I was in Singapore the other week and what caught my attention, aside from the famously lush greenery (it’s just as hot there as it is here, so why isn’t a single plant or patch of grass dry and brown?), is how smooth the roads are. Not just the four-lane highway from the airport into town, but even the high-traffic city streets – like Orchard and Bukit Timah roads and inner city streets like New Bridge Road and Seah Street (the latter where that famous chicken rice place is located) – offer a cushioned ride. Of course it helps that their public transport, especially taxis, use new, well-maintained vehicles (one cab we took was a hybrid, so quiet and smooth).