Travel for Pennies

Food, what better way to experience a region or a city than to walk along, or sit leisurely and to take in the local flavor.  In this city the restaurants and cafes and the five star hotels Singapore offers up much more than eventually ends up on the beautiful plate.  A small island, a small city, with such a variety and abundance to offer, the most notable influences range from Chinese, Italian…to French and East Indian.  The people of this country live with passion.  They live within it rather.  And what is more common to a culture in regards to passion, than food.  Between the street side hawkers and the fancy restaurants, there is something for every traveller, something to take in and take home.

The main ingredient to a meal, is the chef, his or her care, love and preparation.  Chefs of Singapore find their enjoyment out of creating the food that the people eat, as any art form and a very spiritual form of expression and care as well.  Where to find this may be a daunting task to any new visitor, but it can seriously be found on any street corner, and if it’s not readily noticeable, all the tourist need to do is ask.  Delicious and delicately prepared dishes are around every corner, much like hot dog carts in Manhattan or Chicago, flavorful afternoons are abundant.  In Singapore, food is a festival, literally.  There are over 6,000 opportunities to experience it all.  And the main attraction, food, is decorated and adorned with lights, live music, dancing and parties.  From satay to sushi, the food nourishes and liberates and exposes visitors from other countries to the culinary flavor and celebration of part of what it means to be alive.

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Singapore’s Esplanade Theatres on the Bay is one of the city’s main cultural centers as well as a major tourist attraction. It offers a great deal in the line of entertainment, dining and cultural experiences. The Concert Hall is a spectacular auditorium and an amazing place to experience major musical performances. The Roof Terrace allows for some of the most beautiful views of the city skyline and the bay. The Theatre is another grand performance venue that adds to the prestige of the Esplanade. Tourists staying in the best Singapore hotels enjoy dressing up for an evening of dining and entertainment at one of its many venues.

The Concert Hall was specially designed to offer the best quality of acoustics. Often considered to be the Esplanade’s “crown jewel” it hosts many professional symphony and solo performances through the year. The Hall seats 1,614 audience members in the main house and accommodates another 197 in its gallery. The state of the art acoustic facility includes reverberation chambers that add to the beauty of the sound. There is also an adaptable acoustic canopy that adjusts to serve any type of musical performance. This produces an optimal sound quality to add to the grandeur of the Hall’s experience.

The Theatre is an adapted European proscenium structure that adjusts to allow for an intimate experience between performers and audiences. It is Singapore’s largest stage and extends over four levels. There are two other full size stages, which allow for quick and impressive scenic changes and an orchestra pit that houses up to 100 musicians. The Roof Terrace is specially designed to provide for the best views of the Marina Bay. This is a comfortable spot to rest before or after a mainstage production and includes ample seating amidst its lush garden landscaping. There are manicured lawns and planted trees to add to the serene ambiance of the Terrace.

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In 1965 Singapore gained their independence.  The government of Singapore thought that the best way to create bonds and a national pride in this city with multiple races of people and different cultures, was to promote the participation in sports.  They agreed that a robust, rugged and healthy society is in many ways, related to the sports of a nation.  A division was developed of the Ministry of Social Affairs.  And in 1966, began promotion sports, the participation in and the support of, and the beginning phases of construction for the stadium was underway.  Physical fitness programs were introduced in the schools, with the desire to create healthy habits in the children at a younger age, and with the hopes that this would also bring the young into the circle of sports fans.  In the early seventies a board was set up to promote competitions on the international level, bringing in tourists and their teams, and the business that surrounds the sports industries, as well as the luxury Singapore business hotels and restaurants.  Their goal was toforesee any element that may get in the way of the future development of a sports minded society, as well as the assistance and the organization of the strategies used in bringing the global arena to the city.

The Government of Singapore continues to support the future of sports, from scuba diving, a local pastime, to football to the participation of the athletes of Singapore in the Olympic Games.  Over the last eight years, more than five hundred million has been invested and programs are starting in all levels of the education system, from grade school children to the university level.  The city gained the host position of the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.  And aside from the boost the city will receive as far as industry of tourism surrounding the event, and the prestige of hosting it, the citizens are most grateful that the children of the Singapore will be exposed to the spirit of the games.  Competitions involving overall fitness have been in place in the schools since 1982.  And the students are now graded on their performances on the track and the field, as well as in their general studies.  The pressure is their for them to succeed.  The concept behind all of this is that sports and talent, is just as important as the academic studies, that a sound mind relies on a strong and sound body.

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