Ever since I completed my BE, like every other friend of mine, I have thought of doing MS in US. May be this is more like flow which is being followed like a group of sheep’s. However, destiny had chosen something else for me and I started my career in my own city which is Hyderabad. Since that day I was longing for a foreign trip. And finally, this small dream of mine was visualized by my parents, colleagues and well wishers. The dream to set foot on Singaporean soil started taking shape from the day my manager asked me to attend training along with few folks who are already in Singapore.
My Mind set in motion myriad ideas having various speculations and perceptions. The thought of this trip made my imagination go wild and vibrant. In the little world of my own vision, I started to fabricate an entirely new reality about the place and its people. My friends and relatives who had already savored the pleasures of the Singaporean soil were very prompt in enlightening about every minute detail on travel hazards and immigration. Well, snoozing off can virtually shorten an otherwise boring five hour air journey from India to SG. My miraculous doze of dreamless sleep was like a blessing to me. A mix of history and modernism, SG offers you a kaleidoscope of experiences. The Helix, exotic fine dining restaurants, sprawling shopping malls, museum’s, island’s, Bird Park, and night safari zooming past the city centre
My expectation before I visit this foreign land was something like what Alice has experienced in Wonderland. However, reality was indeed different. First of all, the changi airport was a treat to my eyes. There are lots of ways to relax and while away the hours until your next flight you can visit the Entertainment Centre, watch a movie / TV, listen to Piano concerts and if you have more than five hour try the free 2.5 hour city tour. Free Internet access. Everything “F-R-E-E”. But be warned Changi airport is vast; it can take more than 30 minutes just to walk from one end of a transit corridor to the main Transit Lounge and passport control.
Disembarking from change airport, I had seen very long queue at the taxi stand, with first come first serve basis. This gave me a good impression at the very first sight of this city. To any foreigner, taxi drivers are among the first locals they encounter. If their experience with taxi drivers isn’t good, that might reflect the way they perceive the new place. The good thing about SG taxi drivers is that they are well educated, efficient, and bring passengers to destinations at the shortest possible time/route. And at the end there is no “chai-paise” concept, unlike Indians. Well, I hired a taxi and it took nearly 20 minutes for me to reach the hotel. During this journey, the obvious question I was asked is about my destination. To which I replied “I need to go to Suntech Tower 7”. The driver then replied “say again”…..I said…”Suntech Tower 7”. He again asked 'Alla mak! What is the number la!” . I replied back saying “7”….its “S-E-V-E-N”. To which he replied back “Sala….”. For 3 full seconds I was shocked as didn’t understand the reason for which I was scolded. Then I rechecked my address and told him it’s 4 and not 7. The he said , Ya Lah! Where are you from? . I proudly said, “I am from India”. And he replied back saying “Aiyoh, that’s why you didn’t knew the tower number, Chin chye, just relax”. I felt relieved and released gasped breath.
Later that day, through one of my friend I had come to know that Sala means “No” and I just smiled at myself.
Sun soaked streets and gentle breeze and nerve soothing eloquent calm welcome me in Singapore City. It was odd but I did not feel strange in the alien soil. Suntec-city is clean, compact and well manicured. Wide open streets, broad pathways strewn with many hued flowers, organized traffic and random passersby reflected the outer layer of the city. My ears used to the noise of the hustle bustle were at pains to adjust to the calm and quiet of the environment. Oh yes, an occasional whisper of the passing car did create a feeling of motion that too for a very brief moment.
I had met my trainer, my team mates and was introduced to my Singaporean counterparts. Later we had a quick training session followed by lunch at our cafeteria and later in the evening, I have checked into the hotel. Generally, edibility is the eligibility criteria for food to be in my favorite list. However being vegetarian is always baffling especially when you are abroad. The stricter vegetarian diet is little difficult to get in SG, nevertheless not impossible. The Singaporean palate is nor spicy nor sweet. It is mild taste. Typically they have penchant for all dairy related things which makes cheese and yogurt and easy way to supplement an otherwise animal-free diet. It simply takes an added degree of persistence for vegans to maintain healthy eating habits here.
Whether it's the sour kind for salad or the clotted one for scones, there's something very satisfying about cream. One thing which I loved there is the variety of tea’s. The name is seductive: not afternoon tea, not high tea, but the Japanese Green Tea. Also the moon cake, which is colourful, mouth-watering and ofcourse nutritious. Also this dish carries its own story back in history for which it is known for. And I just loved it. I always feel that fasting and remaining trim and healthy need not be a challenge if we eat light and nutritious meals on a daily basis. In SG one would find some colourful and mouth watering vegetarian ideas that also pack a nutritious punch.
Later, I happened to visit “The Helix Bridge”, which was a pure delight. It was indeed a pleasure watching it. Nestled in the lap of Singapore River, ferrying people from one end to another and the awesome sight of strikingly constructed towers encircling the river edges, projected the most beautiful picture. Life is a series of stories that could be broken down into a sequence of images that run fast enough to seem like a continuous spiral of activity without the punctuations of blank spaces And what the eye can see, the camera can freeze, too, each photograph keeping a log of what happened, where, when and how. And I just started capturing each and every moment .
