Two friends just returned from business trips to Singapore. One runs a company that makes rebar bending equipment and the other a company that makes audio equipment for buildings. Both were amazed at the number of cranes on the skyline. Construction booms in Singapore.

Do you have any idea where Singapore’s located? Other than being in Asia, I didn’t know too much. My friend’s photo below gives my impression of Singapore.

Singapore is an island city-state off the southern tip of Malaysia (just north of Indonesia and generally south of China). The 5 million people have English as their main language and a government that works, though a bit harshly. For example, not flushing the toilet in a public bathroom is a $200 fine. In fact, recently a British tourist grabbed a woman’s butt in a nightclub and is going to receive a series of whacks with a cane across his bare butt as punishment, plus some jail time.  So, if you’re in Singapore, behave.

The friend who runs the audio company stayed at this amazing 54 story hotel shown below. The top floor looks like a boat and has swimming pools that allow guests to swim right to the edge of the roof. Fantastic design.

Yet construction in this high tech city that has become one of the banking, technology and biotech capitals of the world, still uses the scaffolding shown below.

I’d like to visit Singapore and see the boom. If I do, though, I think I’ll be a bit more cautious when ordering supper.

Thanks to Barry Clair of Clair Brothers Audio for the photos and the stories. Also thanks to Barry for pushing ahead with a 50,000 sf factory expansion that gives us American contractors something to build and will provide lots more good manufacturing jobs here. He could have outsourced but chose to build in good old Lancaster County, PA.