Monkey nuts, lions and waterfalls...by Sheila Claydon

Find my books here

A lot of my books are about other countries. A few of them mention local traditions. The Hollywood Collection is one of them! 

* * * * *

In the fourteenth century a Sumatran prince sought shelter from a thunderstorm by sailing his ship into the protected inland harbour of a small island. The first thing he saw was a strange beast unlike anything he had seen before. He was told it was a lion - a Singa in Malay. He paired it with the Malay word for city - Pura. And from that time on the small island was known as Singapore. 

It is an unverifiable legend of course but one that is still told with relish today by Singaporeans despite lions never having roamed their island.

It would also be a wonderful beginning for a story of adventure and mystery, especially as in the fourteenth century that inland harbour was no more than a small fishing village. So many characters could be brought to life, so much history reimagined. It would take a better skill than mine to do it justice though, particularly  as modern thinking frowns on misappropriating cultures and ethnicities, so I will skip the intervening seven centuries and concentrate on Singapore today.

In my last post I said I would report back when I returned from visiting my son and family who now live there, and what an adventure it has been. Today it is very far from that small fishing village. Instead, as a result of a programme of land reclamation, the island is 25% larger, with plans for this to reach at least 30% by 2130. 

This reclaimed land has provided space for what will be the world's largest container port when it is complete as well as Jewel Changi, which is possibly the most iconic airport in the world as well as one of the busiest. It has the world's tallest indoor waterfall as well as a 50 metre canopy bridge, a terraced forest setting, petal gardens full of flowers from around the world, a topiary walk, and so much more. It is known as a place where nature meets retail and Singaporeans who are not travelling anywhere, visit it the same as they would any other shopping mall. 

Shopping malls, small and large, are everywhere. They are also an air-conditioned essential in a country that has an average of 83% humidity, which can even reach 100% during prolonged periods of rain. Although I've visited many countries, I have never felt as hot as I did in my 3 weeks in Singapore. I also learned, very quickly, that an umbrella is a necessity. Not just for the unpredictable rain but for the sun. Much better than a sunhat. An umbrella, sandals and cotton clothes are all that are required. Surprisingly, suncream is not such a necessity as it is impossible to sit in the sun for more than a few minutes at a time. There is, however, a lot of shade because, as well as a myriad of covered walkways, there are many well maintained parks and green spaces. One I visited was the Spice Garden, which was amazing, and it was there that I learned the history of the world wide spice trade that dates back centuries, and the part the nutmeg trade played in the development of Singapore. 

We saw and did so many things that it is impossible to list them here, but one of the most interesting places was Clarke Quay, especially as we were lucky enough to go there with a Singaporean who was passionate about its history. He told us that the Singapore River was the centre of trade from when modern Singapore was founded in 1819 for almost two centuries. Barge lighters would transport goods to the warehouses upstream from the ships moored in the deeper waters of Boat Quay. He could remember this still happening when he was in his teens, whereas now that cargo services have been relocated, the Singapore River, Boat Quay and Clarke Quay have become tourist centres. With warehouses redeveloped into bars and restaurants, and the weather at its best after sunset, it is a lovely area to spend time eating and drinking in the balmy air, or taking a river cruise to see more of the sights.

One of the differences in our time in Singapore, however, was the fact that we weren't really tourists. Instead, we lived like the Singaporeans, shopping for food, meeting neighbours, mixing with people from different nationalities, eating often at a Hawker centre, which is a very enjoyable Singaporean experience.These are  open air complexes that sell a wide variety of delicious multicultural food and drinks at affordable price as opposed to the more expensive restaurants and bars. We did manage a few of those as well, however, especially Raffles Hotel. 

Sir Stamford Raffles is known as the founder of modern Singapore. He signed the official treaty that gave the British East India Company the right to set up a trading post and raise the British flag. In his short time there he helped to remodel Singapore into a modern city, established the settlement as a free port, founded an administration of justice to ensure peace and order, abolished slavery, opened schools and established a national library. Although Singapore is now independent there are still many references to him as well as an imposing statue, but, apart from its name, the famous Raffles Hotel has nothing to do with him. 

Originally a privately owned beach house, it was named Raffles when it eventually became an hotel. At that time was considered the epitome of luxury as it boasted the only electric lights and fans in Singapore.  In its heyday it attracted the rich and famous. Nowadays it is the must go place for tourists and we duly visited to sample the required Singapore Sling! A gin based pink cocktail containing pineapple juice, lime juice, curaçao and Benedictine, it has an intriguing history. At the turn of the century ladies could not consume alcohol in public, so drank teas and fruit juices while their menfolk drank gin or whisky. A Raffles bartender, Ngiam Tong Boon, decided to create a cocktail that looked like fruit juice while being infused with gin and liqueurs. He used grenadine and cherry liqueur to make it pink, leading people to think it was a socially acceptable drink for women. How times have changed!

Raffles Hotel has one other tradition. On each table is a small cloth sack full of monkey nuts. Patrons may eat as many as they wish but only if they throw the shells onto the floor. Apparently this harks back to when the floors at Raffles were made of wood and became very dusty. The nut shells helped to keep the dust down and also made it easier to sweep. Nowadays, despite newer flooring, the tradition remains.

Visiting different countries and learning about their history, their culture and their quirky traditions from the people who live there is a privilege, and Singapore and its friendly citizens is certainly somewhere I won't forget.