More Singapore observations

Advertising

The ads on the bus are quite entertaining. A cold medicine ad had one guy with kleenex all over him, including stuck in his nostrils as the girl friend looks at him a bit disgusted. While this one for nasal spray is also neat. Back home, people tend to look sick if they are on this kind of ad.

Architecture
Skyscrapers, turn of the century storefronts, colourful apartment buildings, this city has it all. Here are a couple of examples. The three towers with the boat at top are brand new and called the Marina Bay Sands.

Eating
If you're in a restaurant, the waiter gives you the menu and expects you to make a choice immediately. That is, if they finally made it to your table. You need to ask them to come back later. They will also stand by you while you sign your credit card receipt. In one restaurant, the waiters used electronic palm devices to take the orders. Most places don't have napkins on the table, and I noticed yesterday that people brought their own tissue to the table. At the food courts, you can get a meal for $5-$6 dollars. Up to now, I've had, in these food courts, duck, dumplings and chicken noodle soup.
I'm also spoiled as Nia, the maid where I'm staying, makes me breakfast and sometimes other meals. For the last couple of days, I've been having pieces of Rambutan and Magosteen as part of my breakfast. The first on is a relative of the lichee.

Habits
In London, even though they drive on the left side of the road, you still stick to your right in the escalator and people pass you on the left. Not here, you need to stick to the left and the right is the fast lane. Same thing when you cross people on the street, you pass to the left.

Language
Haven't heard much of the typical Singlish as I feel people make an effort when they are around me. However, yesterday when I asked a road construction guy if I could cut accross to the bus stop, he said Can Can. Basically, as the Chinese don't have words for yes or no, they use the closest verb, so there's Can and Cannot.

Signs
My favourite sign up to now is Works Ahead. I'm delighted to know that more than one work is happening ahead. On the bus routes, the stops are in little dips along the way so the bus always needs to rejoin traffic. Most of the time it takes a while as no car wants to let it through though I did see a make way for buses sign yesterday. Clearly, they need to work on that. And as a pedestrian, if you cross at an intersection with no light, you sort of need to stick your hand out to the driver asking them to wait until you've crossed. No pedestrian priority when there's no traffic light.
Also, sometimes the street sign is a bit different from the street name. On the map I had Jalan Besar while the street sign said : Jln Besar. Guess those two vowels were too much.

Patriotism
The city is covered with the National flag. National day is on August 9th and the country will turn 45. During the weeks preceding the event, they have practice runs, may it be for the fireworks, the plane show, and they'll add the parade practice next weekend as well. And there is advertising everywhere telling the locals to fly their flag. I asked around, and people seem to hang it up, whether they feel patriotic or not.

Mes observations au sujet de Singapour
Les pubs sont différentes, il y a une grande variété architecturale assez impressionnante, surtout le nouvel hôtel à trois tours. Manger ne coûte pas cher, mais le service est aléatoire. Soit ça leur prend une éternité pour prendre ta commande, soit ils patientent à tes côtés le temps que tu commandes ou tu payes. Les gens sur le trottoir ou dans les escaliers roulants se tassent à gauche plutôt qu'à droite, comme sur la route. Ils abrègent tout, surtout sur les panneaux routiers. Depuis déjà quelques semaines, ils pratiquent les activités du 45e anniversaire de la ville-état. Une pratique pour les feux d'artifices même!