As a performing artist, I liken the Singapore experience very much to life in the theatre. There is the show, where fantasies are created and characters live larger than life. But when the curtains come down, another reality takes over backstage. Performers remove their make up and revert to a life more ordinary but no less significant. A day in my life in Singapore involves moving between the backstage and onstage personas of the country.
I begin my day with a roti prata (Indian dough pancake) or runny soft boiled eggs and toast with kaya (coconut jam). These breakfast staples are quintessentially Singaporean. Taste these local delights at hawker centres where you can tuck in not only to the scrumptuous chow, but also the garrulous cacophony of the people. Hawker centres are not just about food, they are a microcosm of Singaporean society. Beside the endearing auntie or uncle will sit the over achieving graduate wolfing down his breakfast before heading off to work. After a long day, people find solace in these fluorescent illuminated eateries with a cup of teh tarik (pulled tea). The experience does not get more local than this.
A quick train ride whisks me away from the familiar energy of the heartlands into the bustle of downtown Singapore. Here, the landmarks of our British colonial past sit beside gleaming office towers and have become the visual representation of Singapore’s onstage persona – proud, shiny, aspirational. Visit the newest public museum to be opened, National Gallery Singapore, which is housed in newly restored buildings, formerly the City Hall and Supreme Court. Nearby are the Asian Civilisations Museum and the Victoria Concert Hall. Further down the river is the Esplanade Theatres By The Bay. The venue, with it iconic spiky roofs, is where many go to engage with the performing arts at all levels, from chilling out at free concerts at the outdoor theatre, to dressing up to the nines to watch the English National Ballet at the plush 2000-seat main theatre.
Apart from these more widely publicised art and cultural institutions, there is also the local independent creative scene. It is a small scene but thanks to social media there is an increased momentum in the industry. A lot of these shops, collectives and galleries are found in quaint cultural districts such as my personal favourite, Little India. From poetry collection launches in quaint bookshops to dance parties organised in abandoned country clubs, the creatives based in Singapore offer up alternative view points to the more visible grand narrative of this young country.
Encountering this much art in a day requires me to reflect on the things I have seen. Fortunately, this small island nation has numerous pockets of green sanctuaries all over theplace. Relatively untouched by urban development, these tranquil green spaces provide not only physical but also much needed emotional and psychological space, a stark contrast to the sensory onslaught of a restless country always on the move.
As the setting sun casts its orange glow over the island, I make my way back into the sprawling urban landscape and prepare myself for a fun night out. Heading down to the adjacent districts of Ann Siang Hill, Club Street and Tanjong Pagar dressed in my hippest threads, I meet up with old friends over good food in some of the trendiest joints in town. These places serve the latest nosh in chic settings. As the evening wears on, the energy of the crowds spilling on to the streets becomes palpable. If my feet get itchy, I usually head down to Kyo, a basement club that cranks up the volume on the more progressive aspects of techno and house music, providing an electrifying end to my day.
