Singapore is worth all the fuss

Interesting.

Singapore is worth all the fuss

By Alex Beam, Globe Columnist, 3/30/2004

SINGAPORE -- Mr. Fussy is thinking: I have died and gone to heaven.

Serendipitously, Mr. F. has fetched up on the fussiest little country
on earth. Singapore is the famous "nanny state," where no aspect of
human behavior is too trivial to escape the government's watchful eye.
The regime cares whether you jaywalk or chew gum (don't!), whether you
marry a well-educated woman (do!), and whether you plan to organize an
opposition political party (highly unadvisable).

Mr. Fussy's beloved Lonely Planet guidebook casually mentioned that
bringing recreational drugs into Singapore might not be such a hot
idea, as the penalty for possession was death. And indeed such a
sentence was meted out to a Thai gentleman during Mr. F.'s brief
visit, during which he indulged in no stimulants stronger than ginger
tea.

One reads so much these days about civil societies and the rule of
law, but Mr. Fussy's visit to Singapore has convinced him that he
prefers a society of rules. For instance, he would trade away certain
civil liberties in return for a rule banning bicycle riding on city
sidewalks. Or for a rule banning eight-month election campaigns. Or
for a rule mandating the use of a singular verb when "none" is the
subject of a sentence. True, there is already such a rule, but no one
observes it.

Leaving Boston, Mr. Fussy bumped into a friend who urged him not to
miss Singapore's famous airport, one of the nicest in the world. Great
advice! Mr. F. not only didn't miss the airport -- he came close to
never leaving it.

Alas, he hadn't brought a bathing suit, and so he couldn't frolic in
the lovely open-air pool on the second floor of Terminal I. But he did
take a shower, and was sorely tempted to sack out in the
spa-jacuzzi-nap area, not far from the tasteful prayer facilities.
There was plenty of time to feast on Indonesian curry mutton, and then
pay leisurely visits to the airport's six gorgeous gardens (Orchid,
Cactus, Bamboo, Heliconia, etc.) strategically placed throughout the
terminals.

And what of the free movie lounge and the ubiquitous, free Internet
hook-ups? The North and South koi ponds? Or that tipping is forbidden
at the airport? Mr. Fussy is waiting for a clever entrepreneur to
offer package trips to the airport, touting the slogan: "Changi
Airport: As Nice as Singapore, and 30 Degrees Cooler!"

It wouldn't appeal to the authenticity crowd -- you know, the people
who buy "insider" guidebooks, and rent Internet-equipped villas in
Tuscany each summer -- but it would suit Mr. Fussy just fine.

How was the city-state itself, you ask? A lot like the airport --
clean, well-ordered, populated by men and women whom the government
has urged, nay, ordered, to be courteous to foreigners -- but a good
deal hotter. Didn't Mr. Fussy once rail against air conditioning, the
tool of the devil? Yes. And yet when he saw that Lee Kuan Yew, the
founder of modern Singapore, had named air conditioning as the most
important invention of the 20th century, Mr. F. got the point. There
is a reason those Somerset Maugham characters never left their
verandahs, except possibly to order up a stengah (whiskey and soda)
from the proverbial long bar. It's too darned hot!

Mr. Fussy is also grateful to Mr. Lee for a convenient oddity of
Singapore life: In a country that is almost 80 percent Chinese, with
the rest of the population Malay and Indian, the official language is
English. Subway announcements ("Mind the gap!"), signs ("Please do not
feed the birds. By law") and the major media are all in English. Now
if only New York City would follow suit.

Singapore has its discontents -- not so many of them in Singapore
itself, where discontent, too, is closely regulated -- but Mr. Fussy
is not one of them. Among its virtues, Mr. Fussy has yet to mention
its legendary hawker stalls selling fresh, delicious ethnic foods and
its many restaurants. Singapore has 19 Dairy Queens, for instance,
compared with one in the city of Boston.Savoring a strawberry
chocolate chip soft ice cream Blizzard -- yes, served upside down! --
on sweltering Orchard Road, Mr. Fussy thinks (1) this must be Paradise
and (2) who needs recreational drugs?

Alex Beam is a Globe columnist. His e-dress is .

Interesting.

