Vietnam was great, but Vietnam was also crazy and hectic and HOT. About a week in I realized that my initial idea of hopping around Southeast Asia may not actually be the way that I wanted to spend the rest of my time abroad. It's just not that pleasant... I think some people are drawn to the messiness of it, the sweatiness, the 'fuck it' attitude that it envokes. They want to drink all night and laze around beach towns during the day. Before going, I thought maybe that's what I'd want too. After all when you are coming from a busy, stressful life laying on a beach sounds great. But when that stress is removed by a combination of three months of traveling and three weeks of yoga laying on a beach is no longer appealing, it's wasteful. Or at least that's how I felt. I thought about myself, another month in Asia, I could go to different countries and see spectacular things, but it was no longer calling to me. I had no excitement for it.
Before I left a friend who had done long term travel before told me: 'Do exactly what you want on this trip, until you don't want to do it anymore.' The spirit behind the advice being that it's so rare that we actually get to do exactly what we want to do for any significant period of time. Don't censor yourself ahead of time based on things you would or wouldn't have done before this trip. Don't stay in a place because it was an idea you had last month, last week, or even yesterday. Don't stay in when you want to go out. Don't go out when you want to stay in. See what calls to you. When you have days completely to yourself, where do you end up? Do you take yourself on hikes? To waterfalls? To Fijords? Like I did in New Zealand. Or do you take yourself on bumble dates? To rooftop bars? To notebook making classes? Like I did in Vietnam.
Or maybe you take yourself to Europe. Because your friends will be there, and traveling can be lonely. Because it feels more like home, and traveling that can be uncomfortable. Because you can walk outside and not start sweating, and being constantly dehydrated and smelly is getting old.
When I first heard this advice it sounded hedonistic and selfish. Saying so bluntly in that way I heard: you are taking the next six months to do exactly what you want to do. Do I even have the right to do that? How much of my life do I owe to my parents because they provided my life, my love, my education for me? How many people never get the opportunity to dedicate six hours to themselves let alone six months? Is it wasteful? Is it irresponsible? Is it necessary?
The answer to all of those questions lies in the context of the question. Is it wasteful? Of what? Money? Time? The investment in my career? Certainly not of life.
Is it indulgent? Indulgent. Self serving. But what if I wasn't serving anyone before I left? What if I mean to now?
Is it necessary? To survive? To be happy? To be me?
That last one. It's the reason I came. It was a voice in the back of my head that said, if you don't go now you will never go. You say you love to travel, that you'd love to live abroad, do you? Or do you just like to think that while making excuses because it isn't convenient to change your life and go? Well, your excuses are gone. You have no job, you have no responsibilities, you have money, you have time. Are you really still not going to go now?
Has anyone else noticed that we have at least two voices in our head? One to ask the questions. And one to answer.
Well, clearly I went on the trip. And I decided to follow the advice. To do exactly what I wanted to do until I didn't want to do it anymore. There's more I have to say on that in another post. But... I titled this Gardens in Singapore and have yet to speak about either Gardens or Singapore. So if you were interested in either of those things you have been sorely disappointed with the interlude into my head.
The brief version of the last 10 paragraphs or so would be to say: 'Singapore was the gateway to Europe'. It's a hub in Southeast Asia for shipping, food and flights. For those of you wondering Singapore is an independent country. It did previously belong to Malaysia, but separated. The majority of the citizens are Chinese, some Malaysian, Indian, and a bunch of expats. Their national language is English, they will fine you $500 for drinking water on the subway (let alone eating or drinking anything else), and will put you in jail for spitting on the street. They charge roughly 2x the price of dinner for a beer and make citizens pay $100 just for the right to gamble. The result? A spotless city with non-drunk, non-gamblers. It's clearly not the way we do it, but can you say it's not effective?
To my utter and complete surprise Singapore reminded me of downtown Chicago. The streets are clean and wide. The buildings are tall, sleek and modern. There is both a beautiful waterfront and a river separating the city. Of course it wasn't actually like Chicago, but there is a sense that they share. I spent my three days there wandering along the river and the waterfront.
Through the botanical garden (including the largest Orchid Garden in the world).
Through a cloud forest (an inside dome that mimics the environment of the rain forest), through a desert landscape (another dome), and a Dutch tulip display (dome!).
My favorite part of town was what they call 'Little Arab Street'. Singapore also has a Chinatown which feels completely toned down compared to New York City, and a Little India that I have a feeling is nothing like India. And probably Arab street is nothing like the Middle East, but it was the most colorful and vibrant part of the entire city.
I also ate. I ate butter chicken and naan bread in Little India, soy chicken and rice at the first food stall to be given a Michelin Star, prawn & tomato soup in a Chinese/Malay place, fried noodles and something delicious called carrot cake that was actually egg and root vegetables with soy sauce, and finally smoked duck dumplings and mushroom miso noodles with the best soft boiled egg I've ever had in my life.
So there you are. The two reasons people go to Singapore. Plants and Food. :)
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