Sunday, May 18, 2014

Legality Smells Like Vodka Cranberry

Well, I had my first weekend out as a legal adult here in Singapore. I can't say it was the best weekend ever, mostly because I ended up becoming a dictator Friday night after people got sick. For their privacy, I'm not going to tell those stories on this blog. I will say, however, that being young does not mean you are invincible. Also, I need a substantial amount of money back after SOMEONE got sick in the taxi. And it wasn't me. Oh no, it wasn't. The end.

I had a birthday tea on Saturday, which was really fun. We went to the Fullerton Hotel for the second seating of afternoon tea. The food was pretty good, but the environment made the whole event quite lovely. I am so lucky that I was able to find a good group of girls to hang out with as the semester comes to a close.

After tea time I went clubbing for the very first time ever. Most kids here in Singapore do club... but I'm not here to bust my classmates. Anyways, I went to Zouk, which is an internationally recognised club. It's beautiful inside. It does not look like much from the outside, but inside there are tunnels and lights and smoke puffing from machines every 30 seconds. Disclosure was playing, which was nice except that there were about a million people on the dance floor. People were pushing rather than dancing and the idiots that decided to bring drinks onto the dance floor spilled them everywhere. I personally got splashed with a vodka cranberry, which I really did not appreciate. Regardless, I can say it was an experience.

It's funny how in Singapore for us expat kids, legality means drinking. It doesn't mean driving (who wants to drive on this little island?!), and it doesn't mean voting. It means self-indulging and having wild nights, remembering half of it the next day (though I remember everything). It also means dancing on platforms and getting videos posted online, then laughing through worry that someone important will see it.

Granted, I'm underage in America but posting about drinking in Singapore. Are there potential repercussions? I don't know yet. If there are, I'll take this post down. However, anyone trying to convince themselves that American kids don't drink in America as teenagers really need to get a grip. I personally didn't, but I know many that did. Alcohol is one of those funny topics, isn't it?

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The Eve of Eighteen

In less than three hours by the time I post this blog, I will be eighteen years old. Isn't that crazy? I started this blog as a scared fifteen year old getting ready to enter sophomore year of high school. Now I sit, a lazy senior, waiting to take two more AP exams before I can avoid anything "College Board" related again. In less than three hours I can vote. I can drink (here in Singapore, that is). I can be tried in court as an adult. Big things, that all happen in less than three hours.

At the moment though, I must admit that I've been terribly distracted by none other than the menace that lives above me in this apartment. There's obviously a child in the bedroom above me, for I can hear it screaming and seemingly jump on the bed. It's very annoying. What is worse is that I hear yelling at various times during the day. Sometimes I can hear individual words. Currently I hear a tantrum. It makes me want to tear my hair out.

So even though I'm about to become an adult, I still get annoyed by very childish things. Perhaps that's the beauty of the phase known as "young adulthood"...

I suppose I'll know for sure when I'm older.

At least I'll see Nick tomorrow! He flew in this morning, and I am extremely excited.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Best Eats According to Natalie

When I was walking home from the MRT with a bubble tea cup in hand, I started thinking about all the wonderful food in Singapore- and how I'll have to say goodbye to it all in about two months! That made me very sad, but this list will not. Here's my list of favourite places to eat (and what I get)!

Food:

Roti Prata: My school does decent roti prata, but there's a Muslim food stall in Newton that makes prata that's sort of like cake. Super thick, chewy, and the curry is awesome!
Chicken Rice: Boon Tong Key is awesome. I find that mall hawkers are good, but the stuff that's $3 or less and comes wrapped in paper beats it every time.
Laksa: The stall in ION is pretty good. I only eat this once in a while.
Chili Crab: Jumbo's is good. So is No Signboard Seafood. Also, Long Beach.
TWG: It has surprisingly good food, though pricy. The smoked salmon and lamb is notable.
Ban Mee: It's soup. It's heavenly. Also, it's super filling.
Chicken Congee: I get this at chicken rice places sometimes. I have no idea why people think salty rice porridge with chicken and oil floating on top is weird. It's wonderful.
"Veggie"-- I'm pretty certain this stuff is bok choy. Who cares when it has oyster sauce on it?
Chicken wings: BBQ'd and greasy, best eaten outside.
Kuay Teow: Thick noodles, lots of bean sprouts and mysterious green veggie, and chicken. Mr. Ho's at school is such a guilty pleasure.
Char siew noodles: Chinese prepared pork, these funky elastic-y noodles, and mystery sauce of tasty.



Snacks:
Old Chang Kee-- Curry-O (curry puff with chicken, egg and potato)
BreadTalk: The cheesy sausage bun is so bad for you, but so good. Also Black Pearl when they have it.
To be honest, I don't normally eat savoury snacks.


Sweets:
Macaroons: TWG has pretty good tea themed ones, but you can get tasty ones throughout the island if you don't mind paying like $2.50 each.
Kue things: Not sure what the real name for these are, but they are funny jelly things that are normally brightly coloured. Often found at fruit stands.
Mochi Sweets: Strawberry, peach, and green tea mochi with cream inside!
Pulot Hitam: Black rice soup with condensed milk and sometimes ice cream. Maybe an acquired taste. My aunt said it looked like drowned ants, but its really good.

Frozen Treats:
Bread Ice Cream: Find along Orchard Road for $1. Slice of ice cream in a piece of rainbow bread
Ice Kachang: Local thing with lots of colour and various Asian goodies. The aunties at Great World City sometimes give me extra condensed milk on mine
Frozen Yogurt: Great World City has like 3 frozen yogurt places. I like the self-serve one or Yoguru the best.
Gelatissimo: YUM. Expensive as heck, but wow.


Drinks:
Gong Cha-- Regular bubble tea, Lemon Calpis
ShareTea-- Strawberry Ice Tea. Unnatural colour, but yummy!
Each-a-Cup: Milk tea ice-blended, basically any ice blended (kinda like a slushy)
Toast Box: Teh and Kopi (tea and coffee with condensed milk)
Sjora: Passion fruit flavoured drink. I get it when I go to Yoshinoya sometimes.
TWG: Fancy teas in a pretty pot. I like "dancing tea" and "princess tea"
Lime Juice: Find anywhere. Different than American lime juice. Its cousin calamansi juice is also wonderful.