on the Go with Bo!

ASAE in Dubai - Day 4

WOW, it's amazing what a good night's sleep does to the group.  Everyone is fresh, energetic and bubbly again ... except Peter ... he's like that every day :-)

 

It's our last day in Dubai ... and after last night's Arabian extravaganza ... well, I think we have a great 360 feel for this city.

 

We went to a meeting this morning, of which I cannot mention the name for they wanted the meeting to be off the record ... however, I did write a few pointers down that I think are fairly innocuous.

 

I also finally got the full title of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.  He's the VP and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai.  So there you have it.

 

Here are some interesting anecdotes that I picked up this morning:

 

> the Emiratis in Dubai have an excellent social security system that follows the 'cradle to grave' concept.  Education, healthcare, housing, etc is fully provided for the nationals.

> there are 3 types of people in Dubai:  locals, entrepreneurs and tourists.  The nationals are provided for by the government, the entrepreneurs as a whole are interested in doing business and thus earning a good living, and the tourists ... well, they're tourists.  Thus the population for a whole is taken care of, which makes the city very safe and with very low crime.

> the speed of development in Dubai can be characterized by 'from a camel to a Mercedes in one generation'

> Dubai has not evaded the global economic downturn, in fact, this is the first full economic cycle that Dubai has gone through.  It's a brand new experience for them, where they are now learning how to manage a country in a downturn.

> the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is composed of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, UAE, Oman, Saudi Arabia

> what happens in Dubai is mimicked in the region ... they're the trend setters in the region

> not to be forgotten, this region is also slowly becoming a base to enter Africa

> Egypt has the largest population in the Middle East - 81 million people!

 

Lunch at the World Trade Centre:  another exquisite meal.  I don't even know what else to write about the food here.  It's superb and the service excellent!

 

And finally came the moment for ... shopping!  Yes, the ladies and some gents were worked up into a frenzy to go see the souks and buy some gold, pearls, handicrafts, fabrics ... you name it.  I, on the other hand, went to the hotel ... to finish this blog.  Not entirely true :-)

Dhow dinner cruise

For the last evening in Dubai we went on a wonderfully relaxing dhow river boat cruise down the creek.  Boarding the old traditional wooden boats close to the Sheraton Hotel on the creek, we were once again greeted with true Arabian hospitality ... dates with goat cheese inside.  Drinks in hand, we sat on cushions and carpets on the rooftop deck of the dhow, as we sailed past the oldest parts of Dubai.  This is where the pearl-diving city was established many decades ago.  The evening was surprisingly comfortable temperature wise ... and on the deck below us, awaited another incredible buffet.

It was a great way to end a very hectic trip to this city ... that literally has no parallels!  It leaves you speechless and in awe.  What will they come up with next?

   

ASAE in Dubai - Day 3

Praise has to be given where it's deserved.  Ajay, Richard, Alex and Justin from the MCI office in Dubai, have put together a brilliant program.  Well done guys :-)

 

  

 

You can see people were tired this morning, having had not much sleep, since on our drive to JAFZA free zone, we were all pretty much quiet.  Our group has never been quiet!!!

 

This morning the groups split into two tracks ... a healthcare track and a non-healthcare track.  Since I cannot split myself into two, I will be following the latter one.

JAFZA - Jebel Ali Free Zone

 

Dubai is regarded as the first mover in the region.  However, the true growth will really happen when the three powers in the region (Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran) will stabilize and capitalize on their resources, capital and human resources.  That is when the true boom will happen in the GCC region.  As they said, Dubai is just the appetizer.

 

Yesterday we flew over the site and today we get to visit the large grounds and get a better understanding of how JAFZA works.

