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Published: November 30th -0001
Little India
The largest street market in Singapore.What initially surprised me about Singapore was that English is their first language, followed by Mandarin and then I think it is Malay. It thrives on being very multicultural, take all the areas that are there, Little India and Chinatown for example, and all the active religions. All the signs in the airport were in English, which gave us the first indication, but it did take a few minutes to remember that we were in Asia and register that this was not what was anticipated. Making that transition from western to eastern that step easier to digest!
My first impressions of Singapore were amazement. Everything in the airport was electronic for a start, and the whole country is spotlessly clean, tidy and neat. There is no litter, and no damaged buildings, everything is just perfect. There is a $50 on the spot fine for jaywalking and spitting, and chewing gum is illegal. Even the people seem nice, if not a bit too nice, it's creepy!! A local Singaporean asked us for the time, but thinking back, I'm sure that it was his opening line to speak to the so obviously British tourists. I actually think that he had a mobile
Chinese Temple
With flower vendors outside. phone on him with the time, creepy. He insisted on taking us to the local tourist information center to obtain free postcards with free postage to international destinations. He meant well, and was just being friendly, but it was very strange and a little creepy to have a complete stranger keep asking if he could come places with us. We were too polite to say anything other than okay!! He even wanted to take the bus with us the following day to cross the border into Malaysia, make sure we managed it okay. Now, that is just not normal!
Singapore is also very small, I think we must have walked around the majority of it in one day. There are several main areas of habituation, we stayed in the area called Little India. It was a brilliant place to stay, right in the midst of culture and atmosphere. The markets were always bustling with people, and I was amazed at how cheap everything was, especially compared to Australia. We were walking through Little India on Sunday evening, it must have been about 10pm, all the roads, paths and markets were full of people, walking about, chatting, shopping and generally
Adam Enjoying His Munch
In one of the many cheap food courts. having a laugh. It was then that I noticed that it was only Indian men about, I only saw about four other women and hundreds of men. This was not just on one street, but was for the whole journey from the MTR underground station, all the way to the hostel. It was bizarre, where were all the women? A religious thing maybe, at home with the children, or men's night out. I never saw it that busy again either. I suddenly clasped tightly onto Adam's hand as we missioned it through the crowds of men.
The food courts in Little India were amazing. I felt adventurous one day and ordered something that I had no idea what it was. Lucky dip. It cost only $2.50, which is about 85p, and filled me right up. It turned out to be some sort of spicy noodle soup with chillies and some undisclosed random white thing on it. Not a bad choice. Excellent selection of fruit too. On the subject of food, sweet corn pancakes, mmmm, available from a stand at the friendly local street market, and Adam is seeming to enjoy the Asian food too.
You cannot go far
Harbour Front
Pleasant views for a walk by the river. in Singapore without discovering a temple of some description, which all happen to be absolutely stunning, part of the multi-cultural flair. The first one that we came across was a Chinese Temple. There were vendors outside selling flowers for all those who were entering to offer at the alter. There were also several huge stacks of incense sticks around the many entrances to the temple, where people were picking up handfuls a time and lighting them from a controlled fire in the forecourt. These were being waved around throughout the course of their prayer and were being offered around to others. The smell was overwhelming, smelt like good old Nag Champa in fact. I had never considered the burning of incense to be for any other purpose other than to make a room smell nice, or could it be to cover up the smell of those removing their shoes to pray (no disrespect intended). I wasn't sure whether we would be accepted and appreciated in the temple, but it was all okay. Amazing to see, there were loads of people there too.
We saw a Hindu temple, with all the amazing, complex statues on it, but did not enter,
Buddah Tooth Relic Temple
In Chinatown. A piece of amazing architecture. it looked to be more of an exclusive session. In Chinatown is the amazing Buddha Tooth Relic Temple. I was given a shawl to wrap around my shoulders before I entered, and it was okay to take photographs inside. The interior was covered wall to wall with statues of the Buddha, all gold, with one large main statue in the center of the room, where many were kneeling down to pray. Lines of people were moving from one statue to the next, bowing and chanting something under their breath, until they had passed every one in succession. In the back room of the temple four monks were conducting a Lamp and Flower Offering, chanting and giving blessings. It was incredible to see such a large amount of people as into their religion as these people were. Even the young children were completely into it, something you don't see at home. Then you start to think why this is? Lack of discipline, or lack of naivety?
