Curly Ones

One had completely forgotten those bald old guys with the back-combing of their strands and upturned tufts behind above the collar. Fatties often, shirt-buttons straining like the old Indian on the No. 23 swinging around to KV this afternoon. Our old Yugoslavs sometimes followed the practice, dapper chappies dressed for visiting like Cika Ostoja the gypsy and one of the boarders at Mr. Vic’s across the road. Neat curls back of the neck like young girls sometimes wore on their forehead were good for ruffling after combing and bounced along a little on the road. Here the Indians applied oil and no doubt fluffed and ruffled those bunches that they could only feel and not see. The shiny pate did not exactly disappear with the fondling, but there was a certain reassurance conveyed. With the work waiting at the Warnet there was no time for the 30 - 40 minute post-lunch circuit up to Bras Basah, the library perchance and rounding back to Jalan Kubor and the soothing old graveyard of nameless dead beneath their crooked markers. Most days the hike stretched to Lavender MRT and once or twice weekly Kallang. No time this afternoon, duties pressing. This afternoon after the No. 67 had failed to arrive promptly the decision was made to cut through Dunlop and directly onto Kubor by the shortest route. In a couple of straight lines a kilometre and one half perhaps, the surprise today being the convenience of the newly erected sheltered walkways virtually along the entire path. Verandas on Dunlop provided cover right along to Jalan Besar, Big Road. Beyond that divide however it was usually a scorched passage until the Queen Street Terminal gave refuge. No longer. What one found instead now was newly erected shelter on either approach to the recently completed Jalan Besar station—on Besar itself and then turning the corner also the path leading to Arab Street. Had there been a short stretch on Victoria by Aljunied Primary where the sun poured down like molten lava currently in Hawaii? Only a short little run. Otherwise ample 1.9m. cover, secure shelter and screening all the way. One was no longer in the tropics really. This was.... something exceptional—almost armchair travel. There were no fans or air-con along the way. These had been installed at some of the larger bus-stops around the city: an air-con curtain, free wifi, massage chairs was it too? Late last year the government had promised 200 kilometres of sheltered walkways across the republic. Duly delivered. Difficult to know what to think. Was this for real? The challenge of the tropics overcome by innovation and careful planning? It was impossible to air-condition the entire island of course. The top 7 - 10% could skip between condo-car-office-resto with minimal contact of the common environment. Sheltered walkways was not bad for the rest, especially when one compared the poor neighbours in Malaysia and Indonesia. A major roadway on reclaimed land out East had been raised one metre was it? Malaysia—or the Southern State of Johor at least—had signed water and electricity provision for the next forty years. They were a chance here for the next stretch. The government certainly was not resting on its laurels. Planning for the uncertain future. Innovation and robotics was key they were continually underlining. Technological savvy. Flexibility in the workforce and tailoring in the Ed. sector. Singapore positioning itself to survive the challenges if any could.