After we left Malaysia, Sara Beth and I travelled to Singapore for four days of vacation. We visited friends who moved back after college graduation.
Four years passed since I saw them last: Vanessa, Charles, Royston, Sharveen, Tim, and Aditya. The time apart, however, disappeared when we were together. It felt like we were back on the Madison isthmus instead of on an island that straddles the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
We found Singapore relaxing and refreshing thanks to our friends. They made our trip the most genuine road experience we’ve had in another country.
They shared their lives and communities taking us to places that held personal value. It was the most personal experience I’ve had in a foreign place.
First and Foreigner Impressions
We took the subway downtown to our hotel, and on our way, I formed my first impression of Singapore: it’s clean and efficient.
Chewing gum, litter, and graffiti are illegal and carry heavy fines in Singapore. Gum wasn’t stuck to the floors and seats. Tags and profanities weren’t etched or inked on train walls. Every surface was clean and in order.
Most Americans, however, are aware of Singapore’s strict adherence to order. The little city-state has a reputation, thanks mostly to its use of the brutal corporal punishments known as caning.The government doesn’t shy away from the reputation, either. Students are made to watch videos of canings to drive home what happens when they break the law.
Thankfully, canings are reserved for severe crimes, but the police are known to give out steep fines for simple acts like feeding birds, spitting, smoking, and jaywalking.
Singapore is a place of order and obedience, and many of our friends said they wouldn’t have it any other way. Their country is better for it, as proven by its cleanliness and safety.
My first impression agrees with common, international perception, but first and foreigner impressions don’t color a country and its people entirely. Our friends showed us Singapore’s heartland, and we got to know the country better.
Hawker Centers, Community Centers
They took us to a nearby hawker center.
Hawker centers are usually multi-storied eateries with restaurants on the upper floors and fresh-food markets in the basement or ground floors.
Most hawkers centers are nestled between Housing Development Board (HDB) flats. HDB flats are public, government-owned skyscrapers that house about 80% of Singapore’s citizens. The hawker centers, by extension, feed most Singaporeans, and their food culture is vibrant!
 |
| Soup Dumplings and Sugar Cane |
That first night we had about five different dishes, all of them delicious, but my favorite was Soup Dumplings. The noodle casings were dry but soft, and the centers warm and juicy. I’m no foodie, but it was probably one of the best meals in my life.
Hawker centers are laid out like food courts in America, minus the crappy fast food restaurants. A family/group usually sets up camp at one table, marking their territory with a package of kleenex or a business card, then everyone retrieves their favorite dishes from different stalls and shares, family style.
After the meal, many patrons stay at the hawker center to socialize, usually over beers or dessert. The hawker center we went to on our first night had a wonderful stall that served craft beers.
The delicacy I miss the most on the road is craft beer. The commonly available beers in Asia are watered down factory brews like Tsingtao, Heineken, Budweiser, and Tiger. Those beers get the job done with no respect for your palette.
We drank a few beers then headed to a nearby shop that sold ais kacang (shaved coconut milk ice topped with red beans and sweet, green, glutinous noodles).
 |
| Vanessa and SB share Ais Kacang |
Engineering and Eating The Durian
Our first morning, Vanessa and Charles took us to Marina Bay.
Marina Bay is a park district on land reclaimed from the sea. Unlike most other Asian countries, Singapore isn’t sinking; it’s growing.
 |
| Model demonstration of how Marina Barrage prevents floods |
Between 1960 and 2005, the country reclaimed about 55 square miles (142 square kilometers) of land, roughly the area of Lichtenstein or two and a half Manhattan Islands!
The buildings and landmarks are new, because the land is new.
Vanessa said that before she left for college in 2006, nothing existed at Marina Bay. Then when she got home after graduation, it was built up into the sight it is today.
Vanessa and Charles took us to Marina Barrage at the end of Marina Bay.
Marina Barrage spans the mouth of the Singapore River where the river meets the ocean. It serves as a mechanical membrane between the freshwater river and the salt water ocean. The damn-like structure protects the island from flooding and provides much needed drinking water to its citizens.
The engineering fascinates me but is too boring for this blog. You can read about it on the Marina Barrage website.
The skyline from the Marina Barrage is unique and modern. The land is new, so the architecture is cutting edge.
 |
| Charles, Vanessa, and SB at Marina Barrage |
We could see buildings shaped like durian, bio-domes shaped like sine waves, the Singapore Flyer (ferris wheel), man-made trees, and the newly opened Marina Bay Sands Casino. The latter looked like someone parked a barge atop three towers. The view was spectacular!
After Marina Bay, we went back to the hotel for a brief nap.
We took a subway train deep into the Singapore heartland to meet everyone for dinner at a different hawker center.
