After spending a good
one year in Singapore, I am back home. Do I miss Singapore? Yes. Would I like
to go back? No.. well, maybe if I had truck loads of money! Would I be happy
there? Probably.
Singapore is this
teeny tiny island just above the equator. It is 50 x 37 kms. So basically you
can cover the entire island in about a day’s time.
Who will enjoy?
People who LOVE
shopping and who love everything organized and easy.
Who won’t enjoy?
Nature lovers. But
there’s a ray of hope. Stay tuned.
What’s good?
Variety
If you are looking
for variety, this is the place for you – beaches, hills, river, nature
reservoirs, malls (lots of them), parks. But alas! A lot of the things that you
see are either manmade or has a lot of man-influence.
Shopping haven
Every single major
brand has a larger than life store on Orchard road. Louis Vuitton, Cartier,
Gucci, Chanel, Coach, Prada. You name it. Go bonkers on orchard road. If you
are still not satisfied, worry not, almost every street in Singapore has a mall
just for you! In fact, all the MRT (subway) stations have a mall on top. So if
you are taking the MRT, you are bound to get attracted towards these shops.
Food
Every MRT has a mall
and every mall has restaurants. It doesn’t stop there. Every neighborhood has a
hawker center. Here’s the thing – Singaporeans don’t cook. They just don’t. In
fact, don’t be surprised if some of the homes do not have a functional kitchen.
Because Singaporeans do not cook! They eat their breakfast, lunch and dinner at
hawker centers. I had a friend who had a monthly tie up with a hawker to make
customized food for all her meals! And a typical hawker center has gazillion
variety of dishes – chicken curry, crab, fish, shark fin soup(!), noodles, stir
fries. If you are a non-vegetarian and can get used to the overwhelming smell
of palm oil, you will be in food heaven. For dessert, try cendol or kachang!
Personal favorite:
Kopi C Kosong (coffee with condensed milk, without sugar) at ToastBox with
Peanut butter thick toast!
Photo credit: foodspotting.com
Photo credit: ordinarypatrons.com Photo credit: toastbox.com.sg
Public Transport
This is my top
favourite. Singapore has one of the best public transport systems ever. Coming
from India where public transport is in need of major restructuring and policy
reforms, I was in transport heaven. And since I later worked in one of
Singapore’s top research labs on Future Urban Mobility, I know how much effort
goes into ensuring that Singapore’s transport system works without a glitch.
There is a bus or MRT every 4 minutes on an average between 6am to 11pm. And
there is a bus or MRT station within walking distance from almost anywhere. All
major tourist attractions have an MRT station nearby.
Travel &
International Connectivity – the ray of hope!
Travel freaks and
adventurists, this is for you. Singapore has its strategic location to its
advantage. It is extremely well connected to the nearby countries. Malaysia is
right across the border, accessible by road, train or flight (take a cruise if
you fancy!). Indonesia is 2hrs by flight, Vietnam is 3hrs, Cambodia is 2hrs,
Thailand is 2hrs. Japan, New Zealand, Australia are slightly farther but within
easy reach. And all South East Asian countries have gorgeous natural beauty.
While Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia have beautiful white sand beaches and
rain forests, Vietnam is famous for its lakes and bays. Ha Long bay is an
absolute must visit. It is breathtakingly beautiful. Try to take a day and
night cruise and wake up to the surreal beauty at 5am! Siem Reap in Cambodia is
another gorgeous place. With 9th and 10th century ancient
temples captivating you, the beautiful countryside and paddy fields will leave
you mesmerized. During the monsoons, the natural beauty of this place is
absolutely refreshing.
What I don’t like?
Need I say more?
Smile Singapore!
Singapore is a fast
paced, never resting city. It wants to be ahead of the crowd. It wants to have
a strong economy. It is committed to reform. It does not want to be left
behind. But in this race, somewhere the people are overworked, underpaid and
emotionally distraught.
Somewhere, the smiles
are lost.
And yet, yes, I do miss Singapore and would definitely go back one day :)
