the ultimate living - sc globalglocalisation: local designers go global gourmet: spanish influence...

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THE ULTIMATE L IV ING

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OBSESSION: THE LURE OF THE SEA

GLOCALISATION: LOCAL DESIGNERS GO GLOBAL

GOURMET: SPANISH INFLUENCE

ART: AN ANCIENT ART RE-EMERGES

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SAVE LIVESFIRST

THE BEST THING FOR OUR AILING WORLD MIGHT BE TO STOP SPENDING MONEY ON

REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS TO SAVE THE EARTH. STORY SUMANA RAJARETHNAM

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The latest research on climate change is

hardly news to cheer about. Researchers from

Oxford University have found that climate

change is not caused by short-term increases

in carbon emission, but by the total amount of

carbon we burn into the atmosphere. Burning

carbon in exchange for energy is something

mankind has been doing in a significant way

since the Industrial Revolution. And consider-

ing how long that has been, the implications

are severe: the world will have to stop emitting

carbon or risk environmental catastrophe.

We need only remember two numbers: one

trillion and two. If more than one trillion tonnes

of carbon are emitted, the world temperature

will rise by two degrees Celsius. Seems small

but that rise will cause global damage, according

to the Stern Report, the study commissioned by

the British government. The world has already

burnt through half a trillion tonnes of carbon.

At current consumption, the next half trillion

will be gone in a mere 40 years, something that

politicians get worked up about.

US President Barack Obama’s administration

proposes an aggressive programme to wean

America off carbon, progressively decreasing

emissions until levels are 30 per cent lower by

2050. That would put emissions levels in the US

the same as they were in 1905.

Let ’s just step back and take a look at

Amer ican l ife in 1905. There were 80,000

vehicles—none of them gas-guzzling SUVs—

compared to 250 million today. Ninety per cent

of the country had no electricity. Electronic

consumer goods, like f lat-screen TVs and PCs,

were unheard of. No one had air-conditioning.

The average American lived three decades less

then than he would today. Can you imagine

how diff icult it would be to achieve a zero

carbon world?

Other governments are tak ing similar

steps. The Rudd government in Australia had

a modest carbon reduction scheme that would

have cost businesses US$8 billion in 2010 to

2011, not counting the reduction in jobs and

decreased government revenue, although this

has recently been delayed. The UK wants to tax

companies that breach a threshold of energy

use starting next year. Tesco, a supermar-

ket chain, will have to pay over US$80 million

under this ruling.

For a decade now, there have been plans

for carbon trading, essentially taxing corpo-

rations that use over a certain amount of

carbon. Countries want to switch to alterna-

tive forms of power, and are making plans for

“green economy jobs.” These are new jobs that

will be created so that the world can move to

an energy system rid of carbon. While the

intention appears noble, the narrative doesn’t

seem to focus on the economic and social cost

of such an ambitious agenda. One study by

McKinsey puts the annual cost of an effort to

halve emissions, and build a new energy infra-

structure by 2030, up to a whopping US$463

billion. Given the lack of liquidity in the current

fi nancial situation, the question is: Is reducing

carbon emissions worth the money?

The short answer is no. There are other

things governments could do with their money

to save l ives. The Copenhagen Consensus

hosted a group of Nobel laureates to calcu-

late the relative cost of global initiatives. They

found the return to carbon mitigation policies

to be about 90 cents on the dollar. The fi rst two

years of the war on terror returned nine cents

on the dollar.

B u t B j o r n L o m b o r g , d i r e c t o r o f t h e

Copenhagen Consensus asks to look at the

f lipside: “Today, one billion people lack clean

drinking water, two billion people lack sanita-

tion and three billion people lack simple micro-

nutrients.” The Nobel laureates calculated the

benefi ts of focusing on these problems. Turns

out, US$60 million spent on providing simple

micronutrients to four-fi fths of children under

the age of two in sub-Saharan Africa would

bring US$1 billion in benefits. That’s a return

of $17 on the dollar. Spending US$1 billion on

combating tuberculosis would save one million

lives, and return $30 on every dollar spent.

