Tales of Singapore: "I don't understand"

Once in a while, I remember incidents I came across in my last visit to Singapore during the Christmas season.
I was lucky enough that Helene welcomed me to her home and hearth (and dining table let's not forget!).

I got to partake all of those delicious dishes she dishes out, met her fun family, played with their beloved frisky doggie.
I also made contact with new friends in Multiply (hello to Pat and Jan) and had a reunion of sorts with old friends from my hometown (hello to Lani, Santi and their family, and also to Lando and his family).

I want to recount some of the happy memories which come to the forefront of my mind when I think of Singapore.


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In the Yuletide season of 2008, I was sitting at Helene's breakfast table with veritable feast of Singapore goodies laid out on it.  In the midst of the golden toasted bread piled high, nestling with fruits and other typical  breakfast items, my first introduction to "Kaya" happened.



I wasn't adventurous to sample it without asking first what were the components inside the jar sitting innocently in front of my eyes.  I naturally turned to Helene's  brood who were with me at the dining area.

Helene's children are well-behaved and a bit reserved. Or maybe they were wary because I was a newbie in their home who had a voracious appetite..but that is another story. Haha.

They smile affably and they speak with quiet, almost hushed voices - with a touch or more of the Singaporean accent.
Most of the time I have to pause and think about what they are saying. Sometimes a translator is needed

On my part, I have a tendency to speak very quickly, with my words tripping over themselves. Sometimes people also ask me to repeat my words as I almost babble when I am enthusiastic - especially when I am in front of unfamiliar, scrumptious food.

I was almost famished, but mentally prepared, I pointed to the jar and asked Sky what it was.
Surely ingredients would not be so hard to translate, right?
Unless it was something I had not come across before in the Philippines.

Sky answered in his soft voice, and for the life of me I couldn't make out what he was saying!
Was he quoting a list of ingredients, or how to make whatever it was or warning me off from eating it?
After he spoke the second time, I was still having question marks floating lazily above my head and all over the dining room.

"Uhmm....hmm... I..don't..understand...."

I turned expectantly to River who was on the sofa near the table.  She smiled winsomely. Then muttered softly, shrugged and said something to both Sky and me.

Feeling like a Jurassic-era cavewoman, struggling to unravel the endless mystery of a simple wheel, I sadly told her, "Sorry River, I don't understand."

My stomach then growled menacingly. Embarrassed,  I grabbed a piece of bread, opened the jar and spread a little bit of the Kaya on it.

I took a tentative bite. 
Wowza!!  Mmmm...Delicious!!

I scooped out more and liberally spread the Kaya, then munched happily on my masterpiece.  I was all agog to find out what I was gorging on...and I would ask Helene as soon as she made her appearance!

When Helene burst in from the kitchen, another piece of toast was already dangling haphazardly from a corner of my mouth.

I waved excitedly at her and with a muffled voice asked her, "Wazz-iz-this? Tesh-tesh-underfool! Hmm...whats-it-made-out-of??"

Helene looked at me curiously as I continued nibbling on the toast with feverish zeal.
She cocked her head...and furrowing her brow she answered seriously.

"Eh? Cat, I don't understand you."

I snorted and almost choked on my Kaya-toast.

Now, that was unexpected!



Kaya is a coconut jam made from coconut milk, chicken or duck eggs and flavored with the pandan leaf, with sugar as sweetener. Kaya is sweet and creamy, available as a golden brown or green colored spread depending on the amount of pandan and extent of carameralization of the sugar.
* picture taken from http://anton.blogs.com/awesome/2006/10/my_kaya_addicti.html