Happy Children

Children are always so happy. Wherever you go, whatever conditions they are living in, they always welcome you with a smile and they always are happy to pose for a picture. I was quite saddened though, after talking to these kids, to understand that only one out of the four boys were going to school. The others will probably never have the opportunity to even learn how to write and read.

Fishermen Village

I am in Indonesia for a couple of days. Back on the surrounding islands. It always amazes me how different things are just a short hop from Singapore. If you take the exemple of the Pangke village pictured above, it is a real and typical indonesian fishermen village that is so far in its customs and habits to the life experienced by millions on the other side of the channel in the big city state that is Singapore. And it is also a lesson in fate as it is believed that Stamford Raffles had considered Karimun island instead of Singapore island when looking for a settlement. It is quite disturbing to think that things could have been the other way around with Singapore remaining a fishing village and Karimun being developped as a big manufacturing, engineering and industry crossroad.

Karimun Island

Today I went by Ferry to the Island of Karimun in Indonesia (above picture is the Ferry Arrival facility at the main city, Tanjung Balai). There is definitely not much on that Island but the contrast between Singapore and Karimun is pretty amazing. This place used to be a gambling and prostitution paradise for Singaporeans before the Indonesian government decided to put a halt to the gambling... but ironically not the prostitution.