Singapore, February 18, 2000
Singapore's Club Scene Ain't Much
Singaporeans do not know how to party
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As I travel around the globe, I on occasion, follow this
article I tore out of a magazine listing the club capitals of the world.
It was wrong before, listing Beijing as an emerging club scene, when only
the foreigners were out past midnight, and all at the same three clubs. It
never even mentioned Kuala Lumpur, where I've had the best nights out of
this entire journey, and it listed Singapore as an Asian club capital.
I have to completely disagree that Singapore is a club capital. Okay, it does have three or four mega-clubs, pumping out the nest in new techno tunes, but this does not make a good night out. It takes a special mixture of bars, clubs, and scenes that does not just appear outside a mega-club. The scene must be built over time, with just the right ingredients, which Singapore lacks. First, Singaporeans themselves are so busy trying to achieve the five C's of success, they do not take time out to relax, much less party. During the week, unlike KL, Bangkok, or even Hong Kong, the bars are empty, closing around midnight. Midnight! When I am usually rolling out onto town, Singaporeans are getting home to go to work the next day, and they work six days a week! Fridays are sad, with not a fun club-kid to be seen at Boat Quay or Sultan Mohammed bar strips past 1am. Second, if the Singaporeans actually went out to party they would find some of the highest drink prices in the world. Shocking to a guy used to $1 bottles of vodka from Russia to Shanghai, or $1 for a liter of beer in Beijing or Bangkok, the $15 mixed drinks and $10 beers (yes, $10 USD! and we're talking pints, not liters), intimidate all but the well funded or well intoxicated from drinking much past tipsy. Personally, I was insulted that the Singaporean government felt it should tell me how to live my life through alcohol taxes, and understood why so many Singaporeans took busses to KL for a decent weekend. Finally, once you found someone actually out and drinking, they usually were so annoying that you'd prefer to be in an empty bar. I never met so many materialistic and shallow people! Concerned only with were one works, makes, or drives; I had to resort to outright antagonism to enjoy the evening. Faced with a woman talking for 30 minutes straight about how cool her new BMW was ('Just like the one James Bond drove!'), I had to tell her I never drove, since I had a driver who did such menial tasks for me. Impressed, she asked where my wheels were so she could admire my wealth. I pointed to a line of taxis and said, 'pick one.' Her moan of anguish in being fooled so effortlessly made me laugh and was worth listening to her boring monologue. With such a sad nightlife, I almost changed my ticket to leave Singapore after one night, but gave it a chance and spent five nights bored. Next time, I will not be so lenient, skipping the Singapore nightlife, and I recommend you do the same. |
2 Comments
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hi there,
ok ,i didn't know who to ask this question and since you have been to singapore, i really need to know what the night life/ party scene is like out there.i am going to be there for a good ammount of time and i will die if i can't party hard!!!!!!!!!!!
is it really a sterile/boring place?
by the way how old are you??????? its a nice picture you have out there.
thanks
While the night life isn't the best, you do have a few options to make it survivable.
First, start the night by drinking at home. Not only will this be cheaper, you'll be in a much better mood once you get to the bars, and will not mind the midnight close.
Second, take frequent trips to Bangkok, KL, or Jakarta for a refreshing change of scene.
Last but not least, you can always use this time to 'focus on your career' and get a steady boy/girlfriend for your romantic needs.