Star Trek's vision of the future is compelling: peace and harmony amongst the races; compassionate fellas making big decisions; the seat of government a high-tech, garden city. Singapore resembles those remarks!
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A great thing about being a landscape architect - the site visits! Recently, my work involved a boat ride around islands near Bintan, Indonesia. As you will see in these pictures, many folks call this watery paradise home, but for me it was pretty exotic. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I did. Sometimes you need to take a step back and look at the big picture; put things in perspective; consider the context. During my seven months in Singapore, I have been making my way around the island, getting to know the many neighborhoods, unique sights, and attractions. I have also recently discovered the “panorama” setting on my camera. :) Behold some sweeping views of the Little Red Dot: “He went to the church, and walked about the streets, and watched the people hurrying to and for, and patted the children on the head, and questioned beggars, and looked down into the kitchens of homes, and up to the windows, and found that everything could yield him pleasure. He had never dreamed of any walk, that anything, could give him so much happiness. (p. 119)” ― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol My favorite part of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is when a post-haunting Scrooge goes for a walk in his town and realizes “…that everything could yield him pleasure …that anything, could give him so much happiness”. From Christmas Eve dinner with friends, to post-Christmas hiking in the Columbia Gorge, my recent two-week holiday in Portland was full of similar joy and happiness, and reminded me of Portland's many charms. Although Singapore certainly has its own magic, it is sometimes hard for this expat to think about having moved away from one of America's best cities. But rather than pitching myself off a bridge like Jimmy Stewart in Its a Wonderful Life, I will follow the advice of Julie Andrews in that other holiday classic,The Sound of Music, and cheer myself with a recitation of a few of my favorite (Portland) things:
I could go on, but will instead leave you with some images from my recent visitation. Enjoy - I sure did. Don't let anyone kid you - it's hot and steamy in Singapore. But like it's reliable transit system, the weather is also very predicable. Temperatures meander between 80 F during the "cool" part of the day/night and 90 F when the sun pops out. Showers are a daily occurrence, and average humidity is 84.2% (National Environment Agency). These facts make sight seeing a bit of a challenge - unless you adopt a nocturnal strategy. Not only does the temperature drop when the sun goes down, but so does the humidity. Mornings are often a sticky 90% or more, but mid-afternoon typically dips to around 60% (when it isn't raining). So things get cooler and more comfortable as the day wears on, but what does heat up is Singapore's high tech, nighttime light-scape (...suddenly, afternoon naps make even more sense). One notable hot spot is surrounding Marina Bay. One side of the Marina Bay Sands mega-building is covered by a delightful, reflective metal screen. When the many, small, dangling, square metal paddles catch the frequent breezes, the reflection of the surrounding city lights is reminiscent of wind waves on water. The effect can be quite mesmerizing. There is also a daily light show, projected from the Marina Bay Sands building. Folks gather on the promenade along the water to witness the lasers, water displays, and other light effects. I don't recommend that you start sleeping upside down, but daytime drowsing, lots of tropical fruit, and nights filled with exploring isn't only rewarding for Singapore's bats.
When I realized that I might be moving to Singapore, my research revealed the existence of a purported "shopping mecca" called Orchard Road. The Lonely Planet Pocket SINGAPORE Guidebook describes the strip as an "Olympic-sized training ground" for "Singapore's national sport" - shopping. Being someone who suffers from Shopping Mall-Narcolepsy (self diagnosis), I knew that Orchard Road would be a lower sightseeing priority for me than, say, Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple. Last night, however, I was "called up" to join the shopping national team by my flatmates. A few highlights:
We had hoped to see the switch turned on for the annual Holiday Lights extravaganza, but it turned out that we were a week early - even so, the lighting was still impressive. Below, I present to you a few images of what you are missing if you can't make it here for the Holidays. If you like crowds and shopping malls, man, you are gonna love this place. PS: I hope to update this in a week or two when the rest of the lights are on, and shining even brighter. I recently acquainted myself with my "ATFL" (anterior talofibular ligament). This wonderful bit of flesh attaches the front of the shinbone (tibia) to the front part of the heelbone (talus) on the top of the ankle. Unfortunately, my anatomy lesson began while I was out for a morning jog. Not yet fully awake and letting my mind race off to other priorities, I drifted left, landed my foot on the edge of the pavement, and violently twisted my ankle outwards as the side of my foot rolled over into the uneven grass several inches below the top of the concrete. Yes, I felt a "pop" and knew by the pain that my day had just taken a similar turn.
