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
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