Last week I was loitering in Orchard. Whenever I’m alone in Orchard I’ll take the opportunity to eat at a Fu Jian delights stall. It is located in a nondescript kopitiam in Lucky Plaza. I first tried the food back in 2005 when I was visiting my psychiatrist at Mount E. Hospital. Like how my sociology prof remarked on The Newpaper, the food is “cheap and good”.
That day I was a bit greedy and ordered 1 bowl of 红糟鸡面线 and 1 bowl of 什锦汤 for my dinner! The 老板娘 said that she didn’t have enough chicken, so she shall add some 水饺 to make up for it. The 红糟鸡面线 was a bit sour I felt. I remembered it tasted better. Or maybe it was the interaction between the 2 dishes. Hehehe… The 福州鱼丸s from the什锦汤 were really nice. 里面还有汤汁呢！
The translation of 红糟 was actually “red residue”. Sounds quite scary. Hehehe…
Some time ago, I attended Opera in the Park at the Botanic Gardens. I was sitting near the pond, beyond which was the stage. Nearing the end of the concert, suddenly a blind man (in his forties I guess) started hovering along the pond, with his blind stick. An ang moh passer-by talked to him, apparently asking him if he needed help. I couldn’t hear their conversation but it wasn’t long before the ang moh left and the blind man was left there beating about with his stick. I so happened to be sitting nearest to him. He came towards my direction and inquired, “Hello? Anyone there?” I replied something but couldn’t remember and he clutched onto my arm. His speech was rather incoherent and I noticed his arms were quivering when he wasn’t moving them. He asked me if the concert had ended. I said no and that they were singing the last piece. He asked me who was the lady who sang “I feel pretty”. I said I didn’t know. He then proceeded to ask me if she was pretty. He said her perfume very strong. I was quite shocked. Blind people might have an acute sense of smell, but if he could smell her perfume from that distance, then I supposed the entire orchestra on stage should have fainted. It was then that I realized I wasn’t just dealing with a blind man, but a schizophrenic blind man. He said he wanted to see her after the concert and ask her to sing for him and asked me to take him to her. At that moment I felt like just leaving him altogether. But well I was too kind-hearted and people around were watching so I agreed to help and seated him just beside me (all the while he was standing while talking).
He was quite impatient and kept on asking me if the concert had ended. I said no and had to reassure him that I would take him to the backstage later on, which I really did. There I found a woman who looked like the person-in-charge and asked, “May I know who sang ‘I feel pretty’?” She mentioned a name and I told her that the blind man wanted to meet her. She said the singers were all on stage for photo-taking and she would inform the singer afterwards. I told this to the blind man. Some time later, the singer came to us. The blind man hugged her and clutched onto her arm throughout. As was his original intention, he really asked her to sing for him. The singer looked surprised but nevertheless sang a few lines softly to his ears. He asked her questions like “you married already?”, “you are Christian?”, “how you traveled here?”. Then he asked her to sing I think an aria from Madama Butterfly. The singer told him that she wasn’t the one who sang that and I think she was glad to refer him to the actual singer and extricate herself. So he basically repeated all his shenanigans to the 2nd singer. The 2nd singer also obliged and sang a few lines and quickly extricated herself. All the while I just stood beside him with an apologetic look.
After that the blind man wanted me to bring him to the bus stop along Nassim Road. I had the impulsion to just abandon him but alas I was too kind. I was never good with routes and the Botanic Gardens was so big. Furthermore, it was very dark by then. So it was really the blind leading the blind. He clutched onto my arm with his clammy hand. He did mention about taking a cab if it’s too late. Since the taxi stand was a much nearer destination. I asked him why not take a cab instead. His remarkable reply was “you pay ah?” Well, fine. So I slowly led him to the bus stop. He wanted to get to Adam Road to change bus. So I had to checked the bus stop directory. Before that when a bus stopped by, he asked me where does it go. Like I know? I told him I had to check the directory and he wasn’t happy. “Why you all dunno one?” As I went to check I thought I heard him curse nah beh. But anyway I got him the bus he wanted and took him up. Then I happily fled.
