Super-sizing Singapore

Everything I saw on my first 24 hours in Singapore was shiny and new. And big. Take this bronze statue at Changi airport.

Then The Marina Sands Hotel. We laid our heads on the 42nd floor and rode to the 57th to swim within an architectural submarine suspended above three towers. All 200+ metres of it teaming with  happy snapping holidaymakers, mostly not european, capturing themselves, the  downtown skyscrapers beyond and well, infinity of course.

We were all fearless in that pool. Hung over the edge like Herod-s. A rash suit clad photographer glided around offering to take group shots. Cool drinks came in plastic glasses with purple orchids and an abundance of limes. I love sky-scraper limes.

Singapore isn't the city of sails but it could be the city of water. On the newly reclaimed marina side a futuristic botanical garden boasted a towering, if concrete man-made waterfall. Withinn the hotel's 600 shop shopping centre you could dine pond side. Punt or Prada? Spoilt for choice.

But it wasn't just every international haute couture label on the planet in that tiled mausoleum you could visit a Reflexology & Fish Spa, or buy an electric wobble board, stand on it and burn 136 calories every ten minutes. Woo hoo!

On the last morning in the land of giants, I came down to dine at the sumptuous rainbow coloured breakfast buffet with in this towering atrium.

This shortish unassuming looked at me. It was Len Brown. He was in Singapore for the Best Cities Summit. The Herald on-line had said he was there and wondered if he was ALONE. I thought of tweeting about his toast and the company he kept. I could have created a stir. But I'm a writer, not a journalist so didn't. I read the paper instead.

Strangely, due to column inches I suppose, Singapore abbreviates itself in print to S'Pore. The only thing, alongside its diminutive population - an exotic mixture of Chinese, Malaysian and Indian - which IS actually small.

Perhaps it's due to all the eggs they eat? The Omelette-Diet - you heard it here.

(photos thanks to my pocket sized I-phone)
(Len Brown is the Mayor of Auckland)