From the Giants

That is what we feel like here in Singapore – Giants! When we walk down the street it seems like everyone is shorter and more petite than us. Back in the States our family feels pretty normal size, but here we stick out like a sore thumb! Even shopping is hard, because the style of clothing is made for very small, petite people and doesn’t look as good on us! The population here in Singapore is comprised of about 75% Chinese, 14% Malay, 7% Indian, and 4% other (for once we are the “other”).

Singapore Skyline

We have been able to see a lot of the city since we last wrote. We signed up for a two day sightseeing bus pass that allowed us to hop on and hop off at certain locations around the city. The buses took you around to different parts of the city and had a recording which described everything you passed. It was very interesting, and we learned so much about the city by going on the bus. The buses played elevator music as you rode, and they were double storied buses, so you could ride on the top with no cover, and feel the wind in your face – which helped cool you off from the extreme heat!

The temperatures here are not outrageously hot, they stay in the 80’s and 90’s, but it is the humidity that can kill you! No matter how hot it is outside, it can be absolutely miserable with the extreme humidity. When we walk for long periods of time we always have to go into stores every few minutes just to feel the refreshing breeze of air conditioning!

But it is still a tropical paradise. One aspect that makes this place a tropical oasis is that everything is green! Sometimes it is even hard to see the brown tree trunks because there is so much green moss growing on the trunks! We were able to visit the Botanical Gardens here in Singapore and they are beautiful and amazing!! Everything was very green and lush, and they had the most unique plants. They also had a special exhibit called the Orchid Garden – it was my favorite part. They displayed every type of orchid in every color imaginable!



An orange flower by the lake



Yellow Orchid



A leaf...I think!



What a unique flower!



A crazy looking tree!



Another unique feature of Singapore is that they have tons of malls. Literally, on every street there is a mall! And not only are there many of them, but each one is HUGE! We went inside one, and it was about 5-6 stories tall, and then had about 3 additional stories underground! It was absolutely mind-boggling! And all of the stores stay in business – I don’t know how they could with thousands upon thousands of other stores in the area!

In one of the malls we found a fast food called Shihlin, a

Taiwan Street

snack shop, where we decided to be brave and try some kind authentic food. They were advertising Sweet Plum Potato Fries, and so we tried them. At first they tasted very unique; they were sweet and yet had a spice to them. I actually found myself liking them and as I ate them they actually made my nose run! They were spicy to your senses, but not spicy to the tongue– it was very strange and delicious at the same time. We have also experienced Turkish and Italian ice cream, but they have actually tasted very normal!

We have also visited Sentosa Island, an island just a bridge away from Singapore. It is actually apart of Singapore, and is like a giant tourist attraction. The island has a Universal Studios, beaches, resorts, malls, restaurants, an underwater world, and much more! We visited an old World War II fort on the island. It is the only surviving fort on the island, and it was used to protect the Singapore harbor. It was very interesting, as they have restored it to allow tourists to see what it used to be like during the early twentieth century. Before WWII, Singapore was ruled by the British. But during the war, Japanese conquered Singapore in 1942. It was so sad to hear about the Japanese occupation. The civilians were given limited freedom, and lived in fear. The Japanese rationed their food to the extreme by allowing about 4 kg of rice per month to live on! At first I didn’t know what 4 kilograms was, but the tour guide said it was barely anything, and you couldn’t survive on that amount. The Japanese occupied Singapore until 1945, when the Allied Forces won the war, and at that time Singapore was given back to the British. It was just so interesting to view the impact of WWII on the people on this side of the world, instead of Europe.



Sentosa Island



Beach at Sentosa Island

Just another fun experience: Singapore has the largest observation wheel in the world, and while we haven’t gone on it, we have learned some interesting facts on it. Normally, it costs about $40 per person to ride the “Singapore Flyer” and they can fit about 28 people in one capsule. However, on Valentines Day, you can purchase a ticket for $400 per couple, yet you are sharing a capsule with 13 other couples! If you want your own capsule for you and your date, you can purchase it for $4,000! When I heard this I was completely blown away! The ride only lasts about 40 minutes in the first place, so you would be paying $4,000 for 40 minutes, which comes to about $100 a minute!

Singapore Flyer



Well, we are enjoying our stay here, but wish we could be with all of you back in the States!

Here is a fun picture:



A Building with trees growing on the side!



Brooke