A new asian utopia in singapore

I arrived in Singapore with only 1 thing in mind - shopping!! I know Singapore isn't the cheapest Asian country to shop in but it was my last chance to shop at reasonable prices before I headed to Australia and the Western world. Plus, when it gets down to it, Singapore is really made up of inter-connected, air-conditioned shopping centers, so really I had no choice. I only had 2 days so I knew I had to make the best of it.

But before I get to my shopping bonanza, I would like to comment on my observations about Singapore. First, yes, it is freakishly clean here and there are a bazillion rules for everything that everyone seems to follow without comment. Even my hostel, the Inn Crowd, had so many rules I was afraid of wearing my shoes anywhere so I kept them in my hand, putting them on furtively on occasion but then taking them off again after getting extremely paranoid. Do I put them on while climbing the stairs? Going to the bathroom? Stepping out onto the balcony? It was stressful. Granted, the hostel was probably one of the cleanest and most efficiently run place I've ever stayed at. And they had a fabulous breakfast and for free!

But Singapore is fascinating. There is a huge mix of Asian cultures, predominantly Mandarin, Malay and Indian but its this interesting, dare I say it, melting pot of cultures living in harmony. English is more or less the official language so that everyone can communicate with each other without having one single culture with supreme precedence over the others. Everything is clean and perfectly planned with even the grubbier neighborhoods like Little India and Chinatown have a new, shiny feel to it. The city is also incredibly modern with air-conditioning blasting everywhere, even on some of the sidewalks. It was as if the Asian section of Its A Small World at Disneyland came to life. Or maybe like the futuristic city that Sylvester Stallone found himself when he unfroze in Demolition Man that was a bit too clean and a bit too perfect. I couldn't get over it!

This is Little India. Notice the colorful shutters and the clean streets. This is nicer than my neighborhood in Brooklyn!

Anyway, I did try to visit the sights around Singapore - the riverfront, Chinatown, Orchard Road, etc but I kept getting drawn into the shopping centers. I finally gave in and went nuts. It felt so good, like having a super-cold beer after walking in the heat all day or eating Korean food after months of college life. I was suffering from withdrawal and I didn't even realize it! Shopping bags in hand, I decided I needed an even bigger fix. So I got a manicure and a pedicure as well. Ahhhhh. Heaven, really. I haven't had any TLC for my hands or feet for AGES. It just made me feel like a normal girl again instead of a grubby, functionally-clothed backpacker. Why don't I do this more often??

My half-hearted attempt at catching the sights. Here's Circular Quay (in Singapore). Its an area that is (of course) full of shops and restaurants. It really comes to life at night so its not as impressive on a rainy afternoon.

My feet have NEVER looked so good!

And I couldn't leave Singapore without experiencing Singapore's other great calling card - its food!! There were a couple of Singaporeans on my Tibet trip and I badgered them into giving me some restaurant and food advice. For me, food really is a huge part of my travels and will make or break a place for me. So I quickly got myself some dim sum (fantastic but not even close to Hong Kong), Indian curries (unbelievable) and of course, some chicken rice. I went to areas with the most food hawker stalls because that's usually the place to get the best and cheapest local foods. And the Singaporeans really bring hawker stalls to a whole new level. Its like an art for them. They had malls that were basically all food stalls. These stall areas were packed with business executives, housewifes, teens, pretty much everyone, with fans or air-conditioning, public bathrooms and busy cleaning people. Everything was so good and it was a great way to end my time in Asia.

They have whole complexes just devoted to food stalls. And these ain't no amateur operations. There is every Singaporean specialty on display - I walked around at least twice before having to settle on something. I wanted it all!

Yummmm, dim sum! I went on the recommendations of some Singaporeans I know and it was fantastic. It was in this really chic place but still very affordable by US standards! I had all my favorites.

My last meal in Singapore and it was something. I barely made a dent in it by the time I was done though I did my best to stuff as much into my stomach as possible.

Well, I'm off to Australia, the last stamp in my passport. I can't believe I only have a few weeks left (the countdown has begun!) and I'm done with Asia. Australia is going to be a lot easier because its a modern country and everyone speaks English. It will be a lot like home, I think. So that means no more eating out and shopping. But I am excited about cooking again. It will be nice to have a homecooked meal after all this time. Watch for my next post from Down Under!