Eugene's Blog: января 2017

Policy: Nairobi National Park vs Exim Bank of China

января 31, 2017
By Unknown
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A new Chinese-funded 472km standard-gauge railway line is being built in Kenya, the first part of which will link Mombasa with Nairobi.[2] Kenya is on course to complete the construction works in the second half of 2017, “but it’s only a part of a much wider project that will eventually link Mombasa with other major East African cities such as Kampala in Uganda”[1].

“Now, the first section of the east African nation's $13.8 billion railway is nearly finished”[1]. “It is hoped that the track will shorten the journey between the two cities from 12 hours to four hours. Passenger trains will travel at 120km/h, and freight trains will be able to carry 25 million tons per year, according to the International Railway Journal”[1]. “The hope is that this new railway will reduce congestion on Kenya's crowded road network, and promote tourism”[1]. “Eventually, the East African Railway Masterplan will link Mombasa with other major east African cities such as Kampala, in Uganda, and Juba, in South Sudan”[1].

140106102352-kenya-rail-map-horizontal-large-gallery.jpg

140106102352-kenya-rail-map-horizontal-large-gallery.jpg

(Accessed and sources: http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/15/africa/kenya-railway-east-africa/)

“Financing for the new line is provided by the Exim Bank of China which agreed to support 90%, or $US 3.42bn, of the project’s costs. The overall loan consists of a $US 1.6bn concessional loan payable over 20 years and a commercial loan of $US 1.82bn payable over 15 years. Both loans have been guaranteed by Kenya’s National Treasury. Yet achieving sufficient traffic volumes on the standard-gauge line to meet the cost of operations and repayment of the loan at this stage is far from assured”[2].

“While the hope is that once operational the line will provide the foundation for further economic growth in Kenya and east Africa, the first phase of the project has already provided additional jobs. Maina says the project has provided nearly 19,000 local people with direct employment and about 6000 indirectly”[2]. “More than 250 local suppliers have been directly engaged with supplying materials and subcontracting services to the project,” he says.

“The extension crosses rugged terrain and is the most challenging of the project. It will require 28km of bridges and 8.5km of tunnels, including one which will be 5.3km long and 70m deep and is expected to take five years to drill. The route also has high embankments and the cuttings will require slope protection according to its design details. It will also span existing infrastructure such as roads and the metre-gauge line. This section will cost $US 1.5bn, or $US 12.5m per km compared with $US 8m per km for the 472km stretch between Mombasa and Nairobi”[2].

kenya-train-nometatest.adapt.1190.1.png

(Accessed and sources: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160412-railway-kenya-parks-wildlife/)

“The park in southeastern Kenya was already traversed by an old, colonial-built rail line and a two-lane highway, both linking Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, to the coast at Mombasa. But the new railway, unlike the old one and the highway, is being built on a steep man-made embankment that elephants cannot cross. The railway has only a few bridges under which elephants and giraffes can pass, so in other places, they are forced to use underpasses constructed where the animals were believed to migrate”[3].

02-nairobi-train-construction.adapt.1900.1.jpg

02-nairobi-train-construction.adapt.1900.1.jpg

(Accessed and sources: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160412-railway-kenya-parks-wildlife/)

The official reason of why Chinese decided to pave the railroad through the National Park is because of cheaper land. But the real reason may be hidden from the eyes of ordinary people.

“After the visit by China’s president to Kenya in April 2006, the Kenya government allocated China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) exclusive rights, with no competitive bidding, to 6 out of the 11 available oil exploration blocks in the country. Current but outdated mining laws allow the government to do that. This opened 28 percent of total oil exploration area coverage in Kenya to CNOOC”[4].

“Petroleum exploration in Kenya started in the 1950s when Shell and British Petroleum drilled 10 wells at the coastal town of Lamu that proved to be dry. With improved underground oil surveillance technology, more companies have since joined in: Woodside Energy (Australia), Chevron, Exxon, and Petronas of Malaysia. None of them has found commercially exploitable quantities of natural gas or oil. And it remains to be seen if CNOOC will buck this trend”[4].

