Meet the Mantis Shrimp

We met this little guy in Koh Samui.

On a dinner plate.

Strangely enough I knew of the Mantis Shrimp from a Podcast called RadioLab on NPR. It seems our friend has these amazing eyes that are WAY better that ours in taking in the visual spectrum. As a side, this whole episode was amazing and I highly recommend you check them out. We have Rods and Cones in our eyes right? They take in light and interpret it to our brains so that we see colors and shapes. BUT, some animals have more (or less) Rods and Cones so they see more (or less) than we do. Think about that. What we see around us is not what there IS, it’s only what we can process. Weird huh?

Anyway, naturally upon seeing him swimming around in the glass display, we decided we should see what he tastes like.

NOW! Before you go “awwwww poor little shrimp  let me tell you, this guy is a KILLER! He’s mean. He’s a bully. And eats other animals. He’s not a vegetarian. So, don’t fee sorry for him.

He has these nasty little punchers, that he jabs out to stun, kill, or crack open his prey. Yeah you read that, he cracks open his prey. Check out this vid of one going to town on a clam shell.

Still feeling sorry for him? Then check out this photo:

 

Do you see those killer claws!? It was eat or be eaten I tell you.

Luckily, once subdued by the cook, split open and quick fried with TONS of garlic and chili, he’s a little slice of heaven. A bit tough to dig into (the shell is a little lobster like) the meat is delish. It’s meaty, tasty, and I look forward to having more. It did not hurt he was served up Thai style withe a lime chili dipping sauce.

Two years!

Well, that was fast. Two years have come and gone since we pulled up anchor and moved to Singapore. The journey continues as ever. New jobs, new places to see , new people to meet.

On the subject of people, I would like to give a shout out to the great ones we have met since we moved here. I don’t mention names much because I don’t want to invade people’s privacy, but suffice to say, Paul and I have been lucky to meet people here who have helped make this our home. We imported Charles from the States with us and it’s been a blast having him to travel with us and keep us entertained. Colin and Colin were brought over from London just recently, one Colin being a friend of Paul’s from DC from long ago, the other a happy new addition. Krystal, Harris, and Reena I met thru my first job. The job has come and gone, but luckily they have stayed. Barbara and Emily were kind enough to take me in when I first arrived and I have cherished their laughter, insights, and advice ever since. Ross, Don, Matthew and Paul all came into our lives about the same time and we were lucky they took a few hapless Americans in and decided we were good enough to hang out with.

All in all, a good group. Should we ever want something to do on a Saturday night, we  are lucky enough to say we can find someone to entertain us most of the time

Aside from that, no real insights on Singapore 2.0. It feels like home, a hot, hot, home.

Yoga in Koh Samui

This weekend found us in Koh Samui, doing a yoga retreat of all things. Yes, we took a trip that was not based on seeing animals or eating.

We got the deal thru Groupon to visit Vikasa Resort (http://www.evolutionofyoga.com/)  It’s perched on the cliff overlooking the ocean with lots of steps from the top to our villa down below. Plus side, we were right at the water. Downside, after two days of yoga our poor legs were done in! Oh well. The classes were challenging, but quite enjoyable (well, when I was not dying that is). Paul takes yoga here in town, so he knew more of the poses then I did. Showoff. They do classes twice a day followed by a simple, but healthy breakfast buffet. Although I would have killed for a doughnut after all that hard work, I guess it would defeat the purpose.

Paul did not want to pose for photos, but we went back to the yoga pavilion after our classes so I could take a bunch. Below you can see a few of the poses that we did.

P.S. for those of you that do yoga, please point don’t out how bad my form is, I’m just showing a little of what we did, not setting myself up to be a yoga master. lol!

P.P.S. The last pose is called Corpse Pose, you can see how it got its name. Its how we always ended each session to relax, and after 1 hr of Down Dogs, Cobras, Warrior Pose, and God knows what else, it proved to be my favorite

Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

Humble, but super tasty.

One of our new discoveries is Xiao Long Bao. Soup Dumplings.