Malaria will claim one million lives in poor

countries in 2009. Prevention of this disease is

relatively easy. You need more bed nets, better

medication and a lot of DDT spraying. An

outlay of US$500 million a year would save half

a million lives, most of them children under

the age of fi ve. These examples have common

traits—they are relatively cheap but high on

bang-for-your-buck value. And, they are but

a few examples of projects that save more

lives, with more certainty, compared to carbon

reduction.

Scientists are beginning to question the

validity of climate change policies as well. Not

because there is an argument as to whether

climate change is human-induced, but because

they question the validity of spending trillions

to achieve so litt le. Consider the scenario

painted by Phillip Stott, a professor from the

University College of London. At a lecture in

London, he remarked, “Think of the world from

inner Siberia, to Singapore and then to the Arab

states in the Sahara. The temperature change

that I have just described is from -20 degrees

Celsius to nearly 50 degrees Celsius, in which

humanity has learned to live. That’s a range of

70 degrees. To think that governments want to

spend billions to reduce the temperature by 2

or 3 degrees is sub-prime science, sub-prime

economics and most of all, sub-prime politics.”

Dr. Stott has a point. Climates are chaotic

and complex systems, and to think that we

can manipulate them to our will seems crazy.

For example, global warming might kill an

additional 400,000 people by the end of the

century. That is reported widely in the press.

What is not reported is the fact that 1.8 million

cold-related deaths might be averted by the

increase in temperature. That’s a net gain.

What’s more, the two- or three-degree reduc-

tion only dances around the margins of change.

The polit ical reality is that r ich govern-

ments cannot expect others l ike China or

India, to replace 3-cent coal with 15-cent wind

or 30-cent solar power. With their thirst for

energy, that seems more like a pipe dream.

Plenty of money should be spent on research

and development to f ind a way out of our

carbon-reliance. Governments have to find a

successor to the Kyoto Protocol by the end of

this year. Hopefully, they do the rational thing,

rather than the popular thing.

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ION DREAMING OF A PICTURE PERFECT HOME BY THE SEA? THE GOOD NEWS IS THERE IS NO

NEED TO TRAVEL HUNDREDS OF MILES TO GET A SLICE OF PARADISE.STORY DAVEN WU IMAGES SEVEN PALMS, ISTOCKPHOTO


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For many of us, the idea of paradise conjures

up images of the ocean — cool nights and

warm days, rose–hued sunsets against a pink

hor izon, and white washed beach houses

with the windows thrown wide open to catch

the breeze and the rhythmic melody of gentle

lapping waves.

From literature to celluloid, it is an irresist-

ible image that grips our imagination, speak-

ing to us of nostalgia, blossoming love, youth,

and emotional reconnection. In the iconic fl ick

Summer of ’42, a young boy falls in love for the

fi rst time by the sea with the luminous Jennifer

O’Neill. In Beaches, an ailing Barbara Hershey

returned to her home by the sea to say her fi nal

farewells. And who can forget the lush beach

scenes that set the f irst intense blushes of

romance between Barbra Streisand and Robert

Redford in The Way We Were.

Indeed, the allure of living by the sea is as

powerful today as it has been for centuries.

And it is why beach vacations where we fl ock to

water to rest, recharge and recline are a mark

of successful holidays.

Interior designer Albano Daminato is one

of the lucky few who enjoys the trappings of a

beach holiday, every day. His home, overlook-

ing the South China Sea, has been a deliber-

ate investment in a lifestyle that reaps great

personal rewards. “For me, there is a pure

energy force in being near a body of water,”

he says. He should know, having worked on

several AmanResorts. “Spiritually, a home by

the sea offers a feeling of peace and tranquillity.

It’s a place where you can return to recharge

and refresh.”

From the grand mansions of the Hamptons

to the villas clutched precariously to the cliffs

surrounding Cote d’Azur, the bragging rights

of a sea-fronted home have traditionally been

the province of the well-heeled. But in the new

millennium, the traditional concept of living by

the sea has morphed into one geared for a new,

mobile, business-savvy consumer who needs to

be plugged in 24/7 or who prefers to work from

home. Today’s consumer may want beachfront

action but is rarely willing to commit to the air

miles to get it.

This explains the allure of sunny spots like

Bondi Beach and Cape Cod, where access to sun,

sand and surf is knitted to physical proximity

to the stock market and offi ces.

