To Gardens, Music, and Food
Rather than jet back to Thailand for the weekend, I decided I should stay in Singapore and wander abouts. Happily, the weekend also coincided with WOMAD, a music festival held in Fort Canning Park. I have to say that the music was good, the people relaxed and having a good time. A couple of highlights:
Dulsori - A Korean drumming ensemble that was AMAZING. Using Pungmul, the group was energetic, happy, smiling and completely had the crowd involved. It's something special when you get a large group of expats in the front row dancing and jumping to the music in a semi mosh-pit like manner. It's also an accomplishment when a group of 60 or so old professors(?) maybe do the same up the hill.
Chico Cesar - Entertaining even with his broken English. When you can get the people into the song "Mama Africa" and chanting "Mandela" it's something.
So, a few photos posted here as I noticed that the blog is a little dry.
This was pretty awesome - the drawing and dancing was in tune with the music.
To Another Island
Singapore with its tree lined perfect streets, 1000 singaporean dollar litter fees, 2 official media channels, "drug trafficking is punishable by death" signs, and "national day celebrations turn ugly as crowds jaywalk," can be a bit stifling. People ask me how it is and this is my best answer, "picture the perfect city in scifi films with the perfect treets, economically prosperous, with people generally happy. What's hidden in those films, an undercurrent that something is horribly wrong." I'm not saying anything is wrong in Singapore --- ahem ahem... I'm merely saying the "perfectness" is a bit scary. I'm not a big fan of suburbia as it's someone's vision and creation that is, in my opinion, detached from reality. I understand the great growing up experience and I do not regret my childhood growing up in safe community with wonderful schools. It's the same here as my friend Jenny and I talked, she said, "I want to have fun elsewhere because Singapore can be a bit sterile, but it's where I'd want to raise my children." This is not to say that there is no nightlife because there is, it's just the overall feeling of the city is one of control.
So what does one do when confronted with such realities? Take off for Indonesia for the first weekend, which is what I did. This is, of course after I spent some time wandering around Singapore visiting Chinatown, Little India, Clarke Quay, River Valley, City Hall, etc etc. All fine and dandy, but a beach is always a good draw. So an interesting upside of Singapore is it's diversity which I do appreciate with its Malaysia, Chinese, Indian populations mixed together. There are Hindu temples next to churches and mosques. In any case Singapore is also wonderfully strategically situated allowing Singaporeans to travel an hour in either the Northern or Southern direction to reach Indonesia or Malaysia.
With friends I went to Pulau Bintan. On the Northern coast of Bintan is the Bintan Beach resort which is owned and operated by Singaporeans. This resort is the destination for Singaporeans looking for a quick weekend getaway that is not the super super "fake" Sentosa beach Even though it is in Indonesia, the Bintan Beach resort accepts Singaporean dollars and has lovely first class golf courses. Being poor graduate students we consulted the Lonely Planet and headed to the Eastern coast where one can be economical and far away from all the crowds. This we found where no one else was to be found for kilometers and a quiet beach with floating fisherman's houses in the water. It was nice as there were basic guesthouses and fresh food prepared daily. Compared to the 300 singaporean it would cost a day at the beach resort, I believe the entire weekend cost in total, about 100 singaporean dollars. A steal and a lovely break.
Singapore and Pulau Bintan
Another Plane another Destination
For all you avid readers, I've been incommunicado as August arrived, work wound down, vacation beckoned, packing called, and another destination awaited.
There are those who say that around 2 to 3 months you recognize whether or not you can live in a city once you get comfortable. For all its congestion, noise, and smells, I have to say that I really did enjoy my times in Bangkok greatly. A large part was the staff I worked with at FA who provided comfortable companionship and socialization during the non work hours as well as a few friends from SIPA who were also in the city. The work was interesting and more rewarding than other internships. BKK is a burgeoning metropolis with a hustle and bustle of a consumer culture crammed next to the "slums" that are pushed to the sidelines. I took the klong (boat on the canals) to get to Khao San in order to pick up my tailored suit, instead of sitting down, I decided to stand up so I could actually see what was around me. It's the exact opposite of the glitzy Siam Paragons of Sukhumvit, instead you have people pouring their rubbish into the canal, sitting in their one room houses with simple mats, rather than large gardens. It's a lasting image that beckons me to return.
I spent my last five days before going to Singapore sitting on a beach on Koh Phi Phi. Blue waters, snorkelling, reading, laying about, some relaxation before another school year. I have to say it was absolutely what I needed although the days went by too quickly placing me back in Bangkok much too quickly for my liking. I departed the next day for Singapore, leaving me here today in a dorm room yet again typing this entry.
Singapore, what can I say? It doesn't feel quite like one is in Asia. It is very Western, way too planned, like another pre-planned surburbia. The dorm I'm living in Prince George's Park feels a bit like UCLA De Neve dorms so in some ways I feel as though I've gone back in time. Except now the people speak more languages and are undoubtedly almost all Asian. So another journey begins anew, I look forward to it although I miss Bangkok.
Some new photos can be found
here. They are on the third page.
