So it’s not a secret, I LOVE COFFEE! And I am admittedly a coffee snob.
A barista brewed coffee is essential, a instant coffee machine is acceptable, 2-in-1 is coffee blasphemy and used for emergencies only.
I’ve done my coffee slut rounds, soliciting coffee joints all over the country. From restaurants to coffee franchises to hipster cafes, I have fondled with them all. So you can trust me when I am reviewing a coffee product.
Out of all franchised coffee houses i.e. Pacific Coffee, Coffeebean & Tea Leaf, Gloria Jeans, The Coffee Club, TCC, my favourite is Starbucks. And I always judge coffee by my two consistently ordered drink which is latte or cappuccino. So when Starbucks/Edelman PR contacted me about a new product to be launched in Singapore, I applauded them for identifying the right “ambassador”.
Just last week, Starbucks Singapore launched Starbucks® VIA Ready Brew instant coffee packets. I was thinking “Oh No! Have they just cheapened the brand by selling instant coffee?” I was invited to do a taste test. Skeptical. Skeptical indeed.
I had a blind taste of two coffees. One which was a normal brew from the outlet (not espresso, just regular brewed coffee/long black), and the other was the Starbucks VIA Ready Brew. I straight away knew which was the brew from the outlet because of a tinge of burnt coffee taste. But besides that the coffees pretty much was of the same standard.
Still skeptical. I have been trying the coffee in the office for 4 days now, and it’s actually pretty good. You know what I think makes this product as well? You can dissolve it in cold water, which means you can make iced coffees.
The Starbucks VIA Ready Brew range of products
My conclusion is, it is of a superior quality than all those nescafe or super brands of coffee powder, but with quality comes a price.
The suggested retail price for Singapore will be S$3.90 for three and S$13.90 for twelve. A bit steep you might say? But if you calculate, it works out to be a bit more than S$1.00 for a cup of good coffee. At the end of the day, it depends on your propensity to spend on a good instant coffee or how big of a Starbucks fan you are. It’s not an espresso so don’t expect that taste, but this is still good.
Products with the VIA packets in them
The VIA products like the Thermos cups and packet holders are nice, but not completely mind-blowing. But I do like the packet holder pictured above right, just because the colours go well with my furniture and it’s a classy looking container. Just letting you know about the new stuff you can find at Starbies
Ever know the significance of the prayer flags you see adorned on high points of the Himalayas, on bridges, monasteries and big rocks that look like they are going to roll down on a house?
Prayer flags in a monastery in Nako
There are two kinds of prayer flags: horizontal ones, called lung ta (meaning “Wind Horse”) in Tibetan, and the vertical Darchor. Dar translates as “to increase life, fortune, health and wealth”, and Cho translates as “all sentient beings”.
Lung Ta (horizontal) prayer flags are of square or rectangular shape, and are connected along their top edges to a long string or thread. They are commonly hung on a diagonal line from high to low between two objects (e.g., a rock and the top of a pole) in high places such as the tops of temples, monasteries, stupas, and mountain passes.
Darchor (vertical) prayer flags are usually large single rectangles attached to poles along their vertical edge. Darchor are commonly planted in the ground, mountains, cairns, and on rooftops..
Traditionally, prayer flags come in sets of five. The five colors represent the elements,and the Five Pure Lights and are arranged from left to right in specific order: blue, white, red, green, and then yellow. Different elements are associated with different colors for specific traditions and purposes.
Blue symbolizes sky/space
white symbolizes air/wind
red symbolizes fire
green symbolizes water
yellow symbolizes earth.
According to Traditional Tibetan medicine, health and harmony are produced through the balance of the five elements.
Traditionally, prayer flags are used to promote peace, compassion, strength, and wisdom. The flags do not carry prayers to gods, a common misconception; rather, the Tibetans believe the prayers and mantras will be blown by the wind to spread the good will and compassion into all pervading space. Therefore, prayer flags are thought to bring benefit to all.
Prayer flags in the wind
By hanging flags in high places the Lung ta will carry the blessings depicted on the flags to all beings. As wind passes over the surface of the flags which are sensitive to the slightest movement of the wind, the air is purified and sanctified by the Mantras.
