Have a break, Have a Fika - A Halal Swedish Restaurant

Fika - "Fika is a social institution in Sweden; it means having a coffee with one's colleagues, friends, date, or family. The word has quite ambiguous connotations and can mean anything from taking a break from work or other activities, to going on a date."

- Fika, restaurant website

No pork.
No lard.
No alcohol.
Halal meat only.

So many restrictions being a Muslim when eating. It gets difficult when you're in a foreign country or when you want to savour foreign food. This is why a HALAL Swedish Restaurant is a definite gem bomb. It's as rare as finding Unicorn meat. Ok, maybe not that rare but it's amazing. I've always wanted  to try the IKEA food. I heard the meatballs were good but without further ado, Fika.

Address:

No. 257 Beach Road / Arab Street, 

Singapore

#01-20 Millenia Walk,
9 Raffles Boulevard

Opening Hours:

Sun-Wed 11am-10pm

Thu-Sat 11am-11pm

Telephone:
Beach Road - +65 6396 9096
Millenia Walk - +65 6336 7234

Pricing: 
3/5
Average food pricing: SGD17
Average drink pricing: SGD7

The boutique restaurant is nestled right at the entrance of Beach Street and Arab Street. I haven't been to the one in Millenia Walk. It stands out amongst the neighbouring shops as it's simply furnished. Unlike the other shops its painted white with white chairs and tables. It gives off a relaxing, polished vibe. The staff was very friendly and upbeat. They all had a smile on their face, which I needed since I haven't had lunch even though it was 6PM and my stomach had a bad case of the grumblies.

Now, let's get to the important bit, FOOD!

Delicious food

The Rose hip Soup (left) was definitely unique. It tasted like the juice of a fruit that's a cross between an orange and apple but warm and thicker. I wasn't expecting that. It was... different. I can't say I loved it but it's so unique I couldn't hate it. But I wouldn't order it again. It tasted better through a straw then a spoon. Yes, I sticked a straw in there. Aside from tasting, I also learnt of a new fruit. The rose hip fruit is the fruit of a rose (duh, no surprise there). Rose hip, sounds so exotic and hip. Not hip in a hippy way but in a more "I found a Unicorn" way. Rare. The Minestrone soup was good and had lots of pow! Also warming in the stomach. 

I'm a beef lover. I love it. So naturally I got the Meatballs. They were so good. They had a crunchy outside and a soft inside that's simply flavoured. The lingonberry jam was delicious, sweet and sour. The portions are large, so it's better to share a meal, even my dad couldn't finish his Paanbiff by himself. 

Desert Counter and a Swedish Chocolate Ball

 Oh! My sweet dessert! They had a variety of cakes and all of them were looking good. I could've eaten any of them but since I'm here for the experience I tried the Swedish Chocolate Ball (bottom, right) instead. If I wasn't so full from all the Meatballs, I would've finished it. One was coated with chocolate sprinkles (shown) and one was coated with coconut (not shown). The one with sprinkles used less dark chocolate and was sweeter. The coconut one was much darker. It's the perfect dessert for dark chocolate lovers.

It's a great restaurant for special family occasions or to grab a bite. So, now go on, try it yourself!

Ni

I Hate (Love) Summer

I'm on a love/hate basis with Summer (yes the season). She's a great frenemy and you can't pull out of her orbit. She's just so much fun to be around, every time you hang out you get this rush of excitement. That's when the hate comes in. The fun is just a rush. You get a dose of it here and there, which is worth it, but then she avoids you for awhile. During the time she avoids you, you go into a period of boredom. Endless boredom. To avoid this troubling relationship I've come up with a solution. So far it's working. My summer is definitely better than the last one. I think. I've bad memory. I put up a long list on my wall with all the things I want to do so I'll never forget it. It's the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night. I won't be wasting summer.

No TV lounging. (That I could do)
No moping around. (Ok... That's iffy)
No lounging around and being lazy. (That's a laugh. We all know teenagers are lazy. It's built in us.)
Go exercise. (Good. I'm nagging myself. Sarcasm? Nah. Please.)

If you're like me and have a love/hate relationship with Summer call her. Tell her you want to hang out with her more often by doing something. Yes. Actions. If I, lazy and unmotivated when bored, can do it you can too. God, I sound like one of those corny exercise videos.

When you write it up somewhere where you'll see it everyday you're more motivated to do. Then when you don't do it you'll immediately feel guilty that past you depended on future you to not be lazy. Gah. The self guilt, which I will feel when reading this post if I don't do everything on my list.

Now go. Do something. Summer is not hibernation season...

