A trip to the Hawker Center in Singapore

Posted by Big Singapore Talks On March - 23 - 2009

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Newton Hawker Center and Its Food Stalls

Posted by Big Singapore Talks On March - 21 - 2009

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Expensive Food in Singapore Newton Hawker Center

Posted by Big Singapore Talks On March - 21 - 2009

An American tourist was hosting his family and friends in Singapore Newton Hawker Center, eventually found he need to pay up a sum of SGD$491 in total for the overcharged food. With just a plate of Tiger Prawns in eight, he was being charged SGD$239, which cost $30 for each in average.

The story began when he was with his family and friends looking for delicious foods in Newton Hawker Center. A man from one of the stalls helped them to locate an unoccupied table, later brought them a menu. The American ordered BBQ seafood from a stall named “Tanglin Best BBQ Seafood”.

Seafood prices are being charged in a hundred-gram basis as stated in the price list differently. He ordered 8 Tiger Prawns, 4 crabs with others. In the middle of the meal, the stall-waiter served up a plate of BBQ Stingray and walked away quickly. He got up in fast paces to reject the dish, as he did not order that. After the meal, they were told to pay a sum of $491 in total for the BBQ foods they have taken.

Afraid they were being charged for unordered food, they asked for an itemized bill from the stallholder. A few minutes later, the bill came with details that the 8 Tiger Prawns and 4 crabs cost $239 and $169 respectively. They exclaimed that those prices were as similar as restaurants in a five-star hotel, it was merely too expensive in such a stall within hawker center.

Those forthright comments did not save them from the expensive bill. Instead, 3 other men arrived with the stallholder for their payment. At last, the American paid up with a $500 note, without the $9 change from the stall in reminiscence. With the help of his friend who has stayed in Singapore for 19 years, their unpleasant dining experience in Newton Hawker Center has turned into a complaint with the Singapore Tourism Board.

BBQ Tiger Prawns

The National Environment Agency (NEA) is the authority for maintaining hawker centers in Singapore. There should be no touting of customers and hidden pricing errant within. Call NEA at 1800-2255632 for any unreasonable treatment while enjoying your food, especially in Newton Hawker Center, a place where it is recommended as a delicacy heaven for foreigners.

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My First Vietnam Trip to Find My Friend, May

Posted by Big Singapore Talks On March - 8 - 2009

On 29^th of January 2009, I flew to Vietnam within an hour or so from Singapore Changi Airport early in the morning. It cost me SGD$274 to get a near dated roundtrip ticket from a budget airline that would normally be around SGD$70 if booked in advance. Main purpose is to send some documents to my Vietnamese friend, May. Whom I had not met for once.

After I arrived and checked out from Ho Chi Minh International Airport, was looking a toilet for some reliefs… LOL, and eventually left my cigarette and lighter on the toilet-paper dispenser. No, I did not smoke within, just forgotten to take it, rendered me a smokeless time. Walking out from the air-conditioned atmosphere, the arrival hall to the waiting hall, made a call to her while loitering within the non air-conditioned waiting hall for her arrival to pick me up.

As time went by, beginning to feel some nervousness due to my first trip to Vietnam, alone. 20 minutes later, May and her elder sister, Tam with her hubby came to point me out from the crowd. Because only Tam had seen me once, in my mind her looks had turned vague too, I couldn’t have recognize her. Leading me out from the Ho Chi Minh International Airport, we walked together with Tam’s little daughter, giving her a Red Packet (Hong Bao) as it was still in the period of Chinese Lunar New Year. Although I am not married yet, supposedly not eligible for Hong Bao giving in Chinese custom, my age of 35+ have given me this “responsibility” as an adult.

Wondering what kind of transport is planned for a group of 5, ultimately knew it was to be 6 persons including May and Tam’s elder brother waiting for us outside the airport building. I was asking if we were taking a taxi, then found out they have their own vehicles for all of us, 3 motorbikes for 6 persons; feeling excited for pillion ridding with May for the first time in Vietnam tour. Reached the parking lots for their motorcycles, we immediately started our journey to her house. Had a simple meal in the middle of the journey within a small eating-house.

In Vietnam, crowded on the road are mostly motorbikes than cars and buses. Half an hour later, we reached May’s house in Ho Chi Minh and greeted everyone; gave “Hong Bao” to additional children I saw within. Rested a while in the living room, lunch started to serve. As there were plenty of people in the house, we took our lunch sitting on the floor. Taking meals with beers seemed to be their part of customs. I took a few cans of Vietnamese’s Saigon Beers with ice cubes while chatting with them in simple English and Mandarin with the interpretation help from May.

