ニュートン・サーカス

1月23日（水）曇

シンガポールで1番有名な屋台村はニュートン・サーカス。10年前には大勢の市民で賑わい、300円くらいで満腹になったものですがすっかり様変わり。清潔で観光客向けの海鮮料理屋だらけになっています。カニ、エビ、イカ、中国野菜とタイガー・ビールを注文して8000円。味は悪くはないけど執拗な客引きがうっとうしい。

シンガポールの屋台村

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Newton Circus
Wed. January 23 : cloudy

The most famous hawker in Singapore is Newton Circus. It used to be busy with a lot of citizens and $3 was enough to make you feel full but it has been utterly changed now. It has become cleaner and most restaurants have changed into seafood restaurants for the tourists. I ordered some crab, prawns, squids, Chinese vegetable, and Tiger Beer. It was $80 in total. It was not so bad but insistent solicitation was annoying.

hawkers in Singapore

初釜

1月22日（火）曇

ピースボートが正午にシンガポール入港。看護師のユッキーと外国船ターミナルに隣接するモールの屋台村（ホーカーズ）で刀削麺と小龍包を食べた後中国茶房でジャスミン・ティーを飲みました。中国正月は2週間後です。師走のシンガポールは時々小雨がぱらつき、涼しくて過ごしやすい気候です。

3年前の初釜

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The first tea ceremony of the New Year
Tue. January 22 : fine

Peace Boat reached Singapore at noon. I met the nurse, Yukkie and we had toshomen noodle and shorongpoh at the hawker in the mall next to the overseas terminal. We had jasmine tea at the Chinese tea room after that. Chinese New Year’s Day is coming in 2 weeks. It is cool and comfortable as there are sometimes showers in Singapore during Chinese December.

The first tea ceremony of the New Year 3 years ago

放鳥：太陽の下で飛べ

10月29日(月)快晴

農業は自然災害との戦いでした。古代人が神を崇めたのは死を恐れたから。魔除けと天国への憧れが儀式化されます。チェンマイの日曜市で籠の鳥三羽を300円で買わされました。生贄の儀式よりも精霊飛ばしや放鳥の方が優しいかな？いいえ、仏教徒が野鳥を採りまくるなんて。最近豪州で流行の結婚式での米蒔き代わりの放蝶も環境面からは問題があります。結婚式の米撒きは魔除けと豊穣祈願に由来し、タイにも同様の習慣があります。僕の故郷の青森では「ゼンコ撒き」といってお金を撒きますが、これは中国由来のようです。

訪鳥

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Bird release : fly under the sun
Mon. October 29 ; fine

Agriculture had been fighting against natural disasters. Ancient people worshiped gods as they were afraid of their deaths. Charm and longing to the paradise were formed as the ceremony. I was forced to buy 3 caged birds for 300 in yen at the Sunday market in Chiang Mai. Is releasing birds gentler than sacrificing them? No, it is out of question for Buddhist to catch birds at random. The butterfly release instead of rice shower at the wedding has been boom recently in Australia but it is also the problem from ecology point of view. The rice shower at the wedding comes from charm and invocation of the luxuriance and there is the same custom in Thailand. In my hometown, Aomori we have the custom called “money shower” and we scatter cash around. It is from China.

bird visiting

ヘッドロックお陀仏

10月28日(日)快晴

農産物の備蓄により富める者と貧しき者が出現。支配のイデオロギーとして神が発明されます。今も昔も宗教施設は権力の象徴。タイのアユタヤ王国も隣国ビルマに攻め入られ、街中の寺院は焼かれ、仏像は鼻を削がれ、首を刎ねられました。鼻はどこへ行ったの？首刎ねられて山河あり。焼け跡の樹木にガジュマルが着生。ガジュマルは次々と気根をからませて宿主を絞め殺します。根元に転がっていた仏陀の首も絞め殺され状態です。

ガジュマル

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Head-locked Buddha
Sun. October 28 : fine

