Destination - Singapore

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Singapore Fling

< Clarke Quay is a lively nightspot >

Managing Editor James McCarthy discovers a vibrant culture on the Asian island metropolis of Singapore.

>>> I awoke in my business class sky bed, bleary-eyed but well rested as flight QA638 touched down at Changli International Airport. I had spent the night dreaming about the adventures of 1930’s big game hunter, Frank Buck (or at least the portrayal of him in 1980’s TV series Bring ‘Em Back Alive). I don’t know why, but in my romantic imagination, I pictured myself stalking the Singaporean jungle in a pith helmet and safari suit (though without the pencil-thin moustache) during my four-day stay at the ‘Crossroads of the Orient.’

The reality, however, was quite different. Changli’s new terminal is the height of modernity, with the most inviting baggage reclaim area in the aviation world. My luggage was disgorged onto the carousel from a hole in a sheer, vine-covered wall that is lit by the natural sunlight streaming through the glass ceiling - all to the relaxing soundtrack of trickling water.

Minutes later, and I was heading to the exit, excited at the prospect of a cultural heritage tour through one of the world’s most modern and exponentially growing cities, to which I had been invited by the Singapore International Foundation.

< The Doorman of Raffles in full colonial splendour >

Singapore is one of the few developing nations to make the leap from third world to first in under a generation. Since gaining independence in 1965, the jewel in the crown of South East Asia has morphed from a bustling colonial trading port into one of the world’s banking powerhouses and a cultural centre for the Orient. I was about to take a first-hand journey through this evolution, and in the process I would fall in love with the small South Asian island, its people and its melting pot of cultures. And it all started with a handshake.

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< Colourful lanterns for Chinese New Year adorn stalls in Chinatown >

“Hello James, I’m Prescilla. Welcome to Singapore,” my smiling host greeted me as I stepped out into the balmy afternoon sunshine. My rumpled Paul Smith suit and bed-hair belied my excitement at what lay ahead.

In the comfort of an air-conditioned mini bus, we swept through the glisteningly clean streets of a modern metropolis, lined with lush greenery - something that will immediately strike the traveller from the Gulf. “The government passed a law that states that there have to be green spaces,” Priscilla explained. “As we are such a small island, with such a high population, sometimes we have to be quite creative about where they go,” she said, pointing upwards through the window. There were palm trees and foliage sprouting from nearly every balcony of the residential complex we were passing.

GRAND SURROUNDINGS By late afternoon we arrived at the Club Lounge of the lavish Grand Park Hotel City Hall. Located slap bang in the epicentre of what can only be called the heritage district of Singapore, the hotel is minutes from City Hall, the Orchard Road shopping district, St Andrew’s Cathedral and the newly developed social centre of town, Clarke Quay.

Keen to get refreshed and explore my surroundings, I entered my spacious double room, sent my suit for dry cleaning and hit the opulent marble-clad bathroom. The modern state-of-the-art entertainment system kept me amused while I perused the list of hotel services and decided that a spot of dinner was in order before venturing out into the city. I chose the Singapore Laksa (actually, in Singapore they just call it Laksa), a spicy seafood-based noodle soup which, frankly, was amazing.

This creativity brings me nicely on to the size of the island. Singapore in 2008 was around 20 percent larger, through land reclamation, than it was when it won independence from Malaysia in 1965. There are plans to reclaim a further 38.6 square miles by 2030. This expansion is necessary to accommodate a 4.99 million strong population within its 271.8 square mile area (Singapore is one of the most densely populated countries in the world with roughly 15,000 people per square mile). This makes harvesting land mass from its own hills, the sea bed and neighbouring countries a necessity.

However, it was time to leave the cooling comfort of the air-conditioning, and to step into the sultry Oriental evening with a short walk to Clarke Quay, which is a stone’s throw from where Sir Stamford Raffles originally landed to establish the city as a trading post for The East India Company in 1819. The banks of the Singapore River have changed dramatically since the legendary governor first hauled anchor here, and further still from the bustling trading centre of the preceding years, where the river would be filled with Oriental-style Junks and other boats of different shapes and sizes, all trying to offload their wares to local traders.

This became more apparent as we coasted along the not-so-aptly-named Beach Road, which these days sits about 500 metres away from the seafront, as are some of its historic (formerly) beachside addresses, such as the Raffles Hotel and the original, colonial-era, immigration building.

Modern day Clarke Quay is a vibrant playground for yuppies, expats and tourists, where trendy bars, clubs and restaurants throb to electronic beats and the sound of party-going revellers mix with the blinking lights of the Central Business District’s glistening towers.

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Once you are done enjoying the party atmosphere, head to Orchard Road.

A taxi will cost you just a few Singapore Dollars - a small price to reach one of the world’s most thriving shopping districts. Alternatively, you can hitch a ride on the city’s excellent metro system, which is considered one of the world’s most advanced.

