Gong Xi Fa Cai! Those of you who have been following our adventures since we arrived in Singapore, may realise that this is our 3rd Chinese New Year (henceforth shortened to CNY in this post) here. I find it hard to believe myself, but the fact that I dressed all in red yesterday and spent much of the morning giving out pairs of oranges in the office tells me that it must be so. Mandarin oranges are everywhere at this time of year. All public buildings and most private ones feature decorations that include beautiful displays of red and yellow flowers, and orange trees, like the one below. These come in all sizes, and the big ones (10 feet tall or thereabouts) are incredibly expensive.
We are about to leave the Year of the Ox and enter the Year of the Tiger. Now I really rather like the idea of being born in the Year of the Tiger - such a noble beast - beautiful, fast and stripey too. What's not to like? But apparently some Chinese couples prefer not to have babies in Tiger years, which is a real concern for Singapore, which already has a worrying low birth rate. In the last 3 Tiger years (1974,1986 and 1998 for the anoraks amongst you), the number of births dipped by 7%. That's bad news, but there is even worse news for the poor tiger. Because of the illicit trade in tiger meat (yes, you read right), it seems that the wild tiger may be extinct by the time the next year of the tiger comes round, in 2022. And it's not just the meat that is sought after - according to the Today newspaper "Tiger bone tonic wine has become a fashionable cocktail to serve among the nouveau riche in countries like China". Remind me to insist on diet Pepsi the next time I'm partying in Shanghai.
This weekend also sees the opening of the first of the "integrated resorts" - Resorts World on Sentosa. The concept of the integrated resort was born when the notion of bringing casinos to Singapore (previously gambling free) was agreed. The casinos are integrated into a complex of hotels, shopping and dining opportunities and, in the case of Resorts World, a Universal Studios theme park. Entry is free for tourists and those who are not citizens or Permanent Residents, but Singaporeans and PRs have to pay 100 Singapore dollars per entry, or 2000 dollars for an annual pass. More on this later, as we're planning a trip when things quieten down a bit.
The first day of CNY this year falls on Valentine's day and Chris is taking me off to the Scarlet Hotel - in Singapore - for the night. I've never had a mini break (more of a micro break really) in the same city that I live in before, but the travelling bit should be easy, particularly since the roads are deserted on New Year's Day. The hotel promises all manner of sensual delights in the "love to love you, baby" Valentine's experience, including "Lover's amenities" whatever they might be! Watch this space, and read about the hotel yourself at http://www.thescarlethotel.com/
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