i Light up my Life part 1

La casa is coming along well. In fact faster than I imagine. Contractor P is already very comfortable with me and has smoked in my presence and even joked. He's very professional, patient, non-judgemental and quick to act. Hence I paid him the downpayment even without him asking so as to motivate him and his workers. I can tell his suppliers/ partners - from the floor guy to the electrician and carpenter - have been working with him for years and that's very important.

Anyway last week the wall openings are patched up and the tiling has began on the toilets. Yesterday I ws surprised to see that the toilets wall and floor tiles and cement screed are done - hooray! P asked us to establish the electrical points, lights and fans positions and then to buy the light switches already. So I headed to Legrand at Veerasamy Road with my trusty advisor (sista); here is also where they got their Millia switches too. All in all, the bill came up to $630 for the switches and 2 KDK fans. Pat gave me a list of various switches to buy - 2 gang, 3 gang, 2-way, 20amp etc - I learn something new everyday!  Look at the switches below from the Millia range at Legrand.

 

 

 

Then sista and I promptly went to look at my light options at CB2 at Peranakan Place and Light Craft at Jalan Sultan. Before that, 2 weeks ago I dragged L to see the shops at Jalan Besar. We found a couple of lights that we liked - the black and white wire lights at LC ($200+) and opposite across the bridge, at Lumiere we liked the big wicker lights in coral, black and white (diff sizes $200+).

 

Lights we like at LC

Wicker lights we love at Lumiere 

Light Craft has probably the best collection of lights ever in Singapore - in different styles and good prices. Sis and I are drawn to the replicas of the Niche Modern Aurora Modern Pendant light that comes in different shapes and hues (prices about $80 - 90!). I loved its name Aurora which takes after "the natural phenomenon in the northern and southern skies when charged particles perform a dance of light as they enter the earth's magnetic field. Its hand blown glass curves represent the roundness of the earth's horizon line with an inspiring glow of warm light running through the center." These will be great for our dining table and kitchen.

 

Aint these Aurora glass pendants gorgeous? Love the onion shapes!

 

 

We also like the  white and black chandeliers as a dramatic piece for the staircase area. They are classic yet modern. I'm thinking the white one will be more subtle and stylish, and will fit the white varnished stairs and retro tiles at the landing above. Black might be too bold and gothic. 



Chandeliers we love at Light Craft for our staircase area - black or white?



 

Contractor Confessions

After waiting for CNY to be over, we finally met the 2 contractors whom friends and family have recommended for the quotations. I was a bit worried that they won't meet our budget of $50k (and this is only for wet works). Fortunately my sister's contractor Patrick came close to $50k while the other quote was $70k. Hoorrray! Still, we have to budget another $10k to 20k for the fittings, furnishings and furniture.


Hand painted Viet cement tiles at An Huat, Zion Road 

Every day I'm learning a lot about renovation - what the whole progress entails, what should come first, what's the best way to work out the layout in terms of practicality and design - and terms like wet works, screed, varnishing wood, tempered glass, PVC pipes, pot belly grills, aluminum powered coated grills haha. Ultimately I think it's important to be a snappy decision maker and be able to communicate your ideas to the contractor in English, Mandarin or Hokkien, especially in my case without an ID.

 

Love these gorgeous tiles at $4/pc

The quote doesn't include tiles, sinks, toilet bowls, etc - fittings that we have to buy ourselves because we want to be able to pick what we want. And for starters, I'm really obsessed with the TILES - which is the no.1 thing I have always wished for in my dream home. An ID friend had showed me a picture of ornate cement vietnamese tiles that she found in Spore and eversince I hadn't forgotten them.

And by chance, I passed by this old-school tiles shop, An Huat at Zion Road and there they are again - my dream tiles in all colours and designs. I made a mental note to return and spoke to SS, the young and unassuming marketing director (who happened to be helping in the family biz). My mind was racing as I stared at the wall of tiles - cubanism, peranakan, moroccan, granada, mediterrean. They could work in different styles of decor. L liked them too but wanted to compare prices with another place that his contractor recommended - Sin Lek Building at Eunos - which has quite a large array of commercial tiles (I don't fancy any) but they do have some nice tiles that look like timber. 

