Yesterday, I wrote for about 90 minutes but my heart was not into the effort. I worked late (until about midnight) and I didn’t start writing until about 12:30 AM. I was tired and maybe a little wound up from work. I wrote several passages that either felt boring, trivial or mean-spirited – none of which I wish to be. I had CNN International on the TV in the background. About 02:00 news came across the screen of the crash of a UPS Cargo plane at Dubai International Airport. At the time, it was not clear if the aircraft came down on the highway leading into the airport. As it turns out, the aircraft came down in an unpopulated area. Thank Goodness, the loss of life was small even if there were the unfortunate deaths of the flight crew.
The crash convinced me that I should simply discontinue trying to write last night. I don’t believe anyone ever likes to hear about a plane crash but these events especially affect me when it happens at a place that I frequent often. I travel through Dubai International at least eight times each month. Therefore, a plane crash there certainly gains my attention. I have experienced several “incidents” of aircraft accidents or near accidents in various parts of the globe and they bother me, but only briefly. My father worked for Boeing and he always used to say, “I always worried about flying because of crashing. Then I thought, ‘If it is my time, then it is my time – so why worry?’ So, I began to feel better until I was on a flight once and thought, ‘What if it is not my time, but it’s the time of the pilots!?’”
Anyway, today is a new day and I am in another city: Singapore. I feel like writing today – which is either something good or bad for you, my readers, depending upon your point of view …
I first thought that I would try to recycle the substantial amount of writing that I did yesterday on Manila Airport … but I’m gone from there both physically and mentally. If I feel like fighting with the material in the future, I am sure that I will be back in Manila soon. Second, I thought I would write about the Dubai crash and take a light-hearted view of my substantial list of near-misses. This will wait for another time as well, however. So, I have decided to write about Singapore today.
Singapore is one of the coolest cities in the world, but it is a strange mix of modern and traditional that is unique. I like a great many things about Singapore but there are a few attributes that really irritate me as well. I always look forward to visiting Singapore because I have good friends here and I have great affection for the city. At the same time, I am generally happy to leave here as well.
Let’s start at the beginning with Singapore… The entire country is on a few tiny islands and the main island is very small. I have lived on some fairly small islands including: Grand Providence Island (Nassau, Bahamas), Cyprus and I even consider the United Kingdom to be small since it is no larger than Kansas – the sparsely populated state in the USA in which I was born. Indeed, in the UK there is no place on the island that is further than 70 miles from the coast. That is about the same distance between Topeka and Emporia (look them up if these places don’t sound familiar). I have spent significant time on other small islands including Malta, Jamaica and Abu Dhabi (yes, it is an island), but none of these small islands has the close feel of Singapore. Singapore is not claustrophobic, but it has the confined feel of a small place. My Dad said about elevators, “If there are only two people in an elevator and one person farts – everyone knows ‘who did it.’” Singapore sort of feels the same way. I watch my diet here because EVERYONE would know!
Singapore is permanently green, permanently warm, permanently damp, almost always sticky and frequently wet. The island is not far from the equator, so there are only two seasons: “wet” and “dry”. The temperature does not vary more than a few degrees Celsius pretty much any time of the year. Without the encroachment of man, Singapore would be a tropical rain forest populated by exotic animals. Indeed, as recently as the early 20th century it is reported that a tiger was shot inside the Gentlemen’s Bar at the Raffles Hotel when it wandered in from the surrounding bush. No doubt the British patrons were only slightly disturbed from drinking their Gin and Tonics by this incident. None the less, Singapore does not seem at all like a tropical island to me.
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| Singapore Opera House |
I am looking out my window in the Conrad Hotel over the marina toward downtown. The marina, like all waterfronts or waterways in Singapore is spotless, trimmed and very well maintained. The downtown area is not very large but it has the same non-descript high rise glass and steel towers as any sizeable metropolitan area in the world. There is very little to distinguish Singapore’s skyline from Toledo’s, Santiago’s or Frankfurt’s. There are a few notable exceptions to the non-descript nature of the architecture in Singapore. I like the Singapore Opera House … it is shaped like a giant durian fruit (more about durian below).
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| Marina Bay Sands Hotel |
The Supreme Court building is also interesting and I like the fake quaintness of Clarke Quay. Mostly, however, Singapore’s architecture is a monument to commerce and each building is a “multi-functional shape” which is best translated as “a box.”
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| Singapore Skyline |
There are several things that make Singapore charming, however. First of all, Singapore has a bunch of really cool neighbourhoods. There is the Chinese area, the Arab section, the Indian neighbourhood and several other ethnic communities. These communities have their own architecture, their own shops and a unique look and feel. Singapore is a monument to cultural diversity. Second, Singapore is nothing less than a shopping Mecca. Singapore’s shops are open virtually 365 days per year. I have shopped in Singapore on Christmas Day, New Years Day, Eid Al Fitr, Dawali and even Singapore National Day – the shops are always open and anxious to take my money. The fact that Singapore worships at the altar of commerce is more or less charming – and very convenient. Even though the shops are always open, or maybe because of this, Singapore decorates for every single holiday in the entire world. This year, Eid Mubarak decorations will be replaced with Happy Diwali decorations, followed by Scary Halloween motifs which will magically turn into massive, over-the-top Christmas decorations. No religious holiday, festival or cultural anomaly will be left out of the celebrations in Singapore.
