travelswithalice
September 30, 2012
To the airport in a pretty taxi
Driving to Changi airport in the prettiest taxi ever!
His name is Joseph. His taxi is a Mercedes Benz. And this is what it's like inside.
His name is Joseph. His taxi is a Mercedes Benz. And this is what it's like inside.
Labels: Changi airport, Singapore, taxi
The harvest moon followed me to Singapore
In New York last month, i sneaked photo shots of the second full moon of August, the dreamily named Blue Moon, while watching an opera screening at Lincoln Center. My friend Margarita said I must be moonstruck.
Last night, at Beth & Robert's, I was again accused of being moonstruck as I gazed dreamily at the full moon, this time, the Harvest Moon, peeking through their dining room window.
I guess I must be. Moonstruck. Margarita said the full moon follows me around. I guess it does. And I love it for that.
If I didn't know better, I'd ascribe the evening's fabulous dinner to its magical powers. But everybody knows it's all Beth's doing! 🌝
Last night, at Beth & Robert's, I was again accused of being moonstruck as I gazed dreamily at the full moon, this time, the Harvest Moon, peeking through their dining room window.
I guess I must be. Moonstruck. Margarita said the full moon follows me around. I guess it does. And I love it for that.
If I didn't know better, I'd ascribe the evening's fabulous dinner to its magical powers. But everybody knows it's all Beth's doing! 🌝
Labels: full moon
September 29, 2012
Queuing is a way of life
Back to queuing as a way of life.
At a POSB branch to open an account. It will get me an ATM and NETS card which will enable me to
The procedure has taken 40 minutes so far. And counting...
pay for shopping, taxis, parking, e- road entries, etc.
The procedure has taken 40 minutes so far. And counting...
About fifty pieces of paper, an approximate equal number of ink stamps, and an amazing number of signatures later, we are still standing at the counter.
The young girl opening our account is still busy whizzing around, cutting open fresh batches of digital paper, removing plastic covers and blister packs. She now assures us the whole thing will be over in 7 minutes.
We've done it! We've opened the account. Now queuing for a taxi.
And then she calls. She needs us to sign another document. We dutifully walk back to the bank. We sign another document. We go back to our taxi queue.
She calls again. Another document to sign. This time we stay put and she trots over to the taxi rank with her documents for another set of signatures. Really!
This is a true story.
Labels: lifestyle, queue, Singapore
September 28, 2012
At the Tanglin Club
"Yes, I know," Kumar at reception said when I introduced myself.
Soon he was asking Zaini if he knew me too. Zaini is now F&B Manager. He was happy to see me.
"Kumar, why do you allow Mrs. Jones to stay at the Grand Hyatt?" Kumar, embarrassed, just shrugged.
They showed me the newly renovated guest room. Very nice. I said I'm trying to decide where to go for lunch. Zaini said, "The Tavern is always the best."
For the first time since I've been back in Singapore, I felt I was really back.
Soon he was asking Zaini if he knew me too. Zaini is now F&B Manager. He was happy to see me.
"Kumar, why do you allow Mrs. Jones to stay at the Grand Hyatt?" Kumar, embarrassed, just shrugged.
They showed me the newly renovated guest room. Very nice. I said I'm trying to decide where to go for lunch. Zaini said, "The Tavern is always the best."
For the first time since I've been back in Singapore, I felt I was really back.
Labels: Singapore, Tanglin Club
September 26, 2012
Another city, another home
Hotel comparisons are mostly unfair, if not at times pointless. Still, comparisons are inevitable.
Do we talk about the view or the welcome? The executive lounge or the guest room? Life on the street or society on site?
Snuggle score of the bed? Thread count of the bed linen? Do the bathrobes weigh you down? Is breakfast served- gratis et amore- in room?
Never mind the bathrooms-they've already been lavished with industry-wide attention. Ease of access to power outlets maybe?
Do the lounge staff welcome you by name? Like, on day 2?
Let's get started.
Labels: executive lounge, Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong, Singapore
September 05, 2012
Revisiting the Grand Hyatt HK
First order of business, Moët at the Grand Club. It's great to be back after a week at the NY Hilton where the lounge is like a diner at breakfast and a sad sad place at night.
In the morning, I wake up, unaccustomed to a beautiful break of day. Jet lag has its benefits.
Lunch with Stuart at the Grand Cafe. For me, fish fillets and rice noodles with coriander and ginger, in a bowl of steaming fragrant flavorful broth. For Stuart, wholewheat spaghetti with eggplant sauce, which he wolfs down with utter delight before rushing off to see Kitty at Kow Hoo to order a new pair of shoes.
