March 23, 2002
Top 10
Here are the top ten things you will NOT see in Singapore:
- See someone step in gum. It's illegal to sell gum in Singapore. You can have it, chew it, but you can't buy it.
- See someone without a mobile phone. It's impossible to escape. People not only have them, but they always have them out like some sort of idolic amulet, directional oracle, or rosary...
- See someone smoking, drinking, eating, or transporting flammable liquids or gas on the subway. Not unless you have a spare $5000 around.
- See an unswept street. Everything is perfectly clean, everyone has a maid and/or a maintenance person, all maids and maintenance people have straw brooms.
- See an American without sweat streaming down their back or perspiration on their brow. The average high temperature in Singapore is around 88F with fluctuations throughout the year of an entire degree or two. The humidity averages about 84%. Double yikes!
- See a papaya less than a foot in length. Apparently the genetic traits of the Singapore people (meaning height.. .tsk tsk) do not extend to the Singapore fruits and vegetables.
- See a speeding taxi. Seems all the taxis begin to annoyingly beep as they exceed the speed limit.
- Tipping. Tipping in Singapore doesn't really happen. It's nice when the bill comes and you don't have to bother with the math, but the standard 10% service fee doesn't provide much of an incentive for good service.
- See an airline seat without a personal video system. OK, I'm reaching here... The Asian airlines (so far) are extremely nice.
- See Jeff. Because I'm out of there. I'm heading to Bangkok on Cathay Pacific flight 712. More interesting travels can now commence.
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