I have spent my limited time in Singapore trying to see as much as I could, and there is a lot to see. My friend Ellen, who has been here recently, gave me a list of things to see and do... it was quite the list, and I really didn't know what I was up against until I got here, but I gave it a good try. Prior to coming here, I had no ideas about Singapore. I had heard some things, read some things, and gotten advice from others, but really hadn't had much time to research the country, the culture, and the sites. I had pretty much booked my stay because I had to come through here to get to my next stop, and since Ellen recommended it I had to see it... I haven't been to any Asian countries so this was a pretty good place to start.
Singapore is an interesting place. It has been ruled by the Chinese, the Japanese, and the British at one time or another... so there are a host of influences that have shaped the people and culture. They have been an independent state only since 1965, so the country is very young... even younger than some people I know... : ) As a result, there is not a clear Singaporean identity or cohesive culture. It is basically a dictatorship, although there is a 'democratic' government where the same man keeps control year after year. The original leader created a vision for Singapore and has tried very hard to create an unified image of the culture. I'm not an expert, so I have to rely on what the books say... the leader tried to build a country that is a well-educated, disciplined and functional society, with a distinct heirarchy and social order. From the looks of it, they have succeeded pretty well. Singapore seems to me to be one of the most organized and orderly cities I have been to... or I just see that because that's what I'm expecting to see... one example would be the large number of signs and billboards letting people what they can/should do and what they can't/shouldn't do. I also saw a number of billboard signs promoting national pride and patriotism.
Singapore has its quirks though, namely the famous social regulations against things like chewing gum and jaywalking, along with well publicized punishments of canning or cutting off of the hand for stealing. All of these seem to have been put in place to establish order and discipline, and it seems to have worked... Singapore is reported to be one of the safest places in the world, and I definitely felt very safe, albeit sensibly cautious when necessary.
Singapore is also one of the busiest port cities in the world, and is a mecca for businesses of all types, from finance to manufacturing. It an amazing city that bridges the divide between the East and the West. It is a very modern city that is impeccably clean and well ordered. Everywhere you go there are amazing facilities, from incredibly large metro train stations (MRT), to underground networks of passageways and shops - these are not only to link the transportation arteries of the city to the office buildings, but to keep people out of traffic by letting them cross major streets underground... and to help them get out of the heat.
I didn't spend a great deal of time here, but I did walk about 10-12 hours a day around the city. One thing I noticed was there are shops, shops, shops everywhere. all of the underground passageways are lined with shops of all kinds. There is a Chinatown that has a tone of Chinese shops and restaurants, and Little India which has a lot of shops and small businesses too. Many of the big mall buildings I went into seemed to be having trouble keeping stores in them. I went to two large buildings that had been advertised as large shopping areas, and they were about 30% occupied with stores, many of which are big name brand stores from the US or Europe.
Anyway, at first I was a little skeptical whether I would like Singapore, but it kind of grew on me... once I learned how to get around and the general feel of the city I began to like it. I didn't really get to know the city or culture that well because I was only here for a few days.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Singapore
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment