Swinging By Singapore

Sophie and I just spent three weeks surrounded by the free and easy familiar. Suitcase in hand, we went across our little nation visiting friends and family. We had a great time.

On the way back to Davao, I had a seven hour layover in Singapore, so I decided to metro into town and walk around a bit, full zombie mode.

Strolling around the financial district felt very much like roaming around lower Manhattan. It wasn’t until I reached Chinatown and had a noodle breakfast at a hawker center that I got a glimpse of the “unAmericaness” of the place.

No land untouched

Singapore is global, but my impression during my ultra-quick visit was that first and foremost it’s all kinds of Asian. Not just a hub of trade and money; it’s a regional hub of people.

Also noteworthy: the melting pot that is Singapore is the world’s most expensive city for the fifth year running.

Singapore is booming. On the forty-minute metro ride from the airport passing through the suburbs, it was impossible not to notice the countless real estate projects mushrooming everywhere. Not a single square meter of land seems to be left untouched.

An often-heard critique in the context of construction is that the many migrant workers who are brought in for these building projects are ill-treated and underpaid.

Another criticism, coming from Human Rights Watch for instance, is that the Singaporean government frequently impedes on freedom of speech.

It is true, that part of a general policy to “protect public order,” the authorities have a lot of leeway to do what they deem necessary to enforce what they consider “proper” conduct. The government is pushing back against critics, saying they’re biased and untruthful.

Read the full blog here.