Singapore: The Almost Last Two Days

I say almost last two days because tomorrow is a company visit in the morning, along with a "wrap-up" in the afternoon, followed by traveling to Jakarta. I'll miss being able to walk around a city in perfect security. Jakarta is quite dangerous and we won't have much freedom to go anywhere except the mall that is attached to our hotel. I know, I know. Boo hoo, I'm staying at the Grand Hyatt, but I would like to experience the culture, and not the Grand Hyatt. I suppose part of the culture is the danger, so there is a certain degree I don't need to experience.

May 30th: The Kindness Cheer Fest

I awoke on Sunday in order to head out with Charlie to Little India. Getting people to move in the morning is quite difficult around here, I suppose being the only non-alcoholic person in this trip has its advantages and disadvantages.

Little India is totally different from the rest of Singapore. The cabs locked down and the foot traffic crosses the street without the slightest hesitation. So many Indian dialects are spoken, I'm not sure how anyone understands one another. This is probably the most religiously diverse group here too, with Muslims, Hindu, Buddhists, and Christians, all rolled in together. I didn't know that exchange rates could be negotiated, but many Indians were screaming about the exchange rate between Singaporean dollars and rupees. Electronics were everywhere, but in order to get into the Mustafah Centre, you had to pass through some nasty looking guards.

After lunch at an halal appropriate restaurant, Charlie and I made our way to the local mosque, supposively a sight to see. I was clear on where we were to take off our shoes and we had a look around. We were quickly approached by some imams in training, and made some fast conversation to avoid their original apparent hostility at having strangers in the mosque. Altogether it was a great learning experience. The imams appeared to like the rude gesture I gave when I explained that I did not like that my father was US military.

We tried to find the way to the Hindu temple, but that was more difficult than expected. Little India is a small area, but it is hard to find things in it, unless you're not looking for anything in particular.

Afterwards, a cab ride took us to Orchard Road, where we went shopping at Dragon Mall and another mall with a Japanese name that I can never perfectly remember. Singaporeans are very much like other Asians in shopping habits. Shopping is a full-body experience. Things are taken out of their wrapping, touched, smelled, felt up, and, if necessary, a few dollar negotiation will take place. Americans like things being more sterilized, clean, and set. It makes me wonder. Maybe, as Americans, we rely more on word of mouth and we want to make sure that nothing could have gone wrong with our products from others, while Singaporeans (and possibly other Asians) check for quality in a more personal way.

There is too much to say about these malls to write here, but a few observations real quick:

(1) Malls are HUGE, but that doesn't mean the selection is huge. There might be one home furnishing store (obvious as Singaporeans don't have large homes), some cheap places to eat a few nice places to eat, and nearly everything else is beauty products and clothing.

(2) The larger, nicer malls have escalators that go up on the right side. Singapore is a country that drives on the left. However, in some of these malls, you can buy things in other currencies. I was wondering if, perhaps, the escalators were designed in part with foreigners from traffic on the right in mind, as escalators in their metros and other areas obey Singaporean traffic rules.

Finally, THE FIRST ANNUAL KINDNESS CHEER FEST:

Gracefully observing the Singaporeans in their natural habitat, we came across a conspicuous structure outside the malls. Androgynous boys and dolled up girls from middle school and below lined the inside, as families gathered around. A large sign indicated that this was a cheer-leading competition, but not just anyone. It was a "kindness" cheer-leading competition with an emphasis on respect.

Aghast at this blatant display of propaganda, Charlie and I looked on as a government official gave a long speech and the first elementary school came forward. Hackneyed doesn't begin to describe what occurred. Pop music and excellent demonstrations of athleticism were broken in with messages about "respect" and what one ought to respect. The usual suspects were all there: family, friends, and, of course for Asia, one's elders. However, the worst appeared at the end, when everyone was told that they ought to respect their government. The libertarian in me screamed against such an idea.

Noticing my demeanor, Charlie quickly pointed me toward the closest symbol of capitalism, and we departed, but not unscarred by that memory.

The rest of the day went smoothly. I attempted to do laundry, but they had one washer, one dryer, and the materials were all written in Malay and Chinese! I managed through it, but it required that I iron all my clothes in the end.

May 31 2010

Today was the last full day in Singapore. We had a wonderful professor to whom we got to ask all a number of great questions. Nothing much happened, and going out only involved leaving for Holland town.

I did manage to get out toward the Singapore river and get one last look at the city and do some reflecting.

I'm still very much worried. The national story of Singapore is one that celebrates the government involvement and misdirection of resources. The real story about Singapore should be how freedom works, and could work even better. Sometimes, simply lessons from Bastiat are quickly forgotten.