THIRD DAY (January 1,2007)
We woke up early that day since we wanted to start the New Year on a positive note and aside from that, it was also my sister’s lunar birthday. The first thing we did that day was to skip the lousy breakfast at the hotel and went to the neighborhood Kopitiam to try the traditional Singaporean breakfast that wikitravel was raving about. The traditional breakfast actually consist of 2 Kaya toast, 2 soft boiled egg, and a cup of hot milk tea and costs only S$2.50, which my sister ordered (I ordered the more “loaded” one wherein ham and fried eggs sunny side up replaced the soft boiled eggs. It cost S$3.50). The breakfast was good, particularly the Kaya toast, which is tasty. The Kaya toast is actually made up of two loaves of semi – burnt toasted bread with sweet red mongo paste and butter filling. At S$2.50 or roughly Php70, it wasn’t really expensive and is comparable to the cost of a Jollibee breakfast back home except that the latter is much heavier. Anyway, after that rather delightful breakfast, we headed to Jurong side of the island and visited their Botanical Park, which is really just a huge outdoor garden type park. Apparently, the place is quite popular among Singaporeans because we could see a lot of them there with their families picnicking. Aside from that, we could also see some locals who are health buffs jogging around the place. The Botanical Park is not just one garden park but actually made up of several gardens. There is a Japanese garden, a European themed garden, an Orchid garden. It was a place to get some fresh air and a lot of exercise. I was not only drenched wet with my own sweat from simply walking half of the park but was also panting. Geez, I must be in a terrible shape! Luckily, I wore my walking shoes that day, which is why my feet didn’t give up on me then. We didn’t venture to finish traversing the entire park as I got enough exercise for that day. We proceeded to visit the Science Centre nearby after a few minutes rest. The Science Centre is actually a wonderful place to visit if YOU HAVE KIDS! This is because the place is really for kids. It is a place where you open the YOUNG MIND to explore the world of science and not for the dull adult mind like mine. Anyway, I was really there to watch their 3D show, the Mars Rover show but was dismayed to learn that they would be showing it only in the late afternoon as it was a public holiday that day (I had other plans that afternoon). The only saving grace was that the Centre has also some exhibitions for “adults” like the future lifestyle concepts involving information technology. There was a TV where one could see different “part” of the show being aired if you view it from different angles or the toilet bowl where it measure you weight analyze your dung whilst you’re doing your “daily morning rituals” to determine how healthy you are (great! a talking toilet). Also on display at the exhibition is a sleek futuristic concept car from Toyota. The design of the car is simply wow! But the best part of the exhibition was riding the Segway Transport. The Segway Transport (I learned of its existence 5 years ago from watching TV) is actually a two wheel vehicle with a handle and driven by an electrical motor. It has no steering wheel and no paddles or levers for speed control and brakes. The only way to control and operate the Segway was through shifting one’s body weight. There is a microcomputer at the bottom of the Segway beneath the feet that monitors subtle changes in the rider’s center of gravity. If one leans forward, the Segway moves forward. The more you lean forward, the faster the Segway would move forward. If you shift your weight on your right slightly, the Segway would turn right at an angle of which depending on how much the operator lean on his right. If you arch backwards, the Segway stops and further arching backward would back the Segway altogether. The concept of the Segway was to use the natural weight shifting of the body that a person does during walking or running. So therefore, there is no need for a “special” driving school for it. Just don’t froze stiff like what my sister did. Anyway, I was a natural with the Segway mastering it in just 15 seconds on it. I never wanted to relinquish the Segway and was rather disheartened to give it up to somebody else as my turn was up. Someday, I’m going to get one of those Segway for myself. It was already noon when we finished the exhibition tour and we went directly to the Peninsula to greet my mom and brother who had just arrived and had lunch together. After lunch, we took a cab went directly to Sentosa Island, a beach resort island and in which according to wikitravel is Singaporeans favorite weekend getaway. There are 2 main ways to get to Sentosa, via car through a land bridge or via cable car. We took