Singapore: The Smartest Megapolis Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post has affiliate links. If you buy through one of these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. From British Outpost to Global Powerhouse Founded in 1819 as a trading outpost of the British East India Company, Singapore was only a small dot at the tip of the Malay Peninsula, the southernmost part of Asia. For almost half a century, Calcutta ruled Singapore. The small colonial post grew so rapidly that in 1965 it was formally declared as an independent city-state. Today it has turned into a global trading hub and has made the entire world its hinterland. First Impressions at Changi and Pre-Dawn Tea Right from stepping into Changi International Airport, indisputably one of the world’s classiest airports, Singapore appealed to us for its crisp, warm and vibrant character. We visited our son Arjun Sengupta most recently in 2018. ...

Phnom Penh: A Journey Through Dark History to Modern Resiliency The Dark Chapter: Year Zero and the Khmer Rouge Phnom Penh today is a vibrant capital, but its modern identity is inextricably bound to one of history's darkest chapters. Time began with the Big Bang about 13.77 billion years ago. Our universe originated and began expanding from Day One, which included the formation of our planet Earth. But not so long ago, on 17th April 1975, a Cambodian schoolteacher, Pol Pot (who had been to Paris on a scholarship to study Radio Electronics and returned to Cambodia to take up a teaching assignment) declared Year Zero in Cambodia. That was in line with the concept of Year One declared during the French Revolution. The idea was to discard and destroy all culture and traditions within the society and bring in revolutionary culture.  President Lon Nol fled Cambodia on 1st April 1975 following a bloody civil war that lasted for five years. And on 17th April 1975, the s...