Stuffed in Little India
I've just stuffed myself on a great Indian meal in the Little India district of Singapore. What a town! 5.5 million people crammed onto this little Island .. super clean, urbanised, amazing infrastructure, shop till you drop, multi ethnic, very organized, very controlled, incredible food .. so many choices, english speaking, IT heavan!
I'm staying in a hostel out in the 'burbs .. interesting place .. they bill themselves as a "boutique hostel" You get a private "room" maybe 7"X8" ... a futon on the floor, tv, a/c, a few shelves ... almost like the capsule hotels I've seen in artiucles about Japan. It's all very tasteful .. designer fabrics, decor etc .. ultra modern and clean shared bathroom facilities, kitchen, internet, lounge etc ... about $37.00CDN a night ... not bad for Singapore ... which is one of the more expensive Asian cities.
Singapore itself is booming. I had a fascinating discussion with the restaurant owner in Little India .. the Govt here just brought down a budget that is giving huge handouts to the poor, aged and students ... a reaction to globalization and the success of multinationals and gov't owned corporations .. which hasn't trickeled down to the people. Never the less, the average per capita income here is the highest in Asia .. over $24,000 a yr .. and it has the highest rate of home ownershil in Asia. Cars have to pay huge fees to drive, and the MRT - an underground Metro is just incredible. You buy a card, that you just wave at the barrier to get on and out of staions, and it automatically comes off the card - when it runs low, you put it in a machine and feed the machine cash or credit card ... and off u go again. Some of the Taxis are hydrogen powered.
My ear infection was still with me this morning, so I went to a clinic .. super modern ... and got some better drops .. it seems a lot better this evening. I spent the day wandering around the city .. and bought myself a new digital camera and a basic cell phone ... abt 20% cheaper than Canada. So with any luck, I'll have some good pictures to share soon and can talk to you all!
I go back to Thailand on Monday .. am looking forward to that. Singaporeans are very friendly .. but the city just pulses with energy .. Thailand is so much more laid back ... my kind of people!
I'm staying in a hostel out in the 'burbs .. interesting place .. they bill themselves as a "boutique hostel" You get a private "room" maybe 7"X8" ... a futon on the floor, tv, a/c, a few shelves ... almost like the capsule hotels I've seen in artiucles about Japan. It's all very tasteful .. designer fabrics, decor etc .. ultra modern and clean shared bathroom facilities, kitchen, internet, lounge etc ... about $37.00CDN a night ... not bad for Singapore ... which is one of the more expensive Asian cities.
Singapore itself is booming. I had a fascinating discussion with the restaurant owner in Little India .. the Govt here just brought down a budget that is giving huge handouts to the poor, aged and students ... a reaction to globalization and the success of multinationals and gov't owned corporations .. which hasn't trickeled down to the people. Never the less, the average per capita income here is the highest in Asia .. over $24,000 a yr .. and it has the highest rate of home ownershil in Asia. Cars have to pay huge fees to drive, and the MRT - an underground Metro is just incredible. You buy a card, that you just wave at the barrier to get on and out of staions, and it automatically comes off the card - when it runs low, you put it in a machine and feed the machine cash or credit card ... and off u go again. Some of the Taxis are hydrogen powered.
My ear infection was still with me this morning, so I went to a clinic .. super modern ... and got some better drops .. it seems a lot better this evening. I spent the day wandering around the city .. and bought myself a new digital camera and a basic cell phone ... abt 20% cheaper than Canada. So with any luck, I'll have some good pictures to share soon and can talk to you all!
I go back to Thailand on Monday .. am looking forward to that. Singaporeans are very friendly .. but the city just pulses with energy .. Thailand is so much more laid back ... my kind of people!
posted by Andrew Smith at 5:03 AM
1 Comments:
Andrew, love your notes, makes me wish I had gone with you. Perhaps the next time. Will check in here to see what you're up to. Have fun. ~Sandy~
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