Singapore- City or Country?

 Welcome!

Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, national flower of Singapore

I enjoy seeing the different countries my readers are from. I average around 20 different countries every day.

Cool!

Many times a country will pop up, and I know very little about it. My curiosity peaks, and I must research!

This usually results in a blog about that country, such as Luxembourg or Brunei.

Lately there’s been a plethora of hits from Singapore.

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore; Pinterest

I know very little about Singapore, so let’s explore together and see what we discover! 

2016 Miss Universe contest, Miss Singapore National costume

So, is Singapore a city, or is it a country?

It’s actually one of only three in the world that is called a city-country. The other two are Monaco and the Vatican City.

And it’s not just one island, but a group of 64 islands.

Or are those islets?

Fun Fact: a significant portion of Singapore’s land mass has been reclaimed from the sea!

Singapore started out as a port for pirates and fishermen. At different times, different countries would take the port over and declare themselves the owner, until the next siege.

In 1965 it became fully independent.

Singapore national flag

Fun Fact: the 5 stars in the flag stand for 

1. Democracy

2. Peace

3. Progress

4. Justice

5. Equality

Because of the different conquering  factions, Singapore developed into a melting pot of 3 major groups of people: Chinese, Malaysians and Indians.

It is an unusual country in that it has 

four official languages!

 Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and English.

Little India, Singapore

But that’s not all!

Within those 4 languages there are many more dialects, and none of them really understand each other!

So you end up with a very divided country with distinct areas sectioned off by language, culture and customs.

Fortunately, most citizens do speak a common language - English.

Chinese Gardens, Singapore; Pinterest

When people talk about Singapore they are generally referring to the main City, not all the little islands.

Singapore is less than 1 hour’s drive from end to end. It is one of the busiest ports in the world!

2/3 of the main island is less than 50 feet above sea level.

Creative Market, Pinterest

Singapore is 85 miles North of the Equator. This makes the temperature 77’ to 95’ every day. Sounds great until you realize it rains about 95” every year!

We’re talking humid.

However they have no earthquakes, no volcano eruptions, no typhoons and no sandstorms.

Even the tap water is safe!

Merlion fountain

Do not visit if you have a fear of crowds. Tucked into that small space are approximately 6,158,000 people.

Traditional costume of Singapore

Singaporeans have a high average life expectancy. Their population growth is one of the lowest in SouthEast Asia, with a very low birth rate.

It is often ranked as one of the least corrupt countries in the world.

“Low crime doesn’t mean no crime.” 

- popular slogan

They have a rigid public morality that focuses on personal appearance and cleanliness; political loyalty and family planning. Education is highly valued.

But

don’t chew gum. It’s against the law!

Don’t even think of smuggling drugs. If you are caught you will get the death penalty. 

Oh, and don’t feed the pigeons either. You will get slapped with a $10,000 fine.

Blue Crowned Pigeon, Jurong Bird Park, Singapore

Fun Fact: Singaporeans walk the fastest on the planet. (Research by the British Council)

Although Singapore has few natural resources, tourism is on the rise. Singapore is also a major exporter of orchids and aquarium fish.

Kids activity

Why plan a trip to Singapore?

I found it amazing at all the things to see and do squished into such a small city-country.

One of the ‘names’ it has been given is

‘Garden City’.

Miss Singapore National costume, 2013

Gardens By The Bay has stunning views both daytime and nighttime:

Gardens By The Bay 

The Singapore Botanical Gardens is another gorgeous place to visit - and entry is free!

Singapore Botanical Gardens; TripAdvisor

Fun Fact: most of the original plants and animal life on Singapore are gone.

PoshPorts

A visit to the Jurong Bird Park is a must. Within its 8 aviaries are 3,500 birds  representing over 400 avian species.

Fisher’s Lovebirds

Working in Singapore can be difficult. There is a high level of competition, which causes the workplace to be very stressful.

You can expect overtime work, and delayed promotions, which in turn causes delayed career progression. The cost of housing and a car are sky-high.

