Joe in Singapore

Home, Sweet Home

2007-12-10T19:56:00.000+08:00

Short and succinct: it's great to go away, but there's no place like home. Period.

View From the Top, Part 3

2007-12-10T17:23:00.000+08:00

Following previous posts 1 and 2 about flying (this is my blog, after all), this final installment in our "View from the Top" series is about my last flight in Asia for a while!

I started typing this on my laptop in seat 72A on the upper deck of a JAL 747-400 on my way to Tokyo. I was cruising at 529 miles per hour, at an altitude of 36,000 feet over the South China Sea, 527 miles west-southwest of Manila. Time to Tokyo: 3 hrs, 54 minutes.

Here I am sitting in my seat before departure:

And here is the real view from the top:

The view from up here in the “hump” of the 747 is really amazing: from up here, you’re about five stories above the ground, so you’re pretty much looking down at everything else. The cabin is smaller up here – only six seats across, compared to ten down on the main deck. The windows and overhead bins are a little smaller, too. But the view is incredible…

My last view of Singapore for a while - adios!

It was a cloudy day:

Some small Japanese islets not all that far from Iwo Jima:

Mount Fuji in the distance:

The Japanese coast before landing:

All in all, it was a great flight, and now I'm ready for the 14-hour flight to Dallas! Now I'm sitting here at the airport in Tokyo, waiting for my 7pm departure (it's about 5:30pm here now).

Homeword Bound

2007-12-10T04:47:00.000+08:00

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go I'm standing here, outside [the] door... ...the dawn is breaking, it's early morn The taxi's waiting, he's blowing his horn

Alright, the time has come!

It's now not even 5am yet, and I'm leaving my apartment for the airport in about 10 minutes. My flight (JAL 712) leaves Singapore this morning just after 8am, and is scheduled to arrive into Tokyo at 4pm this afternoon. Then, I have a three hour layover, and then it's on to Dallas on American flight 61.

See you soon!

An American Student in Singapore: Closing Thoughts

2007-12-09T15:02:00.000+08:00

"No man, freedom didn’t fail. Right now we’ve got freedom and responsibility. It’s a very groovy time."

—Austin Powers (Mike Myers)

Well, it’s my last day here in Singapore. Tomorrow morning at just after 5:00 in the morning, I’m leaving for the airport to begin the long, one-day (a full 24 hours) journey back home to Texas. Now, at the end of my semester in Singapore, I can reflect on what I’ve encountered and experienced, and make some informed judgments not only about my adopted home for the last four months, but my true home—America—as well.

First and foremost, while I have been here in Singapore, I have had a sort of philosophical revelation: that pure capitalism for pure capitalism’s sake isn’t worth anything. Without expression, and creativity, and innovation, pure capitalism is just a word thrown around, and it doesn’t mean much. Janis said that “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose,” but I think that without something interesting, exciting, and original in our lives—we’ll never really be free. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Coming to Singapore, I expected to see a capitalist utopia—completely free and open borders across which can openly flow ideas, designs, capital, goods. What I found instead was a place where the image projected to the world is one of a 24-hour convenience store nation: always open for business, 24/7, 365, but which—after peeling back the layers—is not that free (economically or otherwise) at all. One visitor to Singapore, put it this way: “tourists [find] nothing to see or do, only the shops and skyscrapers, no sense anymore of the mysterious east. A sterile place, Utopia gone wrong.” Now I’m not sure if I’d go quite that far—there is some to see and do here beyond shopping, and the people are mostly wonderful, but I agree with the basic sentiment that Singapore is not in the slightest bit “foreign” or “exotic” to the average westerner. But for the obvious Asian ethnicity of 95% of the inhabitants, Singapore could be any city in the west, but most certainly not any city in Southeast Asia.

When it comes to foreign trade and international business, Singapore definitely is quite free. Its port is open to anyone, from anywhere, anytime. Internally, however, Singapore’s economy is extremely statist in nature. The government owns the land, the homes, and the media. (Sort of sounds like that Florida’s Natural orange juice commercial, doesn’t it?: “We own the land, the trees, and the company,” but I digress.) The largest super market chain, NTUC FairPrice, is government-owned, and essentially regulates the “fair” cost of basic goods (which suffice it to say, is more than I could get at Wal Mart). Wages in many sensitive industries are influenced by, if not outright set by, the government, despite the government’s continual mantra of “meritocracy.” And, like in many countries where the state runs the show, most of the really bright, talented young thinkers are snapped up by…you guessed it…the government. The government intentionally compensates these people so well that the private sector never gets to benefit from them. (After all, though, there isn’t much of a purely ‘private’ sector to speak of in Singapore: everything from the newspapers to the TV stations to the national airline to the mobile phone providers are government corporations.)

As for housing, nobody (or almost nobody) really owns anything. As much as 90% of the population or more lives in government-built/-run/-owned high-rise public housing towers. Now, to be fair, of course, this is Singapore: so the buildings are generally spotless and well-maintained. But, nonetheless, while the government loves to preach about how important home ownership is in given Singaporeans a “stake” in their country, the truth is that the best most can do is a 99-year lease with the government for a specific apartment. They don’t own the land underneath. There are a few small enclaves of residents—mostly local elites and foreign expatriates—who are landed, meaning they actually own a standalone or semi-detached home and the land underneath it. But, there too, not really. Should the government ever want that land, people have virtually no recourse. The government can take it at any time, and people need only get the compensation the government deems “fair.”

Now to some of the more liberal among us, this may well sound like utopia. And that’s perfectly fine, I respect that. But, I don’t think I could live in this sort of environment permanently. It stifles creativity and free expression, both of which are officially encouraged, but at least one of which (I think you can guess which one) is largely nonexistent in practice. Those who express views deemed ‘derogatory’ towards the nation’s leaders can be sued for defamation and thrown in jail (it has happened many times). The media tightly controls and censors what airs on the news and is printed in papers. And perhaps most egregiously, the two electoral districts (out of 84) that aren’t represented by a member of the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) are the last to get just about everything: their public housing blocs don’t get renovated, their transport systems aren’t upgraded, etc. People don’t even flinch about it: for most, it’s just a cause for laughter. The ruling PAP doesn’t even make qualms about it—leaders have said that those areas most “supportive” of public housing modernization (meaning the politicians who dole it out) will get it. A bit scary, really.

But, to be sure, this was the choice of the people here in Singapore: Singaporeans have made the decision that economic prosperity need not necessarily bring political freedom. They have negotiated with themselves and decided that material wealth is more valuable than free expression, a concept hardly foreign to them because of their historic relationship with the western (ostensibly free) world. And, one would find it hard to argue with the results: Singapore does amazingly well compared to the rest of the world, with one of the highest per-capita incomes of any nation on earth, and when compared strictly with its neighbors in Southeast Asia, Singapore is doing stupendously—far and away better than any other nation in the region. One would have to go as far away as Australia or Japan to find another nation where citizens enjoy the standard of living that those in Singapore do. Considering that this nation was essentially a British port town just over 50 years ago, and was no more than a backwater fishing village 150 years ago, that achievement is all the more impressive.

So what this all comes down to is that Singapore is not really a nation. Minister Mentor and elder statesman Lee Kwan Yew (known locally as simply “LKY” or “MM”) even says it himself. He was quoted by one author early on as saying that the idea of an independent Singapore was “a political, geographic and economic absurdity.” The most accurate description of Singapore would be to call it a corporation that happens to have a military. Singapore isn’t so much a country as a rapidly-expanding business enterprise.

This place really is—in virtually every sense—one giant corporation. The locals will even tell you– they all pretty much know it. It has—truly, in all seriousness—all of the hallmarks of a modern multinational.

All of its activities are closely controlled and monitored by smart, if bureaucratic, central management. They test out new projects with pilot programs and evaluate results with Swiss watch precision. There are corporate slogans and marketing jingles and buzz-words that filter down from the top (political leaders) through middle management (schools, the media) to the worker bees (everyone else). The place is fixated on market share and constantly monitors its standings and rankings in various metrics compared with regional competitors like Hong Kong. They even have community racial harmony dialogue meetings, their state-run version of those wonderful corporate “diversity training” seminars we’ve all come to know and love. Everyone here (and by that I mean all the employees…uh, I mean, citizens, of this company…uh, I mean…country) sits around and strategize about the challenges facing the country and how it relates to them: why China might pose a threat, why it’s important for them not to leave Singapore to go work and live overseas, why they have to get an education, why they have to respect others, etc. Doesn’t that sound like a corporation to you?

You get the very real sense when you’re here that this is a completely contrived and artificial society. It may sound harsh, but it’s really not: even leading academics in Singapore have called Singapore an “artificial country” because of its unique history and non-struggle for independence. Everything in this country—and I mean everything—from the art, to the history, to the satirizing sketch-comedy shows on TV, are contrived. Nothing is really historically-rooted, or organic. Singaporeans would say that they’re trying to assert their own national identity. However, to someone from the country that has been the genesis for just about all that is “modern culture” in the last century, it all just seems ‘forced,’ for lack of a better word. They don’t have art for art’s sake, or creativity for creativity’s sake, or innovation for innovation’s sake. Virtually nobody just sits around in a garage (who in Singapore even has one of those?) writing the chords for the next great rock and roll song, or writing code for the next great web site, or dreaming up the next great business idea. It just doesn’t happen. For better or worse, this society—again, much like an organized, if lumbering and bureaucratic, corporation—is just far more focused on efficiently executing on ideas, but not actually creating them itself. And they are great at it: Singaporeans are absolutely brilliant and relentlessly focused; they excel at executing. But they are, more often than not, executing someone else’s vision, be it with technology, finance, or anything else.

Now please don’t misunderstand me: I’m not saying that there are government censors breathing down your neck everywhere you go. There aren’t. People can and do express their opinions, however, everyone is ever-mindful that a) the official channels of expression through which to voice opposition to those in power are quite limited and b) those in power now have little chance of being thrown out of power anytime soon. For those reasons, while people do (at least officially) have the right to criticize the government, you don’t hear it that often. Most people have completely “bought into” the corporate mythology—and I mean that with no sarcasm or disrespect. It just is what it is.

Like any great corporation in the world, Singapore watches its position in the marketplace. Singapore (and Singaporeans) are immensely competitive, and it’s reflected in their national obsession with rankings. Any uptick in Singapore's standing in any particular measurement is a major national cause célèbre, touted by politicians, the media, and college professors. And, given the results, it’s not hard to see why: Singapore usually places pretty high in them. The nation’s economic development agency happily trumpets all of Singapore’s accolades on its website:

#1 Most Competitive Place for Business
#1 Easiest Place to do Business
#2 World’s Most ‘Network-Ready’ Country
#1 Best Labor Force
#1 Best Air Hub in the World
#1 Best Port Infrastructure in the World
#1 World’s Most Globalized Nation

…and on and on. All of these numbers are immensely impressive, considering that in virtually every one of those rankings, the only other country that Singapore is really competing with is the United States: a country with about 60 times the population and about 14,000 times the land area (yes, that’s right: Singapore is about the size of Poughkeepsie, New York).

But there is one ranking not on that list that I think is just as important as any of those. Freedom House, the international political freedom monitoring organization that annually scores countries on the freedom of their citizenry, calls Singapore merely “partly free” and gives it fairly low scores for both political rights and civil liberties. The United States, on the other hand, receives the highest possible score in both categories, and is one of relatively few countries in the world classified as truly and completely “free.” In this listing, Singapore doesn’t even rank in the top 10.

I, like most new arrivals, was initially awed by the Singapore system. I walked around in amazement, awed by how ‘the system’ worked: trains ran on time, the streets were spotless, signs posted everywhere, etc. People seemed to generally get along, even among the several major ethnic groups present. The place has no crime. Well, it has some, but basically none. There are cities in the world with one tenth the population of Singapore that have more than ten times the crime. Nothing tragic really every happens—no muggings, rapes, murders, etc.—and when they do happen, they are so rare and so unexpected that they cause enormous shock to the entire country.

However, as I began to spend more time here, I began to recognize the price of this societal efficiency and “practical” social stability. The cost that people have happily and willingly paid is their freedom—it is not a free society: not a dictatorial big-brother state, by any stretch of the imagination, but definitely not free. It’s bland, and “boring” (as some other Asians from other countries often say). It is a wonderful country, with lots of wonderful people, like the Tams, who have virtually all been hospitable, friendly and welcoming to foreigners like me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing the Singaporeans personally, nor their society, in the slightest. I fully recognize that it’s not better or worse than mine, just different. They seem—at least outwardly—to be quite satisfied with it.

And I suppose, in closing, that this is the realization I’ve had, and one of the many reasons why I am today and will always and forever be so incredibly grateful that that my passport says “United States of America” on it. Perhaps Austin Powers was right: in America, we have freedom, and responsibility, to choose—our purchases, our homes, our careers, our leaders, our lives. We have found an amazing balance between not only having one of the most dynamic and prosperous societies on earth, but also one of the most innovative that humankind has ever seen. Even though we (or at least I) take it for granted, we are able to enjoy a level of economic freedom, prosperity and opportunity that is virtually unequalled anywhere else on the planet but, at the same time, also enjoy political freedom and choice that is also the unequalled envy of virtually every fledgling democracy (and, while they won’t admit it, even some senior democracies) around the globe. In the rest of the world, those two things are generally accepted by most as being mutually exclusive—if they could have just one or the other, they would be thrilled. But we are lucky enough to have both—wow! A groovy time, indeed, Austin.

My, my, how incredibly blessed we are.

The Coming Home Top 10

2007-12-07T09:54:00.000+08:00

And...

The Top 10 Things I Miss about the United States:

10. The Salt Lick: if you’re from Austin, or are familiar with it, you’ll get this one. The Salt Lick is my favorite barbeque place in Austin (well, Driftwood, actually), and I can’t wait for that $14.95 all-you-can-eat brisket, ribs, sausage, beans and bread. (They’re going to have to wheel me out of there.)

9. Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond: I love ice cream, and this is simply the best ice cream on earth, bar none. Period. And you can’t get it in Singapore.

8. Austin: I’m looking forward to crisp mornings in the spring, when you wake up and the sun is shining but there’s still a stiff chill in the air, and I can go walking around town, by the Capitol, down to Towne Lake, etc. Austin’s just a great town.

7. Movies: I go to the movies very often, but here in Singapore, for some strange reason, movies open sometimes several months after they premier elsewhere. I can’t wait to see movies again when they come out.

6. English-language television: while my television watching has dropped dramatically over the last few years, it is still going to be very nice to know that I will shortly be able once again to sit down on a lazy afternoon and have a choice of 50 different channels – in English – to choose from, whereas here, I have 2 (one of which is just 24-hour news).

5. New York: I can’t wait to get back “home.” I miss New York – haven’t been there in almost five months, and I need to get my fix.

4. UT: wow, I never in my wildest imagination thought I’d ever hear myself begging for UT’s bureaucracy back. But after four months dealing with NUS, which makes the Postal Service look like Wal Mart, I can’t wait to be dealing with UT again!

3. Wal Mart: alright, some might laugh or sneer, but I am a big fan of Wal Mart. Anyone who knows me knows it. I am eagerly awaiting being able to go buy a roll of paper towels and an eight-pound bag of pistachios at 3am. Ah, the beauty of capitalism.

2. Freedom: Singapore’s a great place, but it’s not really a free place. Sure, there aren’t Sovietesque crackdowns on a daily basis, but the government owns/controls all the media, and pretty much runs everything. I’m looking forward to getting back to a free press, a free and open society, and a generally more open-minded way of life. God Bless America!

1. My family and friends: I miss people the most. (Yuck, I’m starting to sound like Barbara Streisand, “people who need people…are the luckiest people…”) But I really can’t wait to see everyone again after four months! So much has happened in my life, and others’, so I have a lot to catch up on.

The Leaving Singapore Top 10

2007-12-07T09:51:00.000+08:00

The Top 10 Things I’ll Miss About Singapore

Eat your heart out David Letterman. (I have always been a Leno fan, anyway.)

10. Hawker centers: the food is cheap and good, and I’ll be sorry to give up tasty and filling US $2, two-plate lunches and dinners.

9. Public transport: while I hate it when I have to wait a few minutes for the bus, Singapore’s mass transit system (buses and trains) is top-notch, efficient, and reliable, and will be hard to give up.

8. People: I’ll be sad to leave friends I’ve made here, and many of the friendly and helpful people I’ve encountered over the last four months.

7. Chicken Rice: damn, that stuff is good.

6. Size does matter: it is actually sort of nice living in a country only slightly larger than half the size of New York City. It makes navigating the place a hell of a lot easier.