It’s important to provide a more thorough research of the China-Kenya relations in order to understand what rights China actually has in Kenya. The most important question that has to be answered is whether China is able to extract oil or minerals in Kenya or not. If the answer is positive, then it will be reasonable to check if the part of the Nairobi National Park, that will be disconnected from the main part by the railway, has any deposits of minerals and oil. In this case, it may be possible that China has an idea of extracting these oil or minerals deposits, because after cutting the park into two parts, the smaller part will not be protected by the natural agency anymore, and therefore China will be able to start extracting deposits.

References

[1] Phoebe Parke, “Kenya's $13 billion railway project is taking shape”, http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/15/africa/kenya-railway-east-africa/

[2] Shem Oirere, “Kenya readies first standard-gauge line”, http://www.railjournal.com/index.php/africa/kenya-readies-first-standard-gauge-line.html

[3] Jacob Kushner, “Controversial Railway Splits Kenya’s Parks, Threatens Wildlife”, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/160412-railway-kenya-parks-wildlife/

[4] Michael Chege, “Economic Relations between Kenya and China, 1963–2007”.

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Academic writing

Article: "Metaphysics: Consciousness"

января 24, 2017
By Unknown
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Nowadays, we are experiencing a boom of work on the topic of artificial intelligence. The most popular question is “when will we create a fully artificial intelligence?”. The general population interested in this topic know almost nothing about it and, therefore, have very high expectations of this field. Before being able to create such a unique system as an artificial intelligence, people have to understand what AI is: do we have a consciousness which helps us to make our own decisions, or do all of us follow some algorithm that we are not aware of?

This motivation of exploring the field, to create an artificial intelligence, is, perhaps, very dangerous for humanity as it is impossible to predict the behavior of the AI and whether it is dangerous for humanity or not. One thing can be said for sure, the existence of the Internet in our world and the fact that more and more devices and houses become “smart”, potentially gives the AI almost ultimate power over humans as it would be able to control almost every aspect of our lives.

Fortunately, not all people are interested in AI as a step to create a controlling AI which would become our driver, guard, and chef. There are those people who are just curious about the idea that people are unique creatures and we don’t follow any sophisticated algorithm of behavior, as well as those who want to prove the opposite, that we are not that unique and that we ourselves can be part of a large simulation.

This idea is called the “Simulation hypothesis”. The main idea of this hypothesis is that all our universe and everything that is inside of it, including humans, is nothing more than a very big and computationally difficult computer simulation (1).

If humans ever succeed in creating such a program that will simulate a consciousness, then it’s possible that our universe, humanity and our consciousness is a larger simulation. Nowadays, scientists are trying to create a digital version of an animal brain from scratch, which is based on studies of real species “First digital animal will be a perfect copy of real worm” (1). So, there is a chance that in a while we will be able to create a real animal and even a human being in a virtual reality (1).

There are two projects that are currently in the process of development: robotics version of the worm, and a full digital copy of the worm. Both of these projects are very interesting from the scientific perspective. The first project resulted in a plastic Lego robot with two wheels which “trundles forward, encounters a wall, stops, reverses” (4). At first sight, there is nothing special in this behavior, except the fact that this robot was never programmed to “tell it when to stop and when to turn” (4). But, this robotic version of a worm has a precise copy of the worm’s brain, it has the same amount of cells as a real nematode brain, the same amount of neurons, and synopsis. The other project is a cell-for-cell digital copy of the worm, living in a virtual reality. Both projects work with the “simplest, smallest brain that we know of – the one that is inside the nematode worm Caenorhabditis Elegans” (4). This is a very unique organism because it has an extremely easy structure, it consists of only 959 cells, yet 80 percent of its genes are the same as humans’ ones. These projects have very specific goals which are “more than just a technical challenge” (4), which is also very important, because as John Long, a roboticist and neuroscientist at Vassar College in New York State, says -- “The mere act of trying to put a working model together causes us to realise what we know and what we don’t know” (4). One of the most important and uncomfortable questions that these projects pose is “if a digital model is an exact replica of a living animal, is it then alive” (4).

According to Anil Ananthaswamy in (1), we will not be able to find out whether we are a part of a simulation or not, because if we are inside of the system, we can’t observe anything outside of it, and therefore the “outside” doesn’t exist for us. But one of the questions that we can possibly try to attack is where a robust experience that “I exist” comes from.

