Where to start?
I’m going to clump these by overall topic, but if I were more intelligent, or gave it more time (most likely both), I might be able to tie the whole thing into a cultural narrative. But, this is what you get. Perhaps I have mentioned one or all of these things before. Refer to the sentence above. If I were more intelligent or diligent about looking back I would know for sure.
Cars
To purchase a car in Singapore you must do the following:
Buy/Own a Certificate of Entitlement (COE). These are basically a license to be allowed to own a car. You have to have one—they are good for 10 years. The prices have been between $10,000 and $20,000 generally. This money goes right to the government. The prices have tanked lately because of the economy—down to $2 for the “smaller” cars (like up to 1600 ccs or whatever). The prices are higher for bigger cars. The idea to regulate the growth/number of cars on the road each year to about a 3% increase and they use an auction to determine the price that clears the market to do that—that is why when people are worried about jobs and the economy they do not bid as high and so the bid goes to $2 (which is unprecedented).
Anyway, you get your license to be able to buy a car; then, you have to pay for the
Registration and Import Taxes As no cars are made in Singapore you cannot get away from import taxes—of 41% of the value of imported cars. This amount goes to the government. You also have to pay $1,000 for Registering the Vehicle (a very minimal sum at this point). And, here is the whopper!!! When a car is first registered (whether new or used), an Additional Registration Fee (ARF) of 150 per cent of the car's Open Market Value is payable.
There are all kinds of toll roads and road taxes each year (like inspection stickers more or less) that add to the cost of operating a car.
But, to buy a new BMW 328 (A) (2.8cc) would cost you about $238,000—that is Singapore dollars. So at the current exchange rate it would be about USD$162,000! From a website I found a price in the US of USD $41,000.
To put this in perspective: if I took a cab every single place I go in a month and so did Leon and even Siena it would cost us at the most about $400—Singapore dollars. The bus ride from Siena’s school to our house costs me $0.67 and I believe its about the same to Leon’s work from here.
Crazy. I just cannot see where they get the money. I have heard that the loans are huge amounts and that often when you sell a car in three years or so you have to write a check to cover the shortfall between the resale price (especially for export) and the balance on the loan. Also, Singapore is the 2nd or 3rd largest exporter of used cars in the world—this from a country 1/100th the size of the King Ranch that does not even make cars! People love to have new cars and new phones—they change cell phones every 3 months or so and cars every three years.
Public Sector Pay
Apparently civil servants receive a 13th month salary as a bonus each year and also get Annual Variable Components bonuses (for CPI) and Growth Bonuses-w-hen the economy grows. They don’t get as much of the AVC and GB bonuses—or none at all when the economy is in the shape it is now (and expected to be for 2009).
The pay of the Ministers is very high. This is the way in which corruption is never allowed to take hold. For example, top officer holders (President and PM) get $3.1 million per year and entry grade Ministers get $1.57 million this year. However, this is a 19% cut from last year. The Members of Parliament get $190,000—down 16% from last year. Here is a direct quote from the venerable Straights Times:
“The pay of Cabinet ministers and top civil servants has been pegged to the taxed income of top earners in six professions in the private sector since 1994. Last year, an additional mechanism was introduced to link a “significant” portion of pay—close to 25% this year—to the performance of the economy, to allow for more rapid adjustments to changing market conditions…Since the pay formula was introduced, top civil servants and ministers have seen their pay go down several times along with the county’s economic fortunes—in 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003.”
The Judiciary, the City-State, LKY and the Press
This excerpt will have to speak for itself:
Singapore's High Court has found the Wall Street Journal Asia in contempt of court for a commentary it published about the city-state in June and July. The court fined Dow Jones Publishing Co (Asia), a subsidiary of News Corp's Dow Jones & Co unit and publisher of the Wall Street Journal's Asian edition, 25,000 Singapore dollars (US$16,573)—the highest amount ever levied for such a case in Singapore.
Justice Tay Yong Kwang ruled Tuesday against the newspaper and two of its editors, three weeks after Attorney-General Walter Woon argued the editorials published in June and July questioned the judiciary's independence from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and the ruling People's Action Party, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Not meting out punishment in this case would undermine the country's rule of law, the court said.
The letter to the editor was written by Chee Soon Juan, head of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party. The editorials and the letter "contained insinuations of bias, lack of impartiality and lack of independence and implied that the judiciary is subservient to Lee and/or the PAP and is a tool for silencing political dissent," Tay wrote in the ruling. "There can be no doubt that allegations of the nature mentioned above would immediately cast doubts on the judiciary in Singapore and undermine public confidence."
Paris-based Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has condemned the ruling. "Even if the fine is not colossal, the ruling very clearly shows that Singapore’s judges have no intention of letting the foreign media express themselves freely about the country’s judicial system, which is lacking in independence," it said.
"Another Dow Jones publication, the Far Eastern Economic Review, has also been prosecuted in Singapore," RSF added. "The way this company is being hounded by the government and judicial system—which takes its orders from Lee Kuan Yew and his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong—is utterly deplorable. We urge the Singaporean authorities to stop prosecuting foreign news media."
A Dow Jones spokesman told RSF, "Dow Jones is extremely disappointed with the ruling of the high court and strongly disagrees with the court’s analysis that the editorials and letter to the editor constitute contempt of court. Also, contrary to what the attorney general has alleged, the Wall Street Journal Asia has not engaged in a ’campaign’ of any sort against the Singapore judiciary. We will in the future continue to defend the right of the Wall Street Journal Asia to report and comment on matters of international importance, including matters concerning Singapore."
The prosecution was brought by the attorney general, who said the editorials and the letter, published in June and July of this year, "impugned the integrity, impartiality and independence of the Singapore judiciary."
Denying any illegal intent on the part of the newspaper, its lawyer, Philip Jeyaretnam, said it had simply wanted to inform a readership that knew the difference between information and criticism. The letter was written by Chee Soon Juan, one of the leading members of the Singaporean opposition. It was an article about Chee that led the prime minister and his father, Lee Kuan Yew, to sue the Far Eastern Economic Review. The high court ruled at the end of September that the magazine had libelled the Lees ordered it to pay damages. The size of the damages award has not been released.
Exciting place to be living.
Movie Theaters
Seats are reserved.
There are whole food courts outside the theaters where you can buy all kinds of food and take it in. Somehow I have not found it very smelly as you would imagine. There are two kinds of popcorn-sweet (caramel corn) and salted (the normal kind), but no butter-lard!
Each theater has a restroom off to the side where the sound for that movie is on so you really don’t miss much. Its not just one bathroom its like the normal one you would have—3 stalls for women (I assume something of the like for men) and its behind a curtain that then leads to the doors so it stays dark in the theater—its very civilized.
Public restrooms
Other than (and probably even including) Japan, these are the cleanest anywhere in the world. Its really a surprise because Singaporeans don’t clean up their table after eating, the movie theater upon leaving, anything, but they do seem to keep a toilet clean.
Christmas Decorations
Yes. You complainers about Christmas starting too soon and being too commercialized in the US have no idea! The first Christmas tree in the mall was up November 5th. The entire main shopping district is more lit up than 5th Avenue and there is no qualm about a country of only 15% Christians having giant Merry Christmas banners all over. It is a shopping excuse and that is what really matters here.
We miss Thanksgiving in the US, but are going to do up a Singapore-style one here on Saturday with some friends—pool party, BBQ, some turkey and cranberry..traditional November activities.
Faith
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
October 3, 2008
We fly out tomorrow for the US, but I wanted to send a quick update--although it wouldn't be that long even if I had lots of time. I guess things are getting more routine here and the cultural differences are either not that glaringly obvious or I have already mentioned them enough.
Here are some things that could not be mentioned enough:
If you want an event planned and it carried out flawlessly, outsource it to the government of Singapore. The F1 Night Race and the whole set up was not only perfect and executed exactly as planned, but they had ideas--like night clubs--including DJs and dance floors and cocktail waitresses (covered, but open) in the F1 walk-about area. The portable bathrooms have foot pedals, flushes, running water, soap and toile paper--and can be locked and unlocked using the elbow only. Oh yeah, and a mirror.
The parking garages--this is not for F1, but all the time, have signs before you get to them--where you have to make a decision to turn or not--telling you how many open spaces there are. They also have a sign as you enter the garage and it tells you how many spaces on each floor and these are real time. When you get to an aisle you can look down the aisle to see green lights above empty spaces and red lights above full spaces. There are no garage attendants--everything is done electronically--with the same device that does the toll roads--like EZ pass.
