Rags to Riches

Posted Singapore

As we sat in the waiting terminal of Chek Lap Kok International Airport I could not help but to feel a little uneasy for the travels that lay ahead. Traveling over 2,600 km to our next destination, I knew nothing of Singapore other than that it would be wholly unlike my last month in China & Hong Kong.

One of just many amazing and unique buildings around the city.

One of just many amazing and unique buildings around the city.

And sure enough, when Alex and I arrived at our hostel that afternoon, my intuitions were immediately confirmed.

 

The climate, entirely tropical and unlike the urban sprawl that consumed many cities in China. The buildings, modern… As modern as any I have ever seen. And with these primary observations, I immediately felt an affection and appreciation for this curious country located on the Southernmost tip of continental Asia.

 

Before visiting, I had read of the cities wealth but it seemed hard to imagine from a nation that hardly had running water and electricity just sixty years prior (See this video for more info). In fact, Singapore is not even fifty years old as of today (it turns fifty this Sunday). I had read of the Japanese’s occupation during World War II and Singapore’s brief stint as a state within the larger country of Malaysia, and yet I was still unprepared.

 

At the Marina with the Marina Bay Sands Resort behind us.  The top left section of the building is the Skydeck.

At the Marina with the Marina Bay Sands Resort behind us. The top left section of the building is the Skydeck.

No matter how much you know of Singapore, I think it is hard to imagine their national progress until you visit the city’s Marina Bay. The luxurious epicenter of the city today, this area must be one of the most amazing and beautiful man-made areas I have ever seen.From its stunning glass skyscrapers that hug the sunset to the West to the towering Marina Bay Sands’ Skydeck to the East, everything is a sight to behold.

 

As Moshe Safdie (an Israeli/ American architect) remarks, “Urban design as a discipline barely exists in most American and Canadian cities. In Singapore, there are innovative strategies at work.”

 

The Marina with the museum of Arts and Sciences lit up for the night.

The Marina with the museum of Arts and Sciences lit up for the night.

And with this thought, I can begin to comprehend the changes that this country has endured. From near nothing, the nation has planned its way to development and today they are reaping the rewards. Thus, while Singapore may have been little more than a jungle at the beginning of my father’s life, I doubt anyone can imagine what might be built here by the end of mine.