Singapore shows harmony between its various populations. The native Singaporean population is split into ethnic Chinese, ethnic Malay and ethnic Indian groupings. There are also lots of other Asians in Singapore including Filipinos, Thai and Indonesians. In addition, there is a large Western expatriate community of British, Australians, Americans and various groups from Western Europe. As stated above, nearly every religion in the world is represented strongly in Singapore. These groups co-exist without the conflict that affects other multi-cultural communities in Asia in places including India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. There is an overriding feel, however, of the influence of the decadent remnants of the British Empire. British expatriates in Singapore are more British than any denizen of London, Birmingham or York. Indeed, the very fabric of Singapore still worships British colonial power with monuments like Raffles and the Fullerton. For all of this, Singapore is one of the most harmonious communities on the earth. Of course, this harmony comes at a significant price to personal freedom.
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| Raffles Hotel Singapore |
Singapore is not oppressive in any manner, but it is highly policed and very highly regulated. Local T-shirts in Singapore display slogans like, “Singapore is a Fine Place! They’ll fine you for smoking, littering, jaywalking, parking in the wrong place and chewing gum.” Singapore no longer fines offenders for chewing gum, by the way, but do NOT be caught spitting a wad of gum on to the pavement! I remember when chewing gum was illegal in Singapore. At the time, I paraphrased the American gun-fanatics, “When chewing gum is outlawed only outlaws will have chewing-gum.” I think making chewing gum illegal was even too silly for Singapore because the regulation was soon repealed. There are still the occasional highly publicized incidents of punishment by caning but because of this regulation the lifestyle in Singapore is truly idyllic. Singapore is a safe, clean, well organized place to raise a family. Of course, this does not mean that there is no vice.
In Singapore, however, even the vice is regulated and policed. There are numerous bars, clubs and pubs where patrons can drink, dance and relax. Because of tight police presence, however, the incidence of drink-driving is very, very low. Similarly, Singapore has some casinos and other forms of gambling but patrons must show a passport to enter a gambling establishment and local residents are not allowed to enter the casinos unless they pay a large fee. Strangely enough, even prostitution is regulated. Orchard Towers is a licensed area where men, women and those who fall somewhere between the two sexes can pair up with partners of various genders – for a fee. Orchard Towers is affectionately known around the world as “Four Floors of Whores.” Orchard Towers is secure, policed and “the business” is not allowed to spill into the surrounding high-end shopping areas. In fact, in Singapore vice is so highly regulated that it lacks the allure of the clandestine that vice enjoys throughout the rest of the world. This is something, of course, that the Singaporean authorities will be pleased to hear.
I want to return to the point about Singapore’s waterfronts and waterways. All of the seafronts and rivers and creeks have been cleaned up and gentrified. For example, the post industrial warehouses of Clarke Quay have been rejuvenated into a high-end entertainment district including bars, restaurants, night clubs, fountains, shopping and children play areas. Similarly, the once bustling Marina and quay area across from the Fullerton Hotel is now a quaint tourist attraction with high-end restaurants and about one million Asians snapping pictures. Even the East Coast has been turned into a beautiful park while there are hundreds (if not thousands) of ships right off the eastern coastal area. This attention to the living environment is unique in Asia to Singapore and quite rare throughout the remainder of the world.
So, here is my quick guide to Singapore:
Where to Stay: I stay in the Conrad because I like the convenience of the Suntec area and the hotel is friendly and reasonably priced. Rosa likes the Four Seasons here (but then again, Rosa likes Four Seasons everywhere). Old money still stays at Raffles, but the new money is staying at the Marina Bay Sands – and losing a lot of that new money, I expect.
Where to Eat: There are a huge number of great restaurants in Singapore. I like Gunter’s for French food, the Wine Merchant for casual dining with great wines, Barfly in Clarke Quay for Asian fusion and any of the East Coast Seafood Centre restaurants for drunken prawns and black pepper crab.
Where to Party: Clarke Quay is good for partying and there are several cool bars and pubs on Orchard Road. The Paulaner Brewery is a great place for a beer and a pretzel. Equinox in the Swiss Hotel is where to party and to be seen.
Where to Shop: Takeshimiya Mall is still great for high-end fashions. I also like the new Ion Mall on Orchard Road – it is convenient to walk between these two malls. Raffles Mall is good for high street shopping and the Suntec Centre is convenient for the Conrad. The locals all like Mustafa’s Shopping Centre because everything is available at a reasonable price. I always save a little shopping time, however, for Changi duty-free – it is very good and convenient.
Travel Plans:
There are no major changes to my travel since yesterday, but I expect some early next week.
