TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED
Tiger Tales, November/December/January 2007 issue, p8

Renaissance woman, Alison Jean Lester, is a communications consultant who has provided training to CNBC and McDonalds; a comedian with Singapore’s Madhatters Comedy Company, a mother of two and author of a brand-new book Locked Out, a collection of stories based on the Asian cities she’s lived in over the last 15 years. Based in Singapore now, she picks her top five most unexpected features of the Lion City.

1. People hang their colostomy bag on trees.
Well, alright, that’s just what it looks like. It’s actually coffee and tea which is sold at the local kopitiam in clear plastic bags which come with a handy drawstring, not just for carrying out but for depositing on a branch, a doorknob or a drawer handle.

2. It’s freezing cold in Singapore.
Offices, cinemas, theatres and libraries are air-conditioned to an arctic degree. Most women go to work or head out for the evening with a pashmina shawl or cardigan.

3. There are no napkins at Singaporean hawker centres.
Noodles come alive, chilli sauce splashes. Make sure you carry tissue packs with you at all times.

4. As long as Singapore is not fully paved over, the jungle reigns supreme.
Where there is jungle, there are reptiles. The most beautiful places to live here are surrounded by jungle, and therefore by reptiles. Step carefully.

5. Finally, the sheer rebelliousness of Singaporeans… on escalators
A campaign has been undertaken to encourage Singaporeans to stand on the left, to allow people to walk on the right, but they simply won’t obey!