Sin Lek Building at Eunos

So we went back to An Huat and happily agreed on the 3 viet tile designs for the kitchen, balcony, staircase landing upstairs and also these cute retro-looking honeycomb tiles ($5/pc) for the 3 toilet floors. A tip: the best way to avoid a conflict between you and your spouse is to let the taste-maker (aka me ;) shortlist the choices and then consult the better half on selecting the final ones. This way, both parties are happy! Anyway we ended up spending $4k on the tiles (exceeded budget of $3k) but it'd be our main design feature so it'd be worth the splurge.

I picked these lovely retro honeycomb 'Hexa' black/white tiles for our toilet floors

So for our floor and wall finishes, we are hacking all the old tiles and laying cement screed for most parts of the flooring, except the kitchen which will be fully tiled with these gorgeous blue-white-grey tiles at $4/ pc. As L and I love cooking, la cucina will be our playground. To balance the ornate tiles, we are keeping the rest of the kitchen minimally white but playing with lots of texture from the white glossy 3D subway tiles (70cents/pc) for the walls and choosing white distressed wood laminate finish for the cabinets. We are also hacking the walls so it's a semi-open kitchen where we can interact with our guests in the dining /living room.

Here are some ispirazioni per la cucina - don't you just love tiles!




Idea for our fully tiled kitchen floor - along with white cabinets and walls

Idea for white glossy subway or metro brick tiles in the kitchen

Subway tiles are so gorgeous in a modern kitchen! 

See the idea for the black and white floor tiles against the white subway wall tiles

Also found this in a local interior magazine and will replicate the idea of sewing mahcine and basin! 

Love love these geometric tiles which I chose in blue, grey and white for the staircase landing!

Tiles are great to dress up the hall or corridor

Modern tiles can be used to jazz up a contemporary home especially if you like old and new together.

Do you know your tiles by their names? We need and love the modern roman holiday! :) 

 

Tiles play such an important design role in ancient civilisations and cultures from Cuban Art Deco apartments to Moroccan harlems and Peranakan mansions.  

You can find tiles in countries around the world like China, Italy, Morocco, India, Cuba etc

Carla's Casa Directory - Useful Resources

Crate n Barrel at ION Orchard

Eversince I started on our humble casa project, I've been surfing and shopping as part of my initial research. These are leads from magazines and websites, and from friends with the same taste in decor and design. I hope you will find these resources great for inspiration too!


CARLA'S CASA Directory

I Need Furniture
I read about this online custom made designer furniture shop, apparently they work closely with the manufacturers to produce trendy copies at low cost (p.s: a home grown company in Spore some more). Quite impressed with some items and their prices but the quality is yet to be seen.
http://www.ineedfurniture.com.sg/

Stylish chairs from Pomelo

Pomelo
Pomelo came up on Home and Decor site and I was drawn to the classic yet edgy pieces they offer. This local designer furniture shop carries alternative brands from UK and US. At first I thought they don't come cheap but I met a cafe owner who bought these cute wire chairs from Pomelo at $99 each. Not too shabby huh. Will definitely drop by soon for a visit!
315 Outram Road, 10-04 Tan Boon Liat Building. Tel: 62264 663.


King and King Wong

King and King Wong


The first time I heard the name of this all-in-one lifestyle store from my sista, I was like whaaat? Don't let the name fool you. King and King Wong is trendier than it sounds. This is a 2-level store in Nex, tucked away in a corner near the Pet Lovers' Centre. It feels a bit like Muji, a bit like Lifestorey and a bit like Iwannagohome. I already saw a few pieces I wanted to buy from the sofa bed to mirrors, chairs and accessories. Prices are quite friendly especially if you're a member.
23 Serangoon Central #04-13/14 and #04-73/74/75, Nex Shopping Mall. Tel: 66344 344

