Help Wanted. Travel Required

“It’s the melons that smell so bad?”

“It must be your first trip to Singapore.”

“Yes it is.  I take it most visitors discover the Durian the first time and know what it is the next time.”

“Yes, that’s true. Durian is very common here and is very distinctive.  The melon is extremely good, very custard-like, with a rich banana-like flavor, but it’s a love/hate relationship.  I like it – it’s quite heavenly.”

“How do you ever manage to eat it when it smells so bad?”

“If one enjoys it, then the smell is not so bad.

”And if one doesn’t?”

“Well then it can be overpowering.”

“Well, I’m being overpowered.” I had been holding a tissue over my nose and was very pleased when the traffic began to move and the pickup turned off after two blocks.

When I mentioned my Durian experience to the folks in our local office, I found several people who loved Durian and tried very hard to convince me to try it. They insisted “the taste is so good that you don’t mind the smell.”  However, my body refused to breathe when Durian was offered to me later in the trip, and I saw no need to eat something that required me to hold my nose while I ate it!

In the side streets of Singapore is where I’ve experienced what I think of as the real Singapore. The smells of curry, stir-fried vegetables and garlic are always in the air, regardless of the time of day, and the sounds of cars, trucks, temple bells and Asian music make it clear that I am not at home. This is so different from what I find walking around Singapore’s business district, where the hotels, office buildings, shopping centers and traffic make it like any other large city in Asia.  I could be in Tokyo, Hong Kong or Taipei.

Weekends in Singapore offer Bird Parks and Orchid Gardens to visit, and shopping is easy and convenient. The large, multi-level spacious malls are clean, modern, air conditioned and provide a great opportunity to buy the usual things like electronics and clothing, but also offer cloisonné, hand carved items, antique furniture, artwork, jewelry and much more. Although these items are also available in other countries in Asia, nowhere else have I found the shops to be so numerous, the prices so easy to compare and the shopping experience so comfortable.

When not in the mood to shop or sightsee, one can relax on various islands a short distance away. Easily reached are Bali, Phuket, or the islands in Indonesia. These resorts offer lush, tropical beauty, beautiful beaches and a great place to relax.   Especially easy to visit are the islands in Indonesia.  The relationship between Singapore and Indonesia is friendly and the islands openly welcome Singaporean visitors.

It was at the end of a three-week business trip in Asia that I arrived in Singapor