Singapology

The two things that most Americans know about Singapore is that caning is a legitimate form of punishment and that chewing gum is illegal. Apart from that, most people think that Singapore is part of China (one of my classmates mixed up Singapore and Hong Kong and proceeded to ask me about my thoughts on the handover), and often exclaim "Wow, you speak really good English!"

Misperceptions continue as we find dishes like Singapore Noodles being served overseas when I had never even heard of the dish outside of the motherland. One commercial for Singapore Noodles I saw in New Zealand involved a bunch of Asian dudes in some Japanese dojo. Well, I guess all Asian people look alike.

Anyhow, recently Wenwei pointed out that there was a band called Downtown Singapore that he chanced upon at Tower Records. Today, I was flipping through one of those free magazines you pick up at the bus stop when I came across an ad for Singapore Kane, a rap artist here in Boston, featuring a guy being executed and the caption reading "Welcome to Singapore." Apparently he got his name from a rap battle during which he "told an MC lyrically 'he got singapore kaned' [and] the name stuck." It's quite bizarre especially when his friends leave comments like "Hey singapore, man i got this new instra i would like you to free to its the first track on the site. its kinda fast but i think that it would be some hottness. Its downloadable but if you need the wave just holla at me"

I don't know how I feel about the term "Singapore" being associated with things not Singaporean (then again, what does it really mean to be Singaporean?). Maybe the Tourism Promotion Board would be pleased. I'm pretty sure the Americans will not be too happy if I set up a band called "Real American Heroes" or something like that.