Toa Payoh
June, 1997 (continued):
Continuing my first (of what would become several) visits to Singapore….
On Thursday afternoon I bravely set out to explore outside of the downtown Singapore area.
I walked the 300 yards or so to take the MRT (rapid transit) to Toa Payoh, three train stops outside of downtown and, I had been told, a community where tourists never find themselves.
As I approached the ticket counter, I passed a blind accordionist who was playing “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”
I got my ticket and walked through the turnstile on my way to the train. Or, at least, I tried to. But I couldn’t figure out how to insert the ticket to release the turnstile. Noticing my helpless confusion, a stranger kindly explained to me that I needed to insert the ticket at a different turnstile.
The MRT was crowded, well air-conditioned, clean, and completely free of graffiti. Mine was the only Anglo face to be seen on the train and the only one I was aware of in Toa Payoh upon my arrival there.
What I did see in Tao Payoh was lots of people walking around; foot traffic everywhere. And many of those people were talking on their cell phones as they ambulated. (In 1997, that made an impression on me. Cell phones hadn’t yet become part of everyday American life.)
I definitely noticed more litter in Tao Payoh.
What was the most popular American restaurant chain in Singapore? Kentucky Fried Chicken.