Singapore is worth all the fuss
By Alex Beam, Globe Columnist, 3/30/2004

A rather quirky yet enjoyable take on Singapore. Singapore is
definitely worth a two-day stopover if you're in the area or passing
through. It is kind of "Asia Lite" when compared to, say, rural Burma
or Thailand, but that may be a plus for a first-time traveler to
Southeast Asia. Though the days are generally oppressively hot and
humid, I really enjoyed walking through Singapore's various
neighborhoods to take in the sights and the atmosphere, particularly
in the region of Waterloo Road/Little India. The efficient light rail
system (the MRT, as I recall?) makes it easy to go from the downtown
area to Jurong Bird Park (a short bus ride from Boon Lay Station),
which, along with the Botanical Garden, should be high on the list of
things to see during the day. The balmy nights are perfect for
strolling the waterfront along Clarke and Boat Quay, where you can
enjoy a delicious Thai, Malaysian, Singaporean, Indian or Chinese meal
at on open-air restaurant while gazing at the city lights reflected on
the Singapore River, and then take a taxi up North to visit the
Singapore Zoo's famous Night Safari. Besides, who needs gum?

USC

It is interesting to know how foreigners view Singapore.

By the way, contrary to what most people think :
1. The act of chewing gum is not banned in Singapore. It is that sale
of gum that is banned. There is a difference you know.
2. Singaporeans jaywalk all the time, I have never heard of a law
banning this

(Berthome) wrote in message . com...
Interesting.

Singapore is worth all the fuss

By Alex Beam, Globe Columnist, 3/30/2004

SINGAPORE -- Mr. Fussy is thinking: I have died and gone to heaven.

Serendipitously, Mr. F. has fetched up on the fussiest little country
on earth. Singapore is the famous "nanny state," where no aspect of
human behavior is too trivial to escape the government's watchful eye.
The regime cares whether you jaywalk or chew gum (don't!), whether you
marry a well-educated woman (do!), and whether you plan to organize an
opposition political party (highly unadvisable).

Mr. Fussy's beloved Lonely Planet guidebook casually mentioned that
bringing recreational drugs into Singapore might not be such a hot
idea, as the penalty for possession was death. And indeed such a
sentence was meted out to a Thai gentleman during Mr. F.'s brief
visit, during which he indulged in no stimulants stronger than ginger
tea.

One reads so much these days about civil societies and the rule of
law, but Mr. Fussy's visit to Singapore has convinced him that he
prefers a society of rules. For instance, he would trade away certain
civil liberties in return for a rule banning bicycle riding on city
sidewalks. Or for a rule banning eight-month election campaigns. Or
for a rule mandating the use of a singular verb when "none" is the
subject of a sentence. True, there is already such a rule, but no one
observes it.

Leaving Boston, Mr. Fussy bumped into a friend who urged him not to
miss Singapore's famous airport, one of the nicest in the world. Great
advice! Mr. F. not only didn't miss the airport -- he came close to
never leaving it.

Alas, he hadn't brought a bathing suit, and so he couldn't frolic in
the lovely open-air pool on the second floor of Terminal I. But he did
take a shower, and was sorely tempted to sack out in the
spa-jacuzzi-nap area, not far from the tasteful prayer facilities.
There was plenty of time to feast on Indonesian curry mutton, and then
pay leisurely visits to the airport's six gorgeous gardens (Orchid,
Cactus, Bamboo, Heliconia, etc.) strategically placed throughout the
terminals.

And what of the free movie lounge and the ubiquitous, free Internet
hook-ups? The North and South koi ponds? Or that tipping is forbidden
at the airport? Mr. Fussy is waiting for a clever entrepreneur to
offer package trips to the airport, touting the slogan: "Changi
Airport: As Nice as Singapore, and 30 Degrees Cooler!"

It wouldn't appeal to the authenticity crowd -- you know, the people
who buy "insider" guidebooks, and rent Internet-equipped villas in
Tuscany each summer -- but it would suit Mr. Fussy just fine.

How was the city-state itself, you ask? A lot like the airport --
clean, well-ordered, populated by men and women whom the government
has urged, nay, ordered, to be courteous to foreigners -- but a good
deal hotter. Didn't Mr. Fussy once rail against air conditioning, the
tool of the devil? Yes. And yet when he saw that Lee Kuan Yew, the
founder of modern Singapore, had named air conditioning as the most
important invention of the 20th century, Mr. F. got the point. There
is a reason those Somerset Maugham characters never left their
verandahs, except possibly to order up a stengah (whiskey and soda)
from the proverbial long bar. It's too darned hot!