Here are some photos to round out this epistle:
The first one--6894 is an advertisement in a mall. They are going to help your child excel in: handwriting, coordination, and HYPERACTIVITY? I would have thought your child excelled at that and you needed them to not be quite so good at it. They can also help your child excel in clumsiness!? More evidence that too many people here are tourists with English grammar!
the second one--6823 is the seating capacity in a taxi. All seems well until you get there to the end--6 kids can go in this cab? Does anyone else think a cab driver with a bag of candy and 6 kids in his cab should be noted pretty carefully?
the third one--54 is what the sign said on the door (that itself was within a bathroom stall) in a mall restroom. I do not know what it is. I tried to open it (of course), but it was locked. I think I will use it as the name of the Time Out area for Siena when she is a tween.
the lat one-0003 is just plain odd. This never happens in Singapore. Just in case you are thinking--as you New Yorkers certainly are--that these are homeless people--think again. These are all work men on the lunch break sleeping in the shade. I have never seen this before here and doubt I will see it again once the authorities figure out that a random tourist may leave with anything other than a (well deserved) impression of Singapore.
The government has set aside an area (a small park) as a free speech area for protestors and the like. So far it has been used once--the first day by a group who is against the mistreatment of maids. That is not really a hard sell! the government has a good plan and punishments for people who do that, but this group is trying to get the regular people to modify their less-than-loving attitudes. The "protest" lasted about 15 minutes. There is one guy--yes, one guy, who now has a reservation to have a rally for gay rights--or against gay discrimination (whichever). They had some other gay guy in the paper saying how he thought it was a good idea if that (the planner) wanted to do it, but he (the speaker) didn't think it was his cup of tea and would not attend the rally.
There are all kinds of opinions about how Singaporeans have nothing to complain about so they don't have any use for the space, or they do not know how to protest, or that they are scared to do so even if they are told they can. I assume that its a combination of all of them, but I would LOVE to see just a handful of the groups from UT's west mall come for a week!
Faith
Here are some things that could not be mentioned enough:
If you want an event planned and it carried out flawlessly, outsource it to the government of Singapore. The F1 Night Race and the whole set up was not only perfect and executed exactly as planned, but they had ideas--like night clubs--including DJs and dance floors and cocktail waitresses (covered, but open) in the F1 walk-about area. The portable bathrooms have foot pedals, flushes, running water, soap and toile paper--and can be locked and unlocked using the elbow only. Oh yeah, and a mirror.
The parking garages--this is not for F1, but all the time, have signs before you get to them--where you have to make a decision to turn or not--telling you how many open spaces there are. They also have a sign as you enter the garage and it tells you how many spaces on each floor and these are real time. When you get to an aisle you can look down the aisle to see green lights above empty spaces and red lights above full spaces. There are no garage attendants--everything is done electronically--with the same device that does the toll roads--like EZ pass.
Here are some photos to round out this epistle:
The first one--6894 is an advertisement in a mall. They are going to help your child excel in: handwriting, coordination, and HYPERACTIVITY? I would have thought your child excelled at that and you needed them to not be quite so good at it. They can also help your child excel in clumsiness!? More evidence that too many people here are tourists with English grammar!
the second one--6823 is the seating capacity in a taxi. All seems well until you get there to the end--6 kids can go in this cab? Does anyone else think a cab driver with a bag of candy and 6 kids in his cab should be noted pretty carefully?
the third one--54 is what the sign said on the door (that itself was within a bathroom stall) in a mall restroom. I do not know what it is. I tried to open it (of course), but it was locked. I think I will use it as the name of the Time Out area for Siena when she is a tween.
the lat one-0003 is just plain odd. This never happens in Singapore. Just in case you are thinking--as you New Yorkers certainly are--that these are homeless people--think again. These are all work men on the lunch break sleeping in the shade. I have never seen this before here and doubt I will see it again once the authorities figure out that a random tourist may leave with anything other than a (well deserved) impression of Singapore.
The government has set aside an area (a small park) as a free speech area for protestors and the like. So far it has been used once--the first day by a group who is against the mistreatment of maids. That is not really a hard sell! the government has a good plan and punishments for people who do that, but this group is trying to get the regular people to modify their less-than-loving attitudes. The "protest" lasted about 15 minutes. There is one guy--yes, one guy, who now has a reservation to have a rally for gay rights--or against gay discrimination (whichever). They had some other gay guy in the paper saying how he thought it was a good idea if that (the planner) wanted to do it, but he (the speaker) didn't think it was his cup of tea and would not attend the rally.
There are all kinds of opinions about how Singaporeans have nothing to complain about so they don't have any use for the space, or they do not know how to protest, or that they are scared to do so even if they are told they can. I assume that its a combination of all of them, but I would LOVE to see just a handful of the groups from UT's west mall come for a week!
Faith
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Things I Miss and Things I Don't
Most of the grocery stores here are in large part owned by some branch of the government. One very annoying aspect of that is that there may be a product there one week and not there the next. It does not mean—as it would in the U.S.—that 1) they are getting ready to stock the shelves and you happened to be unlucky as to when you arrived, or 2) they are no longer going to carry the product. It means that they have sold out and the other stores in the entire country (of all names and types) will sell out of that product too before they reorder it. Honey Nut Cheerios will be on the shelves for months, then it disappears from one store after the other until there are none left. Then, 3 months later, every store has them again.
Before you think that I am making too grand an interpretation of this, I can tell you it has happened with about 10 things—only 7 of which are back now. A couple other expat women have told me that this is the case—many of them have been here for years—4 to 6 years and say that it has always been thus.
I got a note from the Rotary Club I attend the other day. Here it is in its entirety:
Dear Fellow Rotarians:
As you are aware, our Rotary Meetings are now conducted every Wednesday, at 12.30pm at The Tanglin Club, 5 Stevens Road.
The Tanglin Club has requested that we inform our members of their following club by-laws:
- Mobile telephones are not permitted at air-conditioned areas.
- No domestic servants shall be allowed in the club premises.
We kindly request members to comply with the above terms and the Tanglin Club's by-laws.
I guess you can figure out the sentence I was surprised about. I’m not sure if I am offended that domestic servants are less welcome than other non-members or if I am offended because it needs stating that they are not covered in a membership or if it is because some members would not think that domestic servants rate as separate people to be considered as not members or whether it is just the term “domestic servant.” In any case, I was offended by the sentence. It is for me as I read in a book once, “give me long enough and the jet stream will personally offend me.”
Siena and I saw three police men in the mall the other day. Those are the first police officers I have seen that are not on tv or in the airport. It is the highest number of them together that I have ever seen other than when they showed the whole police force looking for the escaped terrorist –whom they never found.
Number of out-of-wedlock births in Singapore: 481 in 2005, 495 in 2006 and 561 in 2007. I only bring this up to once again revel in the exactitude of the numbers that are printed in the newspaper. The story was about how many women were not even putting father’s names on the birth certificates because it is too much trouble to find them later to register a kid for school and so on. I think they are so keen for any births in this country that they even forgot to say that they would prefer to have marriages with the kids.
The English fluency of the service personnel (like waiters) here is remarkably bad for people who went to school for 15 years in English. Every school is in English. It is shocking. Its not just the accent-which is dreadful, but has an explanation. It’s the fact that any sentence that one has not heard before cannot be interpreted!! They had better ratchet up that Speak Good English program—and add the addendum Try to Realize that People Actually Expect You to Understand it Too.
Things I Miss:
Fresh Direct (if you don’t know what this is, don’t find out—you’ll miss it too, even if you never had it)
Food (restaurant delivery
Dark chocolate covered raisins (you may have heard that before)
Inexpensive wine
Our friends and family
Battery Park City
People complaining about things
Target / Wal Mart
Grocery stores that consistently have stock of the same thing
People making jokes
Cab drivers who know the roads
Actual online shopping and directions and information
Real opinion in newspapers
Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Funny television shows
Net flix
Instant-on hot water
Central AC (not that we had that in NYC)
Mailing things from my own mail box
Sensible login policies and convenient online banking
Wheat Thins
Things I Don’t Miss:
Dirty public bathrooms (really, the filthy ones here are cleaner than the ones that are clean in the U.S.)
Ugly scenery
Litter
Any airport other than Changi
People complaining about things (its complicated)
Crime
Reality tv and the weird voyeurism that it shows me about other people
NY state and City taxes
Catalogs in the mail (well, maybe I miss some of them, but you get NONE here, basically no junk mail)
Colder weather coming…
Unironed clothes (and sheets and pajamas)
Going to the doctor and then a pharmacy instead of getting it all in one place
Horns and sirens
Time to go for now.
Faith
Before you think that I am making too grand an interpretation of this, I can tell you it has happened with about 10 things—only 7 of which are back now. A couple other expat women have told me that this is the case—many of them have been here for years—4 to 6 years and say that it has always been thus.
I got a note from the Rotary Club I attend the other day. Here it is in its entirety:
Dear Fellow Rotarians:
As you are aware, our Rotary Meetings are now conducted every Wednesday, at 12.30pm at The Tanglin Club, 5 Stevens Road.
The Tanglin Club has requested that we inform our members of their following club by-laws:
- Mobile telephones are not permitted at air-conditioned areas.
- No domestic servants shall be allowed in the club premises.
We kindly request members to comply with the above terms and the Tanglin Club's by-laws.
