Sugar Cane Juice and Plum at Newton Hawker Centre

Problem
Where to go after 10 pm near Newton, that doesn't cost the earth (like the Sheraton Towers hotel).

Answer
Newton Hawker Centre. I had previously declined invitations to go there. I didn't need more calories. I didn't want to spend money.

But this time I really wanted to talk. I managed to persuade my companion to walk further and cross at the lights. I have been knocked down by a car in the UK.

The hawker centre is crowded with people.

My new friend offers to pay. I am going to teach him some French. He might teach me some Mandarin in return.

Juice
I opt for fruit juice. I select the cheapest juice. It is $2.50. Cane juice with plum. Sounds good to me. I can't get that at home (in England).

Stool
Despite being perched on round stools with no backs, in the open air, I never noticed any discomfort, perhaps because I am engrossed in the conversation as well as by the drink.

Table
We are at a long table.

Drink
It is a long drink. Cold. With a straw.

It is slightly sweet. At the bottom are two small plums, looking a bit like prunes, shrunk to the size of elongated black cherries. Nothing special about the drink. Good enough. Cheap and convenient.

Singaporean

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Photos will be added tomorrow.

Straw with a drink inside - Vita Sip

Here's a novelty, I thought. Deep the thick straw into a glass of water and you get an instant drink.

I later showed it to a British man over 60, expecting him to say, "this is daft, just for kids," but to my amazement, he exulted, "I love it - we used to have these in England when I was a child, back in the Sixties."

So the idea has come around again, like all good ideas.

Flavours are assorted. As you would expect, your magic straw comes in a sealed pack. A real novelty for any party or cocktail bar. Especially good for non drinkers who want a novelty drink. Designated driver. Party people.

I saw it at the trade exhibition at Expo in Singapore.
www.foodnhotelasia.com

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.