The City That Keeps Delighting

Singapore!

Greatest Moment: For those of you who know us—REALLY know us, you can guess why Universal Studios Singapore was a fantastic day! The park was small in comparison, however we managed to fill the day riding all the roller coasters and watching all the shows. Far Far Away Land was essential to our day, because we got to sit outside a castle and squirm with excitement in the magical atmosphere. Not to mention, meeting Shrek and Fiona! To afford our park tickets we packed PB&J sandwiches that we made from our hotel, and ate a dinner of dim sum. We were so content that day.

Fantasy and Imagination. Dreams and Adventure. A place where anything is possible. That is why we love theme parks.

Furthermore, walking around the city and admiring the architecture and innovation that the city is filled with was a major part of our agenda in Singapore.

Worst Moment: Singapore Zoo brought tears to our eyes! I love zoos because of their educational tools, awareness, and of course, being able to see so many wonderful animals. Singapore Zoo was very different from other zoos, as it was so much more exotic. Practically no one was there, or else they were all obscured by the enormous palm trees and bamboo clusters. It was the greenest zoo we have been to, and the plants and trees gave way to the free ranging orangutans, lizards, and mouse-deer. You literally had to watch where you stepped! Our trip to this zoo brought to us a harsh reality (as zoos commonly do), particularly for the tiger species. All tigers are Asian, and within its wild landscape, only 5 species of tigers remain, 3 are now extinct. They are hunted for medicinal purposes, and the exhibit here had a video showing the graphic capture and how they obtained bodily resources. The white tiger, which is the beauty we saw, is now only a species in captivity. You will not find one out in the wild.

This above all else, got us thinking. At first you go through denial and disgust at how humans can hunt such beautiful creatures with little care besides money or rituals. Then you hit disbelief. We are rapidly killing animals as we tear down their habitat to make room for business and accommodation for our over-populous. I understand we need to make room, and I understand hunting for our food. But we are not doing that. We make plantations and animal-farms where we harvest meats and vegetables in close quarters and with high yield, no matter what the cost to the consumers or the consumed. We are a very interesting species—what other animal out there destroys the very environment that we get our food? Only to make room for genetically modifying fruits/veggies or hormone pumped meats? Creatures in the wild hunt their lands for food and survival, but do not burn it down with industry and ‘civilization’. That, in all other ways, homo sapiens are different. And some may say that is why we are superior.

Last note! Zoos have a great purpose of preserving genetics and spreading awareness to stop the destruction of our planet. It was so sad to realize, as we looked upon the white tiger, that though the genetics are preserved, their evolution has stopped. They are no longer exposed to the rough environment that demands survival of the fittest. We have created in every zoo, a Zootopia—an unrealistic utopic society where they are fed their meals and grow in the organized containment. Outside they will not survive, and so we protect them in closed gates and much too small environments. And they will breed and live and pass on a legacy that in the future, will have no bearing in the wild. But there is no other option, and zoos will continue to acquire our support and love, because we are all trying the best we can to move forward.

Lesson Learned: Carrot Cake here is actually turnip and flour combination, sautéed to firm rectangular bites. A soya sauce is made for it, giving it a salty taste with the tinniest sweetness to it. We ordered it knowing it would be nothing like carrot cake, and learned that it was named wrong! Turnips and carrots…both roots right?!

Cultural Insight: A must see in Singapore is the Super Tree Grove. These huge trees light up at night, producing an Avatar world of size and color. But though these modern installments look pretty, they have a huge role in the city’s irrigation system….!!!! These super trees are lined with plants that collect and filter rainwater that is then used for irrigation. Nearby conservatories use hundreds of liters of water a day (through a liquid desiccant system) from Singapore’s humid atmosphere, creating an internal Mediterranean climate that is expelled from the top of these super trees. The plants act as a natural eco-filter, as they cleanse the rainwater and supply the city’s Marina Reservoir.

Each day in Singapore was spent inside an untarnished bubble. The city itself is sharp and edgy, spotless and simple. The architecture is incredible, and we enjoyed how many plants and trees were incorporated in the outside walls of many buildings and hotels. Everywhere we walked it was over beautiful bridges of a modern design or walkways lined with flowers of purples and pinks. Chinatown and Little India were excellent places to get your hands dirty in cultural foods that smelled of spice and deep-fry. We tried many different dishes, and had the most addicting chocolate milk drink ever: an iced Milo! So good, so good!