“People need to escape the rat race,” says

Juan Luis Br iceño, the director of Studio

Butter-Briceño, a Helsinki-based architectural

fi rm. “This calls for a retreat within a peaceful

environment and there’s no better way to do so

than a beach home which is close to the city.”

Briceño adds that the idea of mobility, which

at one stage made it difficult to conceive of

life outside the city, has changed. So much so

that canny property developers are responding

to the demand and recruiting top-of-the-line

architects in the crusade.

Anchored 20km off Abu Dhabi and mere

minutes from downtown by helicopter, the

Nurai development by up-and-coming archi-

tect Dror Benshetr it blends pr ivate v il las

with soft sand and spa in an area that barely

stretches 1.5km.

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In the Asia-Pacif ic

r e g i o n , i n v e s t o r s

cont i nue t he i r love

af fa i r w ith Phuket ’s

g o o d i nt e r n at i o n a l

schools, golf courses,

hospitals and postcard

p e r f e c t s t r e t c h e s

o f p o w d e r y w h i t e

beaches. Last year, the

Royal Phuket Marina

launched two 10,000-sq

f t A q u a m i n i u m s ,

swanky Venice-inspired

residences with private

speedboat garages. Both were snapped up,

entirely off the back of a computer-generated

film, by Italian bankers at US$2m each at the

Hong Kong launch.

In Singapore, SC Global Developments is

working with Kerry Hill Architects, long time

collaborators of Aman Resorts, to unveil their

vision of beachfront living with the upcoming

project, Seven Palms. A bijou 41-villa develop-

ment perched on Sentosa Cove and overlook-

ing tranquil Tanjong Beach, Seven Palms is

positioned as Singapore’s only bona fi de beach-

front residence. And while other residential

properties on Sentosa are fronted by a rock-

lined coast with no direct access to the nearby

beaches, Seven Palms provides all the pleas-

ures of beachfront living while being less than

20 minutes from the CBD. This last point is

important. As Briceño points out, urban dwell-

ers are constrained by their built environment,

which by its nature, is conceived for the collec-

tive, rather than the individual. This means the

option of privacy tends to be confi ned to interior

space within walls. Seafront residences facili-

tate a more “natural” environment in which the

individual takes centre stage.

From an investment perspective, it’s true

that beachfront homes do not come cheap, but

it’s equally true that they rather effortlessly

maintain an allure that is recession proof. As

Daminato says, “From a real estate or urban

planning point of view, a water frontage means

that developments will not—short of land

reclamation—rise up in front of you to block

your view.”

Gabriel Cardon agrees. The French expat

is currently building a waterfront home on

Phuket. Beachfront investment, he says, makes

special sense in the current market “as the

property price will seldom depreciate. No one

can take away the view from you.”

And that, as the ad goes, is priceless.


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STEEPED IN HISTORY, DRENCHED IN THE WARS OF EMPIRES AND CARVED OUT OF LUXURIOUS

MATERIALS, ISLAMIC ART IS AS STUNNING AS ANY GENRE.STORY CRISPINA ROBERT IMAGES ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS MUSEUM, SINGAPORE AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART

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In November last year, amid explosive

fireworks and beautiful sounds from Yo Yo

Ma’s cello, the Museum of Islamic Art opened

in Doha, Qatar. By al l accounts, the I .M.

Pei-designed building was a signal to the world

that the oil-rich sheiks were keen on spending

their petrodollars on cultural pursuits that had

more to do with their rich history than that of

their Western counterparts.

The Doha museum, which houses anything

from manuscr ipts, text iles, ceramics and

paintings, has emerged as home to the world’s

most comprehensive collections of Islamic art,

according to the New York Times. Artworks

in the museum crisscross the fertile crescent

of the old Muslim empires—from Iran, Iraq,

Turkey, Central Asia, Egypt and Spain. The

significance of this grand opening was not

lost on art dealers and collectors—it not only

brought Islamic art into Western conscious-

ness but also to their wallets, heating up this

part of the market considerably.

WHAT IS ISLAMIC ART

Art has been said to be the mirror of culture,

and nowhere is this clearer than in Islamic

Art. For Muslims, because of the primacy of

their religion, much of early Islamic art avoids

portraits and pictures (of people, things and

animals), as these were considered idols, and

strictly prohibited. This is why early Islamic

art is rich in abstract motifs, geometric shapes,

patterns, colours, and calligraphy.

