วันจันทร์ที่ 24 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2555

Laksa Singapore








        Singapore Laksa is definitely at the top of Singaporeans’ list of local favorites food. The ingredients are noodles, coconut milk, spices, chillli, with toppings of fresh prawns, fish cake and cockles.
The most famous laksa version was sold in the Katong (East Coast) area for more than 50 years ago. The store has secret of what make it different from the other competitors. Currently, many Katong eateries tout their laksa stall as being the closest to the original flavor, but unfortunately only one shop has registered the name “Katong Laksa” as a trademark.
         Singapore Laksa has its root in the traditional Peranakan community. The noodles are cooked in coconut gravy and topple with fish cake, prawns and bean curd and shredded chicken. The gravy is a very rich and tasty and it will leave you craving for more.
The gravy can hotter just add sambal chilli to make it more spicy
         A bowl of laksa usually cost between SGD 3.50 to SGD 5.00. You can add cockles or otah to give it more variety.
         Many local as well as visitors love the local Laksa and it is one of Singapore’s food and culinary contributions to the world.  It is one of the local’s favorite food among others like Bak Kut Teh and Chicken Rice.

Singapore Laksa
Indgredients:
- Yellow noodle or vermicelli noodles
-  fresh prawns
-  fried beancurds (optional)
-  laksa/curry leaves
-  fish balls/cakes (optional)
-  terasi (roasted shrimp paste)
-  fresh red chillies
-  galangal (blue ginger)
-  turmeric
-  lemongrass
-  garlic cloves – minced
-  shallots – thinly sliced
-  coconut milk
-  chicken stock/cube
-  chicken breast
-  raw cockles
-  hard-boiled egg
-  salt and pepper
Preparation
       1.  Add one tablesppon of oil to wok. Fry the ingredients under low heat. chillies, turmeric, galangal, garlic and shallots till fragrant. Add terasi (roasted shrimp paste),lemongrass and curry leaves.
       2.  Add shrimps to fry. I love the head of shrimps as it add to the flavors.
       3.  Add coconut milk, bring to boil. Add a little Salt, chicken stock cube to
taste. Add in fish cake, fried bean curd, and shrimps. Let it simmer for a few minutes.
       4.  Blanch the bean sprouts in hot water and take out quickly. Place in a chinese bowl the noodle (cooked), bean curd, fish cake and also shrimp.
       5.  Pour in the hot laksa broth. You can add boiled eggs and coriander leaves for garnish. Sprinkle over it some crispy fried shallots (bawang in Malay) for taste.
       6.  Ready to be served steaming hot.


Traditional costumes of Singapore


      The Singapore fashion scene has much more to offer than the “slippers, singlets and shorts” arrangement. Our vibrant, multicultural heritage has brought many beautiful traditional costumes that are still worn, and commonly seen, throughout Singapore, especially during the festive seasons. Let's take a look at some of these still-popular and in-demand ethnic costumes in Singapore today.


Peranakan costumes



                                                                            
The Nyonya Kebaya (right)           
      
        The Peranakan race is much like the mixed-blood child of Chinese and Malay parents. Having originated from Malacca and Indonesia, they are ethnically Chinese, but have adopted Malay ways of life and culture to better identify with a Malay-dominated society. Males are known as Babas and the females, as Nyonyas. The Kebaya is a traditional costume worn by the Nyonyas which consists of a translucent, figure-hugging top worn over an undershirt, and a batik-designed sarong. The top is typically decorated with immaculately embroidered flowers and patterns that serve to demonstrate the gentleness and conscientiousness of the Peranakan woman.
         In the early colonial days, Kebayas were hand-sewn by Peranakan women as part of their dowry. The more kebayas they had sewn at their marriage age, the better it reflects on their upbringing and sophistication, hence the better their marriage prospects. Today, the most authentic and exquisite specimens of this exotic garment can be found in the Katong area (the Peranakan district in Singapore)

Did you know ?
        The Singapore Airlines stewardesses, also known as the Singapore Girls, wear the sarong kebaya as their uniform. The sarong kebaya is a distinctive Peranakan traditional dress similar to the nyonya kebaya. For years, this has allowed the Singapore Girl to be a reflection of Singapore's ethnic culture.

