Things to Worry About in Singapore
posted at 6:42 pm
on Sep. 19, 2005
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When you’re bitten by a mosquito in Singapore, you ought to worry about dengue. This is what the local newspaper has told me.
When you have breakfast in the Continental Hotel, and you want to get up to go to the buffet, do not leave your bag unattended. This is what the sign on the table displays to me.
When you’re in a large crowd, in careful spontaneous lines waiting for the morning metro train to arrive, beware of pickpockets. Said pick pockets would have to be standing directly behind you wearing business suits. The loud speaker warns me of their presence.
Though the national museum is approximately 800 meters from my hotel, I should not attempt to go there on foot. There is a large impassable freeway in the way, and a taxi ride will cost 4 RM and take about 12 minutes. The doorwoman at my hotel cautions me that walking there is impossible, and has never been done yet by a guest since they opened. (But I am welcome to try.)
Do not, under any circumstances, try to go shopping at a large mall in Malaysia on the weekend. Finding parking will take upwards of an hour, and the crowds will be formidable. This dire advice was repeated by several 30-year-old women we met.
Do not go into a grocery store in Kuala Lumpur. The smell will be unbearable. Two German girls on their way to Australia told me they think it may be dried fish that create this condition. They were also stranded at the bird park in the rain. Afterwards, they went to McDonald’s.
