Loading ...
Fine Country of Singapore
The first time you come to Singapore, you’ll likely be surprised by how clean, neat and garden-like the country and city are. There are even massive growths of flowers planted along the runways at the airport! Over 4.5 million people call the island home; the nation is only a bit more than 3.5 times the size of Washington, DC. (The actual island dimensions are 14 miles by 26 miles, with 120 miles of coastline; excluding the 60 or so tiny islands that are a part of the Republic of Singapore.) But the place doesn’t feel crowded, except for the MRT at rush hour.
Yes, Singapore is a fine country. It’s also a Country of Fines.
There are the usual fines, of course: Littering, blocking traffic, double-parking and so on. Every well-regulated province has these. And there are fines for begging, or protesting without a license to do so, or just making too much noise. Okay, maybe these make sense.
Then there are ones that are less typical, while strictly enforced. For instance, would you make it a crime to eat on the subway in the USA? Even if such a rule exists, nobody spends any energy enforcing it. I saw a woman removed from the train in Singapore for just that. I hope they gave her a comfortable cell.
Then there are ones that foreigners wouldn’t even think about, and which can get us into Big Trouble. For example, the importation of even one stick of chewing gum is punishable by a fine of $10,000 (Singapore), and a one-year stay in the Hoosegow Hilton. How many Americans going to Singapore would even think to look in their pockets or purse? I’m willing to bet this law gets broken regularly, and completely out of ignorance. Okay, so that one maybe is over the line, for most folks. But it does explain why there are no gum wrappers everywhere, or gooeystickystuff on the bottom of every public surface.
There are a few of these laws that clearly go too far. Public nudity is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000. This one is tough, as many folks here don’t wear that much clothing as it is. And you can be fined for peeing in an elevator! Fine is at least $500. What an outrage!
Worse yet, you can be fined up to $2,000 for having sex in any inappropriate place! Like under the table at the fruit market. How can this be? Oh, the humanity…
I’m sure there are many others, but so far, I can’t report on them directly.
Lunch in Singapore
The lunch buffet at the hotel where I’m consulting is very interesting and quite varied. In addition to the usual salad and fruit choices, there is an assortment of Western-looking dishes. Beef, chicken, fish; more stir-fried than baked, no deep-fried anything. Pity. Little or no cheese, or most any dairy, for that matter. Since Singapore is surrounded by ocean, seafood predominates. Oysters and clams, prawns and lobster, sushi and sashimi, on and on.
Then there’s the nice assortment of more Asian-style dishes, from a variety of cultures. Teriyaki Chicken, Nasi Goreng, Squid in Black Pepper Sauce, Tandoori Chicken, Har Kau, Siew Mai (chicken variety), Mee Siam, and a dish that worried me a lot: Anchovy Fried Rice.
Maybe it’s just me, but it would seem that any culture that could tolerate such a concoction is well behind the curve on the road to civilization. Maybe about ten millennia or so. I’m sure in this case it was a mistake; who could countenance such a travesty in public, where impressionable children and weakened older folks could accidently be exposed? Sad, very sad.
I went to the other side of the buffet and got some good, hot Asian courses, and then later I drowned my sorrow by dipping strawberries in the chocolate fountain and eating them “straight up,” no sprinkles. That didn’t completely heal the wound to my psyche, but it helped.
That’s it for now. Here are some cute little hotties for you to adore until next time. Enjoy the Heat!
2 Responses to “Fine Country of Singapore”
September 30th, 2007 at 2:13 pm
The Chile Underground does not disclose its finances. However, we welcome any donations you might wish to make to make my bail, er, support this fine conversation.
Blogging in public? How gauche do you think I am?? No, wait; wrong question. Uhhh, how ’bout them Bears, eh?
M
September 28th, 2007 at 8:02 am
so how many thousands in fines have you accumulated? More importantly, is there a fine for “blogging in public?”
If there isn’t, there probably should be…
Leave a Comment Here... (We're Moderated)