I guess you can figure out the sentence I was surprised about. I’m not sure if I am offended that domestic servants are less welcome than other non-members or if I am offended because it needs stating that they are not covered in a membership or if it is because some members would not think that domestic servants rate as separate people to be considered as not members or whether it is just the term “domestic servant.” In any case, I was offended by the sentence. It is for me as I read in a book once, “give me long enough and the jet stream will personally offend me.”
Siena and I saw three police men in the mall the other day. Those are the first police officers I have seen that are not on tv or in the airport. It is the highest number of them together that I have ever seen other than when they showed the whole police force looking for the escaped terrorist –whom they never found.
Number of out-of-wedlock births in Singapore: 481 in 2005, 495 in 2006 and 561 in 2007. I only bring this up to once again revel in the exactitude of the numbers that are printed in the newspaper. The story was about how many women were not even putting father’s names on the birth certificates because it is too much trouble to find them later to register a kid for school and so on. I think they are so keen for any births in this country that they even forgot to say that they would prefer to have marriages with the kids.
The English fluency of the service personnel (like waiters) here is remarkably bad for people who went to school for 15 years in English. Every school is in English. It is shocking. Its not just the accent-which is dreadful, but has an explanation. It’s the fact that any sentence that one has not heard before cannot be interpreted!! They had better ratchet up that Speak Good English program—and add the addendum Try to Realize that People Actually Expect You to Understand it Too.
Things I Miss:
Fresh Direct (if you don’t know what this is, don’t find out—you’ll miss it too, even if you never had it)
Food (restaurant delivery
Dark chocolate covered raisins (you may have heard that before)
Inexpensive wine
Our friends and family
Battery Park City
People complaining about things
Target / Wal Mart
Grocery stores that consistently have stock of the same thing
People making jokes
Cab drivers who know the roads
Actual online shopping and directions and information
Real opinion in newspapers
Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Funny television shows
Net flix
Instant-on hot water
Central AC (not that we had that in NYC)
Mailing things from my own mail box
Sensible login policies and convenient online banking
Wheat Thins
Things I Don’t Miss:
Dirty public bathrooms (really, the filthy ones here are cleaner than the ones that are clean in the U.S.)
Ugly scenery
Litter
Any airport other than Changi
People complaining about things (its complicated)
Crime
Reality tv and the weird voyeurism that it shows me about other people
NY state and City taxes
Catalogs in the mail (well, maybe I miss some of them, but you get NONE here, basically no junk mail)
Colder weather coming…
Unironed clothes (and sheets and pajamas)
Going to the doctor and then a pharmacy instead of getting it all in one place
Horns and sirens
Time to go for now.
Faith
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
August Update
Here is a real treat. An actual quote in the newspaper from a Singapore t.v. star. Here is the explanatory note on the quote: “On how he makes light of a drink-driving incident which got him a $4,500 fine, six weeks in prison and a three-year driving ban.” Here is actual thing that he said, “When I jump into a cab sometimes, the driver will ask me why I’m not driving. I’ll say: “Uncle, you forget already, ah? Where can drive? Still got two more years, leh.””
That is textbook Singlish. The difference that this guy knows proper (my description) English—the first part of the quote and Singlish—the second part of that thing. We hear this all the time and I know that there are a very large majority who do not know that what they are speaking is not, in fact, understandable English. This is what we are dealing with with Siena. She often says, “Why not fit?” She didn’t even use grammar like that when she was 1 and a half! She has also said, on occasion, “Off the light.” UGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!
An article in the newspaper talked of the etiquette campaign in China aimed at “eradicating bad manners” before the Olympics. The Commission in charge is named, “Office of Capital Spiritual Civilization Construction Commission.” Here are some of the things they are advising: 1) visiting neighbors in pajamas and slippers is out; 2) recommends dark colored socks and never white socks with black leather shoes; 3) there should not be more than three color groups in your clothing; 4) no spitting; 5) no public displays of affection; 6) feet should be in the shape of a V or Y when standing (HOW do they normally stand?!); 7) do not ask foreigners for their age, martial status, income, past experiences, addresses, personal-life details, religious beliefs and political ideologies!!!—I do wonder what in the world people would say to each other, but that is what China says not to do!; and 8) spectators should cheer all teams. “Accept that a victory or loss is temporary, whereas the impression of the culture inside a sports venue last forever.”
I have been in Singapore too long because I think this is a good little book that should be given out to everyone in the world. Ok, point 7 is not in my ideal book, but the rest is. Speaking of instructions on proper living, the Prime Minister gives a National Day address—a State of the Union type thing—every year. He does it in Malay, Mandarin and English. This year he told of the new payments for pensioners and others to help offset the inflation increase (7% this year or so) and talked of some of the changes in maternity benefits and all others kinds of incentives for people to have more kids (and get married). He told men that they should do more to help raise their children—like changing the diapers. Really, he said that men should change babies’ diapers! I do not disagree with him, but there is no doubt that Singapore deserves its reputation as “the Nanny state”!
I have figured out that even though people will not move out of your way when walking, will cut in line (often, but not always), etc. they do hold the elevator door open button every time someone gets on or off as a courtesy. Also, the elevator doors close so fast here that they are always making sure that you don’t lose a limb.
The cabs are still crazy unpredictable—preferring to sit for an hour with no business and waiting for a call—where they get an extra S$2.00! One even pulled up to get me today and then (before I got my hand on the door) pulled away. I assume this was a call that was received instead of just a Candid Camera joke.
We had a great trip to Japan for 9 days and it was HOT! And Humid! The people are lovely, the entire place is as neat and clean as Disneyland, they speak English very well and the trains are fast, spotless and PERFECTLY timed. Don’t worry—700 photos to follow soon.
I need to wrap this up and send it out, but I have one more thing. I think I mentioned in an earlier e-mail how many times it seems in Rotary and other places that there are groups looking to do “charity” and not enough takers—like when the disabled workers training program said that they could just not get people to respond—after hearing that same complaint about it from three different groups with different targets I really have the impression that there are mechanisms learned from other places in place to assist those in need and now there are just not as many people in need of the service as the “do-gooders” had hoped. Interesting phenomenon.
On a similar note, the Rotary Club of which I am a member is involved in many Entrepreneur awards and training and so on. Many of the programs that were started by Rotary and others to do anything like that—either for small business or youth entrepreneurs or social entrepreneurs, etc.—strive to get a program into place and then the government—if it agrees with what they want to push and inculcate—will take over the program. This is excellent in that then it is pretty much guaranteed funding, has some office to administer the program, etc. Each of the founding organizations gets to stay involved, so it’s not like they don’t get any more recognition or anything. BUT, how weird is it that when we meet to discuss the parameters of a new project we are always considering what it needs to be like in order for it to fit with that the government wants so that they can eventually take it over??! It’s a fabulous business/politics/economics case study for me and I am glad I am only visiting it.
Faith
That is textbook Singlish. The difference that this guy knows proper (my description) English—the first part of the quote and Singlish—the second part of that thing. We hear this all the time and I know that there are a very large majority who do not know that what they are speaking is not, in fact, understandable English. This is what we are dealing with with Siena. She often says, “Why not fit?” She didn’t even use grammar like that when she was 1 and a half! She has also said, on occasion, “Off the light.” UGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!
An article in the newspaper talked of the etiquette campaign in China aimed at “eradicating bad manners” before the Olympics. The Commission in charge is named, “Office of Capital Spiritual Civilization Construction Commission.” Here are some of the things they are advising: 1) visiting neighbors in pajamas and slippers is out; 2) recommends dark colored socks and never white socks with black leather shoes; 3) there should not be more than three color groups in your clothing; 4) no spitting; 5) no public displays of affection; 6) feet should be in the shape of a V or Y when standing (HOW do they normally stand?!); 7) do not ask foreigners for their age, martial status, income, past experiences, addresses, personal-life details, religious beliefs and political ideologies!!!—I do wonder what in the world people would say to each other, but that is what China says not to do!; and 8) spectators should cheer all teams. “Accept that a victory or loss is temporary, whereas the impression of the culture inside a sports venue last forever.”
I have been in Singapore too long because I think this is a good little book that should be given out to everyone in the world. Ok, point 7 is not in my ideal book, but the rest is. Speaking of instructions on proper living, the Prime Minister gives a National Day address—a State of the Union type thing—every year. He does it in Malay, Mandarin and English. This year he told of the new payments for pensioners and others to help offset the inflation increase (7% this year or so) and talked of some of the changes in maternity benefits and all others kinds of incentives for people to have more kids (and get married). He told men that they should do more to help raise their children—like changing the diapers. Really, he said that men should change babies’ diapers! I do not disagree with him, but there is no doubt that Singapore deserves its reputation as “the Nanny state”!
I have figured out that even though people will not move out of your way when walking, will cut in line (often, but not always), etc. they do hold the elevator door open button every time someone gets on or off as a courtesy. Also, the elevator doors close so fast here that they are always making sure that you don’t lose a limb.
