We thoroughly enjoyed our brief time in Singapore. I (Hanson) was wondering a bit before we got there since I’d heard various stories about their strict enforcement of the bans on chewing gum and jaywalking as well as the cleanliness and safety of the island city-state. By-and-large the democratically elected government seems pretty progressive and quite intelligent about creating and maintaining a society that balances the needs of it’s 4.6 million people in about 38 square miles. Actually there are 64 islands, but Singapore is by far and away the largest.
The morning excursion, “Panoramic Singapore,” was not much more than a bus ride around town with commentary. We drove through the business district, and the major ethnic neighborhoods: Little India, the Arab Quarter, and Old Chinatown. We also drove up the high-end shopping street, Orchard Road and around the famous Raffles Hotel.
Mosque in the Arab Quarter
Building in Old Chinatown
Raffles Hotel in the Rain
John’s comment was that when he was last in Singapore (25 years ago) he saw people doing Tai Chi on the beach front across from the hotel. Today you can’t even see the water from the hotel so much land reclamation and building has occurred.
The best part of the day came after lunch when we met Gretchen Liu, a cousin of Ardyce Riggs a woman that I had worked with for years. Gretchen is married to a native of Singapore, has lived in the country for over 30 years, and has written a book about the country’s history and about her work on the restoration of the Raffles Hotel. After answering our questions about the country, Gretchen took us to a delightful small museum about the Peranakans, decedents of Chinese traders who married Malay wives as early as the 17th century. They eventually moved into Singapore, which had been founded by the British in 1819. The Peranakans were educated, wealthy, powerful, and lead lavish lives—their weddings lasted for 12 days! They incorporated Malay, Portuguese, Dutch, and British culture into their own.
A Peranakan Family
Also at the museum was a temporary exhibit called “Serenity in Stone.” In 1996 construction workers in Qingzhou, China, midway between Shanghai and Beijing, uncovered a pit filled with over 400 stone Buddhist sculptures. They were apparently made mainly during the 6th century, ritually buried in the 12th for an unknown reason, and completely forgotten. Because they were buried, they are not weathered: the carved details are still sharp and many retain traces of the gilt and paint. They are gorgeous! Figures of Buddha and bodhisattvas, from a few inches to five to six feet tall. Unfortunately no photographs were allowed.