So what is a "kopitiam crawl"? I am not sure I can properly translate it, but when looking it up wikipedia explains it thusly. Anyway, the version I experienced as somewhat different. Probably the appropriation of the word in order to blanket other activities under it. Basically, I went out with some friends of friends, visited a variety of eating establishments (eating being an establisment unto itself here in Singapore) sampled all sorts of food, drank big bottles of Tiger (sometimes with ice!) and had an amazingly enlightening discussion.
Diana, is a friend of my friend Uli. He suggested I meet up with her and so I did. Luckily this was going on so I wouldn't be alone lest she turn out to be someone a conversation was difficult with. My social akwardness fears were allayed immediately as I found Diana and her friends at an outside establishment on 25 Geylang just finishing a round of beers. I sat down, was introduced and got the typical shit out of the way, I went to this and this university, spent time here and here. Whatever. However, that was done all rather quickly. Turns out Diana lived in the same apartment in Oxford as my friend Sophie (who would join us later) and they both worked for the government. Diana's friend Jeff and his girlfriend Min-joo (hooray for Korean expats!) had met in London I believe and were now back working for a human rights/labor union organization and the military respectively. All right. Conversation will commence no doubt.
We moved on to another place. Bought more beers. Had some dishes there. I recal the carrot dish being quite tasty. Talked some more about living in Korea, Korean culture, the idiocy cum ignorance of foreigners living on the peninsula etc. Rehashing old stuff really. Sophie showed up, we ordered some more beers. Wondeful.
The final stop on this mini tour of Geylang was Indian food along the avenue between the even and odd streets
(even streets being the red light district). We ordered up 10 pratas with some curry sauce and sugar on the side. There was a contentious moment because Diana believes that sugar allows you to get the full flavor of the curry. Jeff did not agree and decried such a notion as un-Singaporean. Either way it was good. (side-note: Indians are huge drinkers. There were dozens of men stumble down drunk on the streets conforming Jeff's-the brewer at the pump room- assertion about a micro market for the Indians of Singapore).
As we sat there I learned quite a good deal about what young Singaporeans (certainly privilaged ones) thought about the state of affairs in their own city state and the tenuous balance of culture, economics, human rights and democracy in South East Asia in general. You know- Modernity. Who owns it? (Jeff said no one), what does it mean? (long winded answer no matter who you ask), the dangers of the Caribbeanization of South East Asia (a 500 million strong Chinese middle class poses threats to the cultural progress of SEA) etc. I will refer you to his blog if you are more interested in his ideas (and I think you should be because they are excellent questions to be asking and ones that I understand very little about being only a glorified tourist in Asia. Then it was a serene walk back through the drizzle
to Sophie's apartment.
Diana, is a friend of my friend Uli. He suggested I meet up with her and so I did. Luckily this was going on so I wouldn't be alone lest she turn out to be someone a conversation was difficult with. My social akwardness fears were allayed immediately as I found Diana and her friends at an outside establishment on 25 Geylang just finishing a round of beers. I sat down, was introduced and got the typical shit out of the way, I went to this and this university, spent time here and here. Whatever. However, that was done all rather quickly. Turns out Diana lived in the same apartment in Oxford as my friend Sophie (who would join us later) and they both worked for the government. Diana's friend Jeff and his girlfriend Min-joo (hooray for Korean expats!) had met in London I believe and were now back working for a human rights/labor union organization and the military respectively. All right. Conversation will commence no doubt.
We moved on to another place. Bought more beers. Had some dishes there. I recal the carrot dish being quite tasty. Talked some more about living in Korea, Korean culture, the idiocy cum ignorance of foreigners living on the peninsula etc. Rehashing old stuff really. Sophie showed up, we ordered some more beers. Wondeful.
The final stop on this mini tour of Geylang was Indian food along the avenue between the even and odd streets
(even streets being the red light district). We ordered up 10 pratas with some curry sauce and sugar on the side. There was a contentious moment because Diana believes that sugar allows you to get the full flavor of the curry. Jeff did not agree and decried such a notion as un-Singaporean. Either way it was good. (side-note: Indians are huge drinkers. There were dozens of men stumble down drunk on the streets conforming Jeff's-the brewer at the pump room- assertion about a micro market for the Indians of Singapore).As we sat there I learned quite a good deal about what young Singaporeans (certainly privilaged ones) thought about the state of affairs in their own city state and the tenuous balance of culture, economics, human rights and democracy in South East Asia in general. You know- Modernity. Who owns it? (Jeff said no one), what does it mean? (long winded answer no matter who you ask), the dangers of the Caribbeanization of South East Asia (a 500 million strong Chinese middle class poses threats to the cultural progress of SEA) etc. I will refer you to his blog if you are more interested in his ideas (and I think you should be because they are excellent questions to be asking and ones that I understand very little about being only a glorified tourist in Asia. Then it was a serene walk back through the drizzle
to Sophie's apartment.All in all it was a good night until I woke up at 4:30 in the morning feeling horrible from too much grease mixed with cheap beer. Nothing like nausea and disorientation when the sun has yet to appear...
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