The cabs are still crazy unpredictable—preferring to sit for an hour with no business and waiting for a call—where they get an extra S$2.00! One even pulled up to get me today and then (before I got my hand on the door) pulled away. I assume this was a call that was received instead of just a Candid Camera joke.
We had a great trip to Japan for 9 days and it was HOT! And Humid! The people are lovely, the entire place is as neat and clean as Disneyland, they speak English very well and the trains are fast, spotless and PERFECTLY timed. Don’t worry—700 photos to follow soon.
I need to wrap this up and send it out, but I have one more thing. I think I mentioned in an earlier e-mail how many times it seems in Rotary and other places that there are groups looking to do “charity” and not enough takers—like when the disabled workers training program said that they could just not get people to respond—after hearing that same complaint about it from three different groups with different targets I really have the impression that there are mechanisms learned from other places in place to assist those in need and now there are just not as many people in need of the service as the “do-gooders” had hoped. Interesting phenomenon.
On a similar note, the Rotary Club of which I am a member is involved in many Entrepreneur awards and training and so on. Many of the programs that were started by Rotary and others to do anything like that—either for small business or youth entrepreneurs or social entrepreneurs, etc.—strive to get a program into place and then the government—if it agrees with what they want to push and inculcate—will take over the program. This is excellent in that then it is pretty much guaranteed funding, has some office to administer the program, etc. Each of the founding organizations gets to stay involved, so it’s not like they don’t get any more recognition or anything. BUT, how weird is it that when we meet to discuss the parameters of a new project we are always considering what it needs to be like in order for it to fit with that the government wants so that they can eventually take it over??! It’s a fabulous business/politics/economics case study for me and I am glad I am only visiting it.
Faith
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
July 23, 2008
I am a little embarrassed to say that it was June before I realized that everything here is priced in $.05 increments—they do not use $.01 anymore in Singapore. However, in Indonesia I don’t even believe they get down to the 1 rupiah level. We had a very big and lovely lunch for 7 of us for only 785,000!!! It was like back in the day when brokers took us out for steaks and wine! However, it was only US $80. Leon was thrilled to take out more than 1 million from the ATM machine—twice!
Have I told you before that there are NO police anywhere here. I have seen a few people in uniform in the airport and have seen police stations and know that it is said that “oh, you don’t see them because they are in plain clothes…but they are there!” I do wonder if it’s only a marketing ploy and there are like 6 guys in three shifts and that is the entire police force.
You NEVER hear sirens here. There are no police cars. There are very few ambulances. I bring this up because I heard an ambulance the other day and I was shocked. I try not to think about the fact that if I never hear any there probably aren’t any around for me if I need one….
The climate here is fantastic for my skin. While the gravity is the same as everywhere else—or maybe even getting stronger the older I get—my skin looks clearer and healthier. It must be because it is virtually living in atmospheric water the humidity is so high.
I would like to add again that Singapore’s airport being the finest in the world. I have entered or exited through the airport 6 times in the last month (which means that there were 3 other airports that I went to/from) and really, it is a work of art and science. I recommend you come here. Even if you just come to the airport!!! Siena always asks if we are going to live there because she knows I love the place and thinks it is funny to ask me if I am going to live in an airport!
Summer is in full swing—and it is no different than March. The days are the same length, the same temperature, the same humidity. I love the warmth—I love that it does not get dark early ever. I am about finished with humidity, but I think it might be a little too much to ask them to a/c the whole country!
I looked back at some of the things I wrote before to see if I had addressed the things that are most obvious to me. Here are some updates on those:
There are not as many non-Asians as I thought at first. We were in the Orchard Road area and that is a mecca for tourists and expats so it seemed like there were more than it now seems. Leon always says how everyone is Chinese or Oriental. I am still surprised at how many non-Orientals there are though!
I did mention the bank log in nightmare before—you are required to have two separate “secret” codes—only one of which is your password and the other is one they give you at the time of log in-via your cell phone. But, if you don’t have that they can do it by phone or they can give you a little code generator thing—but you have to go to the bank office to pick that up….It may actually be more secure, but it is driving me absolutely insane to not be able to do online banking in anything less than 40 minutes and 2 secret, under-cover methods of insuring that my cell phone is at least stolen by the same person who got my password.
I have also told you how unfathomable the cabs are—they just click their light to “Hired” when they don’t feel like picking you up or perhaps they are just going to wait for a call so they can charge a dollar more…not that they know how to get to your destination of choice anyway….
Here is something I am surprised about: there is not a requirement for car seats or kids in the back seat. How odd in a place where everything is mandated to save people from themselves….Also, there are smoke alarms only outside each apartment—none are required or included inside the apartment, let alone in bedrooms….
We just spent a week in England and the English summer was a heavenly break from the weather here. It was a bit of a chore to get pants that fit Siena as she has not worn anything with long pants or sleeves in 6 months and grows like a weed. Luckily, we had a lot of hand-me-downs from friends and cousins that were too big in December in NYC, but are perfect now.
Faith
Have I told you before that there are NO police anywhere here. I have seen a few people in uniform in the airport and have seen police stations and know that it is said that “oh, you don’t see them because they are in plain clothes…but they are there!” I do wonder if it’s only a marketing ploy and there are like 6 guys in three shifts and that is the entire police force.
You NEVER hear sirens here. There are no police cars. There are very few ambulances. I bring this up because I heard an ambulance the other day and I was shocked. I try not to think about the fact that if I never hear any there probably aren’t any around for me if I need one….
The climate here is fantastic for my skin. While the gravity is the same as everywhere else—or maybe even getting stronger the older I get—my skin looks clearer and healthier. It must be because it is virtually living in atmospheric water the humidity is so high.
I would like to add again that Singapore’s airport being the finest in the world. I have entered or exited through the airport 6 times in the last month (which means that there were 3 other airports that I went to/from) and really, it is a work of art and science. I recommend you come here. Even if you just come to the airport!!! Siena always asks if we are going to live there because she knows I love the place and thinks it is funny to ask me if I am going to live in an airport!
Summer is in full swing—and it is no different than March. The days are the same length, the same temperature, the same humidity. I love the warmth—I love that it does not get dark early ever. I am about finished with humidity, but I think it might be a little too much to ask them to a/c the whole country!
I looked back at some of the things I wrote before to see if I had addressed the things that are most obvious to me. Here are some updates on those:
There are not as many non-Asians as I thought at first. We were in the Orchard Road area and that is a mecca for tourists and expats so it seemed like there were more than it now seems. Leon always says how everyone is Chinese or Oriental. I am still surprised at how many non-Orientals there are though!
I did mention the bank log in nightmare before—you are required to have two separate “secret” codes—only one of which is your password and the other is one they give you at the time of log in-via your cell phone. But, if you don’t have that they can do it by phone or they can give you a little code generator thing—but you have to go to the bank office to pick that up….It may actually be more secure, but it is driving me absolutely insane to not be able to do online banking in anything less than 40 minutes and 2 secret, under-cover methods of insuring that my cell phone is at least stolen by the same person who got my password.
I have also told you how unfathomable the cabs are—they just click their light to “Hired” when they don’t feel like picking you up or perhaps they are just going to wait for a call so they can charge a dollar more…not that they know how to get to your destination of choice anyway….
Here is something I am surprised about: there is not a requirement for car seats or kids in the back seat. How odd in a place where everything is mandated to save people from themselves….Also, there are smoke alarms only outside each apartment—none are required or included inside the apartment, let alone in bedrooms….
We just spent a week in England and the English summer was a heavenly break from the weather here. It was a bit of a chore to get pants that fit Siena as she has not worn anything with long pants or sleeves in 6 months and grows like a weed. Luckily, we had a lot of hand-me-downs from friends and cousins that were too big in December in NYC, but are perfect now.
Faith
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
June 17, 2008
Here you go. This one is a bonus because you get a photo of some of the instructional/ how to signs. I love these—they are exactly what you should do. Of course, after elementary school in the US they do not put these things around for fear of offending. I love “avoid crowded places.” Also, I love the tag line (at the top) “Together Singapore’s OK.” Not “great”, not “second to none” just “ok”.
You have heard me opine about the lack of thinking outside the box. Let me tell you what 13 years hard education gets you here—these people can do all addition and subtraction and a whole lot of multiplication in their head—and fast. They may be able to do differential calculus quite well too, but contrary to what they told me in high school, I actually do not use it in public interactions each day.
There is a campaign that they have been trying to get off the ground for some years and it has a new, vibrant chairman, so things are looking up. It is called: “Speak Good English.” The goal is admirable. The only thing I could wish for is that they would even name the thing in “good English.” I mean, after all those years and study no one has pointed out that it would correctly be “Speak English Well”??