Light Craft
I heard many good things about this extensive lighting shop from my friends and sister, and paid a visit to see what's in store. Light Craft carries a good range of trendy light fixtures in different styles (mod, classic etc), and the prices are friendly! I'm certainly eyeing the birdcage, glass and pendant lamps. Also eyeing this wicker lamps at Lumiere and wire lights at LC at Balestier.
131 Jalan Sultan . Tel: 6297 6658


Benares

Benares
A new Indian lifestyle store at ION that carries great lamps, ethnic-style ornate cushions, beautiful fabrics, runners etc, Benares is one of those shops where I can beautiful accessories to add a pop of colour to my casa!
#04-03, ION Orchard. Tel: 6636 5276
 

Fab India
Read about Fab India, this other Indian lifestyle and fashion store and the prices seem reasonable, even though it's located at Paragon.
290 Orchard Road #04-04/05 Paragon. Tel: 6733 4741
https://www.facebook.com/FabindiaSingapore

Galanga Living

Galanga Living
I have seen the ads and products for this store which stood out for the mix of Scandinavian design with Asian flavours - imagine clean lines and natural materials. Prices are a tad high ($280 for a large cushion!) so must wait for sale I guess. They have 2 outlets and I also saw a store at Millenia Walk which carries their stuff.
211 Henderson Road #01-02 and 7 Joo Chiat Place. Tel: 6475 2633 http://www.galangaliving.com/



Ethnic Craft

Ethnic Craft
They carry a selection of teak wood furniture for the home - natural, simple and rustic. I especially like the Burger bed frames (sans head board) and the long dining tables. You can download the catalog and make an appointment to view the pieces.
http://www.ethnicraft.com/

Lush Lush

Lush Lush
This store has a wide range of sofas, tables and arm chairs - prices seem reasonable enough for the modern designs. I'm keeping close tabs on their clearance page for great buys :)  You won't miss the large signage of Lush Lush once you reach the building.
73 Upper Paya Lebar Rd, Centro Bianco, #03-01. Tel: 6858 5882 

Francfranc
This Japanese lifestyle furniture shop Francfranc also makes me wanna spend money! I love their home accessories like the Moroccan-inspired frames, pendant lights and chic furnishings. The furniture designs are quite clean and modernist. Quite similiar to King Wong and Wong.
#02-41/42, 1 Harbourfront Walk. Also at JCube. Tel: 6376-8077

Commune
My journalist friends told me that this local furniture design store is chic and cheap so I decided to pop into Millenia Walk and have a look. Indeed I quite like the dining tables at Commune (I spotted a 2m wood table with steel legs at $2,200). They also have home accessories, lights, shelves, etc. The hole-in-the-wall Commune Cafe next door looks inviting too. Will try to pop into their warehouse at Defu Lane to see if we can get better deals!
9 Raffles Boulevard, #02-51/52/53, Millenia Walk. Tel: 63383823


CB2

Crate and Barrel + CB2
I saw articles about this American home furnishings chain and popped into ION Orchard to check it out - and loved what I saw! Taking over ThreeSixty market, the 16,000 sq. ft. Crate and Barrel is filled to the block with stylish wares for the home. Of course my fav section is the kitchenware which includes rustic pizza pans and pretty plates. I'm also drawn to the huge glazed planter pots and long wooden dining tables (quite surprised that the tables are reasonably priced at below $2k). I also went to its younger and hipper offshoot - CB2 - at Peranakan Place which took over the Milieu club space upstairs. Gorgeous selection of furnishings, from the gold lamps to comfy sofas and quirky accessories such as the mini disco mirror balls that I bought. 
CB - #04-25 ION Orchard, 2 Orchard Turn. tel: 6634-4222
CB2 - 178A Orchard Road, Peranakan Place Complex 6732 5333

Lifestorey


Love these tables from Lifestorey

This homegrown shop Lifestorey has been around for years and they bring in many chic European brands and furniture pieces. I think they also customise their own range. I'm hoping to check out their designer lamps soon at Tai Seng. 
16 Tai Seng Street #01-00/A. Tel: 6749 2422 (Also at Great World City)




Ikea brochures and stores are always so nice

IKEA
Of course there's Ikea, the one-stop wonder - we just have to be careful not to deck the home entirely with Ikea stuff! Just buy some of the classic and modern items at affordable prices such as the double ceramic sinks, kitchen fittings and furnishings to supplement other more quirky finds. My brother bought his ceramic sink, kitchen wood top and accessories from there. 
2 mega stores at Tampines and Alexandra Road.



