Wayne, the chap that just completed a circumnavigation is not moored
in Sebana cove, a rather remote Malaysian marina just across from
Singapore. He recently sent me an e-mail that says, in part:

--------------------------------------------
Hello Bruce,

Well, I finally got up and went into Singapore. What a hassle that
turned out to be! Life ain't easy for someone who has had almost two
good years of limited hassles and plenty of relaxation. Should have
stayed at sea! :-)

It was really something to be half running to catch trains, swiping
the Ezy card, queuing for a burger, queuing for a taxi and Orchard
Road underpass features are being revamped so much that I had
difficulty getting across.

But it all has to be done and I am trying to get it back together
again somehow. Getting to Singapore from here was a bother. It cost me
about M$ 360 in taxis & ferries to get from Sebana Cove to Tanah Merah
and back with a lot of waiting time! I am looking at alternative
methods and considering moving to the west side of JB if I have to.
Although the quietness of this place is probably worth a lot.
.....

I had some business at HSBC to get done and absentmindedly went there
without knowing my acct numbers. My name wasn't good enough to find me
at their accounts front desk and over the past two years, they have
probably gone thru half a dozen complete personnel turn-overs so there
isn't anyone who's name I could use. So the gal called a number and I
had to speak to a guy giving him those verification answers for my
identity. He sounded Filipino and when I asked him where he was a few
times, he admitted to being in Manila! So HSBC has outsourced simple
things like client verification with account details to handle and
maybe a lot more...

Glad to be back on my little twin pontoon home.

Drop a line when you get time.

Best regards .... Wayne
----------------------------------------------------------

HSBC = Hongkong Shanghai Banking Corporation

I find it interesting that even Singapore, with no legal minimum
salary, is outsourcing jobs.

--
Cheers,

Bruce in Bangkok