Mr. Fussy is also grateful to Mr. Lee for a convenient oddity of
Singapore life: In a country that is almost 80 percent Chinese, with
the rest of the population Malay and Indian, the official language is
English. Subway announcements ("Mind the gap!"), signs ("Please do not
feed the birds. By law") and the major media are all in English. Now
if only New York City would follow suit.

Singapore has its discontents -- not so many of them in Singapore
itself, where discontent, too, is closely regulated -- but Mr. Fussy
is not one of them. Among its virtues, Mr. Fussy has yet to mention
its legendary hawker stalls selling fresh, delicious ethnic foods and
its many restaurants. Singapore has 19 Dairy Queens, for instance,
compared with one in the city of Boston.Savoring a strawberry
chocolate chip soft ice cream Blizzard -- yes, served upside down! --
on sweltering Orchard Road, Mr. Fussy thinks (1) this must be Paradise
and (2) who needs recreational drugs?

Alex Beam is a Globe columnist. His e-dress is .

1, You cannot bring in crewing gum, it will be confiscated at the
checkpoints.
2. You will be issued ticket to pay a fine if you are caught jaywalking.

"tamarind" wrote in message
om...
It is interesting to know how foreigners view Singapore.

By the way, contrary to what most people think :
1. The act of chewing gum is not banned in Singapore. It is that sale
of gum that is banned. There is a difference you know.
2. Singaporeans jaywalk all the time, I have never heard of a law
banning this

(Berthome) wrote in message
. com...
Interesting.

Singapore is worth all the fuss

By Alex Beam, Globe Columnist, 3/30/2004

SINGAPORE -- Mr. Fussy is thinking: I have died and gone to heaven.

Serendipitously, Mr. F. has fetched up on the fussiest little country
on earth. Singapore is the famous "nanny state," where no aspect of
human behavior is too trivial to escape the government's watchful eye.
The regime cares whether you jaywalk or chew gum (don't!), whether you
marry a well-educated woman (do!), and whether you plan to organize an
opposition political party (highly unadvisable).

Mr. Fussy's beloved Lonely Planet guidebook casually mentioned that
bringing recreational drugs into Singapore might not be such a hot
idea, as the penalty for possession was death. And indeed such a
sentence was meted out to a Thai gentleman during Mr. F.'s brief
visit, during which he indulged in no stimulants stronger than ginger
tea.

One reads so much these days about civil societies and the rule of
law, but Mr. Fussy's visit to Singapore has convinced him that he
prefers a society of rules. For instance, he would trade away certain
civil liberties in return for a rule banning bicycle riding on city
sidewalks. Or for a rule banning eight-month election campaigns. Or
for a rule mandating the use of a singular verb when "none" is the
subject of a sentence. True, there is already such a rule, but no one
observes it.

Leaving Boston, Mr. Fussy bumped into a friend who urged him not to
miss Singapore's famous airport, one of the nicest in the world. Great
advice! Mr. F. not only didn't miss the airport -- he came close to
never leaving it.

Alas, he hadn't brought a bathing suit, and so he couldn't frolic in
the lovely open-air pool on the second floor of Terminal I. But he did
take a shower, and was sorely tempted to sack out in the
spa-jacuzzi-nap area, not far from the tasteful prayer facilities.
There was plenty of time to feast on Indonesian curry mutton, and then
pay leisurely visits to the airport's six gorgeous gardens (Orchid,
Cactus, Bamboo, Heliconia, etc.) strategically placed throughout the
terminals.

And what of the free movie lounge and the ubiquitous, free Internet
hook-ups? The North and South koi ponds? Or that tipping is forbidden
at the airport? Mr. Fussy is waiting for a clever entrepreneur to
offer package trips to the airport, touting the slogan: "Changi
Airport: As Nice as Singapore, and 30 Degrees Cooler!"

It wouldn't appeal to the authenticity crowd -- you know, the people
who buy "insider" guidebooks, and rent Internet-equipped villas in
Tuscany each summer -- but it would suit Mr. Fussy just fine.

