Despite it being one of our country's neighbors in Southeast Asia, I had only set foot in the land of the famous Merlion a couple of months ago. I admit that I had been wanting to go; and finally, when the opportunity presented itself, I went.Ever heard the saying, "to each his own?" Well, I was disappointed to learn that Singapore, one of the most popular and most visited countries in the region, was not an "each" to my "own".
I deeply wish that I was a more traveled person, so that I would have notes to compare this trip with and make myself a more credible source. But unfortunately, I am not (not yet anyway, *fingers crossed*). Hopefully, my innate passion for culture makes up for my naivete. Not that I expect anyone to take me seriously anyway.
I found Singapore to be a "fine" country; mainly because you get fined for pretty much everything. As a city girl born and bred in a corrupt third world country, I found it to be a little.. disturbing. But in a good way. The streets there are impeccably clean and the rules really ARE rules, not guidelines that you can somehow manage to get around with a little extra cash and occasional name dropping. It was a disorienting experience. So much so, that it was hard for me to remember that we were still in Asia, and in the same time zone no less!
But if I were to use a metaphor to describe this city, this would be it: Singapore is a Bimbo. It's a very pretty city. It's very high maintenance. It's great fun. But unfortunately, for me; just like a Bimbo, it lacked depth. There was no grit, no grime, no.. excitement. Everything is so controlled, so contained and so.. stifled. The people who live there seem to do only 3 things day in and day out; work like crazy, shop til they drop and eat delicious food (Hainanese Chicken, score!). And occasionally, one can visit one of the big, one-of-a-kind tourist attractions. I'll be the first to admit that I am a fan of all these things. But once that's over and done with, what is there left to do? The quality of their food, government, merchandise, business, and economy are definitely of the first world standard. But in my humble opinion, their quality of life leaves much to be desired.
I'm sure a lot of people will disagree with me but remember, to each his own. It saddens me to say, I don't heart Singapore. Or maybe, it doesn't heart me. I don't really know for sure but I do know that we've finally met, and didn't really dig each other.
