Baghdad in Singapore, 'Development' in Mecca - work, heritage, religion and of course... food!

I went down to Singapore again for some legal work last weekend. I may gripe and bitch, I may moan and sigh, but truth be told, I like working. It gives me a sense of purpose, an urgency that is sometimes missing in my life. Sometimes it is a telephone call from a customer that actually wakes me up from my mid-morning 'oh-what-am-I-gonna-do-now' procrastination. But don't tell my customers that... they might want a legal fee rebate.

We had problems telling the Singaporean clientele where to meet us. "700 Beach
Street..." We said, and they would normally ask, "Yes la... but what is the name of
the building?" The name of the office tower is actually 700 Beach, being also the address.
Funny how things that should make life simpler ends up making it
a little more complicated. He he he.

But it was not all work of course. After a tiring but well-sorted day, we headed down to the Arab Street locality of Singapore. And I took some pictures also...

Alex, our head of property and banking. Awake until 2.00am sorting out the
contracts and signing schedules for tomorrow's session. I could barely keep my
eyes open by then. Over the weekend we sorted out 39 signings with an approximate
contract value of a hair below RM40 million. Our client would be happy.

Next morning, if you are a local of Jalan Sultan, you would find me at a restaurant
called The Sultan's Kitchen. If it was anywhere else in the world, such an outlet
would probably be selling Indian Muslim, Arab or Turkish food. But as it turns out
it was entirely Chinese. I had a strong cup of coffee to wake me up. As I sat outside
I saw an old Chinese man making his round collecting cans of soft (and hard) drinks
at the garbage bins outside for recycling money. It is a poignant reminder that even
in this very rich city state, there is poor among us, always. I think Jesus said that.
So that is my Jesus thought for the day.

In the evening, we walked the famous Arab Street, and wandered into the small
alleys and side streets nearby. We found a Haji Lane. And it was one way, so
we made our way as per the arrow...

There appears to be something going on down there. House techno music were
booming and crowds of people were mingling. This calls for further investigation
of two men with some time to spare in this city of lions.

People (mostly young kids and two weather-beaten lawyers) were standing around
shuffling and dancing in that I-don't-really-know-how-to-dance-but-I-will-fidget
-a little-so that-people-will-think-I-may actually-know-how-to-dance sorta way.
I call it the zombie shuffle. There was also a depressing realization by myself that me
and Alex were probably the oldest geezers in the vicinity. But Alex didn't mind at all.
Alex is a man with no emotions whatsoever.

I really wanted to get up close to take some shots of that fancy turntable that
the DJs were playing with. But I was too shy and this is the closest I approached
the Red-Bull sponsored street music team.

Who says there is no old culture in Singapore? Alex reckon that this cozy little
neighbourhood would soon be demolished to build towering condo apartments,
shopping malls and office blocks. But I don't think so. I really don't believe that the
Singaporean government (being the overbearing super micro-managing behemoth
that is is) is the kinda of organization that would overlook a neighbourhood to be
developed. For what it's worth, they have actually encouraged (and enforced) a
time-capsule in this Bugis district. So you would still find quaint old shops with
quaint old entrance and grill. I like.

And in the centre of it all is the Sultan Mosque, a declared national monument
(and still operating mosque) since 1976. In Mecca, the Arabs have gone ahead to
annihilate the old hotels and small street shops around the Masjidil Haram (where
resides the Holy Kaaba) to build grandiose hotels, shopping malls and a gigantic
clock tower overlooking the Muslim world's number one place and focus of worship.
Again, ironic how the secular Singaporeans know better how to treat their Sultan Mosque.

We finally ended up here before heading back to the hotel. This little itsy bitsy
tea shop is reputed to sell the best cheap milk tea in Singapore. But I must report
that I cannot agree with such an assessment. The Kampong Glam restaurant across
the street serves better tea. But then again, that is my taste...

For supper I bought curry puff (or karipap in our dialect), a pastry
with curried chicken and potato fillings. It was a bit bland for our
Malaysian tongue. There is Alex, looking in disbelief at the size of
the karipap. And truly the proportion of this humble street food was
a wonder to behold. As we stood up to walk back, a stranger passed by and
said that we shouldn't waste food like that, because we still left some karipap
on the plate. Alex actually brought back the leftover to eat as
we walked back.

You dont' have to go to Baghdad to get to Baghdad Street.
On the way back to our budget accommodations to rest.

I haven't written for a couple of days already. Alhamdulillah, I am happy to be in Kuala Lumpur. Singapore was fun and interesting (which is good because it looks like I may have to go down again this coming weekend), but there is of course no place like home. 

Don't you agree, sunshine?

wa min Allah at-taufiq

Hate has no place in Islam

Love will show the Way

Starbucks in Mecca - Umrah Pilgrimage Part 28

This sight of a not-so-busy entrance into the Masjidil Haram is a rare, rare scene.
Just 5 minutes walk from the nearest Starbucks. 

The Pilgrimage Journal continues...

