David Byrne has a lot of good things to say about Singapore

Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe awards winner David Byrne who was in Singapore recently for his concert, enjoys a durian popsicle while sitting next to a giant crab with a woman's head at Haw Par Villa. From David Byrne:

Why does Singapore have all these things for its citizens when it could have easily covered these hills with more condos, as Hong Kong has done? Both were island “nations” colonized by the British, established (in the British point of view) as commercial hubs where goods from neighboring lands could be traded and exported. Both have large percentages of Chinese, especially in the business worlds — though Singapore is certainly less dominated by the Chinese. What is it that gave one island nation the nerve to say, “No, we will save some parkland for our citizens; we will save some chaotic marketplaces and hawker centres?” (— though I’ve heard that the hawkers here are under attack on health grounds, much like the Red Hook Ball Field stalls have been in NYC). What causes one place to say no to immediate profit if it destroys something in the public’s interest, and another to always see profit as the right way to go?

(Thanks Marilyn via Twitter)