It turned out that an analysis of the Cotard’s syndrome, “in which people are convinced that they do not exist” (1), can shed some light on it. Scientists published their studies of a person with Cotard’s. The results showed that there was an anomaly “in a brain network normally associated with internal awareness, including the awareness of our body and its emotional state” (1). This part of a brain network functioned as if a person was unconscious. The research supposed that this abnormal brain activity caused this perception of non-existence.

Researchers proposed an idea that our brain “generates a feeling of existence”(1) by perceiving our body and all its different states (1). Our brain works, in fact, like a very complicated prediction machine, because it analyzes all signals that the brain permanently receives and simultaneously predicts what caused these signals. Anil Ananthaswamy provides an example of this prediction in (1): “when you are walking by the coast, the brain has to be able to perceive that you are about to come to a cliff – if you don’t, you may fall off the edge”. To be able to achieve this behavior, the brain has to store internal models of the world, body, and the knowledge or prior experience of the world (in the particular example -- physical laws). Moreover, in order to make accurate predictions and computations, the brain has to maintain the integrity of its “virtual” world. “The brain is a system that is continually trying to prove its own existence,” says Metzinger (1).

There is one even more important question that we can possibly try to answer. Cotard’s syndrome eliminates the feeling of existence, but a person still experiences himself as a unique human being, as an “I” (2). Some scientists tend to think that this concept of “I” is the “by-product of consciousness itself” (2). This is a very important topic to explore, because if it is true that the concept of “I” is the by-product of consciousness, then simulating the consciousness, we will be able to simulate the unique personality that will think about itself as “I”.

René Descartes, a famous mathematician of the 17th century, the person who gave birth to the analytical geometry, also influenced neuroscience. One of the most famous of his opinions is the idea that “the body and conscious mind are two different substances: the first is made of matter, the latter is immaterial” (2). The field has moved on since that time, and “nowadays it’s widely accepted by most of the scientists that the brain gives rise to consciousness” (2), it’s not proven though.

David Chalmers at New York University claims this problem as a “hard” one because it is unclear “how physical networks of neurons can produce experiences that appear to fall outside the material world”.

Those people, who are working on this problem are divided into two camps: those, who think, that consciousness is something real, and those who think that it is a mirage and it actually doesn’t exist, and therefore there is no problem (2).

The opinion of the first camp is that consciousness is a fundamental component of the universe and it stands alongside real matter, therefore it “cannot be explained by our present understanding of physics” (2).

Even in this hypothesis, scientists have a few logical problems, because sometimes consciousness can interact with the real matter, e.g. “conscious desire to move your arm results in physical movement” (2). “But the fundamentals of how this happens remain hazy” (2).

Those people from the second camp argue that consciousness is “nothing but a trick of the mind,” (2) and that the mind also creates both an immaterial “I” and the feeling of a conscious experience when these immaterial things don’t exist (2).

Tufts University philosopher Daniel Dennett and other “materialists” try to explain how the brain performs this trick. One of the opinions is that consciousness is “the brain’s way of describing to itself what it means to pay attention to and deeply process a signal” (2).

Moreover, most materialists think that after the death there is nothing left, which means that our immaterial “I” doesn’t really exist, it’s just an illusion (2).

In sum, it can be concluded that nowadays scientists are working hard in the field of consciousness in order to understand its roots and even simulate it. Although researchers don’t have any bad intentions to create a fully functional AI, their curiosity in the field doesn’t let them think a lot about what consequences can arise if they were to succeed in their work. The project “OpenWorm”, in which researchers try to replicate a particular type of a worm in a virtual environment, resulted in a very promising project, which already gave some very interesting and important results, such as, for example, the ability of the brain to detect borders of the placement where this worm dwells, even though there was no teaching process that would explain such a behavior. Such projects like “OpenWorm”, which explore how animals’ brains work, may help people to better understand how they live and what they think, and maybe use this information for our benefit in some practical applications, for example in medicine, in future.

Even though people have worked on the problem of understanding consciousness since the 17th century with almost no progress in this field, there is still a hope that we will get valuable results studying such diseases like Cotard’s syndrome. There are a lot of problems that humans should answer before we will be able to achieve some serious results in this area, what is the concept of “I” and how it relates to consciousness are examples of such questions that should be answered.

Because a lot of people these days are working hard on this type of problems, there is a chance that we will be able to create a conscious being in a computer environment.