5. Cheap fares: some of the craziness involved notwithstanding, flying to places three hours away for less than US$100 round-trip is quite a nice feature that I’ll surely miss.

4. Starbucks Mango Passion Fruit Frappucino: yeah, it’s that good.

3. Cleanliness: it’s going to be a rude awakening in December when I’m back on the New York subways, compared with the MRT here that is spotless (you could eat off the marble floors).

2. The Tams: what wonderful people. I’m sorry I won’t be able to see them once a month anymore!

1. Safety: I’ll miss being able to walk around alone at night with a backpack on, or riding on the subway at 11:30 at night, and never even having to think about my personal security.

The Man from Uncle

2007-12-06T21:39:00.000+08:00

Just a quick note on a little cultural idiosyncrasy common here in Singapore, and in any society heavily influenced by Chinese culture. Here, it is considered strange to refer to a respected older person as "Mr. ..." or "Mrs. ..." when saying speaking to them.

Instead, the correct way to say please, or thank you, or anything, really to an older person is to refer to them as "Uncle" or "Auntie." ("Please, Uncle..." or "Thank you, Auntie").

This concludes our moment of cultural insight for the day.

I'm Done!

2007-12-06T12:12:00.000+08:00

Well, I just took my last final - for my Corporate Finance class - and now I'm officially done with my semester abroad in Singapore! (At least academically.)

My classes this semester have definitely been challenging, especially my two Business/Finance classes, and now I'm just hoping for the best with my grades, but they've all been interesting and good learning experiences.

Now I have just a few more days here - to relax, catch up, finishing packing - and then I fly home on Monday morning at 8am. I have a seven hour flight to Tokyo, then a three hour layover, and then a 14-hour flight from Tokyo to Dallas/Fort Worth. Long day!

Finals!

2007-11-30T17:43:00.000+08:00

Well, today, I finished my third of four final exams. I can't believe it. I'm in the home stretch, and coming home in less than two weeks.

Today's final exam was in my Nation-Building in Singapore class, and I think I did pretty well. This was one of my favorite classes that I took here - really interesting.

The final exam process is very different here in Singapore than in the States. First off, it's a much, much more formal affair. Back at UT, finals are usually taken either in-class, or at night, but with the same teacher, just in a big lecture hall, in with the rest of your class and your classmates. Not here in Singapore.

Here, the classes are taken in big halls - basically big sports gymnasiums - and with hundreds of other people, from multiple classes. You come in, sit down in a pre-assigned seat, with all your supplies already set out on the desk. They come by and look at your student ID card to ensure you are who you say you are. Then you have exactly - and they stare at the clock - two hours to the minute to finish the exam, and then after that, they immediately come by and snap the test booklet (they call them "scripts") up. Then you have to sit for 25-30 minutes while they hand count every single test to make sure everyone turns theirs in. (Why I don't know, as they publicly release all the exam questions later, so it's not like they're secret.)

Here were the questions from today's final exam:

Part 1

Answer one of the following three questions:

1. "Like the prodigal son, history is returning to Singapore. National Education has offered it a place to stay." (Asad Latif)

Discuss how the study of history can help as well as hinder the process of nation-building in Singapore.

2. "The PAP's intrusion into Federal politics in 1964 was the point of no return. It led to the unraveling of Singapore's Malaysian experiment and culminated in its sudden expulsion in August 1965."

Discuss.

3. Simply put, without a strong SAF [Singapore Armed Forces], there is no Singapore." (Dr. Tony Tan)

With reference to Singapore's threat environment since 1965, discuss the build-up of the Singapore Armed Forces and critically assess its contribution to the nation-building process.

Part 2

Answer one of the following two questions:

4. "Public housing policy in Singapore is regarded as important for political control as well as nation-building."

In your opinion, which of these two policy objectives has been more significant?

5. "Engineering prosperity is at the heart of Singapore: the over-arching emphasis on achieving sustained prosperity has itself provided a powerful rationale for nation-building."

With reference to Singapore's first 30 years, critically assess the strategies that were undertaken to transform Singapore's economy.

I answered questions #2 and #4.

Flying in Southeast Asia, Parte Dos

2007-11-27T17:29:00.000+08:00

So, after flying back from Bali to Singapore, I had to reflect on what I wrote a few weeks back about flying in this region.

The "fun" continues!

First, the hand-written boarding pass again, of course:

But that didn't even bother me. That was nothing at all.

Boarding in the ho-hum terminal was expectedly tumultuous, with the entire plane full of people seeming to stand up in one big mass as soon as they opened the boarding door. Even with assigned seats, at the gate agent only calling specific rows, it didn't really seem to matter: the big blob just stayed transfixed in place waiting in place - inexplicably - for their row number to be called. I don't think many of the passengers really understood the concept of a line, instead interpreting "line" as "mob." (That's a common misinterpretation in Southeast Asia, by the way.)

But the real fun didn't begin until we boarded. Flying back, on a flight leaving Bali after 10pm at night, and not scheduled to get into Bali until after midnight, my friend Kate and I were seated - where else? - right behind two of the most horrifically behaved children I have ever encountered in my entire life.

The entire way to Singapore, save - thanks a lot - the last ten minutes before landing, they were screaming and yelling and crying the entire way. We were serenaded by the young one (probably 4) crying the whole time, while the older one (probably 6 or 7) egged him on by poking, pinching and hitting him incessantly. Then, the older one (a.k.a., "Diablo") began screaming at the top of his lungs - nonstop - to the point where the entire aircraft of 150 people were woken up and shocked. People twenty rows back (we were in row 3, the family from hell in row 2) were sitting up and looking at the possessed children of the corn. It was appalling.

And the mom was - useless. She did nothing, didn't discipline them, didn't hit them or yell at them or spank them. Nothing. The best she could do was beckoning her Filipino live-in slave (uh, I mean, "maid") from row 27 or wherever she was sitting to come up and sing the young one a little lullaby. (Great voice, by the way; too bad the young Filipino girl is an indentured servant.) I'm not a big fan of corporal punishment, or hitting, for kids, but on a flight at 11:30 at night, when everyone's sleeping, and your little Rosemary's Baby is keeping everyone up during their exorcism (I'm convinced that's what it is), there is definitely a justification for a spanking, or a little alcohol and/or medication. Or at least finishing the exorcism (though I didn't see any priests - old or young - onboard, unfortunately).

Suffice it to say, we didn't get a lot of sleep on that flight.

Bali = Paradise

2007-11-26T21:25:00.000+08:00

I just got back late last night from my trip to Bali with my good friends, Mark and Kate, both of whom are also UT Longhorns. All in all, not a bad way for three Americans a long way from home to spend Thanksgiving: we spent three nights on the tropical island about two-and-a-half hours southeast of Singapore.

Incredible. From start to finish. Period.

Put simply: Bali was everything everyone described – and then some. It was truly one of the greatest places I have ever been. The beaches were excellent. The food was delicious. The people were warm and friendly.

Bali is a relatively small island in the southeastern part of the Indonesia archipelago. It is sharply distinguished from the rest of the country, however, by its religion: it is a majority-Hindu island in a majority-Muslim country. As such, the officially secular (but decidedly Muslim) central government in Jakarta is not very popular in Bali. In addition, the Balinese have suffered for their religion. While they are accepting, peace-loving people who happily tolerate anyone, some of the more extremist Muslim elements in Indonesia have not extended the same courtesy. It is the island’s open acceptance of different cultures, and tourist-friendly atmosphere that attracted the horrific terrorist bombings in 2002 and 2005 that cumulatively killed over 200 people, most of them foreigners. The island’s inhabitants were as incensed by the attacks as the rest of us – if not more so. Many locals died in the bombings while trying to save and rescue tourists. And, perhaps most sadly, since the attacks, tourism to Bali has fallen sharply, and the murders have set the island’s tourism business back 5-10 years. It couldn’t have happened to a more peaceful, idyllic and undeserving place.

It bears repeating: the people are the best thing (and there are many really, really good things) about Bali: the beaches and food are nice, but the people really make this place by displaying the world-famous hospitality that Bali and Indonesia are known for. They are amazing – helpful, kind, and inviting. The locals go out of their way to make you comfortable. I never got the sense that the people in Bali wanted my money but could care less about me, like in France or Spain (for example). They seemed genuinely interesting in making their guests happy, unlike in many other places around the world these days (hmm…Bangkok).

Our resort was also incredible. After refusing a few months ago to pay $600 US per person to fly on Garuda (Indonesia’s unsafe national airline…three crashes in the last five years) and stay at a divey resort in an overcrowded area of the island, I decided to investigate my options further. I ended up booking us a room at the Intercontinental Resort Bali on Jimbaran Bay. The grounds were lush and perfectly maintained. The room was spacious and immaculate – well-maintained and meticulously cleaned. But the real star here was the service which was, like the rest of the island’s, impeccable. Every worker you encountered – from the doorman at the restaurant to the girl serving the welcome drinks to the maid cleaning the room – made a point of saying “good morning” or “hello” and everyone kept a smile on at all times. The value we got for the money we paid was incredible, and far exceeding anything I’d expect at any resort (of any caliber) in the west.

We did some local sights on this amazing island, like several Hindu temples and a local volcano, but words wouldn’t do the place justice.

You know that saying about a thousand words…

(And there’s many more pictures where those came from.)

That Chicken Sure Has Balls!

2007-11-17T21:17:00.000+08:00

…rice balls, that is.

(And yes, all puns completely intended).

I cannot in good conscience take credit for this post’s title: the credit belongs to my good friend Joanna (seated right in the picture, with Mrs. Tam in the center), who suggested it while we were in Malacca.

We stopped to have Hainanese Chicken Rice, one Malacca’s most famous and unique specialties. Hainanese Chicken Rice is found all throughout Southeast Asia, including in Singapore, but is one of the most notable of many gastronomical exports from Malacca. One of the things that make Malacca’s take on this traditional Chinese dish famous is the rice balls, balls of glutinous rice that are rolled into small balls to accompany the cooked chicken. (Elsewhere, including in Singapore, the rice just comes mounded up on the plate next to the chicken.) Chicken rice is a pretty simple, straightforward concept: it's cooked chicken served with rice that has itself been cooked in the fat, stock and renderings of the chicken, along with some spices.

But don't let its simplicity fool you: needless to say, it was really good!

Besides Hainanese Chicken Rice, we also sampled several other famous Malaccan specialties, including oyster omelets:

And satay celup (pronounced CHE-LUP), the extremely tasty Malaccan take on the same satay concept that we are familiar with back in the States. And, like the Thai version, satay celup retained the amazing peanut dipping sauce that I have always loved so much. (While in the States, most people only think of satay as being Thai, the truth is that Thai satay is one of countless regionalized versions of the popular skewered-meat dish that are found all over Southeast Asia.) Here is a woman grilling the skewered meat for our satay lunch:

Malacca

2007-11-17T21:05:00.000+08:00

I just got back into Singapore. I spent the last day-and-a-half in Malaysia with my good friends, the Tams. We went to Malacca, where Mr. Tam was born and spent much of his early life. Unfortunately, because of recent surgery, he was unable to come with us, but Mrs. Tam and Joanna, their daughter, joined me on the trip and took me all around. They showed me all of the important sights in town, and introduced me to what is probably Malacca’s most well-known and renowned icon, it's delicious food.

Malacca has long been one of the region’s most popular short getaway destinations because of its unique blend of small-town charm, old-world history and convenient location. It’s only a 3-4 hour bus ride from Singapore, and thus Singaporeans flock here in droves – they make up a substantial portion of the city’s tourists.

Malacca (or ‘Melaka’ in Malay) is one of the oldest European settlements in all of Southeast Asia. While the city’s precise founding is a bit murky, they think it was founded sometime in the 14^th century with control passing variously over the years between emperors, sultans and kings of various religions, including Islam and local custom.

In 1511, the Portuguese – sailing from the (relatively) nearby Portuguese outpost in Goa, India, established a foothold in the area by forcing out the ruling sultan and driving him into exile. Portuguese rule brought with it many European customs, and a large population of Portuguese settlers who intermarried with the local population and formed what would become a vibrant ethnic Portuguese community in Malacca that persists still today.

The Portuguese built a fort, A Famosa, on a hill overlooking the town that was used to defend the city not only from pirates and other aggressors of the sea, but also from the angry, displaced sultans they kicked out of power:

Portuguese rule was short-lived, however. By 1641, only 130 years later, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese and took control of the port. They governed the town until 1795, but were uninterested in developing it, as their focus remained on their regional capital of the Dutch East Indies in Batavia, or modern Jakarta. By 1824, power had passed to the British, who ruled the city as a colony until Malaysia (then the Malayan Union) achieved independence from Britain in 1946.

While short-lived, the Dutch legacy can still be felt in Malacca, as well, including the distinctive terra cotta red Christ Church and Stadhuys complex in the town’s main square that are now among Malacca’s most recognizable and distinctive landmarks:

Throughout this entire European colonial-dominated history spanning over 400 years, the city itself and the adjacent waterway named after it grew to become immensely important – both economically and strategically – for whichever power controlled them. The Straits of Malacca, the narrow (1.25 miles in places) body of water between the Malaysian peninsula and the Indonesian island of Sumatra, is still – even today – among the busiest and most important shipping lanes on the planet. An estimated 50,000 vessels traverse its waters each year, and – incredibly – up to one fourth of all shipments that flow over the sea in the entire world pass through the Straits. Thus, it’s obvious why it was extremely important for the Europeans who controlled the waterway way back when.

If ever you are visiting Singapore or Kuala Lumpur - both of which you definitely should - you should think about taking a day trip up/down to Malacca. It's close, it's easy, and it is a really fun and interesting place to get away and relax a bit, and escape the hectic, chaotic urban metropolises nearby.

As always, check out my photo albums for more pictures from Malacca and more.

Financial Markets: Currency Crisis!

2007-11-15T16:57:00.000+08:00

Today was our last day of class for my Financial Markets class. In addition to taking the final exam today in-class, we also finally presented our big group presentation to the class on Currency Crises, both current and historical.

I think we did quite well, and I'm really proud of how we did, especially considering that we were the very last group to go. (And, at least I think, there is always the most pressure on the first and last groups to present.)

Below is a picture taken of my group:

(Photo from Aidan)

From left to right: me, Daniela Selch (from Germany), Lars Freidrich (from Germany, but studying in Finland), Aidan Park (from Korea, studied in the U.S. last year), and Hae In Chung (also Korean).

Good times. Now it's on to finals for my other classes!

Cafe del Mar, Singapore

2007-11-12T22:57:00.000+08:00

After the aquarium, we all went to Café del Mar Singapore, just down the road, for drinks and dinner. It was very, very nice. I went in and talked with the host at the front, a guy named Adrian, who gave me a tour of the whole place and showed me around before dinner. (He was shocked and impressed when I told him that I had been to the original Café del Mar in Ibiza, Spain, where my aunt lives part of the year.)

The club in Ibiza – which was opened in 1984 – is now an internationally-known gathering spot, where hundreds (and sometimes literally thousands) come together every night at sunset to listen to incredible music and watch the sun set over the ocean’s horizon. Ironically, however, the reputation and acclaim of Café del Mar today extends far, far beyond Ibiza, because of the club’s iconic music. Over twenty years ago, the club’s DJs put together a mix of some of the best sounds of Ibiza (the island itself known as one of the center’s of European music-making). The incredible “chill” music – which can only be described as a mix of Mediterranean, Spanish Guitar, Italian, pop, wrap, hip-hop, techno, Arabic, and Nordic Dance – is unlike anything else. If you need something to relax to, I highly recommend it.

A reminder of what our great experience at the original Café del Mar back in 2006 was like:

The Café del Mar in Singapore is more, well, “Singapore.” It’s much, much more sedate. The original club looks like somebody combined Yellow Submarine and Rafael paintings on acid – it’s a weird, comical mix of clouds, fingers pointing out of the walls (think of Yellow Submarine), ‘things’ hanging from the ceiling, etc. The wildest that understated, conservative Singapore could muster was blue and yellow glass on the walls. I’ll give them that, though – they’re trying.

The Singapore club is also different in that it has a full restaurant, unlike the one in Singapore, plus a pool, and that it doesn't sell any merchandise, which was shocking. Not even Café del Mar music. It’s right on the beach, and is an amazing setting during sunset (right when we were there!). All in all, a great night: good food, good friends, good conversation, and a great place:

Sentosa

2007-11-12T22:50:00.000+08:00

Sentosa is Singapore’s attempt at an island resort. The easiest way to describe it also the only way to describe it: it is exactly what you would expect if Singapore designed an island resort. It’s spotless, meticulously organized, and run like a military maneuver (shocking, I know).

