Singapore!

What comes to your mind when you hear that word? It sounds like a happy name, doesn't it? "Sing". Reminds me of a Singapore sling! Some day I'll see if I can actually buy a sling there. So, the "sing" part sounds Chinese and the "apore" part sounds Malaysian. And you know what else comes to my mind? "Pirates of the Caribbean" and one of my favourite movie stars, Jonnie Depp. But, I always wonder,

"How come there are all these 'white' whores hanging around in Singapore?" You know; the ones that slap Will across the face. So, I need to look up some history to find out if there really were white whores there at the time of the old pirate ships. There are STILL pirates in the region. Oh, yes! Pirates are alive and well in the warm waters of the south seas.

But all that aside, what is Singapore like to a newcomer?

My first impression, coming in from Malaysia, after several years, is that it reminds me of my home town. Believe it or not, it reminded me of Toronto! I guess it's because there are actual sidewalks. And, it also reminded me of Hong Kong because of the trees growing out of the sidewalks. But, you know what makes it  different than Toronto?

It's cleaner!

Everyone seems so polite and well-behaved. Then I caught a glimpse of the PRICES. Holy cow! Jeepers creepers! It IS like my home town! Just a little too rich for my blood!

So, I figured, "I should at least get a decent cup of coffee while I'm out here on this commercially and technologically developed island."

But, then I decided it just wasn't worth it to purchase one little cupful of liquid for the price they were asking at the mall. Between 8 to 10 Singapore dollars for some tea or juice.By the time you pay the withdrawal fee and the exchange fee at the bank machine, the Sing dollar is equal to the Canadian dollar!

So, I tried the Burger King. I ended up paying 8 dollars, but at least I got a whole meal for that price. And, indigestion all the way home on the bus. But, heck. Buses will do that to you.

Coming back into Malaysia was like stepping back into reality. I guess my reality is a bit impoverished and down-to-earth. But, at least it's stress free most of the time.