Singapore

Back at the airport after 24 hours in Singapore. The wet season is a great time to come here because, although still humid, the cloud cover and constant breeze result in some very pleasant temperatures. Dave was still surprised that I was in full-sweat after a short walk to his place from the Metro.

Had a double espresso here at the airport to assist with my sleep management strategy for the flight to London. Proofreading this piece twelve hours later, it seems to have worked. Waking up at 2am (UK Time) isn’t far off what tends to happen when I fly over from the US.

Back to the Lion City. In Dave’s sector of the market, rents have fallen by about 40-50% from their peak a several years back. While this doesn’t make Singapore “cheap” – it is presently much more affordable than other major financial centers such as London, New York, Hong Kong and Bermuda. My buddy’s place here would be at least double to rent in New York or London – triple in a similarly located neighbourhood (in terms of convenience).

Knowing the work ethic of the Singaporean people, I can see why I’ve been hearing so much about Singapore becoming an off-shore financial center. It is quite a nice way to break up the journey between Australasia and Europe.

Enjoyed a nice Thai dinner overlooking the water at Boat Quay this evening – the hustle of Asia – I don’t miss it but I am entertained by it when exposed again. I was feeling very chipper as I knew that I’d better take advantage of the outdoor dining opportunity before arriving in Scotland – I think that Edinburgh’s daytime high was about 6C today, with drizzle in the forecast, for the next three days. Good weather for indoor swimming, running and working on spreadsheets!

Now it wasn’t all completely soothing – armed guards at the American Club this morning were a very visible reminder that there are a few people in the region that aren’t exactly welcoming to folks that happen to look like me. Swimming in a very nice pool, in the tropics, with a few armed guards at the door… brought back memories of The Year of Living Dangerously.

The American free-rider effect on certain parts of the world is a topic that I may write about in due course. We rarely value that which we are given for free, and the USA gives a lot to the world for free. This subject is a topic that can get me a bit irrational, especially after eavesdropping on standard dinner conversation in Boulder. It’s weird to be a Canadian that is more of a patriot than many of my neighbors. Some folks really need to travel more – I actually see the rest of the world, rather than shopping for Tibetan trinkets on Pearl Street. OK, enough of that or I’ll get myself into trouble.

Well, that’s all for now. Since the start of this trip, I’ve sent along two emails to my travel lady. Both are aimed at adjusting future plans so that I can insert a few more of these “regroup” days into my schedule. A swim and a meal with a good friend go a long way towards ensuring that I can arrive in one piece. With the need to connect through Sydney to get onto the World’s Favourite Airline, I might as well visit a few pals along the way. Besides, I know a good indoor 50 meter pool that has generous lap swimming hours.