Our friend Amy (or was it Denys) introduced us to them when he/she was in town. Until then we were unsure what to make of them or how to eat them. Since then we have become converts. Amy explained her method of eating them, and it has since become “the” method by which we tell everyone to follow

Soup dumplings are genius. The broth is cooked with meat and seasoning and then chilled so it can be worked with. The gelatinous gravy is then worked into a dumpling along with a dallop of wonderful, warming, good for the soul ground pork. Then when ready to serve the dumpling is steamed and the solid gravy turns back in to liquid to make a dumpling filled with soup.

Sublime. Melts in your mouth. Warms your soul. Feels like home. All of these describe the simple broth and pork mixture inside. Few (if any?) Chinese dishes do that for me. But the flavours from these dumplings are pitch perfect and they come as close to  comfort food as anything I’ve had on the island.

The trick to eating them (this part I am certain comes from Amy) is to place the dumpling on your Chinese soup spoon. Using your chop sticks hold the dumpling in place as you bring it to your mouth and bite just the tip off the top. Then using your chop sticks add in a few pieces of shredded ginger from the vinegar provided. Pop the whole thing in your mouth and enjoy. If you are feel a bit more self conscious you can sip at the dumpling first to remove some of the juice. Either way, happiness.

Din Tai Fung has the best so far, but lots of places on the island have them and they are all good. Yum Cha has good ones as well.

Our friend Krystal tackles her first Xiao Long Bao

Swimming with the fishes

Hi Kids.

Where did March go?! A whirwhind visit from the Sisters, friends from the States, a trip to Mumbai,  Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong tossed in for good measure. Oh my. Some was work. Some was play. All was great.

We’ll start in the present, then re-vist the past later. Mainly because we are just back from Cebu with our friend Charles over Easter weekend. Our big (surprise) adventure was snorkelling in some of the most amazing blue/green/turquoise water I have seen in some time. It’s funny but for all our travels we rarely do a lot of ‘island time’. We are often off exploring temples or cities, or markets, or some such adventures so we don’t have a lot of beach time. Plus Paul always thought he would be uncomfortable snorkelling and breathing thru the snorkel underwater. I am happy to report that after our great experience he’s changed his mind.

Some family members may recall we have an underwater camera that we purchased after a mishap involving me and a hot tub… I like to think this trip made it all worth it.

We got a boat for the three of us (our own boat, with lunch, and gear for under 80USD per person! from 10am-4pm) and headed off from the hotel. Our first stop was Nalusan Island. It’s set up as a protected spot, so all the boats dock a short swim away, and they prohibit fishing and boats in the area. Crystal clear water and fish galore. Simply wonderful. We swam for a bit, fed the fishes some rice (courtesy of our Captain) and were just amazed by it all.  Next we headed to another nearby island for a bite to eat on the boat and then more swim time. While the first island had bigger fish and more coral, this second spot had more smaller fish who swam amongst us. Both were great and it was the perfect amount of time spent in the water. Plus the quick travel time (only 30 mins from the coast) made it a real treat.

So, below are the photos. Yes there are a lot. And yes, this is the cut back number from the 200+ photos that I took (with my underwater camera, ha!)

The blue starfish were a sight to behold

I found Nemo!

Deep blue sea

No photoshop needed

Fear not, there was a toilet on the boat! ha!

No, this is not photoshoped

Creepy Starfish

Two sisters-one trip–of a lifetime! An honorary blog post

The Sisters were in town recently. Paul’s sisters Linda and Helen came from a land far, far away to pay us a visit and to stop by Bali and Cambodia along the way. We were happy to play hosts and guides, which for us just meant a good excuse to go out to eat (well, more that usual) It also spawned our very first Guest Blog Entry! Congrats.

So without further adieu:

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First we want to thank our generous and thoughtful brother,Paul, for encouraging our visit, and planning our trip to make the most use of our 14 days in Southeast Asia. We couldn’t have done it without him!  And a big thanks for Ryan for being such a great host.

Leaving Feb 14th from San Francisco and arriving Feb 16th to Singapore (where did Feb 15th go?); seeing Paul and Ryan waiting and waving at us through customs; we knew then that the long travel was already worth the effort.