WTP

WTP
A friend G sent me the email to check out the annual sale of this designer shop WTP which also customise stuff for the home and office. Their styles seem a bit ecletic and more mature luxe, although there are some classic pieces that I like on their website and Facebook. Sale is on from now 26 April to 11 May 2013. 
3, Kung Chong Road. Tel:  6235 2760

Hock Siong
The first time I was there, I couldn't find anything - most of the good stuff are sold but during the 2nd time, I did buy some kitsch scallop-shaped heavyduty dinner plates at $5 each - very Venus Botticelli :) The 3rd time I bought a Roman gold-framed painting at $20. I think for this 2nd hand furniture place, you just need to be there at the right time or be as sharp as an eagle and follow their Facebook or Instagram closely!
153 Kampong Ampat, #01-03 Junjie Industrial Building. Tel: 6281 8338
http://www.facebook.com/hocksiongco

Sim Siang Choon
I think everyone goes there as they got a wide range of sinks, toilet bowls, kitchen hoods, etc. We went to the flagship shop at Changi South twice and finally bought 3 sinks and mixers after comparing prices and ranges. For my review, go to my blog post - Shopping For Sanity 
21, Changi South Avenue 2, Sim Siang Choon Building. Tel: 6266 6632
http://www.simsiangchoon.com/

Hoe Kee Hardware
Another shop with an extensive range of hardware like sinks, toilet bowls, stoves, and hoods. Can't believe I'm slightly obsessed with toilet bowls now! My friend prefers the fittings at Hoe Kee than SSC due to the better finishes. I think they have the best toilet bowls in the affordable range about $200+ to $300+. For my review, go to my blog post - Shopping For Sanity
Flagship store is at 8 Genting Road, The Blue Building. Tel: 6749 4521
http://www.hoekee.com.sg/

Spazio
My friend also recommended Spazio along Balestier - they carry the 'Nobel' italian brand which is quite affordable. The rain shower 2-way mixer sets were about $200+ which we bought for our toilets. For my review, go to my blog post - Shopping For Sanity

Watertapz
My brother recommended this along Balestier (look for the purple facade). They carry the Inspire and Grohe rain shower mixers from $300+.  For my review, go to my blog post - Shopping For Sanity

Casa Dolce Casa

Finalmente we got the keys to our own place! If you didn't know, we secured the purchase of our first home on the morning of our ROM and naturally we were estatic to own our own place. In the first week of January, we completed the sale and got our keys to the mansionette. L and I love a landed property but of course couldn't afford the crazy inflated prices of a house with a garden. We also don't want a condominium because they are too expensive for the tiny floor space and the extra monthly maintenance fee we have to pay (cos we don't own a car and we don't need security or swimming pool).

Our best bet was a freehold walk-up apartment like my sister's or a resale HDB flat. And after much consideration, we decided to sink our savings into a mansionette which is rare these days as HDB has stopped building them. A mansionette also feels like a proper house with 2 storeys and 4 bedrooms, and best of all a balcony and ground floor backyard where I can grow my plants and herbs! :D It was also walking distance to the MRT and has an unobstructed view of the green park and fishing pond. We love it!

I was inspired by Home and Decor magazine's feature on mansionette flat designs in Singapore. Some of these homes feel like landed property. All my family members and friends loved it when they came and saw it for the first time. Now we just need to plan the lay out properly and hire the right contractor at the right price.  

Meanwhile I'm excitedly working on the mood board!

