As you know, Matt and I moved almost two months ago. There are lots of changes. Among my favorite changes is our new location and ease of getting around. Among my least favorite changes is the size of our apartment, but I don't mind it very much at all. There aren't too many unfavored changes about this move...
The market has always been a big part of my life, definitely in Singapore. My new market, Tekka Market, has some advantages over Bedok Market. I will share two.
A few weeks ago, I was making a curry, and the curry called for shrimp paste. I'm not that into using shrimp paste, so I went to one of the stalls at the market, and I asked if they have an alternative substitute for shrimp paste. They didn't really know what I was talking about, but they asked what I was making. I told them the different vegetables and other things I was putting in. They then made a little concoction for me - out of some base that looks like liquid garlic with coconut, (but I have no reason to believe that's what it is) and a whole bunch of spices. They open a plastic bag, throw it all in, and then they charge me a buck. Good deal! I have gone back twice since then, and I tell them what I'm putting in the pan, they take it all very seriously - making sure they get each vegetable - and they make me a paste. Just got one today for dinner. I don't think you can really do that in New York.
The other thing that I like is most definitely not specific to Tekka Market, but I still love it here. Let me start with an explanation. For some reason, in 2000 I developed a bad habit of getting a treat (usually a drink) for myself when I go to the supermarket. This obviously started with shoko in a bag (little bit of chocolate milk) in Israel. It was mostly chocolate milk when I lived in the states and Israel. Here it has been a couple of things. First I would get milk tea. It's just so yummy. Then I moved into ice coffee, not-so-sweet (you have to say it like that). Also sooo yummy here. When I dropped caffeine, I moved into juices. This market has a juice called ABC juice. It's Apple, Beetroot, and Carrot. Beets are not called beets here. They're called beetroot. I think that beets (or beetroots) are nature's candy. I LOVE beets. To have a cold cup of apples, beets, and carrots, is quite excellent. It's a big glass of purpleness. I love it.
In my new-found-unemployment, and with Matt being in London for two weeks, I will take you on a virtual tour of our new hood. It's a really interesting area, but I won't spoil any of the surprises by starting here.
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