the cable car and boy! What a queue! There are three cable car stations, one in Sentosa, one in Mount Faber, Singapore’s tallest peak, and one midway between the two. We hitched in the midway point. The cable car could carry six people in it and though it was relatively safe, I do have uneasy feeling riding it. From my vantage point inside the cable car, I could see Singapore’s skyline at least in the Harbor Area. Over above Sentosa, I could also see the “murky waters” that hug the shoreline facing Singapore. At Sentosa, the atmosphere was totally different. The air is filled with a party atmosphere so much so that you think you are in another country and not in Singapore. There is not much to see in Sentosa except for the Oceanarium and the Dolphin Lagoon. Transportation within Sentosa is by bus and is totally free but it is always jammed packed especially the line going to the Oceanarium and to the Dolphin Lagoon. For our first stop, we visited the Oceanarium, which according to the Singaporean government is the world’s largest. Like the previous day’s trips, this one is also a highly educational one. Inside the Oceanarium, one could see a vast array of marine life such as fish, coral reefs, sea horses, turtles, crabs (the giant ones and definitely not for consumption), sting rays, manta rays, and sharks! Baby Tiger Sharks to be exact. Lots of them. Pretty interesting visit. In fact, it was so interesting that we stayed too long and wasn’t able to catch the Dolphin Lagoon which closes at 1600. According to wikipedia, once could ride and play with the dolphins at the Lagoon. Anyway, I was also in a hurry at that moment to get off Sentosa and reach the top of Mount Faber in time for the sunset view at the Pillow Case(?), mountain top restaurant. We again took the cable car out of Sentosa and up to Mount Faber just in the nick of time for the sunset view. There was a slight drizzle at that time and a little bit cloudy but the sun is still there and didn’t miss my appointment. Though the sunset was in no way comparable to Manila’s, it was nonetheless great with the view of the harbor and slowly sinking sun. As sun sets at the horizon, we all took the cable car for the last and went to our first starting point. From there, we took a cab to Clarke Quay, another popular food destination in Singapore. Since it was my sister’s lunar birthday, we decided to splurge a little and chose to eat at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant by the Riverside. Wikitravel is recommending that visitors to Singapore should try Jumbo Seafood’s Chili Crab, Singapore’s national dish. Wikitravel also recommends that we ordered a side dish of steam buns, which we fortunately did. The Chili Crab was delicious but somehow disappointing because we were expecting a “bigger and meatier” crab. At the price they are charging, one could get more and meatier crab at Emerald Garden in Manila. The Chili Sauce bathing the crab wasn’t that hot but it was superb especially when used as a dipping sauce for the 2 inch wide and long square steam bun. In fact, I like the steam bun dipped in the Chili Crab sauce more than the Chili Crab itself! And I regretted that I didn’t order more buns because we still have more leftover sauces. At S$0.40 per bun (roughly Php12), the bun might be expensive but worth every bite. We have 2 other side dishes that evening and our total bill reached almost S$50 (Php1700), which is not that expensive when to be objective about it but one could literally have a more sumptuous meal at any seafood restaurant in the Philippines.
FOURTH DAY (January 2)
We got up pretty late that day largely because we overslept. It was somehow regrettable that we did overslept that day because we were leaving Singapore that afternoon and we still have places to go notably, Little India – Bugis, Orchard, and Chinatown. Again, we had our Kaya toast breakfast at Kopitiam (I sure do began to have a liking for Kaya toasts). After which, we went to see my mom and my brother sent them off to the Botanical Garden and the Jurong Bird Park. My sister and I then ventured to Chinatown where my sister went shopping. The Pagoda street in Chinatown is a hawker street filled with bargain vendor stalls and Chinese eateries. It was named Pagoda street because at it’s corner stands an old Hindu temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple, reputedly the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. A few steps away from the temple is an Islamic mosque. This is a living testament to the ethic and religious plurality and harmony in Singapore. Interesting sight. There is no better proof than this. Anyway, Pagoda Street is really short and is the equivalent of Divisoria in the Philippines except that Divisoria is a hundred times bigger and way, way cheaper and much, much more to offer