The place is beautiful – nice, clean (man-made) beaches that are as expansive as they are well-maintained. Free shuttles transport you all over to just about every corner of the island, although virtually the entire thing is walkable, as it’s not that big (this is Singapore, after all). There's a big Merlion (Singapore's faux national symbol, contrived for P.R. purposes in 1964). There are shows and rides and activities for kids, and are high-end (and expensive to match) restaurants and bars right on the water, including Café del Mar Singapore. (But we’ll get there.)

And as if that all wasn’t enough, Singapore is now trying to move into the casino and luxury mega-resort business. Right now, two mega-resort casino complexes are under construction on Sentosa that will, when opened, be among the largest casinos in the region. Singapore is already a hub for everything else (shipping, air travel, finance, etc.), so why not gambling?

I headed over there today to meet my friend Kate, along with our friend Hillary. Hillary’s cousin and cousin’s cute 3-year-old son also came, along with Kate and Hillary’s friend who was visiting from Bangkok. We all went to the Underwater World, an aquarium that was mildly interesting but way overpriced (like just about everything in Sentosa):

(That's a sea horse, by the way. Can you see it? Hint: it's yellow.)

Happy Deepavali!

2007-11-08T23:21:00.000+08:00

Well, us westerners had our traditional holiday last week with Halloween, and this week it's the local Indian population's turn to revel in one of their most popular holidays - Deepavali.

Deepavali (or, sometimes, "Diwali") is often called the "Festival of Light" because, not unlike with Christmas, many storefronts and private residences are adorned in loads of colorful sparkling lights and elaborate decorative displays. When I went out tonight, there were many Indian families out in the malls, walking on the streets, and in restaurants, all dressed up to celebrate the festival. Indian families light diyas (candles set in little clay basins) and put them outside their doorways to illuminate their homes - it's really beautiful (pictured). My next-door neighbors lit them last night (though the picture is not of their diyas).

The festival's is typically interpreted to represent the triumph of good (light) over evil (dark) - hence all the lights. Or, as its sometimes said, the festival is a reminder of the "inner light within."

So now you know: Happy Deepavali!

Remembering the "Invisible" Past

2007-11-06T18:17:00.000+08:00

Today in my ‘Nation-Building in Singapore’ class, we had a guest lecturer—Tan Pin Pin, the documentarian who recently debuted her Singapore story, the acclaimed “Invisible City” short film tracing the history of Singapore’s forgotten, and builds on the theme of forgetting the past that figures as such a prominent theme today in this country—ironic, given what little truly independent history the country actually has, being only 47 years old.

The film also focuses heavily on the theme of history’s winners and losers and how, as is the case virtually everywhere, the winner’s history becomes the history. In the case of Singapore, and “Invisible City,” the ‘losers’ were largely Singapore’s early Chinese student community, which—due to its disproportionately more vocal activism in the 1950s and 1960s—was branded by many as violent communist sympathizers (generally unfairly, as it turns out).

What was shocking about the film’s screening in class today was Singaporean students’ reaction. Students laughed at images of torture and oppression that would draw gasps of show, horror and disbelief, or at the very least strong disapproval, back home. They chuckled at the notion—put forward by one of these early Chinese student dissidents still afraid of oppression at the hands of the government—that Singapore’s internal security forces might harm him for sharing the photos. (The filmmaker later shared with us that, indeed, Singapore’s domestic police did, indeed, pay a visit to this former dissident, but only took the photos and—strangely—later returned them all.) These laughing students definitely were not being callous, rude, or insensitive, but just having naturally instinctive reactions reminiscent of that awkward, uncomfortable chat about puberty in fifth grade health class. They were uncomfortable, I think, by the notions this truly-scared old man was putting forth.

Singapore’s modern generation seems shockingly disconnected from their (or at least their nation’s) history. One might be taken aback by the palpable disconnect between past and present, older generations and younger. Because most young Singaporeans have no real connection to the past, they don’t know how to deal with the stark reality of it. Even in the U.S., where jokes abound about our lack of knowledge about our history, etc., there is still an overriding sense of historic purpose that permeates so much of our society, and is reflected in so much of our thinking and political institutions, for better or worse.

Furthermore, whereas our founding fathers are all long dead and buried, Singapore is a nation still in its infancy. As such, there is no real historical perspective on the connection between past and present, and between today’s generation and their idealized, long-dead ancestors. In Singapore, the same guy has largely been running the show since day one. And it’s not a point lost on Singaporean leaders—many of whom, even nearly five decades later, were among the country’s earliest founding fathers. They made quite a ruckus back in the mid-1990s, when survey after survey showed how woefully illiterate Singapore’s young, spoiled “baby boom echo” generation was of Singaporean history.

History (“National Education,” in Singaporean parlance) wasn’t even a subject taught in public school until…get this…1997. That’s right. Just one decade ago, a Singaporean child in primary school would not have learned about Singaporean history. This is partly because Singapore’s history is so closely tied to other powers—first the British Colonials, then the Malaysian Federalists who controlled the island after the British left and before Singapore became independent in 1965. For decades, Singapore didn’t want to teach this (largely unavoidable) history to its young, for fear of losing its own independent identity. (It’s a point still oft-debated in Singapore, and constantly discussed in this class.)

There is no mythology built around history in Singapore, as there really isn’t any major historical trauma to build it upon. Few people have grandparents with stories of war and struggle for freedom and independence, as Singapore’s independence was largely peaceful and bloodless. The only real conflict in Singapore’s history was the Japanese occupation during World War II, but that lasted only a few years and claimed relative few lives (though the occupiers were still quite ruthless, to be sure). Most of those who lived through it are either dead or dying. As such, there’s no national campfire of gallant tales and idolized heroes for Singaporeans to sit around together. They don’t have a George Washington, a General Patton, or a G.I. returning home from the front lines across the ocean, waiting for that kiss in Times Square. It’s just not part of their national ethos, and just doesn’t line up with Singapore’s culture.

"The Noose"

2007-11-04T22:07:00.000+08:00

Tonight saw the debut of the new Singaporean satirical comedy-news half-hour "The Noose" on Channel 5, Singapore's English-language channel (along with ChannelNewsAsia, Singapore's 24/7 CNN-style news channel). Both stations, along with a handful of others, are part of Singapore's government-owned media conglomerate MediaCorp.

The show is somewhat funny, with same sort of spoof/mockumentary style that has been popular in the U.S. going back decades to the Smothers Brothers, Saturday Night Live, etc., and has exploded in popularity in the last few years with the Daily Show, etc.

It makes me laugh, a bit, to think about it: the show reminds me of a conversation that took place in the tutorial section for my "Southeast Asia: A Changing Region" class. The teaching assistant leading the tutorial--who is also American--asked the students to identify what made Singapore unique and why it should be considered a part of Southeast Asia instead of, as is often the case, more a part of the west or even "the 51st state."

The students' responses mostly revolved around diversity, multi-culturalism, free market economy, etc. But the TA then pointed out that all of those things are hardly unique to Singapore, and are all present and indeed historically rooted not in Southeast Asia, but in the west, and that much of Singapore's culture seems--to outsiders--to be "contrived" or "copied" from the west.

Watching this pseudo-original Daily Show takeoff, I keep hearing her words in my head.

Just makes you think...

A Tiger Tale

2007-11-02T17:53:00.000+08:00

So, to beat the heat and the boredom of a lazy Monday without class, my good friend Kate and I went to the local Tiger Beer Brewery here in Singapore, managed by a large conglomerate, Asia-Pacific Breweries, Ltd.

Tiger Beer is one of Singapore’s lesser-known (outside this region) corporate icons. It’s a source of pride for Singaporeans, as it’s been brewed here since 1932. It’s a national alcoholic staple, and is quite popular here as a “premium” beer that is still accessible to regular Singaporeans. You see it everywhere here in Singapore—like Budweiser back home—and it’s also quite prevalent around the region.

Having been to three other beer breweries in my life (ironic since I don’t really drink beer)—Coors in Colorado, Budweiser in St. Louis, and Heineken in Amsterdam—this brewery was somewhat underwhelming. The tour itself was only about 20 minutes, but it was sort of cool to see the malt and hops drums, aging tanks, etc. (you know the drill). But it was cool that after the tour you got to go into the ‘Tiger Tavern’ and get unlimited beer on tap, including not only Tiger but also any of the other six brands they brew there (another premium brand called Barron’s, Heineken, and some others).

Our tour was also a bit comical because there was a group of very intent, very earnest young Indian students who followed so closely behind the tour guide you’d think they were tethered to her. They hung on her every word—no matter how meaningless—and took particular interest in intimate details like the number of cans that can be made per hour vs per day, the marginal cost of a can vs a bottle, etc.

We had a good time though, and enjoyed some good beer. I must say that, even for me who doesn’t really drink beer (I prefer wine), Tiger is pretty good.

(Thanks to Kate for the pictures.)

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T20:05:00.000+08:00

Tonight is All Hallow’s Eve here in Singapore, but while Singaporeans do celebrate Halloween (because of their heavy exposure to westerners, particularly from the U.S., Canada and the U.K.), Halloween over here is a bit different than back home in America.

All in all, Halloween is a decidedly subdued affair in Singapore compared with the United States. You don’t see elaborate smoky cobweb-filled grave yard setups in the front yard (since virtually nobody in Singapore has a front yard), and there aren’t the flamboyant decorations all over the place like in America. Outside of private condo developments populated with foreign workers’ families, and heavy expatriate enclaves like Holland Village, Halloween (a very non-Chinese, non-Asian) holiday gets virtually no mention here in Singapore. The first time today that I even realized it was Halloween was during my class this morning, when one of my non-Singaporean exchange student friends mentioned a party that was happening tonight—at the exchange students’ hostel.

Halloween here also differs markedly from the U.S. because many kids don’t dress for the occasion. While costumes are, arguably, the second most important aspect of American Halloween (after the candy, of course), in Singapore, most of the children you see walking around in costume are the foreigners. Just about all the local children are merely walking around in their normal clothes, roaming from house to house collecting candy in (what else?) an oversized shopping bag—this is Singapore, after all.

But make no mistake: candy is what all the children are after, no matter what their background. Some things never change...

View from the Top: Flying in Southeast Asia

2007-10-30T21:33:00.000+08:00

"Oh Stewardess, I speak jive."
—Jive Lady (Barbara Billingsley), Airplane (1980)

As I’ve been doing a good deal of traveling (flying) around this region, and since I am no stranger to flying, I thought I might tell you a bit about the experience of traveling in Southeast Asia, and how it differs from the flying experience in, say, the United States. In many ways, flying in Southeast Asia is very reflective of Southeast Asia itself: very colorful, very chaotic, and very unique.

For starters, in the interests of full disclosure, it’s important to distinguish that while I’ve been here, obviously, all of my trips have begun and ended at Singapore’s Changi Airport, which has won more awards than probably any other airport on earth. It has been consistently ranked—for over a decade running—as the world’s best airport. It’s a very fair award. Changi is not only well-laid-out and effortless to navigate, but it’s also modern, fresh and—like everything else in Singapore—spotlessly clean and meticulously well-maintained. Its amenities are virtually without equal: free wifi throughout the terminals and computer stations for those without laptops (all free), a transit hotel for getting some sleep, a day spa, a movie theater for those with long layovers, and on and on. It’s just incredible. Even its "budget" terminal, used only for cheap flights by cheap airlines, is a considerable step-up from Miami (though, to be fair, that's not saying much).

Airports in other parts of the region aren’t quite, shall we say, up to the same standard. Jakarta was surprisingly modern—meaning that it was all enclosed, with air conditioning and real jetbridges, and had real designer shops (though there was an obviously fake Polo store) and even a Starbucks—but I already told you about that. Bangkok’s new airport is also quite nice, as it is brand-new, but looks like a dump next to Changi. It’s big and spacious, but seemingly for no reason, and it feels very sterile. Plus, the airport was delayed for months and was finally opened almost a year late, and now, less than two years later, it had to be partially shut down because the runways were crumbling! Phuket definitely takes the cake—at least so far—in terms of paltry service. The place is an absolute zoo. The ticketing lobby had a very homey ‘vintage Soviet-era Moscow’ feel to it. I had a crazy flashback when I checked in for my return flight Phuket-Singapore. When I saw the boarding pass they handed me, I literally laughed—I think the very polite, if curt, ticket agents sort-of wondered why. Having been flying since I was two weeks old, I don’t have a recollection of ever getting a boarding pass like this in the U.S., and internationally, I haven’t had a boarding pass like this handed to me in probably ten years:

Hand-written, with stamps for the date and flight number, and stickers—yes, stickers—for seat assignments. I think the last time I had a boarding pass with the famous sticker seat assignment was probably a non-rev experience trying to get out of Gatwick in the early 1990s when SABRE (the computer reservation system, for those non-airline people among us) went down.

Once in Phuket's departure lounge, and past the absolutely laughable and meaningless security screening checkpoint, it was total chaos. They were trying to load two full flights to Singapore, leaving at the same time, on two different airlines, from the same gate. (Smart planning.) And, as if that wasn’t fun enough, they added a fully-loaded 747 full of Russians heading to Moscow, leaving from the next gate over. (And, just for clarification, this isn't like gates in the west, which might be 50-100 feet apart. The two gates' boarding doors were maybe 10 feet apart, down the same narrow hallway.) Suffice it to say, thankfully the Russians were there: after boarding, we all needed a little vodka. It was total chaos: the two gates’ boarding lines crisscrossed several times, and after a while, I was starting to think Moscow sounded good. Craziness!

As for the flights themselves, flying in Asia is a bit different than in the U.S. Service here, at least on the budget airlines I’ve been frequenting—Jetstar Asia (a QANTAS subsidiary), Tiger Airways, and AirAsia—is far less formal and serious than in the U.S. Security procedures are covered, but hurriedly. As the flight attendants are going through how to buckle your seatbelt, and how not to use your electronic devices while inflight, people are typing away text messages on their phone. It's comical. And the flight attendants speed through the beverage service without much care, occasionally mustering a smile for a screaming Indian kid or particularly cute Chinese baby. Beyond that, it’s basically a blank, “what would you like to drink?” and not much else. Oh yeah, and that’s if you get a choice. On several of these airlines, food and drinks—even water—are not free. And they take pains to announce that outside food and drinks are not allowed onboard, to ensure the “comfort of other passengers.” That’s cute. I felt like frigging McGyver smuggling a bottle of water and a candy bar onboard, but I found fellow comrades seated around me also trying to avoid the inflight catering Nazis.

Upon arrival, that whole "please remain seated until we're safely parked at the gate" crap is scoffed of as an obligatory procedure by the flight crews, and has obviously become a punch-line for passengers. On most of my flights thus far around this part of the world, people are already out of their seats, with the overhead bins open, and their luggage down in the aisles, before the plane even stops moving. The flight attendants don't even look at it—obviously, this is the real standard operating procedure over here!

However, I would be remiss if I didn’t resort to this cliché, but very true, adage when discussing flying in Asia: you get what you pay for. While the experience can sometimes be more of a mid-afternoon Bolivian village bus experience versus the relative “calm” (who would have ever thought I’d say that?) of flying in the U.S., it is also substantially cheaper. When adjusting for the exchange rate, my ticket from Singapore to Phuket round-trip cost a total of just over US$100. When I flew to Thailand last week, the entire trip’s flights, from Singapore to Bangkok and back, and round-trip between Bangkok and Chiang Mai in the north, cost less than US$225 for a total of over seven hours of flying. And that's including taxes, fees and everything. Not bad, I'd say.

On a final note, inflight entertainment on these flights is—predictably—also pretty slim, too, but at least you always have the oldest (and in my opinion still the coolest) inflight entertainment of all, the window:

Phuket

2007-10-29T21:15:00.000+08:00

Well, for starters, Phuket is an absolutely wonderful place. The people here are friendlier and more helpful than any others I’ve encountered anywhere else in Thailand. And while there are still the obligatory street vendors hawking everything from cheap knock-off fashions to cheap street food, they seemed far less incessant, abrasive or intrusive here than in Pattaya, and certainly than in Bangkok. At least they have a sense of humor about it:

Despite the mostly-gloomy weather while I was there, it was a truly beautiful place. I will definitely be returning. And when I do, I won’t stay anywhere else but the Le Meridien Beach Resort Phuket, the amazing resort I stayed at while there. To book the hotel stay, I used that great website I already told you about: Hotel Club. The place was totally top-notch, from beginning to end, including its own private beach in a sheltered cove, away from the crowded and vendor-ridden beach in nearby Patong (just five minutes away on the other side of the hill)…a really beautiful place.