Ni

Children Little Museum

All seen on the 1st floor

You always need to start somewhere to explore the world. The thing I dread is that I rarely explore my own home. My dad usually says, "You can do that later. You live here after all." I can prove that wrong so easily. I live here. Life is not a holiday. I don't (usually) have time to do touristy things and when I do I, unfortunately, prefer the comfort of my bed. I could blame the Universe for making my bed so comfortable but ultimately it's because I'm lazy. Lazy to get up and look around Singapore. So when I finally get around to planning a mini staycation weekend for my dad, sis and me, I couldn't believe the amount of things I've been missing out on.

The first of them is the Children Little Museum. Not it's not a grammatical typo. It really is a little museum. It's located just in front of Sultan Mosque in Bussorah Street. You might miss it, first mistaking it for another little antique toy shop. The tiny museum is upstairs and inside you'll find toys, amongst other things, of the olden days. Or as I like to call it my Dad's Era. The Era where you've no Internet and you go outside when the weather's nice... This was a real memorable trip because it's one of the few times I hear my dad talk about his Era. Sure, I had to hear my dad say "When I was you age..." repeatedly but it's worth it to see my dad get excited like a little kid by everything he saw. I could see him fill up with the warmth of Nostalgia. The shop and museum owner was very friendly and held an impressive collection.

Address: 42 Bussorah Street, Singapore 199460
Admission: $2
Opening Hours: 10AM-10PM

Shop Entrance

Shop Entrance

 You can recognise the shop by it's iconic Entrance, guarded by this futuristic robot. Despite being made of metal, all I wanted to do hug it. Hug in the sheer cuteness and nostalgia, which I couldn't feel. By this time dad was just eager to get into the shop. Nostalgia Syndrome I bet. You can buy souvenirs on the 1st floor (top right hand corner picture).

Second Floor Museum

You go upstairs and see the salon and the barber shop. Dad said women use to gossip in the salon (like they don't nowadays...), somethings don't change. The belt in the barber shop, to the right of the mirror, was used to sharpen the blades of the knifes used to murder and slice people's throats  sorry for my active imagination shave and cut hair. 

School

It's time for school! If there was a bell we could ring at school now, I would ring it until my arms ache for lunch. If I get too sleepy, I would put my ears next to it then ring it until I'm wide awake. I should put up a notice for my school to issue a bell, it doesn't sound like a bad idea. In the top right corner are some old kampong games: parachute, darts, gasing (spinning tops), skipping rope and chapteh. Chapteh is a game where you try to keep a weighted shuttlecock in the air using anything except your hands.

Shops

Right outside the school is what my dad claims as an exact replica of his stationery shop outside school. He pointed at everything in the display cased that he had, like those shoes and those board erasers. He was hyperactive, jaw dropping in awe. I don't get to see that often.

Toys...

And more toys

I loved everything in there except for one thing. Those creepy, baby dolls with them blinking eyes and sweet, twisted voices shouting "Mama!". If I was your mama, dolly, I won't be coming for you. I'm convinced they're evil and possessed. In a few words, Chucky's girlfriend. I will not enlighten you on Chucky.

On the top right hand corner (what is it with me and pictures put there...?) is a movie area. I've always wanted to see an outdoor movie with my family and friends. To watch under the stars, covered with blankets, surrounded with food. In Singapore they've one outdoor movie event hosted fortnightly by MovieMob. I haven't gone to one yet since I've just learnt about them, but I can't wait for their next event. You only know the location, date and time of the movie a few days before the show, so it's better to sign up for a newsletter. 

And that's a wrap, It took us only 20 minutes to soak in The Era. So stop by when you've the chance, whether a tourist or resident, this is a good stop. 

Ni

Ukulele Diary: Figuring Everything Out

One of the biggest problems during the summer is that you lose a few (or more depending how lazy you are) IQ points along the way. Since this summer I won't be going anywhere until the end of July, I've had some serious thinking to do on how to not loose  lose my precious IQ points. Then lo and behold! A mini epiphany! Come on say it with me, EPIPHANY! I love that word and I believe in epiphanies, where the world changes around you as you think of something so small yet monumental. I'll learn the ukulele. It seems like an easy, fun instrument to play. It also sounds beautiful, bright and bouncy. I've heard it on Paramore's three Interludes on their new album Paramore. I can't wait to play I'm Not Angry More on the ukulele. 

Now at this point I was just screaming, "I"M GONNA PLAY THE UKULELE!" but then a problem occurred. I don't have one. I don't know where to get one. I don't even know how it works... So many questions and it was even more confusing with no one to guide you. Now, if you were in my place at this point after your glorious epiphany, let me guide you through the first part of your journey with me.

1. Read up on the ukulele and take note of it. Keep a ukulele journal 

Below are a bunch of articles that you need to read before buying a ukulele. These sites are great and they've helped me a lot on deciding whether I wanted to play it or nor. They also gave me a great crash course on the ukulele. 

• Seriously Sarah - A Singapore based blog that tells you the basics on buying a ukulele. Read the comments below her posts as well as they were helpful.

