Singapore
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| Amazing Architecture |
My first impression of this country (the
Republic of Singapore) is a good one. Wow, so clean it makes NYC look dirty. So
organized it makes London look sloppy. Things work here. The subway is clean,
efficient and runs like clockwork. Shiploads of tourists are dealt with without
breaking a sweat. People seem happy and content with their lot in life. But, Singapore
is a Republic, not a democracy. The law rules here. Singapore has strict laws
and they are strictly enforced. No porn is allowed in any form. The Internet
is censored in many more ways. Newspapers and TV are censored. Fireworks are forbidden.
The political leadership is very conservative. Personal liberties are curtailed
to make for more harmonious living conditions. The law reaches so far as to
forbid spitting, chewing gum or smoking in most places. Don't even think of
dropping a cigarette butt on the ground. The fines are steep, 1,000 dollar fine
for spitting out a glob of chewing gum? Even corporal punishment is not unheard
of. It is not that this is a police state; I did not see any police at all in
the three days that I was here. Yet when caught, there is no mercy for you no
matter who you are. I did not walk around in fear of anything but felt
pleasantly safe day and night. One needs to be aware of the laws, however.
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| More Modern Architecture |
Carol and I opted to use the hop-on, hop-off
bus and bought a two-day ticket right at the marine terminal where we docked
since we were to be in Singapore for three days. This terminal is a very
modern, clean place filled with shops that sell almost anything. When you come
off the ship you must go through customs. You could shop right at this marine
terminal, turn around and board the ship again. Literally, all you ever wanted
is for sale right there.
Naturally we did not do that but took a
taxi to the first stop of the hop on/off bus near Chinatown. It rained buckets
when we were in the cab. I noticed pedestrian traffic did not subside. Most buildings
have overhangs so these covered walkways keep you dry in rain and shaded on hot
days. This is a very convenient idea. I wish NYC or any metropolitan city had
this set up. It would keep a lot of people clean and dry.
Singapore is well thought out. Singapore proper
is an island. There are 50 other, smaller islands belonging to Singapore, but
the main business occurs on the main island. Most of the smaller islands are
very small and not useful, have no harbor facilities and serve mainly as storage
areas for industry or, when pretty, as weekend get always. I visited the large
island only.
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| Marina Bay Sands Hotel |
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| Marina Bay Sands Hotel Lit Up at Night |
We visited the 57th floor of the
“Marina Bay Sands Hotel.” This is the newest icon representing Singapore. Three
large tower buildings, side by side, with a ship-like super structure across
all three buildings at the top. At one
end, the bow of the “ship” protrudes, telelevers way out from the tower. This
hanging over area is accessible to visitors and gives a unique vista. A
“No-edge” swimming pool (Infinity Pool) was created for the very daring
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| Infinity Pool Inside the Marina Bay Sands Hotel |
atop
the roof. One has to be a hotel guest to visit the pool but Carol snuck in to
take a picture. A bit scary to swim in the pool I think when the water's edge literally
disappears over the horizon. We enjoyed a cappuccino in the coffee shop
on top of this daring architectural marvel and watched others swim in the pool.
This tower, this hotel is an impressive structure. No wonder the Marina Sands Hotel
became synonymous with Singapore, the building that spells Singapore like the
Eiffel Tower spells Paris.
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Looking Down on the Lobby of the
Marina Bay Sands Hotel |
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| View From the Top of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel |
There are a multitude of interesting places
to visit when visiting Singapore. We choose to go back in time and visited the
Raffles hotel next. This is the
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| Raffles Hotel |
home of the famous drink, the “Singapore Sling”
first served in 1915. It was and is now, served in the Long Bar, a place that
recalls old times, colonial times. The hotel is extremely expensive, yet an
icon of Singapore too. The hotel has a dress code, sandals and halter tops are
a no-no. Men need dress shirts, even a necktie for afternoon tea or dinner. The
dress code for the Long Bar however, was a bit more relaxed. The tourists are
needed to bring in the money and concessions need to be
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| Doorman at the Raffles Hotel |
made when it comes to
what to wear. To save on our expenses at the bar I only ordered only one Sling.
Good thing I did. Carol liked the drink, for me it was really yucky tasting.
The bar had free roasted peanuts in the shells; you peel the shells and just
throw them on the tile floor. It creates a mess but the procedure is based on
history. I liked making a mess. We mainly went to Raffles because of the Sling.
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| Singapore Sling, Roasted Peanuts and Beer |
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| The Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel |
Singapore is running out of land however.
Every inch is built upon. Only 1% of the
land is agrarian and even that is dwindling. Land has been reclaimed from the
sea already, yet still there is not enough room.
The
Gross National Income is about $US 42,000/year. Their major industries are
electronics, shipbuilding and finance. For workers there is no unemployment
insurance. Housing is subsidized, there are no slums. Close to 6 million people
live in Singapore, of which 60% are Chinese and 20% from India.
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| Upper Level of Hindu Temple |
On day two we visited little India and
walked around a bit. Everyone was busy; people were preoccupied with their
lives. Indian dialects were spoken but everyone also spoke English. The same
was true with Chinatown, our other stop on day two. Stalls, small shops, large department
stores were offering their wares. The places were humming with activity. People
shopped, ate and looked prosperous. We looked
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| Chinatown in Singapore |
at the darkening sky at one point
and just caught a taxi again before it stared to rain slightly, then heavier.
On day three we did not even leave the
ship. When we woke up, the rain was coming down side ways. It poured. While the
walkways in town are covered we did not feel like ducking the rain when
crossing street intersections. We looked at other options for this rainy
day, like a cable car ride that crosses the city, but decided not to go.
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| Chinatown in Singapore |
We just got an inkling of Singapore on this
short visit but our impression was a very good one. The taxi driver maybe said
it best when he said: “I don't mind giving up some liberties for comfortable
and peaceful living conditions.”
There
are many ways to live; the American way is not the only way.
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| Getting Ready for Chinese New Year |
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| Celebrating Chinese New Year at Raffles Hotel |
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Supplies for Celebrating
Chinese New Year
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| Singapore Skyline at Night |
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| Hopefully Clearing Tomorrow |
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