*Yawn*

Another long one today. It was pissing it down this morning - and I mean really hurling the rain out of the sky. The rain was bouncing up off the roads and pavements. We went from sunny and humid to flooded and humid in a matter of minutes and then by the middle of the afternoon, normal service was resumed. 30°C and 99% humidity. As yes. Lovely Singapore.
We found and fixed a ton of problems with the system today but the true test of certification starts tomorrow.

We were discussing at dinner tonight how polite everyone is here. They will literally fall over themselves to serve you, which is nice of course, but it really shows up how terrible people's manners are in other parts of the world. Staying in Singapore for a week makes you want to be nice to everyone again until the grinding reality of living in the west drags you down again. I'm not sure I could live here - it's a 24-7 environment with bazillions of Pacific rim nationalities, all heated up to a nice simmer in the Singapore climate. People are happy but I heard one person describe this place the best - it's a benevolent dictatorship. Everyone will be fine and happy as long as they stand in line and do what the government tells them to. People will be guaranteed housing, running water, power, efficient transport, excellent education and a clean island, just so long as they understand their place in this society.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Frankly, having seen how well this place works, and how apparently happy everyone is, it can't be a bad thing....

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