I gingerly limped home, sweating in the Saturday morning Singapore steam, and promptly put it on ice. My agenda for the day ahead included meeting a coworker at the office so that we could finish up drawings and a presentation required for a business trip with my boss scheduled for Monday (2 days away). As I limped outside to catch a taxi downtown, I knew the injury was worse than I had hoped. Six hours later, plans and presentation looking good, it was time to acquaint myself with Singapore's health care system. Thanks to one of the world's nicest coworkers and his dutiful girlfriend, we hopped (literally) into a taxi and headed to Singapore General Hospital. Although crowded with many suffering from the "Singapore Cough" (my armchair diagnosis), I was seen quickly, x-rayed, diagnosed, casted, taught how to properly use crutches, dispensed painkillers, and out the door in about 2 1/2 hours. Sarcastically speaking - the price of this subsidized, non-free market medical nightmare? A soothing $140 (which even included the $40 aluminum crutches and prescription). Facing weeks of impaired mobility, it was obvious that the imminent business trip to Kazakhstan wasn't going to happen for me. What did happen, however, was many small kindnesses from flatmates, coworkers, and complete strangers. I got to know the many online grocery delivery services in Singapore. I added some upper body strength. And, I always got to sit in a "priority seat" on the subway. Speaking of which, brings me to the title of my blog post. Every work day, I travel 12 subway stops into town and 12 back home. Riding in quiet solitude among the masses of video-watching and digital fruit gaming commuters, the repeated, previuosly recorded safety announcements (provided in a variety of languages for multi-cultural Singapore) begin to wash themselves into one's brain. The final statement, at every stop before the doors open, sounds to this American like "Governor Chief Pulling Gull". Some people fear Obamacare - now you know my nightmare... ("Governor Chief Pulling Gull" x 12 stops x twice a day x 5 days a week... just a little attempt at humor...). PS: Here is an interesting article that caught my attention - surprising to me that Portland didn't make the list: http://www.eco-business.com/news/singapore-tokyo-among-top-ten-best-cities-urban-sustainability/?goback=%2Egde_81137_member_5799254302375567363#%21 Recently, I had morning "Kopi" (Malay for the local version of coffee) with an expat architect "friend of a friend" from Portland. We met at Nanyang Old Coffee (http://nanyangoldcoffee.com/) in Chinatown near my new office. I was a little late, so I walked briskly from the Chinatown MRT Station in Singapore's early morning sun, warmth, and humidity. Sure enough, my new friend had already arrived, and was just sitting down outside at one of the many cafe tables. Not a big coffee drinker myself, but thinking of the saying "when in Rome...", I decided to socially join in a cup of the local brew.
Nanyang Old Coffee is a wonderful part of the Chinatown neighborhood, and I highly recommend it. But, unlike most outdoor eating establishments I have been to in Singapore, our table lacked the usual comprehensive array of ceiling and wall fans that help keep the stifling tropical heat from being, well, quite so stifling. Most folks likely know that Starbucks began in the cool, Pacific Northwest - a place that seems ideal for enjoying the hot, roasted beverage. Its popularity there, perhaps, growing from coffee's delivery of a one-two punch of "warming energy" (if you subscribe to Chinese medicine) and eye-opening caffeine to counteract the often overcast, and somewhat gloomy, grey clouds. Only the second American I have met in my two months here in Singapore, I was excited to talk about anything and everything with a fellow architecture/planning professional hailing from Portlandia (http://www.ifc.com/shows/portlandia). The conversation was engaging; the "kopi" hot, sweet, and condensed-milk creamy; the seat was hard, wooden, and located where no air was moving. During our chat, I noticed a few beads of sweat forming on my face, but thought little of them. It wasn't until I rose to shake hands and wish a fond farewell, that I noticed my shirt. Wanting to make a good impression, I had chosen to wear my dark purple, Calvin Klein, trim-fit, cotton button-down. Preferring not to wear industrial-strength aluminum-laced antiperspirant, my armpits unfortunately had kicked into high gear and it looked as if I had taken two full glasses of water and poured one on each side of the shirt, forming perfect, wet, upside down parabolas. What to do, except smile and act natural (thank you Toastmasters training)! No chance of drying off anytime soon, I schlepped myself the additional block to my office and, quick as I could, pulled on the merino wool sweater I keep at my desk (thank goodness). If you have ever lived, worked, or visited places like Florida or Singapore, you know the opposite challenge of tropical cities is the "meat-locker effect" of aggressively adjusted air conditioning systems. It was a damp and uncomfortable morning at work. Much like line-dried laundry (which is the norm here), the thick part of my outfit (where the shirt tucks in at the belt line) was still a bit damp come