Dan Buettner 's Chapter On Singapore

Singapore was also a gateway to other countries in South-East Asia such as New Guinea, Indonesia, Dutch-East Indies (Indonesia) and Philippines as seen in Figure 1. After this, it was the first time in Australia’s history is was the first time they were under threat from any country “Yellow

On the 9th of February 1942, three divisions of Japanese soldiers landed in Singapore, which was at the time a major British military base and presence in the Pacific. Six days later, over 90 000 British, Australian and Indian troops were forced to surrender. It had been believed that Singapore guaranteed the security of Australia during the war, consequently, the fall of Singapore opened Australia to invasion. The fall of Singapore was significant in causing relations between Australia and the United States to increase as in lieu of Britain’s inability to provide economic and military assistance when it was required most, the United States’ capability to provide what Britain could not was instrumental in strengthening bonds.

Modern day Chinatown is a vibrant and bustling community full of bright colors and Chinese characters adorning buildings as far as the eye can see. Chinese elders roam around the narrow and unkempt streets while children frolic around from store to store with wide smiles, riffling through toy stores as store owners look on. Mothers scurry from store to store searching for the most tender meats to buy for the night's dinner or for the next day's lunch. Tourists from nearby downtown drift into the heart of Chinatown with large and expensive cameras, posing for pictures with Lion head statues and continue on, buying cheap Chinatown goods along the way. Everywhere there are signs of the Chinese immigrant's sweat, labor, and collective efforts

The Fall of Singapore to the Japanese happened on the 15th February 1942 and is thought to be one of the greatest defeats in the entire history of the British Army and most likely Britain's worst defeat in all of World War 2. Singapore was considered to be a major part of the British Empire and it was thought to be as strong as a fortress. Improvement's to Singapore as a British military base had only been completed in 1938, a mere 4 years before the fall of Singapore.

Singapore and Australia are as known as the reliable study destinations in the world. This is seen in some universities of both countries which consistently rank in the top of the most prestigious universities according to several ranking report. Although two countries are in the different continent, similarities and differences can be found in the compulsory education, school calendar and subjects.

1) Nationalism, socialism, and religion have all played a major role in anti-colonial struggles and post-colonial constructions in India and Southeast Asia. Which of these three ideologies do you think was most effective for colonized peoples and why?

Systems of government have a major influence on the development and success of a civilization and culture. This can be said about Athens during its Golden Age and about China during the Han dynasty. Han China was ruled by an imperial bureaucracy based upon the teachings of Confucius which allowed only a tiny part of its population to participate in government. In contrast, 5th Century Athens was a direct democracy which allowed a greater number of its inhabitants to take part in governing. These civilizations differed greatly in geography, population and size which influenced their development. They also held contrasting beliefs regarding the source of political authority and how it was maintained. However, these civilizations also shared

To describe the culture of the country in the full extent, it is necessary to investigate into its cuisine, media, performing arts, sports and recreation, as well as into its architectural heritage. Singapore cuisine is the bright example of cultural diffusion and diversity of the country, and Indian, Malay, Chinese and Tamil influences can be observed. Local people enjoy eating mee poh, bak chor mee, sambal stringray, nasi lemak, satay and chilli crab. All kind of food is usually served in hawker centers. Food of Singapore is very diverse and includes a lot of seafood with clams,

People have the tendency to make snap judgements. Not only will they judge quickly but they tend to judge by viewing life through a clouded lens smudged by stereotypes. It is when we observe a situation without bias that we are able to consider an individual and make fair judgement of their character. Mary Oliver’s Singapore is a poem that focuses on class. It depicts the revelation of a middle class woman and how the interaction and observation with a lower class woman’s work changes her belief on assuming a character by the general assumption for their class. In Singapore, Mary Oliver uses persona, imagery, and irony to show the theme of stereotyping character by class level and the recognition of individuals.

The poem, “Singapore”, by Mary Oliver advocates for respect for all types work. It is set in a restroom at an international airport in Singapore. The poem has two characters, who are the poet and a female toilet cleaner. The poem starts with the poet visiting a restroom at the international airport. The poet finds a native woman kneeling and cleaning the toilet that has human excreta. The poet is disgusted by this scenario. On the other hand, the toilet cleaner is embarrassed that the poet has found her doing this “undignified” work. The poet uses this scene to pass a message that all types work deserve respect. She uses imagery in her lines to express this message, which is discussed below.

Gift giving is also very important to the Singaporeans and shows a sign of respect. There are a few do’s and don’ts when giving gifts some of these are no giving of alcohol, scissors, knives as they are associated with killing. No handkerchief or clocks as they are associated with death. A gift may be refused three times before accepting as this shows that the receiver is not greedy. This is important for us when both giving and receiving gifts. Gift giving is a sign of respect and if we want to have a good relationship during our business dealings it is important that we follow through with these traditions.

The events of World War Two such as the failed Malaya campaign, the fall of Singapore, the bombing of Pearl Harbour and the stretched resources of Britain, led to Australia developing a more independent foreign policy however, independent of Britain. The changing of alliance between Britain, Australia and the United States of America has led to a substantial impact on shaping Australian society and where Australia are today. The fall of Singapore and the Malaya campaign brought the war extremely close to Australia even reaching Australian soil for the first time and generated new opinions and perspectives on the war for all Australians. Furthermore, with its greatest military defeat of all time, Britain had to recover and Australia had to

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” These words by Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. perfectly describe how my travel experience in Singapore this past summer has changed my life. Traveling to Singapore has been an item on my bucket list that I never thought I would ever be able to accomplish at such a young age. Through my travel, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the culture by living life as a local while visiting the major tourist spots that the country had to offer. I also had firsthand experience with the Singaporean lifestyle and I was so amazed by the beauty of the country. Because of this, my travel to Singapore has given me a new perspective on countries and has broadened my horizons in terms of travelling to a new place.

Many important assumptions can be drawn from comparing Singapore and America’s scores on the Hofstede’s Value Dimensions. Power distance describes how people respond to inequality in power in society (Daft). Singapore scores high on power distance, at 74 compared to the U.S’s 40. This means that authority is centralized and control is to be expected (http://geert-hofstede.com/singapore.html). An individualistic society is a society where individuals are expected to provide for themselves (Daft). Individualism ranks very low, scoring 20 compared to 91 in the U.S. This is where the biggest difference lies between American and Singapore. America is a highly individualistic society while Singapore is a collectivistic society. Mutual respect is expected and conflicts are to be avoided

three meals a day and earn enough money to send home to his parents so