than at Pagoda’s. According to the local taxi drivers, Pagoda Street is the cheapest place to shop but I was unimpressed not because I hate but the prices are ridiculously high in my point of view (average price range for the “little give away stuffs” is around S$2 – 10 or roughly Php70 – 330, which is cheaper than say in San Francisco where a key chain cost US$2 or Php100 at the least but one could always get a similar item in the Philippines at Php50 or less) and doesn’t commensurate with the value it offered. Shopping at 168 in Divisoria is cheaper and better. But then again, my sister wanted to shop and I did promise her that (as her birthday gift from me). Anyway, by noon, we headed back to Orchard and again ate at Din Tai Fung, one of my favorite restaurants in Singapore for lunch. While waiting to be seated, I manage to scout around the place and came across a Chinese bookstore where I bought a book entitled, the “History of the Chin (dynasty)”. Chin dynasty is China’s first imperial dynasty and the only Chinese dynasty that doesn’t have a history book written about it. Every imperial dynasty in China wrote a history book posthumously about their preceeding dynasty, all except for the Chin. The Han dynasty that succeeded it didn’t wrote anything about it because historiography wasn’t that established yet at that time. The book, “History of the Chin” was written in the early 20th century during the tumultuous Republican – Warlord period of modern China. It was a momentous book because it filled a missing gap in Chinese history. Furthermore, it was a book that tells a very interesting subject matter in Chinese history, the Chin dynasty, the founder of the Chinese imperial system that last for 2000 years. Too bad, the book only contains the fragmentary pages of the original manuscript, which make the book all the more precious. The author, Mr Wang, had as ling life long ambition to write a history book like no other and he embark on this project when he was young and maintained it consistently all throughout his life. He finished the book sometime before the Second World War but the original manuscript was totally destroyed in the holocaust of the subsequent War. Fortunately for him and for all of us, fragments of his secondary copy was still intact as well as his research notes. He then painstakingly rewrote his book only to be destroyed in another holocaust, that of Cultural Revolution. Only fragments of his work and his notes survive the disaster that befell on him but he never quit and again begun piecing together his opus. What finally prevented him from finishing his work was the death of his wife, which devastated him so much. Too bad, the book was well written. It was well research, scientific in it’s approach vs the myth laden story telling of the ancient histories probably this has to do with the “spirit of the age” where he is born into. The book debunks a lot of myths and legends and present history in it’s purest unadulterated form. Furthermore, it was written in the classic Chinese prose that only a few “ancients’ like me would love to read. It was a work of a genius and worth every penny that I paid for (S$15 or Php500). Buying that book completes my day and I was ready to go where my sister wanted to go and I did. We went back to Chinatown for more shopping and I didn’t complain. Later, while waiting for our plane at the airport, I chanced upon the Airport bookstore and “discovered” a new book just hot off the press, “Measuring Marketing, 103 key metrics every marketer needs” by John Davis. It sells for S$53.95 (Php1,782). Not that expensive considering a book of it’s caliber. Fortunately for me, they’re offering a 15% discount and I bought it at S$45.86 or Php1,500 roughly the same as in the Philippines (the book came out of National Bookstore in the Philippines just last week and sells at roughly Php1,500). Not a bad day for me at that time.
SINGAPOREAN FOOD
Singaporean food are all delicious but expensive by Philippine standard even if the prices are comparable in some cases but one could get more value and the same delicious taste in Manila. However, by American standard, Singaporean food is cheap and way, way more delicious than the average American fare, which sucks by the way. Furthermore, Singapore manages to develop it’s own cuisine; it’s own identity, which they vigorously market as unique in the world. Indeed! Some of their dishes are in fact unique though they are mostly derived from Chinese and Indian cuisine. Dish like Chili Crab, Kaya toast, Roti Pratak(?), Suntay (a barbecue dish with spicy sauces), Bakut Teh soup (spareribs boiled in herbal tea) are some of the prominent examples. Too bad, I wasn’t able to try all of them partly because of their prices and partly because I’m particularly gastronomically adventurous at that time.
