain - Artist Roger Smith

Pool Legs - Artist Roger Smith

Out With The Old

It goes in cycles - one item of property 'gives up the ghost' and then a second, a third and so on.

So it has been here in Singapore. Fortuitously this city is a shopping mecca and finding a replacement for any item is relatively easily and usually the latest model is featured.

A fortnight ago I adopted my wife's sensible suggestion (one that she had made many times before!) that I jettison my heavy attaché case and buy something lighter. I am now the proud owner of a soft leather case of Japanese design which is about half the weight of the former one.

Seven days ago my watch, which caused sane jewellers to shake their heads in dismay every time I had it serviced, took on an even more decrepit look. Its winder threatened to detach from the inner mechanism. I opted for a new Seiko as a replacement as value for money they bettered the Swiss versions. Most other new models on offer were so chunky that every elevation of the wrist reminded one of lifting weights in the gym.

I had also promised myself the replacement of a further piece of technology - my IPAQ (PDA if you will). This replacement came sooner than expected as my mobile phone, which I had brought over from New Zealand, developed a fault. Rather than buy a new phone and a new IPAQ, I seized the moment to buy a device that combined both.

My new "brain in a box" is an IPAQ rw6828 Multimedia Messenger (see image). It does just about everything except cook crumpets. About a year from now I hope to have discovered all of its functionality and features.

...Maketh The Man

I can't remember when I had my first meal of Phoenix Claws but I can certainly recall my first Yum Cha meal in Hong Kong.

On that occasion in a multi-floored restaurant, bemused by the loud vitality of the eatery and not being able to read or understand a word of Cantonese, I summoned up courage and pointed at the first wicker basket atop a passing trolley.

With a deft movement my card was marked both literally and figuratively. A steaming container of Duck's web (feet) was placed in front of me. No other part of the duck was attached to the feet - it was just the webs with no strings (should that be tendons?) attached.

While not the easiest of introductions to Yum Cha I record with pride that I did at least attempt to eat these items. Which brings me to Phoenix Claws - a euphemism for chickens' feet. Evidently, the only real trick to preparing these is that you trim off the toenails first!

I discovered early on that I rather enjoyed this delicacy but one has to choose the company in which to devour these glutinous morsels. A former colleague who once shared a table turned a decided shade of green when he saw me devouring the contents of the small bamboo basket and never again accepted my invitation to Yum Cha.

Over the years I have learnt the staccato skill of spitting the left over bones with unnerving accuracy into my rice bowl. This is the Chinese way. My English mother would have been mortified by such a practice as she drummed into her children the elements of refined English table manners and the removal of bones was neither to be seen nor heard.

It is interesting how living in a different culture brings with it different customs and manners. I am sure that I unintentionally offend through my lack of knowledge in such fundamentals as chopstick etiquette . The reckless placement of these eating utensils is thought to bring bad luck to your fellow diners.

I can assure you that learning to expel a stream of chicken bones into a tiny receptacle can be equally distressing for those who witness it.