Singapore, Asian Adventures by: Sally Green

Singapore is actually the extension of the drive, dream, and intelligence of one man. To truly understand the place, you must understand this fact. Lee Kuan Yew is the man who was the Republic of Singapore's first prime minister. And, indeed, the people of Singapore helped him with this. One must wonder what Singapore might be like today were it not for Lee Kuan Yew, who was a truly remarkable person.

The term "nonya" applies to Lee Kuan Yew. He was of both Chinese and Malay heritage. Born in 1923, he served as Singapore's prime minister from 1959 to 1990. In fact, Singapore went from rags to riches during his rule.

Cambridge University is the alma mater of Lee Kuan Yew. He received a double starred first there. This is not a minor accomplishment. After becoming a lawyer and being admitted to the English bar, he decided to come back to Singapore and work with the unions. He made a commitment to socialism.

Lee brought Singapore to the newly created Federation of Malaysia in 1963.

This resulted in all kinds of problems. There was some tension between the Malays and the Chinese in Singapore due to the fact that 75% of the members of the PAP were Chinese. In 1965, during the communal riots in Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew was informed by Malaysian cohorts within the federal government that the federation wanted Singapore out.

Following this, Singapore was forced to secede, becoming a sovereign state. Its first prime minister was Lee Kuan Yew.

Even though the government of Lee Kuan Yew was a bit authoritarian and trampled civil liberties somewhat, it did bring about great prosperity and administered affairs efficiently.

In November of 1990, Lee Kuan Yew resigned his office as prime minister.

He didn't believe in inherited power, yet his children have acquired power in just this way. Tourists are not affected by this, but it has a possible impact on Singapore's future.

Singapore isn't very big. You will find it 137 km north of the Equator at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. Singapore Island is the main area plus there are approximately 60 little tiny islands.

Peninsular Malaysia and the main island are joined by a causeway (both road and rail) which runs across the Johor Strait.

Tourism is not the lifeblood of Singapore. This port is one of the busiest on earth, as well as being one of the largest in Southeast Asia.

Singapore is more than just a tiny island. The island is quite flat, indeed. The highest point is Timah Hill which stands 162m. The rest of the island is not over 15m above sea level.

Climate

Singapore is located near the equator and is in the monsoon region. There is not a noticeable difference in the temperature in Singapore year-round. It remains at an average of 26 degrees Centigrade. You will encounter the most rain from November to March and the least from May to September. Not that it really matters too much.

There is some rainfall on the island each and every day. That's why it is really quite green. Don't be concerned about the rain. The warm climate will quickly dry you off again.

Hardly anything remains of the original Singapore. Most of the island is under cultivation; however, there is a bit of evergreen rain forest near the catchment areas. There is also a small amount of mangrove vegetation on the northwest side of the island in the Kranji area.

Honestly, most of Singapore has been rebuilt. The city can be found in the south of the island. A while back, it looked as if the plan was to knock down all the old buildings in Singapore and put up shiny new skyscrapers. After a while, the government came to the conclusion that it might be better to refurbish the traditional Chinese shops and houses. Part of the campaign was to keep the Raffles hotel open on its old location with a whole new style.

Be that as it may, the face of Singapore is permanently changed since the Housing Development Board (HDB) has built new towns, housing estates, and high rise flats to house more than 4/5ths of the population.

Language

Approximately 3/4 of the people in Singapore are Chinese. Malaysians are the next most commonly encountered group, with Indians being in 3rd place.

However, it is not quite that simple to break down. About 1/2 the Chinese population is from Fukien. They speak Amoy. Another 1/3 of the people come from Swatow. They speak Teochew. The remaining people are Cantonese. Everyone in Singapore understands written Chinese; however, in speech, there are 3 distinct dialects that may hamper spoken communication.

One group is the Malay. They speak in a variety of Indonesian dialects. Some of these are similar to Malay but have some variety in vocabulary. The most mixed of all are the Indians. Most people are Tamils; however, you will also find some Sinhalese, Pakistanis, Sikhs, and Malayalis.

Here are the 4 official languages: Tamil, Malay, Mandarin Chinese & English. There is also a 5th language which is not officially recognized but has been the subject of a number of scholastic papers. Singapore's own version of English is called Singaporean.

