Singapore
Monday 12/10/2013
Andy writes:
"I figured out today why there are no American made vehicles – we don’t make any with the steering wheel on the other side. Obviously the Asian countries are more willing to cater to that market.
"Mary was feeling tired after lunch so I walked south today from hotel and discovered what I can best describe as a vibrant bazaar. This was similar to Little India but pretty much representative of all Southeast Asia. There were stalls everywhere you could look, selling clothes, souvenirs, music, electronics and every food imaginable at very low prices. A few stands sold fresh squeezed juices on ice for $1 in more than 2 dozen flavors: strawberry, cantaloupe, coconut, lemon, lime, starfruit, watermelon, dragonfruit, longan, lychee, sour plum, mangosteen, guava, 3 types of pineapple, durian, celery, carrot, to name a few. Other places had fresh sliced fruits or whole fruits. There were fresh roasted chestnuts, crepes made to order with chocolate, nuts, fruits, etc, and all kinds of Indonesian, Vietnamese, Malay, Korean, Chinese and Thai foods prepared as soups or plates with rice and vegetables for under $5 and you could make a hearty meal of it. Another Chinese bakery had wonderful filled buns with sweets or meats.
"Sadly, I also saw another McDonalds, a Burger King, a Subway and a KFC. I can’t imagine why anyone would patronize them with so much better food available.
"There were some street musicians performing with unusual instruments and rickshaw rides powered by bicycles available.
Also, though it isn’t banned, I saw very few people smoking. Apparently crime is really low too – I saw signs near vendors warning that there were cameras around and a sign said theft carried a 7 year prison sentence. It’s refreshing to see a place where they are not soft on criminals.
"Construction is very visible. They are adding yet more subway lines to the existing 4. I saw workers on the freeway at 1 am after we flew in and it didn’t appear to be any type of emergency work. Tonight I saw concrete trucks out at 7 pm when it was starting to get dark – I rarely see them around as late as 3 pm back home. People here are very committed to working and getting ahead.
"Homeless/beggars are nowhere to be seen and I don’t think there are any slum areas.
"Haven’t seen any gas stations where we are but learned that gas is about $1.75/litre or about $7/gallon and Caltex (Chevron) is the only supplier. Not sure if they have a sanctioned monopoly or not."
Monday 12/10/2013
Andy writes:
"I figured out today why there are no American made vehicles – we don’t make any with the steering wheel on the other side. Obviously the Asian countries are more willing to cater to that market.
"Mary was feeling tired after lunch so I walked south today from hotel and discovered what I can best describe as a vibrant bazaar. This was similar to Little India but pretty much representative of all Southeast Asia. There were stalls everywhere you could look, selling clothes, souvenirs, music, electronics and every food imaginable at very low prices. A few stands sold fresh squeezed juices on ice for $1 in more than 2 dozen flavors: strawberry, cantaloupe, coconut, lemon, lime, starfruit, watermelon, dragonfruit, longan, lychee, sour plum, mangosteen, guava, 3 types of pineapple, durian, celery, carrot, to name a few. Other places had fresh sliced fruits or whole fruits. There were fresh roasted chestnuts, crepes made to order with chocolate, nuts, fruits, etc, and all kinds of Indonesian, Vietnamese, Malay, Korean, Chinese and Thai foods prepared as soups or plates with rice and vegetables for under $5 and you could make a hearty meal of it. Another Chinese bakery had wonderful filled buns with sweets or meats.
"Sadly, I also saw another McDonalds, a Burger King, a Subway and a KFC. I can’t imagine why anyone would patronize them with so much better food available.
"There were some street musicians performing with unusual instruments and rickshaw rides powered by bicycles available.
Also, though it isn’t banned, I saw very few people smoking. Apparently crime is really low too – I saw signs near vendors warning that there were cameras around and a sign said theft carried a 7 year prison sentence. It’s refreshing to see a place where they are not soft on criminals.
"Construction is very visible. They are adding yet more subway lines to the existing 4. I saw workers on the freeway at 1 am after we flew in and it didn’t appear to be any type of emergency work. Tonight I saw concrete trucks out at 7 pm when it was starting to get dark – I rarely see them around as late as 3 pm back home. People here are very committed to working and getting ahead.
"Homeless/beggars are nowhere to be seen and I don’t think there are any slum areas.
"Haven’t seen any gas stations where we are but learned that gas is about $1.75/litre or about $7/gallon and Caltex (Chevron) is the only supplier. Not sure if they have a sanctioned monopoly or not."
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