This stressful lifestyle leads to addictions of gambling, smoking, drinking and phone use. (You know the people - the ones who cannot put their phones down, ever.)

Rindi Nurlinda P

A return to traditional crafts of Singapore has brought with it personal satisfaction and a calmer lifestyle. Let’s explore a few.

Rattan Weaving

Unknown, Pinterest

Rattan Weaving is an ancient craft that can be traced back to Ancient Egypt. It uses the thin stems from a certain palm that grows throughout Southeast Asia.

Unknown, Pinterest

Rattan weaving is a very slow, labor-intensive process. An apprentice takes 3-4 years before becoming a master. Even then it takes years to perfect the intricate weavings.

The Art Deco period saw a revival in the craft, and then again in the 1970’s. This lasted until the 1990’s when heavier furniture became the vogue.

Pinterest 

When so many were stuck at home during the Covid time of quarantines, a renewed interest in traditional crafts was aroused. Hopefully rattan weaving will make a comeback with a new generation of craftsmen, along with other crafts.

This weaving is done with paper:

Found on Pinterest

Peranakan Craft

Peranakan is a craft that includes batik, embroidery and beading.  Chinese women, known as nyonya, brought the craft with them as immigrants. The addition of batik (a way of dying fabric) makes the Peranakan uniquely Singaporean.

 

Wordpress.com

Each individual bead is picked up and hand sewn on. It is a craft that is passed down from generation to generation and is similar to Chinese embroidery.

Here is a slipper pattern for you to try your hand at it!

BabaGabra, Pinterest

Ceramics/Pottery

Making pottery is very popular in Singapore with many individually owned ceramic studios throughout the city.

This craft has been around for a very long time. Archeological digs on Singapore have found pottery shards from as far back as 1271. There have been both Chinese pottery and Javanese ceramics found.

Traditional nyonya Kueh 

Anna Zheng, Pinterest

Kueh-making is a food art brought over from China by the nyonya (see above description). It is the art of making bite-size snacks or confections.

Woo Len Ling, Pinterest
 

You can find Kueh in Southeast Asia, China and Taiwan also.

Sultan Mosque in Singapore 

Well over 70% of the population are ethnic Chinese. They have brought with them many Chinese traditions, such as entertainment, foods and folk art.

Chinese Opera

Ding Xiaojun “Xie Yachuan”, Pinterest 

Chinese Opera; EasyTourChina

Paper Cuts

Paper cuts decorating windows

HugeDomains,com

Decorations for one of the many Chinese festivals celebrated.

There are many more fun things to see, to eat and to do in Singapore but I hope I have given you a small slice of the city-country and its people.

Peranakan decorated houses

Hindu temple, Singapore

Indoors waterfall, Singapore

‘Til next time,

inkspired

A few of the sites I visited for this blog, in no particular order:

Britannica.com

lonelyplanet.com

Holidify.com

Gov.sg

Wikipedia

www.quora.com

pratulv.com

goldthread2.com

entiretravel.com.au

Singaporevisa.ae

harpersbazaar.com

silverkris.com

acsforum.org

nac.gov.sg

bonappetour.com

Wordpress.com

Pinterest

awasingapore.org

thefamouspeople.com

countrylicious.com

…and a few more I forgot to jot down!

Orchids to color

Where is Latvia?

 sveiti

(Hello in Latvian)

Today let’s travel to Latvia.

Why Latvia?

Because I have readers that live there and I knew nothing about the country! And because I love to learn about different people and their customs, from all over the world.

 Venta Rapid waterfall, Latvia

Latvia has a long recorded history. It is a European country that sits among Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, the Baltic Sea and Russia.

Its land size is about the size of West Virginia (small!).

Dreamstime stock photo

Latvia has been under the rule of Germany, Poland, Sweden, Russia and U.S.S.R.  What started as a group of Eastern Baltic tribes merging in 812 AD, Latvia didn’t regain independence until 1991. Russian troops were still stationed there until 1994.