The prayers of a flag become a permanent part of the universe as the images fade from exposure to the elements. Just as life moves on and is replaced by new life, Tibetans renew their hopes for the world by continually mounting new flags alongside the old. This act symbolizes a welcoming of life’s changes and an acknowledgment that all beings are part of a greater ongoing cycle.
Because the symbols and mantras on prayer flags are sacred, they should be treated with respect. They should not be placed on the ground or used in clothing. Old prayer flags should be burned.
THIS was the BEST day of our trip. It was a sweet surprise at how beautiful this place was. It was like uncovering a hidden treasure.
The day started off really early with us packing up the car and heading back down to Reckong Peo to get our border passes sorted.
Morning view at Kalpa
Peaches perhaps?
Pears for sure!
Plenty of time to goof in the car
En route
A peek of a peak!
Up in the clouds
Sun rays through the valley
For those wanting to travel near the borders of India and Tibet, you need to get clearance from the tourist office. The problem is, there is no guarantee. Whether you get the pass depends on the whether the chief officer is in to sign the papers, and even if he is in, whether he is in a good mood to approve it or not.
Playing with town kids while we wait for our passes
This didn’t bode well with our plans. We already detoured once with the Rohtang Pass being blocked, we couldn’t afford another day of delays if we were going to get back to Delhi in time for our flight out of India. So we had to work out plan B just in case.
Reading, cards, anything to pass the time
We got the the tourist office, got the paperwork done, provided our passport photocopies and photos, now all we could do is wait. There were about 5 other groups of travellers who were waiting for the approval. One Israeli family said they have been waiting since yesterday!
Throwing a rugby ball around to pass time.
Pretty in Pink
The beautiful Saskia
While mummy works...
While mummy works...
While waiting, we played cards, had breakfast, went into the square and threw the rugby ball around. This was when we started gathering a crowd. Little kids from the top of the hill came down and watched, itching to be part of the fun. So we asked them all to join us!
Soon we had a circle of about 20 kids and adults in the game. It was wonderful to hear the laughter and see the smiles on their faces. It was then I had my ‘moment’ of realization on what I wanted to do in my life in terms of a career. More on that in a future post.
A few hours had passed, and we had our lucky break. Chief officer was coming into the office today, and he gave us an ok to proceed!
Went to a teashop for a cup of chai. Owner of the shop used to be a university lecturer, very articulate man. That is his daughter on the right.
Sas and I
A glimpse between the valley, it felt so close
Mandatory air time shot of the group...
Hipster shades with the hipster scarf...when on holiday, my wardrobe goes out the window. I wear whatever I want to wear. Nothing needs to match, just as long as it's comfortable.
Little surprise enroute, waterfall which also spills over on to the road
Aaahhhhh
Children are always inquisitive when we pass them on the roads. Maybe because they hardly see foreigners. It's not a frequently visited route for tourists.
Passed by a wedding procession, lucky us. Check out grandpa's tinsel garland!
Himalayan air works wonders for the skin
Gets better.... wait for it...
So we drove…and drove. And as we drove further up the mountains, something amazing happened. It was like we crossed into a different dimension. The sky turned a magnificent deep cobalt blue, the sun rays between the clouds made it feel like the universe was lighting the way to paradise. And to all of our absolute surprise and amazement, we truly felt like we have reached paradise.
Most of the journey this is what I'm doing, window down, hair flying, taking photos.
Almost there...
wait for it...
Did i mention, that a lot of road construction and labour work are done by women?
nearly...
First of all, how did they get there. Secondly, where are they going?
Tobs having a 'moment'...
Great rooftop colours
Prayer flags
Monastery just before Nako town
Residential in Nako
Sitting in comfortable cane chairs while we watch the sun set
Nothing prepared us for the beauty we experienced that day. I guess it’s because we DIDN’T google image the place, it WASN’T part of the plan, and we had NO expectations. We found a great guesthouse overlooking the mountain range called Kinnaur House.
Overlooking Nako to the left
Overlooking Nako to the right
Sas and Roh with sun in their eyes
BFF picture with Roh
Paradise found...
Nako (3600m) is a small village in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India. It lies in the sensitive restricted zone along the border with Tibet, hence why we required an Inner Line Permit to travel through. That, coupled with its remote location and limited tourist infrastructure, makes it a little-visited but rewarding destination.