The main beach area—Patong—looks like you would expect: over-commercialized and overcrowded. But, even still, it is a dramatic improvement over Pattaya. Even though it is chock-full of people, the beach is not filthy and the vibe from everyone (both locals and tourists) is very good: relaxed, casual, and generally pleasant. Another very good sign that I liked here: unlike in Pattaya, a substantial element here is families, and thus you don’t seen nearly as pronounced a seedy underbelly as elsewhere.

Nonetheless, it is worth mentioning that Phuket in particular is known—even in this country famous worldwide for its “openness”—as the gay/transsexual capital of Thailand. It shows. Just walking down the main drag in Phuket, the Beach Road, you pass by lady-boy (you can guess what that means) after lady-boy. They are all very friendly, and most are just going about their business (which more often than not, contrary to the popular misconception outside Thailand, is not sex) like everyone else. They’re selling food, taking pictures with tourists, hawking fake Fendis, advertising sight-seeing tours. Basically, if you weren’t conditioned as a westerner to pick them out and recognize them as different, they honestly do—as funny as it might sound—blend in with everyone else.

And Now For the Weather...

2007-10-27T08:08:00.000+08:00

"The weather out there today is hot and shitty with continued hot and shitty in the afternoon. Tomorrow a chance of continued crappy with a pissy weather front coming down from the north. Basically, it's hotter than a snake's ass in a wagon rut."

--Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams), Good Morning Vietnam (1987)

So, it bears mentioning: Singapore's weather is, in a way, quite unique.

As I sit here on this dreary Saturday morning, packing to leave for Phuket later tonight, with rain coming down in buckets outside, I felt a little mention of Singapore's climate was in order.

I just keep hearing the Beatles: "Good Day, Sunshine":

To begin with the obvious: Singapore really only has one season. And, as anyone who's ever been here can attest to, that season basically consists of two things: heat and humidity. Singapore lies only 4° from the equator, and as a result, sees virtually no seasonal fluctuation in temperature: Singapore's "cool season" that usually begins in mid-November and runs through February, sees average daily highs drop from the usual 85-90°F down to a "cool" 75-80°F. Unfortunately, though, even with the respite from the extreme heat, the humidity never subsidies: Singapore is an island, and as such, the humidity stays at or around 90-100% just about all the time. As for rain, Singapore is a lot like Hawaii: it rains just about every day, usually with passing showers that last for 1-2 hours, with sunshine and heat following them.

But now, we're entering their rainy monsoon season. Beginning around now, the rain will become more frequent--every day--and may last for hours and hours on end. According to locals, it is not at all uncommon during the rainy season for the rain to fall--more or less uninterrupted--for several days straight. Let the deluge begin! Crazy, I know:

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Singapore's climate isn't the climate at all, but rather how people here deal with it. While I'm sweating to death, about to keel over after walking five feet in this heat and humidity and ringing my shirt out every fifteen minutes, the people here some completely unaffected. I'm producing enough sweat to grill french fries, and they don't even look like they're hot. It's amazing. And remember - most of them are living without air conditioning. Yes, you heard me right. In 90°F/95% humidity heat, they do not have air conditioning, just fans. Insane, if you ask me, but they are used to it, while I, of course, would be dying. I'm producing enough sweat to deep-fry a small mammal, and they're not even breaking a sweat! Thank God my flat has air conditioning!

Give me ~~sweet~~ cool relief!

Closing Impressions: A Few Final Words on Bangkok and Thailand

2007-10-23T08:53:00.000+08:00

In all honesty, I was decidedly underwhelmed with Bangkok, particularly with all the big billing it has gotten from others who have been there. I was not that impressed at all.

The city itself is unsurprisingly similar to most cities in this part of the world: humungous and intimidatingly sprawling, dirty and smoggy, and extremely overcrowded. Much like what I experienced in Jakarta, Bangkok is also habitually traffic-snarled, and the masses of people stuffed into areas far, far too small for them is inescapable. Navigating this city is difficult, and understandably so when you see it from the air: landing at the new airport after nightfall, the city’s twinkling lights can be seen all the way to the horizon. The only other metropolises I’ve ever experienced like that were New York, L.A. and Mexico City. It is comparable to the chaotic mess that is Jakarta.

The attitude of the people is so-so, overall. With some welcome and happy exceptions, many (though probably not most) in Bangkok were either downright rude, or just careless. They were hardly friendly, and some were actually quite mean: making fun of you or laughing in your face if you didn’t understand something or were trying to confirm with them what they were saying. I’m not asking for all of us to break out into our own little rendition of “If I Had a Hammer,” but this treatment was just not what I expected.

In addition, perhaps the most unpleasant thing about Bangkok is the continual barrage of people who are constantly bombarding you with offers of “massage,” “tour,” “boat trip,” “shop,” “antique,” etc. It is literally never-ending: one person comes up to you and walks with you along the sidewalk trying to sell something, you turn them away, and then before you can walk five steps, another springs up from the other side of the sidewalk who proceeds to do the same thing. It was just so incredibly annoying, and become quite uncomfortable: in many cases, people will actually yell at you, “hey friend,” “hey brother,” etc. when they see you coming, and some will even pull at your clothing—something that got an immediate and stern rebuke from both Mark and I. Now I’ve been to many poor places where desperate people tried to sell you things—it’s part of life if you’re a western tourist: they see you coming a mile away and see dollar signs. Hell, last summer in Bosnia, there were little children hawking baskets of fruit and flowers on the side of the road trying to survive. But the Bosnians never did this. This was just over-the-top. You got the very real sense that some of these scammers in Bangkok would happily sell their own mother for $5.

And amidst this environment of continual selling, people trying to scam and screw you, and trying to get whatever they can out of you, many in Bangkok actually got upset when you confirm things with them to self-advocate and protect yourself. If I tried to confirm with someone exactly what it was I was getting for my money, to ensure I wasn’t going to be scammed, they got an attitude, as if I had the problem and should just take it on faith that they’re not going to take me. Yeah, right. Ridiculous. These people were all-too-interested in your money, but had absolutely no interest whatsoever in you.

Something else I found absolutely shocking about Thailand, and Bangkok in particular, was the lack of spoken-English proficiency. For a city of perhaps 20 million people, it is mind-boggling how few speak any English. Not there is anything wrong per se with people not speaking English, but in 2007, in a city as large as Bangkok, it was very surprising, particularly given that Thailand—and Bangkok especially—are probably among the most outward-facing, tourist-centric cultures in all of Asia. Mark and I were flabbergasted that even taxi drivers couldn’t understand simple English words like “Grand Palace” or “City Center.” Even when we showed them a map of Bangkok, they had a hard time orienting themselves.

Now, all that being said, Bangkok and Thailand are—as I quickly grew to suspect—much like Paris and provincial France. Once you get outside the big, bustling, bitchy city, the attitude changes dramatically. Up in the north, in Chiang Mai, and even in the poor, working-class Kanchanaburi region where the Bridge on the River Kwai was, the attitude was markedly better. There were still a few people trying to sell you things, but it was nothing like in Bangkok—the people were generally friendly, helpful, responsive, and you didn’t get the sense that they were trying to screw you at every turn.

Overall, my feelings about Thailand are this: while Bangkok was not that impressive, the place itself is an immensely beautiful and inspiring place. Much like Paris, Bangkok itself is fascinating and—in its own very non-Parisian way—beautiful, but the people’s attitudes largely mitigated that beauty. The city is definitely in a state of change and flux, like much of this region, but it doesn't seem to be holding up well under the pressure—at least in some typical respects that we would focus on in the west like sanitation, traffic, congestion, pollution, etc. Outside Bangkok, however, the scenery, people, wildlife, and lively and free-spirited attitude were very enjoyable, and quite a stark contrast to safe, clean, somewhat materialistic, and somewhat sterile Singapore, where nothing much exciting—for the good or the bad—every really happens.

Pattaya

2007-10-22T18:15:00.000+08:00

Today I took a quick jaunt to Pattaya, just for a few hours, before returning to the airport southeast of Bangkok to fly back to Singapore.

Pattaya is a beach resort area about two hours southeast of Bangkok, on the Gulf of Thailand. Billed as a short getaway from Bangkok, it is popular with not only Thais but millions of foreign tourists each year—though not many Americans anymore, who would probably find it well below their standards.

Pattaya came to prominence in the late 1960s as a destination for American POWs on leave in Vietnam to enjoy some relaxation during their short respites of R&R before heading back to war. They were drawn to the area by its then-unspoiled beaches, clear skies, and proximity to the fast pace and sex of Bangkok, just a short drive away.

Today, it is known internationally mostly for its hard-partying nightlife and daytime activities which are aplenty all over the area, and mostly revolving around the sea (windsurfing, jet skiing, etc.). Its central beach area is incredibly overcrowded, with beach chairs literally stacked one-right-after-another right up to the water’s edge, which isn’t that far because of apparent extreme erosion of the beach. There are seedy and slimy-looking hotels lining the strip—the Hard Rock Hotel is among the nicest, along with a shockingly out-of-place J.W. Marriot—and even more slimy-looking western men publicly fondling the Asian women (and sometimes men) that they “bought” to keep them company for the week. Disturbing, to say the least.

The city has no culture or history to speak of and, thankfully, it doesn’t pretend to. It has a temple up on a hill, called Buddha Hill by the locals, that has a great view overlooking the beach strip, but that’s about it.

Ultimately, Pattaya is today still a prime location for worshipers of the sun, and more often than not, of the flesh.

I’m not complaining, as I got three awesome Hard Rock Café (and Hotel) pins out of my little day trip:

Bridge on the River Kwae

2007-10-21T17:55:00.000+08:00

When you're weary, feeling small,
When tears are in your eyes, I will dry them all;
I'm on your side. when times get rough
And friends just cant be found,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
--"Bridge over Troubled Waters," Simon & Garfunkel

Yes, you read that right: Kwae, not Kwai. But we’ll get to that.

First, a little history lesson: the story of the infamous Bridge on the River Kwai, and the allied prisons of war who built it, is quite well-known to westerners because of the 1952 novel (in French: Le Pont de la Rivière Kwai) by French author Pierre Boulle (also of 1962 Planet of the Apes fame) and the 1957 Hollywood blockbuster of the same name, starring William Holden and Sir Alec Guinness, among other notables, that was based upon it.

The bridge was part of the Burma Railway, otherwise known as the Death Railway, that the Japanese constructed in 1942-1943 with allied POW slave labor in an effort to link their occupied territories in Southeast Asia and ease supply lines. By far the most famous section of the railway is definitely the ‘Death Bridge,’ a.k.a. the Bridge on the River Kwai, that is located about five miles north of the small city of Kanchanaburi, about three hours drive northwest of Bangkok.

But unbeknownst to many in the west familiar with the story solely through these media, the historical accuracy of the novel and film is spotty. Perhaps the story’s most significant plot-related misconception is the ending of both the novel and the book, in which the bridge is destroyed by the prisoners in an effort to keep the Japanese from using it, which is completely imaginary.

Unlike in the film, where Guinness’ British POW-cum-Japanese collaborator Colonel Nicholson ultimately comes to his senses and destroys the bridge his comrades had built with slave labor—poignantly shouting “What have I done?!” and jumping on the dynamite fuse—the reality was much different. The bridge was actually bombed by allied forces. In fact, the Japanese made the POWs stand on the bridge during the air raids to try (ultimately unsuccessfully) to dissuade the allies from bombing the strategically important bridge. This is actually how many of the prisoners lost their lives. However, unlike in the story, the actual bridge was not completely destroyed. It was repaired and still stands today.

But perhaps the most humorous myth surrounding the story of the Bridge on the River Kwai is that title in and of itself. Almost comically, the bridge upon which an enormous mythology in the west has been built, is actually not on the River Kwai at all. It is actually on the River Kwae, which meets the Kwai several miles from where the bridge is located. As the story goes, the French author Boulle—who was himself a French resistance fighter in Southeast Asia captured in 1943 and held by the Japanese as a POW until the war’s end—never actually saw the bridge. He never went to Kanchanaburi, but he did here about it, and assumed that because the railway immediately leading to the bridge ran alongside the Kwai for several miles, the bridge in question logically spanned the Kwai. A great lesson in Samuel L. Jackson’s philosophy on making assumptions: “…everyone knows when you make an assumption, you make an ass out of you and umption.”

Getting to the bridge was a bit of a challenge, as I had to not only navigate through the maze that is Bangkok, but also find my way to Bangkok's even more disastrously overcrowded Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Thai Mai) which is, curiously, northwest, not south, of the city center. But I digress. Once there, it took a bit of time to confirm that I was indeed heading to the Bridge on the River Kwai, and not some remote Thai fishing village. Thankfully, I had my trusty notepad with me, as sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words:

And the bridge...

The bridge is a stark reminder that even in Thailand--long remembered as being one of the few Southeast Asian nations never conquered by European colonial domination--it is virtually impossible to escape the long-term indirect effects of colonialization in the region (World War II, ensuing Japanese occupation, etc.).

Driving back from the bridge to Bangkok today—the ride was about three hours through some of Thailand’s densely-jungled hilly areas—I was sitting by the window listening to my iPod. As I sat their singing ‘Hey Jude’ and ‘Yesterday,’ with the beautiful scenery whizzing by, I couldn’t help by think: my God, I'm so blessed.

Chiang Mai

2007-10-20T19:17:00.000+08:00

After we left the elephant camp, we had our driver—who we hired for only about $40 for half the day (Thailand is so cheap!)—take us to a nearby village where you can see the famous Pa Long women—who have very long necks stretched by ever-more gold rings. It was, to say the least, quite a sight. But, it is a part of life for these people, and they are quite used to it and accepting of it.

We then went to Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep, a famous temple set a hillside about one hour north of the city. It offers sweeping panoramas of the city and surrounding mountains. (Quite a beautiful sight.)

From there, we went into the center of the city, where we visited several wats (temples) and saw some other sites in the city’s old center, inside its once-imposing (though now mostly crumbling) city walls.

(Monks have cell phones, too!)

Tonight we also went to the famous Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, near our hotel, which was excellent.

Chiang Mai is an amazing city: pulsing with life and energy, and fun, but sans the chaos and shadiness that permeates any experiences in Bangkok. Chiang Mai is beautiful--both the city itself and its location--and the atmosphere is so much more relaxed and calm than in Bangkok: the people are friendlier, the vendors less unrelenting, and the city itself more approachable. What a place!

Elephants!

2007-10-20T10:10:00.000+08:00

This morning it was up early for our morning appointment at the Mae Sa Elephant Camp, about 45 minutes drive north of the city-center, where our excellent hotel is.

The elephant camp was simply amazing: these creatures are just amazing. I have always liked elephants, as I have always found their sheer lumbering might to be very impressive and their seemingly stoic existence to be fascinating. After this morning, I have an even greater appreciation for these magnificent creatures.

The morning started off with a one hour show where elephants were shown playing soccer, moving logs (their traditional roles in mountainous Thailand) and even painting trees and flowers on large canvasses (that were then ritualistically auctioned off to French tourists). Very impressive (the show, not the French tourists).

After that, Mark and I hopped on the back of our 26-year-old elephant for our one hour ride through the hilly tropical jungles around the camp. We sat in a somewhat rickety (but obviously safe) bench that was strapped onto the elephant’s back with a system of ropes and cords. We moved around a lot—when the elephant puts its front-right foot down in the mud, for example, everyone jolts forward—but the ride was amazing.

And lest anyone get the wrong idea: these elephants are definitely not abused. They are disciplined harshly when they don’t do what their mahouts (masters) tell them, to be sure, but it is definitely obvious that they’re not being abused. They are all very well-fed and healthy-looking. It’s important also to remember that the Thais have a very long and respectful relationship with elephants going back centuries, and possibly longer, that borders on the religious. Much like the devotion to cows in India, but without the strict religious roots, the fondness of elephants for Thais is rooted largely in the animal’s figuring quite largely in Thai history. In a country that is very mountainous, and covered almost entirely in dense jungle, elephants were—for all of time up until the last 100-200 years—about the only reliable way of traversing Siam. They were also essential in warfare, basically serving as the “tanks” of the historical Siamese army, and also crucial in Thailand’s early logging industry, when they were necessary for moving humungous tree logs from place to place for shipment to factories and ultimately export.

Check out more photos here.

Into the North

2007-10-19T14:52:00.000+08:00

Tonight we’re off to the economic and cultural capital of northern Thailand, Chiang Mai, with a 70-minute flight from Bangkok. Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second largest city (after Bangkok, of course) and is considered by many to be the sort-of anti-Bangkok: much more relaxed, less glitzy and extravagant, and much less hard-sell. The city’s metro area has a population of about 700,000, and is set in amongst the foothills of Thailand’s mountainous northern highlands. For centuries, Chiang Mai has served as the gateway to the highland region, and at various points has also served as the capital of several northern Thai kingdoms. This legacy still shines through with the cities beautiful wats (temples) and beautiful city walls.

