Singapore's reputation as a wealthy, aspirational and hi-tech country ensures it attracts a great deal of foreign talent - so why is it labelled the world's least positive country?
It was Christmas, but as my husband and I waited for our luggage in the shiny arrivals hall of Changi airport, the internet delivered tidings of no joy.
"Check this out," posted one friend on my Facebook wall, with a link to asurvey of 148 countries in which Singaporeans were revealed to be the least positive people on earth.
At the bottom of the happy pile along with Iraqis, Armenians and Serbians. "Good luck in misery city!" he wrote.
Over the next few months a happiness battle kicked off around us. Singapore's politicians reinforced their commitment to well-being and Starhub - a mobile network provider - launched an advertising campaign called "happiness everywhere", full of smiling Singaporeans dancing to plinky-plonky guitar music.
On the other side there emerged, mostly on the internet, an army of discontented souls who applauded the survey for validating their sense that life just seems to be getting harder and more expensive as Singapore gets richer.
Personally, I chose to ignore the public hyperbole and concentrate on what I encountered personally. And sure enough we have found plenty of apparent happiness.
In the free public BBQ pits of Singapore's beautifully-kept parks, for example - always full of jolly families and groups of friends enjoying an evening in the tropical heat over a cool-box of beer.
And in the broad, toothless grin of the septuagenarian vendor at our local food court, who served me my daily dose of delicious, fresh pineapple juice.
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