smallvice585: you’re right about the hatchbacks! and YES the french can parallel park like nobody’s business. i can’t even squeeze through the cars at times! i wonder how they get out o_O

loop: don’t think so.. in fact nobody here seems affected.. especially not during the Christmas season! shops are still very crowded and my correspondent’s family is certainly not scrimping!

Viva la Velo: well said! but i guess the not-humid and not-sweltering hot weather makes for conducive cycling environment too.. in Lyon, i also see men in suits and old ladies getting around town in scooters (: haha too busy sightseeing to fall in love!

the Velo (bicycle) system is something not available in singapore. Even China has dedicated lanes on the road for bicycles. Singapore is TINY. Yes, every sense of the word. Why are people still happily waiting 15-30 minutes for a shuttle bus to go to the nearest MRT about 2 kilometers away and Pay And Pay?

Europeans love the bicycles and its very common and nothing low class!

Singaporeans need the car to go from point A to point B even for very short distances.

singaporeans deserve a cycling system that will LIBERATE them from having to endure the long waiting times just to move 2 kilometers or less to their MRT. Its sad to see that there is no dedicated cycling routes that is well developed to for the people – cyclists have to cycle either on roads dedicated to cars/bus/vans or on the pedestrian walks. Both these paths are not-dedicated for cycling and this means DANGER! 1 life too many.

Look at the Paris Metro. I recall that the trains come frequently and on-time, about every 1 or 2 minutes. In other parts of Europe, their public transport system run based on TRUST – passengers pay the fares they feel like paying. But there are rare occasions of spot checks also. They have developed a culture where they pay honestly without supervision.
I hope our MRT leaders learn from the Parisians – increase the frequency of trains to 1 train in every 1 or 2 minutes.

Viva la Democracy!
Viva la Freedom!
Viva la Sarkozi!

Have fun! Looking forward to seeing you back in Singapore and putting you to work for TOC again.. heh heh… :)

Be safe!

Andrew Loh

This is a ‘great’ country in its own way.

Can write about Sweden just as you have written about France.

Just that I I stayed longer and so I can say more of the two sides of the ‘story’ and that is the plus and minus.

No big deal. Do not get carried away by this Francophone country.

Ronnie