The storage of the crop made the rich and the poor. Gods were invented as the ideology of the rules. Religious institutions have been the symbol of the power in the human history. Ayutthaya kingdom in Thailand was attacked by Burma. All the temples in the city were burnt down, the noses of the images of Buddha were cut off, and their heads were cut down. Where have their nose been to? There are the mountains and the rivers left after being cut the head off. There are banyans stuck around the burnt trees in the ruins after the fire. The banyan is being twisted around the host tree and killed it finally. The head of Buddha lying down on the ground is almost killed by choking.

banyan

トイレ・シャワー

10月27日(土)快晴

上下水道とトイレもご当地の文化のバロメーター。発展著しい東南アジアの主要都市は大体水洗化されています。しかし貯水タンクはなく、水道の蛇口とバケツと柄杓。そして床から25ｃｍほどの高みの平型便器。トイレットペーパーの備えつけはありません。インド人たちは右手にシャワーを持ち、左手でお尻を洗うらしい。欧米では見られない日印トイレ・シャワーの文化。ところで、タイのニュー・ハーフは女装していても男子用トイレに入って来るのでびっくりします。

トイレット・ペーパー

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Toilet shower
Sat. October 27 : fine

The condition of water supply, sewage, and toilet are the barometer of local culture. Water closets are popularized in the most major cities in the East-south Asia, significant developing areas in the world. However, there is no water tank but a tap, a bucket and a dipper. There is a flat pan on the platform that is 25 cm higher than the floor. There is no toilet paper furnished. Indian people seem to hold the shower by their right hands and wash their bottom by their left hands. Japanese and Indian culture of toilet shower cannot be seen in Europe or US. It is nothing important but I was surprised that Thai new half people who were disguised in female clothes were useing male toilet.

toilet paper

バンブー・ラフティング

10月26日(金)快晴

収穫した農作物は牛車・馬車や船・筏で倉庫や市場に運ばれます。陸路も水路もその起源は食料を運ぶ道です。東南アジアではその原風景を随所で見ることができます。牛、象、猿など家畜の利用も巧みです。日本では牛馬の農耕利用も限定的で、多頭立ての牛車や馬車も発明されず、人力に頼る集約農業でした。つらい田植え、草取り、稲刈りの作業・・・これが過労死文化の遠因でしょうか？

ヤシ猿

ラフティング

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Bamboo rafting
Fri. October 26 : fine

The crops are transported to the stores or markets by ox-carts, horse-carts, and rafts. The roads and canals are originally made as the ways for food transportation. You can see the original scene everywhere in the East-south Asia. The people use domestic animals such as oxen, elephants, monkeys skillfully. In Japan the use of oxen and horses were quite limited. The wagons and the coaches carried by more than one cattle were never invented. The agriculture was intensive one that depended on human labor. Hard rice planting, weeding, and rice reaping - are they the indirect cause of “karousi”( death from over working ) culture?

palm monkey

rafting

牛車：麦の文化

10月25日(木)快晴

古代エジプトが起源の麦の文化は種蒔き(面蒔き)の粗放農業で、牛・馬・羊を農耕や種蒔き後の地ならしや運搬・肥料に利用します。日本では馬を農耕用と軍事用に輸入しましたが、現在では競馬用に少数飼育されているだけ。絵で見ると平安貴族の牛車は水牛のようです。しかし水牛の本場の東南アジアでも近年では、従順で肉牛としても優秀なコブ牛に地位を奪われつつあります。

日本の牛車

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Ox-cart
Thu. October 25 : fine

The culture of wheat that has started in ancient Egypt is characterized by plane sowing and extensive agriculture. The people use oxen, horses, and sheep for plowing, covering seeds with soil, and fertilizing. Japan imported horses for plowing and using as the war horses but nowadays only some race horses are raised. As we can see in the old pictures the noblemen in Heian era used water buffalos for carrying the carts. However, the water buffalos are been depriving their position by hump oxen that are more obedient and useful for beef even in East-south Asia.

