Why?
Singapore has been synonymous with commerce since its days as a trading post
for the British East India Company in the early 19th century. Today,
business centres on Raffles Place, a soaring skyline of glass and steel
clustered around the mouth of the Singapore River and named, of course,
after the island’s colonist, Sir Stamford Raffles.
Why?
Culture, wealth, history: there’s a palpable and integrated sense of all three
in New Haven. This attractive Connecticut city wears its past with evident
pride. Not only is it one of the oldest planned communities of North America
but, of course, it is also home to Yale University.
Why?
The website houstonitsworthit.com
recently invited residents to say what they liked about their sprawling
oil-rich city. One answer ran: "If Houston were a dog, she’d be a mutt
with three legs, one bad eye, fleas the size of corn nuts and buck teeth.
Despite all that, she’d be the best dog you’ll ever know."
Why?
Just because Brussels isn’t Paris, Berlin or Amsterdam, the assumption is
often made that it’s completely eclipsed by these larger neighbours. But the
capital city of Europe is a fun, friendly place, accessible on foot and
devoted to food.
Why?
New York is so full of thrills and new experiences that it would be a criminal
waste of a transatlantic business trip not to take a bite out of this unique
city. For fashion lovers, there’s the new Gucci store (www.gucci.com)
on Fifth Avenue. In true Big Apple style, this towering glass edifice claims
to be ‘the biggest Gucci store in the world’ and, to celebrate its opening,
a host of special New York-branded apparel is on offer for those who want to
take home something a little swankier than a Yankees cap.