Singapore: Asia Lite
Posted on 16 April 2009 by Natalie
Justin and I were introduced to Singapore by Rex and Lisa, an American couple who have lived in Singapore since 2007. They describes Singapore as ‘Asia Lite’ because it is clean, welcoming and nothing seems too invasive (overwhelming). Not only did Rex and Lisa invite us to stay with them, but they also dedicated an entire weekend to help us experience Singapore. After experiencing some of Singapore, I decided that I agree and also affectionately refer to Singapore as ‘Asia Lite’.
You may be wondering, where is Singapore and is it a city or a country? It is both a city and a country, located on a small island just south of peninsular Malaysia. Although Singapore is small, it is centrally located. Its central location and modern airport make Singapore one of the transportation hubs of South East Asia
Singapore’s government conducts extensive city planning, as every square foot of Singapore’s small size is structured to create modern efficiency in order to propel Singapore to economic greatness. In fact, after living in Singapore for over a year, Rex and Lisa developed a great metaphor to explain Singapore. In many ways, Singapore is a life size version of SimCity the computer game. The land will only hold a certain number of buildings and when a new element of the city is needed, such as a new housing development or a library, these buildings are strategically planned and constructed. Existing buildings are demolished to create new space.
For those who enjoy food (and seriously, who doesn’t?) Singapore is a great place to find almost any type of food. The city of Singapore offers a variety of cultural districts including Chinatown, Little India, Arab Street (really, that’s the name of the street) and many other small subcultures offering delicious dining. The fresh juices are incredible. I will never forget my first Avocado juice - green, smooth and full of potassium. Foodies, flock to Singapore during your next appetite for adventure.
Another great aspect of Singapore is its simple public transportation system. It is possible to hop on and off of the MRT (the underground transportation system in Singapore) and arrive in a new location within a few minutes. Since Singapore is an island, you are never too far from the beach. I found a few kids having fun on the shore taking advantage of the beach along East Coast Parkway.
As for the phrase ‘Asia Light’ I agree 100%, especially after my time in China. When I was a college student, I spent a summer semester (2005) in Beijing studying Mandarin Chinese at a university. This is the best point of reference or comparison I may offer.
A few comparisons of Singapore and China:
In Singapore the standard Western toilet bowl is typically found in most public bathrooms. In China however, at least in 2005, the squatter toilet was common. Or my favorite, the trough style toilet, which I actually took a picture of. They really exist.
Singapore law will fine individuals for spitting on the sidewalk and as a result, Singapore’s streets are so clean they practically sparkle. While young children in China can be seen going to the bathroom on public walking paths. These young children (typically 4 years old and younger) will tend to wear clothing with no fabric around their bottoms, allowing easy access to relieve themselves as desired. Note the baby bum in the photo below.
Singapore’s street vendors (hawkers) are certified with a strict grading system. A’s for the most clean and sanitary establishments, B’s for rather sanitary, C’s and so on. Compare this to China’s street vendors selling mango on a stick shouting, “yi quai, yi quai, yi quai” (one dollar, one dollar, one dollar). Who knows where the mango was pealed? Or how long it’s been on the stick, in the sun, with flies landing on it. But it’s only one Chinese dollar ($0.15 US) and on a hot summer day, mango on a stick sounds great! Don’t worry, when traveling to Singapore just look for the big A and you will know your food is not only delicious but also safe to consume. As a backpacker, you can learn to eat all of your meals at Maxwell Food Center.
Get into a Singapore cab and you will be able to a converse in English, just like you could with a New York City cab driver. It is humorous to compare this to my cab ride experiences in China. With some characters scribbled onto a piece of paper and my best conversation skills after studying Chinese in college for 2 years, I would still find myself hoping to end up at my intended destination.
If you want to travel and witness intense Asian culture, as illustrated in my comparisons and the last two photographs, travel to China. However, if you are a bit apprehensive to undergo the culture shock Asia offers, perhaps Singapore is a good way to start. Ease in with Singapore, ‘Asia Lite’. You can even drink the tap water.
Nomadic Matt has put together a great list of cheap things to do in Singapore. Feel free to check it out.
