DadTalk

Culture clash

Our last couple of weeks in Western Australia were a camping marathon. We finished off staying at a ranch, the children had a couple of rides through the bush, including Dickon and Ned’s first ever time on horseback. We finished off with a campfire, which was a little odd as it was always in the high 30C’s during the day.

After all that desert it was a real shock to have our last night on Australian soil in the centre of Perth. We felt like dashing out and buying stuff – any stuff – simply because we could. We had grown familiar with one shop, stocking it all, towns. Also much as we have grown to love the “True Blue Aussie Meat Pie” it was nice to have a few more eating out options. So if Perth was a shock can you image what arriving in Singapore was like?

As ever, the kids have taken it in their stride, moving easily between dusty tent to 21^st floor apartment. Ned is currently loving dim sum for breakfast and they are all eating their way through the cuisines of south East Asia (although Dickon I fear is missing his meat pies).

However yesterday afternoon I was sent out, alone, to get food for dinner. I found myself deep in a vast, windowless, underground food court. A busy crowd was grazing from a bewildering range of options. Steamed cup-cakes, Korean skewers, Cantonese rice balls and an overwhelming range of stuff I had not worked out yet. At that point the culture shock kicked in. I just wanted to make a dash for the exit – where is the exit??? But I bravely stood my ground. Wide eyed I staggered around making a few random purchases, before eventually reaching daylight at last. Dinner that evening was a bit haphazard, but very tasty.

We have two weeks in Singapore and I’m sure by the end of it I’ll be able to order durian pancakes like a local. I’ll also be able answer that rather harsh comment – “But Singapore is so dull – what are you going to do for a fortnight?” After a month in the desert it feels many things, but dull is not one of them. Now where is the Aussie Meat Pie shop, the youngest is hungry?