Bibliography

[1] Anil Ananthaswamy -- Metaphysics special: How do I know I exist?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130890-200-metaphysics-special-philosophys-biggest-questions-unravelled/

[2] Anil Ananthaswamy -- Metaphysics special: What is consciousness?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130890-300-metaphysics-special-what-is-consciousness/

[3] Richard Webb -- Metaphysics special: Why is there something rather than nothing?

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23130890-400-metaphysics-special-why-is-there-something-rather-than-nothing/

[4] Catherine Brahic -- First digital animal will be perfect copy of real worm

https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22429972-300-first-digital-animal-will-be-perfect-copy-of-real-worm/

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Appreciation of currency

Presentation: Appreciation of currency

января 24, 2017
By Unknown
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This article and the presentation, which you can find at the end of the article, are the results of the home assignment of three students for the Global Business class at EF New York 2016-2017.

What is an appreciation of an exchange rate?

A rise in the exchange rate is known as an appreciation in the exchange rate (or revaluation (the opposite of “devaluation”) in a fixed exchange rate system). It means the value of one currency increased in terms of another.

S2 = S1 * C1/C2,

where Si -- the value of a commodity in i-th currency; C1/C2 -- exchange rate C1 to C2.

Why does the exchange rate change?

Exchange rates are determined by basic supply and demand factors. The demand for a currency is influenced by factors, such as interest rates, economic growth, inflation, government policy and business cycles. The demand for a currency on the international exchange markets depends upon the demand for that country's products in the international markets. For example, if there was greater demand for American goods then there would tend to be an appreciation (increase in value) of the dollar. Factors that make us want more foreign goods, services, and assets more attractive (eg. more income, lower foreign prices, greater perceived value of foreign goods, higher foreign interest rates, etc.) will increase the demand for the foreign currency and cause it to appreciate. Factors that make foreign goods, services, and assets less attractive to us will lower the demand for the foreign currency and cause it to depreciate.

For example, suppose that Americans decide to go on an international spending spree and stock up on British tea sets. What will happen? The new demand for tea sets will increase demand for the British pounds needed to buy them. This shifts the demand for pounds from D₀ to D₁ and, at the original exchange rate (ER₀) creates an excess demand for pounds. How do we induce the British to part with their pounds? We offer them a better deal. The new demand drives up the equilibrium rate to ER₁. With the dollar price of the pound rising, the British pound has appreciated and the dollar has depreciated.

A value of a currency.

Currencies are quoted and traded in pairs. Unlike a stock, of which the price represents its value, a currency quote is a rate at which one currency is exchanged for another.

What happens to the currency when interest rates rise?

The higher interest rates that can be earned tend to attract foreign investment, increasing the demand for and value of the home country's currency. Conversely, lower interest rates tend to be unattractive for foreign investment and decrease the currency's relative value.

Consequences of a currency appreciation.

The cost of goods and services increases in value for international tourists and people, who use other types of currency.

Consequences (national) of a big currency appreciation.

For a currency, too much appreciation can have a negative impact on the underlying economy. For example, for a country with an appreciating currency, imports become cheaper, which translates to a benefit of lower prices, leading to lower overall inflation. However, that same currency appreciation makes exports more expensive to foreign buyers and ultimately curtails demand for the country’s products. This eventually leads to a reduction in gross domestic product (GDP), which is definitely not a benefit. Currency rates are, therefore, subject to the ebb and flow, or appreciation and depreciation, that correspond with the economic and business cycles of the underlying economies and are driven by market forces.

Example -- Russia

At present, Russia employs a floating exchange rate regime, which means that the ruble exchange rate against foreign currencies is set by the market, i.e. the ratio between the demand for foreign currency and its supply in the FX market. Any factors disturbing this ratio initiate exchange rate fluctuations. In particular, exchange rate dynamics may be influenced by changes in export and import prices, inflation levels and interest rates in Russia and other states, economic growth rates, investors’ sentiment and expectations in Russia and worldwide, changes in monetary policies pursued by central banks in Russia and other countries.

Thus, the ruble exchange rate is not set by the government or the central bank, it is not fixed, but there are targets set for its level and rates of change. It’s a common action that the Bank of Russia conducts interventions to influence the rubble dynamics.