The first thing I noticed about Singapore, (besides the English influenced driving), was how GREEN this big city appeared. I reminded myself we were in the tropics; nonetheless, compared to other big cities, and given the tremendous space restrictions, it was mature green everywhere. Apparently, Singapore also has a highly detailed and aggressive “Green Plan” for planning and sustainability of the city. I was really expecting a little more heat, given how Ryan and Paul complain of the heat and sun (and given Singapore is just 85 miles north of the equator). But it was delightfully “cool” at about 80-85 degrees or so, cloudy and rainy most of our stay in Singapore. During those brief moments when we had full on sun, coupled with the extreme humidity, I did get a taste of the weather I had heard of. I can honestly say, I’m glad we were there at the end of the rainy season! And being from northern AZ, where umbrellas are mere afterthoughts, I had a hard time remembering to take an umbrella with us.

Our tour of Singapore got off to a rocky start our first morning with some, well shall we say, sickness. It was not a pleasant morning for Paul nor Helen, but it did not get any worse! We are chalking those vomit events up to medicines on empty stomach. My small cold turned into coughing; convulsive at times, but the wheezing did not get in the way of food sampling or city tours! In fact, many of the foods helped to clear my sinuses!

Paul and Ryan introduced us to Little India, China town, wet markets, a world of new fruits, and bargaining for product our first day and a half. We also enjoyed a trip to a Hindu temple, foot massage, and Indian food. A highlight was also dinner with some of Paul and Ryan’s friends for dim sum at a local favourite  The food was phenomenal, as was the company. We enjoyed Ryan’s demonstration on how to eat a pork soup dumpling. I will never forget that! I will say I feel better seeing and speaking with some of their friends I know they have always had a close circle of friends; ever widening; and I feel better knowing my “baby brother” is surrounded by some great folks in Singapore.

Helen and I proceeded to take two morning tours on our own to gain a further understanding of the history of the city; and specifically China town and the large influence (74%) Chinese have on the city.  We did further shopping in Little India then prepared for our trip to Bali for 5 nights

Bali was paradise. We stayed in Ubud, specifically in a village known for wood and stone carving. We struggled (meaning Linda) with keeping purchases that would be able to make the flight back to Singapore. In the end, we made some very reasonable art purchases. Our days were packed with rice paddy tours, cycling tour, cooking class, spa, and temple visits. Something I really enjoyed about the tours was the fact that culture, farming, and history were all intertwined. We didn’t just get on a bike for a few hours. Many a stop to talk about this or that, visit a family, tea tasting, etc.

Last stop for Helen and I: Cambodia. Private tour with good friend of Paul and Ryan: Mooni. He speaks eloquent English, is studying for his MBA, and has never left the country of Cambodia. He is 33 and has a 7 yr old daughter. A few of our highlights with Mooni included peaceful sunrise of the quiet side of Angkor Wat, and a random invitation to a Cambodian wedding (in one of the 1,000+ villages that surround the great freshwater lake: Tonle Sap. )

A common thread of our visits were trying great local foods and shopping. We both traveled back to USA with a full oversized bag in addition to our regular baggage.

Another highlight was spending quality time with my sister and brother (without the ever common child interruption).

It was great!

Linda and Helen

Paul at Monkey Forest Temple

Tourists!

Bali Umbrellas

Wedding Guests in Cambodia

Linda at her Bali Villa

Helen at the Sea Temple

Linda and Helen lazing about the Villa

In the event of Monkeys….

 

This helpful flyer was passed under our door a few weeks ago. For the record we are too central to the business area to have Monkeys (yay! AND, awww!) I’m sure it’s for the best. Those guys scare the bejesues out of me. They are both very wild and very smart and they are not scared of People. That’s a recipe for crazy.

The advice portion is to me, quite amusing, and completely at odds of how I think an American advice column would appear. It’s not till item # 5 that they suggest you lock yourself away and wait of the monkey to leave. Item #7 advises that put your child on your shoulders to scare the monkey, I can’t help but feel that most advice in the USA would be to lock little Johnny and Suzy safely in the other room before dealing with the monkey, not bringing them into the encounter.

But what do I know, I’ve never had a monkey in my house.