Sure & Begorrah - Meh?

They say on March 17, the whole world is Irish. We can report that this saying extends all the way to Singapore. And of course, where there is St. Patrick's day, the Guinness cannot be far behind.

St. Patrick's Day arrived while our friends Susan & Ed Hurley were visiting us. They were able to sneak away because their younger 15-year-old son was traveling to Rome over Spring break. It was a fast visit; they arrived Sunday at noon and left Thursday around 11:30 pm. Even, so we were able to pack in a full dose of Singaporean experiences.

Including the St. Patrick's Day Parade. We stumbled upon this on Sunday afternoon as we were walking along the Singapore River. There were perhaps 20-25 groups marching in the parade and the variety was remarkable. There were traditional marching bands. But then there was this group marching in full Star Wars costumes. And the Chinese girls' bagpipe group.

Of course there was plenty of green to be seen. But news to Paul was the large number of people wearing orange. Turns out that Irish Catholics are the ones who wear green and Irish Protestants wear orange. (Clearly our living in Chicago and Boston had given us a monochromatic perspective.) And this being Singapore -- where Chinese, Malays, Indians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Caucasians, and everyone gets along (the government makes this a national priority) -- the Greens and Organges were parading together... along with Darth Vader.

Unfortunately, the luck of the Irish was not in full measure on Sunday. The tropical skies decided to remind everyone that Singapore was originally a rain forest. So we did not stick around, threading our way back using the five foot way that protects pedestrians from the elements (and thanking Sir Stamford Raffles for his architectural foresight).

On Tuesday, Raye, Susan and Ed, visited the Dubliner, the Irish pub closest to our place for a pint and to take in the spirit of the holiday with the local denizens. We then adjourned for the Newton Hawker Center where there was no corned beef and cabbage (nor green beer) to be found. However, we were able to feast on several local foods and enjoy a pleasant evening together among the crowds that are always present at this popular spot.