category
text entry
submitted by
Amit Dutta
India
title
Singapore's Inner Beauty
I have been to Singapore quite a few times, for business or leisure. Each
time I marveled at its different forms and identities, each unique yet
alluring. Call it a island, city, country? Is it a man-made wonder or nature's
blessings transformed by intelligent design?
Tucked away like a solitaire on the little toe of Asia, glittering in its own
splendor, Singapore beckons the world with a special promise. You are bound to
be overawed by its combination of beauty in perfect discipline and order perhaps
only next to the clockwork precision of the universe created by the almighty.
Well, it is nothing short of a miracle that this packet of well ordered infrastructure
and prosperity was developed from a sleepy little fishing village in such a short time
by Singapore’s people aided with an iron hand by the father of this amazing
nation – Lee Kuan Yew. Lee has now been succeeded by his able son Lee Hsien Loong,
who carries on the good work with zeal. I want to go back to Singapore to admire these
industrious and dedicated citizens of Singapore going about their day to day work with
die hard optimism and the welfare of their community uppermost in their minds. I do not
think I have experienced this fiery spark of absolute patriotism and sense of honor
anywhere else in the world. And I have traveled the world.
I want to go back to Singapore to delve deeper into the true "Singapore Story" unique
in its history, culture and society. I want to understand more the travails of
transformation and fighting against the odds of colonialism, racism, intruding
communist influence and the trauma of breaking the shackles of tradition and growing
at breakneck speed. Singapore truly is different and I want to steep myself in that
flavor of resplendence and success so brilliant and captivating yet so very alien. What
I most admire of the Singaporean people, is their tenacity and their unbending
allegiance to all that is Singapore.
If I describe only one spot of interest in Singapore I would do gross injustice to the
country and its people. It is the whole dream that is Singapore that pulls me towards
it. Singapore's illustrious people are my attraction and I want to see them in action
all over Singapore. Be it a casual saunter through Sentosa island, or a tour of the
flea markets in Chinatown, or perched high up in a cable car, or tip-toeing past exotic
marine life, or marveling at the diverse talent at the Jurong Bird Park, or even
boating up the Singapore River where warehouses of the colonial era have burst into
vari-colored pockets of entertainment, restaurants or a boisterous Chinese Opera, every
aspect of Singapore conjures up the love and sweat of a nation that enlivens the
under-dogs of this world.
I am enthused with the clockwork precision with which Singapore functions. I want to
travel by the Singapore MRT in complete confidence that I will reach my destination
well in time. I respect the pristine cleanliness of the city and I marvel at how well
the people have adapted to less space. I am amused at the local culture of enquiring
of the prospective groom whether he has parking space. I admire the collection of rare
animal life that Singapore displays in its city parks and aquariums. This country has
created a wonderland from nothing and I want to be a part of it. All that is Singapore,
empowers me with the hope that here is a nation and its people who could make it
possible – an alchemist's dream of turning rusted iron to gold!
I remember a late evening in August when I was in Singapore and happened to walk down
to the harbor front. My path took me through a narrow serpentine lane and as I turned
a corner a fantastic sight greeted me. The sun had set a few minutes back leaving its
signature aura in the dusky evening sky. The harbor front was bathed in a golden light
with the reflections of the lion mermaid simmering in the bay. It was as if someone had
poured liquid gold all over the canvas outlining in bold sparkle the Singapore skyline
and the water front pier and boat-houses. The lion spouted fiery red lava as if
inspired by the fires that burn in every Singaporean soul. I was struck into respectful
silence, finding a rare emotion bubbling through my nerves, creating an oneness with
that elusive consciousness that pervades every being animate or inanimate in this world. Only Singapore could give me that unique feeling of affinity with something ethereal, something beyond our simple understanding of this cosmos. Can I experience this rare insight once again!