Opposites of Sri Lanka and Singapore.

So I am now in Singapore.  Actually I’m in a Dunkin Donuts in a huge mall because they have wifi.  After more than a week in Sri Lanka, I have completely changed pace.  Things are so different here in Singapore than in Sri Lanka.  On a number of occasions, I’ve seen people relieve themselves right in public in Sri Lanka.   People don’t bat an eye if some dude is taking a leak just feet off the roadside.  Here in Singapore, you can get seriously fined if you as much as drop a scrap a paper, much less your urine.  Also, traffic was a free-for-all in Sri Lanka with vehicles choosing whichever lane that suits their needs.  In Singapore, I’ve noticed people will generally stand to the left on the escalator.  Why?  To allow people to pass on the right. 

While things are certainly more organized in Singapore, there is one difference in terms of the people that I’ve picked up on pretty quickly, and this one is decidedly in favor of Sri Lanka.  People in Sri Lanka are more warm and quick to smile at you.  Like in most large urban areas, people in Singapore are bit more jaded.  As an American, one the adjustments I have to make is when in restaurants.   The word “service” takes on a different meaning in many Asian countries.  Servers never come to you; you have to flag them down if you want anything at all. 

As I’m sitting here in Dunkin Donuts, I’m simply amazed how packed the place is.  Dunkin Donuts seems to be hugely popular everywhere except the U.S.  I noticed the same in Colombia.  In Colombia there were also Dunkin Donuts found in fancified malls.  This is actually my second visit to this particular mall in Singapore, the Ion Orchard.  It is one the newer and largest malls in Singapore, and is found along Orchard Road.  Orchard Road itself is a mall of malls, as many malls line the street.  Singaporeans are known to love shopping, and this place shows it.  I can’t convey how insanely crowded this mall is.  It’s like half of Tucson packed into six stories of retail madness.