Little India

Sultan Mosque
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We are finding that there is practically nowhere the bus cannot go and the buses run every 15 minutes. With the help of Raema and which bus to take we doing very well!

Today we ventured to Little India and I am a little overwhelmed. If Mom thought that Chinatown was too authentic, I can only say that it was a warm-up for Little India. The market primarily serves the local Indian population but there are a few tourist oriented areas. The wet market had every conceivable bird and fish product but no beef. All sorts of spices, produce and dried fish products (including the dried squid that Connie used to keep in our pantry). The food and incense smells are constant as is the loud playing Indian music. There is an abundance of fabric and clothing stores for the very colorful saris that the women wear. Mom was enchanted with the gold bangles and the gem encrusted necklaces which are sold everywhere. We spent the day browsing but not buying much knowing that Scott and kids will soon be here and they would enjoy picking out their own items.

Our late start this day found us in the heat of the day, plus we did not have the overcast that was here the last few days. The 91 degrees F and 71% RH were very overwhelming. In lieu of the outdoor hawker center (food stalls), we find ourselves opting for a mid day break in a more expensive air-con restaurant. It took us about a half an hour to order at the Indian restaurant not sure what to choose. We thought we had ordered very different items but when they arrived we had almost the same dish but with slightly different spices. Mom's was vegetarian and mine had chicken. It reminded me of a Mexican restaurant where most dishes have variations of tortillas, meat, and toppings but roughly the same flavor. I elected to skip the restroom as they were not "western" style. Perhaps later I will be more brave or desperate.

Took the cab from Little India to nearby Kampong Glam and Arab Street which is the center of the local Muslim/Malay community. The shops were different with rattan products, rugs and hookahs. Spent some time in Istana Kampong Glam which is the Malay cultural center. Prior to the succession of Singapore from Malaysia (or as some dsay, Singapore giving Malaysia the boot), Singapore was the seat of Malay and hence its Muslim influence. Descendants from the Sultans still receive an annual stipend from the government regardless of the country they live in or how small their relation.

Our long bus ride home found us on a standing room only bus where we were the only anglo people riding. The density of the housing and high rise apartment/condos are truly amazing. The government seems committed to keeping housing in good condition for its people and each housing unit is evaluated for renovations every 15 years or so. If renovations are too expensive the units are torn town and rebuilt. It will be hard to maintain any sense of historic preservation here with this type of approach but it maintains the very clean image of the city.