Singapore -Week One

Hey everyone. It is Saturday morning in Singapore, 13 hours ahead of central time in the U.S., and I thought I would give you a quick update. So far, things have gone very well. I did make a crazy calculation this week, noting that by the time I return home, I will have spent approximately 50 hours of flying time in an airplane. That, of course doesn't count the time spent in airports. Movies, books and the iPad are necessary.

I spent most of this week in China (Tianjin and Beijing). Interesting place, with a lot of smog. Tianjin is a metroplex of about 14 million, Beijing about 20 million. With that comes traffic, traffic, pollution and traffic. The people have been great, hotels excellent, food pretty good. I didn't see any sites in china other than what could be seen from the car or hotel window. Quick 3 days with meeting a lot of people. Lots of high rises being built. China has a policy of pre-building what is needed. So, there are massive apartment complexes that will house thousands of people that are being built with no one in them yet. Office complexes the same way. "Build it and they will come", and it normally has worked.

Arrived in singapore on Thursday night about midnight, with the temperature a cool 79 degrees. Beautiful lush island, with 5.5 million people on it. Friday was a work day, then spent the evening with the family we are replacing. A great tour of the American school (amazing place), and their neighborhood. Houses are different, but in this neighborhood that is with walking distance of the school, plenty of room. They have (in the house), 5 bedrooms and 5 baths, with an additional bedroom and a bathroom attached to the back of the house for the live in help. Plenty of space, just different space. Kitchen and laundry room (laundry is outside), are not for the people who live in the house.

3 pictures attached, all out of hotel windows. First in Tianjin business park. Second in Beijing. Third in Singapore.

I will wander around this weekend. Lots of food and shopping malls. More expensive than Peoria, but then again, most places are.

Have a great weekend from the tropics of Singapore. 90 degrees or so today, although, Same as the last 6,000 days, so nothing new here.