DONUTS, TENNIS SHOES AND CARS

The other day when I was out walking around at lunchtime I saw a donut shop. I decided this morning that I was going to go and get a donut for breakfast. Imagine my surprise when the donut shop was NOT open. It was 7:40, but I would think it would be open. Nope. It doesn't open until 11:00am...and there were signs for "Afternoon Tea"...they had a special for a donut and a cup of tea in the afternoon. I am finding that the things Americans think are for breakfast, Singaporeans think are for treats. Donuts and muffins are a few of those things. It's amazing to find similarities and differences in the cultures.

I also wear my tennis shoes into work everyday. Nothing unusual for me. As I was taking my shoes off this morning one of the traders said "Oh, that's so American". I laughed and she said "Singaporeans will wear their high heels every day, every where!". The part that is really amazing to me about that is that you walk so far...all the time. It's blocks and blocks and blocks from the train station to the office.

And speaking of the train station. I was talking to someone in the office today about how expensive it is to own a car in Singapore. She laughed. She said a Toyota Camry would be at least $90,000 SING (which is about $63,000 USD) and that's BEFORE you have to put a pollution converter on it for another $14,000 SING ($10,000 USD)! I now understand why the public transportation (train, bus and taxi) services are so amazing in Singapore. It did boggle my mind to walk home tonight and see many, many cars going along the road near my apartment....knowing the cost, I can't imagine spending my money that way.