GAWA Day #20: The Martian and Waku Ghin in Singapore

This is my third day in Singapore and the air remains unhealthy:

Central, Singapore AQI: Central, Singapore Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI).

168

Unhealthy Updated on Monday 8:00 Temp: 28°C (27°C – 31°C)

A good way to stay indoors is to go to a movie, so I selected The Martian, which wiped out the competition in the U.S this weekend.  Rotten Tomatoes reviewers gave the film a 94% rating, same for audiences.  You can read the reviews, but in short, Matt Damon as an astronaut is stranded on Mars, and through ingenuity and some luck, survives.   Yes, I've given away the ending.  However, it is the rescue adventure that is the story.  Anyway, Matt Damon...Hollywood...what are the expectations?

Of all the places, filming was mostly in Budapest, one of my stops.  Damon was supported by Jessica Chastain (mission commander), Kristen Wiig (NASA spokesperson), Chiwetel Ejiofor (mission director) and Jeff Daniels (director of NASA).  Ridley Scott (left, who is 77 years old and is responsible for Alien, Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise) directed.

I think the bottom line is that NASA is being over-glorified here.  There is no reason for spending so much money on going to Mars.  What's the point?  Where's the value?  Read my Musk vs Takahashi blog on this subject.

Close by the theater was a bank of fast food eateries, so I ate some chicken/rice with vegetables before the film:


The total cost of the movie ticket and lunch was around $8.

The air pollution index increased to 183 at 2PM, but it is now slightly raining, in fact, there is a lot of thunder:

Central, Singapore AQI: Central, Singapore Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI).

183

Unhealthy Updated on Monday 14:00 Primary pollutant: psi

I did have a $100 lunch yesterday, but Singapore Airlines and Sheraton Towers otherwise provided free meals.    However, today, for dinner, I went to Waku Ghin, a repeat from three years ago.  As a matter of fact, that posting was entitled "The Miracle Called Singapore," and described the country so well that I won't repeat the story...plus, three fabulous local restaurants were reviewed.  I bought a new camera, which has a selfie option.  This is my first attempt, with the Marina Bay Sands in the far background.

I also took a photo after the thunderstorm, and the Air Pollution Index was still, I'm sure, close to 200:

There are birds here a close relative of the Hawaii mynah:

Actually, something of a surprise, so far on day 21, I've seen no ants, no cockroaches, no flies, and few birds.  But Singapore has birds.

Waku Ghin, #9 in the Pellegrino Asia Best 50 Restaurant list, is located in the Marina Bay Sands (above by Sheldon Adelson, with more than 2500 rooms, 1600 slot machines and 500 tables--Singapore citizens need to pay S$100 just to enter the casino, while visitors get in for free--I stayed there four years ago when there was no air pollution).  The chef is the fabled Tetsuya Wakuda, from Japan, who became famous in Australia, first, with his eponymous Tetsuya in Sydney more than a quarter century ago.

I'm now in the restaurant, and there is no food ordering.  You get ten course, and have  a choice of wine pairing or not.  The first wine was a Billecart-Salmon Rose Champagne, which I had with the Carpaccio of Bue Fin Tuna:

Then came a sea urchin with Ossetra Caviar:

The spoon is Mother of Pearl and the sake is a Junmai Daiginjo Masuizumi Platinum Nama for Tetsuya's.  Everything was so fresh, and I should also show you the dish:

Maybe you can't quite distinguish, but this is the uni shell.  Next were a New Zealand John Dory with Charcoal Grilled Eggplant and Pan-Seared Scallop with Fregola (sometimes spelled fragula, a pasta from Sicily) and Tomato:

The wine was a Domaine Vacheron  Sancere.  Next, with a Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet 1 er Cru Les Clavoillon, a Pan-Seared Amadai (a sweeter red snapper) with Maitake (a kind of mushroom):

The wine was a Condrieu Les Terraces de Empire Domaine Georges Vernay.

Followed a Tasmanian Grass-fed Beef with Tetsuya's Wasabi Mustard:

The wine was a seven year old La Velona Brunello di Montalcino.

Then, the Japanese Ohmi Wagyu Roll from Shiga Prefecture with Wasabi and Citrus Soy, accompanied by a Margaux:

Biggest wasabi root I've ever seen, from Shizuoka, which he grated.

Consommé with rice and snapper:

The tea was so special, we were told the staff couldn't afford it:

'Twas a bit bitter, but I guess that is the taste of expensive green tea.