The sweeping boulevard is home to no fewer than 20 shopping centres and malls, which house every kind of retail outlet, as well as more cafes, clubs and eateries. ION Orchard is probably one of the newest additions and houses Prada, Giorgio Armarni, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana and Cartier across its 9,000 square feet. You can pick up your Vacheron Constantin and Chanel at Ngee Ann City mall, while DFS Galleria sells Bottega Veneta and Bulgari. It really is a shopper’s paradise, all overlooked by the President of Singapore’s official residence, the Istana, which is by far the most elegant building on the street and is located at the southern end of Orchard Road.

While my credit card was begging to be set free, it was late and time to hit the comfort of my giant bed. An early start beckoned, and a cultural heritage tour of the city was on the cards.

ORIENT-EERING Waking up was a struggle. The five-hour difference really does play havoc with the body clock. However, a steaming shower and a sumptuous breakfast spread in the Club Lounge got me going and in the right mood to take on the city.

Priscilla and Teshwindar from the SIF, along with Sindhu, the other journalist on the trip, were waiting for me in the lobby and were eager to get cracking. A short drive later, and we were back on the banks of the river where I had wandered the night before, though this time further downstream. We stood in the shadow of Sir Stamford Raffles himself as our guide, Swaran, put our location into context and his words formed a vivid historical map of the area. Across the river were some of the original houses that stood in the early days of the colony. Distinctly European in appearance, though with local additions to help with the tropical climate, they are now dwarfed by the shining towers of the modern city.

Swaran explained that the government is trying to balance the need to maintain its heritage with the need to use all the space available to it.

As such, a lot of the buildings, internally at least, have been converted to new uses, while the facade remains original.

From there we went walking through some of the key cultural centres of the city, namely China Town (which was resplendent with colour in preparation for Chinese New Year), Little India and Arab Street. This is where the magic of Singapore finally came into focus.

< Sir Stamford Raffles, founder of Singapore >

There are many places in the world that can be described as a ‘melting pot’, but Singapore truly is just that. Various Chinese ethnic groups form 74.2 percent of the island’s population, Malays account for 13.4 percent, Indians make up 9.2 percent, while Europeans, Arabs and other groups number around 3.2 percent. The best bit about this is that everybody gets along. This mess of languages, cultures and races seemst to just come together and work. Business is done efficiently, the city runs smoothly, transportation is excellent and people are polite and happy to help. On top of all of that, it is among the safest cities in the world with one of the lowest crime rates on record (I didn’t see a single police car for the duration of my trip). One stop on the tour that summed up the harmonious nature and culture clash of Singapore in equal measure was Waterloo Road. On this nondescript Asian street you will find a tolerance rarely seen in other cities. This truly is an ideal model for a fractured world.

This mish-mash of people, beliefs and ancestry bears many rich fruits, particularly in the culinary arts. In these ethnic districts, the aroma and tastes of all corners of the East wash over you, invading your senses and tempting you from every doorway or spice stall. Perhaps one of the most priceless cross-cultures to be borne of this perfectly blended soup of humanity is that of the Peranakan. The descendants of traders who married local women, Peranakans form a unique hybrid culture which, to this day, remains an important part of the island’s living heritage, and which I was to learn more about on the second day.

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< The Marina, Central Business District and the Singapore Flyer >

PERANAKAN PROVENDER While the term Peranakan is most commonly used among the ethnic Chinese, there are also other, comparatively small, Peranakan communities, such as Indian Hindu Peranakans (Chitty Melaka), Indian Muslim Peranakans (Jawi Pekan) and Eurasian Peranakans (Kristang).

This fusion of cultures is best showcased at the Peranakan Museum, formerly a schoolhouse built in 1910 by prominent members of the Peranakan community. The museum is a great introduction to the heritage of the Nonyas (ladies) and Babas (men). The story of the Peranakans is delivered through music, stories and static displays, with exhibits ranging from a traditional Peranakan wedding bed, home shrines and a dining environment which shows the coming together of the cultures as well as a traditional Nonya kitchen.

Food, as I previously mentioned, plays a huge part in the Peranakan community, and recipes are a fresh fusion of Malaysian, Indian and Chinese cooking styles and recipes are closely guarded secrets. So, by the time we finished with the museum tour, the sun was past the yard arm and it was time to eat. Conveniently situated right next door is True Blue Cuisine, a traditional Peranakan restaurant.

This for me was one of the highlights of the trip, fuelling my infatuation for the country further. As we dined with local media representatives, covering the spectrum of print and broadcast, a set meal was prepared with some phenomenal examples of the rich fusion cuisine of the Peranakan. There was grilled meat, curry, delicacies and salads made using local flora and fauna. Each dish was more delicious than the last, and whet my appetite further for the next. They do, however, like their spices, and while I pride myself on my asbestos tongue, even I was

starting to spring beads of sweat on my forehead. Dessert brought much merriment as Priscilla and Teshwindar coaxed me into trying Durian, a pungent local fruit.