Chinese costumes
Cheongsam




The Modern Cheongsam
        The Cheongsam is the Cantonese pronunciation for ChangShan, or "long garment" in Chinese. Although typically thought to be a traditional Chinese costume, it actually originated from the Qing (Manchu) dynasty. Both men and women during the Qing dynasty wore a long,1-piece dress that hangs loose from the body, and it was designed specially to conceal the body-shape of the wearer.
Today, the Cheongsam wore by women is flattering to the body, and comes in many varying lengths,
colours and designs. It is commonly worn during Chinese New Year and Chinese weddings in Singapore.

Indian  costumes
The  Sari




The Nivi-style Sari

          If you've been to Singapore for a significant period of time, you may have noticed many Indian women dressed in their traditional garbs, draped with a long, flowing and glamorous-looking piece of cloth. This piece of unstitched cloth is known as the sari. Worn over a top known as the choli and completed with accessories and ornaments, the sari originated from the Indus Valley civilisation and is very popular in Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and Nepal.

         There are a variety of ways of draping the sari to exemplify the body, but the most commonly seen way of doing so in Singapore is the Nivi style, which involves wrapping it around the waist and tucking in inside the skirt, while draping the remaining cloth over your shoulder and allowing it to hang around the waist level.

         The following are the names of the other ways you can experiment with draping your sari: Bengali and Oriya style,
Gujarati, Maharashtrian/Konkani/Kashta, Dravidian, Madisaara, Kodagu, Gobbe Seere, Gond, Malayali.


The Dhoti Kurta





Dhoti Kurta
    The Dhoti is a bottom traditionally worn by Indian men, consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth skilfully wrapped around the waist and legs. The top is known as a Kurta, which is a loose garment that becomes wider towards the bottom. This arrangement, collectively known as the Dhoti Kurta, is commonly worn by men in Northern India for formal occasions, but have recently been used in many other settings.

Malay costumes

The Baju Melayu

Baju Melayu

        The Buju Melayu is the name for the tradional Malay garment. It is worm by men and consists of a shirt for a top, sarong, worn over a pair of trousers, complete with a cap know as the songkok. The songkok is a religious hat which originated in the 13th  Century with the rise of Islam in Muslim countries.
The  Baju  Kurung






Baju Kurung

           Malay women sometimes don the baju kurung with the tudung, which serves the cover the hair and neck of a woman for conservative reasons. The early baju kurung, which originated as the Silk Trade grew more prosperous in the 13th Century, was looser and longer and gradually evolved to look more graceful and sophisticated as it is today.

        There are 2 versions of the Baju Kurung: namely the Baju Kurung Telok Balanga, and the Baju Kurung Cekak Musang. These two variations are differentiated by the shape of their collars: the Telok Balanga does not have a collar, while the Cekak Musang has a collar with two buttons sewn on it.

Today, the Baju Kurung is extremely popular and worn by many Malay women even in their daily lives. 


Byhttp://comesingapore.com/travel-guide/article/546/traditional-costumes-of-singapore

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 23 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2555

National flowers of Singapore


Vanda Miss Joaquim



            Vanda Miss Joaquim was chosen as Singapore's national flower in 1981. The designation of a national flower was part of an overall effort to foster national pride and identity.

            Singapore has the unique distinction of being the only nation to have a hybrid as its national flower.

The choice of an orchid as Singapore's national flower is most appropriate because orchids have long been identified with Singapore.

             And no orchid is more worthy of being Singapore's national flower than Vanda Miss Joaquim as it is the first registered plant hybrid from Singapore.

History

           
            This orchid, a hybrid between Vanda hookeriana and Vanda teres is hardy and free flowering. It was described by the first director of the Singapore Botanic Gardens Mr H.N. Ridiey in 1893, who named it after Agnes Joaquim. Ridley wrote that the plant was the results of a cross made by Joaquim.   
          

Features Of Vanda Miss Joaquim


           A strong inflorescence of Vanda Miss Joaquim may carry up to 12 buds, usually with four flowers open at a time. Each flower is about 5 cm across and 6 cm tall, and as is the case with its parents, the petals are twisted around so that the back surface faces front. The two petals and the top sepal are rosy-violet, and the lateral sepals are a pale mauve. The lip is very large and broad and the middle lobe extends out like a fan. It is coloured violet-rose, merging into a contrasting fiery orange at the centre. Over the orange patch, the lip is finely spotted with dark purple. It is free-flowering. 

