What will happen to my favourite tourist destinations?December 13, 2016

You missed the most beautiful tennis players on the planet, my mate told me last week. Singapore was the site of the season-ending championships in women's tennis, which took place several weeks ago. But there were important matters to finish back home. I consoled myself of having the best view from my living room. I was done with the Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour, which helped me familiarise with the island state. My flatmates wondered why I chose Singapore as my first destination in my itinerary. I haven't made up my mind if it would be Phuket or Bali. My brother recommended the full moon party, where the Andaman Sea seemed to cast a spell on the party goers (or so my brother thought). Moreover, Dad was once based here. He told me a lot of good things about this place, so I figured it would be nice to explore it on my own.

I was staring at the Singapore Flyer when I recalled an article that my brother sent me the other night. What would happen to the destinations that could be affected by the Trump presidency? It didn't take long to know the answer after browsing through the headline news. Trump had a chat with the Taiwanese president. The Chinese authorities weren't pleased about it. This won't necessarily mean an increase in the number of tourists in Taiwan. Likewise, this recent happening couldn't affect the tourist industry in China. But this would lead somewhere.

Iran came to mind. This exotic nation would be part of my bucket list, as I wanted to lay my eyes on the Persepolis. Greek civilisation would be wrapped around (Western) romanticism, but I suspected that the Persian Empire could be splendid as well. Iran and America don't have a cordial relationship for decades, and I wouldn't see a change during Trump's term. It was during that brief moment when I would feel for the people who don't have a say in the recent US elections, yet they would be affected by Americans who brought Trump to the White House. The Cubans would be the first in line, followed by the Palestinians. And then I realised that I was far away from both places. I was living a fairy tale.

My other mate lamented the end of a fairy tale when Novak Djokovic announced his split from Boris Becker. No one thought that Rod Laver's improbable feat of winning all four Grand Slam titles consecutively could happen soon until Djokovic's triumph at Roland Garros. There were British fans who were happy about it, he added. I asked him about Nick Kyrgios, who wasn't a likable sports figure at all. He might start on his own fairy tale next season after his short suspension. My mate had reservations, but he wanted a homegrown talent to win the majors singles trophy next year. It may be Daria Gavrilova. Something came to mind. What haven't I tried the Flyer?

I thought that I would spend hours walking around this part of Singapore, so there won't be any need to find out what it would feel like up. I had a change of mind, and it might turn out to be the right thing.

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