The unSingaporean

If my girls came here, forget tourist spots, I'll bring them around for a day of some of very hearty food and unique shopping for clothes just like today.

We had broadbean curry with yellow rice and papaddam, warm sultana halava with custard sauce for desert and lassi drink for lunch for only five freaking dollars at Crossways. Refills for the main meal, desert and drink are free of charge. Courtesy of the Hare Krishna people. Very wholesome vegetarian food in a no-frills setting for people from all walks of life from the homeless to the budgeting student to the office workers and hippies up a little stairwell on Swanston St. The halava is a must try. Everything is self-serviced including clearing your own table and returning dirty plates and cutlery to its designated tubs. I quite like the earthy, do-it-yourself atmosphere.

Then off to Sydney Road - a pretty quiet suburb interspersed with dingy pubs, uninhabited shops, Lebanese and Turkish cafes, the occasional stripclub and shops solely dedicated to clothing for Muslim women. I found a shop that imported gorgeous formal dinner skirts from Turkey. When I mean formal, I mean it's impossible to carry it off at work without people raising an eyebrow and way too nice to wear casually out in the city. The fabrics are quite unique and never seen before (and I do hunt around for long skirts as a hobby - I have about 16 skirts at the moment). I didn't buy one. Yet.

After walking very far and nearly giving up on finding a place to pray before Zohor was over, we stumbled upon a hidden mosque. Very inconspicuos entrance through a bookshop that led to a prayer place behind. Another one to add to the growing list.

Then to thrifty recycle shop Savers. A whole department store of used shoes, jackets, pants, skirts, shorts, books, crockery, candlestands and furniture categorised according to size. The musty smell of vintage and second hand goods wafts through the air and spells out BARGAIN. Some very nice clothes here unfortunately most not in my size. Whilst looking through several pairs of beach bermudas, someone commented, "that the previous owner may have had thrush." Bark of laughter. My hands withdraw like it had touched fire. More laughter.

Found nice thick smart casual winter jacket for $8. And Jewel Kilcher's book on her life growing up (once in my younger days I searched high and low for) sitting in the book corner. I bought the jacket. Try to spot the second hand goods next time you see me.

Then finally to LaPaella. A teapot of the most soothing mint tea with some fried pecorino cheese with salad to start off with. Then some spicy harissa with fresh Moroccan bread not for the faint-hearted. Beef cooked in a tagine with Moroccan spices, sweet cinammon, prunes and almonds that simply melts in one's mouth with ifran chicken - chicken smothered with caramalised honey, banana, pineapple and almonds with creamy mashed potatoes.

And for desert, coffee served in a traditional Moroccan tea cup with moist almond biscuits.

And if our stomachs could take it and we were willing to wait for at least an hour to be seated, we would take the tram to Fitzroy to visit the Morrocan Soup Bar for their famous chick pea bake - chickpeas served with almonds, yoghurt, tahini and crumbled pide. An a shot of cardamom black coffee with pistachio biscuits.

I'm going to learn how to make mint tea. Then I buy moroccan tea pot and tea cups. Then we sit and drink tea to our heart's content. Amacam babe?