Singapore

Arrival in Singapore coincided with National Day… so the country was celebrating 58 years of independence with flyovers and fireworks in Marina Bay…..

(Again, please remember to click on the header of this blog post to see the videos….)

A tiny island country, it’s a little smaller than New York City, but holds about 5.7 million people. Its only natural asset is its strategic location along shipping lines between India and China…. That and the ingenuity and vigor of its people!

Singapore has been very busy with reclaiming land from the sea – expanding its land mass by almost 25% – while providing for rising levels due to global warming….. and finding new sustainable sources for water and food, most of which has typically been imported.

Conservation and recycling are an important part of everyday life…

Horticulturists and environmental specialists are looking at inventive ways to grow more food and expand growing areas. In a city of skyscrapers, green spaces abound…. Even 51 stories above the street.

They boast two of the largest greenhouses in the world…

And are also proud of their “super trees” that collect rain water, carbon dioxide and nutrients, then feed them back to plants that release oxygen….. (“Just like real trees,” says Henry!)

An amazing place on so many levels….. including its respect for the origins, faiths and practices of its people. They have four “official” languages and a broad distribution of ethnic populations and religions. In fact, multiculturalism is incorporated in the constitution and shapes national policy!

Although full of modern buildings and sweeping views, Singapore does not feel like a playground for the wealthy, but has beautiful public spaces that everyone can enjoy.

There is so much more to learn about the history of this country, how it attends to the needs and aspirations of its citizens and what it is doing to face the future! We hope to return, but this journey will continue on to Seoul, South Korea.