Singapore

I didn’t expect to like Singapore. I’d heard it was one big shopping mall and I was expecting nothing but skyscrapers and concrete. I was wrong. There are plenty of skyscrapers but there are also lots of older colonial buildings and it’s a very green city.

Since I was clearly very ignorant about the city I went to the national museum to learn about the history. I then wandered down through Chinatown which has lots of old 2 or 3 storey Chinese style shops that have been restored. And I went to the City Gallery which has an interesting exhibition on the development of the modern city; for example, how they balance the need for sufficient housing with land for business and industry and keeping the city green so it’s a pleasant place to live. It included their land reclamation projects and how they make use of space underground, and not just for transport. There’s a massive ammunition store somewhere deep under the city.


In the evening my friend C took me to another area of the city next to the harbour. It also had a mix of old colonial buildings and new developments, including a casino in a ridiculous looking building with a boat on the roof. I’d have put a photo in the extras but I only had my phone with me and my photos were blurry so here’s a link.