Singapore -- The City below the City

Singapore is an amazing country/city. It is incredibly small (about 275 sq. miles), but has a lot crammed into that small package. To call this place a shopping mecca would be an understatement. You can plainly see this just walking down the main shopping district -- Orchard Road. Malls shoot up on all sides, with brilliant displays and signs showcasing every imaginable item. (There do not appear to be any zoning issues as "adult" shops are right next to clothing stores and electronics.)

The real interesting part, however, is when you step off the main road into one of the shopping cathedrals and go underground...

Not only are the large shopping centers five, six, ten stories tall; each of them seem to reach as far into the earth as well. There is a whole extra city below your feet. And I don't just mean each mall has its own sub-levels. Most of them are intertwined, creating a huge network of connected shopping centers spanning (what appears to be) miles under the city streets.

One of the reasons for this is undoubtedly access to the very clean, efficient (SF could learn from this!), and economical public transportation: the MRT. It is akin to BART, but nice, clean, timely and generally comfortable. As the MRT runs underground, it makes sense to put some shops down there as well to aid in the comfort of the commuters. It sure is nice to be able to step off the MRT and grab a cold beverage or a light snack for your walk above ground (if required) to your destination. This need/desire for a cold beverage leads to the next major reason...

The weather. Singapore is a mere 85 miles north of the equator. Thus the weather is constantly hot, humid and muggy. It sometimes takes a concerted effort just to breath the thick air. (Okay, a bit of an overexaggeration, but it gets the point across -- or just shows that I am really out of shape.) Walking out in the humidity tends to get uncomfortable. Thus, huge expanses of underground passages -- fully air conditioned for the shopper/commuter's comfort. It wouldn't be good to show up to the important business meeting or first date dripping with sweat, right?

Needless to say, there is a lot more to see in Singapore than just what you see on the surface. The city below, with the shops, MRT and vast array of hawker stands (i.e. food stalls), is an adventure in itself. I am sure I'll write more about the food soon, as that seems to be a big part of life out here and there are tons of places to try and a large variety of cuisines to sample.

I'll try to add some pictures soon, but wanted to give everyone a quick update on some of the first impressions I have from settling in here in Singapore. More soon!