January 22, 2008

Dubai – Singapore.

I lived in Singapore from January of 1995 to October of 1996. During those 22 months I flew to Houston 18 times. Each one way trip was at least 24 hours in the air, and two stops with at least 2 hours between flights, so in real time each flight took at least 30 hours. So 18 (flights) x 2 (round trip) = 36 trips. 36 x 30 (hours) = 1,080 hours spent in travel just to Houston during those 22 months. 1,080 hours is 45 days. 45 days! And that doesn’t count the trips to China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, India, Vietnam, Bangkok, or Brunei.

And then people ask me why I hate to travel. I think that the answer is obvious. I have not been back to Singapore since I left. I still have some people I keep in touch with occasionally, and will try to meet with them. I am not sure if it will happen.

I am reading a book called The Singapore Grip by JG Farrell. I am not sure how far it goes, but it opens in Singapore right before the Japanese overrun Singapore in WWII. The book focuses on the truly myopic view of the war and the Japanese by the local British community. This is one of the more embarrassing episodes in British Military History. Incompetence and cowardice by the military leaders. Courts martial ensued if I recall correctly.

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