Photos: A trip to Singapore’s Chinatown just before the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival brought a host of traditional delights, from pomelos, eaten because they resemble a full moon, to mooncakes, an absolute must this time of year.
One month ago, I relocated from Seattle to my new home, a twenty-four story, modern apartment complex, in the heart of Singapore. My neighborhood is called, simply, “Orchard Road,” referring to the city’s popular, upscale, shopping street nearby. Western-style, air-conditioned malls line the Road with stores familiar to most Americans: California Pizza Kitchen, Toys R Us, Wendy’s, Levi’s, and Stride Right, among others. Contemporary, high-rise, glass office towers emerge from these monolithic shopping centers, a reminder of the country’s economic success since its founding just 46 years ago. Walking down Orchard Road, taking in sights and sounds more western than eastern, one could forget he is in Asia at all.
So after four weeks of unpacking, getting my daughter settled in school, and finding the necessary places and things to help my family adjust to its new life, I was craving something local, something Asian. I hopped on a subway and rode four stops to Chinatown. Any thoughts that I had acclimated to Singapore’s relentless and oppressive high temperatures evaporated as I emerged from the over air-conditioned subway into the afternoon heat. I paused to adjust to the thick humid air, perspiration instantly forming on my brow, and set off to explore.
I strolled down Pagoda Lane and enjoyed the mix of smells and sights now familiar to me, having spent five years living in China. The pungent odor of traditional Chinese herbs as I passed the pharmacy melted into a tangy, minty aroma as I neared the newspaper stand, which offered an array of Tiger Balm products. It was lunchtime, and storekeepers crouched at low tables in the back of their shops, enjoying noodles drenched in traditional Chinese spice and sauce.
On the eve of the second biggest holiday in Chinese culture, the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chinatown was pulsating with activity. A harvest celebration, this festive event falls roughly around the time of the autumn equinox and dates back thousands of years. On this day, Chinese believe that the moon is at its fullest, roundest and most brilliant. In Chinatown, shops were overflowing with pomelos and oranges, traditional fruits during the Mid-Autumn festival because of their shape, which reflects that of a full moon and also exemplifies the Chinese character for “round,” which represents wholeness or completion.
Bakeries selling moon cakes, a staple of this holiday, were easily identifiable with crowds spilling out of their open storefronts and lines winding around the narrow streets and alleys. I stepped into the fray and edged my way up the counter, using my halting and limited Chinese to place my order. The shopkeeper burst into a smile and asked in English, “Where you learn Chinese?” I told him I picked up a little while living in China. Grinning, he then rattled off several sentences of which I understood nothing. Smiling in reply, I uttered my last stock phrase, “Xie xie ni (thank you), accepted my bundle of mooncakes, and squeezed out of the crowded shop. It felt great to be back in Asia.
See other travel photos at Delicious Baby.