Here is Gary examining a beautiful tree display at the airport. People living here have a saying about the weather, "We have four seasons in Singapore: Hot, hotter, dry and wet."
And though 80% are of at least partial Chinese ancestry, many people are also from Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Burma. They are friendly, polite and most speak English, as the national language, along with their home country tongue and often a regional or village dialect too.
Nearly 5-million people live on this island country, which is about 20 miles long and 10 miles wide (though they measure it in metric kilometers), with a wide, colorful variety of orchids everywhere. This garden and Koi pond greeted us at the airport.
We were awestruck at the amazing and varied architecture, ranging from 19th century British colonial styles to modern structures that are art in themselves. Even miles and miles of subsidized public housing is harmoniously decked in layers of monochromatic colors, with green parks and shopping centers as hubs.
And after 5-months of packing/prep. and three months of serving in Thailand, it was nice vacation period, since we were required to leave the country (every 90 days) to have our Visa stamped.
