"Singapore Girl, where are you?" a Singapore Travel Page by Ramonq

Singapore, the Lion City is one of Asia's great crossroads. Ships and planes from around the globe dock into this city-by-the-equator to unload passengers and cargo that usually transit elsewhere. And the Singaporeans have made good of their island's location. I was amazed by the efficiency of the place despite its hot and humid tropical climate, which could easily sap anyone's energy. Singapore is so throughly modern that sometimes I had forgotten that I was in the middle of Southeast Asia, where ancient traditions are guarded with fierce determination.

Singapore is a multicultural state made up of various Asian ethnicities. While around 70% of its population is mainly of Chinese origin, the Chinese community can be further subdivided into different ethnic groups such as Hokkien, Hakka, Cantonese etc. The remaining 30% are of Malay, Southern Indian, and Eurasian descent. So how do these eclectic group of people even communicate to each other? Well in English of course, but more of a patois English called Singlish. Singlish is a stacatto way of speaking which to the untrained ear, sounds like a Chinese dialect mixed with Malay interjections such as lah or ayor. This mixture of Chinese and Malay is also known as Nonya.

Traveling around Singapore on its efficient MRT and buses, one notices that the signs are inscribed in 4 different languages just to make sure that all the Singaporeans know how much fines and penalties they would incur should they not follow the official line. Singapore is known the world-over as a disciplined state where some misdemeanour attract punishments such as $500 fines, public caning or even the death penalty. And they are followed rigorously and ruthlessly by the bureaucrats. It's important that you obey the rules here. On a positive note, this approach actually works in keeping the wheels of commerce transparent and squeaky clean. The city-state is a picture of efficiency and industriousness. And tourists can see how organised and clean the place is.

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Oldest Chinese Temple

History

Even though this is a fairly young city-state, there have been early accounts of Singapore by Chinese merchants in the 14th century. It was called Temasek (sea town). By the end of that century, it was a part of the Malacca Sultanate and the place was renamed Singapura (Lion City), owing to the presence of large animals in the cat family (most probably tigers). For many centuries, Singapura was a quiet fishing village populated by a few Malay seafarers. All these changed in 1819, when Sir Stamford Raffles landed on the island to establish a trading post at the southern tip of the Malayan penisula. A treaty was made with the Sultan of Johor so that the British can freely settle and govern the island. More treaty was signed with the Dutch who were also expanding their mercantile trading in the East Indies (Malacca and Indonesia). The Sultan then ceded the island out right to the British in return for cash in the 1820's

By the mid 1850's Singapore turned out to be a lucrative port because it has become a major port of call between Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal. Migrants from China and India starting pouring in and they provided coolie labour in the town that has become a major export centre for rubber. Singapore rise to globalisation under the British rule has begun. But this was rudely interrupted in World War 2 when the Japanese conquered the island in 1942. The British then recovered their colony, and Singapore became part of the Federation of Malaya after chaos and confusion during the fight for independence. Self-government was attained in 1959 and Lee Kwan Yew was the Prime Minister.

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Raffles is the man!

This merger with the Federation was short-lived and in 1965, the country opted to be a separate republic. Singapore's strategy for survival and development was essentially to take advantage of its strategic location and the favourable world economy. It is this during the rule of Lee Kwan Yu that transformed this hot tropical island into an economic powerhouse. He once said that the best human invention is the air-condition, which made living in Singapore more bearable. The city is now humming with large ships and planes making it an important port of call.

This has made Singapore a great shopping haven. Latest goods from the developed world are here in abundance. I am just amazed at the vast array of shops especially along the famous Orchard Street. This truly is a mecca for the shopaholics. And there are fantastic eateries to cater for the tired and hungry shoppers. Singapore truly is one of Asia's great stopovers.