maurizio caduto S i n g a p o r e 3

The Indian district.

The Indian district is worlds apart. Doesn't look like Singapore, doesn't feel like Singapore and doesn't even smell like Singapore either. Even the air condition environment is scarce. Chinese Singaporeans feel that this area is not safe and stinks, so they stay away from it. I could hardly get one over for dinner - and she said never again anyway. It's a nice area at night, with plenty of simple banana leaf restaurants. Consider that on Sunday evenings the streets are full of people - mainly men - and you'll find it hard to get by but it is quite interesting. Leave the main Serangoon road and stroll around the tiny back streets where people eat on the street and the tables and chairs are everywhere. One night I saw a man peeing by the wall in a tiny alley under a large notice that read " Don't pee here". I saw an older man approaching and thought he wanted to complain, but alas... He was just waiting for his turn. Oh boy, if only I had my camera with me.

Although Indians are a large community in the city and consider themselves rightfully Singaporeans as much as anyone else, still Chinese behave as if the city was pretty much theirs and consider the Indians B-citizens. If I have to believe in the many stories my Indian friends told me - quite similar to the feeling that I had when listening to the Chinese Singaporeans talking about the Malaysian community - then it seems that the city that once was a great example of different races melting together is fading away. Hope this will not happen but some Indian friends already complain that to apply for a position in public offices you must be fluent in Mandarin...