How was the city-state itself, you ask? A lot like the airport --
clean, well-ordered, populated by men and women whom the government
has urged, nay, ordered, to be courteous to foreigners -- but a good
deal hotter. Didn't Mr. Fussy once rail against air conditioning, the
tool of the devil? Yes. And yet when he saw that Lee Kuan Yew, the
founder of modern Singapore, had named air conditioning as the most
important invention of the 20th century, Mr. F. got the point. There
is a reason those Somerset Maugham characters never left their
verandahs, except possibly to order up a stengah (whiskey and soda)
from the proverbial long bar. It's too darned hot!

Mr. Fussy is also grateful to Mr. Lee for a convenient oddity of
Singapore life: In a country that is almost 80 percent Chinese, with
the rest of the population Malay and Indian, the official language is
English. Subway announcements ("Mind the gap!"), signs ("Please do not
feed the birds. By law") and the major media are all in English. Now
if only New York City would follow suit.

Singapore has its discontents -- not so many of them in Singapore
itself, where discontent, too, is closely regulated -- but Mr. Fussy
is not one of them. Among its virtues, Mr. Fussy has yet to mention
its legendary hawker stalls selling fresh, delicious ethnic foods and
its many restaurants. Singapore has 19 Dairy Queens, for instance,
compared with one in the city of Boston.Savoring a strawberry
chocolate chip soft ice cream Blizzard -- yes, served upside down! --
on sweltering Orchard Road, Mr. Fussy thinks (1) this must be Paradise
and (2) who needs recreational drugs?

Alex Beam is a Globe columnist. His e-dress is .

Bull****. I am sure there is no law against jaywalking. Do you know
anyone who has been fined jaywalking ?

"Lau Niu" wrote in message ...
1, You cannot bring in crewing gum, it will be confiscated at the
checkpoints.
2. You will be issued ticket to pay a fine if you are caught jaywalking.

"tamarind" wrote in message
om...
It is interesting to know how foreigners view Singapore.

By the way, contrary to what most people think :
1. The act of chewing gum is not banned in Singapore. It is that sale
of gum that is banned. There is a difference you know.
2. Singaporeans jaywalk all the time, I have never heard of a law
banning this

(Berthome) wrote in message
. com...
Interesting.

Singapore is worth all the fuss

By Alex Beam, Globe Columnist, 3/30/2004

SINGAPORE -- Mr. Fussy is thinking: I have died and gone to heaven.

Serendipitously, Mr. F. has fetched up on the fussiest little country
on earth. Singapore is the famous "nanny state," where no aspect of
human behavior is too trivial to escape the government's watchful eye.
The regime cares whether you jaywalk or chew gum (don't!), whether you
marry a well-educated woman (do!), and whether you plan to organize an
opposition political party (highly unadvisable).

Mr. Fussy's beloved Lonely Planet guidebook casually mentioned that
bringing recreational drugs into Singapore might not be such a hot
idea, as the penalty for possession was death. And indeed such a
sentence was meted out to a Thai gentleman during Mr. F.'s brief
visit, during which he indulged in no stimulants stronger than ginger
tea.

One reads so much these days about civil societies and the rule of
law, but Mr. Fussy's visit to Singapore has convinced him that he
prefers a society of rules. For instance, he would trade away certain
civil liberties in return for a rule banning bicycle riding on city
sidewalks. Or for a rule banning eight-month election campaigns. Or
for a rule mandating the use of a singular verb when "none" is the
subject of a sentence. True, there is already such a rule, but no one
observes it.

Leaving Boston, Mr. Fussy bumped into a friend who urged him not to
miss Singapore's famous airport, one of the nicest in the world. Great
advice! Mr. F. not only didn't miss the airport -- he came close to
never leaving it.

Alas, he hadn't brought a bathing suit, and so he couldn't frolic in
the lovely open-air pool on the second floor of Terminal I. But he did
take a shower, and was sorely tempted to sack out in the
spa-jacuzzi-nap area, not far from the tasteful prayer facilities.
There was plenty of time to feast on Indonesian curry mutton, and then
pay leisurely visits to the airport's six gorgeous gardens (Orchid,
Cactus, Bamboo, Heliconia, etc.) strategically placed throughout the
terminals.

