Dec
18

A stroll through Orchard Road (the Ritziest street in Singapore) in photos.

“IN PHOTOS” is a series I will use to share many of the hundreds of photos I have taken during my travels. It is a series I have thought about for a while now, but did not want to start until I got back home from my trip. However after spending a week in Chefchaouen, Morocco I couldn’t wait any longer. “IN PHOTOS” will not have a set schedule like my “MUSIC MONDAY” or “PHOTO ROUND UP” series. “IN PHOTOS” will be a post with several photos with no limit. The only restriction this series will have is that it must be about a certain subject or theme. I will write a brief paragraph or sentence describing the subject or theme of the photos and then post the photos. I want to use “IN PHOTOS” to share my photos and let you come up with your own thoughts about the images and hope you share them with me.

Orchard Road is a 2.2 kilometre-long street that runs through the center of Singapore and is also the retail and entertainment hub of the city/state. It’s a major tourist attraction and highlighted on every map because it is literally the “RITZIEST” street in Singapore. This is where every luxury brand you can think of in the world has at least one or a million shops set up. I had been enjoying a bit of luxury in Singapore and hell even got the chance to swim at the worlds highest infinity pool and was excited to finally to take a stroll through Orchard Road on my 2nd to last day in Singapore. I wasn’t sure what to expect and well the truth is I didn’t like it. I’ve mentioned on Twitter before that I can no longer go to malls. I just can’t I feel overwhelmed, feel like everything is overpriced and just don’t understand this side of consumerism anymore. I say I don’t understand it anymore because I used to love malls and was a name brand whore. That all changed when I started planning for this trip. I had to cut back on my spending and did no shopping for over a year because I already had a closet full of clothes I wasn’t using. Then I started traveling and began to see how the majority of rest of the world lives. It is eye opening to see the rest of the world live with so little and yet be so happy. It really changes you and it’s not just that, but you also realize that you are living fine with the few items of clothes you have in your backpack.

Sorry for that tangent, well Orchard Road is basically an outdoor mall. The street is lined up with shop after shop after shop of luxury items no one really needs. Oh & that is not all… the street also has over 20 shopping malls along the way. Yes, over 20 shopping malls in a span of 2.2 kilometres of road. Some are above ground and many are below ground. It’s insane and people are every where and just about all the shops are actually full. As I walked down I couldn’t help, but think about the influence “The West” has in Asian culture. So far all the countries I have visited in Asia are also filled with malls all over the place. I know Singapore is one of the wealthiest nations in the world and understand that not everyone wants to live on a budget to explore the world. I just feel like Singapore takes consumerism to such an extreme, but the same can be said about the USA. I don’t know maybe I really have changed so much I just don’t understand it and that makes me scared of going home. It makes me scared, because I know this is the life for so many of my friends and family and it makes me sad even though I know their is nothing wrong with it. Lord why am I talking about that now… I’ll leave that topic for another day. Sorry again. So overall though I really did enjoy my time in Singapore and well Orchard Rd is a beautiful Road and here are some photos along with captions I felt were necessary to share with y’all. Hope y’all enjoy them.

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—The start of Orchard Rd.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—The glasses I wear are from EA and I paid $400 for them about 6 years ago. I’d cry if I lost them.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—American designer… MADE IN INDIA!!!—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—One of the many shopping malls on Orchard Road. Looks more like a space ship to me.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—The DEVIL wears this.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—Would you pay over $600 for a purse??? Tory wants you to.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—I saw 8 ROLEX stores as I walked through and 2 of them were right in front of each other.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—This bitch is always classy.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—Oh the French they are so classy. Men do you want a $40,000 watch? If so enjoy Cartier.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—I’ve always wanted something from Gucci. I’ve always wanted to say “It’s Gucci Bitch”.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—Have you seen their male underwear models? Yum!!!—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—I’ve never liked this brand. They never had any cute clothes.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—If I was rich I’d buy a MONT BLANC watch for sure. I think they are fucking hot. Oh & I’ve never heard of VERTU.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—Okay not luxury, but ummm he’s so fucking hot. I hate to love this store because I know they use sweat shops to make their clothes.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—In the mist of all the luxury you see this…—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—and this. For a second I thought I was back in the developing world.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—Singapore is not even a Christian country yet the street is fully decorated for the biggest commercial holiday in the world… CHRISTMAS.—

Orchard Rd, Singapore

—What is Christmas even about?—

Hope you enjoyed the photos & I hope you share your thoughts below.

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Comments

  1. Haha love how they decorate for Christmas!

  2. Great photos!! and yeah you are so right about traveling and seeing how others live without much and are still happy!! people in the uk and usa want too much!

    • Jaime Davila says:

      Thanks Bernie, yes the more I travel the more I realize I don’t need so many things I thought I needed. It’s crazy consumerism. It’s sick… & it’s just too much.

  3. Hey Jaime, I’m glad that travel has made you wiser. All it is is stuff, and shit that we don’t need. Have fun in Vietnam and be sure to write about the food there!

    • Jaime Davila says:

      Thanks Kelli, it really is just stuff & hope people realize that. Once more people do realize that things in the world I think will start changing for the better and focusing on the important things. Oh & Vietnam is amazing… I am loving it will be writing a bit about it for sure.

  4. Hello Jaime,

    Its good to see that you guys celebrated Christmas in singapore with such beautiful decorations.
    I hope you spent a good Christmas. I wish you guys a very happy new year.

    Thanks,
    Varun

    • Jaime Davila says:

      Hi Varun, I had a great Christmas. I actually though spent it in Cambodia exploring the ruins of Angkor Wat. I’m a few weeks behind on myblog and is why I have only written about Singapore. I will be writing about Vietnam and Cambodia very soon and catching up on the blog. I celebrate new years in Cairo & had a blast.

      Hope you had a great one too.

      • Hi Jaime,

        Wow, you are in Ankor Wat! I remember the headless statues of Ankor wat from a movie “ONG BAK”.
        I’ll appreciate if you post some of your pics from Angkor wat.
        Yeah, mine was great too, I celebrated my new year with a couple of friends in Delhi, INDIA

        • Jaime Davila says:

          Hi Varun, oh I will be posting a lot of photos very soon of Angkor Wat. I’m a bit behind on my blog so will be a few weeks before I get to it.

  5. Singapore is multi racial, we have many religions. So why not Christmas?
    It’s a shame you chose to show pics of Orchard Rd to depict the island, cos there’s much more to just the 2.2km stretch of consumerism.

    • Jaime Davila says:

      Hi Meg, I wrote several post about Singapore and know there is more to the island than this stretch of consumerism. I wrote this post to share my thoughts on how I feel on consumerism and how travel has changed me in a way.

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