Singapore

Dragon fruit for sale in Chinatown

Approaching Singapore the seas are busy with shipping traffic. Soon skyscrapers with odd and twisted shapes come into view along with fancy bridges and the sight of hundreds of high rise 'public housing' where most of the people live (purchased from the government) in this densely populated city/state nation. There are 270 square miles and 5.5 million people. It is both crowded and prosperous.

Singapore is impressively modern, clean, friendly, and safe - all these are mandated and enforced by the (mildly) authoritarian government. Singapore is the southeast Asian center of finance, banking, and shipping. Everyone seems happy and fairly prosperous. And by the way, you can chew gum in Singapore but you cannot spit it anywhere. Laws are strictly enforced in Singapore by caneing, imprisonment, or death! Fortunately, all the SAS students got the message at the Cultural Pre-port sessions and from the Diplomatic Briefing on the morning of arrival - no one got into difficuties!

The Marina Bay Sands Hotel and it's observation terrace was a popular destination.

Immediately off the (climate controlled) ship we visited Singapore's Botanical Gardens which were remarkable for their beautiful orchids, abundant tropical plants, and high humidity! Here is a garden gremlin with a bird's nest on his head and Judy with a bird (apparently) on hers.

Little India

After a brief visit on the City Orientation tour of the first day in port, I headed back the second day for more of the sights, smells, sounds (and shopping!) in Little India.

The Hindu people of Little India were in the midst of Deepavali, the Festival of Lights. For this celebration, the streets and stalls were filled with brilliantly colored home decorations and the streets themselves were elaborately lit and ornamented.

Crowds fill the brightly lit streets at night enjoying street foods and music.

During the British colonial era, ethnic groups were separated into various neighborhoods: Chinatown, Arab Street, Little India, and Malay Town. After independence, Singapore has a strong and regulated policy of ethnic integration in schools, neighborhoods, and government.

With goldsmiths on every corner (and in between corners as well), with gold twinkling and beckoning from most windows, with unfulfilled dreams of purchasing a gold necklace in India, what could I do but seek out and purchase a golden necklace in Little India????