 

> JAFZA was established in 1977 with a vision to build the biggest port in the world

> JAFZA also has an international branch

> 6,000 companies registered from 120 companies (more than 125 listed on Fortune 500)

> regional representation of companies in JAFZA:  Middle East, Europe, Asia ... Americas (North and South) still have a low representation here

> currently focusing on companies from the food, chemicals and logistic sector

> incentives to locate yourself in the free-zone:  100% foreign ownership (in Dubai city you need to partner with a local company), exemption from corporate and income taxes for 50 years, duty free import of goods, no foreign currency or labour restrictions, full repatriation of profits and capitals

> 180,000 employees in 2008

> upon completion, JAFZA will be the largest custom bounded multi-logistical model in the world

> the plan is that by 2015 the new Airport city with 6 runways, the port and the Jebel Ali Free Zone will be right next to each other, to facilitate the transhipment of products to global markets

Meeting with Society of Engineers - UAE

 

> one of the most active non-profit organizations in UAE

> Society of Engineers established in 1979

> mission to build an architectural, industrial and commercial renaissance

> 25,000 members

> specialization:  64% civil, 21% architect, 5% electrical

> most of consultancy offices are in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah

> young society, but has the right knowledge and the resources

> some accomplishments:  Dubai has the largest underground train station in the world, which is part of a 75 km long driver-less metro train system that they are building in one go ... in 5 years ... never been done before!

> 33% of all cranes in the world are in Dubai

> on a funny note, to the question why to become a member ... it was said that 'if you become a member we will give you at least a snack and a great drink!'

And as if we hadn't eaten enough of pastries and sandwiches during the morning sessions, it was again time for food ... lunch.  This time at the Grand Hyatt.  

 

  

Dubai Media City

 

As we've learned till now, Dubai is all about clusters and communities.  And for a change, the Media City that we visited actually seems all complete.  No more cranes, the grounds are manicured, there's cars in the parking lots ... it looks complete and functional and living.

 

> Dubai Strategic Plan 2015:  economic development, social development, infrastructure, land and environment, security, justice and safety and government excellence

> Making Dubai a location of choice for knowledge based industries

> Tecom Investments:  investing, creating and realizing the future of Dubai

> Tecom invests in industry parks such as Media City (in total it has 9 cluster developments)

> Dubai Internet city:  1200 companies from all over the world

> Dubai Media city:  1400 companies and 170 TV channels

> Dubai Knowledge Village:  over 450 HR providers and training centres

> International Media Production Zone

> Dubai Outsource Zone

> Dubai Studio City

> Dubiotech

> Dubai International Academic City:  over 20 universities

> Enpark (energy and environment):  is a model sustainable community

> Media City is considered a free-zone (same as JAFZA)

> associations can be present in the free-zone under the sector that they fall under (e.g. publishing in Media City, HR associations in Knowledge Village, etc.)

 

After a while, the continuous usage of words such as the largest, the biggest, the tallest, the most modern ... simply becomes overwhelming ... and you become stunned.  I'm stunned right now after listening to the Dubai Media City and Tecom Investments presentation!  It's just ... well ... amazing!

1001 Arabian nights in the desert

 

I think we've all learnt to look forward to the evening programs of our trip ... and for Dubai, this was the night.  I can't imagine it getting any better.  Tonight ... was an absolute blow-out.

 

We were picked up at the Fairmont Hotel by 5 Toyota 4X4 Landcruisers ... with massive MCI logos on the spare tire cover at the back of the vehicle.  Great branding guys!!

 

And then they whisked us off ... into the desert.  As the outline of the city starts to disappear after about 40 minutes of driving ... you realize that Dubai has been built in the middle of a vast desert.  There is nothing around!  We're driving down the highway into the sandy horizon, when suddenly we veer off the road and head into the desert.  We're going up and down sand-dunes, holding on to dear life ... especially concerned since our driver told us this was his first day on the job ... I hope he was joking!!!  It was exhilarating, pumping us with a massive adrenalin rush.  For all the complaining beforehand that we were tired and exhausted ... suddenly, we all forgot what exhaustion was.  Especially, when suddenly we reach the top of a sand dune, swing to the left, sand flying high into the air ... and right in front of us is a Bedouin tent with a full bar, carpets laid out with cushions and champagne awaiting us while the sun is setting.  How much perfect can it get (read on ... it does)

 

At this little watering hole, there was a South African guy with a falcon, who told us all about the astonishingly beautiful birds and how they're used for sporting in the desert.  It all sounded a bit to complicated to be a sport ... so instead I refilled my glass with champagne and had a sip.

 

 

When the sun went down and kissed us all goodnight, we got back into the 4X4's and headed off to a much bigger tented area, where we had dinner.  Well, when we arrived there, it was like walking into a 1001 night extravaganza, all just for us, right underneath the big desert sky.  I promised not to write much about this, even about the seductively passionate belly-dancer that dropped by on a camel and was let loose in front of us!!  All I will say is that it was divine.  Candle-lit tables set-up on Persian carpets, an incredible buffet, fire-sticks illuminating the area, sitting areas with water-pipes ... and I could go on and on.  You just had to be there.