At the Grand Club again, waiting to go to the airport for my flight to Manila.
The lounge is luxuriously quiet. I watch the various watercraft plying Victoria Harbour: a Star ferry to Kowloon, another ferry leaving the Wan Chai jetty, lots of small boats, tugs, barges, floating cranes. I'm glad I'm here now while the harbor is still wide enough to accommodate all this traffic.
Scott brings me a macchiato and stops to chat. He's thinking of bringing his family for a holiday in New York but his friends tell him his son would probably enjoy California more.
 |
| Scott runs the lounge with near-military precision. |
Hotels are mostly only places to stay on one's travels. There are hotels though that manage to be more than that- they become home. For the past eight years, the Grand Hyatt has been our home in Hong Kong. And the Grand Club has been my living room. It's where I read, wrote, chatted on the phone, entertained friends, and most especially, just lazed. Under the benevolent, warm, friendly care of the good people of the lounge, especially and for the longest continuous period, throughout all those eight years, Scott and Maggie.
 |
| Maggie- smart, witty, giggly, unflappable. |
Labels: executive lounge, Grand Club, Grand Hyatt, Hong Kong, Hong Kong hotel, Victoria Harbour
Last Day in NY
LUNCH
SHOPPING
Shopping is limited to basics at Gap and Uniqlo, where Djokovic has just launched his new sports wear. Have to get that for Edwin's birthday!
And speaking of birthdays, mine happens to be just a few days away, so shopping quickly revs up to a more exciting venue.
Cartier!
The excuse of course, is an urgent errand to have an old ring resized. So we sweep in through the door, and immediately in the elevator, up to the service area on the second floor. I pick up a chic tiny bottle of mineral water from the table. And a sweet from the bowl, a logo-wrapped candy. We sit on a leather sofa, awaiting our turn at the repair counter. So far, so good.
Errand accomplished, Stuart suggests we look around. Okay! We're off!
Everything's a blur now but some highlights remain. The pretty little wood-panelled salesroom with the ornate gilded desk. Can she bring us a drink? Champagne perhaps? No? She shuffles in and out, red leather tray in hand. I try on rings, earrings, bracelets. Stuart plays backgammon on his iPhone. Must be nerves.
We settle on a ring. The most beautiful ring in the world. From the Black& White collection.
The box goes in the bag with a box of cleaning items. The bag is enormous. It also contains a bottle of champagne. We walk out the door; I'm wearing my new ring. I'm walking on sunshine.
DINNER
Later, we have dinner at Eataly, an Italian gourmet-food market complex with several restaurants and a bar, located in the Flatiron district. Yet another offering by Mario Batali, this new concept in dining, originated in Turin by one of his partners, is celebrating its second year in New York this week. It is spectacularly successful, as evidenced by long queues at "Seating Points" for each of the specialty restaurants for meat, fish, vegetables, and pizza & pasta.
Birreria, the rooftop restaurant and brewery is packed. It's also incredibly noisy, so back down to the ground floor where we wait half an hour or so for a table at Il Verdure. The food is excellent, well worth the wait. We have: minestrone, a huge salad of warm vegetables, gnocchi (as the waitress said, not your usual gnocchi- three huge pieces, the shape and size of hamburger patties) with a rich mushroom ragu, creamy cannelloni, and a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino.
It's a good finish to a good week.
Lunch is supposed to be at the pretty tea room at Bergdorf's overlooking Central Park but we detour to Organic Avenue next door.
The place looks more like a pharmacy than somewhere to have lunch. But it's staffed by bright young things, all cheerful and exuding health. Easy listening music.
We're hungry, so we have several sample drinks which include a really nice one- a "coffee and banana milk" drink (this of course has no coffee or milk in it). Lunch: A salad of veggies with fruits and nuts. A veggie wrap. (The wrapper is a big flat leaf- it's like eating a house plant.) There's pretend cheese too. We have a fruit bar and a pretend cake for dessert.
I must admit everything's delicious and filling. But we're soon hungry again.
Shopping is limited to basics at Gap and Uniqlo, where Djokovic has just launched his new sports wear. Have to get that for Edwin's birthday!
And speaking of birthdays, mine happens to be just a few days away, so shopping quickly revs up to a more exciting venue.
Cartier!
