PLEASE, read the short textbook “The Story of Singapore” to prepare for our conversation during this Wednesday’s (May 13 at 11am) Zoom class.    This text a short story about the country where next week’s guest, Tino Chow, was born, raised, and served in the Singaporean army.  Please don’t get overwhelmed.  First, just “skim” the book;  this means, simply look at the pictures on each page and the breakout print sections in large print on each page.   Then, if you see anything you’re curious about, go back and read all the information on those pages in the book.   Singapore –  it’s a capitalist democracy; you can own your own company.   Singapore has a diverse population.  5,000,000 people live on this island country that is 1/4 the size of Rhode Island.  They love basketball.  Buying and selling chewing gum is against the law.  If you don’t flush a public toilet, you can be fined.  If you put graffiti art where you shouldn’t, you can be caned (beat with a stick!).  And, to buy a car, you need to apply to the government for the right to buy your car AND THE APPLICATION will COST around $40,000;  then, you pay the car dealer another fee to buy the car.  Education is the best in the world and education is FREE.  FREE HEALTH CARE.   90% of all Singaporeans own their own home.  15% of Singaporeans are millionaires.  No unemployment.  No homeless.   They have to buy clean water from the neighboring country of Malaysia because Singapore has NO sources of water on the island.  They are also expanding the size of their island nation;  that is, building land on the seas around them to make their island bigger. Drug dealers are executed.  Singaporeans live longer and healthier than people in the United States.  Very little crime.  Tino served in the Singaporean military for 2 years.  Everyone has to serve in the military OR a public service organization for 2 years after high school.  And, more!!! Join me on a Zoom conversation on Wednesday, MAY 13th, at 11am to discuss what you read in this short textbook.  Mr Buchanan, our Principal, Ms West, one of our Guidance counselors, alums Marta Aparicio (2010), Jason Roias (2014), Johnny Martinez (2010), my daughter in California, Tara, and her boyfriend, Mark Gonzales, will join our conversation.  Contact me if you have any questions OR if you can’t be available to the Zoom class on Wednesday.  Thank you.

4.Next week, please be prepared to join me on Zoom on Wednesday, MAY 2oth, at 11am to speak with Tino Chow and myself to ask him your questions about his experiences in Singapore and Hong Kong and your own experiences during the corona virus outbreak and quarantine.

Tino Chow (right) visiting the Hope Life Skills class 2017.

NB –  Please feel free to invite your parents and/or siblings to any of our conversations.  And, if you have relatives living in a foreign country, you may ask if their country is affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and how their country is protecting its citizens from the virus.