City Tour

October 11, 2024

It was only 9:00 a.m. when we arrived at our hotel, the Conrad Centennial. Of course our room was not ready, so we waited in the lobby and then in the executive lounge. We were too wiped out to walk around, although there is a Japanese mall right across the alley. By “Japanese mall” I mean that most of the shops and restaurants there are Japanese. It even has a small 7-Eleven. But at the moment, I needed a nap more than Japanese cookies.

The view from our room on the 28th floor

Even though our room isn’t ready, I can already tell how good the service is here. They had unloaded our luggage before we even had time to alight from the taxi. We were surrounded by staff ready to help us, open the door for us, show us where to check in, and so on.

When our room was ready, two receptionists found us to let us know and present us with our room keys. I’m not even sure how they knew who we were. 

Our room is so nice - large, comfortable, quiet, a perfect place to relax.

Yes, it’s a rubber duckie!

I was able to nap for about an hour, and then it was time for our first tour. We decided to try the MRT (the subway) to get to our meeting point. It was easy! The station is about a 2-minute walk from our hotel. You can pass through the turnstile with the tap of a credit card. No need to buy a ticket. The signage and wayfinding is excellent. The trains come every 6 minutes. The stations and the trains are clean and modern. 

One thing: there are signs everywhere gently reminding passengers how to behave. Don’t use up a seat with your bags; do offer your seat to someone who has a small or child, or someone who has a mobility problem, or someone who is older; don’t eat or drink or talk loudly on your phone, etc. I really appreciate being on a train that is clean and quiet and safe, and where there is a seat for me. However, it does feel a bit regimented. More than I am used to. But I’m not sure it’s a bad choice to be this way.

Pamela, our guide from Monster Day Tours, met us at the meeting point. This was a “free” walking tour, meaning Pamela was working for tips. She was knowledgable, and she smiled a lot, and she earned a nice tip from us. 

Here are some of the sights we saw on this tour.

The 5-star Fullerton Hotel used to be a post office

Restaurants along the river

In the background, the truly iconic Marina Bay Sands Hotel

Theater and Concert Hall

  

The Cavenagh Bridge, opened in 1869

The Merlion - half lion, half fish

The Arts and Science Mseum, nicknamed “The Lotus”

“The Durian Building” is a performing arts center

The former Supreme Court building is now part of the national art gallery

The JW Marriott

A local-style ice cream sandwich from a street vendor: ice cream on colorful bread

So, we are in Singapore! Singapore is a city-state of slightly over 6 million people, occupying an island at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, one degree north of the equator. Singapore was controlled by Britain until 1959, when it gained self-governance. It 1965 it became an independent country. It has since become known as one of the “Four Asian Tigers” because of its powerhouse of an economy.

The population of Singapore is about 70% ethnic Chinese, 15% Malay, 10% Indian, and 5% other. The official languages of Singapore are English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil. English is very widely spoken, and it is therefore very easy for English-speaking tourists to get around.

Singapore is a democracy, with a Constitution and a unicameral Parliament. However, some political scientists consider Singapore an “illiberal democracy” or a “soft-authoritarian state.” The same political party has been in control since independence. 

Today’s fabric is batik. Batik is created through a dyeing process using wax resist. I have chosen a specific print designed for Singapore Airlines. It is an updated take on traditional batik and is inspired by ten native flowers.

The batik print is seen here in a style known as sarong kebaya. This is the uniform for flight attendants on Singapore Airlines.