You do look familiar...

As you may have seen on Elena’s post, last Saturday was pretty busy. Time is marching towards the big day, and there are loads of loose ends to tie up. Why am I writing about this? Good point – I just wanted to talk about something, and make my blog look as interesting as Elenas (is Banality a legitimate Technorati tag?)

The day started with a trip to the Driving Centre to convert my driving license – you will remember that I passed my theory test some time ago, it had just taken quite a while to get round to it. The process is quite simple: 1) turn up, 2) take passport photos 3) fill in form, 4) argue with lady about having not worked in Singapore before, and 5) pay $50.

Step 4 was fun:

Auntie*: When did you come back to Singapore?
Me: Err, August (come back? How did she know I had been here before?)
Auntie: Have you worked in Singapore before?
Me: No.
Auntie: Are you sure?
Me: Yes.
Auntie: Are you sure? (Becoming frustrated)
Me: Yes. (Becoming even more frustrated)
Auntie: Perhaps you were here as a child, and a dependant of your parents?
Me: No.
Auntie: Are you sure?
Me. Yes.
Auntie: It’s just that your FIN number (i.e. my employment pass number) looks like you have been here before.
Me: Oh.
Auntie: Oh.

After that, it was a simple case of giving over the moolah, and getting my temporary license. The full license will be mailed to me soon, I think.

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Wikidavidia

*Auntie is a term of respect to older ladies in Singapore, a form of address for any woman of its mother’s generation, and/or a polite term of address for) a middle-aged or elderly woman who may or may not be a relative. It does not mean that you are related to her. Let’s try it out (at a food court):

Auntie: Yes?
Me: 1 bottle of Tiger Beer please Auntie
Auntie: Okay, $5 please
Me: Thank you, Auntie.

There, wasn’t that easy. You can all try that out when you get here. It’s a great Lesson One, with a real bonus that you get beer at the end of class (although you do have to pay for it). Lesson Two involves ordering food, and a gender change (not literally), from Auntie to Uncle.

Uncle: Yes?
Me: One bowl of Bak Chor Mee please, Uncle
Uncle: You want Chilli?
Me: Yup
Uncle: What noodles?
Me: Mee pok.
Uncle: $3 please
Me: Thank you, Uncle.

Be wary though. It is for people of an older generation. If I called someone my own age Uncle or Auntie, they might be a little upset.

You have been warned.

Alan Johnston

Just as a quick heads up, I have added a small link to the sidebar of this blog that provides information on Alan Johnston when clicked on.

Alan Johnston is a BBC correspondent who disappeared on his way home from his Gaza City office on 12th March this year, and is feared kidnapped. So far, efforts have failed to secure his release. Click on the link and learn more, and perhaps sign the online petition.

Thanks

mmmmmmmmmmmm, donuts.....

Every now and again something bits Singapore that causes a mild wave of excitement, and frenzied queuing. Such a thing has landed, and its name is the Donut Factory.

Started by a chap called Gunter Rahim, 44, a businessman of German-Pakistani descent, this donut shop opened at the back-end of last year to very long queues. Queues so long, you could actually queue, and take it in turns to go and have a sit-down three course meal whilst your friend waits, and then switch roles. And you would still be in the queue. We decided that we would wait it out, and that the queues would die off in a few months. Well, it’s May now and the queues were still going strong.

Our friend Jane kindly queued for us last Saturday. This was above and beyond the call of duty, but what do you expect from a Liverpool fan? Jane was in the queue for around 4 hours, and we are very grateful. Even more grateful when we tried the donuts. They were certainly worth the wait, and were absolutely delicious. There were quite a few varieties to choose form, including the standard double-chocolate, strawberry, blueberry, and the not-so-standard-but-actually-quiet-good wasabi and cheese. Now, I know that queuing is a British art form, so when the family comes overt in June, you can perhaps take it in turns to queue early in the morning, and keep us in supply of donuts – just a thought…

Donut Factory
B1 - 61 Raffles City Shopping Centre
250 North Bridge Road
Singapore 179101
T +65 6337 6268
info@donutfactory.com.sg

Sausages? Sausages? Sausages!

Success to speak of. Yesterday was a bit of a double-whammy, and getting it our of the way ahs been a weight off of my mind.

First, I resubmitted my revised PhD thesis. This had taken three months to revise, based on suggestions I was given at the February Viva. Many of these were pretty minor, although some represented a reasonable amount of work. Hopefully the corrections will be okay, and that I can finally put the thing to bed.

But the big news?

I’ve passed my driving theory test. As a foreigner here, if I wish to convert my driving license to a Singapore license, I have to sit the basic theory test which serves to introduce me to local traffic rules and Singapore's Highway Code pertaining to traffic related issues peculiar to Singapore. When I originally applied (in February) I was fairly nonchalant about passing, and considered that if I could drive on the UK for years, I should be fine. I put the book to one side, and metaphorically laid back and waited for the test. However, I met up with some friends recently, and one chap’s wife (American) was most concerned, and suggested that it might be very hard actually, and that I may have an out of date book, and that I had better get studying.

Cue panic.

Not enough panic to make me actually buy the new book, but enough to make me wonder if I would pass. Nonetheless, the day came and I swotted up in the car on the way to work, and at the test centre, only to find that the test was, actually, as difficult as beating Chelsea in the semi-final of a cup competition. In fact, quite easy.

So, we celebrated in the only way we know, and went off to eat German sausages, and drink German beer (I had a Paulaner Weissbeer). The place we chose was a fairly new German beer-cellar type place at our favour shopping mall. The beer was reasonable ($13-ish for a half-litre), and the platter of sausages you can see below was around $30. The pretzel was $2.50. Overall, smashing fun. The sausages were top-class (I recommend the lamb), and the sauerkraut was commendable.

Far Left: Me with comedy Pretzel beer goggles

Left: Me with beer

Far Left: Our lovely Pretzel

Left: Our lovely sausages