Bangkok...Continued

2007-10-19T14:47:00.000+08:00

Today was our big day in Bangkok—up early, and busy the whole day seeing all the major sights, as we leave tonight for our late flight to Chiang Mai.

We started off at what is—indisputably, by far—Bangkok’s (and Thailand’s) largest, most famous, and most important attraction: the Royal Grand Palace, which sits right in the heart of Bangkok’s old city. The place is absolutely massive—its sprawling campus stretches for over fifty acres. The palace dates to 1782, and served as the home to Siam’s (and later Thailand’s) royal court up to 1946.

It is also one of the wonders of the world: virtually everywhere you look, you see nothing but gold, gold, and more gold, punctuated sporadically by gems and other precious metals and stones. It’s just incredible—it is beyond words:

Inside of one temple—beyond where cameras are allowed!—is the holiest site in all of Thai Buddhism, the Emerald Buddha, a surprisingly small (sort of like the Mona Lisa) figurine of the Buddha made of jade that, according to legend, was made in northern India in 43 BC and made its way to Thailand, resurfacing in Chiang Mai by 1552 AD.

After the Grand Palace, we took a short ferry ride across the Chao Phraya river to Wat Arun, or the Temple of Dawn, which is one of Bangkok’s most impressive temples. Its massive prang (tower) stands nearly 300 feet tall, and the adventurous who climb its extremely steep steps are afforded a great view of the city and the river. (We, of course, had to climb…but my leg muscles are still recovering!)

Next was back across the river, to the Wat Pho, which houses the world’s largest reclining Buddha. And let me put this as simply as possible: this guy is M-A-S-S-I-V-E: over 150 feet long, and over 50 feet high. And, what else?, it’s completely covered in shiny gold. Another interesting note about this place: it is considered the birthplace of the traditional Thai massage.

After that, we did some other touring around, to other temples and sites, perhaps the most notable being the nearby Wat Rajanadda which—in addition to apparently being a refuge for half of the city’s homeless animals (and there are lots of them)—is also one of Bangkok’s more distinctive, or peculiar, temples. Unlike virtual all other temples in the city, which are covered in gold, this wat’s spires are actually made of dark, black cast iron, which provides an interesting visual contrast around the light sky.

This day simply has too many photos to put here. Check out my photo albums to see more.

Happy Birthday, King Rama IX

2007-10-19T07:55:00.000+08:00

Thailand is one of the few countries in the world that still maintains a functioning monarchy. Thailand’s monarchy maintains limited powers through a constitutional system in Thailand similar to the power arrangement in England. However, unlike in England, where political satire and social dissension mean that Britons’ trademark jaded self-deprecation to the way they view their Queen, the same cannot be said for Thailand.

Here, centuries of public dependence on monarchs’ decisions, coupled with a modern state information infrastructure wholly focused on maintaining the King’s image through merciless propaganda, mean that the Thai King never has to worry about his public image. He is probably the single most revered monarch in the entire world, to a level that hasn’t been seen anywhere on a large scale since the Middle Ages. Thais worship him almost as a deity, and his picture can be found everywhere you turn. The only person who appears more in Thailand than the King is the Buddha, and not for such different reasons.

According to my excellent guide at the National Museum earlier today, in Thailand, it is considered highly socially unacceptable and taboo to even mention or publicly contemplate the King’s death. Mere discussion of the subject is severely frowned upon.

Bangkok By Night

2007-10-18T23:56:00.000+08:00

Tonight, after Mark arrived from Hong Kong, was an "interesting" experience to say the least.

We went to the Baiyoke Tower in Bangkok, one of the world's tallest buildings, with a revolving observation deck on top. It's vews were breathtaking to say the least, at least when it comes to offering a vantage point to observe the near-unparalleled sprawl of this modern metropolis:

In this shot, you can see the tower in the background:

The views from the top...

After, we went to the Red Light District, which was definitely a totally different experience from Amsterdam's De Wallen area. After visiting Amsterdam's Red Light District back in January 2006 with another friend, I can definitely say that while it is equally as famous as Bangkok's, it is a far more "high-brow"--as comical as that sounds--affair. Unlike in Bangkok, where seedy sex shops, coffee bars and T-shirt stalls all intermingle and coexist on the same tiny few blocks of real estate, Amsterdam's sex central is far more widespread, stretching for blocks, and far more organized: different streets cater to specific sexual preferences: white, black, Asian, plus-size, gay, etc. Bangkok's area makes no allowance for such organization, of course. Amsterdam's prostitutes are never nude in their windows, always wearing lingerie at least, and they receive monthly tests and doctors check-ups, among other services provided by the government. In Bangkok, it's far less discreet, with many naked dancers being clearly visible from the sidewalk. Bangkok's Patpong, not surprisingly, lives up to the image of its city: crazy, disorganized, and thrown together in a dense, congested maze. One thing that was the same between Amsterdam and Bangkok that both Mark and I did find shocking: in both cities, I witnessed families leading around small children (under eight years old) through this den of sin. You just have to roll your eyes and laugh, I suppose.

To say that Bangkok's Patpong area is infamous, and globally recognizable, is an understatement. It is one of the city's most visited areas, and probably one of the most famous places in all of Thailand. It is also quite surreal: in the midst of hard-core, X-rated striptease acts and naked women (and men) dancing on tables just inside poorly lit doorways, are 70-year-old German tourists buying cheap T-shirts that have the Coca-Cola logo in Thai. It's incredible. If you want to see some of the pictures from here, be forewarned: some of them are definitely not PG, so you can check them out at my online photo albums here.

The raw, unadulterated sex machine that is Bangkok's Patpong red light district is truly a sight to behold, if for no other reason that how amazingly out-of-place, and yet totally appropriate, it seems in Bangkok. This is a crazy, chaotic city of millions that never stops, never slows down, and has something for every taste (and fetish). On the flip side, it's also home to more Buddhist temples overall than probably any other city on earth, and sits in the middle of the capitol of one of the world's largest and most devout Buddhist countries. And yet, the dancing transvestites and the orange robed Buddhist monks seemed to peacefully coexist in this spider web of contradictions. Truly fascinating, and in a way, impressive, to see.

Bangkok Day 1 and ‘The King and I’

2007-10-18T18:59:00.000+08:00

Today I was on my own in Bangkok for the first half of the day, before Mark arrived on his flight from Hong Kong.

I started off the day visiting the National Museum, located in central Bangkok on the small island of Rattanakosin, which forms the pseudo ‘old city’ of Bangkok and is home to most of the city’s most famous cultural landmarks. The National Museum was sparse, like most museums in this region (excluding modern, ultra-efficient Singapore, of course). Nonetheless, however, it was well stocked with all sorts of interesting artifacts dating back to prehistoric times and tracing the history of Thailand from its early roots to the Siamese monarchy to the modern era. Very interesting.

After, I headed to the house of Jim Thompson, the fascinating World War II-era CIA operative who after the war became a Thai silk magnate. He brought back to America some of the beautifully intricate silk patterns that had been considered a small cottage industry in post-war Thailand, and is credited in Thailand with rebuilding the Thai silk industry. He brought Thai silk to the world. In 1967, in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands, he mysteriously disappeared, and was never seen or heard from again. However, his beautiful house in the heart of Bangkok—actually built by connecting together several small Thai houses—was preserved, including its amazing collection of Thai and western art and artifacts.

On the way back to the hotel to meet Mark, I swung by the Hard Rock Cafe and picked up the pins:

One very fascinating tidbit that I did discover today: the world-famous story ‘The King and I’ (or ‘Anna and the King’) that has become a beloved classic of western literature is banned in Thailand. A bit of explanation: the story of what we in the West all know as Anna and the King came out of the true story of one Anna Leonowens, a widowed British baroness in the Court of Siam’s King Mongkut in the mid-1860s. Widowed by her husband in British Malaya in 1859, she resorted to teaching English to the children of British generals in Singapore to support her two children. As the story goes, she was brought by the Siamese Council in Singapore to teach English to the children of Siam’s progressive King, and also may have one his heart. But the story pretty much breaks down there. We know that she did spend time in Bangkok instructing the king’s children, and afterword, moved to America and later Canada, where she penned her now-famous “The English Governess at the Siamese Court: Being Recollections of Six Years in the Royal Palace at Bangkok” about her experiences. Many in subsequent times have questioned a great deal of her account in this book and other writings on her time in Siam.

What we do know for sure about Leonowens is that at least some of what she claims has to have been false. First, while she initially claimed Welsh lineage, recent research indicates fairly certainly that she was actually of mixed British-East Indian parentage, something that a British woman in her position in 19^th century Malaya would never have admitted to for social reasons. It is also doubtful that she had even half the access to the king that she claimed, and future literature embellished: the position of women in the Siamese court at the time (where the King had 39 wives) was less-than-stellar.

In Thailand, the book, its story, and the woman are reviled because of not only the gross inaccuracies that Thais feel she portrayed regarding their land and sacred King, but also her implication—at least in their eyes—that the King and the Court of Siam were backward and heathen. That last part is near-universally rejected by most experts, who recognize King Mongkut as one of the most progressive and forward-thinking monarchs of his age. Thais take most particularly personal offense to the recognizable scene when the King agrees to dance with Anna at a party, as this is seen in Thailand as highly disrespectful and unbecoming of a King. In Thailand today, the entire story is completely banned from all media.

One final, interesting historical note: Anna’s son Louis, who figures prominently in most stories about her time in Siam, actually returned to Thailand even after Anna left for North America. He became a high-placed official in the Siamese military, and ultimately a highly successful and respected teak trader in his own right. His image, ironically, far surpasses that of his mother in Thailand, and his company’s headquarters can still be seen right on the Chao Phraya river in the heart of Bangkok.

The Istana

2007-10-13T14:22:00.000+08:00

Today - on an otherwise typically Singaporean gloomy and misty day - I went to the open house of Singapore's sort-of White House: the Istana ("Palace" in Malay). I say sort-of because, while it is officially the president's house, he doesn't actually live there, and unlike in the U.S. - where the President leads the executive branch and has constitutionally-rooted authority, the President of Singapore, like in most parliamentary systems, has really no power. He's basically just a genial figurehead who cuts ribbons and supports charities. Honorable, but powerless nonetheless.

Anyway, his house is quite impressive: built in 1867 by the British colonial government as a home for the local colonial general and to house visiting British dignitaries, it was transferred to the sovereign Singaporean government upon gaining independence in 1959 and became its official presidential residence. Even though the president doesn't actually live there, his offices are still housed in the complex, and it is used extensively for official state functions like welcoming visiting heads of state or local dignitaries.

The grounds are beautiful, including the idyllic Victoria Pond dedicated to Her Royal Highness the Queen of the same name. There is also a serene swan lake, and flowers everywhere.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Istana is the same thing that many find surprising about any historic building in Singapore: the inescapable modernity that seems to engulf anything even remotely antique (and, as Singapore's entire history stretches only 200 years, "antique" in the Singaporean sense is very much relative). The Istana is located on just over 100 acres of prime real estate along bustling Orchard Road, the shopping street of all shopping streets.

Chinese Luck in Perspective...and Singaporean Horror Cinema

2007-10-10T12:57:00.000+08:00

Last week in my "Southeast Asia: A Changing Region" class, we watched a humorous and interesting documentary about a man in Singapore who is a gravedigger. Unlike in the traditional sense, though, his job isn't to dig new graves, but rather to dig up old ones. The video focused on this Chinese man (and the Chinese are know as being especially superstitious and luck-conscious as it is) here in Singapore concerned about his luck in the afterlife for continually disturbing the houses of ghosts by – get this – destroying their graves. He continually digs up cemeteries to make way for public housing blocks. He's worried that disturbing the graves of ancestors will bring him eternal bad luck in the afterlife, and he complains that he's not feeling much love in the luck department even in life. He was concerned that he can't seem to make and keep any money. (Of course, the fact that he bets and gambles away hundreds each week on lottery and races might have something to do with it, but hey, I'm not a financial planner, I just play one on TV.)

In Singapore today, in fact, the government can only guarantee a corpse 20 years in the ground before it has to be exhumed and either cremated or placed in a mausoleum. It is a huge undertaking (no pun intended) here in Singapore, as land is at such a premium that, realistically, there just isn't enough room for everyone, living or dead.

Remember a few weeks ago when I told you about how in my "Nation-Building in Singapore" class, we were discussing how the process of housing the nation of Singapore contributed to building the nation of Singapore itself? Funny how classes intersect.

Then, today in my "Southeast Asia" class, we watched Singapore's version of a horror film, a relatively popular (locally and regionally) 2005 film called "The Maid." IMDB.com (a great website, by the way, for those not familiar with it) calls it a mix between "The Grudge" and "The Sixth Sense," and I can't describe it any better than that. It was fairly well-acted, and for the more seasoned film-going Americans among the class (myself included), the plot's "twists and turns" were pretty predictable, and funny. Most comically, the climactic final scene, involves--what else?--the antagonist getting hit by a bus while running across the street to attack the heroine.

While a bit absurd and silly, the story did reflect something else I've certainly encountered while I've been here in culturally-Chinese Singapore. Luck, and the preservation and enhancement of it, is a national pastime with the Chinese ethnic community. During the Hungry Ghost Month, which figures prominently in both the documentary and the movie, they don't have weddings, celebrations, etc., because the month is dedicated solely to the ghosts, and they don't want to anger them by hogging the spotlight. They give offerings to the ghosts, including food, and burn paper money. I, myself, didn't even think about it until a scene in "The Maid" brought it to my attention: but even stepping over these heaping ashes of paper money that litter the streets of Singapore during Hungry Ghost Month is considered extremely bad luck. When I was walking around, I was stepping all over it! The Gods will forgive me, I hope: I'm new at this.

Closing Thoughts

2007-10-09T01:09:00.000+08:00

One final closing thought on Jakarta: if ever you are going to go, don’t bring deodorant. The “security” (good for a laugh) guards at the airport seemed simply mystified – speechless and dumbfounded – at the sight of my deodorant, as if they had never been acquainted with this perplexing stick of sweet-smelling whatever that is (a fact I found hardly surprising after spending 48 hours walking around the city).

So now you know: don’t say I didn’t warn you.

And now, this: as I sat on the JetStar/Valuair Airbus A320 at Jakarta Airport waiting to depart on the way back to Singapore, an uppity Singaporean Chinese couple sitting next to me snobbishly laughed at the friendly local Indonesian flight attendant’s safety announcements (fasten this, inflate that, etc.). He in his designer jeans, typing away on his PDA, and she deeply engrossed in her high-brow Chinese word puzzles, these “phonies” would have made Holden Caulfield nauseous. And the poetic closure to my 48 hours was now complete: I was on my way back to safe, superficial Singapore!

Starbucks!

2007-10-08T20:18:00.000+08:00

One more thing: wow, I love Starbucks! Even here at the airport in Jakarta - not exactly Singapore's award-winning Changi Airport - there are two Starbucks locations offering all the same things I love about Starbucks in Singapore, and back home in the states: consistency and reliably good, high-quality products.

I can't emphasize enough how much I love this place: I truly view it as an extension of the U.S. embassy (sans the bureaucracy and with a lot better music and more comfortable seating, of course). Whenever I see that half-naked green mermaid with her flowing locks, I know I'm home.

Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta

2007-10-08T14:51:00.000+08:00

I would be remiss in recounting my experiences in Jakarta without at least mentioning my hotel: the Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta. It is, simply put, one of the best hotels I’ve stayed at. Period. Upon check-in, the reception clerk greeted me by name. Each morning, the waitress at the buffet breakfast (better than dinners I’ve eaten at some other hotels – including cheese, salad and omelet bars, fresh fruit and vegetables, etc.) welcomed me by name and asked how my morning was going. Everyone smiled and went out of their way to be friendly – very, very impressive.

And, best of all, the price was right: using an incredible website I found called HotelClub.net, I got this amazing 5-star property for only US$90/night, more than I’d prefer to spend, but still a great bargain for a hotel of this caliber, and well worth it in a city like this where security is – suffice it to say – a big consideration. The next time you travel and need a room – you should definitely check HotelClub out.

Jakarta

2007-10-07T17:19:00.000+08:00

After meeting with relatives of our friends from Singapore, the Tams, we were taken by our private-hire car first to Monas (or, Monument Nasional, to be more specific). It is without a doubt the most famous symbol – the only symbol, really – of the entire city. Its history is interesting and comical. Construction begun in 1961 under strongman Sukarno, and wasn’t completed until 1975, under his predecessor, the equally-egotistical dictator Suharto. The government claims it is 100% imported Italian marble, and that the flame at the top (reminiscent of the Statue of Liberty’s) is real gold (though we now know that it is definitely not – just thin gold leaf). A PG13 side note: it’s phallic symbolism has not been lost on locals – most of whom chuckle at the monument and the big “egos” it has now come to represent to most Indonesians.

