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I had the pleasure of staying in a friend’s apartment in Singapore, though unfortunately she was away the entire time I was there. Her apartment is on the 30th floor with a view of the ocean. You can see Indonesia from her window! Turns out I’m a little bit afraid of heights…. There don’t seem to be the same safety standards here; all the windows opened very wide and while her balcony was enclosed, the bars were made of plastic and did not seem very sturdy. Whenever I was within a few feet of the edge I couldn’t stop imaging jumping off. While the tingly feeling could be considered fun, perhaps I should keep this in mind for the future if I’m ever looking for a high-rise apartment!
Singapore is even more of a little pocket of the West than Hong Kong was. Again, I should have brought my stilettos and Burberry purse - I was terribly under-dressed. It is just as neat and clean as the rumors claim, though I did enjoy finding evidence of cleaned up graffiti and such. Molly’s apartment was right on a lovely park on the beach, which had the most amazing sand castle I’ve
ever seen. And an automatic waterskiing park - people were dragged around a lagoon by an automatic cable. The jumps in the water had text claiming this to be Singapore’s only cable water-ski park; turns out just about everything here claims to be Singapore’s only or first!
Having a real kitchen, I bought groceries to cook meals at home. I went a little overboard though, buying a large bag of rambutan (like a furry litchi), three variations on bok choy, and three kinds of tofu. Walking around the apartment compound, I was amazed to see lots of (leashed) pet dogs. While I did see feral cats, there are no street dogs whatsoever.
I headed out my first full day with the intention of heading to the much-praised Singapore Zoo, where I happen to personally know a jaguar. I was the jaguar trainer when I worked at the zoo in Boston; one of the jaguars that I worked closely with moved to Singapore while I was working there. I was really really looking forward to seeing him again. Molly had left great instructions for how to get to the bus stop; though when I asked the driver for fare
to go to “city center” he got quite upset at me because I didn’t tell him a specific stop. Turns out general areas, such as “downtown” just isn’t specific enough. I stood there very awkwardly, not speaking enough (or any) Chinese to be able to ask for help, and finally just thrust a couple dollars at him and took a seat. Felling a little overwhelmed, I then had a hard time getting my bearings in the city, and had to give up on making it to the zoo that day.
I did manage to find my way to the Raffles Hotel however. I am a sucker for colonial history establishments, and was really looked forward to seeing this legendary hotel. And it was fantastic! I believe Sommerset Maugham is quoted as describing it as ___. And they love fan palms as much as I do. Bowing to cliché, I had a Singapore Sling at the courtyard bar, which at S$22, was the most expensive cocktail I’ve ever had.
Singapore has posh malls to rival Hong Kong. Amazingly I found a sex shop, and though it didn’t say it, I imagine it must be Singapore’s only. Condoms are available
at all 7-11’s, which are everywhere. I was surprised that such a law-driven and proper society was so progressive! The “suitable” (squat) toilets here are not only automatic flushing, but have a sign on the door saying “Mind the step”.
Having mastered the public transport system, I made my way to the Night Safari, the nighttime only park that is part of the Singapore Zoo. The trip took me 2 hours and involved two different buses and two separate trains; I had given myself only one hour so I arrived much later than I meant. I figured there must be an easier way considering the zoos popularity. The Night Safari was excellent! If you are in Singapore, it is well worth the trip! The idea is that most animals are more active at nighttime, and so it makes sense to have a zoo open then. I found a keeper to ask about my jaguar, and though she didn’t know anything (the zoo and night safari are separate keeper staff), I did have a great time talking to her about ins and outs of the zoo.
Ready to leave at almost midnight, it was too late to get home
by public transport, and the driver of the tourist buses told me I was better of taking a taxi home. The taxi only took 25 minutes and only cost $15! Turns out taxi’s are a great deal in the part of the world. I also had a great talk with the driver; he explained to me that Singapore is actively trying to increase its population by 2 millions (about 30% I think) in the next few years - they are currently in a negative growth rate and most of the population is middle aged. They are very concerned about what will happen when this group reaches retirement age. Therefore it is very easy for young foreigners to move to Singapore and gain citizenship. He laughed when I said I was still a student, but told me the city has two very fancy dog hospitals that I could work at when I finish.
It also turns out that you can only purchase a new home if you are a citizen, and you can only buy two in your lifetime. Once you have owned it for five years, you are allowed to sell. Foreign permanent residents can buy these pre-owned homes
once they’ve lived in Singapore for a year. It’s quite amazing the regulations necessary to keep 5 million or so people living on a very small island happy and such a high standard of living!
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Shira
non-member comment
Soooo amazing
Hey Randy, So I think you should be a travel writer. I love your blogs and you are great at adding in historical and cultural facts! I feel like I am there! Wasn't Singapore cool? Glad you got to see the night safari and your home cooked ingredients look fantastically mouth watering! I love those furry fruits! Can't wait to hear more about your adventures. I have to live vicariously thru you this summer, as I am living the real housewives of Westborough this summer. Ciao Bella! xoxo Shira