TnT's Workout Blog

This is the first morning of our four-day in Finland which coincides Tomi's final examination. We enjoy the worst and the best weather Helsinki has to offer in late May. Unfortunately, we are really prepared only to the best, since weather forecasts have been so optimistic.

We have a minute-to-minute schedule during the stay. After arrival on Tuesday, we visit the department. Thereafter, we have beer with Tomi's brother and a couple of colleagues. On Wednesday morning Tomi has the tuxedo fitting and we spend the rest of the day shopping, and also meet with Tei's brother and his wife for a quick dinner. On Thursday morning Tei gives a guest talk at the department, and spends the rest of the day consulting her students. We start Friday listening to Tomi's opponent's talk at the department, then we meet with Tei's father, and then with Tomi's parents. In the evening we have dinner at Aino with the opponent and colleagues from the department.

Saturday is The Big Day! On Sunday we just stroll the sunny streets of Helsinki and the seafront promenade. In the evening we fly back to Singapore.

It does not matter, since the combat class only gains momentum after the first two tracks. Thereafter there is a lot of perspiring. We also stay for the BodyPump session, and boy, the class is full. And the butts are going to hurt tomorrow.

We spend the afternoon in the Beerfest Asia 2009 by the Singapore Flyer. Not too many interesting beers, but some organic Swiss beers and Brittish bitters. I have to admit the Swiss stall was the most hospitable one.

We are not hungry yet, but very thirsty --- it is a very hot day --- and only stop for juice in one of the eating places. We take a train to Bugis and wander a bit in a shopping district. This is another historic neighborhood of Singapore, which used to be a major transgender meeting spot until 80's when the district underwent a total redevelopment. I guess it is just a matter of time when all the interesting neighborhoods and low-rise shophouses will be gone to make room for modern air-conditioned shopping malls. Wikipedia tells that Geylang shophouses are potected by law, though. But it is also a matter of time, when the law will be changed ...

From Bugis we walk to another nice and quiet neighborhood just next to the main business district: we are talking about the small corner of low-rise shophouses behind the Boat Quay, hosting a number of restaurants and pubs, and especially a tap room of the Archipelago Brewing Co., Singapore's first commercial brewery. We have their Pitaya Rose, a beer flavored with dragon fruit, and Apsara lager, and finish with Islander IPA. We also find out that there is a five-day beer festival in Singapore this weekend.

It is time to eat something. We take a quick tour at Boat Quay, which always an annoying experience because of the numerous touters. And every single place in that row of restaurants offers the same items. We stop by at a tapas place by the Singapore river at Clarke Quay. There we get an idea to visit Oosh restaurant, a place Tei attended the IU alumni meeting a couple of weeks ago. We hop into a taxi, and are on our way to Dempsey Hill.

At Oosh we have a surprise encounter with dress code, but are let in despite Tomi's T-shirt and sandals. We find another surprise in the wine list: Chateau Bela Riesling from Czech Republic for S$100 a bottle. We cannot resist. However, after enjoying this divine wine, the bottle provides another surprise: the wine is actually from Sturovo Region in Slovakia. After pointing out the error in the menu, the bartender comes back to inform us that Slovakia is a town in Czech Republic!

Our night does not quite end, yet. We take a taxi to our own neighborhood wine bar, and have another interesting encounter with wine, this time an organic Grenache from Australia, vintage 2004. It tastes like port.