Growing The National Flower


         Vanda Miss Joaquim requires full sunlight, free air movement, high humidity and heavy fertilising to achieve optimum growth and flowering. It needs support to grow straight and tall but it flowers only when the top of its stem rises above the support. It is a robust, sun loving plant with slender stems best grown in beds against post supports. 


By : http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=79&Itemid=67



วันอาทิตย์ที่ 16 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2555

Singapore is an ASEAN member.



asean_564

"One  Vision, One Identity, One Community"



ASEAN Member States

by  :  203.172.142.8/en/index.php?option=com_content...4



Singapore
   


SINGAPORE   TODAY

Country Facts


Area : 714 sq km (276 sq miles)
Population : 5.18m comprising 3.26m citizens, 0.53m Permanent Residents and 1.39m other foreign residents (Singapore Department of Statistics 2011)
People : Chinese (74%), Malay (13%), Indians (9%), Others (3%)
Languages : Mandarin, English, Malay and Tamil are the official languages. English is widely spoken and is the main language of communication.
Religions : Buddhism 33%, Taoism 11%, Catholicism 7%, other Christian 11%, Islam 15%, Hinduism 5%, other religions 1%, no religion 17%.
Currency : Singapore Dollar
Major Political Parties : People's Action Party (PAP), Workers’ Party (WP)
Government : Republic and Parliamentary Democracy
Head of State : President  Tony Tan Keng Yam
Prime Minister : Lee Hsien Loong
Foreign Minister : K Shanmugam.

ECONOMY

Basic Economic Facts


GDP (at 2005 market prices) : S$299.625bn (2011) (US$238.2bn 2011)
GDP per capita : S$63,050 (US$50,123  2011)
Annual Growth : 4.9% (2011)
Inflation : 5.2% (2011)
Major Industries : Manufacturing (particularly electronics, engineering, biomedical sciences and chemicals), financial and business services, and commerce.

UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: Singapore

            Singapore is a model of economic development. From independence in 1965, it achieved almost uninterrupted growth averaging nearly 8% per annum for over three decades.  By the 1990s, it had GDP per capita levels similar to many OECD countries and was acknowledged widely as one of Asia's 'tigers'.  The contrast between Singapore and some of its regional neighbours is all the more striking given its size and lack of natural resources.


         Until recently, Singapore had experienced few periods of economic difficulty. However, it was hit hard in 2001 by a downturn in its key global markets (particularly the US) and a collapse in demand for electronics goods. As a result, it experienced its worst recession since independence: GDP fell 2.4% after growing about 10% in 2000.  Although the economy expanded by 4.1% in 2002, Singapore faced the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) setback in 2003. The government handled the outbreak better than most, but the economic fallout was significant, particularly in the retail, tourism and consumer-services sectors.

        Nevertheless, Singapore's economy has remained fundamentally sound. The following few years saw robust growth rates of between 7.3-9.3%, until the onslaught of the current global economic crisis. Given the openness of its economy (Singapore trades over three times its GDP), it was the first country in Asia to fall into recession in the third quarter of 2008.
         It staged a remarkable V-shaped recovery after its 2009 recession, expanding a record 14.8% in 2010.  Economic growth has eased considerably since then, with a  4.9% expansion in 2011, on the back of lower manufacturing growth particularly in electronics and biomedical clusters.  2012’s GDP is forecast to moderate further to 1-3%, barring any external shocks.  External-oriented sectors face a challenging environment, with the electronics sector likely to be particularly hard hit.  Key challenges facing the government are raising productivity growth and reducing the economy’s heavy reliance on foreign labour.  Budget 2012 announced in February  included measures aimed at addressing these.



HISTORY

Recent History

            The People’s Action Party (PAP) were re-elected in a General Election on 7 May 2011. They won 60.1% of the vote which secured 81 of 87 elected seats in parliament. The opposition Workers’ Party won the other 6 seats. Despite winning their seats Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong resigned from the Cabinet immediately after the General Election.
            On 27 August 2011 a Presidential Election took place. Four candidates took part, standing as independent candidates as required by the constitution. Former Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Tony Tan was elected President with 35.2% of the national vote, a mere 7,382 votes ahead of his nearest rival.

