Colonial influence is still very strong and architecture from the time is still very prominent although the functionality of the buildings has very much changed. Fort Canning, and the underground command post known as Battle Box, housed the WW2 commanders of Singapore and played an important role in the development of Singapore as an industrial powerhouse in SE Asia.
The walk around Fort Canning Park on a sunny day is very worthwhile doing to see various reminders of the role the building played. Nowadays its home to a renowned catering/cuisine workshop and areas for sport, sculptures and recreational workshops.
Raffles Hotel is probably the best evidence of colonial architecture and the new modern society in the city. Previously Raffles stood on its own in expansive grounds with lawns and gardens that has been swamped with the high rise buildings of the new age. The internal design and feel of the hotel provides a glimpse of what life would have been like on the outside by the care and detail that has been given.
Many anecdotes can be found at Raffles that themselves show how different the Singapore of yesterday is from today. One such story relates to the monkey nuts that are offered as complimentary snacks in Long Bar. It is tradition now to throw the nut shells on to the floor rather than dispose in a litter bin. This in itself is strange from the clean, sterile attitudes found outside the hotel where famously chewing gum is banned and littering invokes a large penalty.
The tradition relates to the historic industries of rubber collection from the once numerous rubber trees grown in Malaya. The bark of these trees is scratched and discarded on the ground to collect the latex sap used in rubbber production. By dropping the shells on the floor, it reflects the treading of the discarded bark by the rubber plantation workers.
A trip to the National Musuem of Singapore is also an adventure to see the insight into the city's past. Make sure you find a free day like we did! The NMS has been restored on numerous occassions and during our visit, had a gallery on photography showing. It showed the history of photography in Singapore and Malaya from the turn of the 20th Century and the importance it played in developing the arts and culture world in this part of the world. Coupled with the emergence of digital technology it gives the locals the background from where their cameras come from by displaying early cameras and projectors.
Along the same lines, an exhibition was showing on the emergence on the Singapore film industry that built on the introduction of theatre and opera from China. Many historic costumes and accesories as well as the early theatre sets (similar to our Punch & Judy theatres) were on show. Both exhibitions were treated very sensitively within the new musuem and were very well attended.
Strangely whilst we were at the NMS, one of the public contributions related to the same idea of balance. I was very keen to add an external perspective and drew a see-saw that had the modern and historic aspects of Singapore on each end. The aim of the gallery was to record today's societies view on what was important to the city.
All of the historic context of Singapore is visible to the visitor but it more directly obvious how Singapore has embraced the modern world. There is no better way of seeing this embrace than at night and from above the city.
Amber kindly bought tickets to the Singapore Flyer for my birthday so we set off after afternoon tea at Raffles to find it and take a flight. Well, you cannot miss it. It stands high above the city near the water and they're proud to tell you its 5m taller than the London Eye. It's the new jewel in Singapore's crown along with the Marina Bay Sands, a posh and trendy hangout for the wealthy that consists of casinos, luxury apartments and bars and clubs accessible to few.
Rather than the standalone attraction in London, the Flyer is a complex of shops, bars and restaurants that have the central wheel as the focal point straight through the middle. Sensitive lighting highlights the 20man compartments as they raise higher into the Singapore sky. We were very lucky for a clear night so could see for miles and as a result the continued development of sports clubs, new hotels and restaurants and numerous administration functions such as a light railway and convention centre.
Our last morning in the city prompted a final walkabout where we headed for Chinatown. As with many Chinatowns around the world, Singapore's district is near the central business district. Rows upon rows of trendy shops and restaurants were nestled within the traditional market stalls and food courts for the local population. Contrast here was incredible with massive infrastructure to the MRT alongside a row of traditional Chinese shops. Lanterns were suspended on the outside of the MRT station creating a feel that one was overgrowing the other. Which way round this takeover was going was unclear but with the emergence of Singapore as a powerhouse in SE Asia trade I largely suspect the modern world will win
The final observation of Singapore was Orchard St, Singapore's equivalent of Oxford Street, the West End and Knightsbridge all rolled into one. Louis Vuitton, Armani, Cartier and Hilton are just a few of the luxury brands to have not just one store but several stores along the main shopping and entertainment district of Singapore. Shiny cars sit in traffic jams here whilst being overlooked by the wealthy - a massive difference from Little India where we stayed that contained many clapped out and smoky cars nipping in and out..
Nowhere more than Orchard St epitomises modern Singapore better. The brands sit amongst the skyscrapers whilst the sports cars nip around their toes.
Bye bye Singapore
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