Hawker Food Culture in Singapore

In the first leg of my Singapore trip I have only eaten at ‘Hawker’ places. What a delight! I just love these home-grown places. They are the archetypal fast food places in the country, a celebrated and brilliant idea in bringing together and showcasing the different food culture and tradition -- Malay, Chinese, Indian that reflects the country’s colourful history in the now modern day Singapore.



Hawker food centres are very local, very low-key and very affordable, which are the reasons why I fell for these quirky places in the first place.



Tanglin Halt Market & Food Centre



This area is known as the elderly district but don’t let this set you back because they have a yummy hawker centre. Here I ordered the 'Prawn Noodle' at this stall for just S$3. It was delicious.











We also ordered 2 plates of 'Roasted Chicken Rice' at Tong Kee Chicken Rice for Sister J and Myrrh:











Then our drinks / desserts at this place:









The epitome of Singaporean ice dessert - Ice kachang (with mung beans, jelly and pearls), and this is my dessert, just S$1.







This one is a cocktail of fruits, pearl jellies, beans, milk and ice. You squeeze the lemon on top of the pretty cocktail. S$2.



Hawker places are basically a food court, market or a centre. It houses food stalls with a common seating area. They abound in Singapore and each neighbourhood has its own hawker. In the city centre there are many hawker places and I have already been to a few of them.



Singaporeans seldom cook because the food at hawker centres are fast, readily available (hello 24 hours) and cheap. You can have a meal for just S$4 (Singaporean Dollars) which is around 2.30 Euros. Not bad for a lunch or dinner huh?



I’ve also had my fair share of fancy restaurants in the first half of this year in the Netherlands and in my travels around Europe, as well as here in the Philippines where I am currently sitting, so I think I will be continuing my hunt for hawker places in the second leg of my Singapore trip which will happen in a few weeks.



Watch this space in the coming days and weeks as I will be posting the hawker places I have visited in the city.

What Do Bike Shops Want to Sell You, and Why?

In the comments section of a post from a couple of days ago, I made a remark suggesting that bike shops have financial incentive to sell bikes and accessories separately, as opposed to bikes that do not need additional accessories. I have since received emails asking to expand on that, so let me give it a try.



First, let me just clarify that my comment was intended to describe the financial reality of profit margins, and was not meant as a value judgment of bicycle shops. Bike shops need to make money, or they will go out of business - it's as simple as that. The question is, how to do that and still act in the best interest of their customer?



Consider first, that the retail mark-up on bicycles is usually less, percentage-wise, than the retail mark-up on components and accessories. The better made the bicycle, the more this is so, as production costs for that bike are high and there is a ceiling to what most customers are willing to pay.



Essentially, this means two things:



1. It is more profitable for a bike shop to stock mass-produced bicycles that allow for higher profit margins, and



2. It is more profitable for a bike shop to sell components and accessories than it is to sell bicycles



This explains why, despite the "transportation bike craze," it is still the case that relatively few bike shops stock higher-end city bicycles, especially those imported from Europe. Not only is the potential for mark-ups on those discouraging, but these bikes tend to come complete with everything, not giving the bike shop a chance to at least benefit from the sale of accessories. This provides little incentive to go through the trouble of stocking these bicycles - which is understandable from the bike shop's point of view, but unfortunate for the customer who is shopping around for a nice bike.



So, what incentive is there for bike shops to stock high quality, complete city bicycles and to be motivated to sell them to customers in leu of maximising profits by selling bikes and accessories separately? The way I see it, it is about short-term versus long-term profits - In other words, about building enduring relationships with customers. By acting in a customer's best interest - both in terms of the kind of bicycles they choose to stock in the first place, and in terms of the purchasing suggestions they make to those who walk in off the street - the bike shop is sacrificing immediate profits for the benefits of repeat business and word of mouth advertisement that could result from this customer.



I have visited many - probably most - bike shops in greater Boston at this point, and I have had all sorts of experiences. Despite there being a large number of bike shops in our area, there is only a handful that I feel comfortable in. And for the most part, that's because memories of my early bike shopping experiences remain vivid: Which shops had either ignored me, or tried to take advantage of my blatant naivitéat the time - versus which shops took me seriously and acted in my best interest, despite not knowing whether they would ever see me again, or whether I would even buy anything from them in the first place. I remember, and I remain fiercely loyal to the few that did the latter.



