Mamahuhu

I'm so behind!  Here's the last few entries before we left for Korea, so enjoy...

[FLASHBACK]

Sunday, February 22^nd

Here’s another recipe for you foodies out there.  Singapore is famous for chili crab, but instead of having to buy a whole live crab, wrestle it into the pot, and figure out how to crack it open, here’s a slightly modified version using prawns.  Serve it with lots of bread to sop up all the extra yummy sauce.  I apologize for using grams, but it'll be good for your brain to do the conversion...

A.)  Blend to a paste:  4 fresh, regular, red chilies (with the seeds, otherwise what's the point?), 1/2 Tbsp chili paste, 1 small onion, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 cloves (peeled) garlic, 2-inch (peeled) ginger piece and 1/4 cup vegetable oil.

B.)  If you want the true messy experience, get the prawns with the shells still on.  Take off the heads and legs, though.  You'll need 6-700 grams.

C.)  Whisk together:  1 Tbsp soy sauce, 3 Tbsp ketchup, 2 Tbsp chillie sauce (any sauce from a bottle, it's usually thinner than the paste in A.), and 3/4 cup water.

D.)  Mix together 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1/2 cup water.

E.)  2 eggs, lightly beaten

Heat the wok (or large pan) until hot and add oil.  Fry A to a fragrance, about 1 minute.  Add B and stir fry.  Prawns should turn pink, but not entirely cooked through, about 2 minutes depending on the size of the prawns.  Add C and stir fry some more.  Add D and stir until the sauce thickens.  Add E and stir fry one last time.  Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!  Serves 4 as a main dish.

Monday, February 23^rd

In an attempt to find friends, today I joined the American Women’s Association.  Their office is located in the American Club, (a place we can’t afford to join with membership dues that are about $100K a year).  The administrator who took my application and check (a more reasonable $125/year) surprisingly wasn’t American, though, she was a Brit!  I didn't ask.  On the way out, I ran into a crowd of women coming from some sort of luncheon.  They were dressed to the nines, and I could just feel the competitiveness in the air.  I hope the AWA events aren’t like this, one of the things I like about Singapore is that no one pretty much cares how you dress, even at the fancier restaurants.

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[I also thought I’d mention this advertisement, found outside a place called The Browhaus, which has waxing services.  David notes with glee, every time we pass:  “Striperella!” like a little kid.]

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The Oscars were broadcast today at 8am.  For the first time in a while, I hadn’t seen most of the movies that were up for awards.  There are good and bad things about the movie theaters here in Singapore.  Bad things include the utter lack of “artsy” movies, and documentaries in the theaters are almost non-existent.  Good things include that the big blockbusters are here usually within a couple of weeks of release in the US, and also THEY HAVE RESERVED SEATING.  Yes, you book your tickets either online or at the theater, and you can choose the seat of your choice.  You like the back row?  Just book your ticket in advance, and there’s no need to wait in line.  Going to opening night of a really hyped movie and your running late and you don’t want the front row way over in the corner?  No worries, your tickets are already assigned.  Genius, I tell you… genius!!  I can’t tell you how many times David and I have gotten into arguments because he likes to slide in at the last minute, and I like to get there early to get the row with the railing so I can put my feet up.  Problem solved in Singapore.

Thursday, February 24^th

Word of the day from Mandarin class:  "Mamahuhu".  Literally meaning horse-horse-tiger-tiger, it means "so-so", or "okay, I guess."  I have yet to successfully work it into normal conversation, but I will keep trying!