Singapore "Gala Day. Gala Dream!"

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It's clean, really clean, it's organized, it smells nice, its busy but remains peaceeful it's Singapore and it's nothing like anywhere else in South East Asia I have been. It doesn't seem like the South East Asia that I have been getting to know over the past few weeks. If it wasn't for the Chinese New Year decorations in Chinatown and all the Asian people on the streets one may not even think that this is Asia. What a pleasant change from the hectic and in your face attitude of Ho Chi Minh City to this place where one can walk at peace admiring the architecture while letting daydreams float about inside ones head.

Singapore is a beuatiful city with interesting architecture, interesting laws (laws on chewing gum, poppy seeds durian fruit on the subways, strict littering laws just to name a few), wonderful food, an endless supply of shopping centers and a good soulful buzz about itself. Clours, lights, clean streets, food courts and restaurants are everywhere. The girls are overdressed and underpretty. People don't smile much in public, don't seem to cause any commotions, but prove to be alive, friendly and overly helpful if questioned or included in conversation.

I spent my first night in the Chinatown area in a small overcrowded hostel. The prices are much higher here then other areas of South East Asia. The Chinatown area was a great place to wander about checking out the shops, market stalls, restaurants, shopping malls and my favourite the local food court.
This food court is a maze of food stalls offering Malay, Indonesian, Chinese, Thai and Singaporean foods plus desserts, coffees, beers and drinks. I found myself enjoying a few cheap meals at this location. Roasted duck and roasted pork were favourite picks of mine. After the last month in Cambodia and Vietnam I did have some Western cravings and found myself at the poshest Burger King I have ever seen in my life. In fact it was called a Whopper Bar and you could upgrade your meal to include a beer as your beverage, they had beer on tap, big screen televisions and bumping music. In case I haven't said it enough yet, Singapore is a wonderful place.

I walked around the city enjoying the clean streets with the peacful buzz, enjoying the lack of people chasing me, the beautiful and sometimes strange architecture. Enjoying the stark contrast of structured Singapore society compared to the mess that is Ho Chi Minh City.

What can I say, I really enjoyed my downtime in Singapore. Enjoyed some good food and met some wonderful people at the second hostel I stayed at, exchanged some travel stories, the same scene, new location. Walked the streets enjoying the sights and smells of beautiful restaurants that I cannot be a part of my life at this moment. But I made love to each of those smells, those dining rooms with their soft clothed table tops, their dim lights and their views of the city they are apart of.

I think a quote from my favourite novel is appropriate for my time of walking the streets in daydreams of things my budget doesn't allow. In the novel “Ask The Dust” by John Fante the main character, Arturo Bandini, a struggling wannabe writer, walks the streets of a 1930's Los Angeles watching the wealthy enoying the promised land that was LA at that time. He day dreams about being a famous writer, the respect, the expensive clothing, the fancy restaurants, the beautiful women, the fame, signing autographs. He finishes his wonderful daydream while gazing in a restaurant window with the quote “Gala day. Gala dream!” Then walks back into his life with a smile.

Singapore is a lovely place and I enjoyed it's streets, it's sounds, it's smells, it's colours, it's food, shopping centers and lovely architecture. I enjoyed the calming of my pace and the calming of myself. Singapore “Gala day. Gala dream!”.

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