We have been here almost 5 months. The other day I was waiting at the bus stop and there was the unmistakable sound of jets flying (or coming up quickly) overhead. I stepped out of the overhang to watch them and they were (I believe) the Singapore Blue Angels. They were great and were so close and obviously practicing for something (maybe National Day in August). Anyway, it was great. I was the only person watching. There were maybe 30 people in my range of vision during the time I watched and I did not see anyone else look up. It cannot be so common that they see it every day—I was here 4 months and didn’t. I am trying to figure out if this is a cultural thing and cannot see how it fits.
Siena and I got to see them again today and it was like a private air show for us—we watched from our apartment on the 19th floor and they look so much closer than I have ever seen in the U.S. they must be over Indonesia and Malaysia from turn to turn.
I was in a hospital/medical center the other day and there is one room/office where you register and also pay at the end. The hospital and staff are all very first world—better than average in the U.S. and the people who registered me and checked me out were completely competent and helpful. Both of these things are somewhat of a culture shock to me and I loved them. There is a machine there where you press a button (either next to “register” or “pay”) and a numbered ticket comes out. When your number comes up above the appropriate window you go up for service. The same kind of thing all of you know from the DMV or a deli. I dutifully did this when I came in and there were three other people there and two already seated at the appropriate desk. This is a small room there is no room for a line and it seems a good idea. Plus, I would never want to assume that Singaporeans would politely wait until their turn came by looking around at the people who came in before them.. They are not the type to do that, they are the type to get in wherever there is (or isn’t) an opening.
So, when I came back to “pay” at 6pm I was the only person in that room other than the guy who worked there. I walked in, said hello and went to the desk and gave him my paperwork. He told me, “Take a number,” I looked around, laughed and said, “Oh, okay, so we know that I’m next, right?” No answer.
He was quite efficient when he did finally push the number machine and my number came up, but it was too funny, just too Singaporean! Anyway, in hindsight I wish I would have sat there and then have jumped up to say “Oh, that must be me!” after he called the number a few times. However, that will have to be in the screenplay only as it didn’t happen in real life.
Here is the downside to having a “helper” (read “person who does everything I don’t feel like doing or am not good at”) here: we eat too much and she puts things away all the time—even stuff I have out for a purpose. Leon gave me a pair of pants three times (to give away) and I left them where I would remember and then they were gone by the time I got back from taking Siena to school.
That’s all for this time! We go to Bali in two weeks with Leon’s brother’s (Sean) family and then Langkawi, Malaysia after that. These are weekend trips. You have to love being able to do that!
Monday, May 26, 2008
May 27, 2008
Things are more interesting to me here now. Now I can see that there is litter, just not very much and not really obvious. After any public event the sidewalk is a mess just like any other place (well, maybe not quite that bad), it is just cleaned up faster.
Leon and I are constantly amazed how in the “man on the street” there is not very much free (out-of-the-box) thinking. When I called for a cab the other evening, the dispatcher asked where I was. I told her that I was at the corner of Market and Chulia streets just behind Boat Quay. She asked me what taxi stand. I told her that I did not know where the taxi stands were, although I knew there were a few near that place (as it is a huge tourist area, huge business and hotel area and I had been dropped off in a cab somewhere near there before). She told me just to tell her the number of the taxi stand. I once again stated that I did not know where a tax I stand was and if she could look at her map or whatever and tell me where one was in relation to where I was then I could go to that one. She told me to give her a landmark. I told her I was at Chulia and Market Streets behind (virtually on) Boat Quay. This would be like saying, I am at the corner of Park and 60th on the north side of the street at the Central Park entrance or like saying I am at Guadalupe and 23rd at the entrance to the UT campus….I mean, it is pretty exact for anyone who is from the country of Singapore. She told me I should tell her the taxi stand number. Before you guys think that perhaps I was talking to a computer and it was not understanding me let me assure you that it was a real person. Maps to these people are like cuneiform tablets..they cannot figure out where anything is in relation to anything else either by map or any other way. I think I have told you about the cabs—this is endemic. Anyway, I did tell the lady that as I was not from Singapore, and was not the one in the possession of the database of taxi stands and she was perhaps she could use some logic or deductive reasoning to give me some place to go to actually be picked up by a cab --that was nominally the business she was in. She was somewhat flummoxed and was only able to respond when Leon said, “The UOSB bank on Chulia—ask her if that helps.” And, lo and behold, it popped up on her screen that there was one right near there. Chulia street is about 3 blocks long mind you—you wouldn’t have thought it too hard to give me any place on Chulia and I could have walked there, but apparently despite 16 years of hard education with little to no vacation breaks the system has forgotten to include anything on deductive reasoning or map reading.
There were a few accidents of school buses (minivans) and children were killed or hurt because they are not required to have seatbelts. There was an uproar (by Singaporean standards) that children should be required to be belted in in school busses. Within about 7 days there is a new law for seatbelts that are required and subsidies for very small operators to whom the cost would be prohibitive. Two notes: the school buses in the accidents actually had seat belts they just don’t put them on their kids so it wasn’t an economic issue for the; AND Siena always has a seatbelt—her school and the bus company cater to expats and that is a non-negotiable with them (obviously).
The newspaper is great. I have told you how it’s a “How To” booklet for how to run a country and subtly influence its inhabitants. They often have these stories—exposes—of rules that are being flaunted. The best part is they have photo after photo of people doing these things---getting in and out of taxis not at the sanctioned taxi stands, jay walking, hanging dripping laundry in a rude way so your neighbors downstairs will get wet… It is hysterical that this is the reporting medium!!!
See the attached to see what every household got in the mail. Last year the country had a budget surplus of SGD$3 billion. The Ministers get together and decide how best to use that money. Then they make an announcement—there is no input asked from the citizenry—and that is how the money will be used. They then (about 2 months later) send out a nice glossy brochure telling you how it will be distributed to you in particular. They basically will be giving some cash refunds to the poorest people to help offset inflation and rising housing costs, medium cash back to the middle classes, health savings accounts top ups for pretty much everyone, but more for the oldest people and soldiers. Education account additions for all of student age…it’s the way an economics text book would demand that it be used for the greatest good in the long term. Really fascinating.!
At Leon’s work and at Rotary there is a big charity drive for handicapped persons. One of the problems that Rotary is finding (as well as the other organizations) is that they are unable to either find or contact these handicapped people. I do not know if there is a charity looking for a cause or there really is a problem of these people being out of the mainstream so much that they don’t know there is help or how to get it. I think it may be the first.
We went to one event where the Guest of Honor was Mrs. Varashawarn or something. She said nothing and it was never mentioned what was honorable about her. We only got, “Help us Welcome the Guest of Honor, Mrs. Varashawarn” and she took some plaque and that was that. I couldn’t find anything on the internet so I am hoping one day to be a Guest of Honor for doing nothing and saying nothing and no one will be the wiser and think I should have been honored because they have no evidence one way or the other…
We have been to Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand since my last update. We went to Siem Reap in Cambodia—a two hour flight from here. It was so exotic to fly two hours and get to Cambodia. I loved the Ankgor Wat ruins and the town! They use USD everywhere and even the ATMs dispense USD. How can the Fed possibly control a money supply that includes places like Cambodia? Oh well that is their problem (along with bubbles and inflation. Perhaps the Honorable Mrs. Varashawarn has some ideas for them.
Here are some more tidbits from the newspaper: 2007 number of marriages: 23,966. number of divorces (2006): 5,937. (Muslim divorces are generally about 40% of the total). Don't you just LOVE the exact numbers?!
I’m sure I could think of plenty more, but I had better send this now.
Love.
Faith
Leon and I are constantly amazed how in the “man on the street” there is not very much free (out-of-the-box) thinking. When I called for a cab the other evening, the dispatcher asked where I was. I told her that I was at the corner of Market and Chulia streets just behind Boat Quay. She asked me what taxi stand. I told her that I did not know where the taxi stands were, although I knew there were a few near that place (as it is a huge tourist area, huge business and hotel area and I had been dropped off in a cab somewhere near there before). She told me just to tell her the number of the taxi stand. I once again stated that I did not know where a tax I stand was and if she could look at her map or whatever and tell me where one was in relation to where I was then I could go to that one. She told me to give her a landmark. I told her I was at Chulia and Market Streets behind (virtually on) Boat Quay. This would be like saying, I am at the corner of Park and 60th on the north side of the street at the Central Park entrance or like saying I am at Guadalupe and 23rd at the entrance to the UT campus….I mean, it is pretty exact for anyone who is from the country of Singapore. She told me I should tell her the taxi stand number. Before you guys think that perhaps I was talking to a computer and it was not understanding me let me assure you that it was a real person. Maps to these people are like cuneiform tablets..they cannot figure out where anything is in relation to anything else either by map or any other way. I think I have told you about the cabs—this is endemic. Anyway, I did tell the lady that as I was not from Singapore, and was not the one in the possession of the database of taxi stands and she was perhaps she could use some logic or deductive reasoning to give me some place to go to actually be picked up by a cab --that was nominally the business she was in. She was somewhat flummoxed and was only able to respond when Leon said, “The UOSB bank on Chulia—ask her if that helps.” And, lo and behold, it popped up on her screen that there was one right near there. Chulia street is about 3 blocks long mind you—you wouldn’t have thought it too hard to give me any place on Chulia and I could have walked there, but apparently despite 16 years of hard education with little to no vacation breaks the system has forgotten to include anything on deductive reasoning or map reading.