 

We now understand what true Arabian hospitality feels like.  It touches you.

 

   

 

   

 

   

ASAE in Dubai - Day 2

There are not many things I hate more than having to put on a suit for the whole day.  Living in Singapore, I dread having to walk around in my monkey suit with the humidity of the tropics.  You've got sweat running down your back in no time.  Imagine my surprise, when I walked out in my suit in Dubai, in 37 degree heat ... yet dry!  I was actually comfortable!  It was a bit of a surprise to realize the difference humidity can make.

Now, to more important things ...

So, the only way to understand the scale and magnitude of this city is to see it from the air!  And that's exactly what we did ... at the end of the day.  Before that though we had meetings with ...

Dubai Convention Bureau

> Dubai is a land very rich in Arabic culture/tradition with modern luxury

> used to be a fishing and a pearl-diving village

> it's the gateway city to the Middle East

> where east meets west

> population is 1.4 million where 85% are expats - the locals are called Emiratis

> 7 Emirates in UAE (which was founded in 1971) where Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the most famous

> Dubai is the centre of commerce while Abu Dhabi is the centre of government

> Dubai has 5% and Abu Dhabi 87% of the land in UAE

> they realize that since the Emirati core is very small, the national identity needs to be maintained

> new metro line opening 09.09.09

> today there is more variation in hotel price points (Dubai has a reputation of being an expensive destination with high hotel prices)

> there are currently 353 hotels with the vast majority being 5-star hotels

> entertainment (restaurants, nightclubs, bars) happens mainly in hotels due to alcohol regulations 

> Dubai is ruled by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum

> from the local perspective, a lot of trust and faith is placed in the ruling family to do the right thing

> Sheikh Mohammed has new website signalling openness of the leadership (www.sheikhmohammed.co.ae)

> Dubai is receiving a lot of negative press from UK right now

> it's a very safe city - police very active and present

> even the bus stops are air-conditioned

> there is a large movement to introduce renewable energy

> water comes from desalinization plants

Embrace Arabia - meeting with Ali Alsaloom

Ali is a very dynamic and energetic Arab who in a humourous and disarming way introduced us to the in's and out's of Arabic culture.  You can also check out his other website ... www.ask-ali.com

> there are 22 Arab countries

> Arab countries are religiously and ethnically diverse with Islam being the dominant religion in most countries

> key influences of the Gulf Culture:  religion, tribal past, modernization

> the clothing doesn't distinguish between the rich and poor

> loyalty, hospitality and family are cornerstones of Arabic culture

> locals hate to loose face

> Arabs are in general very educated and know more about the rest of the world than the rest knows about them

> not a confrontational culture ... especially about negative news/habits, rejections

> they never disagree right away

> love the philosophy of consulting

> like in China and Singapore, it's all about building relationships

> successful events always happen with a blessing of someone powerful

Dubai Chamber

Before lunch at the Sheraton Hotel nearby, we met with the Dubai Chamber:

> membership of all businesses on the mainland (outside free-zones) is mandatory

> their mission is to represent support and protect the Dubai business community

> Dubai has a legal infrastructure that is internationally recognized and enforceable

> they like to capture international expertise and have them established in Dubai (e.g. healthcare, education, ...)

> the goal is to attract the best people from around the world - that's the only way to build a knowledge economy, given that the local Emirati population is so small

> there are 20+ free zones

> they have a 100,000 member database of Dubai-based businesses segmented by categories

> the city is organized into cluster systems of business

> it is not uncommon for the locals to have a job and a business on the side ... they are very entrepreneurial

> today, 95% of income comes from non-oil

> the Chamber has credit-rating and credit-collection services

> it's a very competitive environment

> contrary to popular belief, Dubai has female ministers, leaders in companies and entrepreneurs

> Dubai has a history of being neutral in the region, even prior to UAE

> 'business is business' policy

> restrictions in the environments of the neighbours in the region have benefited Dubai tremendously (e.g. Iranian companies setup offices in Dubai and then export globally in order to get around their trade restrictions)

> Dubai is good at crisis management

> His Highness reports annually all the public companies that have performed the best ... and also the worst

> the Dubai leadership is very approachable

Seawings sea-plane tour over Dubai

The only true way to understand the incredible transformation of Dubai is to fly over this desert city.  As the pilot said prior to taking off, '80% of what you're going to see now was not here 8 years ago!'

