Singapore officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island city-state located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, lying 137 kilometres  (85 mi) north of the equator, south of the Malaysian state of Johor and north of Indonesia’s Riau Islands. At 710.2 km2 (274.2 sq mi) Singapore is a microstate and the smallest nation in Southeast Asia. It is substantially larger than Monaco and Vatican City, the only other surviving sovereign city-states.
Before European settlement, the island now known as Singapore was the site of a Malay fishing village at the mouth of the Singapore River. Several hundred indigenous Orang Laut people also lived along the nearby coast, rivers and on smaller islands. In 1819, the British East India Company, led by Sir Stamford Raffles, established a trading post on the island, which was used as a port along the spice route. Singapore became one of the most important commercial and military centres of the British Empire, and the hub of British power in Southeast Asia.
During the Second World War, the British colony was occupied by the Japanese after the Battle of Singapore, which Winston Churchill called “Britain’s greatest defeat”. Singapore reverted to British rule in 1945, immediately after the war. Eighteen years later, in 1963, the city, having achieved independence from Britain, merged with Malaya, Sabah, and Sarawak to form Malaysia. However, the merger proved unsuccessful, and, less than two years later, it seceded from the federation and became an independent republic within the Commonwealth of Nations on August 9, 1965. Singapore was admitted to the United Nations on September 21 of that year.
Since independence, Singapore’s standard of living has risen dramatically. Foreign direct investment and a state-led drive to industrialization based on plans drawn up by the Dutch economist Albert Winsemius have created a modern economy focused on industry, education and urban planning. Singapore is the 5th wealthiest country in the world in terms of GDP (PPP) per capita.   In December 2008, the foreign exchange reserves of this small island nation stood at around US$174.2billion. The Singapore government, with approval from the President, announced in March 2009 that it would tap into its official reserves for the first time ever and withdraw some S$4.9 billion. The funds were then used as part of the US$20.5 billion resilience package unveiled by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on 5 February 2009. As of January 2009, Singapore’s official reserves stands at US$170.3 billion.
In 2009, the Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Singapore the tenth most expensive city in the world in which to live—the third in Asia, after Tokyo and Osaka.  The 2009 Cost of Living survey, by consultancy firm Mercer, has ranked Singapore similarly as the tenth most expensive city for expatriates to live in.
The population of Singapore including non-residents is approximately 4.99 million. Singapore is highly cosmopolitan and diverse with Chinese people forming an ethnic majority with large populations of Malay, Indian and other people. English, Malay, Tamil, and Chinese are the official languages.
Singapore is a parliamentary republic, and the Constitution of Singapore establishes representative democracy as the nation’s political system. The People’s Action Party (PAP) dominates the political process and has won control of Parliament in every election since self-government in 1959.
Have you ever tried to dip your feet into the pool and let fish nibble off death skins from your toes? Spa fish treatments are quite popular in Japan, Korea, and have spread to China, Singapore, and other countries.
What’s the feeling of being ‘bitten’ by spa fish? Some people will giggle and even cry out when experiencing it for the first time; others simply enjoy the massaging sensation as schools of fish gather around their feet or nibble off pesky death skins from the feet.
What are spa fish then? These tiny toothless fish are originally from Turkey; grow in fast-flowing water and can withstand temperatures above 40 degree Celsius; some can grow to the size of about 14cm. Garra Rufa is the scientific name but they are also known as doctor fish because of beliefs that they can help people with Psoriasis, a disease that causes red and scaly patches on the skin.
Actually, spa fish have been included in hot spring spas in Turkey for many years, where people use them to treat skin problems. It is not until recently that the fish have been introduced to Singapore. Now, if you go to Singapore Flyer or Sentosa Underwater World, you can find spa fish shops that have been nicely set up. Even some shops at Chinatown and fish farms have started this treatment as the demand is growing. The rate for a half-hour session ranges from SGD10 to 38 depending on the spa package. It is interesting to note that not all the spa fish are from Turkey; recently, countries such as China, India, and Africa have started to export other species of spa fish that can perform the same function.
Fish hobbyists have also started to keep spa fish at home, and some are thinking of breeding them since the cost of the fish is quite high, ranging from $2 to $10 each. Image having a tub with hundreds of fish in your living room where you can soak your feet in and enjoy a cup of nicely brewed coffee at the same time? We will talk about how to set up a spa fish tank at home another time.
Thailand Saintdenis Hotel Artport
Around the world trips are a fantasy for most, and a very economic reality for few. Several of my clients refuse to believe they can see ten countries for the price of three just by a little extra planning.
