Singapore — In Search of the Body and the Soul

Upon leaving an assignment, the head of a diplomatic mission is usually asked to sum up for his Lords and Masters back home. This parting shot is supposed to look at both, body — what you see from some observation up close — and soul — what you feel when living there — of a country. With the added benefit of some five years of hindsight since leaving as an envoy, I will try to do this here with a look at Singapore as an eventual paragon for Asia as well as some personal remarks on Singaporean theatre as examples for the body and for the soul of the country…