Tim wore his Greg Jennings Packer jersey to dinner. He bought it cheap in Madison because the number was his birth year (85). He didn’t realize however that Jennings left the Packers a year prior to play for the rival Minnesota Vikings. It wasn’t an amicable split, but Tim still wore the jersey in good spirit and for a few laughs.
 |
| Left to Right: (Back Row) Vanessa's Friend, Royston, Charles, Vanessa (Front Row) Sharveen, SB, Tom, Tim's Friend, Tim's Friend, Tim, Tim's Brother Jacob |
 |
| Durian, wish we had Smell-o-Vision on the internet |
Regardless of the smell, we tried it. At first, the taste was overpowering, but then it mellowed out into a milky flavor akin to egg nog. It wasn’t as bad as I expected.
The problem, however, is that it lingers and lingers and lingers. Vanessa said one could smell it in their urine the next day, and I can confirm that durian farts are real.
We went to a hookah joint in a Muslim part of town to cap off the night. We passed the pipe and chit-chatted. The topic of conversation in Singapore at the time was a recent riot, Singapore’s first in over forty years!
Royston covered the Little India Riots as a transportation reporter for the Straits Times, a national paper. The riots started when a bus ran over a migrant worker from India. Rioters destroyed the bus, flipped over a police car, and lit it on fire.
About 400 people were involved in the riots, and 40 people arrested.
My friends were pretty shaken by it, because, as Charles said, it might set a precedence that disrupts the peace and order they’ve enjoyed for so long.
Royston said that almost 40% of people living in Singapore are migrant workers, and if they are not content, it could lead to more disruption and violence.
My biggest take away from the conversation, however, was how concerned everyone was for the well being of those involved. America has had a lot of protests and riots recently too, but our reactions are much less compassionate. Their peaceful reactions, especially in the face of violence, was a shock to my American sensibilities.
From Neighborhoods To Tourist Traps
 |
| Sunday morning outside an HDB community |
That morning, we learned the complexity of ordering Singaporean coffee aka kopi.
Most vendors speak Hokkien, a Mandarin dialect used throughout Singapore. I could understand most transactions, but there needs to be a separate Rosetta Stone for ordering kopi.
Kopi has twelve popular variations, each with different levels of coffee, water, milk (condensed or evaporated), and sugar. Each variation has a different name and way of ordering:
Coffee in Southeast Asia is sweet and milky, but I like mine bitter and black. So my kopi order is “kopi o kosong.” Vanessa warned me that vendors look confused when people order kopi o kosong, because it’s too bitter for most Singaporeans.
Despite being “bitter,” the kopi o kosong is still really sweet. I found out later that kopi beans are roasted in butter and lard making them more flavorful. Health concerns be damned; it was delicious.
After our morning kopi, we walked around the bustling HDB towers and discovered one of SB’s favorite desserts, Tau Huay (bean curd tofu in sugar syrup).
 |
| Vanessa's seal of approval |
Royston, Sharveen, and I played a game of Made in Wisconsin. We tried to find a product made in Wisconsin but failed. We won later at a nearby pharmacy thanks to Andes Candies, which are made in Delavan.
On our way to visit a local library, I stepped in gum. In gum! Contraband. Oh the irony of a tourist stepping in gum in Singapore.
Sharveen and Vanessa took us to Mount Faber and Sentosa Island in the afternoon.
Sentosa Island is a resort island just off the coast. It’s home to Universal Studios theme park, a casino, mall, golf course, and dozens of high-end resorts.
Vanessa said Singaporeans have an acronym for Sentosa: Super Expensive. Nothing TO See Also.
There are some sites to see, though. The largest Merlion statue is on Sentosa.
 |
| Merlion artwork at Sentosa Island Left to Right: Sharveen, SB, Tom, and Vanessa |
Being a resort island, tourists take pictures everywhere. We couldn't walk ten feet without intruding on someone’s photo. Eventually, we stopped worrying and started photobombing.
There are at least a half dozen family vacation photos with a crazy Indian and white guy goofing off in the background.
Sharveen’s uncle also owns an ice cream shop on Sentosa. The temperature was over 90°F (32°C) that day, so we appreciated the cool down. His uncle has a number of restaurants throughout Singapore, and we went to an Indian one for dinner the next night.
Dinner that night, however, was Sup Tulang (bone soup).
My travel spirit guide Anthony Bourdain says that Sup Tulang is his favorite street food. Sharveen made that fact known when he ordered it at yet another hawker center.
Bone soup is exactly what the name suggests, soup made with bone but looks like a bowl of blood.
You eat it like normal soup, except you scoop or suck out the bone marrow to get the full flavor. I didn’t enjoy it as much as other dishes, but it was still a unique experience thanks to the insights from our friends.
Haw Par Villa: Our Personal Experience
 |
| Hawker center where we ate our pre-Haw Par Villa Breakfast |
Haw Par Villa, as described to us, was a cautionary amusement park in its prime. Now, it’s a run down and nearly abandoned playground.
Haw and Par Aw Boon, the two brothers who developed Tiger Balm, created the amusement park to teach children about Chinese mythology, Confucianism, and Buddhism.
