Singapore Info - as Requested

I was sitting at an outside table at my favorite Moroccan restaurant on Arab St the other day. An American couple walked past several times, glancing my way each time. They finally approached my table, said they didn't want to disturb me, but was I an American? They sat down and had lunch with me. Said they just wanted to hear another American voice! They were absolutely thrilled to find out I was actually living here and asked a ton of questions. Turns out they were on a whirlwind tour of their own making - Bali in Indonesia, Singapore, Bangkok, Phuket, Hanoi and somewhere in India are the ones I can remember. Doing it all in 3 weeks. I gave them one of my personal cards so we could keep in touch. This blog site address is one of the things on the card. They emailed last nigh tfrom an Internet cafe and ask if I could post some info on Singapore. They want to pass the blog site on to several friends back in the states. So I am honoring that request. Something akin to a school lesson follows! Cheers Bob and Cheryl from Montana!!!!

Also a couple of you - and again, I am not naming names, you know who you are - you seem to be having a great deal of trouble actually understanding where Singapore is. No, I promise we are NOT part of China!!!! Said they could not read the map I posted a few entries back, so I am including some more maps. Hopefully, these will meet with your approval and fill the need! I am taking it you did not do well in geography classes! Here we go – more maps at the end, too!

This is info culled from a tourist guide book.

Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island nation located at the southern tip of the Malaysian Peninsula. It is 85 miles N of the equator, S of Malaysia and N of the Indonesian Islands. At 272 sq. miles, it is one of the few city-states in the world & the smallest country in SE Asia. The Indonesian Islands form a bowl-shape around Singapore thus providing protection from tsumanis and the major force of typhoons.




On 29 January 1819, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles landed on the main island. He signed a treaty on behalf of the British East India Company to develop Singapore as a trading post, which was then used it as a strategic outpost along the spice route. It was made a British crown colony in 1867, becoming one of Britain's most important commercial & military centers.

During World War II, the Japanese Army invaded Singapore. The ill-prepared British were defeated in 6 days, surrendering Singapore on 15 February 1942, in what is known as the British Empire's greatest military defeat. The Japanese established several POW camps across the island. The island remained under Japanese authority until the British retook the island on 12 September 1945, a month after the Japanese surrender.

After 144 years under Britain, Singapore became part of Malaysia in 1963. Two years later it left Malaysia to become an independent republic on August 9, 1965.

Foreign investment and island-wide industrialization led by the government have created an economy based on electronics, manufacturing, and financial trade. In terms of GDP per capita, Singapore is the 18th wealthiest country in the world.

At that time, they had to face problems such as mass unemployment, housing shortages, and crime. The government since has curbed widespread unemployment, raised the standard of living, and implemented a large-scale public housing program. The crime rate is one of the lowest in the world. No guns are allowed except for police & the military. Knives longer than 4 inches found on a person are against the law. They are extremely strict here & punishments harsh.

The Housing Development Board was established to implement a housing program. 80% of the population lives in HDB housing. These apartments are bought from the government & can only be sold back to the government. Fair market value is used. The transactions follow the same real estate rules as the rest of Singapore. Only 1 apartment per family can be owned at a time. The number of persons allowed in each dwelling is strictly controlled. They are located throughout the island and range in price. They are not rented out by the government, only sold. HDB housing sits atop some of Singapore’s most valuable real estate. The housing units are in large complexes. Once a complex is 20 yrs old, the government buys back each apartment at fair market price, then tears the complex completely down & rebuilds another in the same spot. It has been heralded as some of the best housing and one of the best programs in the world.

There is a compulsory national service commitment of 2 years for all males, required immediately after completion of high school. There are extremely few waivers or exemptions given. National service can be done in the military, police or fire departments.

The average age of marriage is 30 years old. The majority of people live with their parents until marriage. More than half continue to live with one’s parents for several years after marriage. Parents usually pay for housing and meals. But children are expected to take care of their parents later in life and can be sued by their parents if they fail to do so. The courts usually rule in favor of the parent.

