I've heard Southeast Asia referred to as a 'melting pot' of culture before, and perhaps nowhere is this more evident than Singapore. As my friend, Reuben, explained as we entered "Chinatown", most of Singapore could qualify as chinatown. As I understand it, Singapore joined Malaysia in 1963, shortly after Malaysia achieved independence. Problems arose soon, however, because Malaysia was primarily filled with Malays, and Singapore was populated with mostly Chinese. Racial tension led to the formation of an independant Republic in 1965. As it stands now, Singapore is filled with an amazing diversity of ethnicities - truly the most varied city I have ever visited. Little India is a thrill (especially during Thaipusam...), evoking true feelings of what India must be like. The food is unbelievable. I ADORE the food here. My month in the Philippines rewarded me with delicious (though very strange) cuisine, but I did miss the Muslim-style roti and curries of Brunei and Malaysia. Thankfully S'pore is rife with these eateries! In my wanderings I have seen virtually every type of cuisine represented. Even a Pacific Northwest restaurant...

Several nights ago Reuben and I set out on the town, wandering through the gorgeous Clarke Quay district. With boat cruises drifting by on the Singapore River we enjoyed a local brew on the festively lit river bank. Later we wandered around the narrow shop-lined streets nearby and found a bar with an "I am Canadian" beer poster in the window. We were thrilled and found the owner. A fellow Vancouverite he had set up shop here four years ago. While he didn't have Molson Canadian available (false advertising!!) he did have a Quebecois microbrew on sale for S$14 - a steal! I went in and marvelled at the decor of the place: Canucks, Oilers, Flames, and Team Canada hockey jerseys; some hockey sticks; a flag. Playing in the background was the 1994 Stanley Cup final. Ha! Who would have thought. Later Phil, the manager of the Bedroom Bar, offered to put on the World Cup Canada vs. Finland game from late last year; neither Reuben nor I had seen this one...

The next day I set out on the MRT transit system to explore the city. From my limited experience, transit in Singapore is a brilliantly efficient system. Frequent buses connect remote areas to the nearest of the 3 rail lines. EZ-Link cards are issued for a small refundable fee and are charged with funds. Upon boarding a bus or entering a train station you need to simply wave the card over a detector to be automatically debited. Funny to watch old women hold their purse over these machines until they hear the beep of the transaction. Amazing technology. Riding the transit is also very cheap; only a few dollars for a long trip into town (unlike Tokyo!!). I explored the City Hall area and took photos of all the local landmarks. The Esplanades is a pair of domed music halls (in which Canadian singer, k.d. lang will be performing in a few days) shaped like durian fruit. Very unusual.
Near the theatre is the famed downtown statue of the mythical Merlion; a half mermaid, half lion creature. It is very strange. Here is a close up, here a here, and here one more - just in case you wanted to see four images of this bewildering mascot. The cityscape of S'pore is impressive, sporting a good number of tremendously tall banks.
The Singapore Parliament is impressive, as are the numerous statues of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles. Throughout the city are some very impressive historic buildings from the British era. The first bridge to cross the Singapore River still stands with a plaque to remind of the days of horse and buggy travel. No loads of more than ~300kgs on this one.

The downtown core of Singapore is protected from excess traffic by an automatic electronic debiting system when you drive your vehicle through the numerous ERT stations. Everything in Singapore is automated and digitized...

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Yesterday Reuben and I embarked on a hunt for cheap electronics. Singapore has gained a reputation as being the place to buy electronics, and virtually everyone in Asia has recommended the city-state for rock-bottom prices. Originally I was disappointed to find the prices in Future Shop-like stores to be equivalent or higher than back home. If you dig a little deeper, however, the shops stop displaying price tags and resort to a calculator in hand when discussing the price. In a basement complex of shops on the glamourous Orchard Road I found prices about S$50 below the advertised prices on MP3 players and cameras. That price break, combined with low taxes (included in the price), yeilds a discount of up to S$100 compared with prices back home... not too bad. Add to that a tax refund upon leaving the country, and you have a pretty good bargain indeed! I found what I was looking for...

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Last night we went to one of the hottest night clubs in Singapore - Zouk. I do not have formal pants, nor appropriate shoes, so I borroed a pair of ultra slim 33 waist jeans from my friend. It seems my 34" waist has expanded a bit, or perhaps the pants had shrunk, but the button would not do up, nor would the zipper. I gladly borrowed Reuben's belt and pulled my dress-ishy shirt down to conceal my gaping zipper. I don't know if I looked funny, stupid, or sexy in that getup, along with my hikers... Advice to other backpackers: Do not go to clubs. They are expensive. If you do go to clubs, make sure you bring suitable clothing!
Outside of the entrance is a rather good bar, filled with people, then you go inside. Stamped with ultraviolet ink we entered the Velvet Underground, a densely packed bar with more relaxed beats. For S$35 you can enter the elite club and have two drinks; not good, but better than Tokyo. Still inside the massive building, but next door are the Phuture and ZOUK night clubs, each bragging a different international DJ and different mood. For a few hours we drifted between the three inner clubs. It was Saturday night, but didn't seem too busy, so we checked out and caught a cab over to the Quay area. We paid S$18 to get into a club called Attica, this one a more popular venue on this night. Dense fog and smoke filled the large club, laser lights impressed. I was really enjoying the DJ, and later discovered he was from Vancouver, and his girlfriend had graduated from my school several months before I. Weird how we Vancouverites are everywhere!
We boogied to the 'west coast' beats until about 5:30, then sought out a 24h Indian Cafeteria. They were regrettably sold out of roti, so Reuben and I enjoyed a Malay-style meal of stir-fried mutton and veg. Unbeatable taste! Maybe it was because we were tired and hungry...

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Singaporeans feel oppressed. The media is censored to a certain degree. Politics, sex, and language are the prime targets for filtration.
Cars in S'pore are prohibitively expensive, and importing cars from neighbouring Malaysia, where cars are cheap (Proton is the local brand), is prohibited. High taxes are levied at the border for people driving Malay cars onto the island. Prices in Singapore are very high compared to the rest of SE Asia. For most meals in Singapore you will pay about S$10, while in Malaysia, for instance, you may pay 5RM. Hostels in S'pore are around S$20-30. Gas is nearly 2x the price of neighbouring Malaysia. Cars leaving S'pore going to Johor Bahru ar required by law to have at least 3/4 of a tank of gas to prevent cross-border gassing up. Cars used for business purposes are less expensive because of tax breaks, but are speed regulated to 60km/h. When the vehicle exceeds this speed a piercing beep sounds within the cab; don't dare tamper with it either!
Singapore gets it's water and most of it's other resources from Malaysia. It has no natural resources to speak of, and produces nothing really. It does, however, import components and export finished products. A very transient market. It is completely reliant on others for economic survival...

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These have been just a few random thoughts passing through my groggy head.

I am a bit annoyed right now b/c AirAsia has decided to discontinue it's flights from S'pore to Jakarta. I recieved an email indicating that my ticket was cancelled and I would be refunded. @%#^ ! Now what? Discount airlines are good only if you book in advance; I would pay through the nose for a flight booked only two days in advance!

As it turns out I will head back to KL tomorrow or the next day. This means, of course, that I am no longer entitled to the Singapore tax refund (available only if you leave via air). Bummer.