Strange country
Singapore – a strange state. Yes, and the state to call somehow the language does not turn. Singapore Island is so small that only one country was fitted on it – Singapore, and only one city was fitted in the country itself – Singapore. But it was easy to solve the issue with the capital – there were no other applicants for this honorary title.
But even as the city of Singapore is very small: less than an hour of driving – at least along, albeit across. Wherever you go, it is necessary to pretend to the ocean. And solid skyscrapers on the road. No landscape. All in FIG rises to build more European concerns. Almost half the island have occupied. Left a piece of jungle, and he came down the fence. In the botanical garden turned. For preservation. All fruit-vegetables for this reason in the country brown, delivered from neighboring Malaysia. Out of her composition Singapore came out, but the old links left with him – do not die with hunger. And instead of the druked jungle on its tiny territory, Singapurty managed to smash 340 parks. And on the achieved stop are not going to. Even before the onset of the two thousandth year, they plan to bring their number to 350.
Strange place. Not only the fruit does not grow, but even no minerals. And flourishes. Just at the expense of these western concerns. Something is collected there and back to the West drive. Big money on it do. So there is no humus without good: you will not find any homeless in Singapore.
On such space – as many as five speed trails. True, in order not to be fascinated by the speed, there are supervision-flaps – Teleobot. But many cars do not accommodate the city – there is no enough space. Therefore, for anyone in the fall on the car did not go, prices for cars made simply astronomical. And anyway, there was no choice. So the authorities of the city are some tricks: you want to get a car – participate in the monthly lottery. Win a certificate – pay for it (the right to purchase some models is estimated at 20.000 US dollars), and then buy a car.
Other oddity – national. Well, the country can be multinational, we are not in the wonder. Armenians themselves. But in order to keep national quotas when settling a new house – even we didn’t think so. Quotas The Government has developed according to the percentage of one or another people inhabiting the island (78% of the Chinese, 14% of Malaitians, 7% of Indians, 1% of others). And not only that in freshly, only a renown house will not be neglected if the fifth of the graph you don’t have it, so also do not change where you want. Because if you want a Hindu from the apartment, then the Hindu and should register in his place. And if you are a Chinese and in the Chinese they have a norm, then do not see you like a high-rise building, like your own ears.
As for national conflicts, they are not at all because Singapores are crazy about each other. Every self-respecting Chinese will tell you that the Hindu is he, if a person, is not at all like him, Chinese. About the same thing about the Chinese will also tell Hindu. And both will not be promised to add that Malats, that is not at all. So the lack of conflicts on national soil can be explained by anything that there is no free space for conducting hostilities in the country. And, of course, the wise policy of the government, excluding the emergence of areas "Compact settlement" People of one nationality. How to put a bomb under the Hindu, when the Chinese live in the same house?
So now the names of the districts "Small India", "Chain Town", "Arab street" – Rather, the convention that characterizes not so much the concentration of the peoples of the same name, how much external decor of buildings. By how decorated one or another area in the days of celebrations, you can determine who, in fact, is obliged to Singapore the appearance of the holiday. Chinese New Year is noted, naturally, thanks to the Chinese. Hari Raa Poas – Thanks to Muslims, among which most Malayans, Good Friday and Christmas – thanks to Christians, mainly, comes from Europe, weak – thanks to Buddhists (mostly these are Chinese), Dipali – Thanks to the Hindu. Religious holidays are also the days of the unity of Singaporets, because they do not work during these holidays, regardless of religion.
Accordingly, official languages in this tiny country are whole four: Malay, Chinese, Tamil and English.
There is not a single our among the permanent residents of Singapore, but a whole network "our" shops. And sellers even our words know. "Hey", "Natasha", "Sasha", "Come back", "very cheap". And like our ships here are no longer as often as before, come, and stores are not reduced. Even new appeared. There is simply "Riga", is there "New Riga". There are post-Soviet realities. And, just like with us, you can pay not only local currency, but also American. True, this is the only one liberal in the question of currency regulation Place in Singapore. Instead of seafarers, Esengashic tourists and travel travelers are now here. But traditions do not change. Regular customers are still called by name, serious buyers treat beer. And everyone is allowed to smoke.
By the way, about smoking. "ours" Shops are one of the few places where you can smoke, not straining. Because in Singapore smoking you can not everywhere. There are places where insidious forbidden signs hang. I did not notice, lit, pay a fine, giving up to 1.000 Singapore dollars (a little more than 700 American). Threw the cigarette or paper on the pavement – pay again. True, twice the smaller. But purely. No, of course, in some places, the cigarets are still lying – the police are not omnipresent.
The climate is very strange. All the time rain go. And also a strange manner. Five minutes go on the car in the rain, five minutes die under the sun, the next five minutes go back in the rainy zone. Over one block of clouds, from which water flows will overthrow, over the other – a cloudless sky. And so, they say, they have a lifetime.
Very strange to the invaders include. A bunch of places in the city is named after the English colonizer Stamford Raffles. And no complaints about Singapurty have no complaints. Not only the streets are not renamed, but as a new object otgochali, immediately strive to call it.
Another oddity. It would seem why in Singapore planes? Nowhere to fly here. But there is no – Singapore Airlines rank fifth in the world in terms of passenger traffic. International, naturally – not fly from the park to the park. Airport – the best in the world. And airplanes them – completely new models. Boeing did not have time from the conveyor to get away, as Singapurts, he immediately takes. Frequently five years old – and bargain to the country of the victory, and again they buy a new again. And the service in their airline – beyond reality. Knowing people say that a special stewardess sits next to the aircraft sorter. As soon as the passenger has left the institution, the stewardess immediately in it suits the general cleaning.
Here is some Luxembourg or Liechtenstein gave a hurt nickname "Dwarf State". And call so Singapore does not occur to anyone. For some reason, he doesn’t seem like a dwarf. Still would. Money in the treasury is full – country’s foreign exchange reserves per capita – the largest in the world. It would seem enough. So there is no way. China Hong Kong gathered to me to join himself, and immediately the capital of the markets of Chinese, who do not want to participate in any socialist socialism, flowed into Singapore.
But the well-being of His Singapurty is protected from Inomes. To make a foreigner to obtain the citizenship of Singapore, you need to be glorified by such unimaginable cases for the benefit of this country, which are not available to the earthly incarnation of God Krishna. So, at least "spread our planet" reached unprecedented dimensions, it is a warm place to us as a permanent residence, alas, does not shine.
