Singapore
I've been to-ing and fro-ing between HK and Singapore this month. They sound like they ought to be neighbors, these two tropical city-state urbanopolises, but it's a 3.5-hour flight, like NY-LA.
Death penalty notwithstanding, it's a nice change from noisy HK. People speak English, and they are not as hard on the eyes. I could get my hair cut here. It's not particularly crowded. Outside on the street, there are very few people (almost Houston-level). Shopping arcades link the city point-to-point, so no one goes outside. Singapore appears to be constructed entirely of shopping malls.
I favor caning over imprisonment, actually. Cheaper, easier to rehabilitate, and no one gets raped or stabbed.
I'm beavering away on business, so the Mandarin Oriental is my home away from home. They bring fresh fruit every day and leave a lil orchid on my bed with the breakfast menu. I started with a free upgrade to the top floor, overlooking the skyline and harbor, but since then I've gone from 21 (top) to 12, 10, and today 8. Soon I'll be in the basement. The wheel of fortune spins because Singapore had a full dress rehearsal of its National Day right across the street when I had the top floor. The music was cheesy, but watching stunt aerials and fireworks from my room was pretty spiff.
HK vs. SG: SG wins. Not that SG is better to live in (both suck), but HK is headed for the dustbin of history. Both cities have historically made their money by being aircraft carriers for Western businesses that do business in Asia. Hong Kong serves China whereas Singapore serves India, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia. As Shanghai and Beijing become more attractive places to live, Hong Kong is going to go the way of St. Louis after riverboats stopped plying the Mississippi. Singapore, however, is diversifying itself so that it can be a Chicago rather than a St. Louis. Singapore's leaders are aggressively courting biomed researchers, and they are being very careful with their legal system. Most international business agreements in the world choose New York or London for law/jurisdiction/arbitration location, but Singapore is establishing itself as a solid choice in Asia.
It's brave new world out here. Most housing is public-ish and affirmative-actioned so that the races mix in a governmentally blessed manner. People enjoy line dancing. If only my job would send me here for a month for an in-depth sociological field trip. I could learn so much. For example, I didn't understand these instructions beyond "Always use in a seated position."
Death penalty notwithstanding, it's a nice change from noisy HK. People speak English, and they are not as hard on the eyes. I could get my hair cut here. It's not particularly crowded. Outside on the street, there are very few people (almost Houston-level). Shopping arcades link the city point-to-point, so no one goes outside. Singapore appears to be constructed entirely of shopping malls.
I favor caning over imprisonment, actually. Cheaper, easier to rehabilitate, and no one gets raped or stabbed.
I'm beavering away on business, so the Mandarin Oriental is my home away from home. They bring fresh fruit every day and leave a lil orchid on my bed with the breakfast menu. I started with a free upgrade to the top floor, overlooking the skyline and harbor, but since then I've gone from 21 (top) to 12, 10, and today 8. Soon I'll be in the basement. The wheel of fortune spins because Singapore had a full dress rehearsal of its National Day right across the street when I had the top floor. The music was cheesy, but watching stunt aerials and fireworks from my room was pretty spiff.
HK vs. SG: SG wins. Not that SG is better to live in (both suck), but HK is headed for the dustbin of history. Both cities have historically made their money by being aircraft carriers for Western businesses that do business in Asia. Hong Kong serves China whereas Singapore serves India, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia. As Shanghai and Beijing become more attractive places to live, Hong Kong is going to go the way of St. Louis after riverboats stopped plying the Mississippi. Singapore, however, is diversifying itself so that it can be a Chicago rather than a St. Louis. Singapore's leaders are aggressively courting biomed researchers, and they are being very careful with their legal system. Most international business agreements in the world choose New York or London for law/jurisdiction/arbitration location, but Singapore is establishing itself as a solid choice in Asia.
It's brave new world out here. Most housing is public-ish and affirmative-actioned so that the races mix in a governmentally blessed manner. People enjoy line dancing. If only my job would send me here for a month for an in-depth sociological field trip. I could learn so much. For example, I didn't understand these instructions beyond "Always use in a seated position."