The excuse of course, is an urgent errand to have an old ring resized. So we sweep in through the door, and immediately in the elevator, up to the service area on the second floor. I pick up a chic tiny bottle of mineral water from the table. And a sweet from the bowl, a logo-wrapped candy. We sit on a leather sofa, awaiting our turn at the repair counter. So far, so good.
Errand accomplished, Stuart suggests we look around. Okay! We're off!
Everything's a blur now but some highlights remain. The pretty little wood-panelled salesroom with the ornate gilded desk. Can she bring us a drink? Champagne perhaps? No? She shuffles in and out, red leather tray in hand. I try on rings, earrings, bracelets. Stuart plays backgammon on his iPhone. Must be nerves.
We settle on a ring. The most beautiful ring in the world. From the Black& White collection.
The box goes in the bag with a box of cleaning items. The bag is enormous. It also contains a bottle of champagne. We walk out the door; I'm wearing my new ring. I'm walking on sunshine.
DINNER
Later, we have dinner at Eataly, an Italian gourmet-food market complex with several restaurants and a bar, located in the Flatiron district. Yet another offering by Mario Batali, this new concept in dining, originated in Turin by one of his partners, is celebrating its second year in New York this week. It is spectacularly successful, as evidenced by long queues at "Seating Points" for each of the specialty restaurants for meat, fish, vegetables, and pizza & pasta.
Birreria, the rooftop restaurant and brewery is packed. It's also incredibly noisy, so back down to the ground floor where we wait half an hour or so for a table at Il Verdure. The food is excellent, well worth the wait. We have: minestrone, a huge salad of warm vegetables, gnocchi (as the waitress said, not your usual gnocchi- three huge pieces, the shape and size of hamburger patties) with a rich mushroom ragu, creamy cannelloni, and a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino.
It's a good finish to a good week.
Labels: NY restaurants, shops
September 02, 2012
Faust on HD
 |
| Waiting for Faust at the Met on HD |
Faust on HD cinema in the courtyard of the Lincoln Center on a beautiful end-of-summer evening, with an elegant picnic dinner from Epicerie Boulud.
The opera of course was brilliantly performed. It was after all designed to be filmed on HD and streamed live onto cinemas across 60 countries worldwide.
However, it seemed to me too long, too sad, and much too dark. I had to struggle to keep awake towards the end. Maybe it's because when watching a film, your focus is limited to the screen. You don't look up or down or side to side as you would watching a performance on stage.
Or maybe it's the feeling of not really being there, not seeing the orchestra, or not having an opera crowd to watch.
The opera of course was brilliantly performed. It was after all designed to be filmed on HD and streamed live onto cinemas across 60 countries worldwide.
However, it seemed to me too long, too sad, and much too dark. I had to struggle to keep awake towards the end. Maybe it's because when watching a film, your focus is limited to the screen. You don't look up or down or side to side as you would watching a performance on stage.
Or maybe it's the feeling of not really being there, not seeing the orchestra, or not having an opera crowd to watch.
The Blue Moon was an added attraction. There were moments though when it seemed to be the main event as I sneaked discreet shots of it over my shoulder. The moon never disappoints.
 |
| Blue Moon over Lincoln Center |
Afterwards, a late supper at Bar Boulud, on the recommendation of the evening's lovely picnic dinner from the next door deli.
 |
| Bar Boulud |
Skate wing with zucchini balls and chanterelle mushrooms. Dessert was Bernadine: a floating meringue in a lime sauce and fresh fruit cubes served in a tall glass. With 3 spoons.
The thing is, I don't even remember what Erle and Stuart had. And my skate wing was too oily.
The wine cellar route to the restroom is the real draw.
The thing is, I don't even remember what Erle and Stuart had. And my skate wing was too oily.
The wine cellar route to the restroom is the real draw.
 |
| Wine cellar route to the restrooms |
Labels: Blue Moon, full moon, Lincoln Center, Met on HD, NY, NY restaurants
At the Princeton Club
Erle took us to dinner at his club. Hushed, very civilized.
A funny exchange with the waiter:
After a discussion about seating, conducted in French, Erle asked the waiter about the wine.
Waiter: Do you really think I would say it's not good?
Alice: You look like an honest man.
Waiter: Thank you, you're so kind. (Barely suppressed laughter.) That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me in a very long time!
Boisterous laughter all around.
The wine was good though. And the dinner was excellent. Erle had a hefty steak, I had Chicken Parmigiana, and Stuart, still faithful to his vegan diet, had a salad.
It was a lovely evening but the full moon was a no-show.
Labels: full moon, Princeton Club
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