In Singapore, just hanging aroound

Having a lovely relaxed time. Singapore is a hot and humid island, like Hong Kong, with a lot more greenery and more natives (80% Singaporeans, 14% Malays and 6%Indians) speaking English. I blogged it last year so will not say too much about Singapore itself

I have noticed that in the last month our travels, we have not seen the dominant white skin. The Chinese have skin colors from a pale yellow to a dark tan; Hong Kong is very multi-racial with brown skin predominant; Western Australia is also quite multi-racial, and, with us attending Anglo-Indian functions, the predominant skin color was again brown; and in Singapore we are again in a tan colored world. All four countries have smart, hard working people; all the countries are very prosperous and getting more so, and all are very clean and efficient. When I compare them with USA, I have to feel we are not at their level of cleanliness or efficiency. We in the USA have a better quality of life because we have more facilities and have had a head start of at least 40 to 50 years. Our size is another advantage as we are a huge market and the world fights get our trade (as is happening in China). Having said this, I cannot see how these countries will not develop and overtake us. The chief advantage of the USA, others than those mentioned, may be its innovation, its lack of limiting traditions (we continuously destroy and recreate) and having a meritocracy. It appears that these countries are ruled by a government plutocracy (selected and nurtured from a very young age), who do all the thinking for its people (who are told what to do and are these rules are rigidly enforced). Considering their success, this is not necessarily a bad approach (not withstanding the one vote per person democracy of Western countries, only a very few make all the decisions). What is more important is that there is equal opportunity for all, and I am assured that this exists in all these countries (as it does in the USA). So the question remains, will these Asian tigers overtake and subjugate the Western countries?
My view is they will because for the most part, we in the USA do not provide a good secondary education for our children (our education is a 'feel good' system, not a ' must learn' system) and we do not provide societal safeguards to teach our citizens to live within their means. This leaves us unable to compete and in debt! Ripe, low hanging fruit, ready to be plucked and eaten

As before, I indulge in a feast of eating - Singapore has some of most exotic and delicious foods anywhere. I eat Luksa a spicy, coconut based soup with cockles, cuttlefish, seafood and tofu; Hor Fun - large flat noodles in a brown sauce and seafood; Lor Mee - a heavy brown, garlic based duck stew and finally barbecued sting ray with sambal sauce. Most food is eaten in casual hawker type food courts - street food really - inexpensive filled with locals, who it seems never cook at home (why should they?) What a treat

Tomorrow we are off to India and Kolkata