Exploring Singapore...

The Singaporeans are a diverse group of people mostly from somewhere else at least three generations ago...  Everyone speaks what Singaporeans refer to as "Singlish" - a mish-mash of English with some Chinese and a bunch of original phrases.  "Can!" means, "Does that sound good?" or "Can you?" And older people like taxi drivers are referred to as Uncle and Auntie...

Then I headed over to the majestic Marina Bay Sands Hotel which is designed to look like three dominoes with a playing card on top...

And into the impressive lobby...

I gracefully talked the staff into allowing me to me go up to the exclusive rooftop...

With a pool that cannot be rivaled in the entire world...

Downtown Singapore from the rooftop of Marina Bay Sands...

This was my very first impression of Singapore.  While I don't smoke and my trip was wonderful, it was really eye-opening to see the extremity of the laws in Singapore.  No one ever crosses the street without the proper signal even if there is no traffic to be seen as it is a $100 fine that is always enforced.  And I did not see even a cigarette butt anywhere on the street. Sanitary would be an understatement for this immaculate urban oasis... 

Pollution is also very low here because the goverment charges citizens about US$30,000 just to get a license plate... so there is an excellent public transit system and no traffic jams.  Green Bliss!  Off by foot through the city to meet Sri's friends at her office...

It's tough to decide what to eat in Singapore, especially with walls and walls of fake food samples of every dish on the menu...

 Celebrating the holidays in downtown Singapore...

Sri's office building...

The view from her office... one of the best in Singapore.

And then up to the rooftop office club complete with gym, steam rooms, four jacuzzis, three wading fountains and an enormous pool - all with stunning views of the cityscape.

This is a city I could definitely live in...  Cosmopolitan, clean, gorgeous... and hungry for the arts!