Home

Before San Diego I went home for a break (and a lot of yard work). "Home" is Anderson Valley (Mendocino County) Northern California. And it is always a bit of a culture shock to go from Singapore to Anderson Valley. Kind of akin to shifting from 5th gear to first (without clutching). I know I have said this before but Anderson Valley just about could not be much less like Singapore (except maybe unless it were in the Alaskan outback). The total land area of Anderson Valley is about the same as Singapore and I suppose crime is relatively low
in both, but that's pretty much where the similarities end. I love both places. Here are just a few of the differences.


Singapore = 4,500,000 people
Anderson Valley = 4,000 people (maybe)

SIN = is a business Hub, with very little land left for agriculture
AV = is one of the last truly agrarian communities in California
(almost everyone is farming something)

SIN = is ultra modern model of efficiency and prides itself on that fact
AV = in an archaic anachronism held together with bailing wire
(and prides itself on that fact)

SIN = has Singlish - http://www.singlishdictionary.com/
AV = has Boontling - http://mms.mcn.org/~boontling/

SIN = most people live in high rises
AV = there's no building over three stories

SIN = nearest neighbor is 2.5 meters away
AV = nearest neighbor is several hundred meters away

SIN = there are literally thousands of great places to eat
AV = there is one (maybe two) good places to eat

SIN = there is great pressure to conform and behave
AV = is a community of non-conformists given to acting up

SIN = Almost no one owns a gun
AV = Almost everyone owns at least one gun

SIN = Has (supposedly) thousands of plain cloth police hidden everywhere
AV = Has Kieth, the one policeman (& his angry dog) looking menacingly at you

SIN = many children have never seen a live chicken
AV = some people still barter for child care with live chickens

SIN = has Geylang
AV = has the Wool festival






Our Mendonesian house among the Redwoods (and Bamboo)









The view out my window in Singapore