Away from the city center with high-end restaurants, cafes and landscape gardens, Singapore heartland has a persistent /faʊl/ problem. While both “foul” and “fowl” share the same pronunciation, they also share the same blame.
Starlings, pigeons, and chickens
Let’s start with starling.
Since I first set foot in Singapore, starlings had been the most popular bird around Singapore: on grass fields, around car parks, hawker centers, coffee shops — even inside air-conditioned food courts. They sometimes invaded people homes. Once a bird flew into my house, startled my daughter, and took me a while to rush it out.
The problem is that there are plenty of them and they are so used to human presence and left-over foods. Their ever presence at food preparation and serving places may cause food contamination and disease transmission.
Pigeons also leave their marks.
Unhygienic marks unfortunately. Lots of them.
As with starling, pigeons gather around car park, fields and food establishment. They also gather on aircon ledges, bicycle bays and along walkway shelters.
Unlike starlings, pigeons excrete so much in so many places. I lost count how many times my bicycle handle, seats and frame have been the victim of such inconsiderate birds. Such act presents a more serious risks than starlings in term of disease transmission and contamination.
And the latest newcomer: Chicken
Just the other days, I saw at least 10 chicken near a petrol station. A few days later, I saw the little chicks grown into teens trying to cross the road dodging cars speeding away from a traffic junction.
While it was cute and interesting in 2019 to see chicken around my neighborhood, I have to be careful to avoid hitting one, or the soil they scratched up along the pavement.
Singapore’s /faʊl/ problem is a mix of birds and hygiene. Both “foul” and “fowl” are to blame!
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