I Dig Singapore

Personal space is a luxury in Asia. I’m constantly knocked, and bumped into while walking on the sidewalk. It is only a matter of time before I actually start pushing back. When queuing at a bank, I usually find locals trying to get in front of me. The notion of queuing is almost non existent in Asia. AirAsia, the leading discount carrier in the region, recognizes this unique feature of Asian culture. AirAsia does not have assigned seating. So, waiting passengers push each other to get to the front of the gate after the first boarding announcement is made. The first (and, usually toughest) person to the gate is awarded with their pick of any seat on the plane including the coveted emergency exit seat. I’ve finally had enough. I’m not moving out of the way on the sidewalks, giving way to people on the escalator, or opening doors for anyone. I’m not queuing anymore; I’m going to straight to the front of the line.

I dig Singapore. Singapore is known as the garden city, and the economic hub of Southeast Asia. It is a young nation, born in 1965. Singapore is found on a large island below Peninsular Malaysia. The population of Singapore is over 4 million. Half the population of Singapore is Malaysian. Chinese and Indians compose the largest ethnicities in Singapore. Singapore boasts the one of the more affluent workforces in SE Asia. Wages and standard of living here are on par with western countries. Singapore’s strong interest in manufacturing and finance supports a workforce with the highest paid workers of any Southeast Asian country.

Singapore is the most expensive city I have visited so far. Accommodation costs are five times more in Singapore than any of the countries I have visited. The average hotel room in Singapore costs at least one hundred US dollars a night. After looking at some dodgy hotels, I stayed at the YMCA. The new YMCA in Singapore is spotless, features a large swimming pool, sundeck and state of the art gym, and is situated in the centre of the city.

I arrived in Singapore last Saturday escaping the aftermath of Typhoon Caloy in the Philippines. Caloy, downgraded to a tropical storm, caused flooding, damaged billboards and buildings the day before I left. Electricity at the airport was intermittent as I was waiting to board my flight. We were lucky to leave Manila on time.

As with every other country in Asia, Singaporeans have a passion for shopping. On Sunday and Monday, I decided to take advantage of the shopping in Singapore. Singapore’s streets are lined with mega shopping malls, lush trees and bushes. The main street for shopping is called Orchard Road. I would describe the size of the buildings, and street atmosphere similar to Vegas, but no one here is to gamble of course. Pricing at the malls in Singapore is expensive compared to rest of the Asia; but, it is the product selection that most people come here for. If you want to find something different, you’ll probably find it in Singapore.

By Tuesday, I grew tired of shopping malls, and was happy to do some sightseeing. I visited the Singapore Zoo, and the Singapore Night Safari. The Singapore Zoo is rated one of the five best in the world. It took three hours for me to briskly walk through their displays. I saw too many animals to list them all. I saw orangutans, white tigers, rhinos, giraffes, elephants, leopards, chimps, and polar bears to name a few. One of the better displays at zoo was a replica of the Ethiopian desert and countryside. The display featured thousands of baboons living in area built to resemble their natural habitat. Watching the baboons interact each other was very interesting. The display for the white tigers was equally impressive, and moving. The night safari, located outside the zoo, started after sunset. The night safari in Singapore is also the world’s first man-made night safari. The first leg of the safari was on a train. The train took us through trails where we saw elephants, panthers, leopards at interact at night. After the train, I set off on foot through an hour of trails in the dark. Albeit from a comfortable distance, I saw lions, alligators, rhinos while I was on foot. The best display was in a covered area where I had an encounter with a flying squirrel. It flew and landed five feet in front of me. It startled me I didn’t quite understand what it was, or whether it was hostile. I felt the night safari was just as impressive as the zoo.

I was intrigued with the notion of a 70m underwater tunnel with a conveyor belt; so, I had to visit Sentosa Island the next day. Sentosa Island is located at the mouth of the Singapore River. It contains Singapore’s best beaches, and attractions including Underwater World. Sentosa Island is resort for Singaporeans and foreigners alike. The beaches are man-made with sand imported from beaches across the world. The water is clear, but polluted. Unfortunately, swimming is prohibited on most of the beaches. The attractions like the sky tower, cable cars, and luge draw huge crowds on the weekend, and during holidays. My Underwater World experience was disappointing. The display is impressive, but I found diving and snorkeling better suited for me.

On my last night, I visited Chinatown, perhaps the cleanest Chinatown in the world! At night, the streets were crawling with acrobats, hawker stands, and shops. Chinese lanterns helped light the street while acrobats dance on the sidewalk. My dinner was mix of dishes from three different hawker stands. Each dish was delicious. After Chinatown, I went to Clarke Quay, and Boat Quay to get a taste of Singapore’s night scene. The nightlife was world class. Nightclubs were massive, and packed with locals. Alcohol was deathly expensive. It was the first time I’ve paid $13 for a pint of beer. But at the end of night, I wished I could stay a little longer in Singapore despite the high cost of living.