People, people everywhere

Singapore's economy may be suffering but tourists can still be captivated by its charms, as BARBARA HARRIS found.

Singaporeans have two hobbies - shopping and eating - and at weekends they like to do both. Most work a 5 1/2-day week, so come Saturday afternoon Orchard Rd and Chinatown, the most popular areas for retail therapy, are humming, in a controlled way, of course.

In this seriously squeaky-clean city the "Everything is Fine" T-shirts say it all - a $S500 ($657) fine for littering, $S20 for jaywalking, no spitting, no chewing gum and death for drug-trafficking. Of course, that means a low crime rate and a safe city for tourists.

And, I am not making this up, it was also where the first World Toilet Summit was held. Apparently last month, 130 lavatory-lovers were bogged down for three days on the subject of what makes a nice loo.

It was a gathering that seems slightly surreal, given that Singapore, the economic marvel of Southeast Asia, is facing hard times. The Straits Times reported 8800 layoffs among white-collar workers during the first half of this year and the salaries of many others have been slashed.

Because there's no dole, the Government has stepped in with retraining schemes to help those who have lost their jobs. But so many can't wait for retraining that they have turned to driving cabs, a move that has established taxi drivers complaining bitterly that they can no longer make a living.

More than 4 million people live in Singapore, most in high-rise blocks and, because there is such a high Chinese population (76.8 per cent), a quota is imposed to get the preferred mix of Chinese, Malay, Indians and others in government flats.

Locals say this state control works well, but to an outsider the enforced harmony is unnerving, even sad. The muezzin's call to prayer, for instance, can't be broadcast over loudspeakers and the Chinese can no longer let off fire crackers.

Cars are hideously expensive. The cheapest import costs $S70,000 while European cars such as Mercedes are about $300,000. You won't see old bangers on the road either. After 10 years the Government gives owners $S17,000 to scrap them. If they don't, they'll be hit with much higher car tax.

On the streets, though, the economic downturn is not something a tourist would notice (other than having to carry a map on the off-chance your cabbie is a new recruit).

You can eat cheaply and well, it's gloriously warm - a steamy 25 to 30 deg C all year round - the shopping centres are air-conditioned and the most it will cost you for a cab within a 5km radius is $S7.

Look out for the kopi tiam, the Malay-Chinese name for coffee shops, many of which are open 24 hours, where lunch costs $S5, an easy and fast option for the jet-lagged.

With a bit more effort you can track down a bustling Chinese nosherie for a traditional breakfast of tea and toast with kaya, a deliciously sweet spread of egg white, coconut milk and pandan leaf.

Go for black tea if you don't like condensed milk, and if you want eggs, be warned - they will arrive ever-so-lightly boiled for you to then whisk up with soy sauce and slurp. All for about $S3.

Try the hawker centres for the Malaysian pancakes (roti) washed down with jasmine tea. Chinatown, too, has revived street hawkers after a 20-year break and in Smith St the kiosks and shophouses - aptly named because the owners used to live above the store - sell anything from satay to mutton soup, barbecued seafood, noodles and halal dishes, from 11 am to 11 pm.

This is a food-lover's heaven and it's so cheap. Add a beer though, and you'll pay about $S6, twice the cost of your dinner, while in the larger hotels a beer can set you back $S10 and a gin and tonic a whopping $S20.

However, in the tropical stickiness you're more likely to want iced water, so some savvy shops in Chinatown have cottoned on to this idea by offering free bottled water. It's a much better marketing ploy than canned muzak.

Refreshed, suddenly your yin and yang is back in perfect balance for another round of serial shopping. Those fake name-brand leather bags are a bargain at around $S120, watches are $S65 and silk shirts $S28.

From Chinatown it's only a short cab ride to Little India, where the air is heady with spices and incense and, from the flower shops, the scent of jasmine, roses and marigolds, which are woven into garlands for temple offerings.

Here you'll find shops selling the most elaborate and exquisite sari fabrics, starting at $S45 and ending up at $S6000 for a gold-threaded wedding sari.

Among the first of the Indian community to settle in Singapore in 1819 was a 120-strong entourage of assistants to English colonial administrator and founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles. Named after him, Raffles is the city's oldest hotel and draws throngs of tourists.

Built by the Armenian Sarkies brothers, Raffles began life as a bungalow in 1887 in what was then a trendy beachfront district. It soon became synonymous with extravagance, the place for the lovelies and wannabes to hang out and where the likes of Somerset Maugham gathered gossip for his short stories. By the 1970s it was a wreck and was saved from demolition by gaining national monument status in 1987.

Reopened in 1991 after two years' restoration, this grand establishment now has 70 boutiques, several restaurants, a museum and a theatre and is the only place in town where you can litter legally - in the Long Bar you can freely throw peanut shells around.

Tourists can saunter round the lobby and, if you want to check in, a room can be yours for $S600 a night. Or, if you're Michael Jackson, take a suite for $S6000.

Residents' (Raffles-speak for guests) requests can often be extravagant and, in this respect, the gloved one obliged by ordering afternoon tea in his suite ... with an orang-outang brought in from the zoo 20km away.

For those not taking high tea, it's a pleasant stroll in the late afternoon to the river. Heavily polluted in the 70s by the bumboat owners who lived on and plied the waterway, the river has been cleaned up and the bumboats have become tourist cruisers.

The seedy old waterfront warehouses have been transformed and now trade as shops, restaurants and bars. At night, Clarke Quay becomes a huge bazaar with live entertainment, especially during the festival months.

Singaporeans love to celebrate and festivals run from November to February - dragon boat races, Christmas and New Year dance parties on Sentosa Island, buskers and theatre companies all vie to entertain. So much so, that sometimes it seems that Singapore is one big cosmopolitan theme park.

* Barbara Harris was a guest of the Singapore Tourism Board and stayed at The Gallery Evason Hotel.

CASE NOTES

Getting there: Go Holidays has a four-night package deal with twin accommodation from $1389 each, available until March 31.

Where to stay: There are plenty of budget options, but don't go for a fan room - Singapore is hot and humid and air-conditioning is a necessity, not a luxury. If you're staying at a hotel, most are pretty relaxed about a late check-out.

When to go: Any time.

Getting around: Buses, trains and taxis are cheap. Check out the brochures at Changi Airport or contact the Singapore Tourist Board, ph (09) 473 8658, for a free guide.

Plus, plus, plus: In major hotels you'll get hit with a triple whammy of 14 per cent tax added to your bill - 3 per cent GST, 1 per cent government tax and a 10 per cent service charge.

Singapore Tourism Board