I’m home and it’s DRY outside.

Thought I should add a few notes here since I haven’t in quite some time. I am sure all the Kazology fans are hungering for some more fantastic, enlightening words of wisdom leading to health and wealth. Sorry to disappoint. 

But those things will not be found here. 

Let us see, I went to Singapore for work this month. See pictures posted on opening page of Kazology. It is a long trip… about 30 hours start to finish. Not all flying time, but enough of it to produce a very tired seat. Trivia: you don’t have to reset your watch, it is exactly a 12 hour difference in time zones. So the only thing is that the date window (if your watch displays the current date) switches at noon instead of midnight, the noon before the day (they are ahead in time.) 

I was very surprised and in a positive way that upon my return I did not really have serious jet lag. Sometimes I have really felt beat up on returning, but not on this trip. I was in Singapore for a day going and a day coming back, the rest of the time I was on the island of Batam. Batam is across the bay, about a 45 minute ride by “High Speed Ferry”…. I was wondering if it was going to be one of those you hear about once a year or so… 600 people on a ferry designed for 200, capsizing and all that nonsense. Click on the image to see full size.
It was not.
It was quite nice I think I saw a sign that it held about 200, and both ways it was probably only about 60-75% full. I actually got quite a few of my photos from it. I sat on the upper “smokers” deck which was open air so I could walk around and not have to try and get photos through the somewhat smudged windows. It was the longest time I was outside in the “natural” air the entire time. The rest of the week was going from one air conditions hotel room, to the car/taxi/bus, to the office, and reverse. With a temperature in the upper 80’s and humidity over 90% the air conditioning is very much appreciated.

The trip went well, I did what I needed to do, the people were very nice, and took good care of me. I was told Batam is about 20 years behind Singapore in terms of development. It was impossible not to see the difference. Singapore is a beautiful city, modern buildings and not a pot hole was ever felt riding in the car. Because of the limited space they tear things down after 20 years or so, and put up new, taller, more efficient buildings. Batam on the other hand reminds me of some of the places I have been in Mexico. Not a lot of industry (yet) to support people, only a small amount of tourism, and so the people are happy to work cheaply there, which is why manufacturing sites are building on the island.

Even in town the prices are reasonable for some things. 

Well, enough drivel for now. Enjoy the pictures. Until global warming floods the islands, 

George

Posted in General News.

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