Personal Sea Change

Sometime this week, my attitude changed. I stopped complaining about the heat and humidity, I started being more pro-active about the food I was eating, I actually corrected a taxi driver who was taking "the long way home" and got a reduced fare.

The food, the people, the city......I'm starting to get it. This may be the most complete human venue on the planet.

Recycling is natural here. There is no trash on the streets. I've actually seen someone drop a tissue and the person behind them pick it up and put it in a trash can.

It almost takes an effort to eat an unhealthy meal here. Even the "Touristy" food courts are mostly seafood/veggie (For those that know me, Broccoli is still not on the list), lots of carrots and peppers and so forth.

Aside from my cohorts at work, one German who lives in Germany, one German who lives in Switzerland, two Germans who live in Singapore, I have managed to meet another  group of folks. Edwin who was born and raised here. Kat, the bartender at Durty Nellies, Dave and Brian from Bedford GB. Also, John who does the lighting for the LION KING Asia tour and Bernhard who directs the Stage setup for the Lion King.

So the city/nation is comforting in many ways - once you come to grips with it. There is a vibrancy equivalent to Portland, Cosmopolitan  as New York, Clean as Zurich and a population as diverse as you can find anywhere.

Ruth, be glad you didn't have a chance to see this place. you would have loved what you saw but you would have been dissatisfied because you couldn't see everything and it would haunt you.

As I have said to my wife (Eileen), this is a city to be a part of, to join with. And having said that, I know I couldn't live here.

I spent 11 months in New York City. Lower Manhattan. I remember when I felt I belonged - a couple asked me for directions - and I knew where they wanted to go and how to get there.

That happened to  me today up by Raffles. An older (than me) couple wanted to know how to get to Suntec City.

Singapore, Like New York, Chicago, San Francisco and St. Louis is now MY TOWN.