Chiang Mai is a very old city in Thailand, up near the Burma border. It was a cross roads for the silk trade. It has grown on it's own, in the natural disorder that cities can. Singapore on the other hand, was consciously brought in to the first world in the 60's. It had been a British colony and when handed over to the Chinese, a huge thrust was made to modernize the city and make it attractive to business in Asia. It is a huge success story. That's not to say, there wasn't a huge price paid. Often a taxi driver will give a political opinion. After all it is a police state, there are rules for everything. Most know of the fine for spitting out gum You don't even see gum for sale. But also a huge fine ($600) for picking flowers on public property.
We were watching a National Geographic film on the occupation of Singapore by the Japanese. Boy, no holds barred. the description of the Japanese and their regime was very graphic. But there was footage of out near the Changi Airport, and there were our high rise buildings out in fields, bare all around them. It was amazing to see. Our complex was built in the 80's so to see what it is like here 25 years ago and see it now, the growth is phenomenal. And fast.
Tim, today, said how perfectly located the Changi Airport is. We have thunder storms rolling around, I guess out in the ocean, or off west over the downtown, but out here where we are, near the airport, the storms seem to pass us by. And we watch the planes coming in on final, huge 330's, 340's, 380's, whatever, every 90 seconds all day, all night. Not deterred by thunder storms that certainly sound like they are nearby. The air traffic is constant.
So the location for the Changi Airport was carefully chosen. The drive in to the city is gorgeous. It is a six lane highway, divided by a boulevard. But the boulevard is potted plants, palm, bougainvillaea, very beautiful. But potted. So if they needed a runway in an emergency, they can remove those big 30' potted plants and use the highway as a runway. Now there is planning. But the drive in is beautiful.
We are 10 k away from the airport. But you know, we don't have any of the sound of all those airplanes arriving. Their final is out over the ocean, We see but do not hear.
The network of expressways is amazing. Often six lane, and the traffic moves at a clip. Often 80-100 k's. That is along urban roads. To listen to the traffic report in the rush hour is hilarious. "There is a back up on the ECP/RCA where it joins with the TCP/PTE before branching to the BMI/OCD. Whatever. A network of expressways. Fast moving expressways. The traffic moves amazingly efficiently. The traffic lights are very long, with right hand turns only signal (like our left, crossing over traffic, because it is right hand drive, on the left side of the road) at the beginning and at the end of the light. So that eliminates cars running the red. How smart.
The transit system uses cards for payment. You buy an EZLink card, put money on it and tap your card on a screen getting on buses or MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) trains. It deducts the cost of your ride. The card eliminates any need for employees on and off any vehicles. The little beep of the screen assures you have paid.
There is, written in the building codes, that large building developments have to dedicate a certain percentage of their square footage to greenery. And they do. Dotted everywhere are little parkettes, and the green is very beautiful. Being such a humid climate everything blooms all year long, continuously, and grows like crazy. Everywhere are little people trimming trees and growth along the roads. Old Chinese, with the straw pointed hat, or a cloth hat with a scarf thing down the back to protect the neck from sun. Using bamboo and straw brooms. Little peeks of the old world. The highways are lined with bougainvillaea in full bloom. (I don't know how the bougainvillea along the highways are full fuchsia, and my little 4' plant on my balcony has been denuded of blooms. I can only think I am watering too much.)
There are very distinct cultures here. The Chinese are most numerous. I think about 70%. Then Indian, Malay, Japanese, Korean. There is a Little India, and a Chinatown whose character have been preserved. But the CBD, Central Business District, could compete with any large modern city, for high business towers. Some of the architecture is really wonderful. Some is very boring.
Singapore is a shopper's haven. Every high-rise , in the CBD, seems to have a mall in the bottom few floors. Orchard Road is THE area to shop. You find Prada, Cartier, Gucci, Tod, whoever. Then the rest of the shopping seems to me to be very mediocre or then the very cheap Chinese stuff. And it all looks the same to me. But I am jaded. I am not a shopper.
Tim went to get a hair cut yesterday. At the Mall. You walk up to this machine, put in $10, and get a number. You sit and wait until your number comes up, and sit in one of many chairs, maybe 8. Someone cuts your hair, never stopping to collect payment. When they are done, they vacuum your head. Yes, they vacuum your head. Much more efficient than the blow dryer and sweeping it up! I came and sat in one of many empty seats beside Tim to watch. The woman cutting asked about my hair , and I said I was not getting mine cut. She very clearly told me that there was a queue and I could wait for him outside! I will attempt to attach a photo of the vacuuming!
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