cars and stuff

So today  I learnt  that six million people live here on an island that has a coast line of 120 miles , they drive on the left and cars are expensive and whats more only 20 % of the population have them . To have car you have to bid for a licence which might cost you between £30,000-£50,000 on top of the cost of a car and there are only 2400 issued a year and it last ten years and then you have to buy another one . Income tax is low 18% but goods and services taxes ( our VAT)  are very high and seems to be on everything . Almost everything has to be imported here hence all the ships in the bay , the sailors reckon they can see about a 100 . The stockbroker parent I met today told me that the economic situation here is being influenced by the problems with the Euro and they are watching what is happening in Greece and Spain closely. The market is being very cautious and his commision is not good but his wife is running small internet business supplying cloth nappies which is helping.

The local English paper "The Straights" has lots of opinion on the Eurocup so even we are not escaping the football.  It is always interesting to see how we are percived from afar.

The parents of the Singaporean sailors are like us very concerned about sailing distracting from school work, but are keen on the sailing as it is an outdoors sport. Everyone speaks English here and Chinese or Malay as well depending on their background . You have to study two languages at school along with maths and science to get into secondary school. Singapore only qualified in the Laser class this year and no other disclipines for the olympics . Youth sailing in 420 and 29er is not strong at all. Thier laser national are running alongside  the Optimist fleet but the fleet is v small.

The overall population is noticeably slimmer than in the UK and the food is very good and of great variety . It is very clean here and any rubbish is being picked up all the time . All the parks and planting along the highways is immaculate . It makes a good contrast to all the high rise blocks and traffic.

The sailors enjoyed the Raffles Hotel Long Bar with the peanut shells chucked all over the floor. It is much changed from its delapidated state when I last went in 1981 when I was  about Tim's age and it was a place nobody went and was due for demolition. I  went because my father had done so when posted here during national servcie  and he told me I should. Now it is a destination in its own right but we were smart enough to be allowed in !

Ps the boy is doing good