The Bank of Russia switched to the floating exchange rate regime in November 2014. Prior to this transition, for many years the Bank of Russia had gradually increased exchange rate flexibility and had consistently reduced its interference in the domestic FX market. The transition to the floating exchange rate regime was a phase-out process in order to facilitate market participants’ adaptation to exchange rate fluctuations driven by the more flexible exchange rate.

Presentation link: google slides

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In English

Article: Rationalism

января 23, 2017
By Unknown
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General Definition: What is Rationalism?

Rationalism is based on knowledge which is based on reason and logic. It is based on facts rather than experience, in order to achieve a pre-definite goal. Rationalism is often a selfish decision making because there are no emotions or feelings involved, to be the most effective possible without caring about the future of other countries following this rational decision.

Rationalism according to Descartes

Descartes was one of the most influential philosophers in the 17th century and said that rationalism is based on mathematical hypothesis and demonstrations. According to him, maths are the basis to do scientifical research; through maths, you can get knowledge, and therefore think reasonably and logically (rationalism). Then, one can do science and apply this knowledge to gain experience.

Rationalism according to Kant

Immanuel Kant (1724–1804) is the central figure in modern philosophy. He synthesized early modern rationalism and empiricism, set the terms for much of nineteenth and twentieth-century philosophy, and continues to exercise a significant influence today in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, political philosophy, aesthetics, and other fields. He argues that the human understanding is the source of the general laws of nature that structure all our experience; and that human reason gives itself the moral law, which is our basis for belief in God, freedom, and immortality. Therefore, scientific knowledge, morality, and religious belief are mutually consistent and secure, because they all rest on the same foundation of human autonomy, which is also the final end of nature according to the teleological worldview of reflecting the judgment that Kant introduces to unify the theoretical and practical parts of his philosophical system.

Example of Rationalism: United Kingdom (Brexit)

The UK decided to leave the European Union (Brexit), and it was a rational decision since they wanted to stop the flow of people coming into the country, and they feel like they will be better off in terms of trades and treaties. When the UK took this decision, they did not think about the impact it could have on the immigrants trying to access this country in order to save their lives from their own country. Also, they decided to leave because they are persuaded that it will benefit the United Kingdom to be more powerful, independent, and to keep the resources for the population.

Example of Rationalism: China

China is very rational in term of economic development and pollution. Indeed, China first started developing its economy and through its economic development, new industries, and extremely heavy coal production, air pollution and other disastrous environmental hazards have occurred. When China decided to do everything to be more powerful and important compared to other countries, they made the decision not to be preoccupied with pollution and other environmental problems. This choice was rational because China cared about its standing within the global economy in first place, and not about the people’s health.

Example about Russia

Russia is a great example of a country that uses rationalism in the 21st century. One clear example of such a decision style can be found in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. It was a purely rational decision for Russia to occupy a part of Ukraine. The reasons were both military and social: it has one of the most important Russian fleets “Black Sea Fleet”, and one of the most famous recreation area of the USSR. Even though Russia worsened relationships with some countries, this act was necessary for the internal politics.

Links:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rationalism

https://www.britannica.com/topic/rationalism

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Etiquette

Policy: The Etiquette in Singapore

января 16, 2017
By Unknown
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Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, and often referred to as the Lion City or the Little Red Dot, is a sovereign city-state in Southeast Asia, and the world’s only island city-state. Despite its small size, Singapore has a diversity of languages, religions, and cultures [2]. It is a conglomeration of Chinese (76%), Malay (15%) and Indian (6%) cultures. In the past, this racial mixture has lead to some conflict. However, today most Singaporeans enjoy racial harmony and national unity. Each group works hard to maintain its cultural traditions while building a modern, cohesive society [3].

Each Singaporean’s behaviors and attitudes are influenced by, among other things, his or her home language, and his religion. Singaporeans who speak English as their native language tend to lean toward Western culture, while those who speak Chinese as their native language tend to lean toward Chinese culture and Confucianism. Malay-speaking Singaporeans tend to lean toward Malay culture, which itself is closely linked to Islamic culture [2].

Because of a lot of different cultures, religions, and languages, in order to maintain order, they have to follow a lot of rules and have a strict etiquette.

Etiquette is a code of behavior that delineates expectations for social behavior according to contemporary conventional norms within a society, social class, or group [1].

