Parrot Astrology
June 27th, 2007 | Published in travel | 13 Comments
Narayani, parrot astrologer
Lakshmi the parrot
Both pictures shot with the Nokia N95.
Meet Narayani, the parrot astrologer in Little India, Singapore, who sets up shop in the five foot way outside Komala Vilas. For $3, Narayani and Lakshmi will pick out cards.. let’s just say she’s not a very effective astrologer, but she was great fun. I spent 20 minutes chatting with her while she ate curry and rice, and she spent most of that time shouting out to her friends in the vicinity (in Tamil) to look at this Chinese girl, going to Madras all by herself next week!
Little India is my favourite place in Singapore (as sure as Big India is my favourite place in the world). Just this afternoon I was getting my passport photocopied in a little back alley shop, and the guy next to me (a Gurkha) was getting his UN award for services in peacekeeping in Lebananon photocopied, and Mustafa Centre staff (who really should know me by now) asked me how my stay in Singapore has been so far. They thought I was Thai.
If you’re ever headed to Singapore, spend some time wandering around Little India — with that guide written by yours truly, of course. (Other sections of Singapore coming shortly.)
June 27th, 2007 at 2:26 am (#)
Hey, great website. You’re on my googlereader. Just wondering if you can recommend any good travel websites for Malaysia and a good website for hostels in Malaysia (besides hostelworld.com)… we’re planning a month-long trip to Penninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Thanks!
June 27th, 2007 at 10:29 am (#)
Have a good time in Chennai, girlie. It’s a pity you wont be around to watch my roots/ road trip programme on the 7th of July, but I am sure you will be having a great one of your own.
I had the best biryani ever in this place in Annanagar called Sanabel (E4/1, Annanagar East. Make sure you try it out, ok?
June 27th, 2007 at 1:52 pm (#)
Have a good time in India!
Hopefully I will be able to drop by Singapore soon and also India. It has never failed to fascinate me.
(:
June 27th, 2007 at 5:18 pm (#)
Hey, Great post and pictures, too. That photograph of Lord Ganesha with Goddess Laksmi and Goddess Sarswati can be seen in every household in Tamilnadu. Cheers! :)
June 27th, 2007 at 10:50 pm (#)
there are others too, except behind tekka mall. these people are all over the madras beaches :-) great fun chatting wtih them coz they always get predictions wrong
June 28th, 2007 at 5:50 am (#)
Yo adri! Hows it going! i need your expertise and advise on 2 matters:
I’m planning an expedition to explore several caves in Malaysia and maybe thailand.. and was wondering.. just for food and accom, will 10 quid (30SGD) be sufficient?
Number 2: have u travelled the route from siem reap to bangkok b4? i.e from siem reap to poiphot, cross border and bus to aranyathet train station..
your help would be greatly appreciated.
Regards
-Stupid singaporean who lives in UK and forgot how much SGD is worth.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:01 am (#)
@Jason: 30 SGD a day is quite little for Malaysia (if you’re talking about KL — the rest might be do-able, but I’m not a Malaysia travel expert). Definitely sufficient in Thailand. You could stay in a place for 15SGD (400B) in most places. A nice double room with AC in Chiang Mai in a boutique-ish guesthouse would run about 450B. Food — depends again on what you eat. A combination of local food + restaurants should be do-able on that budget.
Siem Reap - to Bangkok: Yes! Email me!
@Doris: sorry, I wish I could help but I don’t think there are any good websites for Malaysia travel, and certainly there isn’t much in terms of good accommodation (compared to lovely Thailand anyway). If you like though feel free to email me, I can help with any questions you have about M’sia, or I’m bound to know someone who can.
@nAL: Record it and put on youtube lah!! Read about that thing you did, sounds like great fun.
June 28th, 2007 at 11:14 am (#)
Hope you have a good trip and a great time! Cant wait to hear about all your adventures. Do keep us posted.. Cheers!!
June 28th, 2007 at 7:12 pm (#)
love your N95 pix :) please call Alok for tips in Delhi!
August 15th, 2007 at 7:27 pm (#)
hi. could u tell me where you found Narayani the parrot astrologer? I am a student and it is part of my school project. thx.
August 15th, 2007 at 7:30 pm (#)
I need to know what street and when are his working hours. thx lots
February 1st, 2008 at 1:51 pm (#)
Nice pictures! =) I’ve heard that nowadays there are less than five parrot astrologers in Little India. Is this true?
June 9th, 2008 at 4:16 am (#)
Yes. It is true that there are less than 5 Parrot astrologers in Singapore. Many tourists approaches them for reading