Japanese ox-cart

タイの焼き鳥：バナナの文化

10月24日(水)快晴

バナナ・ヤシ・サトウキビ、ヤムイモ・タロイモを主食とするバナナ文化は根栽・粗放農業。焼畑と穴植えが特徴で、家畜として豚と鶏と蚕を飼います。家畜は食用、衣料用で、農耕用ではありません。タイの焼き鳥屋は鶏・豚・イカ・イナゴ・イモムシ、バナナなどが主要な食材ですが、最近は牛・エビなどの高級素材も見られます。

スルメも・・・

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Grilled shop in Thailand : culture of banana
Wed. October 24 : fine

In the banana culture people live on bananas, coconuts, sugar canes, yams, and taro. The culture originated in the root cultivation and the extensive agriculture. It is characterized by the splash-and-burn and the hole planting. They raise pigs, chickens, and silk worms. The livestock is for food and clothing and not for farming. Grilled shops in Thailand mainly serve chicken, pork, squid, crickets, caterpillars, and bananas but recently, high class materials such as beef or prawns are also served.

and dried squids・・・

フルーツ・カービング：米の文化

10月23日(火)快晴

古代人は日々の食料を得ることがすべての生活を送っていましたが、農業の発明により備蓄が可能となり、文化が芽生えました。一国の文化を理解する基本は固有の食に接すること。現地の農地・家畜・市場・食堂を覗くことが大切です。古代農業(文化)の起源は、バナナ・米・麦の三大潮流。タイはバナナと米の混合文化。米文化は家畜のいない菜食主義。労働集約的な筋植えが特徴です。

果物彫刻

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Fruits curving : culture of rice
Tue. October 23 : fine

The ancient people spent their whole lives getting daily food. After inventing agriculture they became to be able to store food, and then the cultures arose. The fundamental method to understand the culture of some country is to approach its local food. It’s very important to have a look at the local farms, the cattle, the markets, and the restaurants. The origin of the ancient agriculture are the 3 big flows; banana, rice, and wheat. Thailand has the mixed culture of banana and rice. The culture of rice is vegetarianism without any cattle. The character is intensive agriculture with lined planting.

fruit curving

タイの温泉

10月22日(月)晴

チェンマイでは温泉を2箇所訪れました。１つは日本で言う間欠泉。しかしきれいに整備された温泉公園のあちこちから絶え間なく熱湯を吹き上げているので連続泉かな？もう1箇所は入浴設備がなくアラブの観光客が売店で買った卵を釣り糸に垂らしていました。別に温泉卵が珍しいからではなく、懐かしいからでしょう。アラブ各地に沢山の温泉があります。都市国家シンガポールにも4箇所の温泉があるそうです。

シンガポールの温泉

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Hot spring in Thailand
Mon. October 22 : fine

We visited 2 hot spring spots in Chiang Mai. One of them is so called intermittent spring in Japan. In the well maintained park there are hot springs here and there blow up without intermission, so they could be the constant springs. The other one has no bathing facility. Some Arabic tourists were hanging some eggs they bought from the kiosk on the strings into the hot spring. They don’t do that because they are curious but because they miss their hometowns. There are a lot of hot springs in Arabic countries. I heard that the city state, Singapore also has 4 hot springs.

hot spring spots in Singapore

国境に架かる橋

10月21日(日)晴

タイとミヤンマーの国境はメコン川支流に架かる全長30ｍほどの橋。日中には国境の橋を比較的自由に往来できるので、川の両岸には沢山の小店がひしめき合っています。大粒のダイヤやルビーを1000円で売っています。勿論贋物です。麻薬売りもいますが贋物かも。麻薬所持はタイでは死刑です。橋の向こうのミヤンマー側には観光客相手の豪華カジノも聳え立っています。

シンガポールでも・・・

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Bridge on the border
Sun. October 21 : fine

There is a 30m long bridge built over the branch of the Mekong River and that is the border between Thailand and Myanmar. As everybody can come and go freely across the border bridge during daytime there are a lot of small shops jostling. You can buy a big diamond or ruby for 1,000 in yen. Absolutely they are faked. There are some dope pushers but what they sell may be faked as well. Drug holders are put to death. You can see the splendid casino for tourists in Myanmar beyond the bridge.

