Backpacking Asia

Singapore!

July 3, 2008 at 2:14 pm (Uncategorized)

Yes, we’re still way behind…we’re writing about Singapore from Bali.

Singapore is a GREAT city!  Incredibly clean (comparatively), efficient, pretty, and great public transportation.  Although here’s a tip: you can wave for a taxi from the side of the street for a month if you want, but they’ll just stare at you as they’re driving by….you have to go to the taxi queue to get one.  A big different since we had to beat taxi drivers with a stick in all the other countries to get them to leave us alone.   Anyway,  our hostel was great , too!  Cheap, A/C, private room,  fairly clean  showers and  NO SQUAT POTS   It’s also right in the middle of  Little India, which was probably the coolest part.    During the first day we went to the Singapore Zoo, which is very cool since they are not incredibly concerned about animal attacks, I guess.  There are few barriers between the animals and people and the ones they have are basically chicken wire.  I’m sure they have the barriers hidden, but it’s really cool to be so close to them.  Even better than the Zoo itself was their Night Safari…you drive through a different section of the Zoo in pitch black and see all the nocturnal animals (and the ones they poke to keep awake till 10pm).  It’s amazing since it’s dark and a little creepy and the animals are so close.

I think I had my best experience of the trip in Singapore!!  Walking down the street in Little India, I was telling Allison, “I wish I could watch somebody play the tabla drums or even talk to them about them!”  Tabla drums are the main drums in Indian music.  Listen to just about any Indian sitar or vocal music and they are probably accompanied by tabla.  It two drums, one small on made of wood and a bigger one made of brass and they both have black dots in the middle.  So no sooner had I said that to Allison then we pass the “Indian Classical Music Center”   We go in and there are sitars, harmoniums, tablas, and all sorts of Indian instruments for sale, not to mention a sitar lesson going on right on the floor!  I’m freaking out silently and looking at all the cool stuff…………….long story short, I got myself an hour long tabla lesson with an old Indian master who’s been playing tabla for almost 40 years!!!!!!
I have always wanted to learn tabla but have never had the chance.  There’s SO much to playing them, but he talked to me about the drums, taught me the very basics and got me slightly going.  It was SO great to be there doing that-taking an Indian drum lesson in Little India in Singapore from a master player!!  Surreal, to say the least.  Allison took a few pictures so people will believe me