The sea-plane takes off from Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa which is south of the city, on the way to Abu Dhabi.  It's actually right by the entrance to the second palm being build, the Jebel Ali.

   

As you take off, you can see the Palm appearing in front of you.  The second Palm has just recently finished reclaiming land to form the general structure, but has no buildings on it as of yet.  The original Palm Jumeirah, however, is about 70% inhabited.  What is surprising to see is how close all the houses are to each other.  The word is that all the original plots of land that were sold have been subdivided into 3 ... thus there are 3x more buildings on the Palm than initially envisioned.  At the top of the Palm, the magnanimous Atlantis Hotel.  Scale here is everything.

   

As you fly further out, you go over The World.  Now ... the cluster of islands are supposed to form all the various continents, with each island representing a given country.  However, when you look down, you can vaguely see the outline of the continents ... yet the islands seem to be randomly strewn around the sea below.  They are all uninhabited other than one where the Sheikh has one of his many homes.  As for the rest ... the first question that comes to mind is ... how are they going to get water and electricity to these islands?

Although some projects in Dubai may not make sense to me ... there are two buildings that are absolutely stunning.  The Burj Al Arab ... and the highest building in the world (for now), the Burj Dubai.  These are masterpieces and marvels of modern technology and design.  The Burj Dubai sticks out like a lightining rod, reaching high into the sky, towering 600m, 700m or 800m above ground ... no one really knows yet what the final height will be.  We were flying at an altitude of 1000 feet with a great vista, yet that was not even half the height of the building.  Stunning!

And the Burj Al Arab, of course, is the building that put Dubai on the map.  It's a sail that floats off in the waters of the Arabian Gulf ... silent, stylish and classy.  A hotel of superlatives!

And then, let's not forget the original Dubai Creek, and the Jebel Ali Harbour, and the desalination plants, and Jumeriah Heights, and Dubai Marina and the towers lined up Sheik Zayed Road, palaces, residential complexes, and, and, and, ...

I will let the pictures do the talking :-)

   

And to end ... we had a wonderful dinner at Sumaira's house, the Managing Director of MCI Middle East.  The Arabic hospitality was on full display ... and the Pakistani food she served was superb.  Thank you Sumaira :-)

   

 

ASAE in Dubai - Day 1

Entering the Gulf of Oman and flying over Omman into Dubai, looking out the plane window, the contrast couldn't be starker.  We've gone from green and lush Singapore to expansive barren landscapes, full of undulating sand dunes.  It's desert all around us.  And the beauty lies in its infiniteness.

 

Everyone was happy that today was a day of rest.  They say the itinerary is too jam packed.  But it's work, work, work.  We're not here for a shopping extravaganza ... right?

 

We just arrived at the Fairmont Hotel, at the beginning of Sheikh Zayed Road (the main thoroughfare of Dubai).  As we entered they greeted us with a delicious serving of dates, a delicacy in the region.  And spiced coffee.  A sign of true Arabian hospitality!

 

The reception in the evening was held at the hotel bar, where we got to meet all the new and old members of the study mission.  Some people just came to the Singapore leg, some are doing only the Dubai/Abu Dhabi trip ... and a few of us are doing it all!

 

Here we go ...

On our way to Dubai and Abu Dhabi ...

Last day in Singapore for the group!

What a day!  What a week!  Everyone's exhausted!

Between the content packed 4 days (I keep telling Anne that no one can accuse the group of coming to Singapore for a vacation now!!) and the effects of jet-lag ... the group is pretty much worn out by now.

The great news ... tomorrow is travel day ... which means lots of hours in the air, flying to Dubai with time for rest :-)

The last day in the Lion City started with a walk through the beautifully manicured Botanic Gardens, one of the highlights of this city.  Nothing like starting a day with a walk through the park, before the heat and humidity take their toll.

From there we took the metro from Orchard Road station to Toa Payoh, where we checked out the HDB complex of subsidized government housing (read following post).

