Editor: Cheng Huang Leng has written a guide for foreigners (whom he met during his travels) who are planning to visit Singapore. Perhaps we could repurpose his article to help us see our city through the lens of a foreigner. Being a tourist in our hometown seems a little weird. However, adopting a different mindset allows us to look at our hometown with fresh eyes, as though we are stepping into a new place for the first time.
Foreigners often ask me, “What should I see or do when I visit Singapore, and how long should I stay?” Most of them know that Singapore is safe and clean and has zero tolerance for drugs and chewing gum. A few would recall from TV images the Merlion, the iconic boat atop the Marina Bay Sands, and modern tall buildings. As the foreigners I meet are budget travellers, I often start by warning them of our exorbitant hotel prices.
What to See & Do
Walk Along the Singapore River.
At about 4 pm, start your walk at Queenstown MRT Station for the 3-hour stroll along the Singapore River towards the Esplanade. (For a reverse direction, begin at 8 am to avoid the sun). You will pass condominiums. 20% of the population live in such housing. By the higher finishing cost and fencing, you can easily distinguish a “condo” from an HDB block of flats. As you get closer to the city, note the architecture of the bridges and public buildings along the way, and you should be able to imagine what our British colonial past looked like.
The walk down the Singapore River is to share our water story. Like all the other 31 rivers (believe me, we do have that many), the Singapore River is a gash in the ground. The source used to be run-offs (rainwater) of nature and discharges from factories and homes. I know from experience that in 1973, I paddled upriver in my canoe to find the source. It turned out to be the mouth of a drain from a building where Great World stands today. Along the way up, I passed carcases. I made doubly sure there would be no accidental water ingress into my mouth and nose. I succeeded because I lived to tell the tale. At high tide, incoming seawater would reverse the flow and, as the tide recedes, help to carry the filth elsewhere. It took a very unreasonable man (unreasonable individuals shape the World) and 10 years to clean up the Singapore River. Today, there is no offensive smell any more. The Marina Barrage traps the run-off.
We have done the same with several other rivers to turn the gashes into reservoirs. Our goal is to collect every drop of rain. Today, it’s about 90%. At 100%, we will still have about 35% of the water we need in our reserve. Another 15% of our water is made by desalination and recycling at high costs because they all require energy. Despite the strenuous efforts, we depend on the rivers of Johor to supply the remaining 50% of our water. While Malaysia is legally obligated to sell raw water to us till 2061, it may not be able to because of climate change. Their rivers are running dry.
Watch a Free Performance at the Esplanade.
The Esplanade is accessible by the City Hall MRT Station. It is 100m further than the Esplanade MRT Station. However, the walk along the air-conditioned underground shops is more pleasant. The Esplanade, fondly called “The Durian”, is our answer to the Sydney Opera House. It was built in 2002 for $600m and funded chiefly by gamblers. I often drop by to enjoy free performances, one every evening in the air-conditioned concourse and at least one more in the outdoor theatre on weekends and public holidays. The performances are given by whoever is willing to perform (unpaid, I think), and I am rarely disappointed. For variety and tastes, there is a monthly theme (pop, oldies, jazz, wind, brass, etc) to reflect the festive periods. After the show, sitting by the seafront, enjoying the breeze, strolling around the area, or doing all three is therapeutic.
To be continued in Part II
Cheng Huang Leng
Cheng Huang Leng is a marine engineer by training. For many years, he taught marine automation to Singapore Polytechnic students and personal effectiveness, leadership, and quality management to Singapore Technologies employees until his retirement.