And what of the free movie lounge and the ubiquitous, free Internet
hook-ups? The North and South koi ponds? Or that tipping is forbidden
at the airport? Mr. Fussy is waiting for a clever entrepreneur to
offer package trips to the airport, touting the slogan: "Changi
Airport: As Nice as Singapore, and 30 Degrees Cooler!"

It wouldn't appeal to the authenticity crowd -- you know, the people
who buy "insider" guidebooks, and rent Internet-equipped villas in
Tuscany each summer -- but it would suit Mr. Fussy just fine.

How was the city-state itself, you ask? A lot like the airport --
clean, well-ordered, populated by men and women whom the government
has urged, nay, ordered, to be courteous to foreigners -- but a good
deal hotter. Didn't Mr. Fussy once rail against air conditioning, the
tool of the devil? Yes. And yet when he saw that Lee Kuan Yew, the
founder of modern Singapore, had named air conditioning as the most
important invention of the 20th century, Mr. F. got the point. There
is a reason those Somerset Maugham characters never left their
verandahs, except possibly to order up a stengah (whiskey and soda)
from the proverbial long bar. It's too darned hot!

Mr. Fussy is also grateful to Mr. Lee for a convenient oddity of
Singapore life: In a country that is almost 80 percent Chinese, with
the rest of the population Malay and Indian, the official language is
English. Subway announcements ("Mind the gap!"), signs ("Please do not
feed the birds. By law") and the major media are all in English. Now
if only New York City would follow suit.

Singapore has its discontents -- not so many of them in Singapore
itself, where discontent, too, is closely regulated -- but Mr. Fussy
is not one of them. Among its virtues, Mr. Fussy has yet to mention
its legendary hawker stalls selling fresh, delicious ethnic foods and
its many restaurants. Singapore has 19 Dairy Queens, for instance,
compared with one in the city of Boston.Savoring a strawberry
chocolate chip soft ice cream Blizzard -- yes, served upside down! --
on sweltering Orchard Road, Mr. Fussy thinks (1) this must be Paradise
and (2) who needs recreational drugs?

Alex Beam is a Globe columnist. His e-dress is .

You are lucky if you have not been booked at traffic junctions. Check with
traffic police, don't mislead others.

"tamarind" wrote in message
om...
Bull****. I am sure there is no law against jaywalking. Do you know
anyone who has been fined jaywalking ?

"Lau Niu" wrote in message
...
1, You cannot bring in crewing gum, it will be confiscated at the
checkpoints.
2. You will be issued ticket to pay a fine if you are caught jaywalking.

"tamarind" wrote in message
om...
It is interesting to know how foreigners view Singapore.

By the way, contrary to what most people think :
1. The act of chewing gum is not banned in Singapore. It is that sale
of gum that is banned. There is a difference you know.
2. Singaporeans jaywalk all the time, I have never heard of a law
banning this

(Berthome) wrote in message
. com...
Interesting.

Singapore is worth all the fuss

By Alex Beam, Globe Columnist, 3/30/2004

SINGAPORE -- Mr. Fussy is thinking: I have died and gone to heaven.

Serendipitously, Mr. F. has fetched up on the fussiest little
country
on earth. Singapore is the famous "nanny state," where no aspect of
human behavior is too trivial to escape the government's watchful
eye.
The regime cares whether you jaywalk or chew gum (don't!), whether
you
marry a well-educated woman (do!), and whether you plan to organize
an
opposition political party (highly unadvisable).

Mr. Fussy's beloved Lonely Planet guidebook casually mentioned that
bringing recreational drugs into Singapore might not be such a hot
idea, as the penalty for possession was death. And indeed such a
sentence was meted out to a Thai gentleman during Mr. F.'s brief
visit, during which he indulged in no stimulants stronger than
ginger
tea.

One reads so much these days about civil societies and the rule of
law, but Mr. Fussy's visit to Singapore has convinced him that he
prefers a society of rules. For instance, he would trade away
certain
civil liberties in return for a rule banning bicycle riding on city
sidewalks. Or for a rule banning eight-month election campaigns. Or
for a rule mandating the use of a singular verb when "none" is the
subject of a sentence. True, there is already such a rule, but no
one
observes it.

Leaving Boston, Mr. Fussy bumped into a friend who urged him not to
miss Singapore's famous airport, one of the nicest in the world.
Great
advice! Mr. F. not only didn't miss the airport -- he came close to
never leaving it.

