April 11, 2026

What a fascinating place to visit after braving the longest flight in the world! Lovely people, beautiful varied architecture, public art, impressive gardens, ethnic diversity (Chinese, Malay and Indian), incredible food, extreme cleanliness, safety, health care, housing – really, quite the paradise. But – HOT and HUMID year round. And, the limits on personal expression and freedoms are quite startling to Americans. It doesn’t come across overtly but the undercurrent of conformity and acceptance are the price one pays for economic success and is obviously worth it to the population here of some 6 million. The transition from British colonial rule of 150 years, then starting from nothing after the brutal Japanese WWII occupation to this futuristic Nirvana is unbelievably impressive. The ability to change one’s family’s status through hard work and perseverance over just one to two generations is obvious. We were only here for a short time but enjoyed all of the benefits of this compelling culture that we could possibly cram into two nights and one day, and that went a long way in dispelling jet lag.