While in Singapore I had a short time for sightseeing and shopping. I loved the markets there, very vibrant and much more 'alive' than the many shopping malls. I did enjoy visiting Sim Lim Square where every imaginable piece of technology was available. The prices seemed to get cheaper the higher we went in the building.
We were in Singapore during Chinese new year celebrations and were fortunate to see one the major parades down Orchard Road. This was truly a spectacular event. People were sitting 3 deep on the road and had paid for this privilege. Those of us who had not paid got to stand at the back but still got a great view, if a little hot and crowded. The crowd was very well behaved but considering the armed police doing crowd-control this was not surprising.We took a tour of the sites in a double decker bus which gave us a good view.
The tour guides spent a lot of time telling us about how Singaporeans believe in racial harmony. Got to see the famous Raffles hotel but decided 
against a Raffles gin-sling for $21.There were some real contrasts between the old and new parts of Singapore, the skyscrapers with the older buildings. Also between the markets and the huge shopping malls. Certainly an interesting place to visit.
Thanks for sharing your trip to Singapore! It is a place I have wanted to visit since the Minister of Education visied my Education Service Center in Texas to get ideas and ask a few questions.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes,
Miguel Guhlin
Around the Corner-MGuhlin.net
http://www.mguhlin.net
They certainly do things a little differently to the way things happen in New Zealand. The schools are all very large for a start (800 students is a small school for them) while many New Zealand schools are less than 200 pupils. My own school currently has 93 students, 4 full-time and 2 part-time teachers. Also, I was told their principals get appointed to a school rather than applying. The two principals I met certainly seemed dedicated to achieving high standards in their schools.
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