Travel Tales from Asia

A key part of learning about any new culture is getting to know their food. In fact a meal for many people is their first introduction to a country and a people. I will never forget my first bite of Thai food- life changing, not an exaggeration, although at the time I took it I could not have told you anything about Thailand. The restaurants common in any city are often signposts to the history of immigration to the region and to the current diversity of the population. In Milwaukee, a medium sized city in the Midwestern US, we have Irish bars, Jewish delis, historic German, Polish, Italian, Chinese and Soul food restaurants, and somewhat newer Indian and Thai establishments. The newest arrivals to the city dining scene have been Korean and Japanese restaurants. Japanese cuisine, while always popular on the West Coast, has been growing in popularity in other parts of the country and in fact the world. Considering that Japan counts with some of the oldest people in the world- there is great incentive to learn to appreciate this healthful, flavorful cuisine.

Naturally, the traditional dishes of Japan developed based on its own unique history as well as the geographic and climatic situations of the country. Rice has been the most important staple crop for over 2,000 years. In fact the importance of rice cannot be overstated. It is not only the base of most meals but for several products including: cakes, crackers and miso. Vegetables, seafood and tea round out the daily diet. The most commonly recognized Japanese dishes include sushi, tempura, tofu and flavorful noodles. Interestingly, tea was introduced to Japan from China along with chopsticks and soy sauce; the deep-frying of foods such as tofu and tempura was introduced by the Dutch and the Portuguese in the 16th Century.

The most practiced religion on the island, Buddhism, has influenced cooking and dining styles. Buddhism places great influence on the seasons and the harmony within a meal. Seasonality of foods is key in Japanese dining. Buddhism also introduced the idea that meals should feature five flavors and colors: sweet, spicy, salty, bitter and sour; and yellow, black, white, green, and red. Emphasis is also placed on the presentation and appearance of dishes. The better a dish appears, and the more suited it is to the environment the better it is said to taste.

A few notes on politeness. A hot towel is often provided before a meal but is used to clean hands only. The bowl is held in the left-hand and the chopsticks in the right to avoid collisions at the table. It is impolite to pour soy sauce directly on to rice or soup. Instead a bowl is provided on the table and foods should be dipped into it. Picky eating and special requests at restaurants are generally frowned upon the more socially acceptable thing is to eat what is provided. As a traveler, just be sure to ask nicely if you have special needs.

When traveling to Asia, it’s important to see the historic sites, enjoy the nightlife and visit important cultural venues such as museums but it’s also important to keep your personal safety in mind. Tourists are targets of crime because they don’t know all the local customs, don’t know which areas are crime ridden and don’t know anything about the local police.

When you travel, it’s important to take certain safety precautions. To start, visit the State Department’s website and read the current information on your destination before you travel. The State Department’s current information includes a summary of recent crimes committed against tourists, where they happened and what to look out for. The information will include warnings about everything from crime hotspots to upcoming protests so it’s an important resource for any traveler.

If the State Department has issued a travel advisory about a particular country, it might be a good idea to postpone your trip. You don’t want to end up in the middle of a coup or civil war. If your destination isn’t about to be plunged into chaos and there hasn’t been a string of murders around your hotel, it’s time to start thinking about what to take with you and what to leave behind.

The most important rule is to not look like a target. Don’t wear expensive jewelry or clothing that will make you stand out as a rich mark to footpads and cut purses. You don’t want to attract their attention by wearing copious amounts of diamonds and gold.

It’s also not a good idea to carry cash and what cash you do carry should be stored in a money belt. Money belts have zippered compartments where you can store cash and documents out of reach of thieves and for this reason they are an invaluable travel accessory. Rather than carry cash, bring credit cards and travelers checks. Unlike cash, you can replace both these things if they’re stolen.

Of course, credit cards and travelers checks aren’t the only valuables you’ll be bringing with you so anything of worth that you won’t be carrying on your person should be stored in your hotel’s safe both day and night. If you have to bring a laptop with you, spend $20 before you leave to buy a laptop lock.

In many ways, being safe in an Asian city is the same as being safe in an American one. Try not to wander off the beaten path into alleyways or slums that could conceal criminal elements. If you stay close to other tourists you may make yourself a target of pickpockets but you won’t be the target of violent crimes.

As a tourist, you have a lot of control over whether or not you are perceived as a target based on how you dress, where you travel and what you do. As long as you exercise some common sense, dress modestly and pay attention to State Department warnings, you should be fine. By consciously minimizing the risks to your safety you’ll be better able to enjoy your vacation.

I traveled to Singapore last November for a small vacation. It was pretty muggy and the temperature was a little high for my liking but regardless of the climate, Singapore was worth every dollar I spent getting there. The diversity and uniqueness of the food is really what made my trip and while normally my vacations focus on landmarks and World Heritage Sites, this vacation was mostly about eating.

Every year, Singapore puts on a massive Food Festival. It’s filled with carnivals, workshops and promotions. Of course, I missed the Festival by a few months (it’s held in July) and I only know about it because of the tourism site I looked at while in the city. But it’s probably for the best that I missed the Festival because without carnivals and promotions, I was able to enjoy the diverse foods of Singapore in relative quiet and solitude.

My first stop was Singapore’s Little India. In the interests of full disclosure, I should say that I’m a raving fan of Indian food. I love all of it but my favorite is North Indian and my tastes are fairly traditional. Singapore’s Little India had some of the dishes I was used to but the channa masala and dal makhani that I normally seek out were in short supply. Instead, Indian food in Singapore is heavily influenced by Tamil cuisine and most of the dishes I encountered were South Indian.

I hade some really great dosai while I was in Little India and one of the more curious places I stepped into was Komala’s. Komala’s is an Indian fast food restaurant where the menu is exclusively vegetarian, I had a masala dosai there and was surprised by the quality. In fact, I even looked them up to see if they had any international locations where I lived and although they have one restaurant in Ontario, there is no Komala’s in the United States.

Upset by the absence of Indian fast food franchises in my homeland, I decided to visit an historical site (something I’d been too distracted by food to do on the first three days of my visit). So with history in mind, I traveled over to the island of Sentosa to visit Fort Siloso.

Fort Siloso was a coastal battery constructed by the British in the late 19th century. It was destroyed during the Japanese invasion but was reconstructed as a museum during the 1970s. Today, it’s the only British-era battery open to the public. The tour took me about an hour and change and while it was an enjoyable site to see, it certainly wasn’t better than the food. That being said, it was fascinating to see a restored WWII battery complete with the guns.

Visiting the fort wasn’t the highlight of my trip but it was important to me to tour some of the historical sites while I was there. However, I did a lot less historical sightseeing than I usually do because I’ve never been to a place with such a diverse selection of fantastic food.