Going to Singapore
Posted on:: December 8th, 2004
I’m leaving for Singapore on Sunday, arriving Tuesday morning. I’m keynoting the International Conference on Knowledge Management on Wednesday morning and giving a full day workshop on “conversational marketing” (I seem to have written an article on the topic here) at the Singapore Institute of Management. I leave on Friday morning. That doesn’t give me a lot of time for seeing the sights. Heck, it doesn’t leave me a lot of time for changing my underwear.
Any suggestions for things to do, not to do, to buy, to try? Any mistakes I’m bound to make when it comes to cultural differences?
Categories: Uncategorized dw
Dont expect too much question from the audience. Otherwise, don’t worry too much. Singapore is sufficient westernise.
Try chilli crabs while you are there. Ask your host to bring you to Long Beach in East Coast for that.
If you get any time for the tourist stuff, it’s worth going to the Botanical Gardens, which are simply amazing.
Also take time out to eat locally, preferably at one of those places where you find a table and wander around ordering dishes from different stalls.
Don’t expect a great deal of interaction or too many questions.
Go shopping and remember to haggle – it’s part of the fun!
The Jurong Birdpark is definitely worth a visit if you have any interest in nature.
Don’t worry, they have a McDonalds.
Lots of things to do:
http://www.visitsingapore.com/main.htm
The “Christmas in the Tropics” shopping/Santa festivities must be seen to be believed: I love ’em, and I’m not even into shopping or the whole Xmas palaver.
The Botero monumental sculptures exhibition looks interesting:
http://www.boteroinsingapore.com/
My personal faves:
* wandering around the Singapore Art Museum
* sipping a cool G&T in the long bar at Raffles, and remembering to chuck your peanut shells on the floor
* while you’re at Raffles, stand on the front veranda, gaze towards the bay and ponder: the hotel *used* to be right on the waterfront, and all those high-rise five-star joints in front of you are built on reclaimed land
* dinner at an outdoor cafe on the riverfront (ask a local, they’ll tell you the best places to eat)
* hawker stalls!! Yum!!
* the night safari at the zoo is FABulous–you get to see noctural animals as well as feeding time for the usual suspects
http://www.nightsafari.com.sg/
* a walking tour of Little India
http://www.visitsingapore.com/sections/articles/4a/1,1176,427,00.html
* and on a serious note, the Changi museum, where you can learn about the Japanese invasion in World War II and about what happened in the POW camps
http://www.visitsingapore.com/sections/3a/0,1138,441,00.html
You probably won’t have time to trek over to the National University of Singapore, but the NUS Museum has a significant (and free) exhibition of local art from the 60s and 70s:
http://www.nus.edu.sg/museums/exhibitions_net.htm
[sigh] Thanks, you’ve brought back lots of memories of when I used to travel to Singapore and Malaysia on business. It’s been too long…
Oy, Michael, you’re talking to the wrong vegetarian! :)
Thanks, flipsock, all of you!
Eat! Eat outdoors at the “stalls”! Eat often!
The seafood houses on the upper east coast road are not to be missed.
Try Newton Circus on Scott’s Road for the extensive Chinese, Malay and Indian food selection – outdoors. Don’t miss the crab corn soup. Try Satay (skewered, marinated grilled chicken chunks) with the sliced cucumbers and peanut sauce. Drink the wonderful Tiger beer. Have a cold “Shandy” – a beer with a dose of ginger ale.
you must Must MUST check out Haw Par Villa (Tiger Balm Gardens). nothing like it exists in the west.
http://www.singaporemirror.com.sg/ts_haparvla.htm
http://www.ropnet.ru/mylene/sing/hpv/tiger.html