Alas, he hadn't brought a bathing suit, and so he couldn't frolic in
the lovely open-air pool on the second floor of Terminal I. But he
did
take a shower, and was sorely tempted to sack out in the
spa-jacuzzi-nap area, not far from the tasteful prayer facilities.
There was plenty of time to feast on Indonesian curry mutton, and
then
pay leisurely visits to the airport's six gorgeous gardens (Orchid,
Cactus, Bamboo, Heliconia, etc.) strategically placed throughout the
terminals.

And what of the free movie lounge and the ubiquitous, free Internet
hook-ups? The North and South koi ponds? Or that tipping is
forbidden
at the airport? Mr. Fussy is waiting for a clever entrepreneur to
offer package trips to the airport, touting the slogan: "Changi
Airport: As Nice as Singapore, and 30 Degrees Cooler!"

It wouldn't appeal to the authenticity crowd -- you know, the people
who buy "insider" guidebooks, and rent Internet-equipped villas in
Tuscany each summer -- but it would suit Mr. Fussy just fine.

How was the city-state itself, you ask? A lot like the airport --
clean, well-ordered, populated by men and women whom the government
has urged, nay, ordered, to be courteous to foreigners -- but a good
deal hotter. Didn't Mr. Fussy once rail against air conditioning,
the
tool of the devil? Yes. And yet when he saw that Lee Kuan Yew, the
founder of modern Singapore, had named air conditioning as the most
important invention of the 20th century, Mr. F. got the point. There
is a reason those Somerset Maugham characters never left their
verandahs, except possibly to order up a stengah (whiskey and soda)
from the proverbial long bar. It's too darned hot!

Mr. Fussy is also grateful to Mr. Lee for a convenient oddity of
Singapore life: In a country that is almost 80 percent Chinese, with
the rest of the population Malay and Indian, the official language
is
English. Subway announcements ("Mind the gap!"), signs ("Please do
not
feed the birds. By law") and the major media are all in English. Now
if only New York City would follow suit.

Singapore has its discontents -- not so many of them in Singapore
itself, where discontent, too, is closely regulated -- but Mr. Fussy
is not one of them. Among its virtues, Mr. Fussy has yet to mention
its legendary hawker stalls selling fresh, delicious ethnic foods
and
its many restaurants. Singapore has 19 Dairy Queens, for instance,
compared with one in the city of Boston.Savoring a strawberry
chocolate chip soft ice cream Blizzard -- yes, served upside
down! --
on sweltering Orchard Road, Mr. Fussy thinks (1) this must be
Paradise
and (2) who needs recreational drugs?

Alex Beam is a Globe columnist. His e-dress is .

"Lau Niu" wrote in message ...
1, You cannot bring in c[h]ewing gum, it will be confiscated at the
checkpoints.
2. You will be issued ticket to pay a fine if you are caught jaywalking.

Nobody at Changi airport minds when I'm chewing. Sale, manufacture and
distribution is prohibited but possession and use is not an offence. I
bring it in for friends who crave a chew.

The only place I've ever been reprimanded (no fine) for jaywalking
was, absurdly, Jakarta.

George W. Russell
Hanoi

"George W. Russell" wrote in message
om...

The only place I've ever been reprimanded (no fine) for jaywalking
was, absurdly, Jakarta.

This has happened to me once in Helsinki some 25 years ago.

Check out the rules at: http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/

CKLee
http://www.knowledge-sharing.com/
http://www.thelinksociety.com/

"Berthome" wrote in message
om...
Interesting.

Singapore is worth all the fuss

By Alex Beam, Globe Columnist, 3/30/2004

SINGAPORE -- Mr. Fussy is thinking: I have died and gone to heaven.

Serendipitously, Mr. F. has fetched up on the fussiest little country
on earth. Singapore is the famous "nanny state," where no aspect of
human behavior is too trivial to escape the government's watchful eye.
The regime cares whether you jaywalk or chew gum (don't!), whether you
marry a well-educated woman (do!), and whether you plan to organize an
opposition political party (highly unadvisable).

