Day 33: to Singapore

In Bali, we were routinely mistaken for either Dutch or German tourists. J and I speculate that this is because our faces can pass for Northern European.

In Singapore, they don't take much notice of us except that we're poorly dressed. As an international city nation business center, the sensibility has every one sporting "smart casual" attire. And the favorite pasttime here? Shopping. Horrid nylon travel attire? Conspicuous.

Not everyone appreciates Singapore's conservative laws-formally no gumchewing or bungee jumping, heavy fines for littering, jaywalking and eating on the subway but me? What, are you kidding? The cleanliness, efficiency, technology-my comfort with it betrays my compulsively tidy freak flag. Our cab from the airport was gleaming. I think the man Armor All'd daily.

It is evident that eating is the other favorite pasttime. J approves and that betrays J's foodie freak flag. I can say that we are both thoroughly enjoying the freedom of not having to wear a sunblock DEET cocktail.

It is attractive modernity and convenience here. Somehow they have managed to avoid many of the pitfalls of contemporary architecture. It is tempting to assume that they strive for homogeneity but with its history and blended peoples of Malaya, Singapore has long been reckoning with Buddhism, animism, Islam, colonialism, imperialism, commercialism, lots of -isms, and diversity.

And doesn't a sense of humor often help. The Singaporeans have nicknamed their Esplanade facility the "big durian." Durian fruit is a spiky green skinned fruit delicacy that tastes something like rotten onions and smells like bottled hair color.