Sorry for the delay! Hard to post a blog from the middle of the jungle!
The streets are spotless. There is no graffiti on bridges, sides of buildings, fences, anywhere. Modern glass and steel buildings with spotless and hushed courtyards abound. People wait patiently and quietly to cross streets. Banners proclaim ‘Low Crime Doesn’t Mean No Crime’. In sleek modern underground stations people patiently wait to get on the MRT. Signs remind you to be gracious to others. Television monitors show videos asking that we all remain vigilant and look at our fellow passengers for suspicious behaviour and bulky bags. A soft female voice tells passengers to ‘Alight’ at stations, and ‘Mind the Gap’ between the train and platform. Public washrooms have signs depicting the proper and sanitary way to use the toilet. Food courts have signs reminding people of proper hygiene when working around food. Don’t pick your nose while cooking, do not double dip in shared dishes, do not spit on the floor. There are fines for littering, spitting, jaywalking, chewing gum, not flushing the toilet, farting ($50 small/$100 large), or voicing an opinion. Sound like a plot from a Sci-Fi movie? Expecting Harrison Ford and Sean Young to be running past you? Guess again, you are in Singapore.
But as sterile and as unappealing as that sounds, if you try hard enough you can find Singapore’s soul. And that would be their food. Singaporeans love to eat. Where football is the topic in Europe, food is the main topic here.
To find the best of the best you need to go to the hawker stalls. Large covered buildings which contain small individual stalls, each one specializing in specific dishes. The regulations for cleanliness are stringent here (no surprise there), and you will see ratings on the stall of A, B, C. It is noisy and busy and the food rocks. The Maxwell Center has the best Hainanese chicken rice. The Newton Circus has the best chili crab and bbq sting ray. It is here where we got to know Singapore and see the best of her.