My friend Jamie and I have used the last few Friday evenings as a chance to explore Singapore. We usually start with a quick meal at the hawker center near her apartment and spend the next few hours wandering through a mall, a shopping district, a neighborhood, or simply running errands that we didn’t get to during the week.
This past Friday took us to Christmas Wonderland at Gardens by the Bay. While I don’t have many pictures, the several posted below hopefully give you a taste of the extravagance of this free (!!!!) and dreamlike Christmas land in the middle of the tropics.
It’s interesting that the theme colors aren’t red and green. These are the same colors that Singapore uses to celebrate Deepavali. Maybe they recycle?If Aladdin had a Christmas palace, I think this would be it.Supertrees in the background!I love the outline of the palm treetsOne of the biggest draws to any evening at Gardens by the Bay is a song-and-light show called Garden Rhapsody in which the supertrees essentially put on a light show set to music. For purposes of Christmas Wonderland, the music was Christmas-themed!
I’ve been to Gardens by the Bay a few times now (you can read previous posts here and here) and I enjoy them more each time. In a city that is so industrialized and often seems like a carbon copy of itself, an oasis like this is both necessary and extraordinary.
I won’t bore you with the details, but there’s a repair to my air-conditioning that my landlord wants me to do. She also wants me to pay for it. This repair has been recommended by the air-conditioning company since 2013; I don’t know why no one has taken care of it before now. After first telling me she would pay for the repair in full, my landlord has now threatened to evict me if I don’t pay.
As there is no rental board in Singapore, which is actually quite surprising, my hands are tied.
We’re not talking about a lot of money, but we’re talking about enough money that I had to cancel travel plans for this weekend because I simply can’t do both.
What bothers me the most is that this landlord’s word is clearly worth nothing. It is worth nothing to her, and therefore is worth nothing to anyone else. I have it in writing that she promised to pay for this repair in full; in the US, that would be the end of the dispute. Apparently, that is not the case here. I’m irritated because I have done nothing wrong. I’m disgusted because she lied to me. I’m angry because part of the lease agreement stipulates that maintenance will be done before a tenant moves in.
This clearly did not happen.
But I’m also frustrated, because I know she’s stealing from me, she knows she’s stealing from me, and now we have to have a business relationship for the duration of my lease. Where does that leave me?
Ultimately, I’m sad because I believe in the goodness of people. I believe in doing the right thing. When I told my landlord that the air-conditioning company recommended this repair after they came for a routine check (weird law in Singapore), I was doing the right thing.
In books and movies, the good guy wins. We teach children that good triumphs over evil. However, the more time I spend in this world as an adult, the more I read the news, the more I try to help my students understand all the wrong in the world, the more I am afraid that good will not triumph over evil in the end.
I haven’t been out of Singapore since I went to Chiang Mai about a month ago, and I’m getting antsy. That’s one of the problem with travelling so often, I think. I love traveling and exploring new places; staying in one place for (gasp!) four whole weekends seems like a lot.
Today was our fourth non-hazy day in a row, though it wasn’t a terribly nice day. The sun poked through the clouds every now and then, but wasn’t actually shining past about 11am. The last three days have been much nicer. Nevertheless, I had to do something new and exciting. Last weekend I went to the National Museum to see the newly renovated permanent exhibit, and today I went to Gardens by the Bay to see what I could see.
I’ve been to Gardens by the Bay only once before, which was at night on SG50. That was a very different atmosphere. Today the Gardens were calm, peaceful, and a wonderful break from the urban jungle that is Singapore. The Gardens by the Bay are connected to Marina Bay Sands, so there’s more than one “wow” factor to a visit there. I highly recommend it. A lot of people have heard of the supertrees, but I’ve linked a quick CNN article from 2012 for those who want more information. They’re as super as you can imagine.
Singapore calls itself “A City in a Garden,” and sometimes I have to agree that it’s true. However, Singapore’s industry is never far away because the island is quite small.
The shipping lanes are rather nearby the tranquil Gardens by the Bay. It reminded me of visiting Sentosa and watching oil refineries do their thing.
But then, when I turned my attention to the innards of the supertrees, I couldn’t care less about the refineries and shipping lanes. People have to make a living, after all.
I couldn’t resist taking a few close-ups of the foliage, either. I don’t know how good these photos are, but their subjects are pretty! There are themed gardens at Gardens by the Bay like the Indian, Chinese, and Malay gardens, as well as gardens showcasing trees, mushrooms, and fruits!
The strangest feature of Gardens by the Bay is this sculpture (people included in the photo for scale):
Lucky for me (and for all the other curious patrons) it was accompanied by this helpful explanation:
I’m not really a fan of the sculpture, but I think the rationale for it is beautiful. At any rate, it was a lovely afternoon spent at the Gardens by the Bay. I’m sure I’ll be back – hopefully on a clearer day!
Photos, travels, musings, and ideas on education by someone trying to make the world a better and more peaceful place
By Rebecca Michelle 