SINGAPOREAN TAXI
Singapore taxis are quite efficient and relatively high tech. They are continuously connected via wifi and are computerized and could communicate via text message. In fact, you could pay with a cash card or a credit card. One can travel to any point in Singapore under 20 minutes on light traffic days and the fare wouldn’t exceed S$15. However, most places in Singapore are within walking distance (10 minutes or less) and it would be expensive to take a cab, which usually runs to S$4 (Php130). However, that is a small price to pay considering if your feet is killing you from all the walking you had while touring. Although Singaporean drivers don’t overcharge their customers, they do intentionally take the longest route to what is otherwise a short distance destination. Care must be exercised though in choosing the cab to ride on. In Singapore, there is such a cab called Limo – taxi. Mercedes Benzes dressed up like a taxi. Don’t make a mistake riding in one because I did in a hurry. The fare in the Limo – taxis are much more expensive than the regular taxis (S$3.50 flogged down rate compared to S$2.50 + mandatory tip of S$2 for the limo, the rate per kilometer is S$0.5 for both if I remember it right) and though it was more luxurious than the regular taxi, it doesn’t really make any difference in terms of comfort unless of course, one is vain (as in you wanted to be seen riding in such a luxury vehicle). Another thing about Singaporean taxis is that their drivers are talkative. I did chat with taxi drivers and jeepney drivers in the Philippines before when I was still commuting but only a couple of times (less than 8 I suppose) and not regularly (by the way, the drivers initiate the conversations and not me). In Singapore however, I manage to have a conversation with the drivers on three separate occasions. It is usually high considering my length of stay. Well, it helps that I’m Chinese and I look approachable. Anyway, we talk a variety of topics like the sights in Singapore, the Philippines, the women in the Philippines (how they are sweeter than Singaporean women according to one driver), Filipino words and phrases, the Singaporean work life. We talk largely in English and occasionally in Mandarin but never in Singlish, which is basically English with Chinese term juxtaposed in them much like Taglish. About the Singaporean subway, I never rode on one. Well, that is because it is hard to find and out of the way. Unlike in Hong Kong, where there is a subway entrance on virtually every corner, Singaporean subway entrance are not that geographically dispersed and are also not that visible and such that only the locals could manage to find one.
COMPARISON WITH HONG KONG
Singapore is invariably compared with Hong Kong so much so that it is viewed as a rival. By comparison, Hong Kong is bigger and looks “older” at least in some sections of Hong Kong. Singapore by contrast looks younger but it’s architecture are not in a league with Hong Kong’s much less Shanghai. In fact, Hong Kong has a higher density of sky scrappers than in Singapore and Shanghai would look like the “universe” by comparison. Hong Kong has a better stable of tourist attractions like Disneyland, Ocean Park, Victoria’s Peak (for lovers only according to my uncle who lives in Hong Kong), and Museums (where I had my first visits to such a place). Singapore on the other hand, has more to offer from my point of view like Jurong Bird Park, Singaporean Zoo, Night Safari, Sentosa, etc. Shopping is cheaper in Hong Kong than in Singapore especially for luxury goods according to some “testaments and experience”. Prices in Singapore seemed somewhat higher than Hong Kong but I cannot accurately tell. Personally, if I were to be asked where I would rather be, I would choose Hong Kong without second thought mainly because of familiarity (and to most people I’d talked to). Hong Kong was like a second home to me because I had relatives there but truth to tell Singapore is a better place to stay because it is “greener” than Hong Kong.