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Tags | food, friends, urban exploration
You have done it so well, and I can’t agree with you more!
As you might know, I live in Singapore. I have also been to a few Asian countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia (very often!), Thailand and further up to mainland China. What I like about Singapore as compared to those countries that I visited are:
1) Safety – low crime rate, you feel safe walking on the street even past midnight.
2) Cleanliness:
Toilet- I am pretty particular with toilets! Ha! And well done! You took a pic of that “toilet” in China! I think that “toilet” is already considered quite good in China HEHE!! Some I didn’t even dare to look down on the floor in case I might vomit. LOL Even in Malaysia, the public restrooms aren’t good. You don’t really see toilet paper in the cubicles, and the seats and floors are always wet.
3) Culture – Here in S’pore, it’s colourful! Don’t you think so? We have 4 main races here: Chinese (75%), follows by
Malay as the second largest race group, Indian and Eurasian. Singapore is a very young nation. My grandparents were
from China. They migrated to Singapore to find work, just like most other immigrants in the past. So they were the first
generation Singaporeans (immigrants).
For Chinese race, we have 4 main dialect groups too. They came from different parts of China, mainly from the Southern China. So we have Hokkien, Teochew (from Fuzhou), Cantonese (from Guangzhou) and Hakka.
When it comes to festivals, we get the chance to appreciate different cultures. One good thing about our government is, during these 40+ years, they organise the whole city well, from slums to high rise buildings; there used to be a lot of gangs and racial riots in the 50s/early 60s but now, we all live harmoniously together.
When it comes to food, it’s flavourful!
And we have created our own flavours too. If you have tasted before, like fried kuayteow, fried Hokkien prawn mee, fried carrot cakes, rojaks, Hainanese chicken rice, just to name a few.
But when it comes to international food, I think you can find them easily everywhere in Singapore, cheaper and more choices.
Here, it’s a food paradise. You can get to eat hawker food all day all night! There are many 24-hours food centres around in residential areas.
Thanks Eunice,
It is great to know that someone who lives in Singapore thinks my observations are accurate. Thank you!
You are so informative in what you have shared. After reading what you wrote, it makes me want to return and enjoy more of Singapore. People who have never been to Singapore will want to visit after reading what you have shared. You confirm that Singapore is safe, the bathrooms are clean and the food is delicious. What more could you want when traveling in Asia?
Thanks again for taking the time to share more details and information than I was able to provide. Enjoy your travel adventures!
Hi Natalie,
Thanks for publishing my 2 cents worth of views about SG in your comment box!
Now SG is even cleaner cos of the recent H1N1 cases in some countries! I see more cleaners around. HA! Fortunately, there are no cases of H1N1 in SG till now.
I just knew that you took Chinese as a minor subject. So you can speak some Mandarin?
I visited the States 2 yrs ago, and really enjoyed it very much. Fyi, we have relatives staying in Virginia and they are coming to SG next Sat to stay with us in our little home. You know, Sg is very small and most of us stay in high-rise flats. I also hope to visit the States again, it’s so big and so much to discover.
Anyway, I am going to Malaysia again in 2 weeks’ time. My husband is a Malaysian, so back to his hometown!
Enjoy your travel adventures too!!
No problem Eunice. I was glad to see your thoughts and ideas published.
Have fun with your relatives from Virginia. When you visit the United States again be sure to let me know. I have many friends and family that would let you stay with them. However, I am the only one able to speak Mandarin. It would give you an opportunity to continue to improve your English. Although, I think it’s fantastic!
Enjoy returning to Malaysia with your husband. I am sure you will have a blast.
Hi Natalie
Interesting account of Singapore. You couldnt be more accurate with the SimCity comparison – everything in Singapore is accurately zoned out and permits required to do anything
The trough style toilet in China is quite grossed though.. haha.. i imagined that there is no flushing system and the toilet is built on a gradient so everything is pulled down by gravity?
ZQ
Yes, Singapore is like SimCity. Very accurately planned and zoned.
And as for the trough style toilets of China…I think it’s a combination of gravity and a bathroom attendant hosing the trough out every few days. Allowing the water pressure to push the waste out.