We walked and walked and walked around the country, exploring as much as we could, street markets in Little India and Chinatown, shopping malls in Orchard Road, the Colonial District and the Harbour Front,
starting to notice a theme here? Shopping!! Every girls dream (if only I had the time and money to full on shop)!! There is even a shopping mall dedicated to electrical goods, looking like some place set in the future. Well since Singapore is infamous for it's shopping, and since one of my headphones stopped working, I just had to buy some new ones. It's mall after mall after mall, and they are all open until late in the evening, so those who work still have time to shop, what a genius idea. And there are none of those empty shops and boarded up windows here, no sari! Where there are shopping malls, there are also escalators, to allow optimum energy for the shopping I guess!! Singapore has the highest land to escalator ratio in the world, now that is good going! Not only are they in shopping malls, but they're even outside, under covers, to easily transport weary legs up to touristy desirable viewpoints, like the one in Sentosa (the tourist resort island) to view the skyline of the city. There are even some in the streets to go over bridges, and down and up the underpass. Talking of
Buddah Rocking Out
Just look at his fingers. the underpass, no urine stained concrete here, but polished marble, like the foyer of a posh hotel. Slick as.
The Merlion is a popular symbol of the city, derived of a weird cross breed between a lion and a fish, by the Singapore tourist board, and has been the successive champion of the most photographed site in the country. It symbolises the animalistic habitual environment of the country when it was first discovered. Merlion statues have been erected all around the city.
The island of Sentosa is adjoined by a cable car and monorail, so there was no walking to there!! This is the home of the most southern point in Asia, a beautiful man made beach for all the touristy resorts, and the Songs of the Sea laser show. This was quite spectacular, and sprayed water into the light to create creative effects. A young boy awoke the dormant powers in the gods of the sea, light and fire, by singing in his sweet voice, this triggering the light shows. A must see for all tourists!
What with the laser show and the Night Safari, it has been a wonderful change to have things to do
Sentosa Beach
Manmade, but still beautiful. in the evening that do not involve drinking. It has been a breath of fresh air. The Night Safari was amazing, full of nocturnal animals, and others that also like to hang out in the dark. Moats were built around the habitats that each individual animal lives, and then bushes around the edges of the paths. This is so that any fences cannot be seen, and creates the impression that the animals are in a field right next to you as you walk past. My favourites were the bearded pigs. They looked like giant wild boars, with white and wispy facial hair. Just like something that would have stepped out of a fantasy cartoon or film. We saw lions roaming around, from a fair distance mind you, and could hear them roar all night from the furthest end of the park, a little scary at times, I was just expecting one to jump over a nearby bush. The mangrove enclosure with the fruit bats was also brilliant, they were hanging a distance of only 10cms away from my face, and a flying one narrowly skimmed past my head. One that I was watching was eating a piece of fruit almost
Songs Of The Sea Lazer Show
Look at all the pretty colours. half the size of it's own body, and still clasping on tightly to it and the branch, turned himself the correct way up, had a good long piss, then turned himself back to the upside down position. Not a stupid creature then! There were times when we couldn't see the animals on display, well what can you expect when it is dark and the said animal is fairly small!! A fun way to spend an evening, even for the ten minutes that it triennially poured in down with rain. Cleared the humidity for about 30 minutes!
In a few days time the celebrations for Singapore's 42nd birthday begin, from when they became an independent country, breaking away from the leadership of the British. In light of this, we made sure to go to a historical site, The Battle Box, in Fort Canning Park. This is the underground fort of 26 rooms that the British used as their base for communication and government during WWII, and was subsequently the place that it was agreed to surrender to the Japanese army in February 1942. The fall of Singapore, as otherwise known. Since the Japanese had bombed and captured the water, food
Escalator To Skyline Lookout
No need to tire yourself out here, just jump on an escalator! and oil stations, the British army were left with minimal supplies. They had the choice to continue fighting as long as they could, with no food and water, only the petrol they had left in their fuel tanks, and the ammunition left in their guns, or surrender. The majority thought it was more moral to surrender, fairer on the civilians and the army. Luckily, a few years later, the war was won by the British and our allies, so the British resumed government of the country, then later, 1964, granted them their Independence. We seem to make a habit of taking over a country to fuel our own economy, then giving it back when we are finished, the good old British. It was a really well put together exhibition, I would expect nothing less now that I have spent sometime in this country. Very accurate.
Being really close to the equator, it has been extremely hot here, and suffocatingly humid. It has been cloudy for the most of it, with a little sunshine at times, making it almost unbearable to be out of the air conditioning. I have had a constant stream of sweat trickling down my face, especially
Meeting in the Battle Box
Reinactment of when Singapore surrenderd to the Japanese. when walking to the bus station with my backpack in the middle of the day. I have spent all this time wishing for heat and now I don't think I am prepared for it!! Best leave you all to it now, got Malaysia to tackle now. Hope the summer gets better for all you at home, take care and please keep in touch. XXX
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christine
non-member comment
I can't believe the size of the shopping mall from what I rember the women are not allowed out of an evening unless they are with their husband and they always go out with their buddies ... it's all to do with their religion. It all sounds so hot but lovely. Great to hear you are both still having a great time. take care . mum xxxxx