Gastronomic satisfaction and a new girl

2007-07-09 6:20 p.m.

I personally think, that my previous entry is riddled with loopholes. I don’t mean argument wise, I mean like the references and citations. There’s a huge absence in some places. Ouch. Ok, it’s definitely not for academic review or anything, but I just feel a bit rusty.

One week or so since I arrived back, and I still think I’m on British Summer Time. Not that I’m jet lagged daily, but I seem to think in terms of UK time. Difficult to explain. Maybe after eight months overseas, I have to unlearn things I’ve learnt and well, maybe learn to be a Singaporean again. Ok, so one diary entry later, a couple of times to the Gym, some rounds of local food, get physically struck by an old friend and eating at Crystal Jade, that’s my two weeks or so. Not uncommon to me. I have so many things to work on, and I shall work on them. A few being updating the Frankenberg entries, finishing up reading stuff, arranging stuff and well what is on this list.

Today was mightily different. I think it’s me and last minute arrangements. Or maybe not. Ok, so some exchange here and there, I trouped down to ACS (I). Usually I head there for church. Today it was to meet Jennifer, an ACS IB girl I’ve met through a very long story. Anyway, passing through the familiar parts (which have changed), I brushed past the staff room and wondered whether any teachers I knew were in. Glancing at the clock, I surmised that there was a better chance that they would be down stairs in the Student Activity Centre, ACS (I)’s air-conditioned canteen. But no one I recognised was there. Pity that Mr. Alistair Chew was away, it would have been great to have met up with him.

Jennifer struck me as a smart girl who is definitely the type who looks beyond the horizon. What I mean is that she’s not trapped in the social norms of everything Singaporean. Not just staying with everything Singaporean and well thinking in the ordinary Singaporean mindset. Anyway, first order of business was where to eat. I said that I was fine with anywhere. Really, places like Holland Village and Orchard Road, and I was going to choose either randomly when she suggested Vivo City. Why not, I remarked, since I’ve never been there. The trouble was that I had not a clue as to how to get there. It was she who eventually discovered it. Not that, for most of the time, Jennifer was leading me around. Darn it, not very gentlemanly.

The common thing between us was Mr. Alistair Chew, my (back in secondary school) teacher. Whom, we both agreed, is really dynamic fellow. Few people can profess to have the mindsets of both a scientist and a humanities person. Equally so is his brother, whom, as you might read in my previous entries, I met at IDSS.[1] And so we chatted about them and her future prospects. She plans to study in France, and yes, while it may not be as crash hot, it is the experience that counts. Especially since you love the culture, cuisine and well the life of France. That’s the mentality that is what distinguishes several overseas-bound and overseas Singaporeans from others in the same group. And so I told her about life in the UK, my course and provided answers and advice.

Vivo City perhaps is Singapore’s idea of the Bull Ring Birmingham, though it is definitely nothing or its size and bustle. Again Jennifer lead me (hush Chih Hung) and the information sign revealed a Japanese restaurant (the same as the one at Sixth Avenue—I couldn’t remember its name.) Japanese sounded like good to both of us. The price for the buffet (as in order as much as you like) did not and so we both went for the same set meal. And so the talk continued about school, IB courses, scholarships and overseas study. We discussed the Singaporean education system and it was interesting, given that I was the last old type—the group who had to study pure History/Geography/Literature and triple Science—while after that came the various core and elective stuff with social studies and the branching routes like IB and IP. And so came the question whether I would have really specialised or gone round with a broader range. I don’t think I answered that question well enough to her, and I’m not sure. Still, as I said, I started off loving two subjects totally unrelated, and ended up taking neither. See this old entry for details.

She’s interested in Political Science and asked about my modules and the examination system. I mentioned some of the politics questions like the Feminism, Marxism and the Philosopher Kings ones (Stacey and my Econs/Politics group would know what I’m talking about). Actually IB gives them a great grounding since they’ve been taught how to cite (using the Harvard system) and write lengthy essays. That’s a good start but I would frankly say that my time at IDSS gave me an almost equal grounding.

We were talking so much that I noticed that my food was hardly moving. It was a meat set mind you, but at least three different kinds of meat, a small bowl of sashimi, Miso soup and so many vegetables. This is by far the biggest Japanese set meal I’ve encountered since the one in New York. So yes, we were the last customers at the restaurant and there was still food left when we finished. Oh yes, as mentioned, the bill was the most expensive I’ve seen and paid (far surpassing the many CH and me meals). It actually didn’t matter to me then that Jennifer paid me back less.

The talking continued as we explored (or rather she showed me) Vivo City. It’s a weekday, so the crowds are there, but I’m not sure whether it will have crowds. With a tight budget, she went window shopping. I should think this is my first time window shopping with a girl (the times with my family and relatives don’t count). The range and quality of earrings were pretty good but I remarked about the sales in Europe and the UK, which got her excited and surprised. Ok, Jennifer, I may have exaggerated a bit but well, if you’re the shopping time, the time will come.

So we continued exploring, entering a bookshop and discovering each other’s tastes. Before that was some candy shop, where the chocolate was just a couple of cents higher than her budget. Oh yes, so I then told her about my time in Cadbury’s World, which of course, sparked off my love for that brand of chocolate.

It was a great day alright, great food, great company and simply just great talk. But it seemed to have ended as soon as it start. Good luck for the rest of your IB course, Jennifer. God Bless you!

[1] See the range of entries--The Big One, --Brain Draining yet Exhilarating and --Memories of IDSS

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