Singapore

I visited Singapore recently for the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations) conference. The photos I took there follow a pet "lion-dog" as it visits parts of Singapore. A lion-dog is the symbolic guardian of the homes of the "Peranakan" -- people who were the children of mixed ethnic background in southeast Asia. The lion-dog knows the city well. This photo comes from the Peranakan Museum.

The Singapore MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) makes commuting in Singapore easy, though the city it much too full of cars for my taste. And the stoplights are too long to make walking easy whenever it is necessary to cross a large street.

The roof gardens in Singapore are a calm refuge from the crowds in the shopping malls and on the streets. This roof garden was near the conference center.

Singapore has religious diversity and tolerance. There are Buddhist and Hindu temples, Islamic mosques, and Christian churches. The lion-dog visited this Hindu temple in a walking street near my hotel.

One of the Singapore's attractions is its Botanical Garden, especially the Orchid garden. The variety is enormous, but the lion-dog had favorites.

While much of Singapore is relentlessly modern, a few neighbors like Little India still exist and have an identity of their own.

As is typical near the equator, the sun goes down suddenly. It seems not to affect the night life, though.

I always try to visit art museums. Singapore has no collection of old masters European style, but it has excellent contemporary art exhibits.

Viewers may notice a few familiar works on the wall, which were there only for the lion-dog's visit.