Written between 8th-12th December 2011
Arriving in Singapore late in the evening, you are immediately struck by the traffic, the density of building and particularly the amount of light. Tall apartment blocks lined ten lane freeways, giant office blocks and hotels lit the skyline. In the dark it is hard to see the colonial parts of the city and its main other interesting areas. Yet everywhere there is light.
Perhaps it says something of my political development and thought patterns that the first thing that flashed across my mind is how to they generate all this power ?
Having experienced Manhattan I should not have been overwhelmed by tall buildings, but this is Asia. The climate is tropical, the streets are spotlessly clean, and green vegetation is interspresed with offices and malls.
The British came here first in 1819, and our presence is still felt in language and customs; but there's no forgetting that this is the other side of the world, eights hours ahead of London. Perhaps the sites I'm seeing are opening my eyes to thr fact that Asia will become during the 21st Century the dominant economic player in the world. Signs of globalisation are everywhere, the ethic mix of peoples, restaurants etc sit side by side with the almost inevitable MacDonalds and Starbucks.
After a day of wandering and exploring the colonial remnants of Singapore, we decided to witness its complete opposite with a walk along Orchard Road. Shops, shops and yet more shops, all decked out with bright Xmas decorations, in a society where Buddhists make up the largest religious grouping. The young Singaporesse have certainly embraced shopping, it's Friday night but it's not to bars that the young flock instead the giant indoor shopping malls hold a magnetic attraction. Meanwhile at street level we walk considerably faster than the cars that crawl along Orchard Road.
Friday showed the contrast between the old and new Singapore, but the remainder of our stay showed many appealing aspects of life here. Firstly the friendliness, helpfulness and politeness of the local people. It's a very orderly society with an apparent strong work ethic. It took me a couple of days to appreciate the efficiency of the MRT system of public transport. The respect shown to others boarding trains and the way the public left sits designated for the old, injured or disabled.
Life starts later in the morning and work finishes later at night. A lifestyle that would be difficult for someone like me accustomed to an early start to adjust to. I'm left with the impression of a young society, the proportion of people under 30 seems much greater than in the UK.
It would be ridiculous not to mention the sites that have drawn us here - the Zoo,Bird Park and Night Safari. The seed of this visit was planted some years ago when I was talking to an Australian and I said that we always went to Australia via the USA, and I foolishly dismissed stopovers in Asia. It was then that he mentioned the Night Safari, and my interest was aroused.
Singapore will long live in my memory for the collection of primates, especially the family groupings of orangutans. How I enjoyed watching and filming them. The toucans and hornbills at the Bird park were another highlight, and the chance to witness nocternal creatures at the Night Safari was then the icing on the cake.
Singapore is religiously and racially mixed, the chance to see Buddhist Temples is a memory to cherish. Overall so much exceeded my expectations. Singapore is very much a bilingual society, but it also showed once again the futility of racism and the narrowness of eurocentric thinking.
How ironic that the interest shown by the people of Singapore in the EPL contrasts so sharply with the growing mood of isolation and insularness of Britain at the end of 2011.
Arriving in Singapore late in the evening, you are immediately struck by the traffic, the density of building and particularly the amount of light. Tall apartment blocks lined ten lane freeways, giant office blocks and hotels lit the skyline. In the dark it is hard to see the colonial parts of the city and its main other interesting areas. Yet everywhere there is light.
Perhaps it says something of my political development and thought patterns that the first thing that flashed across my mind is how to they generate all this power ?
Having experienced Manhattan I should not have been overwhelmed by tall buildings, but this is Asia. The climate is tropical, the streets are spotlessly clean, and green vegetation is interspresed with offices and malls.
The British came here first in 1819, and our presence is still felt in language and customs; but there's no forgetting that this is the other side of the world, eights hours ahead of London. Perhaps the sites I'm seeing are opening my eyes to thr fact that Asia will become during the 21st Century the dominant economic player in the world. Signs of globalisation are everywhere, the ethic mix of peoples, restaurants etc sit side by side with the almost inevitable MacDonalds and Starbucks.
After a day of wandering and exploring the colonial remnants of Singapore, we decided to witness its complete opposite with a walk along Orchard Road. Shops, shops and yet more shops, all decked out with bright Xmas decorations, in a society where Buddhists make up the largest religious grouping. The young Singaporesse have certainly embraced shopping, it's Friday night but it's not to bars that the young flock instead the giant indoor shopping malls hold a magnetic attraction. Meanwhile at street level we walk considerably faster than the cars that crawl along Orchard Road.
Friday showed the contrast between the old and new Singapore, but the remainder of our stay showed many appealing aspects of life here. Firstly the friendliness, helpfulness and politeness of the local people. It's a very orderly society with an apparent strong work ethic. It took me a couple of days to appreciate the efficiency of the MRT system of public transport. The respect shown to others boarding trains and the way the public left sits designated for the old, injured or disabled.
Life starts later in the morning and work finishes later at night. A lifestyle that would be difficult for someone like me accustomed to an early start to adjust to. I'm left with the impression of a young society, the proportion of people under 30 seems much greater than in the UK.
It would be ridiculous not to mention the sites that have drawn us here - the Zoo,Bird Park and Night Safari. The seed of this visit was planted some years ago when I was talking to an Australian and I said that we always went to Australia via the USA, and I foolishly dismissed stopovers in Asia. It was then that he mentioned the Night Safari, and my interest was aroused.
Singapore will long live in my memory for the collection of primates, especially the family groupings of orangutans. How I enjoyed watching and filming them. The toucans and hornbills at the Bird park were another highlight, and the chance to witness nocternal creatures at the Night Safari was then the icing on the cake.
Singapore is religiously and racially mixed, the chance to see Buddhist Temples is a memory to cherish. Overall so much exceeded my expectations. Singapore is very much a bilingual society, but it also showed once again the futility of racism and the narrowness of eurocentric thinking.
How ironic that the interest shown by the people of Singapore in the EPL contrasts so sharply with the growing mood of isolation and insularness of Britain at the end of 2011.
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