Singapore

Singapore is definitely one of the prettiest islands I have ever visited. It manages the feat of seamlessly melding tropical fauna with concrete. Despite the high-rise buildings and roads that span the island, there are trees everywhere. It is absolutely amazing - the whole island is pristine and beautiful. The government accomplishes all this by being rather paternalistic. Selling gum is illegal as is littering, spitting, failing to flush the toilet among other things. Packs of cigarettes have pictures of cancerous body parts on the outside to discourage smoking. It even runs an agency, the Social Development Unit, which operates like a dating agency that encourages people to be romantic, with the ultimate end goal of encouraging procreation (the birthrates here are among the lowest in the world). They even offer special weekend rates at hotels because they think people are not having enough sex, since lots of young professionals live at home with their parents. The diversity of people on the island is also striking - a mix of Chinese, Indian, Arab, Malay and foreigners (both expats and visitors).

I stayed with Kelly's college roommate Ming, who is from Singapore. The two of us went to Jurong Bird Park my first day there, where we had the opportunity to feed lories (they look like miniature parrots). Have to admit I was a bit freaked out at first when one of them jumped on my shoulders but they are absolutely adorable. But I was too much of a wimp to try it with the parrots since they're huge.

We spent the afternoon at Raffles Marina where we had lunch and lounged by the pool. I tried Hainanese Chicken Rice, which is the unofficial national dish of Singapore. I don't know what they put in the rice, but it was delicious. And since shopping is considered a national pastime according to Ming, we figured a trip to Singapore would not be complete without a trip to the malls on Orchard Road. We visited Takashimaya, HMV and another mall. Like the malls in Taiwan, they came with amazing food courts. We had fresh watermelon juice and gelato, and I sampled various snacks including mochi, bread and BBQ pork. We saw a movie at Cathay Cinemas afterwards. The theaters in Singapore have assigned seating - you pick your seats when you buy your tickets. They are much smaller but also much nicer, with lots of loungy areas where you can watch previews and relax before your movie.

We visited Newton Hawker Center, an outdoor food court. Hawker centers are famous in Singapore and serve a variety of foods at various small stalls. We were looking forward to a meal of chili crabs there later that evening with friends but that plan was dashed by thunderstorms (sorry Lisa - no chili crabs this trip - will definitely try it next time I'm back in Singapore!).

We walked through Chinatown the next day. It was a mix of local markets and cute colonial buildings. The Chinatown Heritage Center (a museum) depicts what it was like in the old days by recreating the living quarters of Chinese migrants. I also visited an Indian temple and a Buddist temple. At the Buddist temple, which was magnificently decorated in gold, we decided not to wait to see the holy relic of Buddha's tooth. The temple was so commercialized (you can adopt statues and make donations on laptop computers) and ostentacious that it didn't feel like a place of worship.

I am in Cambodia right now. While lush and green, the poverty and dirt is in sharp contrast to Singapore. I visited the Silk Farm this morning where I saw silk being handmade and woven. The trip out there on a tuk tuk was both bumpy and dusty. The roads are in a terrible condition. While some of the hotels are beautiful, the hovels that are home to the local people are dismal. Children walk around without shoes and cows seem to roam about freely. Heading to the temples with an American I randomly met earlier today who has been to Cambodia several times. Will write more later.

Oh, and anyone has any idea how to post pictures?