To the back of us, our tents and no one else above us.
Kinnaur guesthouses were actually tents. Not camping tents, but more like luxury permanent tents. They were huge and made out of canvas. The tents looked like they were custom made, even allowing for an extension at the back for the toilet. You unzip the tent and inside was a large king sized bed, rattan chairs and a dresser. Walk in further and there is another zipped door that reveals the bathroom which is semi-outdoor. There is a cold water tap, sink, and a seated toilet.
Entrance of our tents
There were chairs outside the tents which faced the mountains, and we all just sat there, silent, absolutely dumb-founded that we had discovered this place.
One of my favourite photos of the trip... can anyone say Facebook profile pic!
It’s hard for me to describe everything in a blog post, i admit i’m not a creative writer, but I try my best to paint the picture for you as best as i can with all my senses.
Eyes: I did something different for this post. I just could not bear to put them into a collage and cut the size by half. These pictures had to be displayed in full glory as it deserves.
Put your feet up and soak it all in...
While mummy works...
Sounds: Light wind causes the wheat in the field just a few metres below us to whistle, while it’s being tendered by a mother while her child plays among the grass. You hear the mother shout out to the hills above, and soon you’d hear a reply from another woman, and yet another. But it wasn’t an angry shout, it almost sounded melodic, like they were singing a hillsong. And the others echoed the reply in song.
While mummy works...
Sas having a 'moment;
Feel: It’s chilly, and the cool breeze rummages through your hair every few seconds. The sun is just setting, but it still casts a warmth on your face to keep you comfortable.
At the highest point of our trek overlooking Nako
Smell: fresh and crisp. There’s no vehicle in sight, no garbage pill or stagnant drain. The only smell is of a hint of burning firewood from the kitchens cooking up plates of delicious momos.
Even further up behind us
Before the sun sets, we decided to take a short trek to one of the high points near the guesthouse. Remember when you’re trekking, don’t just look down on the ground. Stop, and look around. I think many times I forget that it’s not about getting to the top, but to savour as much of the journey up.
Prayer flags in the wind
When we reached the top, there were strings and strings of prayer flags flapping in the wind. And slowly the sun set behind us and the moon and stars appeared.
Raju our elephant holiday mascot. We had a stone elephant called Ah Pu on our previous trip to India.
composition
Last glimpse of the sun
Hello moon and star
Time to head back down to our guesthouse before it gets too dark to walk down. Hardly any light here after dark.
Dining hall at Kinaur guesthouse, alot cosier and beautiful in real life, picture doesn't do it justice
Back at the guesthouse, we were the only group in the dining hall. We ordered hot momos, soups and curry and ended the day around the campfire.
One of the guesthouse staff and Tobs trying to get the fireplace going....
Got it working in the end
Keeping warm
Me TRYING to help Elz after she fell backwards rocking the chair, but we just couldn't stop laughing!
Temperatures dropped in the evening
Huddling around the fireplace after dinner
Cards in the cold in the girl's tent. Beds were huge!
Just before we turned in for the night, we all played a few rounds of cards with wide grins on our faces recollecting what a fantastic day we had. Here’s a video which captured most of the day’s activities.
I interrupt my India travel posts to write about something which really annoyed me 2 weekends ago. We were at the family dinner table one evening discussing about AccordingToPatients, a website that allows you to rate and review healthcare professionals in Asia, what we coined like a TripAdvisor for healthcare professionals, when my mum told me about her worse experience with a doctor.
Opthomologist by profession, brown-noser by name. This is not a post to question his capabilities as a doctor,but to bring to light REAL experience at his clinic. I really hope you can take the time to read how the day unfolded.
Absolutely appalled by this story. My mum isn’t the sort of person who would react to the situation, but on hindsight she wished she has given him her piece of mind, reported him to the Singapore Medical Council, and asked for a refund.
She did send a complaint letter to his clinic, but as expected, no reply.
I was furious after hearing this and what my mum had to tolerate that day at the clinic. So in addition to writing here, I’m posting it on AccordingToPatients.
If you’ve had bad (or good) service, I think it’s important to share this information. If not, more people are going to be sucked in and sent to doctors who don’t give a damn.
I think patients needs a voice. Well I’m going to rate and review that doctor tonight on behalf of my mum.
(( @
