A travelling day on a first-class bus to Kuala Lumpur:
… where I was treated to dinner in the KL Tower – a revolving restaurant affording 360 degree views of the city:
… as the sun went down:
… and the thunderstorm arrived:
A new type of sink design – guess how you turn the tap on?:
Nope, nothing to give it away. This is what UX people call a “lack of affordances” – nothing to push, pull, turn or lift, so you’re at a complete loss as to how to use it. So a sticker is required (if something requires a sticker, it usually means it hasn’t been designed well):
The international buffet was amazing – spoilt for choice and way too much to exercise my usual “a little of everything” approach:
A special evening, with amazing views and wonderful company – another highlight:
… before we hit the streets of Singapore (although, for the avoidance of doubt, that’s not us in the photo):
Outside the Kwan Im Thong Cho Chinese temple were stalls selling feng shui constancy and fortune-telling, with this one using a bird to assist the process (and, I suspect, attract the punters who seem partial to a bit of avian involvement):
My Chinese New Year horoscope was overwhelmingly positive (about bl**dy time), and whilst I don’t believe in this kind of thing, I do believe in the power of positive thinking. So I’m going with it.
The Indian mosque next door reminded me a little of Trigger’s broom* as it was built in 1884, and then rebuilt in 1895 and, most recently, 1982. The two characters either side of the entrance are the Monkey God (extra points if you can remember his name – I can’t) and a rather different (and scary) looking Garuda:
Here are the hotels with the ship on top. Very clever. Didn’t go up:
I also liked the surface of some parts of the hotel: from a distance they moved like corn in the wind. Upon closer inspection, it was made of individual moveable flaps:
Then a walk round the Gardens By The Bay where I re-encountered this tree – remember what’s special about it?
Yup, the Traveller’s Tree (which, I found out about half an hour later is, in fact a cycad or “false palm”) – it always grows north to south.
And this pretty bush (anyone know what it is?):
And an explanation of “aerial roots” which give a name to the unusual hanging roots on the banyan trees I’ve seen.
I could see her lining it up – a pretend selfie in the middle of a random corridor in the mall on the way back from the gardens. As I fitted into the gap she’d left for me on the screen, I gave her a wide-eyed, tongue-out picture. If I’d have been more confident, I’d have done what Rudy often does: walk up, stand close and make a nice photo (with a victory sign, if they’re lucky). I realised afterwards that I probably ruined her nicely set up picture and made a mental note to try to at least try to look normal.
Random stuff from today:
The fine for bringing durian fruit on board is clearly not quantifiable (it stinks and many places ban it):
And you can tell it’s a cosmopolitan city as notices on the metro are written in four languages.
Statues:
Pick-your-own crabs outside a seafood restaurant:
And here they’re even more polite than London – queuing to get on the metro. Impressive:
Then chilling with our friend the Merlion before dessert (oh, yes, and dinner, but mainly dessert):
Finally, a t-shirt slogan that makes sense. A lot of sense, in my world anyway:
A river cruise to start the day, showcasing some of the best sights in Singapore:
Ports were important in days gone by, when sea was the main method of transportation. So it’s not surprising that strategic ports prospered. Enter Singapore – a key stop between East and West, trading seafood and spices. And it’s not difficult to imagine its quay bustling with ships and traders. It’s south bank curves like a carp which is auspicious in eastern culture, so the first immigrants believed it was where prosperity and wealth could be found. Despite development the facades have been retained, the higgeldy-piggeldy rooftops are a reminder that house height used to indicate wealth. Perhaps it still does..? Nowadays it’s a trendy dining and drinking spot:
Fort Canning’s colourful exterior “reflects the city’s multicultural heritage”, although it acted as a torture chamber during WWII; at one time the police station and secure jail, it was once considered a skyscraper and was made a national monument in 1998:
The Merlion is a lion’s head on a fish’s body upon rolling waves and is the emblem of Singapore:
Nearby is the impressive financial centre:
And I rather like the helix bridge, symbolizing health, wealth and prosperity:
Does this look familiar?:
It’s the Singapore flyer, surely modeled on the very successful London Eye, although a little bigger at 165m..?