Lunch was at Suntec Convention Centre where the group had individual meetings with various Singapore based associations.  And although I didn't go there ... I heard the lunch was spectacular and informative.  The centre of the table being a wonderful flower showpiece ... made out of vegetables!

And with that, the study trip to Singapore is slowly coming to an end.  The only thing missing ... the last supper!  Guess where we went?  The Zoo!!  The multi-awarded Night Safari.  I think the highlight was when the gigantic elephant took a liking to our lovely Anne and sprayed her with water from his trunk ... although she was lucky that he just missed, and the water just barely missed her.  Otherwise she would have been soaked!

Oh ... and how could I forget?  The zoo visit started with a 30 min show, where about a 1,000 people got to watch various animals perform tricks.  At one point, they drag this massive python onto stage.  Of course, they're looking for a volunteer from the crowd to hold her ... Maggie!  The lights are searching the crowd and finally they stop ... and single me out!  YIKES!!!  Got pulled onto stage and had Maggie wrapped around my neck and waist, with her tail going in between my legs!

Needless to say ... I was nervous.  Maggie was very long, very thick, very heavy, very smooth, somewhat cold ... and I could feel it ... VERY POWERFUL!!!

Best of all, someone took a great picture of this ... now I have to get my hands on that photo for posterity ... so that I will remember why they called me 'macho man' when I got dragged onto stage.

Thank you Chester!  Thank you Li Ling!  Thank you MCI!  Thank you group!

HDB - Housing Development Board - affordable housing for all Singaporeans

One of the great achievements of Singapore has been to provide affordable housing for all of its citizens.  Today, 87% of Singaporeans live in this subsidized housing system called HDB ... and when you consider that 45 years ago, the majority of Singaporeans were living in kampongs (Malay for villages) you will recognize the magnitude of this achievement.

Lee Kuan Yew said in 1965 that every Singaporean should own his/her home and thus build a stake in their country.  Ownership builds pride.  And that's exactly what he did.

Today we went to visit the Toa Payoh HDB complex, which has an information centre on the whole HDB system, plus, you can view mock-ups of typical 2-, 3-, 4- and 5- bedroom units.

Interesting facts re the HDBs:

> the housing estates maintain the same racial representation as in the general population.  Thus the racial quotas are 77% Chinese, 14% Malay, 8% Indian and 2% for the rest.  If there are 100 units available and 77 house Chinese families, and an additional Chinese family would like to buy a unit, they cannot.  They need to go to another complex.  This is how racial harmony is maintained.

> the HDBs are built as hubs.  They all have their shopping areas, schools, sports facilities, transportation hubs and more, usually within a radius of 2 km

> in order to be eligible for an HDB, you have to be married.  Families are given priority.  It is traditional in many Asian countries that kids live with their parents until the get married.

> you can get extensive subsidies if you buy an HDB close to your family, in order to stimulate families to live together so that they can take care of each other

> each HDB apartment has a bomb shelter within the unit.  Most people use it as a storage room!

This may not be the first 'tourist' attraction one runs to when in Singapore, however, it's nevertheless fascinating for it gives you an idea of the level of planning and execution that it took to get Singapore to the status of first-world-nation.  To have come up with this master-plan in the 60's is a stroke of formidable genius ... and a bit spooky to!

Oh ... on the way back ... our guide was telling us more about the Singaporean girls and the qualities that they look for in an eligible bachelor.  It basically ... and simply ... comes down to the 5 C's:  career, cash, credit card, condo, car ... and it's a bonus if you can get a club membership with golf course :-)

 

ASAE in Singapore - Day 3

Why don't we start with the end of the day?

The whole group came over for dinner to our house tonight ... and it made for such a relaxed evening with some amazing food.  Don't worry ... we didn't cook ... otherwise it wouldn't have been amazing!!!

And for the first time I saw everyone in casual wear ... there were even some T-shirts and shorts :-)

Before dinner started, we had invited a traditional Chinese face-changer to do a performance.  I know there is a Chinese name for this, but I just can't remember it now.  It is a traditional dance from the Chinese opera, where the dancer keeps changing face-masks, until at the very end he reveals himself.  To me it represents the many faces of multi-cultural Singapore.

So now, let's start with the day.  I also have to announce that Anne and myself got our nicknames this morning ... Twitter Anne and Blogger Bo.  You know what I do ... you can only guess what she does.

