On Saturday, May 16, 2009, after the Buddha Birthday Celebration/Festival, I walked west to the Tenderloin to attend my second festival of the day, the Asian Heritage Street Celebration. As I neared, I noticed I was in the Vietnamese center of SF ("little Saigon"). There were banh mi joints galore, but sadly I had no stomach space left.
I picked up a surprisingly comprehensive newspaper about the festival, showcasing endorsements of the festival from politicians, promoting sponsors, and describing many details about the festival and its workings. I learned and like the idea that the festival changes location every year to a different Asia neighborhood in San Francisco, thus showing the breadth of SF and its Asian communities.
The fair was sizable, covering seven blocks and taking ninety minutes to explore. Most booths were the usual street fair vendors, e.g., low-end jewelry, handbags, t-shirts, sunglasses. The few distinctive products for sale included imported dvds, shirts, and posters, related to either Japanese rock music or anime. Also, foreign newspapers.
There were also lots of organizations doing outreach to this community, including tons of government agencies, some of which I'm surprised bother to do outreach at all (rather than expect people to come to them): muni (the bus company) and the Social Security Administration. There was even a booth to educate people about lemon laws. In addition, private utilities had booths (telephone, electricity, education, zipcars). Community groups, as well as health and education non-profits, were also represented.
Of the multiple entertainment stages, I caught an urban dance troop, a Filipino folk dance, a dance contest, and a martial arts bout (there was a ring devoted to it). There was also a kids zone.
I took four pictures as I explored the festival.
Regarding food, there was a wide assortment, including tons of grilled meats--the opposite of the last festival. Meats were being grilled at one Korean bbq booth, two Filipino booths, one Hawaiian bbq booth, one Cajun bbq booth, one Thai bbq booth, and one Vietnamese bbq. (No, I couldn't tell all these apart without the help of the booths' signs.) Another stand grilled corn. The non-grill selection included Thai, Lao (no, I don't know the difference), Indian, Vietnamese, crepes, slushies, and kettle corn (of course). Notably more aligned with the Buddhist festival was the Golden Era booth (vegetarian Chinese) and a Vietnamese Buddhist booth.
Despite the selection, I was glad I ate at the other festival. On a warm day like this one, I didn't feel love for something hot off a grill. Also, despite my thirst in the summer weather, I resisted the jamba juice, milk tea, and countless homemade lemonade and bottled water stands, instead looking forward to making myself a blended ice drink at home, and, perhaps later, a smoothie.
I did both.
Asian Heritage Street Fair
Buddha's Birthday Festival
Festival season has certainly begun, with nearly a dozen on Saturday, May 16, 2009, that tempted me. Feeling like something unusual and not too far away, I selected from my slate of possibilities the Buddha Birthday Celebration Festival held in San Francisco's Union Square. To avoid the downtown parking nightmare, I drove to the Daly City BART and rode it in.
It was a fun though small festival. There were perhaps two dozen booths, some selling items such as books, clothing, sunglasses, and jewelry, another providing carnival games, and others promoting groups such as the American tea culture association. Most of the booths used their income as fundraising for various Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) chapters.
I took pictures of what I ate and saw.
The food was a wide selection of entirely vegetarian food from China, Vietnam, and Korea. I ate well. Given the day's warmth, I finished my meal with a cooling shaved-ice dessert. It melted as fast as I could eat it.
The entertainment program was pretty good and varied. I took videos of two impressive performances: a lion dance and a ribbon-twirling dance. In addition, I watched kung fu dancing, folk dancing, and singing; the latter two included performances both by kids and by adults.
I stayed at the festival for 90 minutes, with much of that time watching the entertainment.
Interesting Articles: Q1 2009
Psychology & Culture:
* The Witnesses That Didn't (WNYC's On The Media via NPR). A story I heard a few times in psychology classes (about many people witnessing a murder and no one calling the police) that didn't happen the way it was told. Posted here so I can always find the reference to the truth.
Psychology & Economics:
* When people cheat on Wall Street (American Public Media's Marketplace). Though the results of the experiment aren't surprising, I'm simply impressed that someone designed such an interesting experiment. I liked the original research question, and the twist was icing on the cake.
Economics & Academia:
* What's in a Surname? The Effects of Surname Initials on Academic Success (pdf) (Journal of Economic Perspectives). An interesting analysis of the discrimination created in academic disciplines that order authors' names alphabetically, not by contribution. I wonder why the observed effect of higher tenure rates for earlier surnames occurs only at elite institutions (top 10).
Politics & Economics:
* In this On The Media piece (WNYC via NPR) about Treasury Secretary Geithner's inability to connect empathically, one person had a comment likening him and other political figures to Star Trek characters that I found so humorous, I'm posting it here.
Biology:
* Sound Output Levels of the iPod and Other MP3 Players: Is There Potential Risk to Hearing? (Noise-Induced Hearing Loss in Children Meeting) (internet archive version in case the link is broken). Finally, a definitive study providing guidelines on how loud iPods can and should be played.
Fun:
* Bowl Mitzvah (Stanford Magazine). What a cute, giving idea.