There were a few accidents of school buses (minivans) and children were killed or hurt because they are not required to have seatbelts. There was an uproar (by Singaporean standards) that children should be required to be belted in in school busses. Within about 7 days there is a new law for seatbelts that are required and subsidies for very small operators to whom the cost would be prohibitive. Two notes: the school buses in the accidents actually had seat belts they just don’t put them on their kids so it wasn’t an economic issue for the; AND Siena always has a seatbelt—her school and the bus company cater to expats and that is a non-negotiable with them (obviously).
The newspaper is great. I have told you how it’s a “How To” booklet for how to run a country and subtly influence its inhabitants. They often have these stories—exposes—of rules that are being flaunted. The best part is they have photo after photo of people doing these things---getting in and out of taxis not at the sanctioned taxi stands, jay walking, hanging dripping laundry in a rude way so your neighbors downstairs will get wet… It is hysterical that this is the reporting medium!!!
See the attached to see what every household got in the mail. Last year the country had a budget surplus of SGD$3 billion. The Ministers get together and decide how best to use that money. Then they make an announcement—there is no input asked from the citizenry—and that is how the money will be used. They then (about 2 months later) send out a nice glossy brochure telling you how it will be distributed to you in particular. They basically will be giving some cash refunds to the poorest people to help offset inflation and rising housing costs, medium cash back to the middle classes, health savings accounts top ups for pretty much everyone, but more for the oldest people and soldiers. Education account additions for all of student age…it’s the way an economics text book would demand that it be used for the greatest good in the long term. Really fascinating.!
At Leon’s work and at Rotary there is a big charity drive for handicapped persons. One of the problems that Rotary is finding (as well as the other organizations) is that they are unable to either find or contact these handicapped people. I do not know if there is a charity looking for a cause or there really is a problem of these people being out of the mainstream so much that they don’t know there is help or how to get it. I think it may be the first.
We went to one event where the Guest of Honor was Mrs. Varashawarn or something. She said nothing and it was never mentioned what was honorable about her. We only got, “Help us Welcome the Guest of Honor, Mrs. Varashawarn” and she took some plaque and that was that. I couldn’t find anything on the internet so I am hoping one day to be a Guest of Honor for doing nothing and saying nothing and no one will be the wiser and think I should have been honored because they have no evidence one way or the other…
We have been to Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand since my last update. We went to Siem Reap in Cambodia—a two hour flight from here. It was so exotic to fly two hours and get to Cambodia. I loved the Ankgor Wat ruins and the town! They use USD everywhere and even the ATMs dispense USD. How can the Fed possibly control a money supply that includes places like Cambodia? Oh well that is their problem (along with bubbles and inflation. Perhaps the Honorable Mrs. Varashawarn has some ideas for them.
Here are some more tidbits from the newspaper: 2007 number of marriages: 23,966. number of divorces (2006): 5,937. (Muslim divorces are generally about 40% of the total). Don't you just LOVE the exact numbers?!
I’m sure I could think of plenty more, but I had better send this now.
Love.
Faith
Friday, April 25, 2008
April 22, 2008
Have I told you about the elevators? As soon as someone steps on someone else pushes the “close doors” button. Which is ironic because these are the fastest closing doors on elevators anywhere….just weird. It happens everywhere-not just in one place and not just one kind of person.
Dengue fever (transmitted by mosquitoes) is a problem here. There are fines for having breeding areas (meaning, I think, areas (such as still water in plant pots, etc.) in your house. The fine is normally $200, but hey may increase it as the outbreaks are getting worse. How they get into your house to figure out if you are at fault I do not know… if your construction site is cited you are fined $4,000 and the place is shut down until remediated. That must be pretty hard to get your construction site in accordance with not breeding mosquitoes, but apparently it works here.
Some group or organization did a huge survey on the “Service” ranking of all these different countries. Singapore scored a 67 out of 100. The U.S. was like 85 or so. In the newspaper there were all these people saying that they must have asked the tourists how the service was because tourists always give higher marks than the people who live here. I completely agree. I think if you come to the airport and take a bus or subway and go to your hotel and stay for a couple of days you cannot believe how English-speaking, clean, well ordered this place is. If you live here a bit longer and ask anyone in the store (or like the cheese thing I described before) they are generally clueless about their store, what they sell and they are happy to keep it that way. One guy told us a particular product was out of stock. He assumed it would be reordered, he assumed it would be in in a month….the next day I happened by and the product was on sale and in huge amounts of inventory. The guy I asked, by the way, was actually an expert in that area—not someone new or who came from another department. This is just indicative. McDonald’s has great service though. Beats the U.S. from my recollection of it there.
There is a big PR push regarding Houston. Singapore Airlines now has non-stop Singapore-Houston which is awesome for anyone who is tired of the LA or NYC airport gig. They make it sound like the finest city in the world with so many things to do and see! I do think it must be fantastic to see so many different things from here and the normal US cities, but they go a little far when they start selling the jazz of New Orleans and the sports teams in the Carolinas and the places to see in Colorado and Arizona…really that is how far they spread their marketing net—Houston can get you all those things---just like driving to Vietnam from here!!
Living in NYC for the last two years has made me believe that taxis generally want paying passengers and know the layout of the place where they are driving a cab. That is not the case here. I do think they like paying passengers, but cannot be bothered to look for someone flagging them down. Siena and I are passed by about 2 taxis per morning on average. She is incensed when it happens. When your 4 year old can figure out something is not right with the taxis then there really is something amiss. Also, they hesitate often when given an address. Not because it is some polite cultural thing, but because they honestly do not know where it is sometimes. This is not quite so good when I haven’t been there either. One time the cab driver got out his map, gave it to Leon and had Leon not only find the place and show him, but then keep holding the map to correct him (the taxi driver) when he couldn’t remember where to go. One guy (a different one) looked at the map Leon brought with him (to a pretty central mall, not to some unknown home) and could not understand why they drew the map the way they did (I think that south was south and all was generally as you would expect). I do not know how to interpret this—I’m just relaying the facts.
I saw a window display today of those cheesy cardboard fragrance things that hang from rear view mirrors. There were like 8 of them with hula girls and dragons—you know the kind of thing..and there was a very enthusiastic sign that said “Made in USA!”. Does the USA really make those things? I am not even sure what they are called to look online to see if that could be the case.
There was a story in the paper the other day (you know how I love this paper) about how the media rules were going to be changed because they have to keep up with the times. Now there is going to be a new rating system on games (computer ones) and now there will be a PG-17 equivalent as well as “adult” ratings, etc. Makes sense…there will now be more games allowed to be sold or owned here than before, but not all of them of course—even by adults with no criminal record—there are some games that are just too violent or out of the range of what the government can support that will just be illegal. Weird. Also, there will be some changes in what is allowed to be printed on the internet or in books, papers, etc. I could not get too much information from the story because, I guess, they are not really going to tell me what it is I am not allowed to have that presumably the rest of the world (in places like USA and France) gets to see and read….its something I will keep up with.
The last item of interest is that the Committee investigating the escape of Mas Salamat Kastari has given its report to the Parliament. If you have not followed this story you really owe it to yourself to do so. So, here is the way that the major terrorist escaped….he climbed out a window when he was in the bathroom at the high security prison!!!! It is a horribly embarrassing story for the government who really do not usually let those kinds of things happen—being too lenient on terrorists is not their MO, but basically they were lulled into complacency and believed their own hype too much. Here is the part I find most funny/ heartbreaking…When the guard outside the bathroom door thought it was taking too long he told the other guard (who was at the other end of the hall) who told the (female) special agent in charge. As she was a woman she told the guy who was to “assist” Kastari so that he could check on him—because it would be improper for a woman to go into the toilet with a man. Forget the fact that the other two guards were men—they were Gurkas and are not supposed to talk to prisoners at all so that they seem more fierce! Basically this guys had 11 minutes to escape. They reenacted what they think he did and it took 49 seconds….
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_229575.html
“
Dengue fever (transmitted by mosquitoes) is a problem here. There are fines for having breeding areas (meaning, I think, areas (such as still water in plant pots, etc.) in your house. The fine is normally $200, but hey may increase it as the outbreaks are getting worse. How they get into your house to figure out if you are at fault I do not know… if your construction site is cited you are fined $4,000 and the place is shut down until remediated. That must be pretty hard to get your construction site in accordance with not breeding mosquitoes, but apparently it works here.