Theme: Rustic Med Chic - comfort, classic, quirky shabby chic, organic, natural  
Colours: Screed grey, white, black and wood touches with lots of greenery!

Recipe Of The Week - Miso Clams

These couple of weeks are spent conceptualising the layout of our casa. The mere thought of having my own rustic chic open kitchen is so exciting! And I'm already itching to put up my recipes and photos. Anyway I just came back from a photo shoot with Chef Isaac and he shared with me this easy and delicious recipe using clams and miso. I love miso and clams, so this is a 5-star recipe in my eyes! You can use miso for cooking with fish (glaze on fish fillet and grill), meat (marinade/ stirfry), vegetables (glaze/ grill) and seafood (fry/ bake). Here is a picture taken from my Instagram and the simple recipe below. If you can't find Jap salted plums, it's ok to leave it out but I find that it gives a fruity floral sweet edge to the dish. Enjoy!

P.S: To help you search for my recipes easily, I've created a label called Carla's Recipes ;)
 

 

Miso Clams with salted plums and seaweed

Ingredients:

Clams 300g

Miso paste 50g (2 tbsp)

Minced garlic 20g (2 cloves) 

White wine 50ml (or sake)

Wakame seaweed 5g

Salted ume (Japanese plums) 50g

Cooking oil (2 tbsp)

Method:

- Heat up some oil in a wok/pot and add the minced garlic and miso.  Stir for a bit till fragrant.

- Then add the clams and stir for 30s, before adding the white wine (or sake). 

- Cover the pot with a lid and let the clams cook till they all open up (about 2 to 3mins). 

- Lastly toss in the salted plums and seaweed, stir and serve immediately.
 

Golden light & love

Phew I just came back from a week in Siem Reap, Cambodia for the Golden Light 2012. This is my 2nd time there since 6 years ago. It felt like an eternity as much was done everyday by our group. Waking up at 4.30am and ushering in the light at Angkor Wat on 12.12.12 was indeed a special time. We are such a special bunch of light workers - everyone is a light house, a healer, torch bearer and peacemaker in their own way. Everyone got a star name and ours (L & I) was HuMarie - givers of peace and freedom. The Mayans predicted a new world and how true. The golden light will continue to pour in from 12 Dec till 21 Dec 2012, so remember to fill yourselves with love and light. And remember the key is to manifest and create - we all have the power. It's going to be a magical time ahead as we welcome a new world of ascension!

On a personal front, I'm also starting a new chapter with L - marriage and a new home are already taking place and hopefully we can start a family soon. La famiglia italiana e' arrivata il 18 Dicembre! It was so good to bask in the love and affection of his Italian family, and so incredible that they have all travelled the distance to be with us. We held the traditional Chinese tea ceremony on Sunday 23 Dec where L got the whole treatment from being driven up in a bridal car and being sabotaged at the gate by the sisters. I'm glad I rented  gorgeous shimmering Chinese kua dress adorned with dragons, phoenix and love ducks.

Then for Xmas Eve dinner, we prepared and indulged in a feast at Robin Cafe (next to Al Borgo) before going to Bintan for our beach wedding celebration. They loved every minute of it - and worked that tan indeed! The weather also held up - tutto e' perfetto e bellissimo. We couldn't have asked for more!

Bali Honey

Okay it's official - now you can call me Signora Artiaco! Si, siamo sposati gia. L and I finally did the deed on 19 September 2012 at the ROM in Singapore - exactly 7 years since we first met at Napoli (when I first started this blog). Who'd have imagined right? :D

Our ROM day was quite stress-free and fun with family and friends. The ROM ceremony was super fast - over in 3mins. I couldn't recall what the JP said but I just remembered crying as it was an emotional moment as she announced us husband and wife. L's mom, sis, nonna and zie saw the video clip and also cried. Many people asked us how we feel; was life any different after? Actually I think we felt a closer bond and deeper connection, and are all the more ready to take the next step forward to forge a better life together.