Thusday, 31st March 2011 - Walked with Arjuna to Starbucks with my laptop to Starbucks only to find (to my great dismay) that there isn't any internet connection. And then late as usual, made our way past rows and rows of people praying in the ZamZam Tower, to reach the Masjidil Haram (Main Mosque in Mecca, in which resides the holy Kaaba), struggling against the flow of people who had just finished their afternoon prayers and were just exiting the mosque. I said "Hayy" to the Kaaba and had a rather lovely prayer.

Friday, 1st April - In the morning fate played a joke on me when I fell sprawled in the stairwell while lugging my morning coffee. Soaked my shirt in caffeine, so had to rush upstairs to my room for a change. But by the time I returned to the hotel's small cafeteria, found that the milk to make another cup of coffee was finished. Sigh. For Friday prayers, me and Arjuna (who was kindness personified) went to the Masjidil Haram again. I finished the prayers for all my family and friends (they gave me a long list), but in the last sujud (prostration during prayers), instead of asking for anything, I just said "Thank You, God... Thank You... Thank You..." I have no imagination sometimes.

A Shaykh. Returning from prayers we had a great lunch and shared a table with 3 Malaysians who were working on a government hospital project some 400km outside Mecca. They were in town for a break and to perform their umrah. One of them was a mureed (Student) of a Shaykh who I am informed is the 38th generation of the Prophet's family from the line of Hassan, one of the two grandson of the Prophet (The other being Hussein) through the marriage of Fatima az-Zahra (his daughter) and Ali (his cousin and 4th Caliph of Islam). Our new found friend invited us to join their evening (Maghrib) prayers where they will do tahlil and salawat (invocations of praise for the Prophet) with the Shaykh, something that is tolerated by the Saudi authorities, who generally considers such practices as bida'ah (innovation and heresy). Alas, we didn't manage to pay a visit to the famous Shaykh. Perhaps, next time.

On Friday night I went back to a shop near my hotel which sold me beautiful fairuz tasbihs (turquoise rosary beads) for a mere SR15 (Saudi Riyal) yesterday. But the shopkeeper insisted that it is worth SR35. I tried explaining to him, "But...but... you sold me these same tasbihs for SR15 yesterday!" but to no avail. Ah... the crazy, beautiful and wonderful people of Mecca.

A couple more postings, sunshine, and my extended journal on my pilgrimage in March-April 2011 shall be coming to an end. I recall that before I left for the pilgrimage, I had all sorts of preconceptions and some misgivings about the trip. But I just left it to God to lead me wherever God would. And in some way, He brought me back home, to a home I never even knew I had...

151. Footprints

What am I, but a stray pixel

From an inscrutable imagination,

A castaway

Of a heaven long forgotten.

Wandering the shores

Of time,

And finding strange footprints

Resembling my own,

Trailing out of some Untamed Sea.

Pax Taufiqa

Dead Camel and Dhab Lizard, Guava and Zam-Zam - Umrah Pilgrimage Part 25

I cannot remember who the manufacturer is... but someone should buy the ice cream making machine (it is the same Italian-made machine in all the shops) and bring it to Malaysia! The smoothness of the ice cream is miraculous. Each scoop brought me closer to the Divine Presence. Ya Huuu!



Camel balls and Camel ding-dongs. Well, they are made from camel anyway. Quite nice.



A Camel lost his heart somewhere. Very good if you suffer from asthma. Not very good for the dead camel. How does it taste like? It tastes like rubber. Chew a balloon and the taste is similar.



And this is the famous Dhab (desert lizard). It did not come cheap so some of the boys chipped in to buy it. Even before the pilgrimage, Ariffin was singing praise of this Arabian delicacy, so obviously I was very tempted. I had some and this was what I told him later, "Bro, it doesn't taste like chicken at all. If I was to imagine how lizard meat would taste like, then this is exactly how it tastes like!" But to be fair, Dhab is eaten mainly because it is said to have medicinal properties.

From this into the stew pot.

And into a small bottle. Dhab oil is normally purchased by men for their medicinal properties. I am sure you understand.

It is not all dead animals we ate in Mecca. I ate lots of fruits too. I became especially fond of a small version of our Guava fruit. It is soft, green-yellowy and is sweet and savoury. Just writing this now makes me drool. I ate baskets of it when I was in the Holy City.



Arjuna is the sort of fellow who can charm the hind leg of a donkey. We were at this shop earlier, and to gain his goodwill, Arjuna allowed the salesman to go through his photo album in his Blackberry. The guy was actually from Myanmar. He was disappointed that Arjuna had zero naughty hottie pictures but we parted as friends. Later during lunch we passed by the shop again. It was closed and the salesman was having his enormous mound of briani rice and grilled chicken. He saw us and immediately called and opened the shutters. Arjuna, being the gentleman, did not take much coaxing to join him for lunch. I love Mecca.



To show you that I DID NOT spend my entire time in Mecca just satisfying my physical appetite, I did visit the Masjidil Haram a couple of times to fulfill a different sort of appetite. And of course, when you are there, you must drink some of the Zam-Zam water, the blessed water from the well originating from the time of the Prophet... and even longer before that. How does it taste like? Well, err... like water, but a little heavy. I don't know how else to describe it. If you are nearby my office, drop by. I still have a large container of the stuff.

Thank God it's Friday, sunshine. And thank you for dropping in.

Pax Taufiqa.