Disneyland with the Death Penalty?

"This place possesses an excellent harbour, and everything that can be desired for a British port in the island of St John's, which forms the south-western point of the harbour. We have commanded an intercourse with all the ships passing through the Straits of Singapore. We are within a week's sail of China, close to Siam, and the very seat of the Malayan empire."

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles to Mr William Marsden, Singapore, January 31, 1819.

In his letter to Marsden, Stamford Raffles (whose name can be found everywhere in the city, since he is regarded as its founding father) outlined perfectly the qualities which would make Singapore a key part of the British Empire for the next one hundred and forty-four years. Its position at the crossroads between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean was of course strategically beneficial for the British, who were rivalling the Dutch as the dominant traders in the area. This situation has also made the city state a unique place in terms of its demographic, with Chinese, Indians, Malays and countless other peoples coming there to seek their fortunes, working together to build a prosperous society.

Marina Bay Sands by night.

Singapore has held fascination for me since I was a lot younger. One of those far-flung outposts of empire, it has always conjured images of colonial types in pith hats, something which has of course changed. I also think that the catastrophic loss of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942 signalled the end of Britain's role as a global power; her inability to defend these possessions indicated that the eyes of her distant subjects should shift elsewhere, with the Americans being the main beneficiaries until this day. 

Anyway, I digress. On arriving at Changi Airport, I was immediately put in mind of William Gibson's (in)famous article, "Disneyland with the Death Penalty", which appeared in Wired almost twenty years ago, leading to a ban by the affronted government on that magazine being distributed in Singapore for quite some time. The main premise of this article was his view of Singapore as a staid, sterile state, ruled by an authoritarian, stifling regime. This was at the fore of my thoughts as I sailed through the effortlessly efficient immigration formalities and out of the airport within twenty minutes of disembarking from my 'plane. The MRT was similarly impressive, if slightly creepy, with the lines indicating where passengers should stand striking me as unnecessary if common-sensical.

Another description of Singapore is "One Big Shopping Mall". It was therefore fitting that I alighted from the train at Bugis Junction, a huge mall in full Christmas shopping flow which is situated within a stone's throw of my hostel, the Tree In Lodge on Tan Quee Lan Street. Here's my first plug: the hostel was excellent and the man behind the counter, SK, tirelessly helpful. The dorm bed cost SG$27 per night including breakfast and free tea and coffee. After a "steamboat" supper around the corner, I retired for the night.

The "steamboat", an all-you-can-eat, self-cook extravaganza. This cost around SG$20 per head.

Walking the streets of Singapore the next day, I was both in awe, disquieted and faintly nostalgic (the British vestiges evident in zebra crossings, double yellow lines etc.). Singapore certainly is an impressive place, with its efficiency, ease of movement and futuristic architecture all pleasant to behold. But, as I walked into the city, I couldn't dispel Gibson's comments from my mind, feeling at every turn that something was missing. What was it? It felt too clean, too efficient and, actually, alarmingly robotic. I have experienced the Asian big city vibe before, in Hong Kong and Seoul, both of which are also aspiring urban utopias, but the Lion City felt like a whole new level. 

It was, therefore, with relief that I reached an area teeming with activity: Arab Street.

At last! People roaming the streets and alleyways, culinary aromas, chatter, the adhan from the neighbouring Masjid Sultan, the fragrant smoke of the nargileh being eagerly puffed all around me. Okay, it wasn't exactly Damascus, but it was better than nothing! Just when I thought that I had escaped sterility, I was again reminded of overt orderliness, having to sit in a designated pre-21:30 smoking seat to take my shisha. Here, at the Pyramids Restaurant on Baghdad Street, I enjoyed the company of three young Gulf Arabs on business secondments, who expressed frustration with Singapore (suggesting that Dubai and Abu Dhabi were far more exciting places), complaining about the rate of taxation, the cost of living and the lack of things to do, which I was surprised by, given their taste for Dubai, somewhere which struck me as being very similar to Singapore in many ways. Discussion of the Arab 'awakening' ensued, with these young men, future shapers of their countries, showing awareness of the challenges facing the Arab world in terms of governance, politics and religion. I was also introduced to the Emiratis' love of camel racing! The food in this area was excellent, while I also recommend this as somewhere to watch football for those so inclined; the Manchester derby was watched eagerly and raucously by a combination of expats and locals, some of whom compared yours truly to Wayne Rooney. I'm not sure whether I like that or not...

I did find the next day, however, that amongst the malls there are tit-bits to be savoured. One cannot fail to be impressed by Marina Bay, with the view from the SkyPark a reward for the SG$20 to go up the elevator, while the Museum of Asian Civilisations, housed in the former Empress Building, was superb and something which should not be missed while in Singapore. The museum was impressive in contextualising Singapore's position in Asia, examining neighbouring peoples, with an unsurprising focus on the Chinese, Indians and Malay, the three groups which have shaped modern Singapore. 

In addition, the Botanic Gardens provided me with respite, with the manicured lawns, leafy, shady trees, turtles and an abundance of beautiful orchids giving a welcome glimpse of nature, peace and quiet among the skyscrapers.

My final day was also a culinary treat. Little India and Chinatown should not be missed on any visit and, in this area, Singapore really distinguishes itself. I have never been to China or India, but I could have been forgiven for thinking that I had after patronising restaurants in these locales, for the food bore little resemblance to the examples of these cuisines I have eaten at home and in Australia. The vegetable biryani I took at Komala Vilas was delicious and the mango lassi superb, while the Chinese feast that evening in Chinatown was sumptuous. For the more budget-conscious, these areas are also invaluable, providing excellent, inexpensive food with a healthy dollop of atmosphere.

To finish, I was impressed by the free light and water show at Marina Bay Sands, which takes place at 20:00 and 21:30 daily and is well worth a look if you have the time:

Of course, it is very difficult to gauge a place fully in two days, so what I have written is essentially a combination of first impressions, valuable in themselves. What I suppose fascinates and disquiets me about Singapore is the fact that it is a largely technocratic state, and certainly not a 'free' one by Western (double-) standards, yet the people seem to be largely content with their lot. Yes, the government holds elections, with the same party winning all since 1965, and, no, they don't shoot protesters, but this is not indicative of true freedom. I've been to The absence of any discernible counterculture, the eerie similarities between people walking the streets in dress and hairstyle and the seemingly silent emphasis on conformity left me feeling that Gibson may well have been right about Singapore, despite the undoubtedly positive aspects of living in such a place.

All of this said, Singapore makes for a pleasant enough destination for a day or two, lacking much to detain you for longer or set your pulse racing. The city provides a very different vision of Asia from that gained in some of her neighbouring countries: Having arrived in Hanoi yesterday, the contrast is marked!