What have been your experiences with bicycle shops in your area - Are they oriented more toward immediate sales, or toward long-term relationships?

The reason my head hurts

I tried several times to get a picture of the pollen that had collected on the water's surface after the rain. I must not have been holding my tongue just right.

I had just gotten through saying how everything looked better in pictures than in real life, so the pollen had to mock me by looking exceedingly bland.

Last week I was momentarily excited when I noticed (after only using it for a year or two) that one of my photo programs has a button labeled "quick fix".

It didn't take long to realize though, that its idea of a fix is good for a laugh but not much else.

But the "fix" of this pollen picture turned out to be interesting, bringing to the foreground the tree reflection that had been hidden.

Mountain Top and Valley

One wonderful thing about where Nathan's family lives is that you can see the mountains pretty much from anywhere you are at there. The scenery is breathtaking. It is so lush that we find ourselves saying, "it is so green here" each time we visit. It's a wonderful place to enjoy nature at its finest.





I never tire of this scenery. I don't think I ever will tire of it. I mean, can you imagine seeing this and saying, you know what...I'm done with all of this beauty? Nope, not gonna happen.











What I rarely did when we lived here, and really enjoy now though is the ride coming in. The ride that allows us a whole different view of this magical place. The drive over the mountains, where we look down on the valley below. That is what we enjoyed today.



It is still so green and still so beautiful.



Just an entirely different perspective.



Living the life in Virginia!

Fastrider Deluxe Shopper Pannier from Bicycle Muse

I received this Fastrider Deluxe Shopper Bicycle PannierfromBicycle Muse(a sponsor in July-August ) as part of an equal value exchange. Prior to trying this bag, I was not a big fan of single panniers and have never found one that I liked. But when I received the Fastrider, I changed my mind.



Here is a front view of the pannier. You can see that it does not interfere with the lines of the bicycle, which I like very much.The setup allows me to leave the beautiful custom rack on this bike unobscured, while enjoying the benefit of a roomy container that can be attached or removed in seconds.

To my eye, this pannier has a classic, timeless look to it that will go nicely with any vintage or classic bicycle. The style may be too quaint for some, but it suits my taste perfectly. One reason I have not been able to find a pannier I like, is that they tend to be either too industrial looking, or too "girly" - in the sense that they come in bright colours and highly stylized patterns like florals or polka-dots or paisley. Now, imagine showing up to a dinner and discovering that you are wearing the exact same outfit as one of the other guests. If it's a grey suit you are both wearing, the coincidence is not even noticeable. But if you're both wearing the exact same brightly coloured print, it's embarrassing. That is more or less how I feel when it comes to bicycle accessories, which is why I like mine to be subdued. Plus, a neutrally coloured pannier will match your outfit no matter what colour it is. A pink paisley pannier will not.



The pannier material is water-resistant woven pine. The surface is tactile, yet smooth. The colour is a warm caramel (there is also a lighter colouravailable). Underneath the flap (which secures with velcro strips allowing for different degrees of fulness) is a zipper opening. The flap and zipper together pretty much ensure that the closure does not let in water. (These panniers are made by the Dutch company Fastrider, so I am guessing water-proofing was a top priority.)



Not sure whether my pictures portray this adequately, but this pannier is huge. Dimensions are: 15.5" width, 14.5" height, 6.3" depth. The fabric-lined interior is enormously deep, and has what I initially thought were dividers for compartments, but are in fact stiffeners (I nonetheless use them as compartment dividers and find that they work in that capacity!). There is also a large, zippered internal pocket (large enough to fit a medium notebook and other accessories) and a smaller pocket that will fit a wallet or phone. You can see how much room is left over inside the bag after I place my Macbook Air inside it. If you are compulsive about your laptop, you will probably want to get a sleeve for it, as my makeshift "dividers" do not reach all the way to the top. That is the one drawback to the design - but then, it was meant to be a "shopper,"not an office bag. Otherwise, everything is fantastic for my purposes. This bag will easily fit my laptop, work-related documents, and a few days' worth of groceries.