San Mateo's Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival
Saturday, May 9, 2009, was a bit of an odd day. I went to the farmers market for breakfast, intending to figure out while I was there what else I wanted to buy to cook the following couple days. The farmers market was packed! I imagine it was a combination of factors: last week's attendance was sparse because of rain, this day was beautiful; the day after is mother's day; and the market began exploding with summer produce. For instance, cherries and peaches just arrived. My plans, however, turned out for naught when I discovered I had only enough cash in my wallet for a muffin, nothing else.
Leaving the market, I headed to an ATM to withdraw cash and to a bookstore to look at some books on a topic I was researching. I got distracted and was there longer than I realized. Though I intended to return to the farmers market in time to shop properly, I made it there at closing and only managed to pick up some cherries and peaches.
I decided to continue my errand at another bookstore, then returned home (an hour and a half later), thinking that the length of my bookstore excursions implicitly meant I couldn't make it to any of the day's festivals.
I was wrong. When I arrived home, I noticed I left on my desk a postcard describing this day's Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival, located right here walking distance way in a park in San Mateo. I'd been thinking about the festival earlier in the week, thinking that'd it be nice to go sit in the grass in the park. I'd forgotten about it.
A short walk later and I was in Central Park. The festival was much like it was when I went two years ago. In addition to sitting in the park and watching performances, including a good Korean drum group (similar to taiko), I stuck my head in the main building and also wandered (again) through the nearby Japanese tea garden and the rose garden, noticing the fragrant air and how everything was in bloom.
Singapore: August 1: Flying Home
Although I was to fly out mid-morning, I still decided to attempt to fit in one more item from my to-do list, or more precisely my to-eat list: kaya toast. Kaya toast is toast with a jam made from coconut and eggs. I'd heard that the chain Ya Kun Kaya Toast serves a good version and that they have an airport location.
I caught the train to the airport, trammed from terminal two to terminal one, checked in, and began hunting for the kaya toast outlet. I quickly learned the outlet was back in terminal two, but made the mistake of walking there rather than taking the airport tram. Then, in terminal two, it wasn't listed on any maps or directories of restaurants in the terminal. I resorted to searching everywhere. I wanted my toast. I wasn't going to give up until I had to board my plane. I found it forty minutes after I started my quest, at the last possible place to search in terminal two.
To learn what I thought about my toast, read the comments on the pictures I took this day.
The flight home, transferring again through Hong Kong, was unremarkable. It was a tougher journey than going to Singapore because I stayed awake most of the flight and had to entertain myself. Luckily, the selection of shows that I could watch on the screen in front of my seat was passable. The only lesson I learned from this flight was that I think I'd prefer an aisle seat on extremely long flights because then I can get up and walk around whenever I feel like it.
By the end of trip, I wasn't tired of Singaporean food in the least. Rather, there were some dishes I hadn't got to try. I began looking for those in the bay area. I also hunted for other dishes I tried to learn where I could eat them again.
Singapore: July 31: Downtown and the Asian Civilisations Museum
I spent the day finishing up sights. I'd seen all the major neighborhoods of Singapore, yet had left a small unexplored hole in downtown near the entrance to the Singapore River. This day I filled in that hole. I spent the morning exploring the south side of the hole/river then met my friend for lunch. On the way back from lunch/dessert, he drove us by the Geylang neighborhood, another old part of town. I then spent much of the afternoon in a museum, finishing exploring the sights on the north side of the river before and after. Finally, I met my friend and and his family for dinner.
These pictures complete document the day's activities. You'll also note I ended up with multiple pictures of myself this day. Shocking!
The museum I spent some of the afternoon is was the Asian Civilisations Museum. Regarded as one of Singapore's top museums, it mostly covers the history and culture of the civilizations in Southeast Asian, but also has exhibits on South Asia, West Asia/Islam, and China. A wide variety of artifacts. I'd describe the museum as decent.
Later, after dinner, my friend took me to Holland Village, a hip part of town near a university and where many expats live. On the way, we drove through Dempsey Hill, a complex of old military barracks that in the last two years have been converted into restaurants, boutiques, etc.
Singapore: July 30: The City Gallery and More Chinatown
Aside from one (cool) gallery, I spent most of the day finishing my walking tour of Chinatown. These pictures provide details about the day's smaller sights in Chinatown; the bigger sights are discussed here.
The morning began with a trip to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's building and its two galleries: the Singapore City Gallery and the gallery displaying Singapore's 2008 (Draft) Master Plan. Between the two of them, this is the museum-like sight I found myself most thinking about and remembering from my time in Singapore, perhaps because they combine my interests in architecture, design, and maps with a twist of policy.
These galleries contain incredible models of the city of Singapore and the country. The two models of city show every building in its correct shape and size. You have to see the pictures to truly appreciate this fact. I like that I visited the gallery near the end of my trip to Singapore because it allowed me to identify many sights and put everywhere I'd seen in perspective.
The city gallery also has nice exhibits on the history of Singapore and on how the city and even particular neighborhoods developed. In addition, it describes some of the city's architectural features, including the designs of shophouses and bungalows.
