Most Cheena of Places

Jesus, my hundredth post (yay!) and here I can talking about something I don't like. Ah, well, 'tis but a blog, no? And what a way to mark a momentous occasion with one of my signature... gripes.

So, today is Thursday, right? Which means the routine weekly outing. Off to Tampines Central we went. I had lunch at Billy Bombers and tried their ribs. Yum! But the highlight was, of course, their milkshake. Had a taste of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey. Not quite what I was expecting but there was chocolate enough.

I also had a long, fruitful chat with the Gaming World People. And boy, did I really desire a Nintendo WII badly. Not only that, but there was the usual chat up of games I intended to buy... but in the end, was sold out. Damn you, indecision!!!

So after that brief traversal in the two malls in Tampines, we went off to...

Fu Lo Shou. And, damn, what a very "Chinese" place it was. I spent my time exploring the joint and it stank, seedier than the old Sim Lim Square. (Which, ironically, is but a stone's throw away.)

At least, it satisfied my curiosity of what within the walls. "Nothing but Pagan beliefs mingled with the modernization of Capitalism" as I say. What a disappointment, I guess. Wasn't all what I expected, but that's just me. My expectations were always too high. Yes, I sound arrogant.

Things to learn about the skanky place...
(1)We have to spend 20 cents and then tolerate the smell of cigarette smoke, in order to take a leak. Fucking pissants.

(2)Then, just outside the first floor public toilets, there's an electrical entertainment store selling attachable speakers that you can get for S$10.00 at the incredible price of $22.00. Fucking robbers.

(3)This place is renowned for taking photos of your aura, which is actually an imagery of bio-magnetism from your body. Red means vitality. Green means healing. Blue (or was it purple?) means magic. So not accurately translated but interesting, somewhat.

(4)Forget about making out good English here. Just give it to the toilets overwatcher. And pay 20 cents at that. So if you can't speak a word of Chinese if you have yellow skin, get out while you still can.

(5)Religious artifacts galore! Think of the tourist market for pilgrims en route to Jerusalem during the Crusades and you get the idea.

(6)Buddhist Monks collect fees or alms or whatever. I think it's a conspiracy to earn from their clients, "Protection Money". Talk about a Monastic Mafia.

(7)If you think walking or waiting around in the building while your accompanying friend is having her palm read and fortune told will be rewarding, it isn't. There isn't any public seating. I sat at the stairs -- which is prohibited, by the way -- staring at a box outside a tiny, TINY eatery.


This is Fu Lo Shou Building, honest!