THE LURE OF SINGAPORE
Singapore has no great monument to history. It has no wonder of an architectural gem. It doesn’t even have a breathtaking spectacular scenic attraction like the Grand Canyon or the Yang Ming Mountain in Taiwan. It has none of those. So what is the lure of Singapore? It is none other but Singapore itself. The luscious green landscape of Singapore could easily fool anybody into thinking that one is in the suburb and not in the city. It is as if the City is cut out of the forest and not the forest being inserted into the City. Merging that with the Jurong Bird Park, the Zoo, the Night Safari, the Garden, and even Sentosa, what emerges is that Singapore is not just an eco – friendly city but what a city should really be. A lot of people saw that (the various attractions) but few people understood and appreciated the significance. And the significance is that Singapore has proven that Man and Nature could co – exist and that Civilization, Progress, and Ecology could actually work hand in hand. After visiting Singapore, one would invariably ask the question, “why can’t my city be like Singapore?” And this is why Singapore is unique. Now as for me on whether or not I’m returning to Singapore? Well, perhaps I would. Maybe sometime March 27,2007 just in time for the opening of the Singaporean run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s opus, “The Phantom of the Opera”. “ )
We woke up early that day since we wanted to start the New Year on a positive note and aside from that, it was also my sister’s lunar birthday. The first thing we did that day was to skip the lousy breakfast at the hotel and went to the neighborhood Kopitiam to try the traditional Singaporean breakfast that wikitravel was raving about. The traditional breakfast actually consist of 2 Kaya toast, 2 soft boiled egg, and a cup of hot milk tea and costs only S$2.50, which my sister ordered (I ordered the more “loaded” one wherein ham and fried eggs sunny side up replaced the soft boiled eggs. It cost S$3.50). The breakfast was good, particularly the Kaya toast, which is tasty. The Kaya toast is actually made up of two loaves of semi – burnt toasted bread with sweet red mongo paste and butter filling. At S$2.50 or roughly Php70, it wasn’t really expensive and is comparable to the cost of a Jollibee breakfast back home except that the latter is much heavier. Anyway, after that rather delightful breakfast, we headed to Jurong side of the island and visited their Botanical Park, which is really just a huge outdoor garden type park. Apparently, the place is quite popular among Singaporeans because we could see a lot of them there with their families picnicking. Aside from that, we could also see some locals who are health buffs jogging around the place. The Botanical Park is not just one garden park but actually made up of several gardens. There is a Japanese garden, a European themed garden, an Orchid garden. It was a place to get some fresh air and a lot of exercise. I was not only drenched wet with my own sweat from simply walking half of the park but was also panting. Geez, I must be in a terrible shape! Luckily, I wore my walking shoes that day, which is why my feet didn’t give up on me then. We didn’t venture to finish traversing the entire park as I got enough exercise for that day. We proceeded to visit the Science Centre nearby after a few minutes rest. The Science Centre is actually a wonderful place to visit if YOU HAVE KIDS! This is because the place is really for kids. It is a place where you open the YOUNG MIND to explore the world of science and not for the dull adult mind like mine. Anyway, I was really there to watch their 3D show, the Mars Rover show but was dismayed to learn that they would be showing it only in the late afternoon as it was a public holiday that day (I had other plans that afternoon). The only saving grace was that the Centre has also some exhibitions for “adults” like the future lifestyle concepts involving information technology. There was a TV where one could see different “part” of the show being aired if you view it from different angles or the toilet bowl where it measure you weight analyze your dung whilst you’re doing your “daily morning rituals” to determine how healthy you are (great! a talking toilet). Also on display at the exhibition is a sleek futuristic concept car from Toyota. The design of the car is simply wow! But the best part of the exhibition was riding the Segway Transport. The Segway Transport (I learned of its existence 5 years ago from watching TV) is actually a two wheel vehicle with a handle and driven by an electrical motor. It has no steering wheel and no paddles or levers for speed control and brakes. The only way to control and operate the Segway was through shifting one’s body weight. There is a microcomputer at the bottom of the Segway beneath the feet that monitors subtle changes in the rider’s center of gravity. If one leans forward, the Segway moves forward. The more you lean forward, the faster the Segway would move forward. If you shift your weight on your right slightly, the Segway would turn right at an angle of which depending on how much the operator lean on his right. If you arch backwards, the Segway stops and further arching backward would back the Segway