It's Chinese New Year eve: a time for family reunion dinners. Although I have some plans for meeting up with friends and their relatives later this weekend, I'm on my own tonight. I am using this time to plan out the next several days with a (free) copy of I-S magazine. The cover story caught my attention: "All rat-tled up: Where to Go, What to Do This Chinese New Year." Perfect.
As I explore the table of contents, I notice an interesting editorial titled "We Got Talent." According to the authors, in addition to engineering and biomedical expertise, investors should consider Singapore for some of the following reasons, excerpted below:
* Our ability to speak fluently in English and at least two other dialects.
* Our workahollsm and penchant for OT.
* Our shopaholic and sales-crazy tendencies.
* Our kiasuism - it leaves no room for Plan B - it's just "die die also must succeed"
Later in the magazine is the feature article. For February 6th, the authors write: "Don't know what to do after that perfunctory reunion dinner [or bowl of pasta alone in your apartment]? Go drinking at the clubs, since everywhere else is pretty much closed [as I found out that hard way]." Perhaps later I'll head over to the St. James Power Station for some "Mandarin power ballads, pop and rock."
Tomorrow it's time to "Do Random Things!" The Singapore River Hong Bao Expo at Esplanade Park (see photo above) looks intriguing: "cultural exhibitions, demonstrations and workshops, traditional song and dance performances, fireworks displays, amusement park rides and games, and exotic food and drinks."
Friday it's time to "Get Arty!" but I already have plans. Saturday is "Eat All You Can!" According to the article, "No Chinese New Year celebration is complete without completely sinful, rich and decadent Chinese New Year grub." A common theme is yu sheng, a raw fish salad (photo from thebakerwhocooks), as well as classics like "braised sliced abalone, dried oyster and black moss." Prices start at $65 per person, so I might pass on this. Sunday it's back to shopping (those shopaholic, sales-crazy Singaporeans), but spas and jewelry stores aren't really my thing.
Thinking ahead, Valentine's Day is coming up. I don't have any plans yet, but I-S magazine comes to my rescue yet again, with an article: "How to Get Back in The Dating Game: Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Valentine's Day might just be the clarion call to get off the bench [or out of the lab] and out on the field." Instead of working overtime, like many workaholic Singaporeans, Michele Koh suggests that I join a cooking class, have a group picnic, buy a present, write poetry and recite it, or fake my Facebook account.
After writing that, I have a much better plan for the next four days. Now it's time for some clubbing (right after I add rock-climbing and scuba-diving to my list of hobbies on Facebook).
you should definitely work the club scene on v-day! (preceded or followed by a hot scuba date...)
Posted by: john | February 08, 2008 at 07:49 AM