So I'm in the "fine" city :)
They even call themselves that in the free tourist guide - warning you of the various fines and punishments for transgressions big and small - and painstakingly pointing out that chewing gum is no long a capital offence here..
Got here flying Indian Airlines. Even after many times in the air, I still enjoy take-offs and landings. This time was unique though - an aborted takeoff!
It all started innocently enough - an on-time departure, no time spent on the apron. We were taxiing onto the runway when, two rows behind me, this guy starts wailing "I'm bleeding! Let me off!". Frantic attempts by the flight attendants and helpful comments by other passengers made it look like a scene out of Asterix and The Silver Star...
I'm always amazed by the efficiency at Changi - it's the only place where I spend less than 10 minutes at immigration and *still* get beaten to the carousel by my luggage!
I've also been highly impressed with the tightly controlled economy, where services are efficient and cheap! This time, however, I was shocked to find taxi fares up (by 35%, natch), apartment rental prices up (in some places by over 100%), house purchase prices up, food prices up, and general morale down...and I was only here 6 months ago! What's the world coming to when a tightly controlled economy can't keep its people happy!
Still - not all is bad here..the weather is still hot and humid, the traffic is still crazy, the trains still crowded - nothing out of the ordinary in the second-most densely populated country in the world.
Enough kvetching...I'm off to work...
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