The edible flesh emits a distinctive fragrance, which is strong and penetrating (some might even say overpowering and offensive) with a taste to match - at least to my uneducated western palate. There was much manning-up to be done while trying to choke the fruit down and my limited critique that consisted of: “Hmmm, it certainly has a unique flavour,” seemed to cause a great deal of mirth amongst my hosts, who, while delighting in my discomfort, informed me that even among the locals, Durian is an extremely acquired taste and is actually banned on the city’s public transport system because of its piquant odour.

STATE OF THE ARTS The jet lag was easing by day three, and an injection of culture was needed. We were meeting with the Singapore National Arts Council (NAC) and had a tour of some of the premier art locations in the city.

Recognising the importance of the arts, not only in defining the cultural identity of the country, but also in the future economic growth of Singapore, NAC has embarked on the formulation of an arts development plan and has been allocated QR 54.5 million per year for the next five years to nurture the arts landscape further to eventually be a serious contributor to the country’s GDP. Among the many projects underway is the development of the first Singapore National Art Gallery, a visual arts institution that will focus on the display, research and study of South East Asian art.

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< Ngee Ann City, Orchard Road >

< The National Symbol - The Merlion >

Situated in the heart of the city’s civic district, the original City Hall and Supreme Court buildings are currently undergoing conservation and adaptive re-use (as with the houses on the riverside) to be transformed into a 48,000 square metre exhibition space by 2013. The original building was erected between 1926 and 1929 by British architect, F. D. Meadows, and has been the focal point for many of the island’s important events. It was in the Municipal Building that Admiral Lord Mountbatten accepted the surrender of Japanese forces in 1945 and the building was home to the office of the first Singaporean Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew.

< ION Orchard Shopping Mall along Orchard Road >

Just down the street is the Singapore Art Museum. This was our last stop on an architectural tour of the civic district, and is situated in the Waterloo Street Arts Belt. Founded in 1996, the gallery’s mission is to preserve and present the art histories and contemporary art practices of Singapore and the South East Asian region. To date, the gallery has amassed one of the world’s largest public collections of both modern and contemporary art (around 7,750 pieces) in the 155-year old building, as well as a growing component of international art installations.

We ambled around the Classic Contemporary exhibition, in which the gallery asks the question, what makes a work of art “classic” or “contemporary?” Many of the artworks probed issues of a serious nature from censorship to society and the nature of art itself with highlights such as His Mother is a Theatre by Suzann Victor and Interogation of an Image

< Getting to grips with the locals >

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< Chinese New Year Decorations >

by Matthew Ngui. The latter was one of the most striking pieces, for its use of perspective and the interaction of the viewer who, at some time in the past, was invited to add to the piece by scribbling, doodling and scrawling their own thoughts across its face.

BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY The art didn’t stop at the gallery; it was off for a night at the opera, and the Singapore Lyrical Theatre’s adaption of Puccini’s La Boheme.

To watch this wonderful musical spectacle, we made our way down to the Esplanade - Theatres On The Bay, a purpose-built performing arts venue that hosts many of the country’s big-ticket concerts and events.

The distinctive ‘shells’ that make up the unique and iconic structure have often been referred to, somewhat cruelly, as the Durian. However, there was nothing pungent about the performance inside the state-of-theart 2,000-seat theatre. Puccini’s most famous opera was wonderfully rendered by talented local soprano, Nancy Yuen, as the ill-fated Mimi, and Japanese tenor, Kota Murakami, who played her erstwhile lover, Rodolfo.

As the curtain fell on Rodolfo’s tragedy, it also came down on my trip to Singapore. However, there was time for one final fling on the way to the airport, as I paid a flying visit to the “Grand Old Dame Of The East,” the world famous Raffle’s Hotel. Once a bastion of colonial civilisation in the mysterious Orient, the hotel is still considered among the world’s most luxurious. I had missed ‘tiffin’ (a wonderfully civilised, mid-afternoon ritual that is all about tea and cake for which the hotel is renowned) by a considerable distance, but I retired to the famous Long Room, where

legend has it, an escaped circus tiger was shot dead in 1902. However, the establishment is perhaps more synonymous with the invention of the Singapore Sling cocktail, and no trip would be complete without sampling the city’s most famous export in the place where it was invented 95 years ago.

The hotel is also where Bring ‘Em Back Alive’s Frank Buck used to relax after a hard day’s adventuring, while sharing a joke or two with the Sultan of Lahore. Minus the pith helmet (and pencil-thin moustache), it seemed I was finally emulating my Singapore hero after all...

< Peranakan delicacies >