There is no such thing as Singapore Fried Noodles.

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This is a pre-scheduled post. I am currently away on vacation! 

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It was late April and I was in a frenzy. Twin B had informed me that her 4th Grade class was celebrating Heritage Week. She had signed me up for the class potluck and she knew exactly what she wanted me to cook.

I freaked out.

How in the world was I supposed to cook rice vermicelli for a class of 30? 

My little girl was excited and I couldn't bring myself to say no. After all, when I was in 9th Grade, my mom did the same for me. She fried rice vermicelli for the school's food fair and boy, was that a hit! So I sucked it up and whipped up enough fried bee hoon for a class of 4th Graders and their teacher.

As expected, my mom's dish was a HUGE hit! Many kids asked for seconds and at least 2 kids asked me, quite seriously no less, if I would accept them into my family so they could get my mom's recipe. LOL! 

As much as I was amused that the kids had enjoyed my fried rice vermicelli, a deep realization had hit me hard - my girls have no idea what my country of birth is really like. They have never been there. During Heritage Week, my twins each had to write a paper about my birth country and much to my chagrin, and despite the fact that I had frequently talked to them about my childhood, the essays that they wrote were based entirely on what they had found online. To their credit, they did an excellent job in their writing and yet despite the high marks, I can't help feeling somewhat hollow. I could spend days telling them all about the country, but without bringing them there to experience the place, the people and most of all, the food, my efforts are meaningless.

And so here we are. By the time you read this post, we will be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, on a flight to an island 8000 miles away from Seattle. We are headed to Singapore where I will show my kids what hot-and-humid means and what the heck is Popiah and Kueh. That in Singapore, there is no such thing as Singapore Fried Noodles, and Ice Kachang is not the same as Mango-shaved ice.

We are going to show our kids what Singapore is all about.

Files used:
Bento Box graphics
Bento Box paper pack