As with any country throughout the world, there are multiple “Do’s and Don’ts” in Singapore that should be considered when visiting, either for leisure or business. When traveling with a spouse or engaging in cultural activities with a significant other, avoid public displays of affection and always remain calm, showing little to no emotion. Joking or being humorous should only be done if you know someone well and after building a solid relationship. To help build a good relationship, when invited to a house for a party or gathering, always bring a gift, but ensure it is small enough not to be considered a bribe [4].

Throughout Singapore, Western clothing is very common, with the casual dress being popular, but there are some considerations to take into account. For men in business, always come prepared with a white shirt, standard tie, and trousers, but leave the jacket at home. For women in business, consider wearing a blouse with sleeves and a formal skirt or trouser suit [4].

The list of the most common rules and etiquette [3]:

Meeting and Greeting

Shake hands with everyone present at a business meeting or social occasion. Shake hands again when leaving. Your handshake should be firm.
Singaporeans may bow slightly as they shake your hand. Many Westerners are generally taller than Singaporeans so it would be polite to give a small bow. A slight bow for Chinese or older people is polite.

Body Language

Never touch a person’s or child’s head. The head is considered sacred.
The foot is considered the lowest part of the body and is thought to be unclean. The foot should never be used to point at someone, and you should never show the bottom of your feet. Tapping your foot or fidgeting your legs denotes feebleness and lack of interest. When crossing your legs, do so only by placing one knee over the other.

Corporate Culture

Westerners are expected to be punctual for social occasions and business meetings. Call if you are delayed. Tardiness is viewed as a sign of disrespect.
Business cards are exchanged upon being introduced. Exchange business cards with both hands after you are introduced.
The government finances many of the large corporations in Singapore. This bureaucratic system is known for its high efficiency and corruption-free business style. Western-style management is evident in large firms managed by Singaporeans.
Personal contacts are important in business. It takes several years to develop business relationships. Take time to know people before discussing business.
Singaporeans tend to get right down to business in meetings. Singaporeans are fast-paced and can make decisions quickly.
You are expected to deliver reports, correspondence, packages, etc. when promised.
Always talk straight and get right to the point with Singaporeans. You can be direct when dealing with issues of money.

As you could understand, there are a lot of different rules in Singapore. Unfortunately, there are a lot of those rules that may seem “shocking” for a European people. Here are some of them.

Chewing gum is banned in Singapore so leave it at home when packing your bags. Importation of chewing gums into the country, even if it is not for trading, is illegal. The current set of regulations does not have provisions for carrying gum for personal use. Improper disposal of gum and carrying large quantities of the banned product will cost a hefty fine of up to $1000 for first-time offenders [5].

Singapore is bent on maintaining its reputation for being impeccably clean, with an active campaign against littering and stringent enforcement in place. First-time offenders who throw small items like cigarette butts or candy wrappers are fined $300. Those who throw out bigger items like drink cans or bottles are considered defiant and are required to appear before the court. The punishment usually involves a Corrective Work Order (CWO), where the offenders clean up a specified area while wearing a bright luminous green vest [5].

Smoking is prohibited in certain areas in Singapore. The smoking prohibition currently covers all indoor places where the public congregates. The ban was revised in 2009 to include indoor public places that are not air-conditioned, such as shopping centers, offices, and shops. Outdoor public facilities, like fitness areas, sports courts, and playgrounds, were also included in the extension. In 2013, the ban extended even further to include multi-purpose halls, pedestrian overhead bridges, covered walkways and linkways, hospital outdoor compounds, and a five-meter perimeter around bus shelters. The extension also includes common areas of residential buildings [5].

Homosexual Relations. The legislation on “Outrages on Decency” criminalizes same-sex relations. This law used to be under the umbrella of “unnatural sex” or sex “against the order of nature.” Violators of this law can cost the offender up to two years in prison [5].

Summing up all the information, a very strict and at the same time very clean and disciplined country appears in the mind. But these rules and this lifestyle, in general, is definitely not for everyone.

Bibliography:

[1] “Etiquette” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette

[2] “Singapore” — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore

[3] “Singapore” — http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/ce_sg.htm

[4] “Guide To Singapore – Etiquette, Customs, Culture & Business” — http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/guide-to-singapore-etiquette-customs-culture-business.html

[5] “Singapore: Laws To Know Before You Go” — http://www.goabroad.com/articles/study-abroad/singapore-laws-to-know-before-you-go

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