Free Art and An Old Chinese Shophouse – Day 5 in Singapore

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008. So our last day in Singapore is here, and I’m feeling short-changed. I like this city. If it weren’t for the fact that it’s haflway across the world (and therefore conducting business in the US is difficult), I would seriously consider camping out here for a few months. The great food, the interesting culture, and the safe and comfortable environment are compelling. If you’re looking for a city to visit in Asia where you get a chance to see a little bit of everything, Singapore has certainly got to be at the top of list.

Today, in an effort to recreate my “greatest breakfast sandwich ever” experience, Sara and I started our morning at a branch of the chain coffee shop (not Starbucks -can’t remember the name) where I had my life-changing breakfast experience two days ago. IMAGINE MY DISAPPOINTMENT WHEN THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION DID NOT CARRY THE HAM, EGG, AND CHEESE SANDWICH. I was feeling homicidal, but I got over it. Slowly. Fortunately, the Singapore Art Museum was nearby and Sara and I enjoyed some amazing Korean contemporary art.

I’m a big fan of art. Sara will tell you I’ve spent hours at the art museum staring at famous, and not so famous, paintings and sculptures. The MFA in Boston, the National Gallery in D.C., the Met and MOMA in NYC, the Getty in LA, and a host of others. I’ve seen quite a bit of stuff, and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. Yet no matter what I see, contemporary art always moves me the most. It’s a cerebral experience that sometimes causes a physical reaction – very powerful. Korean contemporary art was no exception. Sara and I stumbled upon this experience and it might just be the thing we remember the most. Very cool.

After a spontaneous visit to the Art Musuem, we went to Chinatown and visited the Chinese Heritage Museum. It was fascinating to see what life was like in a restored Chinese shophouse, not to mention the stories of the thousands of Chinese immigrants that came to Singapore.

We happened to visit a Buddhist awareness center that Sara and I both found enlightening, as well as visiting the Sri Mariamman Hindu temple. Singapore is an amazing place – a melding of Indian, Chinese, Malay, and British traditions and culture. I’m sad to leave.

The Sri Mariamman Temple in Singapore, devoted to Mariamman, a south Indian Mother Goddess, was first built in 1827.