Singapore Workforce Development Agency

'We help you stay employable in today's ever-changing world'

WDA was setup in 2003 ... which is when you realize that given that Singapore is a very young country, a lot of these governmental agencies are not very old.  Yet very accomplished.  And all with master plans.

It has 4 key outcomes:

1) build a pipeline of workers (there are several new jobs/skill sets in SG for which there is no precedence, e.g. ride technicians for the new Universal Theme Park to open in 2010, as well as dealers and croupiers for the new integrated resorts ... aka casinos)

2) bridge structural skills gaps (transfer employees from the dyeing textile industry to the booming biomed industry ... where once they sewed fabrics, employees can now sew heart-valves)

3) raise industry standards

4) enhance worker employability (employees over 40 years old are considered mature)

> Continuing Education and Training Masterplan - is a source of competitive advantage since the country is resource scarce

> WDA is not a training provider - they provide training through accredited training providers

> introduction of absentee payroll concept:  when a private company sends staff for training, WDA will pay the wage of the employee for the given training period, so that s/he is not a cost/burden to the company.  Makes for a win-win situation.

> approx 500,000 employees have missed out on mainstream education, thus WDA tries to bring them back into the system

Contact Singapore

... is an alliance of the Singapore Economic Development Board and Ministry of Manpower, to create a one-stop centre that aims to attract global talent  into Singapore.

... is a job portal site

The first thing that impressed me is their tag-line

'The dot is hot'

It was once said that 'Singapore is nothing but a red dot on the map' ... and that line has stuck, where Singapore is often referred to as that little red dot.

> Singapore has around 60 islands, but the majority are either small rocks, or used for military purposes, refineries or integrated resorts.  Thus, it has no natural resources other than its people

> It is most probably second after Japan in terms of ageing population.  There are not enough Singaporeans to sustain economic development ... so foreign talent is necessary.

> it is a global home to diverse talent

> they gave a great example of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, which is a small tropical jungle in the centre of Singapore.  It may be small, but it has a bigger diversity of trees than you would find in North America.  And that is the great analogy for Singapore:  Small, but very diverse.

Meeting over ... and then ... coffee break with Chester leading the way ...

    

 

US Embassy

Till now we've had Singaporeans selling us their impressive country.  With the presentation at the US Embassy, for the first time we had foreigners talk to us about Singapore's achievements ... giving it perhaps a more objective, unbiased view.

Funny enough, their evaluation wasn't that different than what we got from the government agencies.

> Singapore punches above its weight!

> SG is the biggest port in the world, however, only 5% of the cargo actually stays in Singapore

> 1/3 of all ships in the world cross the Malacca Strait ... thus Singapore's geographic location is very strategic

> Even though official language is Malay, the administrative language is English (education is in English as well)

> US and Singapore are close partners but NOT allies.  SG foreign policy is to not get too close to anyone

> Obama and Clinton are expected to make their first appearance in Singapore in November, for the 2009 APEC meeting

> Foreign policy is to strengthen ties to all major powers

> Singapore lives in a difficult neighbourhood!!

> SG is the 12th largest export market for US (US has $13 billion trade surplus with SG)

> due to the openness of the economy, this year the government expects a negative growth of -6% to -9%

> lot of foreign companies in Singapore but very few Singaporean companies (entrepreneurship needs to be encouraged more)

> SG is the 3rd largest refining centre in the world

> Exxon Mobil always builds a power plant within their refining plans, to guarantee the supply of electricity.  Singapore has the only refinery in the world without a power plant.  Utmost reliability!

> duty-free except alcohol, cigarettes and cars ... that are taxed to d#$@*

> it is estimated that 20,000 Americans live in Singapore

> 1,500 US companies present in Singapore, most of them with regional responsibility (ranging from the Gulf to Japan)

> US FDI in SG is the 2nd largest in Asia and the 12th largest in the world - US$ 83 billion, which is much more than China

> trans-shipment hub for people, money and products

> lots of money and containers moving through but not much control

> interesting observation:  in Singapore you are told what to do, while in the US you are told what you can't do

> 2.2% unemployment ... which is considered very high since there is no social safety net

Luncheon at the Intercontinental

What a beautiful ballroom that was.  Beautiful Venetian chandelier above us, with walls covered in rich tapestries amidst the wooden panelling.  And there we are sitting in the centre of the room, like royalty!  Doing what?  Eating of course.

