National Museum of Singapore

Embarking on a cultural adventure, I planned to explore Singapore’s Chinatown and Orchard Road today. My day began a bit later, around 10 am, with a modest breakfast at the hostel. Engaging in conversation, I met James, a 28-year-old Australian entrepreneur in architecture, currently on a Southeast Asia journey en route to Vietnam. His primary goal, however, was to celebrate New Year’s Eve with a friend in Singapore. It seemed many backpackers shared a similar motive for being in Asia during this time. Inviting James to join Yen and me on our visit to Chinatown, I was delighted when he…