I should indicate that I shared a teppanyaki table with a mother and her daughter from Jakarta, and I took a photo of both of them, twice, but they did not turn out appealing, so here is a shot of Dewi, the daughter, at dessert (with a Hans Tschida Samling 88 Beerenauslese, which might have been the best wine of the night), where we were served in a separate room to watch the light show in the Marina:

She, too, is taking a photo of her dessert.  She's not married, and her parents long ago gave up, but Dewi is into many things, including running the first molecular gastronomy Indonesian restaurant (Namaaz) at home.  She is familiar with Chef Rene and Noma, Chef Gaggan in Bangkok and Chef Narisawa in Tokyo.  After two days in Singapore, on Friday she flies off to Mumbai for some Yoga refinement.  She graduated from Boston University.  What a life.

Oh, we did have some petit four, with expresso:

How much did this cost?  E-mail me for the answer.  It was worth it!

By the way, the 15 Craigside Monday Night Table continues to enjoy life, enhanced with umbrellas, these photos sent to me by Dexter:

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There are nine ocean storms, but Hurricane Joaquin is moving away from the U.S.

The only storm showing any threat is Choi-wan, but models show this eventual typhoon sufficiently offshore and skirting Japan, not unlike Joaquin and the USA, but, maybe a lot of rain could come to Hokkaido:

Tropical Storm Oho, however, is very interesting, for it formed south of the Big Island and is projected to move north and EAST!

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GAWA Day #19: Singapore in Crisis

Singapore is a successful and stable country.  However, they are in the midst of an annual crisis:  AIR POLLUTION.  

This problem has been occurring since the early 1970's when illegal agricultural fires in Indonesia during the dry season spread a deadly haze throughout Southeast Asia.  How can this happen?  Well, it is cheaper and faster to burn rather than cut and slash to provide lands for palm oil and other crops.  And the government wishes not to do much about that.

Finally, the new administration of President Joko Widodo has initiated steps to enforce the existing laws.  However, it might take three years for much to happen.  No help for me, as I leave in two days.

There is something called the Air Quality Index, where anything higher than 100 is considered to be unhealthy, with 300+ as hazardous.  It is around 100 today in Singapore and very hazy.  The air is so polluted in parts of Indonesia that measurements of 2000 occur.

Athletic events have been cancelled and I'm afraid to leave my hotel room.  A whole section of the Strait Times today provided solutions to the crisis, mainly, how NOT to breath in the pollution.  People wear N95 face masks, the 95% indicating that 5% of the pollution still gets into your lungs.  When purchased in bulk, they are about a buck each.  Some, however, spend as much as S$39 ($27 U.S.) for a mask that provides an exhale valve.  Homes also use air conditioners with air purifiers, the latter can cost up to $1000

You would think everyone walking around is wearing a mask, right?  Nope.  Here is the crowd on Orchard Road their shopping avenue:

You don't see even one mask, but you do notice a Pizza Hut.  Some cute glass bears:

The Singapore Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) is super efficient and you can't get lost, something novel for me.  Here, too, everyone uses smart phones:

Note also the informality and ethnic mix.

I decided to stroll around the Marina Bay Sands shopping area, and seriously considered the food court where a dozen kinds of Chinese food from various provinces were featured.

However, there was a swarm of people and nowhere to sit.  So I decided to try to find a Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet.  Walking back to the MTR, I noticed this:

Hmm...Japanese-Italian fusion.  So in I went.  The place looked fancy and sits 60.  I think I was the only customer until a couple of others came half an hour later.  I ordered their super lunch special plus a Prosecco for about $100.  Frankly, the cuisine was excellent, beginning with a Japanese omelette and salmon with caviar:

Next, a mushroom, foie gras and truffle soup:

Liked it.  However, the entre blared Kobe wagyu beef, and misrepresented the reality, for this slice came from Australia:

There was no marbling, the quality was similar to a good American or European cut, and, actually, tasted great.  The dessert was okay:

I haven't yet had Singaporean food, but there is still tomorrow.

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GAWA Day #18: Japan versus Seoul versus Hong Kong

I thought this was a cute way to show the type of juice at the Sheraton Hong Kong breakfast today.

Plus, to the right is what I ate.

I'm on my way from Hong Kong to Singapore, and fret that I will be met with some severe air pollution:

Singapore North AQI/PSI Updated on Saturday 20:00

192

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As bad as it is in Singapore, though, parts of Indonesia are showing readings close to 1000, as compared to Tokyo (110), Incheon (170), Seoul (70) and Hong Kong (153).  Looking out my window of my Hong Kong hotel, I see a haze that rivals days in Honolulu when the volcanic haze is at its worst.   The air pollution in Singapore is caused by human clearing of jungles/forests through fires, while that of China is from industrial pollution.  While many cities in China are up to 400 and higher, the American Embassy in Beijing today reports 17...yes, 17.  Honolulu is 34 and New York City is 29.  Beijing in January, however, can well be 755!  Accurate to say that much of the Orient has severe air pollution problems.