Annie Carone, curator at the Los Angeles

County Museum of Art (LACMA) explains the

particular fascination with calligraphy in

Islamic art. “Writing or calligraphy, because of

its association with the Qur’an, was and is the

highest form of Islamic art. And because of this,

(the museum) has a vitrine devoted to callig-

raphy and inscriptions in the early Islamic

period,’’ said Carone, in an email interview. The

LACMA is ranked as one of the top collectors of

Islamic art in the world, a collection it started

in 1973.

But Carone cautions against looking at

Islamic Art in purely relig ious terms. She

points out that many of the objects on display

at the LACMA are “simply spectacular in and

of themselves.’’ For instance, an 11th-century

gold bracelet from Egypt or Syria whose sheer

size and intricate workmanship “stop most

visitors in their tracks”. Another example is a

17th-century Turkish box inlaid with tortoise-

shell and mother-of-pearl, brilliantly illumi-

nated by museum lights.

These ancient communit ies had much

in common with our modern ones too, says

Carone. She offers the example of a small glazed

ceramic spouted vessel from 10th-century

Iran or Central Asia. On one side of this vessel,

the inscription reads ‘drink from it’ and on

the other side it says, ‘cheers!’ “Clearly this is

meant to be humourous. We too have mass-

produced coffee mugs with the words ‘cream’

and ‘sugar’ or cups with ‘cheers!’. How truly

rare that someone living in 21st century LA

has something in common with someone from

10th century Iran?’’ asks Carone.

This utilitarian aspect of Islamic art is also

stressed by Tan Huism, the senior curator of

the West Asia Gallery at Singapore’s Asian

Civilizations Museum (ACM). She too talks of

porcelain mugs or bowls that have interesting

inscriptions about being generous or eating in

moderation. “Even their scientifi c instruments

were beautifully made, and this is the main

feature of Islamic art—the sheer craftsman-

ship. Many of their art work have bright colours

and small pin pricks that refl ect light depend-

ing on how you look at it. They were all made

to be experienced by the user,’’ says Tan. While

there might be a limited collection in Singapore,

Islamic art has a profound (and profi table) inter-

est in the West.

EMBRACED IN THE WEST

While it might seem that there is an endur-

ing conf lict between the West and Muslim

nations, LACMA for one sees art as the way

in which both can better understand each

other. Another organisation with the same

belief was London’s Saatchi Gallery which

launched Unveiled: New Art from the Middle

East, an exhibition of contemporary art from

several Middle Eastern countries. It was billed a

runaway success when it ended its run in May

this year.



ISLAMIC ART COLLECTIONS AROUND THE WORLD

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art

houses one of the most signif icant collec-

tions of Islamic art in the world. The collection

comprises more than 1,700 works, of which

some 150 examples are on view.

www.lacma.org

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

The Museum has an Islamic collection that is

now under renovation. Still, many important

pieces of its collection are available for view

throughout the museum.

www.metmuseum.org

The Museum of Islamic Art, Doha. Brand new

and already housing an impressive collection

of artworks dating back to the 7th century, the

Museum of Islamic Art is a must-see for those

interested in this genre.

www.mia.org.qa/english/index.html#home

Asian Civil izat ions Museum, West Asia

Gallery, Singapore. Visit Gallery 5 and 5A to see

skillful calligraphy of ancient Islamic Art.

www.acm.org.sg

Is lam ic A r t s Museum of Malay sia . In

December 1998, Malaysia became home to

Southeast Asia’s largest museum of Islamic

art. The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia houses

more than 7,000 artefacts.

www.iamm.org.my

A not her keen col lec tor i s t he Br it i sh

Museum which, in 2006, launched an exhibi-

tion on artists of the modern Middle East. That

exhibit ion featured over 80 contemporary

artists from the heart of Islam. Many of these

works had political and social undertones and

a good portion of artists were women. Isabelle

Caussé, who helped curate the exhibition, told

the BBC that though many of the artists have

been deeply inf luenced by the politics of the

Middle East, the museum’s aim was simply to

show the world developments in modern art in

a huge region whose culture remains unfamil-

iar to most people outside its borders.

