Singapore Views (yes, we're allowed to have them)

Looking at the Singapore skyline from the padang. Padang is Malay for "flat field" and this field has been used for recreation such as cricket and rugby and military parades for a long, long time. It used to be pretty close to the sea, but land reclamation has put it at quite a distance from any water.

In the foreground is City Hall. The British accepted the Japanese surrender on the steps of this building and Singapore's first prime minister declared independence two decades later on the same steps. The old Supreme Court building is in the background with the St. Paul's Cathedral dome on it.

Preparations for Chinese New Year are well underway.