Would Professor Ludwig Von Drake agree with me that Singapore is as close to his concept of a futuristic utopia as we have anywhere in the world today? I think he would. As I stood atop the Marina Bay Sands Hotel last night, I thought about the utopia that was portrayed in those old Wonderful World of Disney cartoons and I came to the conclusion that the only thing missing in Singapore was the flying cars. This city is really modern, unbelievably clean and uber cool!
There is nothing even close to the look of Singapore in North America. Dubai is close in appearance but behind the facade there is a totalitarian regime that continues to sweep a lot of stuff under the carpet. There may also be a city or two in China that looks the same as Singapore, but again, you have a totalitarian regime and more stuff under the carpet. Singapore is a modern democracy and it is an economic powerhouse in Southeast Asia. Today, I am officially bestowing upon Singapore, the Professor Ludwig Von Drake Utopia Award.
The Marina Bay area is beautiful at night. At dusk, we had drinks and tapas at the restaurant on the 57th floor of the Marina Bay Sands Hotel and watched as the cityscape came alive with the neon lights of the financial district framing the bay on which a multi-colored laser show danced across the water. The Tiger beer I consumed and the scenery were both intoxicating. A margarita and the oriental deep fried chicken calmed the nerves of Mrs. Gym who hadn't had forgotten to eat a snickers bar earlier that afternoon. Within 15 minutes, she too was smitten by the scene (Gym also has to come clean on his habit of not checking to see if Mrs. Gym is actually following him as he bobs and weaves through the matrix of unfamiliar territory). Sorry dear!
Anyways here are the pictures from last night:
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| The Flyer at dusk |
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| Marina Bay Sands at dusk as we walk towards it with the Artscience Museum in the foreground |
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| Another color |
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| This is the inside of the Marina Bay Sands, it looks fake because I probably botched an enhancement but at least you can see what it looks like |
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| Looking towards the Raffles over Marina Bay |
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| Singapore Business District |
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| Outdoor Patio/Lounge where we had tapas on the roof of the hotel |
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| Artscience Museum |
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| Walking home and taking one last shot of the Marina Bay Sands and the Artscience Museum |
Pictures courtesy of Mrs. Gym; Enhancements by the author
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