This is a tropical rainforest climate with no distinctive seasons. The average temperature is 85 degrees, humidity ranges from 70 to 100 %. Average annual rainfall is 93 inches. June, July & Aug are the driest months. Nov, Dec & Jan are monsoon season. No daylight saving time or summer time zone. The length of the day is nearly constant year round due to the location near the equator.

Singapore does not sit on a fault line, the closest one being 300 miles away in Indonesia. **Maps of fault lines at the end.** Because of the fault lines, number of volcanoes and geographical position, Indonesia is known as the “Ring of Fire”. But Singapore only experiences some tremors when Indonesia has a major earthquake, which is defined as 6.0 or higher on the Richter scale. Since the mid 1980’s, new structures in Singapore must adhere to earthquake building standards.

In Dec 2004, parts of Asia were struck by a 9.4 earthquake & a devastating tsunami. Singapore was protected by the Indonesian Islands, many of which bore the brunt of the tsunami.

Industry is well-diversified into electronics, petroleum refining, chemicals, mechanical engineering and biomedical sciences manufacturing.

Singapore is one of the busiest ports in the world, both in terms of actual tonnage processed through, number of ships received and number of ships refueled. It is also an aviation center, both for commercial air travel and air cargo, acting as a hub and stopover point for the 'Kangaroo route' between Australasia and Europe. There is a network of 81 airlines connecting Singapore to 185 cities in 58 countries.

Singapore is the world's 4th largest foreign exchange trading center after London, NY and Tokyo.

It has been consistently rated as the most business-friendly economy in the world.

As of September 2007, the total population is 4.68 million.

It is the 2nd most densely populated independent country in the world after Monaco - excluding Macao and Hong Kong, which are regions of China and not considered independent countries.

Religious affiliations are: 51 % Buddhist , then 17% Muslim, then 14 % no religious affiliation and known as “Free Thinkers” followed by 11% Hindu and 7% Christian.

Official languages are English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil. English use became widespread after it was implemented as the language used in education and government. British English is primarily used, with some American influence.A majority of the population, however, speaks a form of English known as “Sing-lish”. It is a mixture of English, several Chinese dialects, Malay and Indian. The government has consistently tried to discourage the use of Sing-lish with "Speak Good English" campaigns.

The literacy rate is one of the highest, at 95 percent.

The population is primarily from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Philippines and several Arabic countries. Intermarriages are allowed here. Holidays of most cultures are recognized and celebrated, but government offices are closed only for National Day and Chinese New Year. There are no problems or tensions among the different ethnic and religious groups.

Babies born in Singapore are not automatically granted Singaporean citizenship. One parent must be Singaporean and hold a Singapore passport. Otherwise the child must be registered in one of the parent's country for which they hold a passport. Singapore does not allow dual citizenship. A person can apply to become a "permanent resident" which still does not entitle them to citizenship or a passport. Young men whose parents are permanent residents must do National service.

Every person working in any capacity in Singapore, regardless of citizenship status or country of residence, must pay Singapore taxes.

This is a map showing the seismic activity around us. It's like a doppler color radar - every dot is a "ground movement". This is over a 2-yr period. These movements register from 1.5 to 9.4 on the Richter scale. As with a doppler radar, different colors represent varying degrees of severity. Looks like someone just threw confetti on the map, doesn't it? Note the tiny dot that represents Singapore - not big! Here's a web site that lists "ground movements for all around the world. Wonder if we've ever gone a 24 hr period without a ground movement? http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/quakes_all.php



This is a map showing the fault lines in the world. The area in the circle is most of the Middle East and comprises the earthquake area where the most damage and greatest number of deaths occur. You can see where Singapore sits in relation to the fault lines.

Love to you, Shari!
Abby - don't open the boxes - they're surprises!
Sam - did you get it yet? Probably needs a name!
Bob and Cheryl - nice meeting you! Keep in touch!
Heather - still, still

Thoughts and Insights?