While one can't spend a couple of days in a country and provide a valid assessment, I've actually been to Japan more than a hundred times, Korea at least 50 and Hong Kong perhaps 25, so my views are updates based on past experience:

• Best as I can tell, Japan means "just always pray at night," Hong Kong is Chinese for "fragrant harbor" and Seoul stands for "capital city."  However, Nihon and Nippon can be translated to the Land of the Rising Sun.
• When you travel to these countries, avoid being there when they are celebrating long holidays.  I somehow, this time, arrived in the middle of all their major celebrations, making adjustments to my schedule nearly impossible and dinner reservations difficult.
• I would swear I saw more babies in these countries, but that is a relative term:
• Japan's birthrate has increased from a low of 1.26 in 2005 to 1.42, but the replacement rate is 2.07, so the population will continue to decline.
• South Korea is even lower at 1.3 children/woman, but in Seoul, it is 0.968.
• As can be seen below, yes, Hong Kong's birthrate has increased, but it was 5 in 1960, hit a low around 2003, but has come up only to 1.3 since then.  Shanghai?  0.9.  Singapore 0.81, Macau 0.94, Taiwan 1.12.  U.S.?  1.87.

• Which sports are popular?
• Japan, Major League Baseball has long been well covered by various TV channels because of Japanese stars, but, today, rugby is king, for the World Cup is occurring in England, and last week Japan pulled off the biggest upset in the history of the game, beating South Africa.  I'm actually now watching Japan versus Samoa on Fox Sports in Singapore, so by the time you read this, Japan will either have survived the cut or not.  In the 14 finals thus far, Australia has won 10 times, England 3 and New Zealand once.  The All Blacks from NZ are favored this year, but watch out for Argentina. 
• Odds to win:

• New Zealand	6/5		View all odds
  Australia	15/2		View all odds
  England	8		View all odds
  South Africa	8		View all odds
  Ireland	9		View all odds

• Korea also follows American Major League Baseball because of their stars.  I should mention that the "Barack Obama" President's Cup begins in two days, hosted by South Korea at a Jack Nicklaus designed Incheon golf course, close by the airport.  It's the USA versus world, minus Europe.  First time played in Asia.
• Hong Kong could not care less about baseball or American football, but horseracing is big, and even rugby matches are well covered.
• The Japanese are soft-spoken, Koreans are louder and Hong Kongers almost aggressively ruthless.  Singaporeans are a milder form of HK.
• The stock markets of Japan, Korea and China are in the dumps, not unlike the USA.  However, while the U.S. has over the past few months sunk by around 10%, China and Hong Kong have tumbled from 30% to 40%.  The fear is further yuan devaluation, which could crash the market.

Well, I'm still in Hong Kong, and noticed an editorial from Yonder Lhatoo entitled "Despite its faults, there's still much to love about Hong Kong:"

• Sheer convenience...plus, you think taxi drivers have an attitude here?  Try Singapore...my next stop.
• Yes, this is a concrete jungle, but just a bit out there is considerable countryside.
• Sure, there is money-grubbing, but this is a land of opportunity and efficiency.
• HK is the safest city in the world.
• Yes, no universal suffrage, but HK is the freest city.  Protests?  Students blocked main roads for 79 straight days and were mostly tolerated.

There is a can-do spirit of law-abiding, hard-working and tenacious people.  Yonder is proud to call HK home.  He summarized well.

Finally, next door is the former Portuguese Macau, which shot pass Las Vegas in gambling revenues eight years ago.    Revenues in 2013 were SEVEN times higher.  However, there has now been a year-long decline because of a China graft crackdown.  Yet, here is what can be expected:

• New bridges will soon connect Macao with Hong Kong and the Mainland.
• Studio City will open this month.
• Super luxury Louis XIII comes in less than a year with 30 Rolls Royce Phantoms in a 7-Star casino.
• New Wynn Palace, MGM and several others in 2017.

Singapore Airlines Silver Kris Lounge is probably my favorite.  Here is what I had today:

Upon landing in Singapore, there was a full sun out, but the pollution masked the light:

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There are now seven ocean storms:

Hurricane Joaquin at 125 MPH will begin to weaken and mostly keep away from the USA:

Soon to be typhoo Mujigae still has Hong Kong in the cone of potential:

But I'm out of here today.  Then there is typhoon to be Choi-wan, which could head for Japan:

No typhoons for Singapore nor Bangkok.

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