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Well, I'm back home (and jetlagged, as you can see from the time 
) I've posted a few photos in my album, with more to come.
Asia was an eye-opener, to be sure. For one thing, their consumption of goods, products & resources far outstrips ours. (some will say that Singapore is Asia-light)
Air-conditioning, for starters: it is too hot to be outside, so shops, cars & houses have air-con, which uses more electric than central heating.
Petrol: nobody walks or cycles (except the poorest), as it's too darn hot. Petrol is cheap, cars are cheap, and the traffic is terrible. One of our Bangkok taxis took an hour to travel less than 3 miles. In Sing, you aren't allowed a car more than 10 years old, and most are brand-new (keeping up with the Joneses). It seems compulsory to own more than one car each too, which are washed every day, sometimes twice a day.
Water: in Singapore, people drink a lot of water - bottled water. I was refilling my bottle from the fridge/tap, but everyone else just gets a fresh bottle ... 6 a day.
Construction: in Singapore at least, new buildings are going up all the time. Everything is newer, bigger, shinier: the oldest buildings I saw were only 25 years old I think. They just pull down, and build new. There are 100s of shopping malls, and even more being built. So much construction, all the time. The labour comes from India, & the men work so hard ... roadworks are done & dusted within 24 hours. The Grand Prix was dismantled within hours of the race finishing.
Goods: to Westerners at least, clothes, shoes etc are incredibly cheap in Asia, and things are bought to be worn once and thrown away, even more than they are here. I got a pair of "Birkenstocks" for less than the price of a Starbucks coffee. I felt guilty, and only bought what I felt I needed, including a winter coat for £60 that would have cost me £180+ in UK.
Although it has the best of everything, and is completely litter-free, I couldn't live in Singapore, because nobody gardens - all plants are ornamental, and all food is imported. In fact, all plants are imported!
It's a very green city, loads of plants, really lush & beautiful. But I missed my windy, messy, weedy little allotment
I have to plant a lotta stuff to offset my carbon for this trip 
) I've posted a few photos in my album, with more to come.Asia was an eye-opener, to be sure. For one thing, their consumption of goods, products & resources far outstrips ours. (some will say that Singapore is Asia-light)
Air-conditioning, for starters: it is too hot to be outside, so shops, cars & houses have air-con, which uses more electric than central heating.
Petrol: nobody walks or cycles (except the poorest), as it's too darn hot. Petrol is cheap, cars are cheap, and the traffic is terrible. One of our Bangkok taxis took an hour to travel less than 3 miles. In Sing, you aren't allowed a car more than 10 years old, and most are brand-new (keeping up with the Joneses). It seems compulsory to own more than one car each too, which are washed every day, sometimes twice a day.
Water: in Singapore, people drink a lot of water - bottled water. I was refilling my bottle from the fridge/tap, but everyone else just gets a fresh bottle ... 6 a day.
Construction: in Singapore at least, new buildings are going up all the time. Everything is newer, bigger, shinier: the oldest buildings I saw were only 25 years old I think. They just pull down, and build new. There are 100s of shopping malls, and even more being built. So much construction, all the time. The labour comes from India, & the men work so hard ... roadworks are done & dusted within 24 hours. The Grand Prix was dismantled within hours of the race finishing.
Goods: to Westerners at least, clothes, shoes etc are incredibly cheap in Asia, and things are bought to be worn once and thrown away, even more than they are here. I got a pair of "Birkenstocks" for less than the price of a Starbucks coffee. I felt guilty, and only bought what I felt I needed, including a winter coat for £60 that would have cost me £180+ in UK.
Although it has the best of everything, and is completely litter-free, I couldn't live in Singapore, because nobody gardens - all plants are ornamental, and all food is imported. In fact, all plants are imported!
It's a very green city, loads of plants, really lush & beautiful. But I missed my windy, messy, weedy little allotment
I have to plant a lotta stuff to offset my carbon for this trip
yes, they did 
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