SINGAPORE TRIP 1

"Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all." 
- George Washington

Singapore City is the capital of the Republic of Singapore. The city itself occupies the southern part of Singapore Island. From ancient times, its strategic position on the strait between the Indian Ocean and South China Sea, complemented by its deepwater harbour, has made it the largest port in Southeast Asia and one of the world’s greatest commercial centres. The city, which was once a distinct entity, became the dominating force of this relatively small island (699 square km), so that the Republic of Singapore essentially became a city-state. The passage of time allowed the city to prosper and expand, and its commercial success ensured that the city is now one of the most affluent in Asia.

Singapore is also known as the “Lion City” (“Singa Pura” as this name means) or “Garden City,” aptly so for its many parks and tree-lined streets. The city has also been called “Instant Asia” because it offers the tourist a direct glimpse into the cultures brought to it by immigrants from all parts of Asia. While predominantly Chinese, Singapore has substantial minorities of Malays and Indians (as well as many expatriate Europeans, Americans and Australians).

According to Malay tradition, the island was visited by a prince who came from the Sumatran empire of Śri Vijaya and founded it, naming the city Singapura. Portuguese records also have it that the city was founded by a Śri Vijayan prince from Palembang. Sacked by the Majapahit Javanese during the 14th century, it was supplanted by Malacca (Melaka) but remained a port of call. Its modern history began with the arrival of Sir Stamford Raffles of the British East India Company, who, in searching for a trading site, landed here on January 29, 1819. The port's growth was steady, and the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of steamships increased its importance as a bunkering station. Its growth was assured by the demand for the tin and rubber of the Malay Peninsula, for which the port was a natural shipping outlet.

Created a city by royal charter in 1951, Singapore was administered as a municipality by an elected mayor-council government from 1957 until 1959, when the colony became self-governing. After 1963 the administration of the city and rural areas was handled by the central government. Once a British colony and now a member of the Commonwealth, Singapore first joined the Federation of Malaysia on its formation in 1963 but seceded to become an independent state on Aug. 9, 1965. Today Singapore has close to 5 million inhabitants, most them living in the city.

Singapore's port area, one of the world's largest, covers 93 square km and the Port of Singapore Authority operates six gateways that provide facilities for vessels ranging from oceangoing liners to lighters. The Keppel wharves, which lie protected between the islands of Brani and Sentosa, are deepwater and contain major docks and warehouses. Keppel is Southeast Asia's major trans-shipment point for exports of oil, rubber, plywood, lumber, and spices. The port's main imports include machinery, textiles, and rice. The Malayan rail system from Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur terminates at Singapore. Singapore's thriving banking, insurance, and brokerage firms and its excellent transport, communications, and storage facilities have helped make it the chief trading and financial centre of Southeast Asia.

The traditional city proper stretches north and east of the port area and is characterized by low hills. Within the city run the Singapore and Rochor rivers, which are tidal inlets crowded with native craft. The original settlement north of the Singapore River remains the heart of the city; it is the locale of the principal commercial, government, and public buildings, the Anglican St. Andrew's Cathedral (1862), and the Raffles Hotel. Modern housing estates have cut into some of the city's traditional cultural enclaves, especially the Chinese quarter. Skyscraper hotels and office buildings now blend with the British colonial architecture, Chinese shophouses, and Malay kampongs (villages once thatch-roofed, now tin-roofed).

Singapore is an interesting Asian city to visit, not only because of its cosmopolitan lifestyle and fascinating mixture of cultures and peoples, but also because of its low crime rate, its good range of cultural and natural beauties and of course, as most people seem to think, the good shopping here. One can find all sorts of things to do in this city, as active or as leisurely as one likes. I personally like it because it offers the modern alongside with the historic, the Western married to the Eastern, the contrasting features of the best and worst of occidental and oriental.