This is the Istiqlal Mosque – Indonesia’s national mosque. It is absolutely massive – one of the biggest houses of worship (Muslim or otherwise) I’ve ever seen...basically Southeast Asian Islam's Vatican.

Next we hit a few museums including the National History Museum near Monas, which is mostly a collection of old relics and mildly interesting statuary tracing Indonesia’s rich ethnic and religious heritage, including Buddhist and Hindu icons and even Muslim-influenced sculpture. Probably the most interesting thing about the whole place was the entrance – which looked really cool and was centered on an elephant given to Indonesia by the King of Siam in 1871 (right around the time he and Anna were getting close).

Next we headed from Monas and the city center to Jakarta’s gritty, dangerous northern district of Kota – situated right on the harbor front that had held the original allure for the Dutch imperialists of the Dutch East India Company who colonized the area and ruled over Batavia (Jakarta’s Dutch name) for over 300 years (1619-1949).

Kota:

This area is home to the Jakarta History Museum, a beautiful but poorly-preserved (like just about all of the city’s history) colonial building that was once the Dutch city hall. The building is mostly empty – with a few pieces of Dutch-era furniture and paintings of wealthy Dutch aristocrats lining some of the walls.

My hosts for the day and I at the Jakarta History Museum:

Nearby is the Sunda Kelapa Harbor – the main port of the town that still today serves as the bustling city’s primary link to the sea. It is a very rough-and-tumble, dodgy place, but strangely atmospheric given its surroundings (put another way, the harbor’s spotty appearance is quite appropriate given the rest of the city).

Our friends also took me into a few shopping malls. One, the Plaza Indonesia, is the most upscale in all of Jakarta, where you – to be as frank as possible – really would have a hard time getting in unless you are: a) white, b) Japanese, or c) a local aristocrat (or wife thereof with credit card in hand) dripping of wealth. The security is, to say the least, very, very serious. Plaza Indonesia features all the standards: Prada, Armani, Burberry, plus the obligatory Starbucks. (This is also the location of the Hard Rock Café – where everyone was extremely helpful and friendly in assisting me in getting my guitar pins!)

Next we went to another mall, the Ambassador, which is much more middle- and working-class, and much, much more atmospheric (a lot less snobby, of course). That’s where I took this telling photo that perfectly illustrates the intersection of east and west:

I also took this picture nearby my hotel and the Plaza Indonesia:

Southeast Asia is a changing region, no?

And one last shot: the view from the top of Monas:

(By the way, that's smog, not clouds.)

As always, you can check out all my photos from my travels at my online photo albums.

Jakarta: The Ride Into Town

2007-10-06T22:29:00.000+08:00

Within the region, Jakarta is known affectionately as “The Big Durian” (remember, those big, hideous-smelling fruits I mentioned a few weeks ago?). When I told locals here in Singapore that I would be going there, the first word to come to every single one of their mouths in response was: “chaos.” And, needless to say, Jakarta is one city that definitely lives up to its billing.

Allow me to paint a picture…it all started on the drive in from the airport. After landing at about 8:45pm and clearing customs in the mildly chaotic immigration hall, I walked out to the Silver Bird taxi stand (Silver Bird being the only reliable taxi outfit in all of Jakarta). When I got in the waiting cab, the driver seemed nice enough – conversing in English about the weather, traffic (more on that later), and my flight in. And then, when I asked him to turn on the meter, the English mysteriously vanished and I was left to playing charades with the driver even though I knew he understood every single word I said. That was cute.

And on the road, it became clear what Jakarta is most (in)famous for: there is simply no superlative (or expletive) to truly capture the traffic crisis in Jakarta. The ride from the airport to the hotel – a distance of less than 20 miles (most of it on multi-lane expressway) – took nearly 90 minutes. Traveling 10 feet can literally take as many minutes, or more. “Lanes” are all relative on Jakarta’s highways and thoroughfares – cars and motorcycles drive anywhere and everywhere – the road, the shoulder, the sidewalk, and (harrowingly) right in front of other swerving vehicles. “Traffic” – a nice euphemism for “parking lot” – is such an accepted part of life in Jakarta that fast food vendors set up stands in the medians of the highway (seriously).

And, some of the vendors don’t just sell on the road, the live on the road. Driving on the highway, you see many families who are literally living in the median or on the shoulder. Juxtaposed to the Rolls Royce and Mercedes sedans whizzing by, it becomes quite clear that this is quite a stratified city, like many in the third world. Yes, this place is changing: the super-rich can afford all the finest luxuries to be found in any great western city, while the extremely destitute would make, for example, New York’s poor look like millionaires by comparison.

Similarly, McDonalds doesn’t have drive-throughs in Jakarta per se. Instead, they have, essentially, “drive-ups.” (They call them “McStops.”) Because traffic is so bad, and people spend so much time sitting in front of the McDonalds while waiting for movement anyway, McDonalds has roadside serving stands and cheeky servers who shuttle Big Macs and fries back and forth between the store and customers sitting in traffic road-side.

Locals just nod their head in resigned acceptance, if not tacit approval, and shrug, "welcome to Jakarta."

Southeast Asia: A Changing Region

2007-10-03T17:56:00.000+08:00

We here at JoeInSingapore.BlogSpot.com, in an effort to provide a better learning experience for our frequent visitors, will be starting a new series on “Southeast Asia: A Changing Region.” As I travel around the region over the next 6-8 weeks, I’ll reflect on my travels and experiences and usual – but trying to emphasize the changes taking place in this part of the world.

Nation-Building in Singapore: Housing a Nation

2007-10-02T16:25:00.000+08:00

Today in my Nation-Building in Singapore class, we spent the two-hour period discussing housing, and what a central role it played in the building of modern Singapore, and still does.

Singapore is very short on land: the entire country is only 270 square miles (just for comparison, the government’s statistical definition of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex comprises 9,289 square miles, seriously). As a result, land is at a real premium here, and is in very short supply. Everything, including cemeteries, farms, and other homes, have to be moved to make way for housing. People living on the land years ago were forced by the government to move into flats, and compensated at rates that the government deemed fair.

While most outsiders are almost dumbfounded by it, Singapore is peculiar among modern industrialized nations (and Singapore is most definitely both modern and industrialized) as being so heavily dependent on public housing. In Singapore today, over 85% of the population – including bankers, nurses, secretaries and other professionals – live in housing either owned or managed by the federal government. And, while a strong economy has given some affluent individuals the opportunity to move into more exclusive private condo communities, estimates are that when Singaporeans who used to live in public housing is added, the proportion of Singapore’s population that has lived in public housing is well north of 90%.

The consequence of this is quite simple: because public housing is a way of live in populating-rich, land-poor, it doesn’t carry the stigma that it does in the west. It’s not the domain of the poor, and it has actually been used very strategically by the government to further their political and social engineering outcomes: HDB Housing & Development Board) housing “estates” (large blocks of high-rise public housing) are always centered on a core of shops and restaurants, and ringed within a fixed radius by houses of worship representing Singapore’s main religious groups: a Chinese/Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple, a mosque, and a church.

And, again dumbfounding for outsiders – particularly westerners – is the fact that Singapore’s public housing demographics are closely controlled. The ethnic population of each “estate” must conform to strict regulations to ensure “racial harmony.” In Singapore, apartments are actually institutionally racially segregated. (Yes, you heard me right.) Once a flat (apartment) is designated as being for Chinese, or Malay, or Indian, it cannot be sold to anyone else. So, if you happen to be Chinese and own an HDB flat in Singapore, you can only sell your flat to another Singaporean. There are actually ads in the local paper that proclaim the features of a flat and then end with the phone number and ‘Not for Malays’ or ‘For Indians Only.’ It’s hard to count how many ways that would be illegal back in the U.S.!

The Zoo and Night Safari

2007-09-27T23:23:00.000+08:00

Today my mom and I went to visit the Singapore Zoo and Singapore Night Safari, both of which were excellent.

Singapore's zoo is - as you might expect - world-class, much like just about all of the rest of the island. The animals were plentiful and excellent, with lots of interesting information.

But the highlight would, without a doubt, have to be the unique Night Safari, an experience that only a handful of zoos in the world can offer visitors. Singapore's Night Safari is a completely separate zoological park, adjacent to the zoo, and only opens in the evening, after the sun has set. Visitors queue to take 45-minute tram rides that lead them through the park at night, to see not only nocturnal animals not visible during the daylight, but also get a much more up-close-and-personal perspective on animals that, while maybe not nocturnal, are much more easily spotted during the cool daylight when they can avoid the jarring heat and humidity of midday Singapore. Not to mention that the safari trams you ride in are open, so many animals (though not the lions, tigers or bears, of course) can walk right up to you as they graze in their habitats along the road.

Leaving Perth

2007-09-25T13:02:00.000+08:00

Well, today we depart Perth to head back to Singapore.

On leaving, I must say that this is truly an amazing place. My mom and I have been talking about come here to Perth and Western Australia for years and now, after visiting, we can see exactly why it has such a wonderful reputation. It has a very nice, relaxing atmosphere and the people are wonderful with a friendly, helpful and courteous demeanor. The place itself is very, very nice to look at - with lots of scenery and cities that are equally as attractive as the countryside that surround them.

If you should ever be in this part of the world, and have the opportunity to spend a few days in Western Australia, I would highly recommend it.

Gummy

2007-09-24T19:27:00.000+08:00

Today was a very nice day here in Western Australia. We did some sights around Perth in the morning including Swan Bells, a large glass tower on the city's beautiful riverfront that is actually the world's largest single instrument, with more than 50 bells (some very, very old) from around the world that are rung several times each day. Quite a sight:

In the afternoon, we took a nice tour up into the Swan Valley about 30 minutes north of Perth, an area in Australia known for its excellent wines.

See the bee?:

After some wine tastings at a few local wineries - the Chardonnay was particularly good, by the way - we went to the excellent Caversham Wildlife Park, a family-owned and -operated animal park that specializes in caring for abandoned and orphaned animals of over 1,000 species, including many, many kangaroos.

Sadly, most of these kangaroos were orphaned when their mothers were hit by cars on the highway (as is very common in Australia) while they were still in the pouch. As baby kangaroos -called "Joeys" (no, I'm not making that up) - can live for 24-48 hours inside the pouch even after the mother has died, many passers-by often take the little Joeys and bring them to sanctuaries like Caversham where they are raised in captivity. As a result, these kangaroos - that have been around humans for, in some cases, their entire life short of a few days - are completely used to people, aren't afraid or skiddish, and are extremely affectionate.

We met a particularly nice kangaroo - Gummy - who was all to happy to play with us and had an amazing temperament:

As always, you can view more of my pictures here.

Our Trip to the Gallows

2007-09-23T21:09:00.000+08:00

Today my mom and I spent an awesome day - our first full one here in Western Australia since arriving at about 12:30am this morning from Singapore - in Fremantle. Fremantle is a harborfront port city about 25 minutes southwest of Perth, and prides itself on not only being one of the most beautiful and fun places in Western Australia, but also by being decidedly different than more reserved, business-like Perth where the streets are pretty much rolled up after 7pm, even on weekends.

By far one of the most stunning - and unforgettable - experiences of the day (and I'd say the week, month, and possibly year) was our trip to the Fremantle Prison which has an (in)famous reputation throughout Australia and, indeed, throughout the former British Empire.

Opened in the late 1800s, the prison was operational up until 1991 when pressure on the Australian government from human rights organizations forced its closure. The place is pretty primitive: even right up until its closure in 1991, inmates - most of whom were hardened murders, rapists and pedophiles - were forced to use a chamber pot to go to the bathroom, and were only allowed to shower 2-3 times per week. (Brief note: it is not unheard of for summer temperatures in Fremantle to reach over 50°C, or over 120°F!)

The cell block was, to say the least, pretty barren. Notice the net - that was installed to keep inmates from jumping from upper balconies and committing suicide. (Another small note, though: although it might catch the pot itself, the net was not that helpful in catching the contents of chamber pots if an inmate on the top floor spotted an enemy walking on the ground.)

I suppose art is one outlet when you're going to spend your entire life behind bars:

Perhaps appropriately - given the eerie and startling nature of the prison - we ended the tour with a stop at the gallows where over 50 people were hanged between the mid-1800s and 1963. To say the least, stepping into the small execution chamber hidden behind a nondescript door, in a nondescript hallway, has a chilling and silencing effect. Prior to this point, all of the visitors on the tour - about 40 of us in all - were laughing, making jokes, smiling, etc., but when we entered the gallows, the mood fell silent almost instantaneously.

While it certainly isn't that disturbing for these horrible monsters to die - for what they did, I'd say that hanging was probably too good an end - it was still very, very creepy to be standing in the room where dozens of people met their end. The tour guide's fascinatingly informative - albeit maddeningly sterile - explanation of exactly what an inmates last moments were like (wake-up at 5am, breakfast at 6, shackled at 7:45, entered the gallows at 7:55, hanged at precisely 8:00, etc.) was thought-provoking.

See more of my pictures from our Western Australia trip here.

The Singapore Sling

2007-09-21T16:58:00.000+08:00

Well, my mom arrived late last night from the States after a long journey to come visit me all the way over here in Singapore.

Today we just talk it easy: I took her to a few sights around Singapore, including - of course - the world-famous Raffles Hotel. The Raffles is the pinnacle of timeless British-Colonial style and elegance, and is still wowing guests nearly 150 years after its opening. It was here in 1919 (or 1910, or 1912, or 1917, depending on who you ask) that the Singapore Sling was first concocted at the Long Bar. We, of course, had to stop in for a drink.

(As you can see from the picture, we were also getting the full effect of the Singapore heat and humidity, which at times can be unbearable!)

For those interested, the Singapore Sling consists of (courtesy of ThinkingBartender.com): 30ml

Gin
15 ml Cherry Brandy
120 ml Pineapple Juice
15 ml Lime Juice
7.5 ml Cointreau
7.5 ml Dom Benedictine
10 ml Grenadine
A Dash of Angostura Bitters
Garnish with a slice of Pineapple and Cherry

We both decided that it tastes pretty disgusting - a lot like cough syrup, as Lonely Planet put it - but it was still definitely worth the experience.

Dinner with Friends

2007-09-09T21:57:00.000+08:00

Tonight, I met family friend Joanna to walk around Little India and the Arab Quarter, which was really interesting.

After a few hours walking around, including viewing a few Chinese temples, a few Hindu temples, a few Mosques, etc., we met her parents and good friend Carmenza Mendoza for dinner at a Turkish restaurant in the Arab Quarter called Alaturka. We had a very nice dinner and enjoyed some good conversation and good company with friends, and finished off the night with Moroccan coffee and tea at a nearby Moroccan place. A fun night!

(Left to right: Ms. Tam, Mr. Tam, Joanna, Carmenza, and me.)

And Now A Word About The Technology That Made All This Possible

2007-09-04T13:07:00.000+08:00

As I sit here, in the Central Library at the National University of Singapore, typing away on my laptop computer, wirelessly connected to the internet, I wanted to take a moment to pause and reflect on the true marvel that is modern technology: it is, to me, nothing short of breathtaking what mankind has been able to accomplish with computing and the internet in such a short time.

Twenty years ago, most people still didn't even have a computer of their own, at least not at home, and fewer still actually had real, deep knowledge of the technology. Ten years ago, the internet was in its infancy, and the vast majority of the world had never seen, or even heard of, this amazing new thing called the World Wide Web. Even here in the United States, most of us still weren't yet even comfortable purchasing anything -- flights, movie tickets, books -- online: all things that today are purchased by millions of people online each day. And even five years ago, or perhaps even more recent than that, most of us didn't even know what the term "blog" meant (it's a combination of web and log, by the way), let alone had used the technology, or had a blog of our own. My how times have changed.

Let me back up a moment, and give you another date: August 1999, just over eight years ago. That is the month that a tiny little company was formed in San Francisco called Pyra Labs. Many didn't know it then, and most people still haven't heard of it today, but that company would go on to produce one of the biggest leaps forward in the history of the eWorld: they created Blogger. In 2003, the company was acquired by Google, and the rest is history.

Aside: and a word about Google. They are, unquestionably, one of the most important corporate entities in the history of American capitalism. The sheer amount of life-changing, world-transforming creations that they have brought into the global consciousness (most of it for free) is nothing short of breathtaking. They have made it possible to create blogs for free, edit and share photos on the web for free, view maps and satellite images of virtually any corner of the earth for free, and, oh yeah (almost forgot), find essentially any little tiny meaningless (though not to you) shred of information on earth in mere seconds. Incredible!

