SINGAPORE WALKING TOUR
On our first day in Singapore we did a walking tour. Our guide's name was Eunice and she was AMAZING!!! She has lived in Singapore her whole life and is very knowledgeable about Singapore's history and culture. She taught me many, many things that I didn’t know.
As she spoke, I couldn’t help but notice that she used excellent vocabulary! So, I wrote about the walking tour and what she taught us, WHILE using some of the advanced words she used! Enjoy!
*All of the definitions below are from Oxford.*
Arduous
Definition: involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring.
Context: Although this walking tour was 3 and a half hours, it was not an arduous one. We followed flat sidewalks and enjoyed a lovely breeze when walking along the Singapore River and through Marina Bay.
Tedious
Definition: too long, slow, or dull; tiresome or monotonous.
Context: Before becoming a tour guide, Eunice was a full-time pharmacist for ten years. She said that filling out paperwork and prescriptions was very tedious and not fun. When she had an opportunity to be a tour guide at an art festival, she tried it and loved it! The minute she got home, she researched how she could become a professional tour guide. Soon after she looked into it, she got an official certification and now devotes most of her time to walking tours around Singapore, although she still works as a part time pharmacist.
Indispensable
Definition: absolutely necessary.
Context: Many people do not know this, but Singapore was once a penal colony. Prisoners were sent from India to work on building the city, from many of the historic buildings and churches to roads and bridges. These prisoners were indispensable in terms of their contributions to Singapore. Many of the prisoners were put on a ship, leaving India for the very first time, taken away from family or friends, and then being made to learn new skills and trades.
Exploit
Definition: make use of (a situation) in a way considered unfair or underhand.
Context: The Indian prisoners were exploited and not treated fairly. They were even made to build their own jail!
Conjured
Definition: call (an image) to the mind.
Context: Because of what I just wrote, you may have conjured an image of Indian men building Singapore, but women also contributed to the development of the city.
Trajectories
Definition: the path followed by a projectile flying or an object moving under the action of given forces.
Context: Singapore was once in a federation with Malaya, North Borneo, and Sarawak (those three countries merged into Malaysia years later). But the Federation kicked Singapore out because they thought that Singapore was a big pain in the butt! Eunice told us that many people ask her if it was actually a good thing that they weren’t in the Federation any more, considering Singapore’s trajectory from a tiny country that once relied on many other countries for just about everything, to the wealthiest country in the world with skyscrapers. That is pretty impressive!
Impregnable
Definition: (of a fortified position) unable to be captured or broken into OR unable to be defeated or overcome.
Context: The jungles in the north were not as impregnable as Singporians hoped when the Japanese invaded. During their occupation of Singapore, the Japanese killed many, many people during Operation Sook Ching, in which many Chinese men living in Singapore were executed because they were believed to be anti-Japanese.
Reparations
Definition: the action of making amends for a wrong one has done, by providing payment or other assistance to those who have been wronged.
Context: According to Eunice, some Japanese presidents have apologized, but no real reparations have been made for their actions in Operation Sook Ching. There is a memorial in downtown Singapore; it is a big white tower that houses the ashes of thousands of Chinese men that were killed during operation Sook Ching.
Scarcity
Definition: the state of being scarce or in short supply; shortage.
Context: Water scarcity in Singapore is a serious issue. Even though this city and country is well developed and technologically advanced, they still rely on Malaysia for half of their drinking water. Even though Singapore has a huge reservoir that cleans river water and collects every drop of rain that falls on this city, it’s still not enough to satisfy the demand.
Vernaculars
Definition: the language or dialect spoken by the ordinary people in a particular country or region.
Context: Singapore is a country of many different cultures, races, and languages. There are four recognized vernaculars in Singapore - English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamal.
Reclamations
Definition: the process of claiming something back or of reasserting a right OR the cultivation of waste land or land formerly under water.
Context: Singapore has reclaimed a lot of land that was formerly underwater. They have done this by piling a lot of sand on top of the water. For example, Gardens By The Bay is located on a piece of land that was reclaimed.
Compulsory
Definition: required by law or a rule; obligatory.
Context: When developers erect a new building in Singapore, it is compulsory to include green spaces. This means that many buildings in Singapore have rooftop gardens, a variety of green spaces, or vegetation growing on or in the building. Even the airport (which was recently named the Best Airport in the World) is an impressive green space! Incredible, right?!
Incentivized
Definition: motivate or encourage (someone) to do something; provide with an incentive.
Context: The Singapore government incentivizes companies to make art accessible to everyone! Throughout the city, there are numerous art installations that can be found and be enjoyed by everybody. They prioritize the accessibily of art, which I think is amazing and very important.
Kerfuffle
Definition: a commotion or fuss, especially one caused by conflicting views.
Context: As there are many art installations around the city, one that caused quite a kerfuffle was the newest Raffles statue. Sir Thomas Stanford Raffles was a British dude who came to Singapore and basically helped Singapore become what it is today. He established native languages, schools, and many ports in Singapore. Now, this guy sounds good, so why was there ever a kerfuffle over erecting another statue of him? Many people thought that they should not have a statue because Singapore is no longer a British colony. But one consultant reminded them that Singapore still relies on many countries for trade, including Great Britain. To erect the statue would not only honor Raffles, but it would also maintain a good relationship with Great Britain. To this day, you can find street names, stores names, and hotels named after him.
This was definitely one of our best walking tours in the world! I learned so much about Singapore's history as well as modern day Singapore. And, of course, I learned some new vocabulary words! So far I LOVE Singapore, and I can’t wait to explore more!!