Because of the weather, I had a rare chance to see a different side to Singapore.

People smilingly scrunched up in jackets; hot coffee passing me by, smelling like it’s from another dimension; an odd sapped-out palette that makes everything look like a timeless print from an old newspaper.

Amidst that, I enjoyed my evening today the most.

The cool temperature made me walk around Chinatown that much more while I looked for dinner. Which led to the discovery of a new Crystal Jade Dot Dim Sum shop (31 Pagoda St) at the corner of the Sri Mariamman Temple. The chill had me sit outside, and while eating the roast pork rice, out from a nearby stall, drifted Teresa Teng singing Sio Ba Zhang.

“Eh shuai ge, liang ge ren ma?” (Handsome, table for two?) The restaurant waitress called out to a passer-by.

Singapore is really better without the heat.

Featured photo: Suzhou, 2008