Singapore stop-over

20.6.07

Singapore stop-over

At long last, I am back on the net.

About ten days ago my husband and I left the rain behind and landed in Singapore. Our carrier, Qantas (Australian’s national carrier), uses Singapore as one of its line feeder bases. Passengers arriving from various Australian centres by smaller aircraft are sorted out and transferred into larger crafts here, for their final destinations. Hence, most Australians, including us, visit this city-nation almost as often as we leave our country.

Our first visit here was over 40 - 50 years ago. In those days, Singapore was a small, poor & smelly backward fishing village, that the only good thing about it was, its cheap tailoring shops. These, lined the main shopping dirt road, with their owners greeting you, their pray, already from a distance. They will lure you by calling you, run after you, beggar you with their reduce prices, and practically lasso you into their domain with the quality of their wares and expertise; till eventually you succumb. And succumb you did, just like I did.

However, I never regretted it; I got the most beautiful ensemble of trousers, skirt and top, made in the local style I was after, coloured in various light tan shades and some mauve here and there, made in pure high quality silk - for the ridiculous price of 50 Australian pounds.

Today, Singapore is a beautiful, clean, modern, and world-renowned city that competes with Hong Kong. It has become a centre for shipping and finance as well as a centre for international conventions; with many shopping centres and a highly developed computer assembly industry and tourism.

Singapore transformation was driven by just one person – by Lee Kuan Yew. Lee Kuan Yew Yu served as Singapore’s prime minister from 1959 till 1990. His philosophy, as I heard him say in a TV interview many years ago, was that he was guided by China’s greatest philosopher, Confucius, in all he did, and in every step he took. AND what a success!

Already as you arrive in Changi airport you can feel the order, the cleanliness and the thoughtful attention to every detail: the beautiful and well-executed terminals AND, the smiling immigration officers with the awaiting candies on their counter; offered free as a welcome gesture.

Leaving the airport, you drive along the wide road that carries you through parks with large tropical trees and shrubs laden flowers to your destination. Everything around is beautifully cared for and spotless, and the humidity, at this time of the year, is very high. However, as all places are air-conditioned, it’s not too bad.

Singapore offers you shopping and more shopping and entertainment as well, and 3 days here, as far as I am concerned, are all one needs. This gives you a break from the long flight you have just finished and the longer one that is in front of you. And by the way, tipping is illegal here…

Renate
Artist, poet & the Author of

From the Promised Land to the Lucky Country

http://www.promisedland-renate.com/

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Israel"s achievements

Having to be on alert at all times and in fighting mode, did not and does not stop the Israelis from living a ‘Normal life’ and achieving great things. The land that was desert and swamps full of illnesses like Malaria & Trachoma and more is today a modern green place, full of trees and flowers. Not only that but it is also a power place to many new inventions that benefit mankind every day. I am attaching a list I received sometime ago, which is NOT complete, to show you some of Israel’s achievements.

Here it is:

Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can lay additional claim to the following:

The cell phone and Voice mail technology was developed in Israel & AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis.

Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel.

The Pentium MMX Chip technology, Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel.

The Pentium microprocessor in your computer was most likely made in Israel.

Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel & Motorola has Motorola Israel.

Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita, as well as the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world & produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin - 109 per 10,000 people - as well as one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed.

Israel designed the airline industry's most impenetrable flight security. US officials now look (finally) to Israel for advice on how to handle airborne security threats, and has the fourth largest Air Force in the world (after the U.S., Russia and China).

In addition to a large variety of other aircraft, Israel's air force has an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16's. This is the largest fleet of F-16 aircraft outside of the U. S.
In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel has the largest number of startup companies than any other country in the
world, except the U.S. (3,500 – 4000 companies mostly in hi-tech).

With more than 4,000 high-tech companies and startups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world - apart from the Silicon Valley, U. S.

Outside the United States and Canada, it has the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies.

On a per capita basis, Israel has the largest number of biotech startups.
It is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds right behind the U.S.

Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East.
The per capita income in 2000 was over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.

Her $100 billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighbours combined.

Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.

Twenty-four per cent of Israel's workforce holds university degrees, ranking third in the industrialized world, after the United States and Holland and 12 per cent hold advanced degrees.

Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth. Immigrants come in search of democracy, religious freedom, and economic opportunity (Hundreds of thousands from the former Soviet Union).

In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews (Operation Solomon) at risk in Ethiopia, to safety in Israel.

When Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, she became the world's second elected female leader in modern times.

When the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, was bombed in 1998, Israeli rescue teams were on the scene within a day - and saved three victims from the rubble.

Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship - and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 - in the world.

It has more museums per capita than any other country, and has the world's second highest per capita of new books.

Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as "conflict free."

It is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees, made more remarkable because this was achieved in an area considered mainly desert.

In Medicine... Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.
An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Every year in U.S. hospitals, 7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.

Israel's Givun Imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the small intestine from the inside, cancer and digestive disorders.

Researchers in Israel developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innovation with the potential to save lives among those with heart failure. The new device is synchronized with the camera, helps doctors diagnose heart's mechanical operations through a sophisticated system of sensors.

Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work force employed in technical professions, Israel places first in this category as well.

Israel produced 4 Nobel price winners in the last 4 years – 2 in Mathematics & 2 in Economics.

A new acne treatment developed in Israel, the Clear Light device, produces a high-intensity, ultraviolet-light-free, narrow-band blue light that causes acne bacteria to self-destruct - all
without damaging surrounding skin or tissue.

An Israeli company was the first to develop and install a large-scale solar-powered and fully functional electricity generating plant, in southern California's Mojave Desert.

All the above while engaged in regular wars with an implacable enemy that seeks its destruction, and an economy continuously under strain by having to spend more per capita on its own protection than any other county on earth.

Promised Land - Renate

20.6.07