The pannier attaches to a bicycle rack with a system of 3 plastic hooks on metal spring hinges. They are quick and easy to attach and remove; the process takes just a few seconds.



Here is a close-up. The middle hook curles under to firmly clasp the rack's tubing and can be adjusted to be tighter or looser. The two outside hooks act as extra weight supports. Plastic hooks are another reason I had been staying away from single panniers - they all seem to have them. But again and again I am told that these types of hooks are safe and are designed to withstand the weight. So - fine. I like this pannier so much that I am ready to believe that. (Any words of assurance or admonition?)



View from the non-pannier side. The handles flop to the sides, but they are not long enough to get stuck in the spokes, so leaving them that way is fine.



Pannier in motion. It attaches firmly to the rack, and there is no jiggling or movement, as far as I can tell.



It is pretty clear at this point that I love the pannier.Bicycle Museoffered me a choice of products, and I am glad to have selected this one.My plan now is to transfer the contents of my work-bag to the pannier, and share it between several bicycles. Of course, time will tell how the pannier will hold up, and I will update regarding durability once sufficient time passes.



edited to add: It is 6 months later, and I love the pannier. To my embarrassment, it took me a while to figure out that what I thought were dividers were in fact compartment stiffeners, and I've changed the text of the review so as not to mislead. Having gone through the rainy Autumn and part of winter with this pannier, I am pleased with how waterproof it is and how resistant to abuse. There is some minor fraying of the "wicker" near the hooks, but I think that is to be expected. I wish there were a smaller, equally classic version of a Fastrider pannier available in the US that would fit bikes with shorter chainstays.



edited to add: Over 1 year since the review, and the bag is no worse for wear. It survived a New England winter unflinchingly and the hooks are holding up fine so far. I own a couple of other panniers now, but this one is my designated "shopper."

Switzer Land :: Jacob and Catherine sell to Daniel Deemer

There were certain rather interesting reservations(at least I thought so)made in the sale of this land... On February 10, 1847 Jacob Switzer and Catharine, his wife, sold their property in Salem Township to their son-in-law Daniel Deemer for the sum of $... This was the land that was situated in the South ½ of the Northeast ¼ of Section 33 in Township 15 Range 3, which was bounded by the lands of John Bricker, Samuel Wall, Abraham Arter, Simon Arter and Samuel Entrikin and contained eighty acres. Jacob had purchased this land on March 26, 1838 for $2600 from John and Hanna Froth.



The land was sold, with provisions as set forth in the second paragraph of page 777:

“Reserving nevertheless to him the said Jacob Switzer and to the said Catharine & to the survivor of them during their natural lives and the life time of the survivor of them the house in which they now reside on said premises with the appurtenances – also the truck patch which lays North West of said house containing one quarter of an acre & the orchard which lays East of said house and contains one and a fourth acre – also one half of the garden – also all of the rights and privileges set forth in an article of event date herewith entered into between the said Deemer & said Switzer which said article and all the covenants therein contained on the part of the said Deemer, are hereby expressly charged upon said real estate which is hereby conveyed subject to the same...”

And the legalese continues on page 778. In the portion just prior to the signatures is wording that I've never seen in a deed record before:

“And I the said Catharine wife of the said Jacob do hereby, in consideration of the money paid to my said husband, remise, release, and forever quit claim to the said Daniel Deemer and to his heirs and assigns, all my right and title of dower in and to the above described premises.”

The Article of Agreement between Daniel Deemer and Jacob Switzer and Catharine Switzer was made and concluded on the 10th day of February A.D. 1847 (beginning at the bottom of page 778 and continuing on to page 779).

“That whereas the said Switzer & wife have this day conveyed to the said Deemer the South half of the North East quarter of section number thirty three in township number fifteen in Range number three, in said county for the consideration of two thousand dollars & other considerations – fifteen hundred dollars of which consideration is given to the said Deemer who is the son-in-law of said Switzer & wife – And whereas the said Switzer & wife have made in said deed certain reservations – therefore , the said Deemer covenants & agrees to pay the said Jacob Switzer (as the balance of the consideration of said $..) the sum of five hundred dollars as follows – one hundred dollars on the first day of April 1847 – one hundred dollars on the first day of April 1848 - $100 on the first day of April 1849, $100 on the first day of April 1850 – and $100 on the first day of April 1851 – in accordance with five promissory notes of even date herewith.