Our friends visited Haw Par Villa in elementary school, and their memories were a mix of fondness and fear.
 |
| SB, Vanessa, Charles, and Tim outside Haw Par Villa |
 |
| Entrance to the Ten Courts of Hell |
The sins include; disobeying parents, tax dodging, littering, murder, among others. The punishments, however, are brutal: stabbed, set on fire, cut in half, ground by a boulder, etc. The dioramas show, in graphic detail, what happens to the sinners.
 |
| List of crimes and punishments Click to enlarge |
The exhibit is sobering and haunting. Tim, a usually rambunctious fellow, got reflective and somber. Charles became distant. Vanessa quiet. Sara Beth and I tried to be respectful, but the gloom is so palpable we couldn’t help but joke.
 |
| Statues displaying punishments Disney's "It's a Small World" ride it is not |
Eventually, our friends came around, too. Vanessa thought the Ten Chambers of Hell would make a great venue for a Halloween party, and Tim made some comment about the sex organs at the castration diorama.
 |
| Helping the elderly, a great way to avoid the Ten Courts of Hell |
Haw Par Villa held personal memories and meaning for our friends and, by extension, us. To see that side of Charles, Tim, and Vanessa was endearing. They took us to a special place that was personal to them, and it will stick with us.
 |
| Temple dedicated to and statue of Shakyamuni aka Siddartha Gautama aka Buddha |
 |
| Warrior statue from one of the epic mythological battle dioramas |
Little India, Singapore Slings, and Geylang
 |
| Statue of Hanuman outside a Hindu temple |
The temperature ramped up. We were exhausted and sweaty, so we returned to our hotel to recuperate.
That evening, we took the subway to Little India. The subway was busy; it was rush hour. If you’re in Singapore and the subway’s busy, navigate to the final car in the train. It’s the least packed.
We met for dinner at Sharveen’s uncle’s restaurant. We love Indian food, so we were partial to the meal. Sharveen’s uncle refused payment also. It was very generous considering how much we ate.
The atmosphere in Little India wasn’t charged, despite the riot just nights before. We walked by where the riot started, and there wasn’t even a scratch on the pavement.
Being our last night, I wanted a Singapore Sling. The Raffles Hotel created the cocktail, but the hotel over charges. We went to a trendy place where it was more reasonably priced.
 |
| Royston shares the Singapore Sling |
The night wasn’t over at the bar. We talked about going to the Night Safari, which inspired Royston and Vanessa to take us to Geylang, Singapore’s red light district.
Royston drove us down dark roads looking for working girls. There were one or two on the street corners, but they weren’t satisfied. I told them we saw plenty of “butterflies” in Malaysia, but they were determined.
We drove down Geylang 18 through 23 and found no working girls. On Geylang 24, however, we got lucky.
Royston was so excited to find crowds of butterflies that he slowed down by a group to gawk. It was a mistake. One of the girls started to approach the car.
“Go, go! Don’t stop! What are you doing,” yelled Vanessa.
Royston hit the gas.
We didn’t want to go on the official Night Safari because it sounded too touristy. Our night safari was better.
 |
| The last night together Left to Right: Sharveen, Vanessa, Tom, Aditya, SB, and Royston Missing: Charles |
The Final Hours
The next afternoon, Charles, Royston, SB, and I liberated Vanessa from work for a final lunch together.
We returned Vanessa to work after the meal and dropped Charles off at a subway stop. It was sad saying goodbye to those two. They were our primary guides throughout our time in Singapore. We couldn’t truly express our gratitude for all they did for us.
After our goodbyes, Royston took us to Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, Singapore’s largest Buddhist monastery. It was a calm way to end our whirlwind tour of Singapore.
 |
| Royston and SB outside the Buddhist monastery |
Many times in those four days, our friends’ generosity, humor, and hospitality blew me away. They reconnected us to road life and took us beyond the tourist-proof glass. It was a vacation that didn’t make us feel like tourists. It felt, in a way, like we were home.
We were exhausted, and our stomaches were full by the end of trip; however, we were ultimately refreshed.
Epilogue: Our Cups Overflow
We were fortunate to be home for the holidays, despite the cold shock, sickness, and travel stress.
The family and friends we saw solidified lessons from the road, like how life is best and easiest when shared with people you care about. The more you can open your heart to experiences with others the more rewarding and fulfilling this can be.
One holiday example, Alan, the Singaporean friend who introduced me to the other Singaporeans in this post, flew to Wisconsin from Los Angeles.
Weiping (Vanessa’s boyfriend, who lived in Chicago) and Alan came for the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco Forty-Niners playoff game at Lambeau Field.
Alan is a HUGE Packer fan, and it was a Packer weekend. The night prior to the game, he bought his Packer and cold weather gear. We watched, talked, and played football. I fried food, and we shared some Spotted Cows.
 |
| Staying warm at Lambeau Field at the Packers' playoff game Left to Right: Nicole (my sister), Weiping, SB, Tom, and Alan (crouched front) |
We tried to be as hospitable as the other Singaporeans and make Alan and Weiping’s trip memorable. That’s assuming we were the hosts, however.
Despite him visiting our family homes, he took us to Lambeau simply by bringing up the opportunity. And like his fellow compatriots, he helped us have a wonderful time.
We jumped at his offer and ended up with another fulfilling memory from our Singaporean friends.
No comments:
Post a Comment