Most people who visit Singapore will notice that there is an awfully substantial array of vegetarian options in almost any restaurant. There are also quite a number that cater to vegetarian diners exclusively. It becomes quite clear pretty quickly that there are some pretty heavenly options, too, and the spices are enough to convince anyone that meat’s not necessary to make this a meal, at least not for today.

It seems a little against the laws of nature, in some places, to go on vacation and eat more healthy. However, there are vegetarian options that are high in fat and cholesterol, but you do have to really try. With so much fantastic food, it’s hard not to wonder where the tradition of vegetarian eating came from. In English-speaking countries, the history of vegetarianism is often linked to England in the 19th century. Although there certainly were some very influential thinkers here, Swedenborgians and naturists, tuned into spiritual principles from a mix of pagan and Christian traditions, it’s real roots are much, much older.

The practices of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Taoism can all carry traces of vegetarian philosophical principles, and it’s pretty deeply entwined with the roots of these spiritual systems and practices. Some of the most reasonable explanations come from Hinduism, with the practice of ahimsa , or non-violence. Here, it’s a matter of moral choice to live in a manner that does the least harm to other sentient beings.

In traditions where reincarnation is a part of the belief system, there is often a vegetarian tendency, as people are often reborn as animals, in which case the dietary practice actually has a component of self-preservation. At the root here is the idea that everything that is, is a reflection of consciousness, so the way we eat directly affects the quality of that consciousness. This is, of course, a necessarily simplistic way of beginning to talk about these theories, and there are many more, all of them fascinating, and worth investigating through a more splendid way than thought: eating great food.

We headed out to take our first look around Singapore. There were blossom’s everywhere, but not as many big artistic lanterns that we were hoping for in celebration of the New Year. It was late by the time we found a place to have dinner, so afterwards we headed back to our hotel and settled in for the night.

The next morning we went for a walk along the river to the New Years festival being help at Clarke Quay, but we were unprepared for how hot it was. I was beginning to get a sunburn on my shoulders and neck and it was still morning! We had to get out of the sun and find some place cool. Back at the hotel I used the free wifi to find some good restaurants for us to have lunch and dinner , but I didn’t think about a place for breakfast, but I did remember that they listed an 1A Crispy Puff located in Clarke Quay, so I suggested we find it and have a decadent breakfast and get out of the sun at the same time.

After we stuffed down 3 crispy puffs, we asked the staff to recommend a place were we could get some sunscreen lotion, they pointed right across the street. Great! We purchased a very expensive tube of 90 SPF sunblock and lathered it on. Then we went to once again to check out the festival, there were some very amazing lanterns that were just being put up, but we seemed to be to early, there was no one around as of yet. We asked around, and we were about an hour early, the festivities will start and noon.

We decided to check out the shopping malls that are strewn around Clarke Quay, but they weren’t open! The shops should open up at 11am, but there was no signs of stirring inside the shops. We did find a huge Casino open, it’s the second one in Singapore, but we didn’t want to gamble, so we headed down to Chinatown to see how they were celebrating the New Year, they too were only in the stages of setting up. But, we could see they hung-up thousands of lanterns, so we’ll have to come back in the evening.

It was lunch time, noon, but before we headed back the the festivities at Clarke Quay, we decided to check out one of the restaurants recommended by the Internet site: Hotstones and we were so glad we did! The restaurant is elegantly decorated and the food was superb! I’m so glad I found that website, their list of restaurants is absolutely top-notch.