Singapore .. then and now

Changi Point Beach

I still recognise pockets of old Singapore amidst the modern urban development that has shaped this island city. Growing up in the Malay kampung of Lorong Engku Aman, which is now Eunos / Geylang Serai estate, I was immersed in the Malay culture and heritage,  even though I am of Straits -Chinese descent.

Living in the eastern part of Singapore meant being close to the beach. I remembered Changi Point beach vividly where rambunctious extended family beach picnics were held and teenage BBQ parties. Today, a lot of the beach has been spruced up with park benches and designated BBQ areas ( permission must be applied in advanced to use a BBQ pit ). Camping is also allowed and many local families and foreign workers take advantage to set up tents over the weekends.

With the balmy sea breeze blowing against my skin and the sight of greenish -blue waters, I could not help but to stand on the sea shore as waves rushed up my feet.  As a teenager, I used to wind surf on East Coast Beach, gingerly balancing on the surf board, only to fall back into the warm salty waters. Those were the days of innocence where one threw caution to the wind.. literally. 

View from Sky Park deck, MBS

Fast forward, the skyline from the same beach is now etched with the silhouette of the Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay. There's the Park Connector Network ( PCN ) which connects the entire island making it possible to go on foot around most parts of the island. Public transport is also world class in Singapore. I spent a large part of my travelling on the Mass Rapid Transit ( MRT )  network. Buses connect shorter distances where the MRT does not. In addition, ride hailing apps and taxis complement its public transport.

Nasi Bryani at Tekka Market & Food Centre

Mee Siam at Bedok Stadium

The food scene is dynamic and booming: from local hawker centers to fancy Michelin-starred restaurants, it really is a "chow-a-block" island city. If you don't feel like stepping out of the house, just call the several food delivery services available. I tend to favour established hawker stalls like the Old Airport Road hawker centre, ABC Brickworks market and food centre over the numerous food court chains found in shopping malls. Great tasting food is more important for me than environment. I can forgo the air-conditioned food courts but cannot bear Popiah rolls that are bland and boring. 

What is amazing is that one can eat Indian, Chinese and Malay food for breakfast, lunch or dinner, easily and rather inexpensively. However,  the steep rising cost of living is often reflected in the cost of food which makes eating out more expensive than a decade ago.  As a consolation, many Singaporeans cross over to Johor Bahru during the weekends to eat, shop and go for beauty and wellness services. Others cheekily go to Malaysia to tank-up their cars as petrol is subsidised in Malaysia for its citizens - hence the 3/4 tank rule.. but that's another story altogether.

I appreciate the efficiency and how everything in Singapore is clock-work precise. It is clean and pristine, one cannot eat, drink, loiter or carry Durians on board MRT trains and platforms. There's an army of foreign workers deployed to blow away fallen leaves at the parks. Another army of elderly workers are deployed to clear empty trays at food courts and more able-bodied ones to help regular MRT traffic at peak hours. Streets are safe even past midnight and as the city state is wired with CCTV... Nowhere to Run by Martha and the Vandellas, rang in my ears as I walked back late one evening.

Our population is bursting at its seams. With recent influx of people from China, India and other nations who have decided to sink roots in Singapore because of job opportunities and/or investments, life becomes a scramble to queue-up at restaurants, shopping centres, supermarkets and yes, the MRT. Rental prices have shot up and prices of re-sale HDB apartments have transacted at the 1million mark. Good for the seller but bad for local Singaporean buyers. It is rare to find a place of solitude and serenity, unless one looks hard enough or have the means to do so. 

MacRitchie Reservoir offers tranquility

Foreign workers on temporary work permits make up a large part of the population. Filipino maids alone are 200,000 strong in Singapore. Then there are foreign workers in construction and maintenance, health and hospitality industry. They are the moving parts of the machinery of Singapore...