So far so good, and yet I was missing something. What was that? I could not make out and got busy initiating myself into the Singaporean way of life which was clearly meant doing all your chores by yourself and this was an ordeal for a person used to the comforts of having hot cup of tea in bed, an organized house and half a dozen helpers to make life worth living. I had been told that chores in SG were no big deal as everything is automatic, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, micro and so on, take care of everything and one just sits and sucks the lollypop. How misleading. Notwithstanding the help of these gadgets one has to slog exactly the way one does in India except that in SG one minds oneself into believing that everything is automatic and a joy ride. On my part how I missed social life.
But all said and done it was an eye opening exercise to realize the kind of hard work Singaporean’s do. How patiently and ungrudgingly they perform every kind of work. Their desire for life and passion for excellence is mind boggling. It is amazing to see how the state machinery works and provides for the comfort of its people. From the scrubbed clean environment to police protection, free education, excellent medical care and social security back up; everything is scrupulous and hassle-free. Seemingly, everything is automatic yet a lot of concern and organizational experience works at every level. Quite a few of my friends in India were more excited than me. With excitement in their voices and probably stars in their eyes, their enquiries were unending. I had to visit Merlian quickly tell them about the Singapore Symbol. Honestly speaking, I too was keen to visit this place.
That was a Sunday and with a help of my school friend, I boarded the metro from my place, which was to Merlian. From there one had to just walk and walk. We visited the place and had some beautiful photo shots and later some window shopping which had become quite an ordeal for me during that time. Later in time, for some strange reason we both felt like having a special Indian dish called “Pani-Puri” and I got to know that it would be available only at one place known as “Little India”. And our journey headed to this point. I touched the Little India and got the shock of my life. Being it a week end, An endless sea of people flowing from every nook and corner. Walking, crossing, talking and yet mindless of each other's existence. I almost got vertigo. Streets were overcrowded and so was the sky. A little strip of the blue sky seemed claustrophobic. The glitz and glamour was evident everywhere. I took a breather and rested for a while at a shopping complex called Mustafa. These are my very subjective impressions and may be totally different from others but I could sincerely feel that I was in “I-N-D-I-A”. Also in this Little India, from food to groceries, clothes, Pan Parag, betel nuts — everything is available. Indians have established themselves in business and are doing pretty well for themselves. But to me they seemed unwilling to change their ways of life.
The mess and filth was appalling and embarrassing. The musty odor emanating from open dustbins justified the dislike, which is being secretly harbored against Indians. May be this why Indians are not able to integrate into the mainstream of the Singaporean society and live in their self styled cocoons. But, irrespective of their insensitivity to a clean, organized way of life, they have learnt the dignity of labor and hard work.
Since there is no choice, Indians perform all chores from cleaning the pee and poo of the doggies to cleaning the toilets or any other work required to fulfill the necessities of life.
The one thing that did become apparent, repeatedly is that SG is a unique cultural fusion .You can have the opportunity to experience life in a multi-cultured country while exploring the distinct society and traditions of the Thai and the Chinese culture as well. To venture in and out of shops in SG is a pleasure for the eye and the mind as diverse colours converge into moments of shopping, eating, and entertainment. I had also got a chance to see tiger dance, this seemed burdened with some concerns which reflected in their expressionless eyes and the straight faces. This is perhaps what the stress of modern life does to a human soul. Well, the next day I decided to explore SG and decided to take a bus ride to absorb and assimilate the spirit of the city of endless opportunity.
It was a different and pleasurable experience to sit at the top of the bus and go around the city. As the bus was negotiating the various streets, the gregarious guide was enlightening us about the history of monuments and buildings. As one is familiar with and has heard of these places it was exciting to come face to face with history. The ferry ride, which showed me the city, was pure delight and summed up the joy ride.
Also I missed greenery very much in SG, in the sense, In India we generally in most of the places see the endless stretches of green, fresh dew-kissed flowers and beautifully designed houses; Nevertheless, I could sense no dust, no pollution and less human beings in SG. At least I did not see anyone on the roads or outside these fairytale houses in many of the areas; it was weird and yet enchanting.
I was wondering how people survive here without the human touch, which is so palpable everywhere in my country. In SG, Help is just a phone call away. The car comes, takes the elderly to the desired place and their needs and requirements are fulfilled. How I wished such facilities were available in my country. These social security’s have substituted the need for interactive, person-to-person concern and care. But I also wondered about the gentle touch, the soft caress, the loving glance which we Indians are so used to and take for granted. I blessed my country and its traditions so completely layered without bonding, affection and love for each other.
One funny thing which I noticed is , the same Indians who shun work in their own country take credit and pride in performing the jobs there. I wistfully thought if we could adopt the same attitude towards work and dignity of labor and hard work then our country's destiny would be different. My sensory perceptions were taking a thousand shapes and my Singaporean visit was coming to an end. It is not impossible to know the SG. in a 15 days’ time and that too by just visiting a few places. But during my sojourn I could feel the great SG’s spirit, their sense of pride for their country and their unquenchable thirst to be the best.
My SG Dream has fill its myriad shapes with every resulting visit to this amazing land of the free and the brave. I shall also cherish my visit to the SG, for the simple reason that it has made me fall in love with my own people all over again. Sare Jahan se Achcha Hindustan Hamara.
Be it fun, music, beer, chocolate or food, Singaporeans truly know how to live it up, and the spirit of gaiety never ebbs
