tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46248852237377744632024-02-09T02:17:11.746+08:00Where is SingaporeLittle information packets about SingaporeBack2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-55685558596369904072010-09-28T18:10:00.009+08:002010-09-28T18:10:00.448+08:00Extremely livableThis is from the interview of Andres Duany, <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/special-report/the-future-of-the-city/archive/2010/05/the-man-who-reinvented-the-city/56853/">The Man Who Reinvented the City</a>, by Kevin Charles Redmon in The Atlantic.<blockquote>But I think the most interesting experiment of all is Singapore. Singapore had nothing going for it. No raw materials. And you got a kind of top-down government that was almost completely enlightened, putting education first and so forth, and you have this city that is extremely livable.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-68957721689225924582010-09-14T20:25:00.002+08:002010-09-14T20:31:37.747+08:00Comparing to Las Vegas, but not about casinosThis is from the article, <a href="http://unlvrebelyell.com/2010/09/13/vicious-cycle-for-urban-biking/">Vicious cycle for urban biking</a>, by Scott Nowicki in The Rebel Yell.<blockquote>The best way to describe my experience in Singapore is by comparing it to what I consider the worst possible cycling condition on the planet — crossing the Las Vegas Strip.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-22568453734517106482009-02-21T16:54:00.003+08:002009-02-21T17:00:21.597+08:00Some things are cheaper while others notThis is from the blog post, <a href="http://cambodiacalling.blogspot.com/2009/02/singapore-vs-cambodia-cost-and-standard.html">Singapore vs Cambodia cost and standard of living</a>, by Diana Saw in Cambodia Calling.<blockquote>Big-ticket items such as houses and cars are very expensive but eating out and transportation is comparable to Cambodia, sometimes even cheaper than Cambodia.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-13315177614407547222009-02-16T19:02:00.000+08:002009-02-16T19:02:00.912+08:00Intelligent governmentThis is from the article, <a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/eo20090215gc.html">Immorality of bushfires</a>, by Gregory Clark in Japan Times.<blockquote>Societies have several ways to hold themselves together and make people behave. One is strict Taliban-style punishments, with fear as the binding agent. Another is more ideological, cerebral even, with religion (Islam), post-revolutionary legitimacy (China, Vietnam), nationalism or good, intelligent government (Singapore, Scandinavia) as the binding agents.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-44191148571741188412009-02-12T17:15:00.001+08:002009-02-12T17:19:58.425+08:00Certainly will not, really?This is from the article, <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/cliff-kuang/design-innovation/paris-bike-plan-goes-kaput">Paris Bike Plan Goes Kaput</a>, by Cliff Kuang in FastCompany.<blockquote>It's worth noting that similar programs exist in Lyon and Copenhagen, and they haven't had the same troubles. Meanwhile, you might look at Paris's bike problems as merely an indicator of very deep sociological problems in the city—its immigrants are infamously discriminated against. Remember, this was a city riven by riots two years ago. London's bike program might fare similarly; San Francisco's might not; and Singapore's almost certainly will not.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-66015064933246111922009-01-29T22:55:00.003+08:002009-01-29T23:25:26.438+08:00We have close tiesThis is from the article, <a href="http://sour.njcit.edu.cn/epaper/UploadFiles_6098/%D6%D0%B9%FA%C8%D5%B1%A8/2008/11/zgrb20081127.pdf">My granddaddy Deng Xiaopeng</a>, in China Daily (page 22) by Chen Jie.<blockquote>A year later, she returned to Beijing and set up JoYa, a PR and fundraising company, with her friend Jocelyn Ang from Singapore. Their first project was a charity gala ball, an event she had become familiar with in the United States.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-6327583533322152862009-01-19T18:02:00.000+08:002009-01-19T18:02:00.738+08:00Another type of foreign talentsThis is from the article, <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/16/kenya-cycling-tour-de-france">One man's quest to find first black winner of the Tour de France</a>, by Xan Rice in guardian.co.uk.<blockquote>Nicholas Leong, [edited] a 40-year-old commercial photographer from Singapore, Leong has already invested nearly three years and tens of thousands of pounds of his own money in his quest to prove Kenyans can transfer their running success into the almost exclusively white world of professional cycling.