altogether. The concept of the Segway was to use the natural weight shifting of the body that a person does during walking or running. So therefore, there is no need for a “special” driving school for it. Just don’t froze stiff like what my sister did. Anyway, I was a natural with the Segway mastering it in just 15 seconds on it. I never wanted to relinquish the Segway and was rather disheartened to give it up to somebody else as my turn was up. Someday, I’m going to get one of those Segway for myself. It was already noon when we finished the exhibition tour and we went directly to the Peninsula to greet my mom and brother who had just arrived and had lunch together. After lunch, we took a cab went directly to Sentosa Island, a beach resort island and in which according to wikitravel is Singaporeans favorite weekend getaway. There are 2 main ways to get to Sentosa, via car through a land bridge or via cable car. We took the cable car and boy! What a queue! There are three cable car stations, one in Sentosa, one in Mount Faber, Singapore’s tallest peak, and one midway between the two. We hitched in the midway point. The cable car could carry six people in it and though it was relatively safe, I do have uneasy feeling riding it. From my vantage point inside the cable car, I could see Singapore’s skyline at least in the Harbor Area. Over above Sentosa, I could also see the “murky waters” that hug the shoreline facing Singapore. At Sentosa, the atmosphere was totally different. The air is filled with a party atmosphere so much so that you think you are in another country and not in Singapore. There is not much to see in Sentosa except for the Oceanarium and the Dolphin Lagoon. Transportation within Sentosa is by bus and is totally free but it is always jammed packed especially the line going to the Oceanarium and to the Dolphin Lagoon. For our first stop, we visited the Oceanarium, which according to the Singaporean government is the world’s largest. Like the previous day’s trips, this one is also a highly educational one. Inside the Oceanarium, one could see a vast array of marine life such as fish, coral reefs, sea horses, turtles, crabs (the giant ones and definitely not for consumption), sting rays, manta rays, and sharks! Baby Tiger Sharks to be exact. Lots of them. Pretty interesting visit. In fact, it was so interesting that we stayed too long and wasn’t able to catch the Dolphin Lagoon which closes at 1600. According to wikipedia, once could ride and play with the dolphins at the Lagoon. Anyway, I was also in a hurry at that moment to get off Sentosa and reach the top of Mount Faber in time for the sunset view at the Pillow Case(?), mountain top restaurant. We again took the cable car out of Sentosa and up to Mount Faber just in the nick of time for the sunset view. There was a slight drizzle at that time and a little bit cloudy but the sun is still there and didn’t miss my appointment. Though the sunset was in no way comparable to Manila’s, it was nonetheless great with the view of the harbor and slowly sinking sun. As sun sets at the horizon, we all took the cable car for the last and went to our first starting point. From there, we took a cab to Clarke Quay, another popular food destination in Singapore. Since it was my sister’s lunar birthday, we decided to splurge a little and chose to eat at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant by the Riverside. Wikitravel is recommending that visitors to Singapore should try Jumbo Seafood’s Chili Crab, Singapore’s national dish. Wikitravel also recommends that we ordered a side dish of steam buns, which we fortunately did. The Chili Crab was delicious but somehow disappointing because we were expecting a “bigger and meatier” crab. At the price they are charging, one could get more and meatier crab at Emerald Garden in Manila. The Chili Sauce bathing the crab wasn’t that hot but it was superb especially when used as a dipping sauce for the 2 inch wide and long square steam bun. In fact, I like the steam bun dipped in the Chili Crab sauce more than the Chili Crab itself! And I regretted that I didn’t order more buns because we still have more leftover sauces. At S$0.40 per bun (roughly Php12), the bun might be expensive but worth every bite. We have 2 other side dishes that evening and our total bill reached almost S$50 (Php1700), which is not that expensive when to be objective about it but one could literally have a more sumptuous meal at any seafood restaurant in the Philippines.
FOURTH DAY (January 2)
