Tuesday, May 04, 2004

The No-nonsense Guide to Self-Entertainment in Singapore

I wanted to put self-entertainment in a culturally homogenized society, but why the fuck would the country being culturally homogenized be of any importance? I mean, yeah, we don’t particularly have a distinct flavour to our country, maybe a couple of icons – like the D24 Durians and the Chili Crab (ah food, food, always food. That’s what the country is all about. Some silly magazine told me how a guy treated food –something to survive with, or as an adventure- is a good gauge of how creative he is in bed. Bullshit.) But so? It’s not culturally dead. It’s incomparable to New York or London or Tokyo and maybe even Hong Kong, but we do have enough engaging things to do that aid us in thinking that Life is worth living on Friday nights.

Here are some of my favorite things to do/ places to be

Nightlife.

Jazz.
1. Jazz at Southbridge
Best Jazz Musicians in town.

Salsa.
2.Xenbar, 32b Pangoda street; Chinatown. Salsa 7 days a week.
If want to learn Salsa, lessons are Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 7-9.
3.Brix, 10 Scotts Road #B1, Hyatt Regency Hotel. Used to have a live band on Monday’s, probably still do. Lessons 7-9 on Mondays only.

Noisy Clubs- or just Great Places to get Laid.
4.Bar New Asia. Terrific view of the city from the tallest building in the state.
Bar New Asia. This place is great, because when you get bored, you can just pop over to CHIJMES. China Jump, Insomnia, expat hangouts, and where the SPGs are at. (I feel like I have no self-respect saying that, but it’s the truth I suppose. I’d pick these hangouts over the more local crowd clubs any day. I just don’t get turned on by Asian men. Whether or not the lights are dimmed.)

5. Zouk don't know what's so damn great about it, but everyone that's been here and clubs goes there, so I thought I'd mention it. No one ever said it was all that fantastic though, but they still go back there again anyway.

6. Beside it is the Velvet Underground. Every last Tuesday of the month they have PoetrySlam. A performance recital event. You can recite your poems and win stuff, or just sit back, relax, and enjoy something different. They also serve some of the best wine I've ever tasted in a club. But I was terribly drunk by then, so I don't know the accuracy of my judgment.

7.If you plan to get laid, I've been told Bar None is almost a guarantee. Even if you don't it's quite nice. And just one level up is The Living Room, which has a nice live band. And Singapore’s most illustrious bartender.

8. I quite enjoy hanging out at Emerald Hill too. Well, heh. We know why.
Well, I’m joking. I just like it. If I went on a date in Orchard and wanted to get drinks, I’d go to Emerald Hill. It’s more loung-y and less clubby like Mohammed Sultan.

9. Oh, and if you want to look at transvestites -I don't know what for. But I find it amusing.- Go to Changi Village. Oh a weekend or something. There are other things to do there anyway, and it's a different landscape. Crappy, like the rest of the country that hasn't been refurbished for tourists, but different. (Disclaimer* I have no hatred towards transsexuals, and my idea of trannies are limited to the stage in the Simon Cabaret in Thailand when I was 10, so I generally see them as show* people for the watching.)

Eats...
1. IndoChine, Nude
[Fusion Cusine. The food's not marvelous, but it's good, and the ambience is just amazing]

2.Ah Hoi [Chinese Food. You'll prolly want to go there with a couple of colleagues. It's supposed to have the best Teochew cuisine in the whole island. 46 Mosque Street in Chinatown]

3.Mark Brenner’s Chocolate Bar. He has this cool drink called the Sackao, where you drink chocolate out of things that look like aromatherapy burners (the smell of cocoa does have such healing properties). You fill the burner with however much milk you want and melt as much chocolate as you want in it. And drink. Sinful. I wonder if they have that ancient drink with peppers and wine and chocolate…

4.Ichiban Boschi (Great Sashimi and you must try the peach dessert)
3 and 4 at the Esplanade Mall.

5. Patara Thai Restaurant (Swissotel Stamford -Bar New Asia's oh... 60++ floors up from it. This place cooks fantastic jumbo prawns)

You want something cheaper - and something that screams Local- You can go to Serangoon Garden’s Chomp Chomp. Or Lau Par Sat. Or Maxwell food court. I was never really into any of them ‘cept for the one at Gardens. And only because I live 10 minutes away. It’s a nice, fun, noisy ambience, and I kinda like that. Marginally. (*sigh* I’m such a spoilt brat.)

Will Update.
All suggestions welcomed!

posted by Isabella at 8:40 AM