Auction houses Christie’s and Sotheby’s

have also jumped in to cash in. Both recorded

strong sales from their Middle East art shows.

One example is I ran ian sculptor Par v iz

Tanavoli whose bronze sculpture entit led

The Wall sold for a record US$2.8 at a Christie’s

Dubai sale in April last year. Another Iranian

artist whose calligraphic interpretations of

Arabic letters also sells for record prices—

Christie’s estimate was under $150,000 but his

current work He is Merciful went under the

hammer for $1.2 million. Some art collectors

have voiced concerns of speculation that drives

prices up, making it too costly for many inter-

ested buyers. But the fact seems undeniable:

Islamic art is proving to be profitable and the

range of artists is mushrooming.

For fans, Islamic art is a celebration of

sublime beauty and simplicity. But it can also

be an important bridge toward understanding

a religion that is often misunderstood. I.M.Pei,

in an interview at the grand opening of what

is believed to be his last project (he is 91)

said: “Islam was one religion I did not know.’’

He learned by journeying through the Middle

East—from Egypt to Iran—for months before

drawing up his plans for the Qatar museum. For

the rest of us, a glimpse into this ancient art

through a museum visit might yield the same

education.



SPANISH FEVER IS SPREADING IN SINGAPORE

AND THAT IS GOOD NEWS FOR FOOD LOVERS.STORY NOELLE TAN

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Dish created at Diver XO


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The best part about living in a tiny country

is you don’t have to travel very far for a superb

meal. Whether it’s ‘prêt a manger’ hawker

fare or ‘haute couture’ molecular gastronomy,

you can get what you want with relative ease.

And the ever-expanding range of cuisines has

included Spanish food, in the form of tapas

bars and full-fl edged Spanish restaurants.

For two decades, Italian and French restau-

rants were the European options du jour, while

Spanish cuisine was absent on our gourmet

map save for a smattering of small eateries that

served a limited menu.

Editor and frequent traveller Anne Loh

bel ieves that this was the case because

Singaporeans travelled primarily to France and

Italy and enjoyed their food (after all pasta is

similar to noodles). “Haute French restaurants

in the beginning represented worldliness, class

and status,’’ she says. Comparatively, Spain is

an entirely new preposition but with recent

tourism campaigns by Spain, more restaurants

may open as Singaporeans fall in love with the

country and her food, offers Loh.

Ingredients mean everything

Spanish cuisine is vibrant and varied due

to the vast geographical differences of the

country, and draws inf luence from French,

Moorish and even Jewish culinary roots. The

base of numerous dishes comprises olive oil,

peppers, garlic and tomatoes, while depend-

ing on region, ingredients such as cured meats,

seafood and game take precedence. Meanwhile,

a glass or two of cava or sangria is always the

preferred accompaniment.

As a country that is still very much depend-

ent on importing our food, we tend to forget the

effort behind bringing the best of a country’s

produce to a diner’s plate. Spanish ingredients

in particular, until recently, were extremely

difficult to import. For instance, one of the

most prized produce of the country—jamón—

was banned from entering Singapore until 2008.

Restaurateurs and diners alike were delighted,

and now we can enjoy Ibérico and Serrano

hams—cured delights that are as quintes-

sential in Spanish cuisine as good wine and

conversation.

Still, cost remains a very real concern to

restaurant operators. Elaborates Ken Lim,

owner of Don Quijote, a cosy restaurant which

opened last year in Upper Bukit Timah: “We

try our very best to use Spanish ingredients.

However, there are circumstances where this

becomes either impractical or expensive.”

He cites bacalao—salt cod from Spain—as an

example. This ingredient has achieved luxury

status due to its scarcity and is diffi cult as well

as costly to obtain outside of Spain. At Don

Quijote, it is replaced by tuna in the Pemientos

de Piquillo Rellanos de Atun (tuna stuffed with

red piquillo peppers) and is a very popular dish

with diners.

Chef Edward Voon with his carrot,

coconut, caramel, citrus and coffee

creation.