Longer Historical Perspective

           Singapore’s early history is unclear. In the fourteenth century it was a trading post known as Temasek. Singapore had a very small population at the start of the nineteenth century, with just a few Malay settlements under the rule of the Sultan of Johore. In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles, seeking a base from which to extend British influence in South East Asia, obtained permission from local rulers to establish a trading post at Singapore, and in 1824 the island was ceded in perpetuity. It was Raffles who laid the foundations of modern Singapore.
            In 1826, Singapore joined Penang and Malacca to form the Straits Settlements. Singapore soon became Britain's most important trading centre in the area. In 1867, the Straits Settlements became a Crown Colony. Singapore prospered throughout the nineteenth century, boosted by the opening of the Suez Canal and the gradual extension of British influence throughout the Malay peninsula, to become the commercial and financial hub of South East Asia. Its naval base was one of a chain of British bases from Gibraltar to the Far East. Singapore's population rapidly expanded with the arrival of thousands of Chinese settlers.
           Singapore's reputation as a British stronghold did not deter the Japanese from attacking Malaya in 1941 and then Singapore itself, which fell in 1942. British rule was restored in 1945.
In 1946 Singapore became a separate Crown Colony and in 1959 was granted internal self-government. The People’s Action Party (PAP) led by Lee Kuan Yew won an outright majority in the first fully elected Legislative Assembly that year and the PAP has been in power ever since.
           In 1963 Singapore, together with the Crown Colonies of Sabah and Sarawak joined the recently independent Federation of Malaya to form Malaysia. Singapore left the Federation in 1965, achieving full independence. There were considerable doubts, on economic and security grounds, about Singapore's ability to survive. The doubts were fuelled by Britain's decision in 1966 to withdraw its bases 'East of Suez' by the mid-1970s, later brought forward to 1971. The British base had made a sizeable contribution to the Singapore economy. Singapore responded with a programme of rapid industrialisation, supported by foreign investment, and the training and regulation of the Singapore workforce. The foundations were laid for Singapore's rapid economic development in the following decades.
            PAP control of Singapore continued unchallenged until 1981 when the first post-independence opposition MP was elected. Changes to the Constitution have taken place since then. Grouped Constituencies have been created, in which several seats are won and lost together. Opposition parties are now guaranteed up to nine MPs in parliament, with extra seats granted to the best loosing candidates to make up the number if nine are not elected. These are called Non-Constituency MPs, of which there are currently three. Nine nominated MPs, selected by a panel, also sit in parliament.
          Although largely ceremonial, Singapore’s President has a role in safeguarding the national reserves - the so-called 'dual-key' policy. The President is elected in a popular vote.

BBC News Country Timeline: Singapore



INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

         Singapore’s foreign policy has been designed to ensure a regional balance. Singapore was a founder member of ASEAN in 1967 and has worked hard to maintain good relations with regional neighbours. It hosted the thirteenth ASEAN summit in November 2007 as ASEAN Chair. Relations with China have intensified following the opening of diplomatic relations in 1990.

Singapore's Relations with the International Community

          Singapore is an active player on the world international stage through its membership of the UN, the Commonwealth, ASEAN, APEC, the WTO and the NAM. Singapore served for the first time on the UN Security Council in 2001 and 2002. Prime Minister Goh was the driving force behind biennial Asia Europe Meetings (ASEM). Singapore was one of the five ASEAN countries that participated in the EU/ASEAN Aceh Monitoring Mission. In keeping with Singapore’s position as a trading nation, Singapore is a strong supporter of free trade and uses its membership of APEC and the WTO to press for progress in this area. Singapore was Chair of APEC in 2009. The theme was "Sustaining Growth, Connecting the Region", and focused on facilitating trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as measures to support economic growth, address the global economic crisis, accelerate regional economic integration, and resist protectionism.

Singapore's Relations with the UK

           The UK co-operates with Singapore on a wide range of international issues. Singapore's first-ever non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council (2001/02) intensified bilateral contacts on key issues affecting international peace and security. The UK and Singapore have also been closely co-operating in the area of counter terrorism and counter proliferation, both politically and operationally.