Some group or organization did a huge survey on the “Service” ranking of all these different countries. Singapore scored a 67 out of 100. The U.S. was like 85 or so. In the newspaper there were all these people saying that they must have asked the tourists how the service was because tourists always give higher marks than the people who live here. I completely agree. I think if you come to the airport and take a bus or subway and go to your hotel and stay for a couple of days you cannot believe how English-speaking, clean, well ordered this place is. If you live here a bit longer and ask anyone in the store (or like the cheese thing I described before) they are generally clueless about their store, what they sell and they are happy to keep it that way. One guy told us a particular product was out of stock. He assumed it would be reordered, he assumed it would be in in a month….the next day I happened by and the product was on sale and in huge amounts of inventory. The guy I asked, by the way, was actually an expert in that area—not someone new or who came from another department. This is just indicative. McDonald’s has great service though. Beats the U.S. from my recollection of it there.
There is a big PR push regarding Houston. Singapore Airlines now has non-stop Singapore-Houston which is awesome for anyone who is tired of the LA or NYC airport gig. They make it sound like the finest city in the world with so many things to do and see! I do think it must be fantastic to see so many different things from here and the normal US cities, but they go a little far when they start selling the jazz of New Orleans and the sports teams in the Carolinas and the places to see in Colorado and Arizona…really that is how far they spread their marketing net—Houston can get you all those things---just like driving to Vietnam from here!!
Living in NYC for the last two years has made me believe that taxis generally want paying passengers and know the layout of the place where they are driving a cab. That is not the case here. I do think they like paying passengers, but cannot be bothered to look for someone flagging them down. Siena and I are passed by about 2 taxis per morning on average. She is incensed when it happens. When your 4 year old can figure out something is not right with the taxis then there really is something amiss. Also, they hesitate often when given an address. Not because it is some polite cultural thing, but because they honestly do not know where it is sometimes. This is not quite so good when I haven’t been there either. One time the cab driver got out his map, gave it to Leon and had Leon not only find the place and show him, but then keep holding the map to correct him (the taxi driver) when he couldn’t remember where to go. One guy (a different one) looked at the map Leon brought with him (to a pretty central mall, not to some unknown home) and could not understand why they drew the map the way they did (I think that south was south and all was generally as you would expect). I do not know how to interpret this—I’m just relaying the facts.
I saw a window display today of those cheesy cardboard fragrance things that hang from rear view mirrors. There were like 8 of them with hula girls and dragons—you know the kind of thing..and there was a very enthusiastic sign that said “Made in USA!”. Does the USA really make those things? I am not even sure what they are called to look online to see if that could be the case.
There was a story in the paper the other day (you know how I love this paper) about how the media rules were going to be changed because they have to keep up with the times. Now there is going to be a new rating system on games (computer ones) and now there will be a PG-17 equivalent as well as “adult” ratings, etc. Makes sense…there will now be more games allowed to be sold or owned here than before, but not all of them of course—even by adults with no criminal record—there are some games that are just too violent or out of the range of what the government can support that will just be illegal. Weird. Also, there will be some changes in what is allowed to be printed on the internet or in books, papers, etc. I could not get too much information from the story because, I guess, they are not really going to tell me what it is I am not allowed to have that presumably the rest of the world (in places like USA and France) gets to see and read….its something I will keep up with.
The last item of interest is that the Committee investigating the escape of Mas Salamat Kastari has given its report to the Parliament. If you have not followed this story you really owe it to yourself to do so. So, here is the way that the major terrorist escaped….he climbed out a window when he was in the bathroom at the high security prison!!!! It is a horribly embarrassing story for the government who really do not usually let those kinds of things happen—being too lenient on terrorists is not their MO, but basically they were lulled into complacency and believed their own hype too much. Here is the part I find most funny/ heartbreaking…When the guard outside the bathroom door thought it was taking too long he told the other guard (who was at the other end of the hall) who told the (female) special agent in charge. As she was a woman she told the guy who was to “assist” Kastari so that he could check on him—because it would be improper for a woman to go into the toilet with a man. Forget the fact that the other two guards were men—they were Gurkas and are not supposed to talk to prisoners at all so that they seem more fierce! Basically this guys had 11 minutes to escape. They reenacted what they think he did and it took 49 seconds….
http://www.straitstimes.com/Latest%2BNews/Singapore/STIStory_229575.html
“
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
March 19, 2008
These should have made it in yesterday:
The light switches all are up when off-the opposite of the U.S. I spend about 50 cents per day in electricity turning lights on when I want them off!
You have to “top up” (add value to) your metro/bus card in person at a desk in the subway station (or at a 7-11, I hear). There is no way to add value on line or even at a machine with a credit card.
Yet, you can buy a soda from a machine with the card.
How can the technology be so cutting edge on one side and so ridiculously inefficient on the other????
Last thing—you have to drop mail off at a post office. The mailman comes and delivers our mail here every day but we have to go to the post office—he doesn’t take it! Weird huh?
The light switches all are up when off-the opposite of the U.S. I spend about 50 cents per day in electricity turning lights on when I want them off!
You have to “top up” (add value to) your metro/bus card in person at a desk in the subway station (or at a 7-11, I hear). There is no way to add value on line or even at a machine with a credit card.
Yet, you can buy a soda from a machine with the card.
How can the technology be so cutting edge on one side and so ridiculously inefficient on the other????
Last thing—you have to drop mail off at a post office. The mailman comes and delivers our mail here every day but we have to go to the post office—he doesn’t take it! Weird huh?
March 17, 2008
Hello All-
Feel free to delete this if you don’t care…
Here is the update on things about/in Singapore:
We have moved into our new apartment—its on the 19th floor and has a view of the Singapore River. We have a great pool and room for visitors!
Siena is doing well in her school and takes the bus (mini van) home each day to her great delight. It has a bus “auntie” on it to take care of the kids and so she calls the bus “the auntie.” I don’t correct her—its too cute.
She starts up swim lessons again-and its right here at our pool, so it couldn’t be more convenient.
Here are some things of interest (to me anyway):
every outlet has a switch so you have to turn it on to get electricity to flow before you use an appliance or anything. It is so annoying at first, but does make us realize how much electricity we are using. It becomes second nature after a while
in the kitchen and bathrooms the floor is like ½ inch below the rest of the floors and there are drains in them. Its like a public bathroom, but they are finished our nicely—I think its maybe a hold-over from the days of just throwing water on the floor and scrapping it down the drain to wash it.
You can hear the water from the sinks (but not the toilets, thankfully,) running through those drains when you use the sinks. It is also annoying at first, but them becomes white noise—and also makes you realize how much water you use
We have to use our “ID” cards for way more things than you would think…its interesting that they want it on a warranty card for a cordless phone.
Everything is pretty much in a shopping mall. There are no free-standing buildings for retail or even services of any kind. The malls are all first rate and air conditioned. People love to shop here.
The banking system is either primitive or advanced. I can’t tell—I have to get a one-time PIN in addition to all my other PINs and access keywords to do anything in banking on line—and it takes every single thing—from an address change to a phone number addition—four days to go to the system and takes a person about 10 days (the longest I have been willing to wait) to return a call.
Text messages to phones are the way people communicate most things—instead of e-mail. This includes the banks—when they get around to calling you back.
Clubs—the American Club, the British Club, etc. are popular here—they are the social venues for most people—perhaps because they have all the pool and other facilities people do not have in their homes. Anyway, belonging to a club is quite important. All the condos (where expats and some rich Singaporeans live) have gyms and pools too.
There are food courts in the malls and in “hawker centers” (breezeways between malls generally) everywhere. Food is very cheap—can be S$3.00 for a full, good meal. Food without meat and seafood is nearly unheard of—like in Texas, its not “food” if there’s no meat. I do get a lot of delicious food though because they slip up and make stuff without meat or seafood by tradition.
The cabs are just plain odd—we cannot figure out the surcharges, we can not figure out why they will just not pick you up sometimes….they are generally cheap though when you get one
Some things you would not think are so expensive compared to the U.S.: sunblock is more than twice as expensive as in the U.S., all clothing is expensive versus the Targets, etc. of the U.S., all kinds of things that would be sold at a Target or Wal Mart are more here—I suspect is a volume thing. Books are outrageously expensive—your regular paperback is twice as expensive as in the U.S. and hard cover books are even more than that. I think its going to be cheaper to get it from Amazon and ship it here. Wine and beer are expensive, liquor is outrageous. The price in restaurants is about the same as NYC though—not the same kind of mark up I guess.
Okay, that’s the update. If you are coming here you’ll get a list of items to bring that includes wine, sunblock, books and chocolate-covered raisins from Fresh Direct. Luckily, Reuben just came over and brought a care package for us and my mom already sent the sunblock.
Faith
Feel free to delete this if you don’t care…
Here is the update on things about/in Singapore:
We have moved into our new apartment—its on the 19th floor and has a view of the Singapore River. We have a great pool and room for visitors!
Siena is doing well in her school and takes the bus (mini van) home each day to her great delight. It has a bus “auntie” on it to take care of the kids and so she calls the bus “the auntie.” I don’t correct her—its too cute.