And guess what - more good news - we bought our home on the morning of the ROM! It was quite funny come to think of it. We had viewed about 4 flats and the last one was a ground floor mansionette that I liked. Even my parents loved it. It was roomy (4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a big arse balcony plus a garden patch), near the PRis MRT, and has an unobscured view of the canal and park. L went to see it and felt right about it too. We made an offer and the buyer counter-offered at a reasonable price which we agreed. So it was quite a breeze! Now we just have to plan for our Bintan beach wedding in December and right after that, home renovations and moving in.

To celebrate our ROM, we packed our bags for a short honeymoon in Bali. This was L's first time and we splurged on a pool villa at b-villa in the Seminyak area which is close to all the action - that is if we ever want to venture out of our sanctuary. Lol. It was relaxing to say the least - and the best part is we are able to spend lots of time together. We rode our rented motorbike everywhere (def cheaper at only $5 / day and great way to see everything), yes even all the way to Ubud which is about an hour away (arse very pain lor!). Luckily my lovely husband (haha) is a very good driver and great with directions.

We passed by Celuk - a familiar sight with its neat rows of gold and silversmiths - and then I thought we had reached Ubud Arts Market but actually it was Sukawati Market which is similar and not so touristy at 11am+. There are many shops selling Balinese ceremonial umbrellas and religious decorative artefacts.

Sukawati Market

Inside the buildings were a sprawling labryinth of stalls selling heaps of souvenirs, linen shirts, sarongs, batik dresses, sandals, woven bags, jewellery, wood carvings, artwork, wind chimes etc. Here you really have to bargain hard as the vendors usually start with a much higher price for e.g I wanted to buy a batik shirt for my dad and the guy offered me $40. I sniggered saying it's so expensive (it is) and he said 'give me a good price'. I said $20. He said 'Miss, give me more'. I stuck to $20 with a sour puss face and he said ok without hesitation! (Later a local tailor said she could buy the same shirt for $10 - grrr!)...

Dirty Duck

Another vendor also offered a ridiculous price for the rattan table mats that L wanted to buy for his ristorante. I made a face and cut it by 60%. She said 'madam, please give me more. You first customer' (the guy also said this earlier). I told L to walk away. She asked us to wait and then readily agreed! So a tip is to bargain by 50% to 70% becos their mark-up is crazy. But of course if you feel the price is reasonable, then pay them with a smile.

At Ubud, we tried to look for Nuri's ribs but couldn't so we opted for crispy duck and fried chicken (so-so only) at Dirty Duck which had not changed much, except they are building an extra pavilion at the paddy fields. The ambience is really the best part here as we could lay down on the mat and shoot the breeze. Comatosed post lunch, we located the Ubud market and surrounding alleyways of shops. It was quite touristy and many shops and cafes have sprung up. Touts were also pressing us to buy tickets for a traditional dance performance tonight. On our way out of Ubud, we stopped for caffe at Spaccanapoli, a tiny pizzeria outpost where we spoke with the Italian owner about how Bali has changed.

 

And just as we rode along Gianyar at the fringe of Ubud, L stopped at Wisnu Rotan shop to inquire about the price of their rattan chairs and tables. We followed the lady boss to the back of the shop and saw their workshop where her husband and workers churned out all kinds of rattan products from gorgeous high back chairs to rocking chairs for the mainly overseas market (from $50 for a chair and about $100 for a table).

Back in time before it ws dark, we went for cocktails at the beautiful Ku De Ta instead of Potato Head, and then had quite an excellent dinner at the nearby SASA Italian restorante (again L couldn't resist chatting up the Italian owners). L also tailored 6 linen shirts at a random tailor shop which came out lovely and a steal at $30 each. We also saw a few furniture shops while entertaining the thought of returning to Bali to shop for our home in March! Alas, four days were over before we knew it. L loved Bali so much that he wanted to move there. Oh well , we'll see if it manifests. If it's meant to be, it'll happen :)

Avventura di Burma

Since last year I've been fascinated by Burma (also known as Myanmar). It was constantly in the news, thanks to the recent liberation of The Lady ASSK. It was Lonely Planet's top 10 countries to visit in 2012. And I had been mistaken 3 times for a Burmese here. So I decided to heed this calling to the country and for my 37th birthday, I booked us on Jet Star to Yangon the capital and also signed up for a guided itinerary in Bagan, Mandalay and Lake Inle with a recommended local agency. We didn't know what to expect; L was a bit apprehensive 'is it safe?' I assured him we'd be fine.

