Singapore Last Day

On our last day in Singapore I decided to see if any of the old Singapore still remained. We 

had been surrounded by progress and new buildings. There seemed to be a head-long rush 

for modernisation. I felt something of old Singapore had to be still there.

We went down to Little India starting in Serangoon Road. We finally found a place that had 

escaped from the developers and shopping mall mentality. The shophouses have paint peeling 

off  them along the covered walkways. Rather than Gucci and Prado there is the Mustafa 

Centre. At Mustafa's you can get a bewildering array of products from India. Silks, curries, 

watches and gold. It is a great place for cheap fabrics and fabulously sequined saris.

 The shophouses are family-owned, and side-by-side, you can get your tyres repaired, buy a 

cheap watch, get your hair styled, grab a quick bite to eat or buy jewellery for a wedding.

 

 In the fashion shops the models reflect the buyers, unlike everywhere else in Singapore.

Little India has escaped gentrification but could do with a bit of tender loving care.

 We visited the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple along Serangoon Road. It was built in 

the mid-19th century by the Indian labourers who had been brought in to tend to the cattle 

that were bred in the area and later to work in open brick kilns and lime pits that were 

needed to build Singapore. The current temple was built in 1983 by specialists brought in
from Southern India and bears a great similarity to the temples in Tamil Nadu.

 We wandered through the back streets and across to the Arab Quarter.

 

 The backstreets have attracted a lot of cheap back-packers accommodation. And that has attracted 

plenty of cheap and cheerful eateries and bars. The place must be buzzing at night.

 We came to the Abdul Gafoor Mosque. It was built with a charming mixture of Islamic and 

European architecture. The mosque stands facing a row of shophouses that are used for Qur'an 

classes and other subjects, as well as for communal activities.

We came upon a very sad street market where locals were selling their household goods. 

Away from Orchard Road there is a very poor underclass that are struggling for their existence.

 At the entrance to the Arab Quarter we found the Sultan Mosque. The original mosque was 

partially built by the East India Company in 1824. It is the most important mosque in Singapore 

and is used by the local Communities of Tamils, Malays, Arabs, Javanese and Indians.

 We found the small streets around the mosque are slowly being taken over by local, quirky, 

fashion designers and trendy little cafes and restaurants. They have come here as the high
rents in Singapore have pushed them out of main stream areas. I wish we had come over 

here earlier in our trip and not on the last day. 

 This was the only area in Singapore that I saw street art and graffiti. It is by far the most 

interesting and vibrant part of Singapore that we visited on this trip.

We said good bye to Singapore after a really interesting week of revisiting old places and 

discovering the new. Of being amazed and slightly saddened by the rapid changes and the 

non-stop redevelopment. Of mourning the loss of neighbourhoods, but pleased that some of 

the original Singapore remains. Of being delighted by such developments as the Red Dot 

Museum and appalled at the bland sameness of the shopping precincts. It will be interesting to 

see where Singapore goes from here.

And now for home to plan the next adventure.

Singapore Day 2

Over a decade ago I used to lecture in a shophouse in Tras Street, Chinatown. 

In the 1980's, Chinatown was one of the first areas to be restored. Crumbling shophouses 

were repaired and repainted with their original vibrant colours. In the 1990's the area was 

starting  to attract small quirky businesses but it still felt like a neighbourhood. After classes

we would all go out for very cheap food in hole-in-the-wall eateries.

I wanted to see the changes that time had bought to the area.

 I found that money has moved in with a vengeance. Advertising agencies, chic shops and 

smart restaurants have forced out the local businesses. The area looks vibrant and is in 

wonderful condition. A magnet for tourists. The greatest change has been in the airspace 

around Chinatown. You used to be able to see the sky but high-rise developments have 

encroached right up to the very edges of this low-rise neighbourhood. 

Tall buildings loom, claustrophobically over a time gone by.

One fabulous addition to Chinatown is the Red Dot Museum at 28 Maxwell Road. 

www.red-dot.sg/museum 

Red Dot originated in Berlin to recognise the best in product and communication design. 