<br /><br />"In 106 years of the Tour de France there has never been a single black rider," said Leong, at the start line in Iten last weekend. "I am trying to help change that."</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-10780155527509683282009-01-17T02:47:00.002+08:002009-01-17T02:47:00.422+08:00Processing something we don't haveThis is from the article, <a href="http://blog.limkitsiang.com/2009/01/15/how-malaysia-can-cope-with-and-overcome-the-effects-of-the-global-economic-crisis/">How Malaysia Can Cope With and Overcome the Effects of the Global Economic Crisis, by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in Lim Kit Siang blog.</a><blockquote>Consider that despite having no oil resources, Singapore is among the top three global players in trading, refining and manufacture of oil and gas equipment.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-6652495175823688072009-01-16T20:14:00.001+08:002009-01-16T20:14:00.308+08:00Are congestion charges considered incentives?This is from the article, <a href="http://www.odemagazine.com/exchange/4379/drive_and_cycle_an_innovative_concept_for_commuting">Drive and Cycle: An innovative concept for commuting</a>, by RUSHTRACK in Ode.<blockquote>Just recently the U.S. government even went so far as to acknowledge bicycle commuters as worthy of tax relief in a similar way that drivers are. Incentives, such as new bike lanes and congestion charges, such as those instituted by London, Stockholm, and Singapore, have set the stage for a change in the way the world travels and commutes.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-91195397322595638032009-01-12T22:54:00.000+08:002009-01-12T22:54:07.696+08:00The short-cut approachThis is from the article, <a href="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=43426&cat_id=9">Cities of the future</a>, by Stefanos Evripidou in Cyprus Mail.<blockquote>Malaysian urban planning expert, Dr Goh Ban Lee highlighted two approaches to urban management. One is the building of integrity and social responsibility so you don't need CCTV cameras everywhere or even road bumps. “Like in Germany and Japan, though that took up to 200 years to achieve,” he said. <br /><br />Or the short-cut approach: massive state intervention. Lee referred to Singapore, using the example of the American youth who was punished with painful lashes by the authorities after falling foul of the country's strict vandalism laws.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-86837081949347572742009-01-12T18:48:00.000+08:002009-01-12T18:48:01.014+08:00Technology parkThis is from the article, <a href="http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=43426&cat_id=9">Cities of the future</a>, by Stefanos Evripidou in Cyprus Mail.<blockquote>Singapore whose capita per income was one third that of Spain in 1965 now has a per capita income 70 per cent higher than Spain after focusing on its own component of excellence. It is currently engaged in a top-down experiment called One North to create a new generation of technology parks dedicated to multimedia and biotechnology. The idea is to combine working areas with living areas to create a symbiosis between business ecologies and urban life, where residents, artists, venture capitalists live and work together in the same spot. By creating such an exceptional location, they hope to attract and retain diverse talent.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-46422406660352238752009-01-08T19:25:00.003+08:002009-01-08T19:30:21.666+08:00Learn Mandarin and breathe [less polluted] airThis is from the article, <a href="http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Money/Story/STIStory_323438.html">Teach your kids Mandarin</a>, in The Straits Times.<blockquote>WHEN asked for his advice on how to survive the financial crisis, global investment guru Jim Rogers often tells his interlocutors: 'Teach your children Mandarin.' The 66-year-old financial commentator has practised what he preaches, in 2007 selling his mansion in New York and moving his family to Singapore.<br />'I am (in Asia) because this is the exciting part of the world. This is the future, and I want my children to grow up knowing Asia, and knowing things Chinese,' he said during an interview from his exercise bike.<br /><br />Indeed, he said his five-year-old daughter is now a fluent Mandarin speaker.<br /><br />He had thought about moving to China or Hong Kong, but decided against it because of air pollution, adding: 'I don't want to breathe Hong Kong air.'</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-69903906953031746962009-01-05T10:00:00.003+08:002009-01-05T10:05:02.794+08:00What works for us may not work for US.This is from the article, <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-frisco-traffic_frijan02,0,5702066.story">Making rush hour costly</a>, by Maria L. La Gang in ChicagoTribune.com.