I am fortunate in having some contacts over here in Asia that are only too happy to take care of me. In Singapore, accomodation is in the S$20-30 range, high above that in the rest of SE Asia. Thus I am only too happy to accept a free bed - even if it is in an old fish warehouse!

In Manila I also conducted 'business' to the extent of visiting some of my Vancouver company's suppliers. Here in Singapore I am doing the same. For most of this morning i visited Arowana farms, tropical fish farms, plant nurseries and dry goods suppliers, putting faces to names. I am only too happy to do this as a courtesy, even if it ultimately helps pay for airline tickets.
On my route through the agricultural land of northern S'pore i also visited an American Bullfrog farm, where beautiful, fat frogs awaited the Chinese supermarkets. Past a milkfish farm, past an orchid farm, past a mandarin orange farm... S'pore's got it all, i tell you. Very interesting to see this in such a small country, where operating costs are significantly higher than neighbouring Malaysia. People, including myself, picture Singapore as strictly a city-state, but it in fact has a significant amount of farm land and forest. For it's size, anyhow.

After I obediently collected a few business cards I was off with my S'porian associate to see Johor Bahru. Located at the northern end of a causeway, past a set of futuristic-looking immigration buildings, JB has a bit of a tarnished look. By Malaysian standards the city shines, and it is full of new and highly developed buildings; banks, hotels, and shopping malls. Compared to S'pore it is rather dull. For that matter, any city, compared to S'pore, might look rather dull.

We ate a delicious lunch at a place supposedly famed for its boneless Peking duck, then proceeded on a brief tour of the city. Not a bad little place. Definitely a European feel to it, with the narrow winding lanes.

Before long we were back in the Republic of S'pore and I had a few more stamps in my passport.

By the way, here is a photo I wanted to post before. It's not the worst example, but the best I could find to photograph at the last minute. Electricians of the world, welcome to hell. (located not far from Makati)...