           Defence co-operation with Britain is based on the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA), which involve annual joint exercises with the other partners (Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand), triennial meetings at Cabinet ministerial level and biennial Chiefs of Staffs meetings.

Cultural Relations with the UK

         Education links are strong. More than 3,000 Singaporeans are currently studying in the UK and the British Council estimate that around 80,000 UK qualifications are awarded annually in Singapore. Links in the arts are also strong with many British artists and organisations being invited to perform.
          The British Council has a large presence teaching English to around 20,000 Singaporeans and foreign nationals. Current British Council projects focus on the internationalisation of education, developing young leaders to take action against climate change and the exchange of knowledge and expertise in the arts and creative industries.

GEOGRAPHY
          The Republic of Singapore lies to the south of the Malay peninsula, to which it is joined by a causeway, 1.2 km long and carrying a road, railway and water pipelines across the Straits of Johor, and a separate link bridge. Situated 1.5 degrees north of the Equator, Singapore occupies a focal position at the turning point of the shortest sea route from the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea. The climate is hot and humid, with no clearly defined seasons, although December and January are the wettest months.

TRADE AND INVESTMENT

Trade and Investment with the UK

          Singapore remains the UK’s largest trading partner in Southeast Asia, with two thirds of UK exports to this region flowing into Singapore. UK exports of goods only to Singapore in 2011 were £3.6billion, an 11% increase on 2010.  UK imports of goods only from Singapore in 2011 were £3.8billion, a 4% fall from 2010.  The top three UK exports of goods to Singapore in 2011 were power generating machinery; beverages; and general industrial machinery. The top three UK imports of goods from Singapore in 2011 were organic chemicals; power generating machinery; and petroleum/petroleum products.  In 2010, Singapore was the UK’s 11th largest market for services exports (latest figures available).

          Bilateral trade relations are excellent: there are few import tariffs and Singapore supports the WTO process fully. Singapore was the first ASEAN country to commence negotiations with the EU for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and both sides are working towards a successful conclusion of talks in 2012.

          The UK is the fourth largest foreign investor in Singapore after the US, Netherlands, and Japan with cumulative stock of £25 billion at end 2010 (Source: Singapore Department of Statistics).  This accounts for around 27% of total EU investment in Singapore. There are over 32,000 British nationals and some 700 British companies in Singapore. Many of the major long-term British investors have increased their footprint in Singapore recently, including Barclays, Dyson, HSBC, Rolls Royce, Shell and Standard Chartered. There has also been a significant increase in the number of British SMEs entering the market and British universities establishing collaborative partnerships with Singapore’s educational institutions.

          The UK attracts nearly three quarters of all Singaporean investment into the European Union with a cumulative stock of £16.2 billion at end 2010 (Source: Singapore Department of Statistics), with financial and insurance services, real estate and ICT being the most significant sectors.  
           The World Economic Forum ranks Singapore third in its Global Competitiveness Index and first in its Global Enabling Trade Index 2011. In 2011, for the fifth consecutive year, the World Bank ranked Singapore number one globally for ease of doing business. It was also ranked the fourth largest global financial centre in 2010 and is now the fourth largest foreign exchange trading centre in the world, after London, New York and Tokyo, and a growing Asia-Pacific centre for wealth management.

POLITICS

Recent Political Developments

           Despite a drop in support for the party at the 2011 General Election, the PAP retains an overwhelming majority in parliament. The government is characterised by conservative, but extremely effective flexible management of the economy.
           Lee Hsien Loong (son of Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s first Prime Minister), succeeded Goh Chok Tong as PM on 12 August 2004. Lee Kuan Yew is still synonymous with Singapore and until recently sat in Cabinet as ‘Minister Mentor’ in the Prime Minister's Office. Lee Kuan Yew’s successor, Goh Chok Tong, also remained in the Cabinet between 2004 and 2011 as Senior Minister.

Elections

          General elections were held on 7 May 2011 and the Cabinet was reshuffled on 11 May following the retirement of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and several other senior figures.  A Presidential Elections was held on 27 August 2011, after which Dr. Tony Tan succeeded S.R. Nathan as President of Singapore on 1 September.