The world waits with bated breath as Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un gear up to meet in Singapore to (hopefully) strike a historic peace deal tomorrow. Preparations are in full swing, and it’s been confirmed that the summit will take place at the Capella Hotel on Sentosa.
While hanging around Sentosa and playing golf is great, there are so many interesting places beyond the tourist island that Trump and Kim could stand to learn a lot from, and even have some fun in the process.
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What if we could bring two of the most colourful characters in world politics out for a proper adventure around Singapore?
After all, if people from different ethnicities and walks of life can learn to get along on our island, perhaps so can they. Here’s The Pride’s itinerary for a Trump-Kim adventure to bring us a few steps closer to world peace.
Hit the arcade
We all know that both of these big boys really enjoy their buttons. Instead of leaving the world on tenterhooks with their constant posturing, Trump and Kim can finally settle the question of who’s got faster fingers – at a friendly neighbourhood arcade.
We recommend classics like Time Crisis or Metal Slug, where they can compete to see who’s better at blasting away the bad guys and save the world, or cover each others’ backs and work as a team.
No doubt Singaporean establishments like Timezone and Zone X would be happy to host the duo.
Visit the kopitiam
The local coffee shop can be an intimidating place for foreigners, but no brave visitor should miss the kopitiam experience. Apart from Singaporean delicacies, what makes the kopitiam such a local institution is also the unique lingo used that can make something as simple as ordering, say, an iced coffee with no milk, maddeningly difficult.
World-leader status notwithstanding, you can bet that drinks-stall auntie won’t “give chance” should either of them ask for a café latte.
So even as they struggle to navigate their way through the “O” (coffee or tea without milk), “C” (with evaporated milk) and “gao” (thick, concentrated, unadulterated) to get their point across, Trump and Kim could learn some important lessons about communication and patience here, because the annoyance will surely disappear once that delicious brew is served. Conversely, if auntie just gives up and gives them regular old kopi, the lesson there is a very appropriate, “you can’t always get what you want.”
Drop by the clubs
Popping bottles in a club and dancing the night away is a popular way to unwind, thanks to Singapore’s vibrant nightlife scene.
If Trump and Kim are looking for a way to work off the stress of powering through such a high-level summit, we know the perfect place for them to go – Marina Bay Sands’ famous rooftop nightclub, Ce La Vi.
They’ll love the VIP treatment, and the amazing city view from up there would surely melt away any lingering bad blood.
We just hope nobody mistakes Kim Jong Un for PSY, though we’re sure Kim has his own signature choreography – oppa Pyongyang style.
Queue up for chicken rice
Singapore is fortunate enough to be home to the world’s cheapest Michelin-starred meal, a hearty plate of chicken rice from “Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice Noodle”.
Whatever you think about Singaporeans, you can’t look past the thriving queue culture here. Trump and Kim can pick up on the patience and the practice of playing by the rules – from standing in line for this famous dish.
Plus, it’s a Michelin-starred meal that costs just $3.80, which wouldn’t strain the budgets of either party or the host country.
Try eating a McSpicy
There is culture, history, and cuisine, and then there is the McSpicy.
Available in Singapore but not in the US or North Korea, the McSpicy is a wonderful fusion of the American burger and spicy Asian flavor that Singaporeans from all backgrounds have come to love.
Singapore’s signature McDonald’s burger packs an incredible heat in a deceptively small package, much like a, erm, nuclear weapon. Both Trump and Kim will appreciate its power, and as we’re aware that they share a fondness for McDonalds, it’s not hard to imagine them sitting down with a couple of McSpicy burgers and bonding over common interests instead of focusing on their differences.
And if they don’t react well to it, we hear that Capella has very nice toilets.
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We at The Pride are genuinely stoked that Singapore has been given an opportunity to host a summit that could go a long way towards making the world a better place. We would like to wish both Trump and Kim all the best during their long-awaited meeting.