5 things to bring from London (to Singapore)

We had our Chinese New Year all planned away back in Dec. Coming from a traditional chinese family, it was to be the first CNY without our family as we were quite clear we ain't keen in the 14hours flight!

So we hooked up with other expats family to have the big celebration "our way". And had all the necessary stuff prep for the big bang. Yep, big bang, if only I didn't receive a late request from my boss on a business trip to SG.

Well, let's just say there's quite a bit of self interest that i gladly accepted the assignment.

It was less than a week before the trip, so we basically pick up anything in Sainsbury which we can think can interest our Singaporean folks

After we arrived, and gauging from the respond of the recipents, here's what we gathered will be great stuff to bring from London:

1) Scottish Shortbread.

This is basically just butter cookies, but my niece who is a big fan says those from UK beats those from the local supermarket.

2) PG tips tea bags.

We saw some leftover xmas pack on the shelf, and they are the same price as the standard ones.

PG tips was first launch in UK, and believed to aid digestion. I do not know how much truth in the health benefits but i love the revolutionary freeflow pyramid teabag. The bags were developed using unique 'webbed' fibres that allow the water to reach the leaves faster, resulting in a quicker brew. So now you don’t have to wait as long for your cup of PG tips! These are all the technical stuff I read from the box.

This tea is great for home made teh-tarik, I must confess!

BTW, this is not commonly found in Singaporean's supermarket, and if by any chance you do, I was told the price is probably a few times more than it does in UK (it was less than £5 when I got this in late Jan 2011).

3) Lemon Curd

Lemon Curd to English is like Kaya to Singaporean. It's a great cultural exchange. Personally I am hooked to the tangy yet creamy taste!

4) All things Chocolate.

Most people (inluding me) thinks London is expensive, But believe it or not, the chocolates cost a fraction than it would in Singapore.

I checked out the prices of these After Eight in Singapore: we paid £2 (~S$4) while it goes for S$11 in Cold Storage!!!

5) The Nespresso

If you are a coffee lover, you will know this expresso machine.

If you are not, you still got to have this in-thing sitting pretty in your kitchen or living room. As long as your guest can see!

I found out about this good buy when my cousin annouced in Facebook of his latest acquistion. He got this exact model in SG for S$728, while I paid £199 (~S$400)! I am not qualified for the VAT rebate; if you do, you get back another 2o% at airport.

When in SG, I dropped by Ion Orchard and found out that even the coffee capsule cost less in London - I paid about £3 (~S$6) per pack while it retails for S$10 here.

As for this cute Hello Kitty, I am sure it can find it in Singapore, but it I simply can't resist when I saw it in the aisle!

Is there anything else that you would lug from London?