Thought I'd share a few little tidbits with you - just miscellanous stuff of absolutely no importance or redeeming value at all!

They have McDonald's all over the place here - they are overtaken in number only by 7-11 stores. Where as there's a McDonald's every third corner, there's a 7-11 on every corner, it seems. And while they do offer a variety of very different sauces on their burgers, you can get a Big Mac that looks and tastes the same as in the states. A little bite of home right here! I've had two since I've been here. The building and the sign for it looks the same, too. There's one notable exception that we don't have anywhere in the states though. Attached to almost every McDonald's here is an open air area with a coffee bar. Kind of like Starbucks in the open. They sell all the coffees, lattes, etc along with hot tea and cold tea. They also have a great dessert selection - trust me, I've made it my job to taste each one! They also offer "gourmet sandwiches" such as Pesto Chicken on Italian bread or Three Cheeses Grilled which comes on a variety of breads complete with tomatoes grilled on it, too. These are called McCafes and they are absolutely great! You'd never , ever know it was associated with McD's!!

They have lots of different soft drinks here. Not just ones we get back home, but also ones from China, Thailand, Indonesia, India - from all over. Same with beers -I have never seen so many different kinds from so many different places. They do not understand though when you ask for a Diet Coke or a Diet Pepsi. They are only referred to as Coke Light and Pepsi Light. That's what the can says even. They are not big on dieting here at all, so marketing-wise it works better.

One of the things they are big on here is caffeine. They have some drinks that have more caffeine in them than you could ever even believe! Makes Mountain Dew and Red Bull look like nothing! Most of the coffees that you get here are very strong, too. Basil says some of the coffee he has had just about gets up and dances around in the cup for you!

They will serve you tea anytime, anywhere. They would prefer you take it hot. Now, I like hot tea, but being a true daughter of the South, I'd rather have it ice cold. A few times I have had to play "The Game". You know the one - they tell you they don't have ice tea. Instead of arguing, I just smile sweetly, tell them yes I would love a pot of tea. Oh, and by the way, could I also have two very large glasses of just ice. They fall for it everytime! The pot comes, I mix sugar in it while it's still steaming, then with several watching me - I just very politely pour the pot of tea into my two glasses of ice. One waiter comes over very quickly and asks what I'm doing. Cooling the tea, I tell him. Oh, he says and walks away. It works and it's less hassle than trying to explain that if you have hot tea and some ice - then you can certainly have ice tea!

Asking for a glass of water can be a bit tricky, too. After the first few times, I learned. If you ask only for a water or a glass of water, many times they will bring you a glass or cup of hot water. I mean really hot water. Evidently, many Chinese people drink their water this way, it supposedly aids digestion. Okay. After ordering water a few times, then taking a big gulp only to discover it is very hot, I've learned my lesson! You must specifically tell them you want water with ice. Again, they look at me like I'm asking for something very strange!

When you encounter someone younger than you here from little kids to people in their late 20's, as a show of respect they will address you as "Auntie" or for Basil, "Uncle". And every male - except the ones from India - will address me as "m'am" or "madame". I'm waiting for it to be "Auntie Madame"! Also, they never use your last name. I am Mrs. Debbie. Even with Singapore Cargo, Basil is addressed as "Captain Charles". Very few nicknames used here.

And, for my final one today - we have a new little restaurant in the main building here at the apartment complex. They have fresh baked cookies and brownies - yes, I had to buy some and make sure they were good! They were! They have ice cream, cold drinks along with hot tea and a few sandwiches. I stopped in there this evening, thought I'd get a little something and eat light since Basil is gone and it's only me. On the menu is a hot dog. That's it, I think - haven't had a hot dog in a good long while, I'll get one to go. He made it, put it in a bag and off I went upstairs. I open it up and here's my hot dog. It's a regular size hot dog. Good start. Regular bun - okay good. Mustard - ok. No cheese. No chili - I don't think they know what chili is here. No onions. But it does have a very nice, big helping of lettuce and two slices of tomato on it! Don't believe I've ever had a hot dog with lettuce and tomato!