also in Singapore・・・

五つ星の蛇酒

10月20日（土）快晴

黄金の三角地帯から小船でラオスへ。地元民が観光客相手に土産物を売っていますが、めぼしいものはありません。唯一目を引くのが蛇酒。狭い口の酒瓶の中の帆船模型のように、コブラが他の小型毒蛇やサソリをくわえて見栄を切っています。コブラの主食は蛇です。「チャンピオンの酒！」と店員が試飲を勧めますが小心者の僕は遠慮しておきました。

毒蛇のチャンピオン

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5-star snake wine
Sat. October 20 : fine

We have moved from Golden Triangle to Laos on the small boat. The local people were selling some souvenirs to the tourists but they are not so attractive. Only one thing that the most tourists notice is the snake wine. In the bottle with a narrow mouth a cobra is showing it off like a sail ship model making a pose mouthing a small poisonous snake or a scorpion. Cobras live on snakes. “Champion’s wine” shouting the bender recommending us to try it but I timidly refused it.

the champion in poisonous snakes

ラッフルズ・ホテル

10月19日（金）晴

シンガポールの五つ星ホテルはラッフルズとグッド・ウッド・パーク。五つ星の条件：①全室スイート（広さ）、②泊り客以外の入場禁止（セキュリティー）、③ロケーションと眺望良好、④設備と家具が良好、⑤サービスが良好。バブルがはじけた狭い日本には望むべくもないし、不要でしょうね。以上でホテルの格付けの旅は終了。シンガポールからケアンズに帰還。

グッド・ウッド・パーク

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Raffles Hotel
Fri. October 19 : fine

The 5-star hotels in Singapore are Raffles Hotel and Good Wood Park hotel. The conditions of 5-star are the followings: ①suite rooms only (the size) ②prohibiting people coming in except overnight guests (the security) ③the fine location and the view ④the excellent facility and the furniture ⑤the good service. In Japan where the country is falling down and having limited space 5-star hotels are neither preferable nor useful. Now, I’d like to finish ranking the hotels. We returned from Singapore to Cairns yesterday.

Dood Wood Park

猫かぶりマーライオン

10月18日（木）快晴

バンコックからシンガポールを経てケアンズに戻ります。ところで2週間前にピースボートの甲板から見たセントーサ島の身長30mの巨大マーライオンはニセモノ。本物はシンガポール川河口南岸にあります。しかし河口南岸にある身長10mの中型マーライオンもニセモノ。本物はその横にある身長2mの小型マーライオン。表情もライオンというより、穏やかで猫のようです。

マーライオン・タワー

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Merlion in cat’s clothing
Thu. October 18 : fine

We are returning to Cairns from Bangkok via Singapore. By the way, the gigantic Merlion on Sentosa Island that I saw from the deck of Peace Boat 2 weeks ago is the fake one. Genuine one is on the south bank of the mouth of the Singapore River. The 10m high middle sized one is fake, too. The genuine one is small one put beside it. It looks rather gentle like a cat not like a lion.

marlion tower

中華料理の五つ星

10月17日（水）快晴

イタリア人が料理の四つ星・秀才で、フランス人が四つ星半・天才なら、中国人は五つ星・神様です。中華料理の食材ベスト3は、ふかヒレ、アワビ、ツバメの巣。タイのツバメ屋さんは店の奥に小さな厨房を持っていて、顧客に豪華3品料理を提供します。中国茶と地ビール込みで4,500円。2人で満腹になります。実はユミはカニ、僕はナマコのほうが好き。中華海鮮料理店でどちらも1,500円。3回ずつ食べました。

やっぱり不味いツバメの巣

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5-star Chinese food
Wed. October 17 : fine

If Italians are 4-star brilliant chef and French, a 4.5-star genius chef, then Chinese are a 5 star god chef. The top 3 Chinese ingredients are shark fins, abalones and swallow’s nests. The swallow’s nest shops in Thailand have the small kitchens in the back where customers can be served gorgeous 3 course dinner. It was 4,500 in yen including Chinese tea and local beer. It is good to make 2 people full. Actually Yumi prefers crabs and I, sea-cucumbers. They are both 1,500 in yen at the Chinese sea food restaurant. We tried 3times already.

swallow's nest isn't good after all