Turning 37 in the Big Apple

I turned 37 last week, and it happened in one of my favourite places: New York City.

This birthday was extra special because I celebrated it with my sister Julie and some good friends, Andrew & Isabel. I'll remember this for a long time.

Isabel & Joanna @ the Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway to watch "Spelling Bee"

Isabel surprised me with a real treat- tickets to "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee", Broadway's No. 1 hit this season. The production was a laugh-a-minute, and thoroughly enjoyable. Although it appeared innocent and playful on the surface, the 6 elementary school characters managed to address some serious issues. I could identify with Marcie Park- an overachieving Asian schoolgirl who's petrified about not living up to expectations, and wanting to break free. The other characters were equally loveable, despite their idiosyncracies.

Julie & Joanna @ Carnegie Deli, Seventh Avenue at 55th St

Food is always on my agenda, and this trip was no different. We ate the biggest pastrami sandwich in New York at Carnegie Deli. It's called the "Woody Allen" and had lotsa corned beef and lotsa pastrami, just like it said on the menu. Despite sharing, we had an uphill battle to finish the sandwich. But we managed, with the help of lotsa pickles and sauerkraut. Needless to say, we didn't bother with birthday cake after that :-)

The Carnegie Deli is described as a quintessential Jewish kosher style deli, but our waiters were from Bangladesh, Thailand and China. Huh?

Aunty Jo-Jo @ MOMA beside Van Gogh's "Starry Night"

I capped off the day with a trip to New York's Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) because that's where Van Gogh's "Starry Night" is displayed. Hmmm...I must admit being a little disappointed because it wasn't as large or vibrant in real life. My favourite Van Gogh is still an image of a patch of grass in the asylum at St Remy, which is on display at the London Art Gallery.

Still all was not lost because I discovered a host of other wonderful modern works by Mondrian, Picasso and Warhol.

Aunty Jo-Jo @ MOMA admiring Andy Warhol's "Campbell Soup" series

This painting surprised me. I've heard of Andy Warhol but always thought his work was too pop and modern for my taste. And yet when I stood in front of his famous "Campbell Soup" series, I got it. It felt playful and homey, and yet was as meticulously executed as a Monet or Rembrandt.

This MOMA collection has definitely piqued my interest in modern art.

Garden of Europe

Gardens have been cultivated since 1500 BC in Egypt, and have served as a backdrop for many a love story as well as inspiration for generations of artists, musicians and poets.

I too am on a perennial quest for inspiration, and seek out these botanical wonders every chance I get.

In spring this year, I was thrilled to be given a tour of the Garden of Europe, otherwise known as Keukenhof by my new friend, Erik Maitimo. The gardens are situated just outside the town of Lisse, South Holland.

Aunty Jo-Jo enjoying spring blooms @ Keukenhof Gardens, Holland

I can hardly describe the thrill at entering those gardens. Although the tulip season was largely over, the setting was so beautiful. The blue sky, fresh air, gorgeous flowers and tranquil park lent a dreamlike quality to our morning stroll. We spent 2 leisurely hours strolling through the different pavilions, and even stopped for a coffee. There was a indoor pavilion filled with some of my favourite flowers - tropical lilies - in every colour! The heady scent of the blooms was almost too much to bear.





These flowers are part of the annual exhibit that allows growers from all over the Netherlands and Europe to show off their hybrids. Netherlands is the world's largest exporter of flowers.

In fact, did you know that the first stock market crash was caused by tulips? In the early 17th century, tulips could cost up to 1000 Dutch florins and were exchanged for land, livestock and houses. However in 1637, tulip traders could no longer get the inflated prices for the bulbs and the bubble burst.

From that day onwards, the pattern has been repeated with junk bonds, dot-coms and sub-prime mortgages ;-)

Food glorious food (Part 2)

"The history of the world is on a plate" - Anthony Bourdain

And if this ascerbic-witted food writer is right, then my stomach has certainly made history. I've eaten my way through quite a few countries and encountered some very unique flavours.

Aunty Jo-Jo trying Dutch raw herring

Earlier this year I visited Marken, a picturesque Dutch fishing village and was persuaded to try Hollandse Nieuwe, or raw herring. It is typically served with raw onions and available only in spring. While I had heard the "horror stories" and seen the shudders of the non-Dutch when raw herring is mentioned, it tasted just like sashimi - only saltier and more fishy-smelling.


