by Loti | Feb 18, 2013 | Singapore
Singapore. A full moon just before New Year’s Eve (taken from my hotel balcony). Is it safe to walk around at night by yourself? Considering the country/city is one of the safest in the world, probably. Not only is there a mandatory death penalty for many drug offenses (you definitely get a feel for this when you enter the country and your embarkation card has “death to drug traffickers” stamped on it), but over 30 offenses carry caning sentences. Caning as in flogging? Wow. The person sentenced to caning is laid, naked, over an apparatus that looks like an A frame and caned on the buttocks. Offenses include vandalism, rape, murder, and oh, overstaying your visa by more than 90 days. Only men under 50 can be caned so no women which I find very interesting. You might remember the young American, Michael Fay, who was sentenced to 4 canes after being convicted of theft and vandalism in 1994 (and trial is by judge, there are no juries for minor offenses). Even President Clinton tried to intervene on Michael’s behalf. But Singapore said sorry, he broke the law. So 4 canes were administered. Ouch. ...
by Loti | Feb 16, 2013 | Flowers, Singapore
Singapore. What to get for the person that has everything? Naming rights to your very own orchid. Pretty cool. However you just might have to wait 7 years. The time it takes an orchid to grow from seed to blossom. With over 30,000 varieties of orchid, it is hard not to love them. And I had no idea they are named after so many famous people. Nelson Mandela, Martha Stewart, Michele Obama ( and all of the other recent US First Ladies), Sir Elton John and many others. There is even a orchid called the Vanda William Kate, named after the royal couple and presented to them in Sept, 2012 at The Singapore Gardens. While at the gardens, home to the world’s largest tropical orchid display, William and Kate viewed the orchid named for Williams mother, Princess Diana. She was supposed to fly to Singapore 2 weeks after she died for a ceremony honoring her new flower. Sadly, she never got to see it. There are 2 established ways to get an orchid named after you, discover a new species or make a new hybrid, which is just what Chadwick & Son in Virginia does. For $1,500 you can get your own orchid with a plaque and 20 seedlings. I haven’t had a chance to see how long it takes to get on the naming list but……you just might see a Loti orchid turn up soon. ...
by Loti | Feb 7, 2013 | Animals, Singapore
Half fish and half lion, a merlion. (That is a new one for me). This mythical creature was created by the Singapore Tourism Board in 1964. It represents a fish/mermaid to symbolize Singapore’s maritime industry and a lion which was spotted by a prince back in 11 AD as he stepped onto Singapore’s shores. The Merlion is 28 feet high, weighs 63 tons and is made of cement, with little red teacups for its eyes (not sure what that is all about) and porcelain plates for its scales. One of the most photographed statues in Singapore and probably the world, it is magnificent to behold as water cascades from his mouth into the bay. And for one month in 2011 it was made into a single room 5 star hotel. Temporary walls were erected around the statue, a bathroom was installed, and a butler assigned. Part of an art exhibit, this is one of the most creative marketing tools I have ever seen. The hotel sold out in hours and was publicized throughout the world. Quite a bargain for $125 US a night! So China has their dragon as a national symbol, Scotland has the unicorn and Singapore has its Merlion. I wonder what other mythical creatures...
by Loti | Jan 23, 2013 | Landscapes, Singapore
So we are back in Singapore gazing at what has to be one of the coolest trees I have ever seen. This is a solar powered super tree, one of 18 just recently opened to the public in June, 2012. They have been described as walking thru Alice in Wonderland. (with such a description I might even go back and read the book). The trees are vertical gardens, generating solar power, collecting rainwater and acting as air vent ducts for nearby conservatories. The trees vary in heights from 82 to 164 feet. Ultimately they will be completely covered with tropical plants and ferns providing shade for those walking beneath them. One even has a bistro on top (which we did not visit because of my height thing). They are also lit up at night in all different colors. Part of a 250 acre landscaping project, Gardens By the Bay, they are so incredible I wonder why the Supertrees concept is not used all over the world. In fact, I am thinking of building one in my back yard if I can figure out how to get around the Palm Beach Architectural Review Board who would probably frown on such a grand...