<blockquote>America's second-most-congested city wants to become the first to institute congestion pricing. The goal: Reduce downtown traffic, improve the environment and raise money for further transit fixes.<br /><br />A similar effort failed in 2008 in New York.<br /><br />London, Stockholm and Singapore already have drawn lines around key districts and charge drivers for entering at peak times. London officials believe their original system cut traffic by 21 percent and increased public transit use by 36 percent.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-20613964100629654252008-12-26T15:36:00.004+08:002008-12-26T15:46:37.802+08:00Come here to study, maths and science.This is from the article, <a href="http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14816891">Asian students top performers in maths, science</a>, in Sify news.<blockquote>Hong Kong SAR and Singapore were found to be the top performing countries in <span style="font-weight:bold;">maths</span> at the <span style="font-weight:bold;">fourth grade</span> level, followed by Chinese Taipei and Japan.<br />The report also said that Kazakhstan, the Russian Federation, England, Latvia, and the Netherlands also performed very well.<br />As regards mathematics achievement at the <span style="font-weight:bold;">eighth grade</span>, the researchers wrote that Chinese Taipei, Korea, and Singapore were the top performing countries, followed by Hong Kong SAR and Japan. There was a substantial gap in average mathematics achievement between the countries.<br />Hungary, England, the Russian Federation, and the United States performed similarly.<br />In <span style="font-weight:bold;">science</span> achievement at the <span style="font-weight:bold;">fourth grade</span>, Singapore turned out to be the top performing country, followed by Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong SAR. Japan, the Russian Federation, Latvia, England, the United States, Hungary, Italy, and Kazakhstan also performed very well.<br />At the <span style="font-weight:bold;">eighth grade</span> in science, Singapore and Chinese Taipei again had the highest average achievement, followed by Japan and Korea.<br />England, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hong Kong SAR, and the Russian Federation also performed well.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-80791074890060080312008-12-26T10:36:00.004+08:002008-12-26T10:43:05.913+08:00Weather and cyclingThis is from the article, <a href="http://cyclingtipsblog.com/?p=537">Christmas Riding Around The World</a>, in the blog Cycling tips, hints and tricks.<blockquote>In Singapore a good friend of mine tells me that it’s 30C and raining there so there’s no Christmas Eve group ride. Bunch of softies.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-9741711368515907312008-12-19T17:04:00.004+08:002008-12-19T17:11:41.880+08:00Money is coming, oh no!This is from the article, <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/reuters/2008/12/14/business/OUKBS-UK-BANKING-SECRECY-SINGAPORE.php">Singapore's star rises as Switzerland stumbles</a>, by Neil Chatterjee and John O'Donnell in the International Herald Tribune.<blockquote>Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said this month such scrutiny in the West could lead to more European money flowing into the country, a hot talking point in the industry.<br />[deleted]<br />But European cash comes with the risk that Singapore too could be targeted in the crackdown on tax havens. "I expect Singapore to come under pressure, too," Prime Minister Lee said.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-52371655440934934152008-12-19T16:41:00.004+08:002008-12-19T16:46:32.035+08:00Did we forget to name it?This is from the article, <a href="http://www.philly.com/inquirer/education/20081209_Singapore_math_makes_a_difference.html">Singapore math makes a difference</a>, by Kristen A. Graham in The Philadelphia Inquirer.<blockquote>Just a handful of schools were using Singapore math five years ago. Now, the number exceeds 1,000, experts say. FACTS, the only school in the region using it, routinely hears from others that are interested. A Delaware school will soon adopt it.<br />California and Oregon allow schools to use the texts, and some Utah legislators are pushing for all schools there to adopt the curriculum.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-67931780131854328762008-12-17T00:58:00.003+08:002008-12-17T01:04:22.533+08:00Four languages, but only Tamil may not be enoughThis is from the article, <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/15-25_yr-olds_most_active_users_of_AIDS_helpline/articleshow/3837119.cms">15-25 yr-olds most active users of AIDS helpline</a>, in The Times of India.