* Saturday, 4 September 2010: Manila - Singapore, staying at the Conrad
* Sunday, 5 September 2010: Singapore - Tokyo, staying at the Strings Intercontinental
* Monday, 6 September 2010: Tokyo
* Tuesday, 7 September 2010: Tokyo
* Wednesday, 8 September 2010: Tokyo - Sydney
* Thursday, 9 September 2010: Arrive in Sydney and check into the Holiday Inn at the Airport
* Friday, 10 September 2010: Sydney ... returning home via Dubai
* Saturday, 11 September 2010: Dubai - Larnaca then home to Tseri
* Sunday, 12 September 2010: Home in Tseri
* Monday, 13 September 2010: Working from Home in Tseri and meeting the arriving teams in the evening for the EMEA Sales meeting
* Tuesday, 14 September 2010: Larnaca, Cyprus for the EMEA Sales meeting
* Wednesday, 15 September 2010: Larnaca, Cyprus for the EMEA Sales meeting then leaving in the evening for Dubai in route to Sydney.
* Thursday, 16 September 2010: Dubai – Sydney
* Friday, 17 September 2010: Sydney
As usual, these plans are subject to change …
Rant:
Science has been able to put men on the moon (allegedly), cure Smallpox and gave us Velcro and the iPod, yet scientists have still been unable to create a piece of luggage that lasts more than about eight international trips. For the average traveller, eight trips represent between two and four years but for me, eight trips are about two months.
I have destroyed expensive metal Rimowa suitcases, Gucci luggage, Swiss Army Kevlar coated bags and virtually every other high-end brand on the market. I have also destroyed American Tourister luggage that was supposed to be indestructible. I’ve tried virtually every type of bag, from cheap ones to expensive and the result is always the same: within two months the luggage is in tatters and the bag is completely destroyed within four months. Every form of damage occurs … Zippers break, fabric rips, leather snags and rips, locks are broken, hard cases are cracked and soft cases are soaked in various liquids including water, diesel, kerosene and Goodness knows what else!
Of course, there is one exception to destroyed luggage that “proves the rule”: Louis Vuitton luggage. Real Louis Vuitton luggage is very expensive (up to US$40,000 for some cases) but it is virtually indestructible. Even if it is slightly damaged, the manufacturer will cheerfully repair or replace the piece without fuss or hassle. In fact, the act of arranging a repair is generally easier than buying the LV luggage in the first place because I think the LV store clerks are taught to be snotty. Rosa has a beautiful set of LV luggage that grows with extra pieces each year. The oldest pieces age more gracefully than a KLM flight attendant and look “classic” instead of “old”. So, the reader may be wondering why I don’t just check Louis Vuitton luggage … Well, the answer is simple really. True LV luggage is lost and stolen more than any other brand of luggage in the world. So, my luggage may stay together for years but I may never see it again once it is checked!
So, now I buy a medium-priced piece of luggage every three or four months and use the luggage until it reaches the point of embarrassment. When I can no longer rely on a zipper or have used enough duct tape to replace lost thermo tiles on the bottom of the Space Shuttle, then I buy another piece of luggage and “donate” the crippled piece to the cleaning staff of whatever hotel I am staying at when I am forced to replace the case.
Is it too much to ask for a well built, non-descript piece of luggage that won’t fall apart in just a few months?!
Humour Section:
In honour of my current venue, I offer the following humorous story about involving Singapore:
A British Sales Manager told his American Salesman, “I need you to fly to Singapore in order to try to cold-call clients.” The American Salesman responded very dismissively, “Why the Hell would I do that? There is nothing in Singapore except prostitutes and sailors!” The British manager turned red and exclaimed, “I’ll have you know that my mother was born and raised in Singapore!” The quick thinking salesman responded coolly, “Really, well what was the name of her last ship?”
OK, that one is a bit short today … and old. I’ll try to do better next time.
Last Blast:
I mentioned Durian fruit in my Location Notes today. As you hopefully remember (and if you don’t you probably have Alzheimer’s disease), the Singapore Opera House is shaped like a Durian. I wonder, however, how many of my readers are familiar with this Southeast Asian delicacy.
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| Durian Fruit - Yucky! |
The strange thing is that Durian is craved by people in Southeast Asia, China and even the Middle East. I simply cannot stomach raw Durian, but even cooked Durian is generally beyond my limit. I had Durian cookies in Shanghai once and literally tossed my cookies shortly afterwards. Maybe Durian is a taste to which you become accustomed when you are introduced to the taste while young like Vegemite is craved by Australians or Root Beer is craved by Americans. I somehow doubt this very much because Durian’s smell is so bad that many hotels and all airports in the region will not allow Durian on the premises.
About twenty years ago when I was living in Bahrain, Gulf Air had a “Durian Flight” in which several containers full of ripe Durian were shipped to the Middle East from Kuala Lumpur. The plane smelled so bad by the time it landed that rat ran off the plane sporting little gas masks! Seriously, the plane could not be used for several days until the smell could be fumigated from the cargo hold.
Some of my friends who are aficionados of Durian tell me that frozen Durian can be found pretty much all over the world (I guess in the “crap smelling” area of the frozen goods section) and it is “much easier to stomach” than fresh Durian. I really doubt this, but it does sound like a challenge that I can post to my readers: why don’t you all buy some frozen Durian, thaw it and try a big spoonful and then tell me how it was? I promise not to laugh and I might even try it if you all survive!
Live comfortably until we meet again …
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