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Well known people who died recently

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Lee Kuan Yew, died age 91.

Bet there will be a massive funeral in Singapore.
He certainly did a massive job of transforming a tiny Asian island, into a World financial hub.
 
sptrawler said:
Lee Kuan Yew, died age 91.

Bet there will be a massive funeral in Singapore.
He certainly did a massive job of transforming a tiny Asian island, into a World financial hub.
Click to expand...

Much from the inflated dollars we spend at the bowsers?
 
sptrawler said:
Lee Kuan Yew, died age 91.

Bet there will be a massive funeral in Singapore.
He certainly did a massive job of transforming a tiny Asian island, into a World financial hub.
Click to expand...

He was a genius though maybe a little ruthless.
He has no natural resources yet has made a giant economy and average wages have improved 6 times (after inflation) during the time he ruled and even more so in the time he half ruled from retirement.

The city is clean, beautiful and getting better. The gardens are amazing, the zoo is amazing, Sentosa island has become a tourist skimming operation especially for the Malaysians and Indonesians who frequent it.

They have the best electrical system in the world even though they have to import gas to run it. And somehow it is cheaper than ours now.

The public transport system is incredible and they were building 3 new underground systems (yes 3! we can't build one) so they can get the buses off the roads.

If you look at his sayings he comes across as very wise and intelligent.

If we had a Prime Minister of his calibre running the country, we would be better off.
 
For me the best thing in Singapore is the Changi airport.A good place to pass through is Singapore.
For me it is a sterile, uninteresting place.If there is such a thing as a city with a soul-Singapore lost theirs when they went overboard with western modernisation.
Lee knew how to deal with opposition leaders-either bankrupt or jail them.In that respect I think that Malaysia tries to follow that example.
But ,on balance,I suppose Lee has been a positive transforming figure for Singapore.
 

That's a good write up Knobby. I love the new modern Singapore and have been there several times. As for Prime Ministers running this country, they are only interested in cutting public infrastructure and resources, no forward thinking I'm afraid.
 
Bill M said:
That's a good write up Knobby. I love the new modern Singapore and have been there several times. As for Prime Ministers running this country, they are only interested in cutting public infrastructure and resources, no forward thinking I'm afraid.
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Thanks Bill.
Singapore is no longer as sterile as people think. plenty of artworks around the city and the new architecture on the recently reclaimed land blew me away. Shopping centres with pretend rivers and gondola rides down the centre, amazing water displays, the hotel with a ship on top. I went there and had a cocktail on the top floor and it does feel like a ship, truly impressive.

I did a house swap with the people I am renting from and was there 11 days and I really enjoyed it. Sure there's no graffiti and someone stole a bicycle near us and the police were searching desperately for the perpetrator with pictures and everything but hey, I like feeling safe with no crime. If that is clinical, well so be it. My 14 year old daughter wants to permanently live there. I would like to go back.

Anyone stopping over should stay a few days. I loved Chinatown. The night zoo theme where they have animals that come out at night. You sit in a "tram" which is a sort of electric bus and it does a tour where the animals are illuminated to a very low level in a very nice environment. There are other great zoo tours also, I went on the river tour.
 
Knobby22 said:
My 14 year old daughter wants to permanently live there. I would like to go back.
Click to expand...

This was only 18 Months ago. One morning at around 3 AM I got some hunger pains when I woke up in my hotel room, I could not go back to sleep so I decided to venture out on my own. Well it was a surprise, it was like it was at 7 PM. The cafes and restaurants were busy and some were full, there were young and older people enjoying their beers at the cafes on the footpath. Not one iota of violence or drunkeness anywhere, I felt safe and happy. Went to and Indian style takeaway restaurant bought some roti's and dip and then I went to the 7/11 and bought some beers and back to the room. Singapore is full of life, it is safe and clean and it doesn't cost the earth to dine out. I like the place and I felt safer there too.
 
The things I didn't particularly like about Singapore are:

the denial of British heritage by changing some street names to Malay;
it's a bit Stepford in places;
there are no bargains to be had;
foreigners couldn't buy into those public assisted apartments near the casino precinct.
the Raffles is so far from the waterfront and not a bumboat or swylo in sight.

The things I like:

the botanical gardens to and fro airport;
the cloistered areas where east meets west and beer runs freely.
 
A friend of mine who was stationed at Malacca during the sixties and would spend free weekends around Bugis street in Singapore, suggested that I go there for a look (thirty years ago).Low and behold,the moral police had disposed of the street.
Years later when back in Singapore,the authorities had tried to replace Bugis street with a newer sanitised version.
Too late -gone forever!'For me,that is the story of Singapore.
 
Singapore have gone from third world to first world.
That has meant change.
Australia is the same, we have closed many of our street markets.
Sure you can buy prostitutes and get bargains in some other Asian countries and live in the relative filth and that's your choice.

The Singapore people are justly proud of their city and their first world status. They don't have to answer to anyone or subject themselves to a lower grade of living or act colonially.
 

With all due respect-we are talking about tourism not residency.What they have done is take away their historical tourist attractions and had to contrive attractions.Chinatown,what is left of it,is tokenism.
 

Indeed we will miss him. The current commentators gabble on incessantly and don't say much worth listening to most of the time. Richie said a lot less, but what he did say added to the game.

RIP Richie, the most honest voice on any media anywhere, anytime.
 

Shocked/ saddened to hear that.
I agree, he was the quintessential commentator and a role model on and off the field.
Wish he'd made a ton, but out at 84 isn't a bad innings either,

RIP Richie.
 
A quality Australian, of outstanding ability and personal character.

Skin cancer, and I think Miller was also beset by this scourge.
 
R.I.P. Richie.

You were the voice on the box that introduced me to the world of cricket.

 

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MrBurns said:
BB King...........

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-15/bb-king-dead/6473698
Click to expand...

Saw him live in London in 1977. The flight was delayed into Heathrow. They came straight from the Airport and walked on stage in their street clothes. Played the first set then took a break to change into their performance gear. Played overtime to make up for the initial delay. Amazing night. Amazing talent. Incredibly professional and never lost sight of the paying fans.
 
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