lunchtime. Moral of the story? When visiting Singapore from the Pacific Northwest, either continue to enjoy your addictive hot brew inside a simulated cold place, or opt for "Kopi Peng" ("Peng" in Hokkien Dialect means "Ice" - http://nanyangoldcoffee.com/how-to-order-a-cup-of-singapore-coffee.html) as you sit outside and enjoy people watching on the busy sidewalks of the Little Red Dot. I recently moved out of my hotel room in Chinatown, and into a shared flat in a place called Senkang. Senkang is a recently developing, planned community being constructed by the government of Singapore. Although a “New Town” and transit-oriented development (TOD), I call the area an “urb-burb” because: 1) it is located about as far as possible outside of Singapore’s central business district [second to last subway stop on the Purple Line] and 2) in a place decidedly more “urban” [in terms of density] than most American suburban locations this far from downtown. Consider my new neighborhood's "WalkScore" rating of 50 out of 100: (http://www.walkscore.com/score/301D-anchorvale-drive-singapore). "This address is Somewhat Walkable — some errands can be accomplished on foot. Walk to coffee nearby at Anchorvale 303 and to the grocery store at Seng Seng Chiang Chop. Local restaurants inside the Compass Point Shopping Mall include McDonald's, Sakae Sushi, Burger King, Soup Restaurant, Subway, Pizza Hut, Icing Room, and KFC. Close by schools include Nan Chiau High School." In other words... dense suburbs. Compare this to my old neighborhood - Cully in NE Portland, which I thought was pretty suburban - it earns a Walk Score of 55 out of 100 (http://www.walkscore.com/score/ne-57th-ave-and-ne-emerson-st-portland-or-97218). "This address is Somewhat Walkable so some amenities near Northeast 57th Avenue & Northeast Emerson Street are within walking distance. Walk to coffee nearby at Miss Zumstein Bakery, Coffee Shop, Cakes & Desserts and to the grocery store at Angel Food & Fun. Local restaurants include Era's Tiny Dinner, Old School BBQ, Taqueria Delicias Mexicanas, Prescott Cafe, Sugar Shack, A Little Bit of Smoke, Sub Shop, and Old Salt Marketplace. Close by schools include Trinity Lutheran School." Cully also gets a decent BikeScore - with my old street getting an 84 out of 100, or "Very Bike-able" (http://www.walkscore.com/OR/Portland/Cully#bikescore). Senkang does not yet have a "BikeScore" but most folks I see pedaling two-wheelers are riding on the sidewalk. There is much good news about my move: I get along well with my flat-mates (Karaoke, anyone?), I can use the kitchen (it is common practice here to bar “room renters” from kitchen use - cruel, I know…), my room is affordable by Singapore standards (S$800/month), has been recently updated (new furnishings, paint, air conditioning, appliances, etc.), and is a short walk to a frequent service, high-capacity rail transit station (which, in 25 minutes, whisks me directly to a station a short walk from my place of employment). The area immediately surrounding the station does serve most of my daily needs, since it includes a variety of restaurants, markets, retail, and health services. If only the block faces were not 800 feet long... and those elevated pedestrian crossings make my urban design sensibilities squirm! Once upon a time… my “Presidential Scholar” daughter took a Planning and Public Policy class at the University of Oregon. Imagine the pride that I, her urban designer father, felt thinking that the years of chatting about the benefits of mixing uses, the wisdom of urban growth boundaries, and the joy of “complete streets” had inspired her to explore the profession. Well... she hated it. When I heard Singapore had an entire museum devoted to planning, the thought crossed my mind “if someone who grew up in a home where planning discussions were part of everyday life ended up hating a class on the subject, how might an entire museum devoted to “Singapore’s planning journey” actually hold the general public’s interest?” I had to go find out for myself. Located in the Urban Redevelopment Authority building on the edge of Chinatown, the Singapore City Gallery (www.singaporecitygallery.sg) is “10 thematic areas and more than 50 audiovisual and interactive exhibits spanning three floors and over 2,400 square metres”. It allows you to “immerse yourself in beautiful Singapore, through a 270-degree panoramic sights and sounds show. Travel through time in Singapore’s history to see how we overcame our challenges. Grapple with planning trade-offs in a dynamic 8-player game. Be an urban designer – create your own memorable city skyline.” I have been through it twice – once quickly on my lunch break, and once on a Saturday. My experience was that it is like walking through a planning textbook, but more interesting in that the pages are three dimensional, there are interactive audiovisual displays, and impressive, sizable, to-scale, realistic models of the city. I learned that some of the water I am drinking was recently sewage – now that gets you thinking! So, if this story has you on the edge of your seat, you should come check it out. If, however, it sounds like eating rocks then to live happily ever after you should go check out the many other sights, sounds, and experiences that the city-state has to offer. The End ;-) |