It's a whole new world out there! Who knew? More tomorrow!

Shari - thanks for the heads up about the insurance.
Abby- can't wait to see you ice skate!
Patsy - thanks so much for the insurance help.
Helene- so good to talk to you!
Lynn - read any good books lately?
Joyce - Happy Birthday!
Pam - Happy Birthday!
Sam - did it come yet?
Heather - still the future, still there!

All Things Hindu

I recently had the opportunity to tour - inside and out - a prominent Hindu temple. I hired a taxi driver to take me around the island for several hours in order to see the things I wanted to see and to have the freedom to stop whenever I wanted and take pictures.

We stopped in front of this one Hindu temple - very large and beautiful. The gates were closed and locked, so the driver just pulled off the road, kind of sideways into the little bit of driveway available to us - just to get us out of traffic. I proceeded to get out and started taking pictures through the iron fence. Then this big car pulls up behind us. It's half in the road and half in the driveway with us. Then the horn starts honking! I'm trying to get back in the taxi so we can get out of the way. That horn just keeps honking at us. Ok - you know me - I get out of the taxi and walk back to him, intending to tell him ever so politely in my best Southern manner to knock it off - we're moving out of his way - give us a second and lay off that damn horn.

Before I can say anything , this man sticks his head out the window, tells me he is the director for the temple, he'll unlock the gates and I can come inside. I thanked him and we drove in through the gate which he has opened with the remote control. I get out of the taxi and start taking pictures again of the outside of the temple. He comes over and tells me that if I will take off my shoes, I can come inside and take all the pictures I want. I was the only person there and just got to wander around for about an hour asking him all sorts of questions. It was so unbelievably beautiful - very bright colored and so incredibly detailed oriented. The taxi driver told me quietly to be sure and leave a monetary donation as we had not brought any fruit or red flowers to show honor and respect. I did and was very thankful the taxi driver reminded me. I haven't gotten an explanation on the importance and symbolism of the fruit and red flowers.

At the very end of this entry, there is some interesting information and explanations that he gave me about the Hindu religion. If that doesn't interest you, then enjoy the pictures and skip that part!

This is the outside of the temple. It was at the far end of northwestern part of the island. As with all of the temples, it is covered, but open air. The details are incredible. There is a front door, but the sides and back are all open air.




Here's where you leave your shoes - in the parking lot in front of the temple.
These lockers just sit out there all the time.

Inside the big temple, they have all these smaller temples for more individual gods that the participants of this particular temple deem to be important. Some of the other ones get a little niche in the wall. Note the stained glass windows and the medallions on the ceiling and the floor.

There is a clock on one of these buildings. I didn't notice it when I was there or I would have asked why it was there - just saw it in the pictures later - looks very out of place, doesn't it?


You can see where the open areas are with no windows or doors.

Check out some of the names of our local Hindu temples!
Dhandayudhapani Temple
Sri Balasubramaniam Temple
Arulmigu Velmurugan Gnana Muneeswaran Temple
Sri Vairavimada Kaliamman Temple


There were stained glass windows high up encircling the whole temple.


Officially, there are 26 Hindu temples in Singapore, but you see small makeshift alters and mini-temples everywhere. All along the streets, in homes, in businesses, on the sidewalks - you see these with offerings and incense burning. Stores that sell small portable mini-temples do a huge business.

I found this one as I was walking along the beach. It's in the area where the fishermen pull their boats up out of the water. They were kind enough to let me take a picture of it, but they didn't want to be in the picture. Just sitting there among the trees about 12 feet from the water's edge.

One of the Indian women I have gotten to know invited me to the “children’s hour” at their local neighborhood Hindu temple. I call it Hindu Saturday School. It was, of course, on Saturday! The kids were very sweet and well-behaved. The lesson for that day was all about tolerating and respecting others, along with accepting responsibility for your own actions and how those actions affect others. All the kids listened, then actively participated in the discussion. These are a few of the kids - they ranged in age from 6 to 12 yrs old.

