I'm heading back to Singapore, wellingtons in my suitcase

Home, home in the rain
Tabitha Wang Today Online 23 Jul 10;

Due to luck more than planning, I will be home this weekend, in time to catch the Singapore Food Festival.

But my spirits have been dampened somewhat by the news of the flash floods over the past weekend, the third time they've struck the island since June 16.

What should I pack? Will I be tucking into my favourite hawker food perched on a stool while water swirls around me?

Usually, my suitcase is full of sundresses, sandals and slippers, but this time, I am seriously considering packing my typhoon gear of wellingtons and anorak, too.

I bought those boots in Bangkok on a shopping trip with my Singaporean friends. And I remember they were all laughing and asking me: "Just how bad is the drainage in Hong Kong again?"

Pretty bad, actually. Because Hong Kong has lots of mountains, many of its streets are pretty steep so, whenever there is a downpour, they become instant waterfalls.

The water can turn ankle-deep in a matter of minutes - which is why many Hongkongers wear rain boots when there is a thunderstorm warning.

I used to complain so much about those tiny floods at first. "This would never have happened in Singapore," I'd grouse to my colleagues.

I'm having to eat my words now.

The first time the floods hit Orchard Road, a colleague sent me the now-famous faked picture of a dragon boat team paddling past Tangs with the words: "So never in Singapore, you say?"

Well, at least it shows Singaporeans can laugh in the face of adversity. A friend and fellow columnist wrote on his Facebook page: "By the rivers of Orchard Road, where we sat down. And there we wept, when we remembered Ion."

And everyone has his favourite theory as to why Singapore is facing its worst floods in more than 50 years.

Like my Facebook friend, some said Ion Orchard (which incidentally was jointly developed by a Hong Kong company) was to blame. Before, the hill absorbed the rainwater, but now, it slides off the fancy roof to pool at the junction of Scotts and Orchard Roads.

Others are convinced the construction of Marina Bay Sands is the culprit. "They had to drain the water for easy access. That's why not all Marina Barrages' gates were open at first," a friend ventured.

Still others are convinced there is a feng shui explanation behind the floods - something to do with the designs of the casinos, I think, but that explanation is beyond me.

I certainly don't remember such floods in Singapore ever.

When I was looking for places to buy, people warned me off low-lying areas such as Opera Estate and anywhere close to the Bukit Timah Canal.

But that was just as a "by the way". Nobody thought floods were a serious problem.

And in my 10 years of driving, I never encountered a flood that couldn't be surmounted by my trusty jeep or even my low-slung hatchback.

The worst I'd faced was when the water seeped in through the gap beneath the car doors and wet the floormats - but that was about it. Water didn't go anywhere near the engine.

I think what's most sobering about the floods is that they remind us just how vulnerable Singapore is. Most areas are no more than 15 metres above sea level. In fact, the Central Business District is less than 2m above sea level.

They show us that no matter how much we think we're in control of our urban landscape, we are still at the mercy of Mother Nature.

So there's not much we can do, short of building an air-conditioned dome to protect the whole country from the environment (and why not, seeing as Singapore's economy is growing at such a blistering rate).

In the meantime, I will pack my rain boots. And, seeing as some say thousand-dollar bags are just floating out of the stores these days, possibly some scuba gear as well in case I need to go deep-sea shopping.

Tabitha Wang wishes she'd bought shares in Singapore Ducktours.