Time travel

Thomas Stamford Raffles is seen as the father of modern Singapore.

I leave via Coleman Street and stroll past an amber-colored building that houses the supreme court－but could easily be mistaken for a shopping plaza with its stylish design－to the parliament building.

Guards casually stand a distance from the yard, and joggers occasionally pass by. The place's solemnity is endowed by the parliament's marble sign on the corner.

Tourists can visit on public holidays to learn about the state's political system.

The parliamentary, executive and judiciary branches are Singapore's three primary governmental organs. The parliament is unicameral, and parliamentarians face five-year term limits.

The building, modeled after the United Kingdom's House of Commons, extends impressively to the Singapore River, the cradle of the city's history as a trading post.

The river is now part of the Marina Reservoir since the Singapore River was dammed at its outlet to the sea to create a freshwater reservoir.

In the early 19th century the river brought modern Singapore's British founder Thomas Stamford Raffles and early immigrants to the obscure fishing village.