Above: Chinatown by night in the lead-up to the Mooncake Festival.
In the evening, Jacob and Janet took us out for a drive and a wander around Chinatown. The area was very nicely illuminated and decorated with lanterns for the Mooncake or Mid-autumn Festival. Janet was very proud of how Singapore celebrates the various multi-ethnic events, eg. during Deepavali, Serangoon Road is lit up with purple peacocks.
I asked if there was anything done for the Chinese seventh month’s Festival of the Hungry Ghosts. I was hoping that they would have done a Chinese version of Halloween, since everything is so commercialised nowadays in Singapore. Apparently not, according to Janet, as it is not considered an auspicious occasion.
Jacob was proud of Singapore’s safety in terms of street crime (and the fact that MRT stations double as air-raid shelters). He said that he would have been worried walking around Hong Kong. Well, it’s his loss if he wants to wrap himself up in cotton wool away from the rest of the world.
Hong Kong is hardly the most dangerous place in the world. I just don’t understand how anyone who is well-educated (aircraft maintenance engineer) and relatively well-travelled can be so one-eyed.
Chinatown by night around Mooncake Festival.