Travelogue Singapore

I am back. In one piece. Tired and jet lagged. Yet after having added a couple more countries to my roster of places I have been to. Singapore was the first stop. I am not sure how I would describe this place. It is a city, country, megapolis, metropolis, cosmopolitan melting pot (talk about the humidity and heat) all in one. It is mostly clean - I mean you can drop your egg on the boardwalk and can proceed to eat it type of clean - although I assume you would pay a hefty fine to drop said egg on boardwalk in the first place. Not that I experimented but I did fall asleep on one whilst waiting for a technological marvel in the form of a laser light show on water, outside an expensive hotel.

The trip was part of a quickie two country visit that also incuded the adjacent nation of Malaysia. Hectic in many aspects 10 days is barely the vacation time we could squeeze but it was very enjoyable and I highly recommend a visit for the unvisited. What strikes one from a background in growing up in the chaos of India is that nations with similarly inclined populations and per capita space availability seem to have figured out a process to get their populations moving around in comfort and relatively low cost without feeling vulnerable to elements (both human or non). As an example Singapore has a very efficient metro rail that is cost eff and safe with easy to understand English instructions for the newbie. There is also a staff available to assist the reading challenged as sometimes I was - bleary eyed to boot. As for dealing with the elements all major connectors to and from transit to buildings are Air Con walkways so one does not have to exit the controlled space. Security cameras track your move and you do not feel insecure a bit even with baggage at an odd hour. Earlier we had spent the wee hours at Changi airport after our inbound flight left us there at midnight. We were on another timezone and made the most of it. Watched an oldie English flick at the cinema on site then strolled through very humid orchid gardens and then ate some spicy fish at a Malaysian food court all within the confines of their airport. Very comfortable. At the early hour of six am we took a train to town and rolled our way into our hotel. With certain privileges that come with precious metallic equivalents of status at a hotel we were ushered to breakfast while our room got made for arrival at the early hour. After feasting on poori bhaji and tom yum soup in the same session along with a dashing cup of cafe au lait we headed up to freshen up. Then later that day traveled on a hop on hop off version of visit Singapore to take in the summary version of what the city has to offer.

India town - China town - Japan town its all here in this 200 year old former British colony cum trading post of 5 or so million. We did the eat, see, sleep routine for a couple of days before getting on a very comfortable bus ride over the border into Malaysia - to head to their capital of Kuala Lumpur. That and more in the next travelogue.

On the go(zay masta) in Japan again

Cool cat the Japanese are Tokyo at dusk My second visit to this land of the rising sun after almost a decade. Back then clearly I was wet behind the ears product manager and likely didn’t pay attention to all (efficient) things Japanese. But today I did and of course continue to be impressed. It is as much the obvious stuff like on time travel that is both clean and comfortable and all that which makes it possible. The impressive landmark and landscapes that these humans have put together despite their cramped (or because of it) surroundings and precarious geological conditions could amaze a novice architect among us. But it’s also the little things that someone had to think about which have a phenomenal impact on day to day lives that make the Japanese stand apart. Below are few random examples- 1. Providing a very fine machined wooden toothpick in every packet of wooden chopsticks. The said chapsticks are simply set on the To Go counter of any food vendor/ convenience store wher...

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected. I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot. It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is. Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy. It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff? Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality. So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing? Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...

A few good books

On an informal mission to read one book a week as long as the eyes allow for such ambition. Fiction or non is not important as long as it entertains and /or educates. To that end the past few weeks have brought a bounty in the form of some wonderful and then not so engaging literature. Among the notables are - Non fiction category: 1. Good arguments by Bo Seo (how to handle a dispute or debate the most efficient way possible) 2. Genesis by Eric Schmidt (and former US Secy of State Henry Kissinger, who recently passed) - how AI might affect our lives as we know it 3. One in a billion - Zarna Garg (an autobiographical look at an Indian born American woman with a bindi narrated in a standup format - yes it is at times cliched but still funny) Fiction: 1. Personal by Lee Child (a vigilante story with Jack Reacher the giant, nomad protagonist of Child's novels goes hunting for a sniper) 2. Ramayana unraveled by Ami Ganatra (she might disagree about it being a work of fiction but oh wel...

Brown Motion

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