The master plan section of the gallery hypes the plan that describes in detail the improvements the country plans to make to each district. I appreciated this rare glimpse into how a country / city plans its evolution, answering questions about how to make a place livable, how much space to keep for nature, how to conserve historical features while allowing growth, etc. The redevelopment authority describes how decisions are made and calls for feedback on the plans. The most interesting single statistic I learned from these exhibits is that most of the populace live in government housing.
I then spent a good hour exploring parts of Chinatown I didn't see the previous day.
For lunch, I was finally near the respected Hong Lim hawker centre when most shops were open. (Recall that I previously tried to visit late at night but found mostly everything closed.) Well, the second time was not the charm. The famous laksa place I wanted to try in this hawker centre was closed for vacation :(. Instead, I went for my second choice, a well known purveyor of a different dish.
After lunch, I explored Chinatown further. I spent some time in Yue Hwa Chinese Products Emporium, a large Chinese department store. It didn't allow pictures. :( The building, formerly a hotel, is an airy space, and even includes a nice koi pond. I browsed a display of wooden, carved teapots ranging in price from tens of dollars to ten thousand dollars. I saw pretty, decorative clay pieces as well as stunning glass figures. One of the six (?) floors was devoted for food. Surprisingly, there's relatively little clothing for sale here.
I also spent thirty minutes in the Chinatown Heritage Centre. It's a small museum in an old shophouse that evokes, through quotes, the plight of immigrants (opium, gambling, crime). At first I thought it definitely wasn't worth the price of admission, but then I found the adjacent building (another shophouse), with rooms modeled after how people used to live. After that, I felt less strongly about the museum being overpriced, though still stand by the sentiment.
The Chinatown Complex was my last major stop in Chinatown before I had to get ready for dinner. The complex, really a market and food court / hawker centre, is gigantic. There are over 200 food stalls. I know because they're numbered. I was looking for a particular one and even had its number, but it wasn't where it was supposed to be. Sometimes they move. Ah well.
In the evening, I finally met up with an old college friend of mine who lives in Singapore. (We didn't meet earlier because he was traveling for business.) His family invited me, along with a few of his other old friends (in this case, from high school), over for dinner. They're friendly people, all in the same line of work (finance). I didn't feel comfortable taking pictures of the people or the food at dinner, but I do remember one really good eggplant dish.
After dinner, his wife stayed behind to watch their baby, and the rest of us walked to nearby Clark Quay for drinks at China One, one of the many hip bar-lounges in the area. It wasn't quite my scene. The music from the live band was too loud, and the chips came from a bag and the salsa from a jar. I had a Tiger Beer, a good pilsner that's sold everywhere in Singapore.
Singapore: July 29: Chinatown, Botanical Gardens, and Night Safari
I took extensive pictures this day. Thus, this blog entry is correspondingly short.
Tired from my trip to Melaka, I slept in. When I arose, I grabbed a simple breakfast at my hotel and ventured out to explore Chinatown. I toured about half of Chinatown (including the impressive, richly decorated Thian Hock Keng Temple), then grabbed an extensive lunch in a food court. Oddly, though I wrote in my notes over lunch that Singapore's heat tends to make me less hungry, I seem to have eaten a lot. After lunch, I headed out to commune with nature. (Did you notice my entire trip thus far had been urban?)
I'd planned to go to the zoo after exploring some of Chinatown. However, I left one hour later than I hoped, and it was taking me longer than I expected to get there. While en route, I decided that I couldn't give the zoo the time it deserved before it would close for the night and instead backtracked via subway and bus to the National Orchid Garden. I alighted late from my bus and had to hike back one stop in the heat. Phew!
The Orchid Garden was very pleasant, perhaps perfect for what it was. The VIP section of the garden included orchids named after people. As you can tell from the pictures, some were pretty; some were not. In the end, however, I decided I'm not a great fan of orchids.
With dusk approaching, I explored the surrounding Singapore Botanic Gardens. Though I only saw a fraction of the botanical gardens, I wholeheartedly approve of their design and aesthetic. I saw waterfalls, lakes, the ginger garden, the bonsai pavilion, and the cactus garden (which I really liked).
As night fell, I made my way back to the bus stop. A bus, subway, and bus ride later, I made it to the location of my evening activity: the Night Safari. It's located near the zoo. Given my afternoon experience, I had a revised estimate of how long it would take to get there from the gardens, but it took even one hour longer than my guess.
The Night Safari is an opportunity to tour a zoo filled with nocturnal animals under gentle red lights that allow some visibility but don't disrupt the lives of these creatures. I thought it was neat, but I'm not especially endorsing it. Nevertheless, it really is one of those places you have to go to; the pictures don't do it justice. In between touring the safari, partly on foot and partly via tram, I stopped by the resort for dinner and caught part of a Bornean tribal performance. The dart gun component bored me, and I had trouble seeing due to the crowds, so I left and thus missed the fire tricks. Instead, I ate. Maybe what I missed was good, maybe not.
After touring the safari, I caught the last train back to the city... with three minutes to spare.
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