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WHERE TO FIND GOOD SPANISH FOOD IN SINGAPORE:

The Tapas Tree

#01-08, Block D, Clarke Quay. ph: 6837 2938

Bodega Y Tapas

442 Orchard Road, #01-29 Orchard Hotel.

ph: 6735 3476

Dob Quijote

17 Lorong Kilat, #01-09. ph: 6465 1811

7AteNine

#01-10/12 Esplanade Mall. 8 Raffl es Avenue.

ph: 6338 0789

The Tower Club

9 Raffl es Place, Penthouse

(62nd to 64th fl oors), Republic Plaza Tower 1.

For membership enquiries, ph: 6725 7003

Madr id nat ive execut ive chef Rober to

Hernández Sevillano, who heads the kitchen

at Bodega Y Tapas, a lively tapas bar located on

Orchard Road that recently welcomed diners in

2008, shares that while it is a challenge to bring

in Spanish ingredients largely due to distance

and cost, it is def initely possible with the

efforts of several suppliers here. At the restau-

rant, “70 to 80 per cent” of ingredients used

are imported from Spain, including cheeses,

sausages, smoked and sweet paprika, ñora

and pippara (red and green peppers) as well

as of course, jamón. Regulars include Spanish

customers who enjoy the Escalopes de Pato al

Oporto (duck magret escalopes with red port

wine and dried fruits) and Pintxos de Brandada

(emulsion of cod on toasted bread and vinai-

grette). Both eateries also focus on an entirely

Spanish wine list to enhance the experience.

Slow but sure growth potential

Avid Singaporean traveller to Spain and

a fan of its cuisine, Carl Low, welcomes the

rising popularity of Spanish restaurants, but

notes: “Spanish dining is very much centred on

their local and regional produce and a ‘je ne

sais quoi’ chill-out ambience. Perhaps that’s

why the authentic experience is hard to repli-

cate overseas. In 2002, there was a really good

restaurant Sol helmed by a talented Spanish

chef, but sadly, it closed down as the niche

market then for authentic Spanish food was

probably too small to sustain its operations.

Hopefully as more people travel to Spain to

experience the ‘real deal’, they will grow to

appreciate an authentic concept when they

see one.”

Certainly, the rate of growth has not been

exponential with the number of Spanish restau-

rants here standing at less than 10. Perhaps our

diners are still testing the waters. Comments

Don Quijote’s Ken: “We’ve had several local

diners who had reservations about Spanish

food, say ing that it sounded ver y exot ic.

Instead they leave the restaurant very happy

and wondering why they thought it would be

‘far out’.” Now, these diners return regularly to

enjoy the Paella Don Quijote Special and the

Rabo de Toro (oxtail stew).

We could also benefit from more Spanish

culinary talents stepping onto our shores.

Currently, Bodega Y Tapas’ Roberto is the only

Spanish chef helming a Spanish restaurant

here. He cites several reasons, namely distance

and language as barriers to some. Perhaps that

could soon change. During the recent World

Gourmet Summit, Singapore welcomed David

Muñoz, a young and creative chef from one of

Madrid’s hottest restaurants, DiverXO, who

intrigued local diners with his brand of Spanish

cuisine blended with Chinese, Japanese,

Peruvian, Mexican and Moroccan touches.

Describing his cuisine as “food that travels

around the world with a lot of imagination”,

David feels that there is plenty of potential for

his style of cuisine to develop and would not

hesitate to open a restaurant here. On this trip,

he revealed his designs on our chilli crab and

divulged that he had an idea forming: adding

sherry wine reduction to the sauce and pairing

it with crab from Spain. How might that turn

out? Well, perhaps one needs to fi rst taste his

Spanish Tortilla Dim Sum—a saffron dumpling

filled with potatoes and onions cooked with

shao xing wine and topped with a soft quail’s

egg yolk—to have an idea!

Local talents l ike award-winning chef

Edward Voon are also breaking new ground

with his Spanish-inspired cuisine. Citing Paco

Roncero as one of his mentors and Ferran Adrià

as an inspiration, he is wowing diners at the

prestigious Tower Club with his creations.

Hopefully we will be saying ‘hola’ to many

more concepts, both authentic and innovative

very soon.

Clockwise from left:

Croquetas de Pollo at the Tapas

Tree; dishes created at Diver XO

W81765-spainfood.indd 29W81765-spainfood.indd 29 09/07/2009 10:29 AM09/07/2009 10:29 AM

the ultimate living - sc globalglocalisation: local designers go global gourmet: spanish influence...

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