SINGAPORE FOODCOURT & AUNTIES

19 January 2007, Friday, 1pm, Lunch at the Food Junction

Today, I am RAIN.

My first week on the job, I realized that many ajummas here in Raffles Place are extreme fans of Korean drama series and they're really crazy over Korean hunks. I’ve been receiving flattering comments from the food court aunties and cleaning ladies that I resemble Lee Byunghun, Hyunbin, Bae Yongjun, Lee Donggun, and Kwon Sangwoo. But Rain is doing a concert tour in Singapore this Sunday, so today I am RAIN.

Back in Korea, if I were to tell anyone I look like Kwon Sangwoo or Rain, they'd be throwing molotov cocktails at me (made using Soju bottles, mind you), asking me if my plastic surgeon was drunk. But the way I see myself in the mirror, I think it's not unreasonable to say I look like Cha Taehyun. Anyway, it doesn't really matter. I'm happy with the way I look now. And in Singapore, I'm considered the cream of the crop in terms of looks, really.

It’s comforting to know that there’s a Korean stall in almost every foodcourt in Singapore. There’s a local stall that makes very good handmade noodles, which they call “Ban-mian”. I like it a lot, as it looks and tastes almost like the Kalguksu (갈국수) we have in Korea. Even though it's a local dish, I feel very much at home eating it.

To make Kalguksu, wheat flour is first mixed with raw bean powder and kneaded to make noodles. Then it is boiled in chicken broth and served with the broth and toppings.

A bowl of Ban-mian costs $3.50. If you’re a Food Junction cardmember, you get to enjoy a 10% discount. But it’s my first week here, so I haven’t got a chance to apply for membership yet. Fortunately, the ajumma of the ban-mian stall said if I could say “Sarang haeyo” to her, she’ll give me a 20% discount…

AJUMMA! SARANG HAEYO!!!

In Korea, after eating at the foodcourt, we normally return our trays to the tray clearing point, where we toss the leftovers from the dishes into the chute. So I'm rather surprised here at the foodcourts in Singapore, no one does that. They have foodcourt attendants to clear the tables.

It's lunch time now, the foodcourt is very crowded. It wasn't easy for me to find an empty table. When I've finally found one, there are still trays of leftovers left by the previous customers. I asked the clearing auntie to remove those trays away. But she refused. Unless... unless I say “Sarang haeyo” to her...

AJUMMA! SARANG HAEYO!!!

Well, what to do? That's Hallyu for you... Sigh...