We got up pretty late that day largely because we overslept. It was somehow regrettable that we did overslept that day because we were leaving Singapore that afternoon and we still have places to go notably, Little India – Bugis, Orchard, and Chinatown. Again, we had our Kaya toast breakfast at Kopitiam (I sure do began to have a liking for Kaya toasts). After which, we went to see my mom and my brother sent them off to the Botanical Garden and the Jurong Bird Park. My sister and I then ventured to Chinatown where my sister went shopping. The Pagoda street in Chinatown is a hawker street filled with bargain vendor stalls and Chinese eateries. It was named Pagoda street because at it’s corner stands an old Hindu temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple, reputedly the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore. A few steps away from the temple is an Islamic mosque. This is a living testament to the ethic and religious plurality and harmony in Singapore. Interesting sight. There is no better proof than this. Anyway, Pagoda Street is really short and is the equivalent of Divisoria in the Philippines except that Divisoria is a hundred times bigger and way, way cheaper and much, much more to offer than at Pagoda’s. According to the local taxi drivers, Pagoda Street is the cheapest place to shop but I was unimpressed not because I hate but the prices are ridiculously high in my point of view (average price range for the “little give away stuffs” is around S$2 – 10 or roughly Php70 – 330, which is cheaper than say in San Francisco where a key chain cost US$2 or Php100 at the least but one could always get a similar item in the Philippines at Php50 or less) and doesn’t commensurate with the value it offered. Shopping at 168 in Divisoria is cheaper and better. But then again, my sister wanted to shop and I did promise her that (as her birthday gift from me). Anyway, by noon, we headed back to Orchard and again ate at Din Tai Fung, one of my favorite restaurants in Singapore for lunch. While waiting to be seated, I manage to scout around the place and came across a Chinese bookstore where I bought a book entitled, the “History of the Chin (dynasty)”. Chin dynasty is China’s first imperial dynasty and the only Chinese dynasty that doesn’t have a history book written about it. Every imperial dynasty in China wrote a history book posthumously about their preceeding dynasty, all except for the Chin. The Han dynasty that succeeded it didn’t wrote anything about it because historiography wasn’t that established yet at that time. The book, “History of the Chin” was written in the early 20th century during the tumultuous Republican – Warlord period of modern China. It was a momentous book because it filled a missing gap in Chinese history. Furthermore, it was a book that tells a very interesting subject matter in Chinese history, the Chin dynasty, the founder of the Chinese imperial system that last for 2000 years. Too bad, the book only contains the fragmentary pages of the original manuscript, which make the book all the more precious. The author, Mr Wang, had as ling life long ambition to write a history book like no other and he embark on this project when he was young and maintained it consistently all throughout his life. He finished the book sometime before the Second World War but the original manuscript was totally destroyed in the holocaust of the subsequent War. Fortunately for him and for all of us, fragments of his secondary copy was still intact as well as his research notes. He then painstakingly rewrote his book only to be destroyed in another holocaust, that of Cultural Revolution. Only fragments of his work and his notes survive the disaster that befell on him but he never quit and again begun piecing together his opus. What finally prevented him from finishing his work was the death of his wife, which devastated him so much. Too bad, the book was well written. It was well research, scientific in it’s approach vs the myth laden story telling of the ancient histories probably this has to do with the “spirit of the age” where he is born into. The book debunks a lot of myths and legends and present history in it’s purest unadulterated form. Furthermore, it was written in the classic Chinese prose that only a few “ancients’ like me would love to read. It was a work of a genius and worth every penny that I paid for (S$15 or Php500). Buying that book completes my day and I was ready to go where my sister wanted to go and I did. We went back to Chinatown for more shopping and I didn’t complain. Later, while waiting for our plane at the airport, I chanced upon the Airport bookstore and “discovered” a new book just hot off the press, “Measuring Marketing, 103 key metrics every marketer needs” by John Davis. It sells for S$53.95 (Php1,782). Not that expensive considering a book of it’s caliber. Fortunately for me, they’re offering a 15% discount and I bought it at S$45.86 or Php1,500 roughly the same as in the Philippines (the book came out of National Bookstore in the Philippines just last week and sells at roughly Php1,500). Not a bad day for me at that time.
SINGAPOREAN FOOD
Singaporean food are all delicious but expensive by Philippine standard even if the prices are comparable in some cases but one could get more value and the same delicious taste in Manila. However, by American standard, Singaporean food is cheap and way, way more delicious than the average American fare, which sucks by the way. Furthermore, Singapore manages to develop it’s own cuisine; it’s own identity, which they vigorously market as unique in the world. Indeed! Some of their dishes are in fact unique though they are mostly derived from Chinese and Indian cuisine. Dish like Chili Crab, Kaya toast, Roti Pratak(?), Suntay (a barbecue dish with spicy sauces), Bakut Teh soup (spareribs boiled in herbal tea) are some of the prominent examples. Too bad, I wasn’t able to try all of them partly because of their prices and partly because I’m particularly gastronomically adventurous at that time.