  Buying a Ukulele

  Where to buy a Ukulele in Singapore

  How to test a Ukulele

•  Ukulele Hunt - This site has pretty much everything from chords to tutorials. Below are the articles for beginners.

  Uke Buying Tips

  10 Things I Wish I’d Known About Ukuleles (Before I Bought One) - This is definitely a must read 

  

2. Answer these questions and save it in your ukulele journal:

• What's your purpose for playing the ukulele?

• How interested and committed will you be playing the ukulele?

• What's your budget?

 A good, budget ukulele can be bought at around SGD50. If you're more serious about it you can get ones that are SGD100 and above. 

• How do you want your ukulele to look like?  

Seriously, once you get to the store you'll be OVERWHELMED by the number of choices you have. The cuteness of the ukulele matters. If it doesn't look like it would suit you, you would be put down about playing it. Maybe you want a coloured one. Maybe a simple design is for you. They're are many options. 

3. Decide which size you want to buy

There are four sizes, from smallest to biggest:

Soprano, Concert, Tenor, Baritone

Most beginners go for the soprano, like me. Others go for the concert, which is like the soprano except its bigger (duh) and better for those who have bigger fingers. The best way to know which size is for you is to go to the store and try it out. Feel which one you're most comfortable with. Tenors and baritone ukuleles are also more expensive, this isn't good if you're on a low budget and just starting out. 

4. Have an idea on which ukuleles to buy 

They're many good beginner ukuleles out there but buying the right one depends on your budget, purpose and size. For sopranos, here's what I found were good ones with some brief information that are around SGD50:

• Lanikai LU-11Soprano 

- Found in Davis Guitar Centre (Singapore)

- More unique

- Good and reliable

- Stays in tune pretty well

- Sounds good but not as rich as the expensive version the LU-21

- Tuning might be an issue 

• Eddy Finn Minnow 

- Found in SV Guitars (Singapore)

- More unique 

- Mostly positive review

- Great sound

- Rough around the edges 

• TGM UK-10 Soprano

- Found in Davis Guitar (Singapore)

- Sells quickly 

• Makana UK-2100 Soprano 

-Tends to go out of tune quickly

Image used (clockwise from top left corner): http://www.southshoremusic.com/lanikai-lu-11-soprano-ukulele/ , http://dalymusic.com/store/eddy-finn-minnow-soprano-ukulele-6-pack/ , http://www.stclassifieds.sg/sell/musical-instruments/hobbies-and-interests/tgm-uk-10s-soprano-ukulele-for-sale-brand-new/ad-650036 

That's it for the first entry of in my Ukulele Diary. In my next post in my Ukulele Diary I'll talk about buying a ukulele and my ukulele, Sunny Phillipa. I hope this post was helpful and unmuddle your head about the ukulele so you've a better idea of what's going on. 

Ni 

Replay + Restart

Replay! Replay! The whole school year like a bittersweet song I would replay it over again. But I can't and that's the most difficult thing about moving on. It's like rock climbing down. You stand at the top of the rock wall, clinging to the rope, frozen and afraid of falling even though you know it's the only way down. You're there now, you choose that path for yourself and chickening out is not an option. You start to lean backwards knowing there's nothing to really catch you except your own feet. You fall, it feels good, dangerous at first then it feels natural. You're in control of what happens when you go down. Sometimes you trip as you go down but most times you land with both feet on the ground. Moving on and letting the past be sounds unbearable yet it's for the best.

I've just graduated from 8th Grade.  I love my homebase class. It has been a long time since I've felt accepted and loved in school considering I was the only foreigner at my old school. My homebase here is like a bag of candies. Some of us have that sour outer coating to get to the sweet nice inside, like a Skittle Sour candy. Others you know what they're like by the look of their wrapper. Either way it takes a bit of digging to know one another. My homebase is (I'm still finding it hard to think of it in the past) loveable. We knew each other. On the last day we grouped hugged each other for a good 20 seconds. Surrounded by warmth and love, remembering the past but not living in it.

I need to move on. Everyone needs to keep going and press the restart button at some point. If we keep pressing the replay button our whole lives will just keep repeating with no changes. How boring and dull is that? We'll be miserable people. Wishing that this moment was perfect and what if this happened... Moments were created like they are because you choose the way that it was suppose to happen. If that moment didn't happen the happy events after that won't happen either. Think about the positive things. Those "what if?" moments can be fixed too. Just confront that person and ask them what would happen if this happened. Relief will go through you. That never ending feeling of curiosity is lifted off your chest and you won't be haunted by what would happen.

Moving on is essential or else you won't get anywhere.
Every moment has a purpose and meaning because good things come from that.
What if moments can be solved as long as you've the guts to confront that person.

Ni

Picture used:
Rock climbing: http://techsciencedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/insane-rock-climbing.jpg