She starts up swim lessons again-and its right here at our pool, so it couldn’t be more convenient.
Here are some things of interest (to me anyway):
every outlet has a switch so you have to turn it on to get electricity to flow before you use an appliance or anything. It is so annoying at first, but does make us realize how much electricity we are using. It becomes second nature after a while
in the kitchen and bathrooms the floor is like ½ inch below the rest of the floors and there are drains in them. Its like a public bathroom, but they are finished our nicely—I think its maybe a hold-over from the days of just throwing water on the floor and scrapping it down the drain to wash it.
You can hear the water from the sinks (but not the toilets, thankfully,) running through those drains when you use the sinks. It is also annoying at first, but them becomes white noise—and also makes you realize how much water you use
We have to use our “ID” cards for way more things than you would think…its interesting that they want it on a warranty card for a cordless phone.
Everything is pretty much in a shopping mall. There are no free-standing buildings for retail or even services of any kind. The malls are all first rate and air conditioned. People love to shop here.
The banking system is either primitive or advanced. I can’t tell—I have to get a one-time PIN in addition to all my other PINs and access keywords to do anything in banking on line—and it takes every single thing—from an address change to a phone number addition—four days to go to the system and takes a person about 10 days (the longest I have been willing to wait) to return a call.
Text messages to phones are the way people communicate most things—instead of e-mail. This includes the banks—when they get around to calling you back.
Clubs—the American Club, the British Club, etc. are popular here—they are the social venues for most people—perhaps because they have all the pool and other facilities people do not have in their homes. Anyway, belonging to a club is quite important. All the condos (where expats and some rich Singaporeans live) have gyms and pools too.
There are food courts in the malls and in “hawker centers” (breezeways between malls generally) everywhere. Food is very cheap—can be S$3.00 for a full, good meal. Food without meat and seafood is nearly unheard of—like in Texas, its not “food” if there’s no meat. I do get a lot of delicious food though because they slip up and make stuff without meat or seafood by tradition.
The cabs are just plain odd—we cannot figure out the surcharges, we can not figure out why they will just not pick you up sometimes….they are generally cheap though when you get one
Some things you would not think are so expensive compared to the U.S.: sunblock is more than twice as expensive as in the U.S., all clothing is expensive versus the Targets, etc. of the U.S., all kinds of things that would be sold at a Target or Wal Mart are more here—I suspect is a volume thing. Books are outrageously expensive—your regular paperback is twice as expensive as in the U.S. and hard cover books are even more than that. I think its going to be cheaper to get it from Amazon and ship it here. Wine and beer are expensive, liquor is outrageous. The price in restaurants is about the same as NYC though—not the same kind of mark up I guess.
Okay, that’s the update. If you are coming here you’ll get a list of items to bring that includes wine, sunblock, books and chocolate-covered raisins from Fresh Direct. Luckily, Reuben just came over and brought a care package for us and my mom already sent the sunblock.
Faith
February 18, 2008
Hello all-
Sorry for the mass mailing, but here is the update that I have been promising for two weeks, but somehow never got around to (also, its been in Draft mode for a while too):
We love Singapore so far. The weather is great—warm (hot sometimes) every day and my favorite part of the morning news (that I watch when we are down in the Resident’s Lounge for the free breakfast they have every day) is when they show the temperatures all around—particularly looking at NYC and Toronto and the like. Also, it’s a good reminder of all the major cities in each region, which is how they list them.
The public transportation system is really good—and so efficient and clean—and quite cheap.
Everything is so clean. It would be somewhat disconcerting if we hadn’t been to India before and I am now all for the strong-arm of the law making cleanliness a national mandate. Everything is well ordered and so far there is no “culture shock”. I know that this will appear at some time, but it is really so easy to live here. Everything functions as it should and Leon and I have had a lot of help from the relocation people hired by JP Morgan. They call this “Asia light” for expatriates because it eases them into Asia. I think its just fine and see no reason to go further a field right now!
It looks like we have found an apartment—3 bedrooms/ 2 bathrooms (with a view of the Singapore River—the end bit) plus a maid’s room (and small bath). We’ll have more news on that later.
The maid question: everyone has one. They are called Amahs and do cleaning, laundry, cooking and babysitting. They come from the Philippines, India, Indonesia (or maybe Malaysia). They apparently cost about US $6,000-$10,000 per year to do all that for you. I am having trouble getting used to the fact, but I am using my friend Marc as a guide—he was one guy with a family of three servants, perhaps one would be okay for 3 of us—and not seem too imperialistic. I’ll have more update on that later too.
Siena loves her school and is going 5 days a week from 8:30 to 3:30. So far I am taking her and picking her up (we take a cab there and a bus back), but we may get a bus to take her one (or two) ways when we get our permanent place—they are busses (minivans really) just for the school and fit like 7 kids and there is a bus “Auntie” with them—and they all have seatbelts—these things are the best—we seriously have a lot to learn from this country on this front!
Here are some things that I have been thinking about sharing:
there are Orange Julius all over the place—I haven’t seen these since high school and LOVE them
there are also Long John Silver’s—I have considered—in depth—eating chicken again to get that fried stuff and the vinegar for the fries! I had forgotten all about those things—I used to love them
7-11s are everywhere—little boutique shops—like they usually have at a gas station in the U.S. except these are all over the streets and malls
Everything is in a mall—there aren’t any free standing stores
The food courts in these malls are awesome in terms of variety and quantity—and the price is usually really low
Little India looks JUST LIKE INDIA—except that it is exceptionally clean—all the people out on the streets and the little store fronts and everything else is the same—which is in such contrast to how the rest of the city is
All the kids are always in school uniforms and they different for every school-they look so cute
There are so many non-Asians here—I was (and am) surprised at how many blonds there are
English is spoken everywhere—except by one cab driver I had today—and I think he thinks he was speaking English
Singlish is what many Singaporeans speak and it is just crazy sounding English with some odd expressions
Okay, this is not really enough, but it is high time I send something….
Faith
Sorry for the mass mailing, but here is the update that I have been promising for two weeks, but somehow never got around to (also, its been in Draft mode for a while too):
We love Singapore so far. The weather is great—warm (hot sometimes) every day and my favorite part of the morning news (that I watch when we are down in the Resident’s Lounge for the free breakfast they have every day) is when they show the temperatures all around—particularly looking at NYC and Toronto and the like. Also, it’s a good reminder of all the major cities in each region, which is how they list them.
The public transportation system is really good—and so efficient and clean—and quite cheap.
Everything is so clean. It would be somewhat disconcerting if we hadn’t been to India before and I am now all for the strong-arm of the law making cleanliness a national mandate. Everything is well ordered and so far there is no “culture shock”. I know that this will appear at some time, but it is really so easy to live here. Everything functions as it should and Leon and I have had a lot of help from the relocation people hired by JP Morgan. They call this “Asia light” for expatriates because it eases them into Asia. I think its just fine and see no reason to go further a field right now!
It looks like we have found an apartment—3 bedrooms/ 2 bathrooms (with a view of the Singapore River—the end bit) plus a maid’s room (and small bath). We’ll have more news on that later.
The maid question: everyone has one. They are called Amahs and do cleaning, laundry, cooking and babysitting. They come from the Philippines, India, Indonesia (or maybe Malaysia). They apparently cost about US $6,000-$10,000 per year to do all that for you. I am having trouble getting used to the fact, but I am using my friend Marc as a guide—he was one guy with a family of three servants, perhaps one would be okay for 3 of us—and not seem too imperialistic. I’ll have more update on that later too.
Siena loves her school and is going 5 days a week from 8:30 to 3:30. So far I am taking her and picking her up (we take a cab there and a bus back), but we may get a bus to take her one (or two) ways when we get our permanent place—they are busses (minivans really) just for the school and fit like 7 kids and there is a bus “Auntie” with them—and they all have seatbelts—these things are the best—we seriously have a lot to learn from this country on this front!
Here are some things that I have been thinking about sharing:
there are Orange Julius all over the place—I haven’t seen these since high school and LOVE them
there are also Long John Silver’s—I have considered—in depth—eating chicken again to get that fried stuff and the vinegar for the fries! I had forgotten all about those things—I used to love them
7-11s are everywhere—little boutique shops—like they usually have at a gas station in the U.S. except these are all over the streets and malls
Everything is in a mall—there aren’t any free standing stores
The food courts in these malls are awesome in terms of variety and quantity—and the price is usually really low
Little India looks JUST LIKE INDIA—except that it is exceptionally clean—all the people out on the streets and the little store fronts and everything else is the same—which is in such contrast to how the rest of the city is
All the kids are always in school uniforms and they different for every school-they look so cute
There are so many non-Asians here—I was (and am) surprised at how many blonds there are
English is spoken everywhere—except by one cab driver I had today—and I think he thinks he was speaking English
Singlish is what many Singaporeans speak and it is just crazy sounding English with some odd expressions
Okay, this is not really enough, but it is high time I send something….
Faith
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