“And it is further agreed between the parties that the said Jacob Switzer & Catharine his wife, and the survivor of them, shall reserve for their own use & for the use of the survivor of them the house on said premises in which they now live – also the privileges of the yard around the same – also the truck patch North West of said house of about one quarter of an acre – also the orchard which lays East of the said house containing about an acre and a quarter, also one half of the garden – also pasture and hay from off said premises for one horse and two cows, and stable room for one horse and two cows, also pasture and stabling for two hogs – also the said Switzer & wife or the survivor of them to have one third of the chickens, which shall grow from said premises (the said Switzer & wife to feed said one third thereof.)

The said Switzer & wife also reserve as much fire-wood as they need for their own use (they to cut & haul the same) also the said Switzer & wife to have the manure from said farm for their truck patch & garden as much as they may want for their lives or of the survivor – all of which right and privileges the said Deemer covenants to furnish & guaranty to the said Switzer and wife during their natural lives and the life of the survivor of them. And for the security of the said Switzer & wife, all the above privileges rights and covenants of the said Deemer are hereby charged upon the said premises. In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hand and seals this day & year above written.”

The Deed was Signed by Daniel Deemer, Jacob Switzer and Catharine Switzer (with her mark).Attested by Edward Carroll and Beulah R. Wright Carroll



The legal stuff continues on page 780. However, I somehow managed to miss scanning that page while at the Family History Library earlier this year! Hopefully there is nothing of major importance included on that page!





Columbiana County, Ohio Deeds Volume 38 page 777 (FHL Film 926944)



Columbiana County, Ohio Deeds Volume 38 page 778 (FHL Film 926944)



Columbiana County, Ohio Deeds Volume 38 page 779 (FHL Film 926944)

New Beach Finds

I didn't see any jellyfish when we first arrived here. This week, they are everywhere! You have to really watch where you step when walking on the beach. They are so cool to look at but I don't care to make contact!

From Strange to Familiar

For the first time in a long time, I've been riding for transportation along routes that started out as uncharted territories. As it often goes, at first these routes seemed hostile, strange. Unfamiliar towns. Different patterns of motorist behaviour than what I'd gotten used to. But over time, the trips grew familiar, peaceful, and therefore unremarkable. This reminded me why I write so much less frequently now about transportation cycling than I used to: because nothing "happens." Whether my commute is 2 miles or 22 miles, nothing about the process is really novel anymore. With roadcycling, there is still the rush of going a longer distance, discovering a new route, learning a new skill, riding with a new group or partner. But with commuting, things have become automated.




Most of all, I tend to forget the spectacleI make of myselfwhen I - a woman in a long belted overcoat, knee high boots and a beret - ride a weird bike through areas where such sights aren't as normal as they are in Boston Metro. Drivers roll down their windows in freezing temperatures just to get a better look at me. No one has honked or gotten angry with me yet for being on the road; I think they are too stunned to.




The other day I was just riding along, heading homeward, when I sensed a car hovering behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw it was a white minivan. The sun was in my eyes and I could not make out the driver. I got a little nervous and moved over to the right encouraging them to pass me, but they kept hovering. Finally, the van did pass, only to pull over to the side of the road in front of me. A woman jumped out and started waving her arms wildly, beckoning me to stop. Out of the windows I could now see several children's heads peeking out. So I braked and put a foot down tentatively, hoping this was not some trap to kidnap me and harvest my organs. And the woman shouted "Oh my God, I just wanted to tell you I love your bike and your outfit!" She asked some questions about the bike and where I was going, and was stunned by my answers. What about a bike that could fit her kids? (Just two kids, the others in the van were the neighbours'.) Yes, there are those kinds of bikes as well, I told her, and described the different options. She was so excited, it was really quite marvelous. A little extreme to pull the minivan over to talk to me, sure, but I'll take it over driver hostility any day. What started out as being strange to her became familiar. These are good encounters.