Mr. Fussy's beloved Lonely Planet guidebook casually mentioned that
bringing recreational drugs into Singapore might not be such a hot
idea, as the penalty for possession was death. And indeed such a
sentence was meted out to a Thai gentleman during Mr. F.'s brief
visit, during which he indulged in no stimulants stronger than ginger
tea.

One reads so much these days about civil societies and the rule of
law, but Mr. Fussy's visit to Singapore has convinced him that he
prefers a society of rules. For instance, he would trade away certain
civil liberties in return for a rule banning bicycle riding on city
sidewalks. Or for a rule banning eight-month election campaigns. Or
for a rule mandating the use of a singular verb when "none" is the
subject of a sentence. True, there is already such a rule, but no one
observes it.

Leaving Boston, Mr. Fussy bumped into a friend who urged him not to
miss Singapore's famous airport, one of the nicest in the world. Great
advice! Mr. F. not only didn't miss the airport -- he came close to
never leaving it.

Alas, he hadn't brought a bathing suit, and so he couldn't frolic in
the lovely open-air pool on the second floor of Terminal I. But he did
take a shower, and was sorely tempted to sack out in the
spa-jacuzzi-nap area, not far from the tasteful prayer facilities.
There was plenty of time to feast on Indonesian curry mutton, and then
pay leisurely visits to the airport's six gorgeous gardens (Orchid,
Cactus, Bamboo, Heliconia, etc.) strategically placed throughout the
terminals.

And what of the free movie lounge and the ubiquitous, free Internet
hook-ups? The North and South koi ponds? Or that tipping is forbidden
at the airport? Mr. Fussy is waiting for a clever entrepreneur to
offer package trips to the airport, touting the slogan: "Changi
Airport: As Nice as Singapore, and 30 Degrees Cooler!"

It wouldn't appeal to the authenticity crowd -- you know, the people
who buy "insider" guidebooks, and rent Internet-equipped villas in
Tuscany each summer -- but it would suit Mr. Fussy just fine.

How was the city-state itself, you ask? A lot like the airport --
clean, well-ordered, populated by men and women whom the government
has urged, nay, ordered, to be courteous to foreigners -- but a good
deal hotter. Didn't Mr. Fussy once rail against air conditioning, the
tool of the devil? Yes. And yet when he saw that Lee Kuan Yew, the
founder of modern Singapore, had named air conditioning as the most
important invention of the 20th century, Mr. F. got the point. There
is a reason those Somerset Maugham characters never left their
verandahs, except possibly to order up a stengah (whiskey and soda)
from the proverbial long bar. It's too darned hot!

Mr. Fussy is also grateful to Mr. Lee for a convenient oddity of
Singapore life: In a country that is almost 80 percent Chinese, with
the rest of the population Malay and Indian, the official language is
English. Subway announcements ("Mind the gap!"), signs ("Please do not
feed the birds. By law") and the major media are all in English. Now
if only New York City would follow suit.

Singapore has its discontents -- not so many of them in Singapore
itself, where discontent, too, is closely regulated -- but Mr. Fussy
is not one of them. Among its virtues, Mr. Fussy has yet to mention
its legendary hawker stalls selling fresh, delicious ethnic foods and
its many restaurants. Singapore has 19 Dairy Queens, for instance,
compared with one in the city of Boston.Savoring a strawberry
chocolate chip soft ice cream Blizzard -- yes, served upside down! --
on sweltering Orchard Road, Mr. Fussy thinks (1) this must be Paradise
and (2) who needs recreational drugs?

Alex Beam is a Globe columnist. His e-dress is .

On 7 Apr 2004 00:32:32 -0700, the renowned
(tamarind) wrote:

Bull****. I am sure there is no law against jaywalking. Do you know
anyone who has been fined jaywalking ?

http://www.singapore-window.org/sw03/030713af.htm


Agence France Presse
July 13, 2003
SINGAPORE


PEDESTRIANS in Singapore caught walking across bus parking areas may
land in jail under tough new rules to be imposed Monday, July 14, that
hope to minimise accidents involving jaywalkers.
The city-state, known for imposing stiff fines for littering and
spitting in public, said jaywalkers caught taking short cuts will face
fines of up to S$500 (US$285) for their first offence.

They could also could wind up in court and be given penalties twice
that or sentenced to three months in jail.

Repeat offenders could face a maximum $2000 fine or six months in
jail.



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Spehro Pefhany
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