I am not sure if I am getting old and less adaptable, sentimental and mushy, or was simply just stressed. But Singapore was one of the hardest adjustments I have been through. The country is quite small and crowded and despite being fairly wealthy with intense laws and fines to maintain order and cleanliness, the vast majority of it is really run down in appearance and chaotic. I suppose that is what you get when you shove 5 million people into 275 square miles!
It is a true melting pot of cultures with four official national languages, English, Malay, Chinese(Mandarin) and Tamil in addition to the multitude of other languages and several non-languages like Singlish. Some people are incredibly friendly, but many are LOUD, pushy and simply oblivious of their surroundings. Personal space might as well be a mythical creature. To several of the cultures (ahem... wont be mentioned) this is status quo, eat or be eaten, push or don't make it on the metro. To me.... well, let's just say its an exercise of self restraint and patience building.
Finding housing has been an unbelievable roller coaster ride. Tears were shed and threats of returning home... Average rent for a room in a decent flat is s./1400-2500 ($1-2k USD) not including utilities. Many of the older condos have the most ghetto bathrooms where the shower head is next to the toilet with a drain on the floor. I suppose your toilet stays quite clean but there is something unsanitary and unsettling about the arrangement. There are no apartment complexes per se, units are privately owned and rented and people have absolutely no quams with expressing and posting in their ads racial discrimination in selecting tenants and roommates....would never fly in the pc American world.
The drivers here are the worst I have ever seen. Even Peruvians where the cars have right of way have more consideration. I suppose when your country is so small you dont get a lot of practice driving long distances, but one would think they'd be the masters of smooth transitions from stopping and going and shifting gears. Think again. The bus drivers are the worst.... people literally falling over. Another idiosyncrasy, despite driving on the wrong side of the road (the left side) they stand on escalators on the left and let people pass on the right. The Chinese actually drive on the right and this creates horrific escalator traffic jams. They are also the first to push on to the metro while people are still trying to "alight" despite ample signage asking you to wait. I think S'pore should consider imposing a fine for breaking this rule.
After a full week of intense searching and utter disappointments, I finally found a room for rent with two young French expats. The complex is quite nice, literally on top of the metro stop though a bit far from the center of town. I am hoping this will help keep me focused on my work and less on exploring though sometime will surely be spent by the magnificent pool.
I am spending my last night in the most fantastic hostel I have ever stayed in. Hang out Hostel in Sinagpore is AWESOME! Avoid the G4 station, its only a few dollars cheaper and awful!
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