I am seduced by Singapore. Someone said the island state as a "Disneyland with the death penalty," which is true more and more. Colonial style houses with these streets sparkling remember exactly the aisles of a major amusement park. In addition there are many places where very nice stroll, and Chinatown or Little India give very strong colors in the park.
In Singapore, or the sun is high or it rains. In both cases it is protected from the sky through streets covered by the reinforcement of buildings or through multiple gateways. So I have not yet had to cover myself with sunscreen. The police very present, it controls the outputs of nightclubs like highways. It seems that some are civilians. The feeling of security is very present and very pleasant. It is even more than Tokyo. Singapore has managed to maintain social peace, despite its cultural diversity. As for the various people who inhabit this island, the Chinese majority, hold the power of the City: The socio-professional categories most important to them. The Malays and Indians are generally worse off. Community spirit is very strong, and there is little (no?) Mixing between different communities. And equality of opportunity, a concept may be purely French, because of the cost of education or the importance of networks, is still not achieved.
Amid all this population is ossified and lost a few Westerners. Probably Australia or New Zealand Tourism, businessmen crossing. Surely few residents. They inhabit the downtown hyper developed and more expensive than the periphery, in and out all spots, bars and worthy of Monaco. Places where wealth stinks more than it attracts with its excesses of debauchery and pride.
Past downtown, these are residential areas which are spaced by greenery. It feels no population pressure. Apart from the start and end of work, no heavy traffic. Architects of the city have made a perfect Sim City! In the periphery, the cost of living is ridiculous. Small shops replace shopping malls. If they look messy for a first approach, the lack of storage and lack of price, you really can find anything at record prices. For even as a stranger to all this environment, traders are helpful and honest. I expected to exist, as in China, a price for tourists and a price for the Chinese. It is not. We know that we must negotiate the electronics in Chinatown, but competition there is such a skillful negotiator West has the same chance that a native.