Park Royal Hotel di sepanjang Pickering Street di Singapura tidak kurang spektakuler. Tanaman hijau subur yang membentang sepanjang tampilan luarnya yang bergelombang itu meniru hijaunya persawahan yang merupakan pemandangan umum di negeri-negeri tetangga Singapura di Asia Tenggara. Gedung itu telah  memenangi sejumlah penghargaan arsitektur dan desain, serta telah ditampilkan sebagai lokasi dalam film Hollywood, Hitman: Agent 47.

Namun, berjalan beberapa langkah melewati permukaan kaca yang mengesankan ini, lebih ke dalam menuju Chinatown (Pecinan), pemandangan sekitar mulai sedikit berbeda.

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Teguh Harahap is a freelance writer and translator based in Medan, Indonesia. Previously he worked as the editor of Koran Kindo, a weekly newspaper for Indonesian migrant workers based in Hong Kong.