Back on dry land, I turned a corner and had a pleasant surprise, so a much-enjoyed lunch at an old favourite from my US, and then university, days:
Through Chinatown:
… before heading to Little India and this mosque:
After numerous failed attempts at entering a mosque (they usually have unusual opening hours due to prayer times), I finally made it in and met a lovely man who seemed more than happy to answer all my questions. How much do you know about Islam? Here’s an introduction:
“Islam” is Arabic for “submitting and surrendering one’s will to Almighty God” (Allah)
A prophet is someone to whom God revealed the “Ultimate Truth”
Muslims believe in Jesus, but as another prophet (like Noah, Abraham and Moses) rather than the “Son of God” (Christian belief)
Over 80% of the world’s Muslims are *not* Arabic
The five pillars of Islam:
to testify that none is worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah
to pray five times a day
to pay zakaah (2.5% tax on income and property to help the poor)
to fast during the month of Ramadan
to perform Haji (pilgrimage) t0 the House of Allah, if you have the means
Prayer ritual:
Ablution involves cleaning the face, hands and feet before entering the mosque, as a sign of respect
Each prayer session lasts 10 to 15 minutes
Prayer sessions are at set times of the day, but it gradually rotates – the times were up on a board near the men’s ablution area
There’s no set process for praying – you freestyle
Religious text
As God’s messenger, Muhammad received revelations from God over a period of 23 years (from the age of 40 until his death)
These revelations are known as the Qur’an (equivalent to the Christian Bible)
Muslims believe the Qur’an is the very word of God (whereas, for example, the gospels of the Bible are accounts by others written some time later)
Back on the street and to a cafe to have a quick juice to refresh where this guy was eating a late lunch. With his hands:
I’ve never seen this way of eating. He’d pour some white liquid on his rice, then bring it together between his fingers and thumb, squish it a few times and raise the still slightly sloppy morsel to his mouth. I’d like to try sometime. I suspect I’ll make even more of a mess than usual >_<
In 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles (1781-1826) signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein and Temenggong Abdul Rahman allowing the British East India Company to establish a trading post in Singapore. In 1823, the sultan wanted a mosque near his residence in the area. It was constructed between 1824 and 1826 but by the early 1900s it had become inadequate for the Muslim population. In January 1924 the new building was commissioned, designed by Irish architect Denis Dantry, and built over a few years to phase funds:
But it was closed to non-Muslims 🙁
Then through the streets of Little India:
… back to the Merlion where we fortuitously caught another laser show. Hong Kong please take note – this is how you do it:
Then an evening just watching the world, and a significant number of runners, go by. You can tell it’s close to the business district – at home time, the promenade around the harbour becomes a running track for serious athletes and newcomers’ new year’s resolutions. Stick with it, guys – it’s worth it 🙂 And I so wish I could join you 🙁
Then back through the Singaporean streets (where the shops spill out on to the pavement) to our hotel:
Singapore instantly reminded me of Florida: the humid hug as you exit the airport, the trees, the houses and the vibe. And nobody wanted to take photos of me anymore. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little sorry about this. Restaurants now didn’t welcome “outside food and drink” (a pleasant surprise of SE Asia where almost everywhere was happy for you to use their toilets and facilities).
But it was also distinctly Asian: not quite as clean, shops open to the street, street cafes and lots of Asians. Hong Kong was different to all other destinations on my trip so far in that it was truly multicultural – part of what made it feel like London. Whilst it’s clearly not just locals, we’re back to the majority being of Asian descent.
It was a bit sad to leave HK:
But some great views from the plane:
It was dark by the time we were walking to our hotel, located in a non-touristy area. And with the night came the nightlife: gambling, prostitution. No photos, obviously. Stalls on the street hawking medicines were a first for the trip (it looked like Viagra and the like – even though this is not my area of expertise, it didn’t take a lot of imagination to guess what they were selling).
Tomorrow we start exploring, but we’ll go to the city centre for that 😉
