Friday, January 01, 2010

Happy New Year

Happy 2010 everyone!

Most people had a crappy 2009. I would like to say so myself but the truth is that it wasn't all that bad for me.

2009 was first and foremost a year of travel and discovery. I ate like a king, shopped till my feet literally bled, visited new places and unceremoniously piled on a few kilos along the way.

Offhand, here are 3 memorable moments in 2009:

1. Eating cod sperm sushi in Tsukiji market without knowing it. We had just completed an amazing personalised tour of the market with funky English speaking guide Mr Naoko Nakamura. When we asked him for dining recommendations thereafter, he nudged us into this minuscule sushi shop which was so packed that we had to hunch our bodies as we ate. The sushi was the freshest we had eaten in our entire lives and didn't cost an arm and leg. The only problem was that we didn't know what we were eating half the time. Thankfully, all the items were great except for the cod sperm sushi. Cod sperm is an acquired taste- it resembles harmless mayonnaise but tastes vile and metallic. Not wanting to disappoint the earnest looking chefs, I put on my best smile and held my breath as I tried to swallow down the contents as fast as I could.

2. Taking my first (and last) budget airline flight. Due to bad planning on my part, all SQ and Cathay flights to Hong Kong were fully booked by the time I finally decided to book our holiday to Hong Kong and Macau last month. In desperation, I decided to fly with Jet Star and paid dearly for it (SGD600 for a return ticket). Legroom was pathetic and the plane was small and dingy. Worse still, I was seated beside an obese woman with horrendous BO. Urgh. Worst flight experience ever.

3. Feasting on Nasi Kunning in Manado. Nasi Kunning literally means yellow rice, due to the tumeric. Unlike Nasi Kunning found elsewhere, the Nasi Kunning in Manado is wrapped in woka leaves from local sugar palm plantations, which open up like a pretty accordion in your palm, revealing a treasure trove of rice, sambal, a steamed egg and minced beef. It was an unexpected find which tasted so good that I lugged home 20 packets to share with family and friends.

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