One may choose to stay in the bustling Orchard St area, which is absolutely crammed with shopping malls, entertainment complexes and high-rise buildings. Another choice is the City proper area, with a more sophisticated atmosphere and quite a few historical attractions, including the legacies of Singapore’s British colonial past. Towards the port, an area full of business and the rush of traffic, as well as many offices and tall buildings. The island of Sentosa offers another place to stay with numerous resort-style hotels and a relaxed holiday-like lifestyle, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. One may choose a hotel in Chinatown, where the Chinese element is most pronounced, with many markets, specialist shops, traditional businesses, restaurants and temples. Little India is another district with its many Indian shops and temples. Nearby, many Malay-owned businesses, mosques and cultural centres, shopping malls and markets.

Walking around the city is the best way to see everything and one may experience an ever-changing kaleidoscope of images, sounds and smells. Freshly brewed coffee quickly gives way to a mixture of pungent spices and an almost putrid smell of smoked meat and stir-fried vegetables. The scent of incense and sandalwood is chased away by the sharp aroma of toasting garlic; tropical flowers redolent with heady perfume are quickly succeeded by wafting sewerage smells from the slowly flowing waters of a canal nearby. Multihued traditional saris are found side by side with the latest European fashions, the bright red of Chinese ceremonial gowns contrast with the simple white garments of the Imams of mosques. The chanting of the praying muezzin is interlocked with the tinkling of bells from a Chinese temple, while a Hindu holy man intones deep-voiced prayers. The constant hum of traffic is in the background and every now and then, one may hear the banging and clanging of construction, which is ever so prominent in many parts of the city.

So this Monday was one of wanderings and meanderings for us. A rediscovery of the City that we have visited several times in the past and which is once again as welcoming as the last time one has visited here. There are several offices around the City operated by the Singapore Tourist Organisation, and which provide excellent materials and ever-cheerful help from well-trained staff. One may obtain useful information right from Changi Airport (easily the best airport in the world!), or several bureaux around the City. There is a well-situated one on Orchard Rd, but also many others.

We started the morning with a good breakfast at our hotel and then walked for about seven hours (with a couple of stops, sure enough)! We are staying at the Marriott in Orchard Rd (OK as far as big hotels go, but rather too profit-driven and impersonal – I can’t complain as it was booked by work) and we decided to walk to Little India. We took a rather circuitous route and digressed up through the Emerald Hill area, which is off Orchard Rd and has some delightful old houses, beautifully restored. One can still find quite a few colonial buildings in Singapore, although the impression one gets immediately is of an ultra modern city full of skyscrapers and high-rise apartment buildings.

The vegetation even in the busiest and most central part of the city is amazing. The high temperatures and humidity year-round make for a greenhouse environment with lush results. Indoor plants that we cosset and struggle to keep alive at home thrive like weeds here, even on the roadside. Tall trees of a resplendent green hue, marvellous flowers of every colour and the twittering of birds remind one that the tropical jungle that covered the island initially is biding its time to spring back and reclaim the land on which skyscrapers are built.

Singapore's notable buildings include the Victoria Theatre and Memorial Hall, the High Court, the City Hall, the House of Jade, the Sri Mariamman Temple, and the Singapore Polytechnic. The government maintains a national museum, library, and theatre and the Van Kleef Aquarium. The international airport at Changi (opened in 1981) was developed on reclaimed land to the northeast. The Singapore Botanic Gardens are to the northwest. The National University of Singapore was founded in 1980 by the merger of the University of Singapore and Nanyang University. The Nanyang Technological Institute was established in the former Nanyang University in 1981. Tiger Balm Gardens is a collection of statuary depicting Chinese myths and legends. Other attractions include the Jurong Bird Park (opened 1971). Its 20 hectare area make it perhaps the largest park of its kind in the world. It houses some 600 species of birds. Sentosa Island in Singapore Harbour has been developed as a major recreational area; it is connected by cable car with Mount Faber and is also accessible by ferry, providing visitors with beaches, a golf course, and an amusement park.