In 2005 the organisation decided to open their first museum outside Germany and they 

chose Singapore. It is now the largest contemporary design museum in Asia.

 The museum is a show case to over 200 award winning designs. It is very hands-on 

with the expectation that you can play with the products. It covers all house-hold

products. Some of the lights are sensational. You can also get a catalogue that shows 

you if the products are for sale and where you can get them.

 

 The space itself is well worth dropping into to see. It is a large old building that has 

been gutted  and rebuilt with a large open area surrounded by smaller rooms that 

are well laid out and beautifully lit.

 

 One of the Red Dot award winning companies is Tupperware and an entire 

room is devoted to a unique abstract arrangement of their products.

 The Nescafe range is included.

 Mercedes Benz also gets a showing

  If you're renovating or building, the range of bathroom fittings 

will spark your imagination.

I find good design sexy. If you do as well, visit the Red Dot museum. And if you are 

stuck at Changi Airport for a few hours get out and catch a taxi downtown. 

Singapore isn't just about Orchard Road shopping.

 After an hour or so it was time to resume our wander around Chinatown.

 

 The Al-Abrar Mosque was closed for renovations.

 Further down Telok Ayer Street we went into The Thain Hock Keng Temple.

It was also undergoing renovations. As it was last time I visited. The temple was built

in 1839. It was built by sailors to honour the goddess Ma Zu who gave her life to give 

sailors a save passage. It also honours Guan Yin who rejected heaven to return to earth 

to help the unfortunate and the needy.

 

 The maritime theme can been seen in the roof decorations with the ceramic 

wave designs. Floral designs abound. It is a chaos of colour.

 There are now small parks dotted through the area with street sculptures keeping alive 

the history and the stories of the original inhabitants of the area.

 Every thing looks so sparkling and new.

 Small private shrines to Guan Yin are all around the neighbourhood.

 The Chinatown Pedestrian Mall was very tourist back then. Today it is more so. 

There used to be a lot of antique stores hidden behind the  cheap market stalls. Now 

they are more likely to be selling knock-offs from China, Indonesia or Vietnam. It really 

is a matter of buyer beware. There are still plenty of cheap cafes and restaurants lining 

the streets. I have memories of sitting at these outdoor eateries when men with chemical 

protection suits would come through filling the area with toxic spray to kill assorted vermin 

and creepy things. I doubt the department of tourism would allow that to happen now.

  For the entire time I had been coming to Singapore the area where the pedestrian

mall meets New Bridge Road had been in upheaval as the new underground rail line 

was being built. It was great to finally see it finished

 We walked along New Bridge Road and spotted this wonderful facade of 

Oriental styled Art Deco.

 We finally got to Clarke Quay. This has been done-over purely for tourists. 

Its colours are Asia light, especially when you see the vibrancy of the shophouses in 

Chinatown. The pastels are probably restful for the weary traveller. Looks more like Disney 

than Singapore. Although the location on the Singapore River makes it an attractive 

place to stop for a drink. Its also were most of the tourist river boats take-off from.

 You don't see many locals on the riverside bungee ride

 We then decided to walk up to the City Hall railway station and passed the grand

colonial Singapore Fire Station.

 In the park beside Saint Andrews we caught our first glimpse of the Marina Bay 

Sands Casino. Photographs don't do its impact  on the skyline justice. Like it or loathe 

it the building is a marvel of architecture and engineering. The palm trees on the Sky Deck 

give it human proportions. The building in front of the Casino is part of Singapore's new arts 

complex. The locals have nick-named it the Durian because of its resemblance to the fruit.

 This was also our first view of the Singapore Flyer. This is the largest observation wheel in 

the world. On a clear day you can see for nearly 48 km. But as the top of the Casino is higher 

the view from the Sky Deck would probably be further.

 We finished the evening at Akanoya Robatayaki.

For more detail on our night out read

http://dianeworland.blogspot.com/2012/04/honey-we-have-to-sell-kids-dining-out.html

And so to bed.