During lunch we exchanged experiences and views with representatives from the World Toilet Organization (WTO - yes, you're reading this right!!), CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education) and WONCA (Global Family Doctor)

The discussion revolved around why they chose Singapore for their Asian association base?

> proximity of travel

> excellent value for money

> excellent calibre of local staff

> strong commitment to education

> global media presence

> beware of currency fluctuations when budgeting

> you can get translation help very easily

> cheap printing costs

The funniest line from this meeting came from the World Toilet Organization, who shares an acronym with another more famous WTO.  After all, they said, we have so much in common ... we're both interested in big and small business!

   

Cultural Program

Today was much less intense.  We even had a more relaxing cultural program after lunch.  The group visited Chinatown, Little India and Arab Town ... viewing the vast Singaporean diversity in this small city-state.

To end ... and prior to coming over to our place for dinner ... they went to the Fish Spa.  Will let the pictures do the talking.

   

   

ASAE in Singapore - Marina Barrage

Well, the funny thing about writing blogs is that the first one you read is actually the last activity you did.

So going to view the impressive Marina Barrage was actually the end of a very long and successful day with the ASAE & The Center study group.  So you need to read the next article to see how the day actually started.

 

About a year ago I read about the Marina Barrage and the concept of it immediately piqued my interest.  Singapore, with such a small land mass, has to maximize whatever little land it has ... and this is an example of complete control of it's environment, through immaculate planning, in order to make the city-state as independent and sustainable as possible.

Singapore has no natural water source of its own.  It produces water via desalinization plants, utilizing vast existing catchment areas, importing water from it's neighbours ... and since last November ... with the completion of the Marina Barrage project ... it has completed the largest catchment area in the city, about 1/6th the size of Singapore.  All-in-all,  the Marina reservoir will boost Singapore's water catchment area to 2/3rd of the total land area.

I believe that once the salt water has been flushed out of the bay, Singapore will be totally self-sufficient in terms of its water needs.

The way the barrage works is that engineers have dammed the marina bay area, and as the rain-water flows into the Singapore river and marina bay, it will slowly flush out the sea water within the next 24 months.  Basically, the dam is built in such a way that the salt water cannot come into the bay, but the bay water can be expelled out into the sea.

There is a great audio-visual tour within the grounds, which explains to you the mechanical functionings of this project.  Fascinating is all that comes to mind!

Even better, besides being able to observe this wonderful engineering marvel from up-close, the views of the Singapore skyline from this vantage point are simply stupendous.  Especially with a beautiful sunset in the backdrop.

We ended up eating dinner at a Chinese restaurant at the Marina Barrage ... and yes the dinner was wonderful, especially the chili crab ... but we were all so exhausted by this point that all we were looking forward to is to hop on the bus and head home for a good night's sleep.

    

    

    

 

ASAE in Singapore - Day 2

Holy moly that was a long day ... but with excellent content ... and best of all, with a great group (aka fun!!).

 

Chester Chu (our big leader from MCI Group) did a fab job herding us around from one great meeting to another ... somewhat like a marathon ... you're wonderful man!

 

So ... left home at 8am and just arrived back now at 2220 ... so whatever I'm going to write now may not be totally coherent!  Perdoname!

 

What was great about today is that although I live in Singapore and know quite a lot about the city, I visited government/private organizations and projects that I've never had a chance (or need) to visit before, such as the General Hospital.  So I got a new level of understanding on how this impressive city works.  Kind of like the behind-the-scenes tour.

EDB (Singapore Economic Development Board)

 

Our day started at the Economic Development Board on the 28th floor of their HQ at Raffles City Tower.  Since they have the whole floor to themselves, they were able to give us a 360 city view from their impressive office.  First the view and then the content!

 

'EDB is the lead government agency responsible for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business centre and grow the Singapore economy.'