SINGAPOREAN TAXI
Singapore taxis are quite efficient and relatively high tech. They are continuously connected via wifi and are computerized and could communicate via text message. In fact, you could pay with a cash card or a credit card. One can travel to any point in Singapore under 20 minutes on light traffic days and the fare wouldn’t exceed S$15. However, most places in Singapore are within walking distance (10 minutes or less) and it would be expensive to take a cab, which usually runs to S$4 (Php130). However, that is a small price to pay considering if your feet is killing you from all the walking you had while touring. Although Singaporean drivers don’t overcharge their customers, they do intentionally take the longest route to what is otherwise a short distance destination. Care must be exercised though in choosing the cab to ride on. In Singapore, there is such a cab called Limo – taxi. Mercedes Benzes dressed up like a taxi. Don’t make a mistake riding in one because I did in a hurry. The fare in the Limo – taxis are much more expensive than the regular taxis (S$3.50 flogged down rate compared to S$2.50 + mandatory tip of S$2 for the limo, the rate per kilometer is S$0.5 for both if I remember it right) and though it was more luxurious than the regular taxi, it doesn’t really make any difference in terms of comfort unless of course, one is vain (as in you wanted to be seen riding in such a luxury vehicle). Another thing about Singaporean taxis is that their drivers are talkative. I did chat with taxi drivers and jeepney drivers in the Philippines before when I was still commuting but only a couple of times (less than 8 I suppose) and not regularly (by the way, the drivers initiate the conversations and not me). In Singapore however, I manage to have a conversation with the drivers on three separate occasions. It is usually high considering my length of stay. Well, it helps that I’m Chinese and I look approachable. Anyway, we talk a variety of topics like the sights in Singapore, the Philippines, the women in the Philippines (how they are sweeter than Singaporean women according to one driver), Filipino words and phrases, the Singaporean work life. We talk largely in English and occasionally in Mandarin but never in Singlish, which is basically English with Chinese term juxtaposed in them much like Taglish. About the Singaporean subway, I never rode on one. Well, that is because it is hard to find and out of the way. Unlike in Hong Kong, where there is a subway entrance on virtually every corner, Singaporean subway entrance are not that geographically dispersed and are also not that visible and such that only the locals could manage to find one.
COMPARISON WITH HONG KONG
Singapore is invariably compared with Hong Kong so much so that it is viewed as a rival. By comparison, Hong Kong is bigger and looks “older” at least in some sections of Hong Kong. Singapore by contrast looks younger but it’s architecture are not in a league with Hong Kong’s much less Shanghai. In fact, Hong Kong has a higher density of sky scrappers than in Singapore and Shanghai would look like the “universe” by comparison. Hong Kong has a better stable of tourist attractions like Disneyland, Ocean Park, Victoria’s Peak (for lovers only according to my uncle who lives in Hong Kong), and Museums (where I had my first visits to such a place). Singapore on the other hand, has more to offer from my point of view like Jurong Bird Park, Singaporean Zoo, Night Safari, Sentosa, etc. Shopping is cheaper in Hong Kong than in Singapore especially for luxury goods according to some “testaments and experience”. Prices in Singapore seemed somewhat higher than Hong Kong but I cannot accurately tell. Personally, if I were to be asked where I would rather be, I would choose Hong Kong without second thought mainly because of familiarity (and to most people I’d talked to). Hong Kong was like a second home to me because I had relatives there but truth to tell Singapore is a better place to stay because it is “greener” than Hong Kong.
THE LURE OF SINGAPORE
Singapore has no great monument to history. It has no wonder of an architectural gem. It doesn’t even have a breathtaking spectacular scenic attraction like the Grand Canyon or the Yang Ming Mountain in Taiwan. It has none of those. So what is the lure of Singapore? It is none other but Singapore itself. The luscious green landscape of Singapore could easily fool anybody into thinking that one is in the suburb and not in the city. It is as if the City is cut out of the forest and not the forest being inserted into the City. Merging that with the Jurong Bird Park, the Zoo, the Night Safari, the Garden, and even Sentosa, what emerges is that Singapore is not just an eco – friendly city but what a city should really be. A lot of people saw that (the various attractions) but few people understood and appreciated the significance. And the significance is that Singapore has proven that Man and Nature could co – exist and that Civilization, Progress, and Ecology could actually work hand in hand. After visiting Singapore, one would invariably ask the question, “why can’t my city be like Singapore?” And this is why Singapore is unique. Now as for me on whether or not I’m returning to Singapore? Well, perhaps I would. Maybe sometime March 27,2007 just in time for the opening of the Singaporean run of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s opus, “The Phantom of the Opera”. “ )
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