Burst of Colors

CEBU, Philippines - Perhaps one of the most intriguing things about Singapore is its distinct quality of holding a collection of cultures and religions, all of which melding effortlessly with each other in what many would call unity amidst diversity.  Sometimes it makes you wonder: if Singapore could do it, then perhaps other nations could do it, as well.

It is this particular quality that has made me fall in love repeatedly with Southeast Asia’s most industrialized city state and it is this cultural mystery that will continue to draw me to this former Dutch fishing village, pre-Lee Kwan Yew.

A visit last year to Singapore took me beyond the familiar sights of Marina Bay, and straight into its cultural enclaves.  I’m not necessarily talking about the more popular pockets of culture like Little India or Arab Street.  I’m talking about Joo Chiat Road which has been home to many Peranakans who have added a unique flavor into Singapore’s cultural mix.

The Peranakans are of both Chinese and Malayan descents and their history stretches way back to the time when nobility married for political and economic reasons.  Waves of migrations brought the Peranakans to Singapore, with many of them eventually settling into communities and bringing with them many cultural practices and traditions from their home in Malacca.

For the Peranakans, vibrant colors and florid designs are harbingers of good fortune and prosperity and it is exactly this belief that has filled Joo Chiat Road with an explosion of vibrant colors and ornate details, a stark contrast from the sleek lines and glittering glass of Singapore’s business district.

Joo Chiat Road is flanked with houses that come in bursts of contrasting colors, bent not only on attracting good fortune but more so, on attracting tourists who wish to immerse themselves in the culture of Malacca rather than to spend the night in posh hotel of Singapore.

Joo Chiat’s distinct Peranakan heritage spills over to its gustatory repertoire with traditional Peranakan restaurants cum boutiques carefully tucked away in sidewalks and alleys sharing their space with spice shops and apothecaries selling traditional Chinese medicine.

I settled at Kim Choo’s, a popular Peranakan restaurant right in the middle of Joo Chiat Road, fascinated by where my tired feet took me that day.  As I waited for my fill of traditional Peranakan fare, I gazed outside the window to see Indian, Chinese, and Malay children engaged in playful banter on the streets.  Like Joo Chiat Road, Singapore and, in fact, Southeast Asia is an explosion of vibrant cultural hues unified by the threads of respect and the appreciation of cultural diversity. (FREEMAN)