Laying on the bed of a room, which they had prepared for me, I was not able to sleep still. After an hour or so, they were telling me they are taking me to have a 3 days tour for Chinese New Year fun within Vietnam in rural areas. I took my belongings, sat on her motorbike again, and go! With all their family members on their own bikes. Before roaming to the destination, I asked May to bring me for currency exchange, as I had no Vietnam dollars in hand. Acquired two hundreds Singapore dollar of Vietnam Dong in a nearby shop to continue our journey.

The first place was to visit one of her relatives out of Ho Chi Minh City. It took us 2-3 hours to get there ridding on the road with a resting session. All the women and children in the house wore socks with facemask and gloves, which I had misunderstood their destination was cold; instead they were wearing tight to prevent extravagant exposure to the sun.

Near to sunset, we reached her aunt’s house. After our dinner together, immediately went to my wonderful, refreshing bath. Upon coming out from the bathroom, beers and finger foods once again were ready, as well as the karaoke session. Having fun with them singing, playing and drinking all night long till 1am plus early in the morning.

Woke up around 9am, found myself devouring in a cup of brand good French coffee with ices, commonly taken by Vietnamese. The taste is greatly better than in common Singapore economic coffeeshop. Never thought I would find great coffee that tastes so good in Vietnam even within rural areas, and their way of brewing it is different from Singapore using a brewing utensil on top of each every cup.

The arrival of their next relative in the house brought us to the nearest beach they could find. After paying for admission, we got our canvas beach chairs for each and everyone. Self-cooking on the beach with their own appliances for small crabs, prawns and other foods had given us another drinking session with winds kissing our face. The day having fun on the beach was finally over. We rode back to another house of her relative staying near. Once again, drinking session fell on my head and we began to sing for the next karaoke session.

On the next day, their tributes for worship were ready, a big roasted pig, and an enormous plate of cooked yellowish rice with a fowl on top. After which we went to the Altar of War Victims near the house. It was a custom to pray within the altar for the historical war victims in Vietnam, within the period of Chinese New Year in that area. Tributes were to be separated into plates for attendants after the worship and taken on the floor with rice wine. I took a little and the rest of our tributes were taken back to the house for lunch. Given two hundreds Vietnam Dong for altar contribution and another two hundreds for a couple of poor children for rice acquiring in the future.

Later on, we travelled to another beach and stayed overnight within its chalet. After our dinner, washing ourselves, taking alcoholic drinks soaked with beehives was another challenge. Bees soaked cannot be drunk, it must be filtered away if any. A few drinks of that made me felt energetic than intoxicated. After some fun with group singing at the front of the chalet beating with cooking utensils, I was being called for my sleep.

In the middle of the night, I wonder it was because of my tiredness, some strange things happened. And I thought I had encountered a spiritual disruption! LOL. While all the members were falling asleep in the big room, I was awakened by tapping sound from the window beside my bed, feeling some scratching vibration from the other side of the wall too! I was doubting about the strong wind outside the chalet that caused this. I awoke May’s male cousin sleeping beside me, he looked out the window and replied nothing found, continued to his sleep.

Nevertheless, I neglected it and began to fall asleep myself. Just about my half sleep, thought I heard someone scolding me for singing aloud in front of the chalet in Hokkien language accusing me for singing aloud at the front door. Immediately, I filled my mind with Buddhism chanting, “Na mo o mi tuo fo…” to get my sleep back. Nothing happened since till the next morning.

The beach in the morning was beautiful. After a coffee break and breakfast, I was trying to find some fun on the beach other than swimming. Yes! There is a Jetski renting! I got up with May and soared the Jetski with the assistance of the Jetski keeper. It was fun and fast! The next thing I found myself doing was taking my bath again. Indulged in the self-cooked crabs and big prawns with beers later. In the middle of our drinking with May’s male family members, I had being thrown to the sea when they found me wearing a short with no personal valuable taken with me. Wow, having two baths within two hours inevitably lessen up my prepared wearable.

Having funs and rests on the beach until nearing the end of the day. We went back to our original location where we came from. At the house, May asked whether I would follow her for another coffee break nearby. I agreed and this time, only two of us went for the break. She rode me to a song-performing café with two glasses of Vietnam coffee ordered. Personally, I found the place good for leisure and chats even if I did not understand what the performers are singing about.

Next morning, after breakfast in a eating house within the rural area, we rode back to Ho Chi Minh City, and this time, we landed in her brother-in-law’s apartment. It is a newly built apartment with a sleeping and living room. He bought it for leasing revenue mainly. At that time, no one was renting and it turned out to be one of our destinations. After a short nap, May rode me to a roadside café nearby. It was exotic to drink good coffee while looking at the traffic on the road. At evening time, we rode back to May’s house preparing to return to Singapore on the next day.

Even though I exchanged only a small sum of 2280 Dong initially, I was not able to spend all of them; left a sum of 800+ Dong. I gave it to May as a partial appreciation for their hosting and fuels. She rode me personally to Ho Chi Minh International Airport before we farewell. Safe and sound I had returned back to Singapore after a farewell hug!