<blockquote>The city-based helpline has been getting calls from not only rural Maharashtra, but also Bangalore, Delhi, Rajasthan, and even Dubai, Singapore and Africa!</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-42388788054857593252008-10-31T12:42:00.003+08:002008-10-31T12:47:17.880+08:00The exceptionFrom the article, <a href="http://blogs.cfr.org/setser/2008/10/29/at-this-rate-the-worlds-financial-architecture-will-have-been-remade-before-november-15th/">At this rate the world’s financial architecture will have been remade before November 15th</a>, by Brad Setser in Counciloil Foreign Relations.<blockquote>First, all the countries that got access to the Fed’s swap lines are US allies, and all except Singapore are democracies. Russia may be part of the G-8 but it is outside of this club.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-86961576943845368182008-10-08T13:03:00.002+08:002008-10-08T13:12:03.372+08:00Relatively speaking, it is still for the poverty-stricken.This is from the article, <a href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gUMlhl3p8zrSpkdpJpDveWJvSQEg">Singapore public housing: 'A nation of homeowners'</a>, in AFP.<blockquote>Public housing is often associated with poverty-stricken slums and other social ills but Singapore's high-rise apartment blocks built by the government are an exception.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-22274107982083796102008-10-08T12:50:00.001+08:002008-10-08T12:55:49.230+08:00Just by pragmatism and reason isn't so bad.This is from the article, <a href="http://www.bdafrica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10481&Itemid=5848">Lessons on governance from Singapore</a>, by James Shikwati in Business Daily.<blockquote>The biggest lesson from Singapore is that they do not simply copy and paste policies – the country is run on the basis of pragmatism and reason!</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-57120466362093076502008-09-20T18:01:00.002+08:002008-09-20T18:06:47.465+08:00Thumbs up to AbdealiThis is from the article, <a href="http://www.catholic.org.sg/cn/wordpress/?p=2585">Muslim invites Catholic nuns and friends from other religions to break Ramadan fast</a>, in the Catholic News (Singapore) by Daniel Tay.<blockquote>On Sep 8, instead of breaking fast with other Muslims, Abdeali invited friends from other religions to join him in iftar, the evening meal after fasting. The gathering that evening at the Muslim Kidney Action Association included at least four Canossian sisters, a Methodist bishop, several Buddhist monks, a Hindu swami, a Taoist priest, a Jain monk and two Brahma Kumaris.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-25933811489502092642008-09-18T09:49:00.004+08:002008-09-18T09:56:13.895+08:00In general, are corporates better run than nations?This is from the article, <a href="http://everything-everywhere.com/2008/09/17/final-thoughts-on-singapore">Final Thoughts on Singapore</a>, in Everything Everywhere blog by Gary Arndt after his second visit to Singapore.<blockquote>One of the things I came away with was how Singapore, while a country, is run almost like a corporation.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-30370416937992566952008-09-16T15:40:00.005+08:002008-09-16T15:49:22.923+08:00Lets be the model to implement these laws properly!This is from the article, <a href="http://www.mcgilldaily.com/article/4359-innocent-until-proven-positive">Innocent until proven positive</a>, by Nadja Popovich in McGill Daily about the challenges faced in implementing such laws.<blockquote>Laws criminalizing the transmission of HIV, in their various forms, have been implemented from Texas to Zimbabwe, Sweden to Singapore, transgressing cultural and economic boundaries.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4624885223737774463.post-56161273092272205052008-09-03T07:36:00.005+08:002008-09-03T07:44:53.688+08:00World-class city after successfully implemented its vision = best?This is from the article, <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Singapore_model_more_suited_to_city_/articleshow/3434543.cms">Singapore model more suited to city</a>, The Times of India about Mumbai's administrators now feel Singapore's model is more suited for its redevelopment as a world-class city.<blockquote>Before working on the plan, the experts studied the concept plan prepared a few decades ago for Singapore, which is considered the most successful city in the world for effectively implementing its vision document.</blockquote>Back2Naturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03854001777738610998noreply@blogger.com0