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Shari - love you! Thanks for all your help!

Abby – are you planning how you will surprise us at the airport this time?

Doug - hope you're feeling better!

Patsy - I hear you have the best brownies in town - Abby says so!

Christy & Beth - how's Ani? Smell gone? Pats and scratches from me!

Karen - Going crazy with those houses? Are we having fun yet?

Nancy - good to hear from you!
Jo – How's everything in Baton Rouge these days?

Cathy - everything going ok?

Heather - still, still

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For those of you interested, here's the other info! This was taken from a book the temple director gave me explaining some of the things I was asking about. Very interesting!

Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. It is a diverse system of thought sometimes referred to as henotheistic - devotion to a single "God" of one’s own interpretation, while accepting and acknowledging the existence of other gods.

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It is known as a conglomerate of beliefs and traditions. It has no single founder.

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It is the world's third largest religion following that of Islam and Christianity, with approximately one billion followers, of whom about 905 million live in India and Nepal. Other countries with large Hindu populations include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

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Hinduism contains a vast body of scriptures that are divided as to revealed and remembered. These scriptures include theology, philosophy and mythology, providing spiritual insights and guidance in the practice of everyday living.

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It is an extremely diverse religion. Basic beliefs overlap, but there are also many different practices and traditions overall. Each person must decide things for themselves and act upon them accordingly.

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Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include *Dharma (ethics/duties); *Samsāra (the continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth); *Karma (action and subsequent reaction), *Moksha (liberation from the cycle of samsara - rebirth), and the *various yogas (paths or practices to enlightment).

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Hindus believe that the spirit or soul—the true "self" of every person, is eternal.

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The Hindu scriptures refer to celestial entities, called Devas, "the shining ones", which translates into English as "gods" or "heavenly beings”. The devas are an integral part of Hindu culture and are depicted in art, architecture and through icons, and mythological stories. Many Hindus worship a particular form or devas as their chosen ideal; the choice being based upon their individual preference, regional and family traditions. These devas can be men, women or an animal; real or mythical. These choices are reflected in their temple decorations also.

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Karma translates literally as action, work or deed and can be described as the "moral law of cause and effect". The concept of never-failing karma relates to one's personality, characteristics and actions. It is said that karma binds together the interlockiing ideas and beliefs of free will and destiny.

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The notion of reincarnation and karma is a strong premise in Hindu thought. It is explained: Just as a person puts on new clothes and discards the old ones, similarly a soul enters a new material body, leaving and discarding the old body.

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This provides ephemeral pleasures, which leads people to desire rebirth in order to enjoy the pleasures of a perishable body. However, escaping the cycle of rebirth is believed to ensure everlasting eternal happiness and peace. It is thought that after several reincarnations, one eventually seeks unity with the cosmic spirit.

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The ultimate goals of life for a Hindu are:

1.the realization of a union with one’s own interpretation of God;

2.the realization of an eternal relationship with one’s own interpretation of God;

3.the realization of the unity of all existence;

4.perfect unselfishness;

5.knowledge of self;

6.liberation from ignorance;

7.attainment of perfect mental peace;

8.detachment from worldly desires.

To reach these goals one would then be liberated and end the cycle of rebirth, thus insuring everlasting eternal peace and happiness.

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It is a religion with a framework and guidance, but no universal scripture, not one supreme god or being and a wide latitude for personal thought, action and belief. Respect, responsibility and self discipline in all areas of life is what one aspires to. You are free to worship whatever form you deem to be supreme in your life, while acknowledging that there are always others.

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There is no belief in hell as in the Christian religion, nor the belief in any type of punishment, just striving towards achieving eternal peace and happiness.

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Many, but not all, Hindus are vegetarians. Some allow alcohol, many do not.

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As was explained to me, this is just a few pieces of information given as a very brief overall snapshot of Hinduism.