Week 5 -- Singapore, Malaysia, Subic Region
In my fifth week I went to Singapore, Malaysia, and the Subic Region of the Philippines. Singapore was business. In sharp contrast to the decaying economy of Manila, this city-state is perhaps the most inspiring example of Asian power in the world; going to Singapore as an American really makes one pause and think, "If this is what we are up against in the new economy, we are fucked." Boasting a 10% GDP rate, Singapore is up there with China in terms of steamroller growth. But instead of manufacturing, the Singaporean economy is almost exclusively finance and tech. This is a country of order and progress -- diligent worker bees, high tech aero-rails, flat screens, equal opportunity employers, mirrored skyscrapers -- San Francisco after a long, hot bath. Everyone has heard stories of the famed Singaporean legal code, where one is whipped for chewing gum, loses his hands for stealing, and is shot with his own gun for robbing a bank. Well, it works. You can walk around at 3AM in any part of the city, and no one will bother you. There are no drugs. There are no gangs. There is no pornography. Singapore is a country where you don't fuck around. Somehow I ended up with 12 fake Zegna ties.
Pictures I Elphed in Singapore. Merlion statue in the business district, Chinatown, Fire Pagoda.
The Subic Region is north of Manila on the island of Luzon. It was formerly the largest U.S. naval base in the world, but the Americans pulled out following a volcano eruption in the '90s. More expensive than Puerto Galera with more beautiful beaches -- we found one where you could walk about 200 meters offshore without the water reaching your chest, hotter than any pool. We also took a jungle safari. I encountered:
Fear me.
Miracle beach, love birds.
Here is a letter to Chan Kok Pun, our MD in Singapore. He asked me to offer him my experiences in Malaysia.
Dear Kok Pun,
I found Malaysia to be a difficult country. Not difficult in the sense of transportation or security, but difficult culturally. As you advised, I remained largely in the Petronas Towers area, except for a few jaunts into Chinatown and my day tour (which was, of course, very touristy). The bus ride north was uneventful. All the early buses were booked when I showed up at 7:20, so I had to wait until 10AM to leave. The palm fields were pretty, and for five hours I was once again the only white guy for miles and miles.
In KL I discovered a population of ancestral farmers who had, for one reason or another, ended up in the city -- in this regard, Malaysia seems to have developed problems in parallel with the Philippines: a level of poverty that, while not as blatant as the squatters in Manila’s outskirts, distinctly hangs in the air; a conflict of orientation between the urban and rural classes, along both racial and economic lines; and a slightly perverse integration of Muslim ideals with Western bawdiness -- women in Burkas chuckling at sex jokes in a packed, month-old showing of Spider Man 2. It seemed as though a conflict of interest exists as far as Westerners are concerned: on one hand, Western culture and investment is appealing – the white man is massaged for his wallet; on the other, asserting a Malaysian identity is needed to maintain a stable society – the white devil is hustled and brushed aside – the result is a strange fusion of indifference and opportunism.
People in Malaysia were ruder to me than in either Manila or Singapore, or at least more aggressive in jockeying for my wallet. I asked the hotel to call me a cab for the 5AM trip to the airport, only to find -three- taxi drivers awaiting me in the morning, each pleading their own story about their starving children and hospitalized parents. When I finally forced my way into one of their cars, the driver wouldn't shut up about stopping for coffee and breakfast (I assume, to extend the fare). He ended up giving me his phone number and demanding that I make him my personal guide the next time I was in the city. In Singapore when I was fumbling around with my first rail pass, three people stopped to help -- in Malaysia, I got the feeling I would have been impatiently ignored.
I got a similar vibe from the nightlife in KL. All the bars had hawkers in the streets promising you special deals if you went inside. The bar fronts were opaque so you couldn't see in. I think I might have been in the "scam the tourist" district, because all of these bars were equally empty and the "great deals" on drinks turned out to be 16-ringgit beers and 20-ringgit cocktails. In one case I filled out a lengthy survey after a hawker promised me "free flow for an hour", which I took to be an open bar. It turned out to be the opportunity to sing on their microphone. Asking questions about these promotions was equally useless -- the hawkers just stared at me dumbfoundedly or gave a misleading answer.
The Petronas towers were certainly impressive, and Chinatown was inspiring in its bustle of counterfeits and barbecues. Whereas the Malay in Singapore seemed to be jealous of the Chinese, here the tables had turned. Chinese & Indian taxi drivers regaled me for hours with tales of Malay oppression -- all the jobs are in greedy Malay hands, all the votes are controlled by corrupt politicians, and if you speak up the Malay will kill you. "Why don't you leave?" I asked -- "The exchange rate sucks," was the reply.
I enjoyed the Moorish architecture throughout the city, and certainly got the sense that I was in a Foreign Land. I'm wondering if the aggressive opportunism of the people there is something distinctly Muslim, or if Singapore would be the same if the wealth was gone.
I'm glad I went to see Malaysia, but it's not somewhere I'll settle down.
David Lipa
Venture Capital Group -- Asia-Pacific
Far from home.
0 Comments:
<< Home