 

Got a slew of interesting tid-bits on Singapore and the region from them:

 

> ASEAN has a combined GDP growth of 7% over the past 25 years

> China will have a huge ageing population problem in the next 30 years due to the one-child policy

> 22% of Singapore's population is non-resident (foreigners) ... approx 1 million of the 4.6 million

> EDB was setup in the 60's, after independence, to provide jobs and attract foreign investments due to the large unemployment at that time

> Singapore is today a knowledge and innovation society

> there are 2 main pillars of the economy:  manufacturing and services

> 20% of the economy is still in manufacturing

> even though according to western standards, Singapore's current 2.2% unemployment is very low, it's still a doubling from the previous 1.2 %

> Singapore is home to 7,000 MNCs, 60% of which have HQ activities in the city

> there are 76 international organizations in town (such as WWF, IATA, APEC ... see www.io.sg)

> since Singapore is 44 years old ... it can be said that it's in a mid-life crisis!!  It's shifting from a constraint-society to a creative one.

> connectivity and openness is a method of survival for the Singapore economy

> the Singapore Business Federation represents 160,000 Singapore based organizations, out of which 99.2% are SMEs (www.sbf.org.sg)

> the monument next to the Padang is also called the chopsticks ... each chopstick representing one of the four main religions in Singapore

SingHealth

 

The next meeting was at Singapore Health Services, which gave us an overview of Singapore's largest healthcare group and outlined the structure and financing of the country's healthcare system.  Did you know that Singapore has 80% public hospitals and 20% private.

 

Best of all, they took us on a tour of some of their facilities.  We went to the Health Assessment Clinic, and it seemed like we walked into an airline lounge.  I was nearly convinced that all the chairs in the waiting lounge were from tan brown leather ... phew, they were not!   But very close in look and feel.

 

We also went to a ward, where they showed us some of the nifty gadgets they use for patient care.  For example, each bed has it's own computer and internet access.  If you're not feeling great, you call the nurse via Skype and start a webcam conversation ... and then she decides if she needs to come to your room or not.  They tape a gadget on your stomach (I think) which monitors your heart-beat, temperature, blood pressure and other parameters and reports them automatically to the nurse station.  In this case you don't have to be woken up at night to have your temperature measured.

 

Best of all ... they had COWS and BMW's in the room.  COW - Computer On Wheels.  BMW - patient Backside Monitoring Workstation.  Acronyms for mobile computer stations.  The nurse told us that they changed the name from COW to BMW after the patients got terrified of hearing 'wheel the COW in/out of the room'!!!

Biopolis - Novartis

 

Before lunch we drove to the Biopolis - a so-called world-class biomedical sciences research and development hub in Asia.  Located next to the National University of Singapore, National University Hospital and the Singapore Science Park ... this is a modern 7 building complex that brings various researchers and organizations within close proximity.

 

We toured the campus and then went to see the Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases.  They do heavy-duty research on malaria, dengue and TB drugs.  The point is to develop and provide these drugs at cost, to the least developed countries that most need them.  The researcher who did the presentation pointed to us that the goal is to produce a malaria medication that costs $1 per full-treatment.  No commercial interest in this research ... pure CSR!

 

I also realized why I'm not a researcher!  They're locked in these small rooms all day long, with masks and white coats and funny instruments ... and they read very weird technical publications.  Definitely not for me!

 

   

 

  

Lunch at the White Rabbit

 

By this time we were hungry and ready for a break!  We had lunch at the lovely restaurant called White Rabbit by Dempsey Hill.  What's unique about this place?  It's inside a church.  And the altar now being a large table.  The three course meal ended with profiteroles.  Perfecto mundo ... a lovely sugar rush!

 

They've also got a very cool website ... check it out ... www.thewhiterabbit.com.sg

  

Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)

 

After lunch, most probably the most dangerous time of the day ... when everyone is prone to dosing off ... we went to visit the Urban Redevelopment Authority.  And it did manage to keep my interest :-)

 

'The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) is Singapore's national land use planning authority. URA prepares long term strategic plans, as well as detailed local area plans, for physical development, and then co-ordinates and guides efforts to bring these plans to reality. Prudent land use planning has enabled Singapore to enjoy strong economic growth and social cohesion, and ensures that sufficient land is safeguarded to support continued economic progress and future development.'

 

I've wanted to go there for quite some time, for I knew they had a fantastic large model of all of Singapore, and another more detailed one of the CBD area with all the new proposed buildings for the Marina Bay.

 

It's very impressive to see where Singapore came in only 40 years and the grandiose plans they have for the next 40.  Their goal is to create a cosmopolitan city of distinction.  Vibrant and Sustainable.  

 

Definitely worth a visit.