The skies were dark and it was going to drizzle when we touched down. July was the start of the rainy season but luckily for us, it didn’t rain the whole week we were touring the rest of Myanmar, except for Yangon. At the airport we were greeted by a fascinating sight of locals wearing the traditional longyis and bearing the perennial thanaka tree bark cream. From a mob of taxi drivers, we picked one who took us to East Hotel at a flat fee of US$10. East was affordable ($90 on Agoda), clean, modern and best of all, a stone's throw away from Sule Pagoda in the heart of the gloomy city. I read there's a lack of rooms to cater to the surge in travellers so it's crucial to book the hotels in advance.

I was itching to explore Yangon but L was exhausted from staying up last night to watch Napoli's match (they lost anyway boo) so we had a nap while it rained outside. I was starving and bugged him to wake up. We went next door to Aroma Cafe for an espresso before combing the nearby area for a spot of local noodles. But the streetside stalls didn't look very hygenic even though some of the snacks like the Indian samosas, roti prata, prawn crackers and coconut pancakes looked enticing. We didn't want to take our chances, not with the pork offal hotpot anyway (looked like our kway chup).

You can't miss the crazy-busy Maha Bandoola Road that was lined with goldsmith shops on the right side (if you're facing Sule Pagoda). Every inch of the sidewalk was dominated by a street vendor selling all kinds of useless and useful things. I was quite amused by the makeshift public phone operators and the ubiquitous betel tobacco sellers - usually crowded by male patrons. Then there were the troops of young novice nuns clad in striking pink robes and monks with alm bowls who waived through the scenes seamlessly from shop to shop. It was also a sensory overload to say the least, although I must say there was a certain level of order amidst the chaos. Everyone knew their place and where they were going - except us of course.

We crossed the overhead bridge on Maha Bandoola Rd and chanced upon the Thein Gyi Zay market where more vendors sold all kinds of fruits in season. On display and paraded like gems are neat piles of grapes, yellow ripe mangoes, pineapples, mangosteens, rambutans and apples. The wonderful kaleidoscope of faces and races reminded us that Burma is indeed a fascinating country sandwiched between Bangladesh, China, Thailand and Laos. L loved it as it reminded him of Napoli.

We politely fended off men who offered services from a taxi to a change of money and were near starving before we spotted King Tea House (at 126 Sule Pagoda Road), just a 100m away from East Hotel. It looked decent and was crowded with locals - a good sign. We propped our arses on the tiny low chairs and wolfed down 2 bowls of rice vermicelli with minced pork in fermented bean sauce (akin to Chinese zha jiang mian), a big steamed pork bao which L piled on spoonfuls of oily chilli, and drank the sweet milk tea and fresh orange juice. All for only 3,000 kyat (US$3.50). 

Back at the hotel, I arranged to meet the local agency Shalom to pay them for the flight tickets, hotel vouchers and guides in US dollars, and nearly tore my hair out. The 2 girls were very particular about the condition of my US dollars and only accepted the new edition notes in a pristine state - i.e no creases, no marks, no stains, no tears or scribbles (apparently anything less than perfect will be rejected by the banks and business operators). They rejected about 75% of my money and I was so exasperated I told them I don't have any more dollars #F*$%! Finally they made a call to their office and took the best of my notes grudgingly. So a lesson learnt - please ask your money changer at home to give you the perfect new US dollars and do bring extra money as there are hardly any ATMs and credit cards are not common except at high-end hotels and shops. More of Burma to come... stay tuned!