Collin enjoying his Prawns & noodles at Whampoa Market
Today, I treated my sons to a rare lunch at McDonalds. It reminded of our first weeks in Singapore and one of our least stellar lunches out on the town.
The first Saturday living here, our move coordinator, Sandra picked up my family for an afternoon of sightseeing. She had arranged for a large van and driver to ferry us around for the day. We piled in the van and she suggested we take in some famous sights in Singapore like Merlion Park, Marina Bay Sands Hotel & Casino, or the Botanical Gardens. My husband told her we could sightsee on our own, but today we would like to go shopping. We had made the decision not to get a car while living in SG. This was our opportunity to shop with someone who knew where to find the best bargains. Sandra was puzzled at our request but dutifully took us all over the city and we filled the van with 3 small desks, a coffee pot and toaster and steaks from an Australian butcher shop and several other must haves.
At Lunch time we took a break and Sandra asked us where we wanted to eat. We told her to take us somewhere local and yummy. She asked if the kids would be ok eating traditional food. “Well of course” we boldly responded. I’ve always prided myself on raising children who eat whatever is on their plates (with a few exceptions). It’s a parenting victory that my husband and I take full credit for. When we moved to Singapore we planned to fully embrace our new country which included food.
Sandra took us to one of the more famous chicken rice restaurants in Singapore, Boon Tong Kee on East Coast Road. For those unfamiliar with the local dish it is called Chicken rice not chicken & rice. The chicken is served on a bed of white rice with cucumbers and other vegetables nestled in between. Sandra ordered bamboo shoots and bean curd as a side.
When the waiter delivered the chicken rice to the table my husband dished healthy portions on the boy’s plates. They sat wordlessly staring at the food. Our host showed us how you could mix the fresh ginger and soy sauce to make a lovely dipping sauce. The boys looked from me to my husband hoping one of us would give them a pass not to eat. Much to their dismay they received the death stare from both parents which meant you had better eat now. My son Jack took a bite the size of a gnat and began gagging and quickly spit the food it into a napkin. Aaron, my shy son just stared at the plate while giant tears welled up in his eyes. My eldest son Collin ate a piece and then grabbed his water and guzzled it down and his face turned crimson as he realized he had finished his entire water. The meal did not get any better, somehow the boys managed to eat enough to appease their parents. Sandra was kind and offered to take them somewhere else to eat. Of course we refused. She felt so badly for them that she made a special stop and bought each of them a pastry at one of the many street bakeries.
At home we replayed the day and looked at our purchases and lamented about the chicken disaster. We were trying to figure out what had happened that afternoon. I mean, we are the parents whose kids actually eat casseroles and brussel sprouts, I kind of felt bad for our tough stance on the whole chicken debacle. I asked my husband if he thought the boys did not want to eat because this was all too much for them. Could their response to lunch be explained by the fact we moved to a foreign country a few short days earlier, or the incessant heat of Singapore, or seeing the pale chickens and ducks hanging from their legs in the restaurant window or the surprise they got when they went to the restroom and there was only a hole to do their business in?
Whatever the reason we had been embarrassed. We decided we were going to try local foods as a family and make our pallets adventurous. After all, we hadn’t raised chicken nugget children so far why start now.
In the months to follow my kids tried pepper crab, “too spicy mommy” they gasped as they washed it down with $6.00 sodas. We ate weekly at a local hawker stand and they realized they do like chicken rice but they like it roasted and brown rather than boiled or steamed and opaque. They each found their favorite dishes; Collin feasted on noodles, prawns and squid, and Aaron found chicken wings with spicy green beans, and Jack loves green tea, who knew? They tried roti prata, fish curry and kaya toast.
3 months into our adventure and we had not succumbed to the McDonalds that lurked a few short steps from our front door. We rarely even thought about going to any of the American food favorites that are scattered all over the city.
We were doing well until we headed out to IFly Singapore. It simulates skydiving with an indoor wind tunnel. This is a super cool place. After taking several turns we were both exhilarated and ravenous. We looked at several places nearby to grab a bite and then like a beacon the boys saw the golden arches in the distance. We gave way to our American fast food ban and ate lunch at McDonalds. The boys declared it was the best cheeseburger and fries they had ever had at McDonalds.
I will admit those salty fries were a welcome treat for me as well, and later in the week we did head to Dairy Queen for a long awaited Blizzard. Almost a year later we occasionally hit the fast food giant but reserve it for really busy days or a special treat. The boys rarely mention heading to McDonalds but are always glad when we do. I think we have found a happy medium that we can live with, now if we can only figure out how to manage their time on the I-pads.
Passport Parenting, Singapore 