Okay, now back to the blog thing: Blogger is the program that I've used to put this whole blog together -- it is a blog production and distribution tool that allows you to share all kinds of content -- not just words and text, but photos, videos, sounds, and links -- with anyone you want.

Blogs have completely changed the way that people think about the internet. It (the internet) has transitioned from being a vehicle for the select few (the government, the media, etc.) to give us information, to a collaborative means for us to share information among each other. No longer is any human being on this earth (assuming they have an internet connection) forced to listen to anything they are handed by someone else. With the modern internet, what the excellent writer Thomas Friedman called in his equally excellent book The World Is Flat "Web 2.0," people are now completely free to express themselves, share ideas, and challenge power.

Perhaps the old adage should be amended: the pen may no longer be mightier than the sword (have you seen newspaper circulation data lately?), but the computer mouse most definitely is. Witness Dan Rather's end: how one of the biggest names in the U.S. media industry was brought down, essentially in a matter of hours, by a blogger over at LittleGreenFootballs.com who noticed, amazingly, that 1960s typewriters weren't capable of superscript. Now that is power, more specifically: the power of blogs.

A History Lesson

2007-09-03T19:58:00.000+08:00

After the Botanical Gardens, I also went to the National Museum of Singapore, an incredible museum that documents virtually the entire history of Singapore, from its native peoples, to colonial domination, to the merger with Malaysia, to the dissolution of the merger with Malaysia and independence, and finally chronicling the rise of the city's modern era as one of the world's great cities. The museum was closed from 2003 to 2006 to undergo a massive renovation, and the results are impressive, to say the least.

The building is a brilliant, colonial style building that has been brightly restored and shines in the daylight.

The building's rotunda, I must say is, despite its relatively small size, one of the best I've seen: while the ceiling isn't that high, it seems huge, and while there aren't enormous windows (only, as you can see, a few small ones), it seems flooded with light. Really, really cool.

If you're in Singapore, you should definitely check this place out.

Midday in the Garden of Good (and No Evil)

2007-09-03T15:31:00.001+08:00

Today I spent a few hours in the Singapore Botanical Gardens. Singapore's national botanical gardens are, simply put, world-class, top-notch. First of all, it's huge -- about one-fifth the size of Central Park (and anyone whose ever done any walking in Central Park knows that's pretty big.) The park has a long and illustrious history, stretching all the way back to the founding of Singapore: they can be traced to the "Botanical and Experimental Garden" commissioned by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles himself all the way back in 1822 (only three years after the British colony's founding).

It's really a beautiful place:

(This next one kind of reminds of wallpaper you'd see in a house in Florida in 1987...)

"The Rain Forest," an area of the Botanical Gardens set aside to preserve a few acres of the indigenous jungle that once covered virtually all of Singapore:

My New Favorite Drink

2007-09-03T13:43:00.000+08:00

Mango nectar and passion fruit tea, blended with crushed ice. Sound good? Well, it is. This is, officially, my new favorite drink. I could live on these - seriously. They're that good. It is the Starbucks Mango Passion Fruit Frappucino, and they're everywhere here (as are Starbucks) - they are freezing cold, and such an amazing, refreshing treat during during the 90°/100% humidity days here in Singapore.

I'm not sure if they're available in the U.S. (I don't remember seeing them there), so just enjoy looking upon it:

("Little") India

2007-09-01T21:00:00.000+08:00

Most of the world's great cities have a Chinatown, but not quite as many have a Little India. Here in Singapore, however, "Little" India is one of the cities most vibrant neighborhoods, where the smells of curry and shisha pipes, sounds of sitars, and the sights that would make any casual visitor feel like they were in a crowded street market in Delhi or Calcutta.

Singapore has a huge Indian immigrant community, with many (if not most) being workers who travel to Singapore in search of jobs and usually stay for several years to earn higher wages then possible at home to support their families (not unlike many Latin migrant workers in the U.S.).

The Little India neighborhood started out as a slum where Indian servants were relegated during the height of the highly-segregated British colonial era. Centuries later, the British have left, but the Indian heritage hasn't...

The brightly-colored Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple, dedicated to Kali, is one of the area's most impressive. Dating to 1881, the temple was built by Indian colonial laborers and depicts scenes of the Hindu deity of destruction wearing her traditional necklace of skulls and eating the insides of her victims. Ironically, it also shows tranquil scenes of her lounging with her sons, the deities Ganesh( best known in the west for his incarnation with many elephant heads) and Murugan.

Another equally impressive temple is the nearby Sri Srinavasa Perumal Temple, dedicated to the Hindu deity Vishnu. The temple is over 150 years old, but it's stunning gopuram (or entrance tower) dates only t0 1966, when it was constructed for $300,000.

Next I headed over to the Sakaya Muni Buddha Gaya Temple, better known locally as the "Temple of 1000 Lights." It was built in 1927 by a particularly ambitious Thai monk.

The outside is beautiful, but it's what's inside that's really impressive: a 15-meter, 300-ton Buddha resides inside the echo-filled hall of the temple. It is simply massive, with alters all around. You can go around to the back and go down underneath the sitting Buddha, to see a reclining Buddha -- a depiction of Maitreya, a Buddha-in-the-making.

Next it was off to ... across the street, at the Leong San See Temple, a decidedly more understated place, but still beautiful.

Then I did some walking around the area, really soaking in all that Little India had to offer:

Bollywood, meet Singapore, Singapore, Bollywood...

I walked through a few of the humongous shopping malls (many open 24/7) selling just about anything under the sun from watches, to rice cookers, to lingerie.

I finished up the night at the fascinating Sungei Road Thieves Market, which has for decades been a daily afternoon gathering place for some of the shiftiest, and funniest, characters this city has to offer. It's basically a multi-street maze of garage sale mixed with rummage sale mixed with junk museum. Some of the best salesman are the infamous "uncles" who are there to hawk their wares with as little emotion as possible, and definitely not there to chit-chat with you. (In the Chinese dialect of Hokkien, Singaporeans call just about every old man an "uncle," whether related or not.)

See more of my photos from my travels here.

A Now For Something on the Lighter Side...

2007-09-01T09:09:00.000+08:00

I guess this should serve as a good reminder that, when you're immersed in a different culture, you have to remember that spelling and pronunciation can vary dramatically from what you're used to...

(Take a look at the name of the company, above the phone number.)

Bintan

2007-08-27T20:59:00.000+08:00

Today Mark and I took it easy, and went to the nearby Indonesian resort island of Bukit Bintan ("Bukit" means "island" in Indonesian), just a 1-hour ferry ride from Singapore.

It was awesome. The beaches were great -- like fine sugar -- and the resort was deserted. Because it's Monday, most of the Singaporeans (who make up just about 100% of the island's visitors) are back at work, so the resort (and the pool, and the beach) was nearly empty.

Photos by Mark:

Kuala Lumpur Day 3: Back to Singapore

2007-08-26T22:59:00.000+08:00

Before we left today for home (Singapore), we headed back over to the Petronas Twin Towers to take some more pictures. They looked even more amazing in the glistening sunlight.

I truly can't understate how amazing these buildings are: pictures just don't do them justice.

We came back by Airebus to Singapore this afternoon, getting into town just after 9pm. I watched two movies on the bus ride: "Bullet Proof Monk" with Sean William Scott and Chow Yun-Fat, which I liked, and "The Weather Man" with Nicholas Cage, which was stupid.

Kuala Lumpur At Night

2007-08-25T23:25:00.000+08:00

I'll leave you with this shot, taken by Mark tonight, of Kuala Lumpur by night. It really is an amazing city.

Kuala Lumpur Day 2

2007-08-25T23:18:00.000+08:00

Today was a busy, but awesome, day.

We had an early start: a 5:30am wake-up, and over to the Petronas (again, pronounced -nas as in "Nassau") Twin Towers to queue up for our tickets to go up in the SkyBridge. The line there usually starts forming in the basement of the buildings at about 3-4am in the morning, and by the time they started handing out tickets at 8:30am, for the first tour at 9am, the line was literally snaked around the basement, and out the door. There had to be at least 500 people waiting for tickets, of which there are only a limited number released each day.

Luckily, our early wake-up paid off: we snagged not only two tickets for the 9am tour, but also got two more for the 6:30pm tour, the last of the night, which was perfect because we figured we'd get great pictures both in the morning sunlight and at dusk.

At 9am, we were brought into a little theater to watch a roughly 8-minute sales pitch for Petronas (as in Petro-Nasional in Malaysian), Malaysia's national oil & gas company, which obviously owns the tower and has its headquarters there. After that, we all piled into the huge elevators and began the 40-second (about 1 floor per second) ride to the 41st floor, where the SkyBridge linking the two towers is.

It was, to say the least, amazing:

(photo by Mark)

If ever you are in K-L, you must visit the Petronas Twin Towers. They are wonders of the modern world.

After our morning trip up, we did some other sightseeing in Kuala Lumpur. We went to the National Museum, which was fairly impressive, and did have a great recounting of Malaysia's national history dating back to pre-colonial times and going through the country's unification in the 1950s.

Afterward, we went to the National Orchid Garden and National Hibiscus Garden, which were excellent:

The view of the city from the Orchid Garden, set up on a hill, was amazing. If you look closely, you can see a base jumper parachuting down off the Menara KL Tower:

We also went to the National Monument, which commemorates Malaysia's struggle over communism in the 1950s and 1960s:

Next we went to Merdeka ("Independence") Square, the site where the British colonial administrators lowered the Union Jack for the last time on 31 August 1957 and officially relinquished power to the then-newly-formed independent Federation of Malaysia. In the middle is the world's tallest flagpole, at 300 meters tall, marking the spot of the handover. The square was in a state of chaos as the country prepares for the upcoming 50th National Independence Day celebrations next week.

On one side of the square is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the most impressive building in the area, that blends British, Arab, Malay, and Mongol architectural styles:

Finally, before we headed back to the Petronas Twin Towers, Mark and I felt compelled to go through the Pudu Train Station, near our hotel, where the closing scenes in the film "Entrapment" were filmed (movie buffs would recognize it, although it has definitely aged considerably since the movie was shot in 1999, just after its opening). After all, it was "Entrapment" that first got Mark and I interested in visiting K-L almost a decade ago.

Now back to the Petronas Towers at night:

It's simply impossible to find the "right" pictures to capture the scene -- these buildings just can't be contained in a photograph.

Tonight we strolled around the Berjaya Times Square, the largest mall in Southeast Asia, that has floor after floor of shops, restaurants, galleries, etc. It was incredible, to say the least. And, I feel confident in saying, a surreal experience that neither Mark nor I will ever forget: sitting in a completely packed McDonalds in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia at 9:00 at night, surrounded by women wearing full-length black burqas eating Big Macs and drinking Coke.

We also went to Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown. The photo captures quite accurately what the scene (and the feeling) were like: the place was absolute, total craziness. There was a frenetic, chaotic feel with every salesman hawking watered-down cologne, bad Fendi and Prada knock-offs, and thousands of pirated CDs and DVDs. We had to make sure to watch our wallets, but wow, what a place!

(Again, see more pictures in my online photo album.)

Kuala Lumpur Day 1

2007-08-24T21:49:00.000+08:00

Mark and I arrived today in Kuala Lumpur via the Airebus, a luxury bus service that runs twice-daily shuttle buses on the 5-hour route between Singapore and K-L. The bus cost about US$90 round-trip per person, and features a first-class seat like on an airplane, complete with meals, tray table, and personal TV with music, movies, etc.

We were sitting in seats 2B/2c:

On the trip up, we spent most of the ride talking with a nice lady we met, Mrs. Maszreen Gibson, a Sri Lankan-born Singalese who has lived in Malaysia for nearly thirty years and is married to an American from Seattle. She gave us some tips on navigating K-L, suggestions on places to go and things to see, and was even nice enough to change some of our money from Sing dollars and U.S. dollars into Malaysian ringgits. (The going rate is about 3.5 ringgits to the U.S. dollar.)

When we arrived in K-L, we hit the ground running. After quickly checking into our hotel, the Melia Kuala Lumpur (which was excellent value for money at just US$60/night), we went out to start exploring one of Southeast Asia's largest and fastest-changing cities.

We started out by going to the Menara KL Tower, the world's tallest all-concrete structure, and one of the tallest freestanding structures in the world. While it doesn't look like much from the outside, the 360° panoramic view from inside the observation deck is amazing. It offers spectacular views of the vast maze that is K-L: the metro area goes literally to the horizon, like only a few other urban areas I've ever seen (New York, L.A., Mexico City, etc.). The Menara KL Tower is also popular with base jumpers who jump off the top and parachute to the ground.

Like I said, the views of the city were amazing. There's no other word for it:

The main attraction: probably the most recognizable symbol of this city, this country, and perhaps this region. The Petronas, pronounced Petro-Nas (-"Nas" as in "Nassau"), Twin Towers are, I must say two of the most stunning structures I've ever seen in my life. Not only are the two of the tallest buildings on earth, but they are breathtaking in the truest sense of the word: the air seems to get sucked out of your lungs when you look upon them -- they truly are that amazing. This is what the unbelievable view of them was like from the Menara KL Tower:

And a very memorable scene that you probably wouldn't see at the top of the Sears Tower or the Eiffel Tower, but an excellent reminder that you are, after all, in a decidedly Muslim country:

Tonight we ate at the Hard Rock Kuala Lumpur, and again picked up our collectible souvenir guitar pins and shot glasses (we're such suckers, aren't we?).

(See more of my pictures in my Picasa web albums here.)

Mark Arrived

2007-08-23T20:59:00.000+08:00

My friend and roommate from back home, Mark, arrived today in Singapore. He is studying abroad this semester in Hong Kong (one of my favorite cities), at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and his classes don't being for another two weeks. So, we planned for him to come here to visit me in Singapore for a few days, and we're leaving tomorrow for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a city both of us have wanted to see for a long, long time (for me, ever since I saw the incredible movie "Entrapment" way back in 1999).

Tonight we walked around town a bit here in Singapore, and stopped by the Hard Rock Cafe to pick up the items we collect (me, guitar pins, and him, shot glasses). I also had to pick up a guitar pin for my Aunt Michelle, who has been collecting them for years and has quite an impressive collection.

My Class Schedule

2007-08-23T10:01:00.000+08:00

I finally got my class schedule set!

Before I even came here to Singapore, I was nervous to get my class schedule set the way I wanted it. I am required to take at least two business courses while here to satisfy the exchange program requirements for McCombs, but I wanted to take the other two courses here as non-business classes that would be a bit less work, and give me a bit more time to soak up the place, and enjoy myself while here.

I was also hopeful that I could get my schedule so that all my classes were only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, thus giving me four-day weekends to catch up on homework, study, and of course, travel! While here, I'm thinking: Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi (beach resort islands), and Melakka (historical town near Singapore), Malaysia; Bali and Jakarta, Indonesia; Macau, China (the 'Las Vegas of the East'); Taipei, Taiwan; and Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Lots to keep me busy, but also lots to see, and I know have to do as much as I can now, because who knows when I'll be back to this part of the world -- not exactly right next door to the United States! -- again?

Anyway, my class schedule is going to be:

(Course Code / Department / Course Title)

HY2229 / History / Nation-Building in Singapore
SE1101E / Southeast Asian Studies / Southeast Asia: A Changing Region
FNA3101B / Business-Finance / Corporate Finance
FNA3103 / Business-Finance / Financial Markets

I should be able to get UT credit towards my major for the two Finance classes, and get elective credit back home at UT for the other two. And best of all, all of my classes are only Tuesday-Thursday, as I had hoped, so I have four-day weekends all semester long to do the traveling I wanted! Suffice it to say, I'm very exited.

What Makes a Nation?

2007-08-21T18:03:00.000+08:00

Today in my Nation-Building in Singapore class, the topic of discussion during the professor's lecture was about the origins of nation-building, both in the context of Singapore's history and in overseas examples, and began with a rumination on just what, exactly, makes a state a "nation?"

I was overcome first and foremost with how interesting the question was: I think that the perception of many in the west is that the difference between the two terms is so insignificant as to make them indistinguishable, but the professor's talk highlighted just how much time and academic discussion here in Singapore has been dedicated to this question of "state" vs. "nation." I was shocked to hear that even Singapore's former prime minister, Goh Chok Tong, had said several years ago that he didn't believe Singapore was yet a nation.

