Got lucky with my trip to Singapore last week. Didn't make it to Malaysia, as I had hoped, because the tours for the day were canceled due to it being Chinese New Years. The flip side is that I got to celebrate the Year of the Rat with thousands of others in central Singapore. I can't say that I understand the significance of the rat (versus the rooster, monkey, etc.), but I don't think that was much on folks' minds in any case. It was a huge party with food, shows, rides, and souvenirs.Singapore was more alive than I've ever seen it before. I have to say that after splitting the week between there and Hong Kong, the former certainly comes across as more family-oriented and generally more pleasant. Think Miami, substitute Malay/Chinese for Cuban/Caribbean, and eliminate all crime, litter, and potholes, and you'll have a reasonable sense for the topography, culture, and cuisine. As the Asian hedge fund industry continues to tilt down south away from its Hong Kong roots, I expect I'll be spending more and more time working off the Straits of Malacca.
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