That day I was a bit greedy and ordered 1 bowl of 红糟鸡面线 and 1 bowl of 什锦汤 for my dinner! The 老板娘 said that she didn’t have enough chicken, so she shall add some 水饺 to make up for it. The 红糟鸡面线 was a bit sour I felt. I remembered it tasted better. Or maybe it was the interaction between the 2 dishes. Hehehe… The 福州鱼丸s from the什锦汤 were really nice. 里面还有汤汁呢！
The translation of 红糟 was actually “red residue”. Sounds quite scary. Hehehe…
Some time ago, I attended Opera in the Park at the Botanic Gardens. I was sitting near the pond, beyond which was the stage. Nearing the end of the concert, suddenly a blind man (in his forties I guess) started hovering along the pond, with his blind stick. An ang moh passer-by talked to him, apparently asking him if he needed help. I couldn’t hear their conversation but it wasn’t long before the ang moh left and the blind man was left there beating about with his stick. I so happened to be sitting nearest to him. He came towards my direction and inquired, “Hello? Anyone there?” I replied something but couldn’t remember and he clutched onto my arm. His speech was rather incoherent and I noticed his arms were quivering when he wasn’t moving them. He asked me if the concert had ended. I said no and that they were singing the last piece. He asked me who was the lady who sang “I feel pretty”. I said I didn’t know. He then proceeded to ask me if she was pretty. He said her perfume very strong. I was quite shocked. Blind people might have an acute sense of smell, but if he could smell her perfume from that distance, then I supposed the entire orchestra on stage should have fainted. It was then that I realized I wasn’t just dealing with a blind man, but a schizophrenic blind man. He said he wanted to see her after the concert and ask her to sing for him and asked me to take him to her. At that moment I felt like just leaving him altogether. But well I was too kind-hearted and people around were watching so I agreed to help and seated him just beside me (all the while he was standing while talking).
He was quite impatient and kept on asking me if the concert had ended. I said no and had to reassure him that I would take him to the backstage later on, which I really did. There I found a woman who looked like the person-in-charge and asked, “May I know who sang ‘I feel pretty’?” She mentioned a name and I told her that the blind man wanted to meet her. She said the singers were all on stage for photo-taking and she would inform the singer afterwards. I told this to the blind man. Some time later, the singer came to us. The blind man hugged her and clutched onto her arm throughout. As was his original intention, he really asked her to sing for him. The singer looked surprised but nevertheless sang a few lines softly to his ears. He asked her questions like “you married already?”, “you are Christian?”, “how you traveled here?”. Then he asked her to sing I think an aria from Madama Butterfly. The singer told him that she wasn’t the one who sang that and I think she was glad to refer him to the actual singer and extricate herself. So he basically repeated all his shenanigans to the 2nd singer. The 2nd singer also obliged and sang a few lines and quickly extricated herself. All the while I just stood beside him with an apologetic look.
After that the blind man wanted me to bring him to the bus stop along Nassim Road. I had the impulsion to just abandon him but alas I was too kind. I was never good with routes and the Botanic Gardens was so big. Furthermore, it was very dark by then. So it was really the blind leading the blind. He clutched onto my arm with his clammy hand. He did mention about taking a cab if it’s too late. Since the taxi stand was a much nearer destination. I asked him why not take a cab instead. His remarkable reply was “you pay ah?” Well, fine. So I slowly led him to the bus stop. He wanted to get to Adam Road to change bus. So I had to checked the bus stop directory. Before that when a bus stopped by, he asked me where does it go. Like I know? I told him I had to check the directory and he wasn’t happy. “Why you all dunno one?” As I went to check I thought I heard him curse nah beh. But anyway I got him the bus he wanted and took him up. Then I happily fled.
Chopin sang an aria @ 3:30 PM
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