Hectic and secluded life in Singapore

Hectic and secluded life in Singapore

It hard to imagine how could a place be both hectic and secluded, well, Singapore is. It is hectic because it is a modern city which contains heavy traffics and great load of commercial activities. It is secluded because no matter where you go you would be embraced by lush greeneries. You might order some street food at the busy local foodcourt but you can sit quietly by yourself under the foodcourt canopy.

 Merlion Sculpture

I know that the Merlion sculpture is unique to Singapore. But it is the Taxi driver who told me the story behind the Merlion sculpture. The 14th Century prince of the Sumatra encountered a lion when he landed Singapore, from then on the city was named after Singa (Lion) and Pura (City). Fish stands for the origin of Singapore - a fishing village. 

The Newtown in Singapore - Haji Lane

Haji Lane is a short 5 minutes walk little lane, it reminds me of the Newtown in Sydney or the Snail Street in Taiwan. They are both composed of two storeys buildings, the first level would be used as shopfront. They could be heritage listed or not. If you look into each individual shop, there is nothing special, but when they form a busy street, it is animated. What's different between Haji Lane and Newtown or Snail Street is that it has the modern skyscrapers as the backdrop. That speaks for Singapore in general, it is a curious mix of the new and the old.

 

Cow and water car - Chinatown

The Chinese name for Chinatown in Singapore means cows and water vehicle. Because back in the old days there is no cars or public transport to deliver the water, so people relies on the cows to move the trolley which contains water. Nowadays, it becomes a central hub for Chinese from different ethnicity. It is also a very famous souvenir street.