I once purchased the following:
Sydney>Singapore>Saigon>Kathmandu>London>Toronto>San Francisco>Sydney
Total cost? $1250. That isn’t a typo.
The reason I was able to purchase these flights at such as discount was that I purchased them in bulk, known as a “Round The World” ticket. They work like a wholesale store: large travel agencies buy thousands of tickets at a time and sell them individually to travelers. If you purchase then tickets at once (rather than a standard round trip) you get a great discount. I love the look at people’s faces when I show them how to see more of the world for the same amount of money. Here’s how you do it:
Avoid flying to “off the beaten path” destinations. The major hubs of the world are usually cheaper to fly to than secondary airports, and this is especially true if you’re buying in bulk. Think of your round the world ticket as a general overview of where you’d like to go; for example, don’t include every city in Asia you want to see, choose a flight into Bangkok (the largest southeast Asian hub, and therefore the cheapest) then figure the rest out when you get there. I recommend choosing one or two major hubs for each continent you want to visit, as this keeps your flight costs down while also providing flexibility along the way.
Include surface segments. Once you have a general outline of dream destinations, fill them in using surface segments. For example, you could purchase a flight from Sydney to Bangkok, then travel overland from Bangkok to Beijing (another cheap hub) before flying to London. The surface segment allows you to see more of the countryside between these two cities, and add several new countries to your itineraries. Furthermore, you’ll save more money traveling by train than by plane (one ways are often the most expensive way to fly).
Add stopovers into your trip. I used this to my advantage on my last round the world adventure. The itinerary had a layover in Singapore (which I hadn’t planned on visiting), which essentially gave me a free trip to SIngapore! Before purchasing a round the world ticket, ask your travel agent if they permit stopovers like this; most do.
Go big or go home. Round the world trips grow less expensive the longer you’re gone. My advice is to take at least six months (preferably a year) for a trip such as this. You’ll find that by flying to ten destinations, several will be super cheap (e.g. Thailand, India, Nepal, Argentina). If you plan accordingly, you’ll be able to extend your trip by spending more time in these areas. A friend of mine spent two weeks in Bali with just enough money for food and board. He hadn’t planned on visiting Bali, but it was a stopover, so he took advantage of it. Those two weeks in paradise cost him less than three days in London. Use this economic differences to your advantage.
Around the world trips deserve more attention than they get. Not only can you save a ton of money by batching several dream destinations together, you often find yourself in countries (and situations) you never expected. If you are interested in pricing out a few different options, I highly recommend using airtreks.com.
Thailand Hotel Artport Saintdenis
I am currently undergoing my BA in English at Sacramento State University, but I’m leaning toward a career in the justice dept. I have been looking around for a good place to do my post-grad work and get a law degree and I wondered about the possibility of working for the Navy’s JAG program.
Could you tell me some of the steps I would have to go through in order to work through the military and possibly some benefits to doing so (in your mind). Any help or advice you could give me would be very helpful.
To start, there are three ways that you could work for the military as an attorney. First, during your law school summers, the Navy (and what I say about Navy applies to all the services except the Marines, as they use Navy JAGs for the most part) runs a summer intern program that competes with the intern programs run by civilian law firms.
You can work for the Navy over the summer as an intern and get a competitive salary and great experience. Then, after law school, you can apply for a commission as a JAG officer and become a member of the Navy, or you can apply for a civilian attorney job with the Navy.
Search for more information about the Navy’s legal career program. As a JAG officer, I can tell you that it is a fascinating career. No, you will not be flying airplanes and saving the free world in 50 minutes like LtCdr Harm Rabb does on the TV show, but you will have a variety of legal assignments — criminal law, both prosecution and defense at courts-martial and civilian federal magistrate and district court; admin law, including contracts, administrative actions against sailors; legal assistance, including wills, powers of attorney, debtor-creditor, and landlord-tenant disputes; and claims, both for and against the US.
You will do this in a variety of locations, some exotic, and some boring. You may be on land or on a ship. You change duties every couple of years so you don’t get stale, and you become well-rounded. You also see promotions, 30 days paid leave per year, unlimited sick leave, annual pay raises, and good benefits — and poor housing on post. Overall, it is a great way to start out, and if you stay, it is a rewarding career. You will also be given the opportunity to get an L.L.M. degree, and you will be given extra money to help pay student loans for your schooling.
I hope that will help. I also will highly recommend getting good grades in college, keep up your GAP, take the LSAT and do well, and get into a good law school. Find one that offers activities beyond classroom – including mock trials and workshops. Take some criminal law electives, some administrative law, and some international law. Do that, and you will be well prepared for an exciting time in the services, be it three years or thirty.
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