Temperature Regulation and Underlayers

From a reader's email, quoted with permission:

...not sure how to put this delicately, but when I ride my bike in the cold I inevitably end up with a sweaty bra. Even if I am not exerting myself, the bra is soaking wet by the time I get to work and The Girls are not happy spending an entire morning waiting for it to dry. I've taken to stuffing paper towels in there, but was hoping you could share a better solution. How do you deal with this? Don't tell me you only wear wool bras?

Now approaching my third winter of cycling, one of the most valuable lessons I've learned is how to dress for the cold weather. Merely piling on layers can lead to overheating, then freezing underneath the sweat-soaked clothing when stopped at red lights. This is where choice of fabric becomes important. Wool and silk not only keep me warm, but regulate my body temperature - meaning that I sweat lessunderneath all those layers of warmth than I do wearing cotton or synthetic fabrics. And compared to technical synthetics, wool and silk do not retain body odor.




When choosing temperature-regulating fabrics, the key to the whole system working for me is to start from the inside out. If I am wearing a wool sweater with a cotton long-sleeve tee underneath, that cotton is going to be drenched in sweat; it's better to wear a wool baselayer and a non-wool garment on top of that. Similarly, underwear matters a great deal, since it is the first thing to contact the skin. Cotton or polyester underwear will end up soaked in sweat, causing discomfort even if every single other article of clothing I am wearing is wool.




So yes: In response to the reader's question, I only wear bras made out of fabric that regulates my body temperature effectively, which for me means wool or silk. Wool is the more durable and somewhat more effective option. But wool bras tend to be plain and sporty looking, and not everyone likes that. Also, women with larger chests often report that these bras do not offer sufficient support. If you prefer a look and feel that is more lingiree than sportsbra, real silk bras are available with everything from decorative lace to underwire support and nylon stretch. After having tried a number of manufacturers, I have settled on Ibexfor wool underwear,and onWinter Silksfor some fairly inexpensive silk bras. I also like to wear Icebreakerleggings instead of stockings once it gets cold, and always Smartwoolsocks. There are other excellent options out there. But as long as it's wool or silk, there should be no need to stuff your bra with paper towels before cycling to work.

Lake Superior Pyramid

Whoa, did I ever have fun photographing ice today! I went back to the place where I photographed sunset last night, and it sure was a different experience. Compared to last night's wild winds and awesome clouds, today there were no clouds and the air couldn't have been calmer. There was a light swell rolling in off the lake, and the only sounds were coming from the water as it gurgled beneath the ice. Occasionally one of the ice plates would shift and you would hear it fall, a sound I can only say is not unlike the sound of breaking glass. I found many formations of ice sticking up into the air like the one you see here. I had a lot of fun isolating different areas of the ice against the sky. I hope this ice hangs on for a while, as I'd really like to spend more time photographing there.

Chuck Norris and the Mortal, M8r/x, WI7 90m. aka "Chucky"

"Chucky"



Y'all be careful out there!

Banks Lake, Mile Marker 11.2










FA "Chuck Norris & the Mortal"

A2, M8 WI7, 2P, 90m.

Craig Pope, Scott Coldiron, Jan. 31,



Second ascent and

FFA "Chuck Norris & the Mortal", AKA "Chucky"

M8 r/x WI7, 2P, 90m.

Craig Pope, Jess Roskelley, Feb, 2,



Rack:

Small set of nuts

C3's

MasterCams

knifeblades

BD Peckers

BD Specter

Stubbies

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Steep intro moves to p1

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P1 ice was de-laminated to the point of rock pro only. Slung a gas pocket.

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Shakin off the cold...

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Bottom pitch with 2nd Looming above

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More detail of the crazy

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Top of 2nd p crux - PUMP!

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Delicately sneaking up...

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First "rest..."

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Sizing up the never ending madness!

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Snapping a quick shot - cause I HAD too!! 30 ft out from a BD 000 C3 equalized with
a #1 knifeblade...so wild, even after I cleared a ton if ice...

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Peaking out of the hole I carved out of a curtain...SUPER bummed about the fog...

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Throwing up a hell yeah before dancing up the last 60 ft.

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Looking down into space from the final belay...




http://player.vimeo.com/video/59181866"





editor's note:

Really fun for me to add one of the best mixed climbs I have seen locally and a BIG Congratulations!... to Craig, Jess and Scott for getting it done!