Singapore Sling

Known for being one of the cleanest cities in Asia, Singapore is a country that probably takes itself a little bit too seriously. But you can't fault them for that- as a former British colony they take after mom and pop. And after bushwhacking it for two days out in the middle of Borneo, it was nice to come back to Culture for a little bit.

I've always argued that when you've been to one city in Asia, you've been to them all. But in reality, each city has some quirks that identify it as a unique and incomparable concrete jungle. Singapore had that great ring to it that really set it apart as a hip, sophisticated place in Southeast Asia. For example, our hotel room had a great view of this half naked man on the hotel roof across the way from us.

One thing that I enjoy immensely in the city is the river life. To mozy along the Seine of Paris or cross the bridges of the Thames, or switch back between Buda and Pest along the Danube of Hungary, that is the true joy of a city. Taipei lacks this central congregation of a river life. Yes, there is a river that runs through the heart of it, but it is flanked by muddy shores and tall grass. Some excellent bike paths but essentially devoid of the European bistros that light up the evening air.


Singapore has a stellar river life. The river goes right into the financial heart of the city with dazzling outdoor cafes spotted alongside. The restaurants have hawkers trying to real you in to try their middle eastern cuisine or fresh seafood. My friend Brian and I decided on a nice little Sri Lankan restaurant set on the roof of a building. To one side was the river, to the other lit monuments set in the distance, and to the final side were Singapore's enormous skyscrapers that seemed close enough to reach out and grab. I ordered a tender skewered chicken that must had been marinating for weeks before they served it to me because it was the first time a piece of meat ever actually, and pardon the cliche, melted in my mouth.

After dinner, Brian and I went to this 1920's retro wine bar. Being a Tuesday night, it was dead and we had the place to ourselves. The live band was playing and we had a 40 foot tall wine rack all to ourselves. "40 feet!" I can hear you exclaim. "But Michael, what if you wanted a wine from the top?" I am so glad you asked that. A young bar maid would dress up as an angel and get hooked into a harness and pulley system. The harness would then whisk her away as if she was floating like a real angel to bring our wine back from the heavens. It was certainly an angelic moment.


The following day, after nursing our hangovers a bit (and still getting over our sore legs from climbing) we made our way down to Singapore's Chinatown. This area was a very important location to Brian and we spent the better part of the morning checking out the old streets. Today, the majority of the shops are pasteled over and sell tacky Chinese souvenirs. This didn't interest us much as we had all this stuff back in Taiwan.


The interesting part of Singapore's Chinatown was the Cultural Center which portrayed the daily life of the Chinese immigrant. It talked about why people left mainland China for a new life in Singapore, to the hardships endured by the newly arrived Chinese. The museum finished off with a restructured 19th century style home and shop that would be typical for working class family in Singapore. The conditions were like nothing I had ever seen.


I left Brian at this point and wandered over to Little India. This little quarter of Singapore contrasts starkly against the rest of the clean, ordered city. It was busy, noisy, messy, lively, exciting, thrilling, and dangerous all rolled into one.


I stopped and got an incredible lunch filled with delightful curries, nans, and creamed cheeses that were simply to die for. I've never been to India myself, but this is precisely how I imagine it.


After Little India, I got back to the hotel and met up with Brian. I just got in from the largest electronics market in Asia. I collected my things and bid farewell to him. He decided to stay an extra day while I chose to catch an overnight train up to the rain forest in Taman Negara. I caught a cab, went through customs caught a dinner for the ride, and fell asleep as Singapore rushed passed me and the Malaysian Peninsula arrived.

From your slingy, angel drinking, Sri Lankan Chicken or the city where you could eat off the streets, Michael.