Yay for globe trotting ships passing in the night.

…not that i’d ever call you a ship hammy - you’re so much more than that to me.

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More sleep and less jetlag needed methinks.

Remember to get you GST back at the airport.

Ari, you’re right of course. It’s hard for me to make any serious comment about my observations as I haven’t been hanging out with the locals much and have only been here two days. However there is not shortage of horror stories of people being gaoled for misnomers.

What I do notice though (and I’m told this is because of the area I’m staying in which is on the edge of the red light district) I’ve seen no police at all and a healthy dose of lawlessness on the roads.

There is bugger all security at the airport as well, but I’m told that a careful eye is kept on everyone. Moreover, I suspect that being white I’m given less trouble than others. That’s one thing you really notice - the race related social standings.

Now, here’s hoping that the authorities don’t read this comment before I get out of the country in a few hours.

For what it’s worth, Singapore is not so much a city as a bizarre political experiment, and seemingly one that has worked. Singaporeans have entered into a social contract with the State which is different from the social contract of most developed world societies - we agree to relinquish some (most?) civil and political rights in exchange for you guaranteeing us social rights.

It’s draconian in many ways (see Nguyen, Van) but it would be simplistic to dismiss it as a poor choice to make. As a prosperous hub in a region of slow development, the success of it speaks for itself.

How do you see it?