Not photography-related, but it's a very interesting article that compares between Singapore and Beijing.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/20...t_10019039.htm


Some excerpts


side from the seasonal heat and abundance of malls and real estate developments, there are, in fact, many similarities between Singapore and China, and even more between Singapore and Beijing.

For one, the populations and cultures in both places are predominantly Chinese. Nearly three quarters of Singaporeans are ethnic Chinese. The rest are Malay, Indian, various other Asians and some Caucasians. A stroll down Orchard Road - a more commercial equivalent of Chang'an Avenue - feels like a walk through a southern Chinese city, down to the staccato dialect spoken and the pitter patter of slippered feet.

The crowds are another thing about Singapore that make me feel like I'm still in China. Although, at barely 5 million people, the population here is less than a quarter of Beijing's, Singapore has one of the highest population densities in the world. Standing elbow-to-elbow at busy intersections certainly reminds me of Guomao at rush hour.

Not only are there a lot of people here, but also there are a lot of foreigners, as is the case in Beijing. Expatriates make up more than 40 percent of the residents in Singapore - that's the sixth highest ratio in the world. So, judging by the diversity of faces around me and the bizarre array of accents and languages - British, American, French, Portuguese, and more exotic varieties - I could well be making my way about Sanlitun or Gulou.




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As much as being here resembles being in Beijing, there are enough things missing from Singapore that make me long to be back in my home city. Call me crazy, but I miss the chaos.

After a week in orderly Singapore, where everything is clean, functional and clear (imagine government offices staffed with phone operators who tell you precisely what you need to bring to apply for such-and-such documents), and the people are pleasantly placid, I'm starting to suffer from a constant malaise.

Today, I put my finger on it as "boredom."

While people do busily go about their affairs in Singapore and the government is perpetually pushing for new ways to stimulate economic growth, I sense that most people are pretty content with having "made it" already. Between the eating, shopping, and frequent travel to nearby beach destinations where the Singaporean dollar brings more, people are mostly reaping the benefits of development.

In Beijing, in contrast, I feel the energy of unceasing striving going on around me. In the hurried steps of fellow pedestrians, the impatient voices of neighbors, and the intent expressions on everyone's faces, I can sense people's daily dreams, hopes and struggles.