Secondly, I was overwhelmed with pride when I thought about my homeland, the United States, and reflected on what made America a "nation." Singapore is truly a young country, only 42 years old, but the United States just turned 221. And while the U.S. would, from a purely objective examination, not appear to fulfill just about any of the bullet points on the academic checklist put forth to define a "nation" -- no completely unifying national language, no common ancestry or cultural heritage, and certainly not a nation of a "single people" -- America is most definitely -- by the admission of any scholar or citizen of the modern world, a "nation," in every sense of the word.

Every minute that I am here in Singapore, a wonderful country that I like very much, I grow more and more proud to be an American, as I learn more and more about just how much I have to be grateful for in the country that I love so much and has given me so much.

My First Day of Class and Lee Kuan Yew

2007-08-14T17:05:00.000+08:00

Today was the first day of class for me here at the National University of Singapore. Classes officially started yesterday, Monday, 13 August, but since I don't have classes on Monday, today was my first day.

My first class this morning -- Finance 3101 Corporate Finance -- was canceled because the professor was out of the country. It was an interesting experience, though: none of the local Singaporean students knew the class was canceled either (so I didn't feel so bad), but none of them were willing to walk up to the Dean's Office to confirm whether the class was canceled or not. So I had to do it. From what I've heard, that's Singaporeans for you: not very confrontational, and also not very assertive. I've seen that elsewhere here: on the subway, when someone gets up from their seat, even if the train is completely packed to the rafters (which often happens at rush hour), many times people will just stand there and nobody will actually sit down, leaving the seat empty. (This is not, of course, a problem for me: if I'm going to be there for 20-30 minutes, I'm sitting if nobody else is!).

After that, I had a little break of a few hours, and then I went to my second class today, History 2229 Nation-Building in Singapore, all about the history of how Singapore was built up from basically nothing (a backwater port and fishing village) into one of the modern world's greatest cities. That class looks really, really interesting, and I think I'm going to enjoy it.

I met two local Singaporean girls in my class, one named Michelle, who pointed out to me that one of the students in the class was none other than the son of Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, and the grandson of Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew. The entire class basically revolves around Lee Kuan Yew, sort of Singapore's version of George Washington, who still -- even after leaving his prime minister post of over 30 years nearly 20 years ago, is still by far the most important person in Singapore. He now has a special official title of "minister mentor" to his son, the current prime minister (who is only the country's third leader).

Happy National Day!

2007-08-09T23:55:00.000+08:00

Happy 42nd birthday Singapore!

Today is National Day, sort of Singapore's version of July 4th, when the country celebrates getting its independence from Malaysia (on 9 August 1962).

The National Day Parade (NDP) was held at Marina Bay this year, for the first time, while the national stadium where the event is normally held is renovated. The NDP is a series of parades and processionals by leaders, school children, and the military. It is basically a few hours of pomp and pageantry like in any other country, but with a more overtly militaristic and nationalist message (troopers with guns roaming the audience in battle stance, etc.) that anything I've ever seen in the U.S. despite what the rest of the world thinks of us. The event was, to say the least, very impressive.

It also plays on some of Singapore's carefully-crafted national themes of diversity, unity, harmony, capitalist choice, etc., complete with a theme song and everything and flashy music video and everything.

Chinatown

2007-08-09T15:53:00.000+08:00

Today I did some sightseeing, and went into Chinatown, in the heart of Singapore, right near the city's central business district. Singapore's Chinatown is one of the oldest and most historic in all of southeast Asia, because Singapore has been a destination for Chinese immigrants for centuries. The neighborhood continued to grow and expand -- both in size and population -- throughout the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, and reached its pinnacle in the 1950s. Since then, while some of its cultural ties have receded, the area is still a really nice place to stroll through -- lots of beautiful old buildings and fascinating temples, shrines and mosques, and, of course, the one thing that just about every Chinatown on earth is known for: shopping, shopping, and more shopping!

The Wak Hai Cheng Bio Temple is one of the oldest temples in Singapore, famous for the many intricate figures that sit atop its roof:

Singapore's most impressive Chinese temple (according to Lonely Planet, and I agree) is the Thian Hock Keng Temple:

One of several Chinatown mosques, the Al-Abrar Mosque ("Kuchu Palli," or "thatched hut," in Tamil) was built between 1850 and 1855:

Ah, yes, the always-bustling shops of Chinatown:

The Chinatown Heritage Center is an excellent museum dedicated to tracing the history of the neighborhood and its people, and recreating what life was like in the pioneering days of Singapore's Chinatown:

Another fascinating thing I saw in Chinatown today was a custom with Singapore's Chinese community related to the ancient Chinese "Hungry Ghost Festival," which commemorates the souls of the departed. The living provide food offerings on the street, and burn paper money:

Exploring Singapore

2007-08-08T12:51:00.000+08:00

Today I got up early, got out while it was still sunny (it's been raining here), and while it wasn't quite as warm or humid (it starts out in the morning at about 75, and usually heats up to about 85-95 with just about 100% humidity each day by 11am-noon).

I went walking through Singapore's central business district (CBD) and Colonial Quarter, where most of the island's oldest colonial buildings (from the British era) are. What an amazing city!

First and foremost, just like with the subway, all of the streets are spotlessly clean. The concrete is completely clear of any gum remnants, there's no garbage floating across the streets, and there aren't any newspapers or plastic bags mashed into the ground. It's clean, clean, clean.

Singapore's downtown business area, with the twin towers of the United Overseas Bank, one of Singapore's "big three" banks:

Boat Quay, a big restaurant and bar area on the banks of the Singapore River, just down from the Central Business District:

A statue of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the British explorer and businessman considered the father of Singapore, standing in front of the modern metropolis he no doubt could never have imagined:

The Raffles Hotel, by far Singapore's most famous lodging establishment, and synonymous with obscene luxury for over 120 years. This place is very high-end: you literally aren't even allowed in the building unless you're dressed for it, and the guard at the front door wears a full Indian maharajah garb. The hotel's Long Bar is where the famous Singapore Sling drink was created, back around 1910. Let's put it this way: it wasn't declared a Singapore National Historic Landmark for nothing:

The Merlion (Mermaid-Lion), one of the most enduring symbols of Singapore sitting right on Singapore's downtown marina, even though it was only designed in the mid 1970s:

The Merlion and downown:

Singapore's world-class arts center -- sometimes called Singapore's version of the Sydney Opera House -- the Esplanade. Locals call it "the durian," after the region's popular, but (in)famous, fruit known worldwide for its sweet taste and pungently disgusting smell (it's really that bad).

See any resemblance?

The exterior of the Esplanade Theater on the Bay is made up of thousands of sunshades to shield the interior from the intense heat of the tropical sun:

Getting a Student Pass

2007-08-07T09:53:00.000+08:00

Today I had to get up very early (5am) to get to the Singapore Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) headquarters office in downtown Singapore, near the Lavender MRT station. The ride took about 35 minutes by train, and I got to the office at about 6am. Why, you might ask, did I need to get up so early?

Well, I need to get my Singapore Student Pass -- basically a student visa that allows me to stay in Singapore beyond the typical 90-day tourist/business trip limit, and also to leave and return to Singapore as many times as I'd like during the time I'm here (which, of course, I'll need for traveling around the region). But, at the NUS Orientation talks last week, they told us that if we wanted to go over to the ICA office and apply in-person for our visa (they'll do it for you, but it takes even longer), we had to get there early because the line (or "queue," as they say) can be impossible. Well, sure enough, I got to the ICA building at just after 6am, and I was standing in line outside the building behind about 70-80 other people! By the time we were let into the building at 8:30am, there were at least 150-200 people in line behind me. And, I got lucky: a guard that I spoke to told me that last week they broke the record for the most people waiting in line, at over 1,000!

Anyway, when they opened the doors, everyone ran in and ran up the escalators to disperse to the different offices on each floor that handle different types of passes and visas (temporary work permits, travel visas, student passes, etc.). Luckily, I got up to the fourth floor, where the student pass office was, and was only the third person in line there, so I was in and out of the place in under 20 minutes. By the time I left, though, the wait was about 45-60 minutes long!

I have to go back to pick up my student pass next Wednesday after 11am.

The Bourne Ultimatum

2007-08-06T22:11:00.000+08:00

Just a quick note: tonight I went to go see "The Bourne Ultimatum," starring Matt Damon. I had wanted to see it since it opened on the 25th back in the States, but because of how crazy and hectic everything was leading up to me moving out and leaving for Singapore, I didn't get a chance. All I have to say is wow! If you get a chance, you should definitely go see it. It was awesome, and now I can definitely see why it got so many rave reviews. Usually sequels, or trilogies, fall flat, but this one was just as good if not better than "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy." It kept you engaged and on the edge of your seat the entire time.

One interesting part of the movie-going experience this evening: when I went to go buy my ticket at the Golden Village (GV) Cinema here in Singapore (GV is one of the big movie theater companies here), I was assigned a seat! Yes, that's right, here in Singapore, they actually assign seats at every theater, for every screening of every movie, and they won't let you into the theater until exactly 10 minutes before the screening starts. I suppose that should give you a bit of an idea about how seriously these people take their "organization" and "order."

Singapore's MRT: Wow!

2007-08-05T21:12:00.000+08:00

If you asked most people in the world who have ever heard of Singapore to describe, in one word, what they have heard about it, the word would probably be either "clean," "organized," or some variation on one of the two. And, I must say, if the incredible late-night arrival experience at Changi Airport wasn't enough, the Singapore subway really proves the point: Singapore really is as clean as everyone says. It's almost unbelievable when you first see it. Yeah, it's that clean.

Today I had my first experience with the Singapore subway system, the MRT, or Mass Rapid Transit. Singapore's MRT is one of the most efficient, and well-run, subway systems I've ever seen in my life, and I've seen a few (New York, Chicago, Washington, Boston, St. Louis, London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, Tokyo, etc.). Singapore's MRT is a network of about 65 stations linking much of Singapore together. There are three lines: the green (EW, or East-West), the red (NS, or North-South), and the purple (NE, or Northeast). My stop is Clementi (EW23, or stop 23 along the East-West Line).

As you can see from the picture above, the subway is absolutely spotless, much like the rest of Singapore. The floors and benches are all made of marble (just like the New York Subway, right?) and you could eat off of them they're so clean. There's no graffiti anywhere, no gum rappers, no McDonalds cups or plastic bags. It's quite a sight to behold.

Connecting to most of the MRT stops are a system of buses that are equally impressive. Between the MRT and the buses, you can get pretty much anywhere in Singapore without a card. For example, I have three bus lines that go past my condo development from the Clementi MRT: the 52, the 154, and the 184. The buses are clean and neat, and scrolling signs on the ceiling announce each bus stop as it's coming up so you know when to move to the door to "alight" (or "exit," to us Americans). And, all the buses and trains take the same small ezLink card (like a MetroCard in New York) that you simply tap onto a small reader when you step on the bus (or into the MRT station) and then tap again on the reader when you leave. The way it works is that when you tap-in, the system automatically charges you the highest possible fare for that bus or subway line (as if you were traveling the farthest possible distance on that bus or train), and then when you tap-out when you get off, it credits back to your card the unused portion of the line that you didn't travel on. The system is really, really impressive.

Moved Into My Flat

2007-08-04T19:19:00.000+08:00

Today I moved into my flat in Clementi and, I must say, I'm speechless. Not only did it meet every single expectation that I had, but it exceeded all of them! Today, Joanna Tam was nice enough to come all the way out to Clementi with me by taxi to check the place out and make sure it was safe, clean, and everything was in order. We met with my real estate agent, Julie Kong, who is awesome, and she and the owner's representative took me around the place.

The place is absolutely wonderful: I have my own room, with my own bathroom, my own air-conditioning (absolutely vital in equatorial-tropical Singapore!), my own laundry facilities, plus a nice view of the densely wooded park area surrounding my condo development. The condo development also has a clubhouse with a shop, restaurant, pool, gym/sauna, and tennis courts. And, there is even a private shuttle that runs directly from my building and goes straight to the Clementi MRT station, just a 10-minute ride from my flat!

I am so grateful to have gotten this flat, thanks in large part to my agent Julie's help. This is going to be a wonderful place to live, and a great place to call home for the four months that I'm living here in Singapore.

The owner, Mr. Teow, is away out of town in Malaysia this weekend, as is my other roommate, K, who is a Japanese journalist. They both left me nice notes apologizing for not being here when I first arrived, and they seem like really nice guys. I should meet them in the next few days.

My address while I'm here in Singapore is:

Block 137 Sunset Way
05-15 Clementi Park
Singapore 597158

The Tams

2007-08-03T23:11:00.000+08:00

Today I lucked out - and was able to meet up with some of the most wonderful people in the world! I was supposed to go out to Clementi to move into my flat tonight, but by sheer luck, was able to meet up with Mun Molloy, a new friend from back in the United States (and Singapore).

To make a long story short: I was informed about three weeks ago that NUS didn't have any room at all for me in any of the on-campus dormitories. I really, really wanted to live in the Prince George's Park (PGP) Residences right on-campus, but oh well. I found out later that all the other exchange students from UT, and from other foreign schools, got the same message I did: apparently NUS didn't anticipate having to provide housing for quite so many exchange students this fall! Anyway, when we found out this news, we emailed every single person in our email address book to see if anybody, by any chance, might have known someone who lived in Singapore, or had family there, etc. Sure enough, a friend my mom met years ago at the Sundance Film Festival, who lives in Houston, had a friend, also in Houston, whose next door neighbor was from Singapore. Through this long and convoluted chain of people, we were finally able to make contact with this woman -- Ms. Mun Molloy -- who turned out to be such a great person.

She is a native Singaporean, now married with a Briton with two daughters, and living in Houston (oil industry). She was so friendly through emails -- helping us navigate through real estate agents and helping try and find housing while in Singapore. She also told us that she was going to be in Singapore, but leaving on 4 August, the day I arrive! So, I thought I wouldn't be able to see her.

Well, now to the point: tonight, after getting back from the NUS orientation talks (which were good, if a bit disorganized, by the way), I called the mobile number she gave me just to see if -- by chance -- she might still be in town. It turns it she was passing right under me in the MRT (Singapore subway) as we talked, she told me to stay in the lobby of my hotel, and she came up and met me! She took me back to her parent's house in Singapore (near Upper Thompson Road) and I got to meet her family -- her mum and dad, and her wonderful sister, Joanna. They were so hospitable -- insisting on me sleeping there tonight, and making me dinner. Her sister, Joanna, lent me a mobile phone to use while I'm here in Singapore, and they gave me lots of great maps and information about Singapore.

Really restores your faith in humanity!

NUS Orientation

2007-08-03T08:02:00.000+08:00

Well, up early this morning and off to NUS (the National University of Singapore), where I'll be studying for the next four months. First up, at 9am, is a big orientation talk where they're going to give all the foreign exchange students information about matriculation, classes, events and activities, services provided, etc. Then, at 2pm, the top-ranked NUS Business School is having its own orientation just for international business students.

I'm Here in Singapore

2007-08-03T00:19:00.000+08:00

Well, I got here to Singapore without any problems tonight. I'm staying the night at the LeMeridien Hotel in the heart of Singapore's shopping district, Orchard.

My flight was delayed about 30 minutes leaving Tokyo, but we still got into Singapore about on-time. The JAL flight was great: friendly service, good inflight entertainment (though I was too tired to really enjoy most of it) and good food. I was served Dinner which, on a 7-hour flight, was vastly superior to the slop I got on the 14-hour AA flight coming over from Dallas. Sad.

Singapore's Changi Airport really is everything they say: truly one of the best airports I've ever seen. While it may not have awe-inspiring architecture or jaw-dropping size, the sheer efficiency of the place is truly incredible. When I landed - at just after 12:30am local time - I was processed and through customers in less than five minutes, and by the time I got out to baggage claim, my bag was already coming around the belt! Fifteen minutes from the seat in the plane to the seat in the taxi into town! And that was at 12:30am! At the peak of rush hour, at 5pm, at JFK, they couldn't manage that on their best day. Very, very impressive. If the rest of the country is like this - which by all accounts it pretty much is - I could get very comfortable!

Well, it is very late here, and I need to get some sleep because tomorrow is a big day: checking into my apartment, etc.

The type of plane I was on from Tokyo to Singapore (JAL Boeing 767-300ER):

I'm on My Way

2007-08-02T16:12:00.000+08:00

I'm sitting here typing from the Admirals Club at Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan, waiting for my flight down to Singapore. I just got off a long (13+ hour) flight -- American flight 61 from Dallas/Fort Worth, that landed here at about 3:00pm this afternoon.

After a quick shower, now I am just relaxing before my next flight, JAL flight 711, which should be leaving at about 6:30pm.

I will be getting into Singapore at about 12:30am tomorrow morning, just barely over 24 hours after I left Dallas. I need some sleep!