Farewell St Kilda. Hello Eltham.

In two years I’ve moved from the the bright city lights of Singapore, to beach-side boho St Kilda, and now to a new family home in leafy suburb of Eltham, Victoria. Change is good! Here are 5 things I’m looking forward to in our new Australia neighborhood;

1) Having an open log fire

2) Being barefoot in the grass in our own garden

3) St Andrew’s bohemian local hippy market

4) Living across the road from Edendale community farm

5) Starting a veggie patch.

 

 

 

 

Pic of the week; Singapore Healthcare

Singapore’s hospitals & public clinics… They are like a cross between that scene in Lost In Translation & waiting in line with a number at a Tesco cheese counter. Behind their facade of modernity, lies the obsession that’s engrained in every single walk of life here; your RACE?

There’s 100 things I love about this city, but there’s a handful of fundamentals that I don’t. I ask you; What does my ‘other’ race have to do with healthcare Singapore?!

Pic of the week; W Hotel Sentosa

Funky afternoon tea at the W Hotel’s chic WooBar. The trip out to Sentosa Cove s worth it for a scrumptious ‘birdcage’ of passion fruit compote scones & savory cheese nibbles. Drop The T is $68 ++ for a cage for x2 people with freeflow Dilmah tea 3pm – 5pm.

10 things I’ll miss about you…Tiong Bahru

It’s been a delightful 11 months living in Singapore’s MOST fashionable neighborhood (Not my words, Lonely Planets!)

Since i’m hanging up my single party girl shoes and moving with the boy to the suburbs (well, Kallang!) here are a handful of funky/awesome/cool things i’ll miss about Tiong Bahru….

1) The first question of ‘Are you a Singapore Hipster quiz‘ being ‘what’s your relationship with Tiong Bahru.” Guilty.

2) The Bakery. Not THAT famous bakery but the other more authentic ones like Dough & Grains on Seng Poh Road at a fraction of the price.

3) Two Face Pizza – Hawker by day, Italian by night. Genius.

4) 40 Hands – Kim Tian Rd coffee shop raved about by Melbournites. High praise indeed.

5) Coq and Balls bar and my free crate of Hitachino Japanese beers that I’m still drinking from Halloween.

6) Books Actually. Especially the cute memorabilia cavern at the back.

7) Seven Eleven. Specifically our favorite secret crush employee :)

8) TBB, Foodies Market & Spizza on my doorstep. Discovered only too late.

9) MeraPrime condo for your beautiful swimming pool perfect for drinking champagne around. Not to mention your 10 second proximity to the MRT line.

10) My lovely lovely girls. The best housemates I could have asked for. xxx

Singapore’s top 10 Drinking Spots

The art deco flying wine fairy@Divine Bar ‘Gotham’ city.

We all know Singapore’s favorite spot for propping up the bar is The Long Bar, Raffles Hotel. Throw those peanut shells, bite that Sling cherry & revel in Hemingway’s old haunt. It’s all a must do. But if the night is still young, check-out some of these little gem’s too…..

1) 1 Altitude – The world’s highest al fresco rooftop bar. $20 entry including a free cocktail. It’s the best skyline vantage spot to get views OF (and not stood upon) Ku De Ta and the iconic Marina Bay Sands.  

2) ‘The Bridge’ – Clarke Quay. Put any snobbery you have about drinking at bus stops aged 15 aside, and appreciate that for teenagers/clubbers alike this is as alternative as SG gets. A scenic pre & post drinking spot to sip those 7Eleven bought beers. Mock it, but it’s packed every weekend.

3) Screening Room, Ann Siang Hill – A leafy green 4th story roof terrace perfectly placed over Club Street. The MTV Cribs style cinema plays classic flicks for free most weeknights with nostalgic themes like ‘Audry Hepburn’ and ‘Robert De ‘Nero’ week.

4) 54 Bar, Boat Quay – Bit of a dive bar and extremely well hidden, but the view for the 2nd story smoking balcony is THE most secret spot to view MBS. Shh!

5) Mad Men Attic Bar- North Canal Road. Hidden down an alley off Circular Road this rocks the urban after work drinks vibe, with delish truffle fries.

6) 28HKS– Hong Kong Street, Chinatown. One of the founders of the ‘underground’ speakeasy scene, 28 gets hipster points for having a ‘secret’ reservation number, and brand-less garage door. It’s actually rather more lovely and less pretentious than it wants to be.

7) Olde Cuban Cigar Bar– Trengganu Road. Perched above the busiest cross section of bustling Chinatown, this slice of Havana is brilliantly out of context. The ‘gentleman’s club’ style interior boasts a glass ‘cigar’ vault. And yes indoor smoking is allowed.

8) Blue Jazz Cafe – Bali Lane, Arab Street. Famed for it’s sheesha pipes and Haji lane location, Blue Jazz hosts poetry slams, acoustic gigs, and the popular  standup comedy night; Fight Comic.

9) Coq N Balls – Tiong Bahru. Singapore’s funkiest neighborhood, namely as I live there :) It has to be praised for it’s  daring name on the delightfully qwerky Kim Tian Road. 

10 ) Training Shed – Labrador Park. Giving Tanjong Beach Club as run for it’s money as THE place to be for a Sunday afternoon session. So hot off the press I haven’t even checked it out yet… so it’s next on the list!