Aunty Jo-Jo helping to cook an authentic Spanish paella

One of the highlights of my travels last year took place in a backyard in Geelong, Australia. Luis Alonso, an Australian of Spanish descent, taught me how to cook an authentic Spanish paella. It's a beautiful rice dish that's cooked in a large flat pan with lots of chicken, prawns and mussels thrown in for good measure. But the most important ingredient that gives paella its distinctive colour is saffron. This spice is insanely expensive - US$600 - US$2000 per pound. And that's why Luis only allowed us to use 2 dabs from his precious thimble.



And last but not least, let's come back to Malaysian shores and talk about the durian. This king of fruit has been given so much bad press in the foreign media but let me assure you, it's the best thing in the world. The sweet rich custardy texture that springs from the thorny shell is poetry on the palate. In my humble opinion, the best durians originate from Balik Pulau in Penang, where my parents live. And the most divine durian of all is the "ang her" (loosely translated as "red prawn") . Don't just take my word for it - go try it for yourself!

Food glorious food (Part 1)

One of the biggest pleasures I derive from travel is the opportunity to sample wonderful world cuisines. In all my travels, I have yet to meet someone who's not proud of his national cuisine, and asking a person what they're eating is a great way to start a conversation. Some dishes are delightful from the first bite, but others take some getting used to.

Here are a sample of dishes that appear regularly on "Fear Factor" ;-)

Balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. The first time I tried this was in the Philippines in 2006. And the only thing I can say is "It looks worse than it tastes". The anticipation of peeling the egg - and seeing the beak, feathers and webbed feet was really fascinating. When I finally popped it into my mouth, it just tasted like egg yolk - very rich egg yolk!

Beondegi is a street snack that I tried at the Namdaemun night market in Seoul, Korea. I was visiting the market with a client, and in the spirit of "exceeding client expectations", I popped these 3 cm brown sacs into my mouth. When the sacs revealed bits of squidgy legs and antennae, I realised this was not a simple popcorn snack - they were boiled silkworm pupae!

Stinky tofu is basically fermented beancurd. Being Chinese, I've eaten tofu from infancy, but nothing prepared me for this delicacy. I tried this for the first time at a night market in Mailiao, Taiwan. Firstly, it takes a lot of courage to even approach the stall because of serious pong (much like the smell of full garbage trucks in a tropical climate). The taste is just like tofu that's gone off. However, the pickled cabbage that is served together with this does help offset the "strange"ness of the flavours.

Black pudding is a blood sausage. It is served as part of a cooked breakfast in England. The first time I had it was in a "greasy spoon" in Barnsley, Yorkshire. It tasted fine -similar to the Chinese liver "lap cheong" or sausage. But I preferred the rest of the English breakfast - sausages, bacon, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes, buttered bread - washed down with huge mugs of tea...YUUUUMMMM!

Note: Individual food shots are borrowed from Wikipedia. Only the Aunty Jo-Jo eating balut shot is from my camera

What's the best place you've visited?

...is a question that I often get asked, whenever I share stories about my travels.

It's really difficult to answer this question diplomatically so I usually say something like "Every place is unique" or "I love all the different experiences". But truthfully, if you really must know, it's New Zealand (shhh...please don't tell my Aussie friends).

Aoteroa - the Land of the Long White Cloud is breathtakingly beautiful. The next few pictures speak for themselves.

Aunty Jo- Jo @ Queenstown amongst the gorgeous lupins

The foreshore of Lake Tekapo is a scene I often associate with the words "heaven on earth". The turquoise blue waters and multi-coloured lupins are just so incredibly beautiful. The modest Church of the Good Shepherd situated right next to the lake has one of the most amazing altars of all - no man made stained glass windows - just pure CREATION.

This view of the Remarkables Ranges is what I enjoyed as I floated to the ground following my skydive. My tandem instructor really cracked me up with this phrase - "Welcome to my office! Great view huh?"

There are so many exciting activities for adrenaline junkies in New Zealand. I enjoyed a heli-hike up the Fox Glacier and got to "cuddle up" with Craig, a guide, in an ice cave...heh...heh... enough said.