Heavy thunderstorms through the night; cloudy and very humid all day but, thankfully, the rain held off for my walk down Memory Lane. Orchard Road remains Singapore’s top shopping district but, whereas the shops of the 70’s were predominantly Singaporean, now the multinational brands have taken over. The Mandarin Hotel with its revolving restaurant still remains, but the Malaysian Hotel where I stayed has vanished to be replaced by a new office block with a Hard Rock Cafe at its base. Look closely and it is still possible to spot bespoke tailors, local art/handicrafts, cheap electronics stores etc, but they are mostly well hidden. At the forefront now are the likes of Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Zara and, lest we blame just the American and other Europeans, Marks & Spencer. In other words, just like any shopping district anywhere in the World. Where once I walked at street level past rows of interesting shops, progess is now impeded repeatedly and pedestrians are drawn mandatorily into massive interlinked malls. I remember travelling to work every morning clinging to the side of rickety old buses ; their successors are sleek and air conditioned and a new subway system offers an alternstive.
I walked for 4 hours before the humidity defeated me and I opted for a siesta. This evening it was dinner preceded by a Singapore Sling in Raffles.
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The Beast's Pen 