I really enjoyed the first world feeling of Singapore. The cleanliness, the respect for others, the considerate drivers! It was beautiful to walk along the river in Clarke Quay, enjoying the nightlife, nature, hearing romantic saxophone tones from open bars like Aqua. It was a city with vision, and strong human resources.
A sign on the river states “This is marina reservoir, please keep it clean.”
It is very sad to read the news stories of pollution in Dubai and witness the lack of respect for nature by some people. Dumping raw sewage on the beach, even though there are heavy fines. The beautiful natural Hatta pools were surrounded by garbage, plastic dinner plates thrown in trees. Planning our camping trip in the open sand dunes, we had heard of people’s lack of respect for the beauty of nature. We were happy to find a place clear of garbage and waste. Pristine. We enjoyed the red dunes, the ragged rocks, soft trees and camels tremendously. We met another Canadian from Peachland who agreed with the philosophy of take out what you take in — but beyond that. He always makes an extra sweep of the area and takes out more than his share. Leaving it pristine for the next person.
I am glad to see Dubai’s vision and action for the environment. It is just the education of people that is slow and deserves patience. I feel very priviledged to be part of a very unique place in the world.
“We can easily build malls and towers, but it is difficult to build human resources without vision and plans that guide such an investment.” — Shaikh Mohammad
