Ode2Fatty

Singapore (Part 1 - General)

December 13-19, 2005

I'm very woozy as I write this (it's 5:30 a.m. in Singpoare right now) so it might be a bit incoherent.So this was my 2nd trip to Singapore and I enjoyed it much more this time. Probably b/c I got to see my newly baptised godson! At anyrate, I definitely enjoyed the flight, activities and food more this time.
Overall Impressions: I found Singapore very beautiful. There really is no need for a Botanical Gardens tourist attraction as everywhere you looked it was lush and green with beautifully manicured umbrella-type trees and exotic flowers. It reminded me of Paris in that in Paris, the city itself is the site. You know, I haven't always agreed with Singapore's harsh policies re: cleanliness (like the former ban on chewing gum and who can forget the Caning Incident in the '80s), but maybe we need more of that in the U.S. Maybe if some taggers were threatened with a public caning, we wouldn't have so much graffiti.-I also learned a couple of facts that really impressed me: (1) The government subsidizes housing for everyone - not just really poor people - so everyone gets to "own" (I guess it's really more like a 99-year lease) an apartment. The reasoning being so that there wouldn't be homeless people. I think this really adds to the cleanliness factor since, as we all know, tenants take less care of a rental unit than a property owner would of their home. I was also told that they try to keep the subsidized housing buildings racially mixed to promote integration, which is a great idea, even if it doesn't necessarily actually work. (2) I didn't realize that it has only been fairly recently that Singapore became an economic powerhouse (1960s). At that time, it gained independence from Malaysia, who thought Singapore would never survive because it's so small. But apparently the reason Singapore has flourished is because their government is not corrupt. The leaders are people who genuinely care about the country/republic and put the needs of their people before their own. I guess it also helps that they are given very large salaries (unlike in the States) which promotes non-corruption as the officials don't need to cow-tow to special interest groups in order to make a little cash.
Summary: As much as I enjoyed this trip to Singapore more, I still don't think it would be my choice for a vacation spot. I like to walk around when I'm on vacation, and the heat really doesn't make that possible. Also, I'm not much of a shopper, and Singapore's main attractions appear to be shopping and eating. I prefer vacations that either involve sites like museums or some type of adventure/outdoor activity. Lastly, I'm a real dessert person and found the lack of Frosting somewhat of a bummer.
MISCELLANEOUS
Singapore Airlines: Wow - if you have to a 17+ hour flight anywhere, then you have to do it on Singapore Airlines. I had heard its reputation as one of the nicest airlines and it more than exceeded my expectations. First of all, it's a direct flight to Singapore - no stopover in Tokyo. As I walked onto the plane, I was struck by its cheery warm atmosphere. The lighting was a warm rose shade and a few discreet Christmas wreaths had been placed by certain windows. As I sat down, I noticed that even in Executive Economy the seats were roomier than I was used to. But then it got really good - not only did the seats recline with a foot pad, but even if you didn't want to recline, there was a little "shelf" on the back of the seat in front of you where you could place your little tootsies. Fantastic! We got complimentary headphones and our own personal screens. I had a choice of like 50 movies - current ones (like March of the Penguins), as well as recent classics (like all 3 Lord of the Rings) and older classics (like Diner), as well as foreign. Then there were the TV shows - comedy (Will and Grace, The Office) and drama (CSI). The food came with a card outlining the menu. Anyway, it was the smoothest, most pleasant flight I've ever had.

posted by Fatty @ 2:15 PM