Castle of the Livonian Order, 

It is a parliamentary republic. 

Freedom Monument, Riga, Latvia

Riga is the capitol, and probably the most popular tourist attraction in the country. 

Riga, Latvia

Latvia has 3 UNESCO World Heritage Site designations, the first being Old Town or Historic Center of Riga.

Riga; Lasma Plone, Travel Blogger

Riga was founded in 1201.

From the 12th t0 15th centuries it was a key center for trading and cultural routes between the West and the East.

Orthodox Church, Riga, Latvia

In the 17th century Riga became the largest provincial town of Sweden.  Wooden buildings were built in a neo-classical style, creating suburbs surrounding the medieval city.

Ruhnu Church built in 1644

In the 19th century suburbs were laid out, surrounding the wooden buildings of the 17th century, which surround the medieval part of town. Art Nouveau was all the rage. Riga became a showcase of Art Nouveau architecture, with 50 high value architectures around the medieval part, and 300 scattered further out still standing today!

Lasma Plone Travel Blogger

The Vintage News

A second World Heritage Site is found in the western part of Latvia - Old Town Kuldiga. It started as a small medieval hamlet, and by the 16th century had grown to be a major administrative center. It still retains most of its’ original layout, including the log architecture and foreign influenced styles of the day, through the 18th century.

Papes National Park, Latvia

The 3rd World Heritage Site is part of 

The Struve Geodetic Arc.

Monument to the Struve Geodetic Arc

This is a chain of survey triangulations that run from Hammerfest, Norway to the Black Sea; through 10 countries and is 2,820 km long.

Say what?

It was the first accurate measurement of a meridian.

A mer-what?

Let’s put it this way. No one really knew how big Planet Earth was, and by doing this Arc, it was a first step in finding that out! Another amazing part - astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve made these calculations from 1816 - 1855! Think about it. He spent 40 years with no visible income to establish a mathematical equation that no one could see!

An amazing historical fact is there were a minimum of 10 different regents/kings/bigwigs who had to get along, agree, and approve this.

Map of Struve Geodetic Arc

And now for something completely different:

The state bird is the White Wagtail.

Here’s a coloring page for you.

ViviaiArt

The national flower is the Oxeye Daisy.

Let’s color a few!

Perhaps you’d like to draw your own bouquet -

Rockpainting101

Vector by Freepik

This is the Latvian flag:

Here are a few words you can learn in Latvian:

Latvia is known for their national dance.

These next photos were taken at Dance Festivals.

Dance Festival, Wojtek

Latvian Dance Festival

Latvia has natural resources of peat, limestone, timber and amber to name a few.

Here are some examples of Latvian amber:

VisitLatvia

Julliie Chaya Holder-Goldberger

Latvia exports things like lumber, wheat, broadcasting equipment & hard liquor.

Latvia has 99.9 % literacy rate, with 91% internet users, along with 22.5% live below the poverty level!

Weaving wreaths for Midsummer Festival

Just over 36% in Latvia say they are of the Lutheran religion. 19.5% are Catholic.

20.7% are other Christians.

Church in Cesis, Latvia

In addition to the places I have mentioned Latvia is also known for medieval castles, seaside resorts, palace museums, the widest waterfall in Europe, symbolic embroidery patterns centuries old, and gothic cathedrals.

Too much to squish into one blog, and that’s a lot for a tiny country!

Wordpress.com

Susan E, Pinterest

Pinterest 

After I research a country I always see so many things I want to go and visit!

Latvian countryside; photo credit: Peter Fenda

Rundale Palace and museum

Nickname “The Baltic Versailles”

Well, my Latvian readers, I have described your beautiful country as best I can in a short space. I hope you approve.

‘Til next time,

inkspired

A few websites I visited for info:

bmandarins.com>blog

european-union.europa.eu

Latvia.eu

Wikipedia

CIA.gov

Travelawaits.com

bittersouthern.com

LibraryofCongress.gov

Kaleidoscope by inkspired