You will find it peppered with grammar and words from every language used in Singapore. So you can see that "What to do now, lah?" indicates helplessness, while "Must be, lah!" is an affirmation of agreement. This language is very expressive and beautiful, and it is based entirely in English. If you are an English speaker you won't have any communication problems in Singapore.

There is no place as pleasant to visit as Singapore. This is a great place to go if you are visiting Asia for the first time.

Robberies in Singapore are very rare occurrences. If this happens, the local police will go out of their way to catch the thief and get your belongings back.

There is no littering in Singapore. You will get a ticket for even dropping the smallest piece of paper. Be careful not to jaywalk, or you will be ticketed. The road crossings are all quite safe. You will find that the food stalls located along the roadside are very clean. People do not get stomach aches in Singapore.

You will find that the developers are quite different. It is a sad fact that typical developers believe that their own creations are better than those of people who came before or even of nature, itself. Most of the old, interesting, worthwhile buildings and landmarks were destroyed.

Eventually, the people of Singapore realized what a mistake this was and some parts of old Singapore were saved.

You will find lots and lots of literature about the wonders of this land if you visit the Tourist Promotion Board. However, they get very upset when criticized.

The main reason Singapore is so attractive to visit is singular, the citizens. The people of Singapore are happy, smart, and amiable. You will enjoy the finest restaurant service.

People in Singapore are always polite. The people here are probably the friendliest and most polite in all of Asia. Racial mix may be part of the reason for this. The people of various races (European, Tamil, Chinese, and Malaysian) get along very well in Singapore.

Visitors find this harmony to be infectious. I guarantee that in Singapore, the people will truly adore having you as a special guest.

Nearly all of Singapore's attractions are man-made and are relatively new creations. You will be amazed at all of the entertainments that have been created on this small, flat island.

What are the main things you will find in Singapore? Here is the list I have compiled. Yours will most likely differ.

Dining. You could eat a hundred different kinds of food and still have many more to sample in Singapore's rich and varied cuisine.

I have lived in Singapore for a long time, so I can say with some authority that the food is the best in all of Asia.

If you go to the many open air restaurants, you can have very affordable meals. They are very clean, and you can get a discount price on ambrosia. First, go to Elizabeth Walk and visit the Satay Club. After that, strike out on your own.

One may be the Jurong Bird Park. If I have business to conduct in Singapore, I always schedule a morning or afternoon to sit alone in the Jurong Bird Park. It houses the world's largest aviary. They have enclosed a valley with netting, and there is a waterfall in the interior of the aviary. It will soothe your soul.

Travel to The Off-Shore Islands. You may believe that Singapore is a single island in a diamond shape since that's how it looks on the map. There are actually quite a few smaller islands that are worth seeing.

Boats can be rented from the Clifford Pier located down the road from Change Alley. When you visit the islands, you will find a more peaceful and more ancient Singapore. The founder of the place, Stamford Raffles, would be very much at home here.

Be sure to stop and see the Tiger Balm Gardens. This place is complete foolishness - but it is fun and foolish. There are many garishly painted buildings, grottoes and statues. My understanding is that they are supposed to represent the Taoist view of heaven and hell. By the way, you will be happy to know that the product that funded the building of this place, Tiger Balm, is truly an effective cure for what ails you.

Enjoy yourself in a luxurious, up-market hotel! I believe that the local millionaires (aka towkays) have all tried to do each other one better when building fine hotels. Because of this, you will be able to afford much nicer accommodations in Singapore than you would in any other holiday destination.

Take a little time to visit one of the multitudes of gardens. I find the Japanese Garden in Jurong to be of particular interest. I always feel very peaceful and serene in a nice Japanese garden. You won't find a better Japanese garden anywhere (with the possible exception of Japan).

And that's how it is. A typical visitor stays in Singapore 3.7 days, which is adequate time to experience the area, shop, eat to your heart's content and to make fast and long lasting friendships with the Singapore citizens.

After that, you can take a little trip to Malaysia. The real Asia begins here. You will just get a sample in Singapore. It is hard to think of a better way for a first-time visitor to be welcomed.