Back to the Land of the Green Lanterns

 

For the first time in over two years, I'm back in Singapore. Quite a lot has changed, including something like a 30 per cent cut in the number of taxis, so the 'green lanterns' - the sign on the taxi roof denoting 'availability' - are even scarcer than they were. Uber is quite rightly banned in Singapore for its atrocious treatment of drivers but there's a regulated alternative here called Grab. However even this, plus Covid, has resulted in the departure of many drivers, so perforce I have had to resort  to the underground, the MRT, more than usual. Being Singaporean, this is quick, efficient and cheap, but also crowded. As well, it involves a lot of walking about which in this climate means rather too many of what the locals call 'three shirt days.'  

This plus the fact that the Monsoon this year is particularly rainy, means that there haven't been many of the idle hours by the hotel pool that I was looking forwards to. In fact Singapore is not generally looking its best. The authorities took the opportunity of Covid to close down many of the attractions in order to refurbish them and a lot have still to complete this process. The City is opening up again, but preparing for the Formula One motor race through the streets also means a lot of barriers spoiling the view. Like this of the National Art Gallery (which, in a former incarnation was where Mountbatten took the Japanese surrender in 1945).

But that's OK, this wasn't meant to be a holiday, and in any case I have managed to revisit some favoured spots and have been welcomed with enthusiasm by at least one of the residents.

 I've also managed to get in some of the kind of thing that tourists like to do - like a drink (in my case a Tiger beer not the infamous sickly 'Singapore Sling' attributed to Noel Coward, probably wrongly) at Raffles Hotel. (We stayed there once when there was a special offer for local ex-pats, and enjoyed every minute of it. The occasion  was a visit by a UK based theatre group doing something by Noel Coward. Cherry wangled it through one of here local friends ).

And just wandering  around means encountering interesting sights. Not least the amazing trees they have around here. This one was on the way to a jungle area near the McCritichie reservoir, as  a taste of things to come.

But mainly this has been a work trip, with a week in the very different Jakarta as well. There have been lost of policy meetings for the Singapore delegation on which I am one, some held in shopping malls to cut down on time wasted in navigating Jakarta's interminable traffic jams. Another of these was a slightly incongruous gathering of me plus one Admiral and five other Indonesian naval officers for dinner in a prestigious Japanese restaurant. I don't usually much care for Japanese food but this was excellent - but offered some challenges. You try exploring the legal technicalities of 'archipelagic sea-lanes with a mouth  full of Prawn Tempura. Some of these Malls are real state of the art, as modern as modern can be, in extraordinary contrast to the rows and rows of tiny roadside stalls in narrow lanes, 100 yards away. Most of these look positively medieval, and have the same protocols too. This includes clusters of people making and selling the same kind of thing - such as stretches of mirror-makers, or people selling water-melons or whatever. Indonesia is building a new capital at the other end of Java, as the only way of escaping from such inconveniences. A shame in some ways. Yet more cultural homogenisation

But the trip has involved have been formal meetings too. here's a typical one. Polite chit-chat about protocols and memorandums of understanding between my Singapore outfit and our various hosts. I can easily be identified by the white hair, but also, the Batik shirt I am sporting.

Its much more comfortable  than a lounge suit and in fact rather more correct wear, in any case. 

Of course there have been presentations too. Quite a few in fact, some in Singapore and some in Jakarta.  Here's my audience  at SESKOAL the Naval Staff College. Note the mask wearing. The enforcement of anti-Covid regulations in Jakarta is stricter than in Singapore. You have to show evidence of vaccination to get into shopping malls, and many restaurants. Seating is often socially distanced.  But in Singapore too, though there has been some relaxation, there's very high levels of mask-wearing. This of course is another significant impediment to be confronted when walking about. There's a noticeable difference in attitude between the locals and Westerners. Looking at the scenes associated with the Queen's obsequies back in the UK, it looks very much as though we think we're done with Covid, but out here they are far less sure that Covid has done with us. We'll see, no doubt.