Wanderlust is a bittersweet concept. Having spent a good part of our lives in such a tiny island, we Singaporeans constantly have an innate longing to venture out into the vast unknown, tread on uncharted territories and take in all the sights and sounds the great big world has to offer.
We harbour big, big dreams to explore every nook and cranny in the world, one city at a time. We make ever-growing bucket lists and follow Instagram accounts with feeds that only serve to fuel our travel fantasies. But as much as we “can’t wait to escape the heat”, a part of our heart will always belong to our lion city. Here are some aspects of Singapore we only come to miss when we’re not around.
1. Sometimes It’s Good to be Small
You start to realise that EVEYRWHERE is accessible back home. Singapore is so small that a one-hour plus train journey from Pasir Ris to Jurong is our definition of “far”. Alternatively, you can jump into a cab and the time it takes to get there is reduced by a good 30 minutes. Far is a relative concept when we’re overseas. When a drive to the nearest convenience store takes at least an hour, that is when you truly start to appreciate our 719.1 km² land area.
2. Our 10/10 Security
Okay, we know this is a bad habit most of us have but let’s be real, we don’t exactly clutch our bags to our chest when we’re eating out (hell, some of us even use our bags to chope seats). Our phones and wallets are more often than not, carelessly strewn all over the table. Safety is one of the best things about Singapore that most of us take for granted. Stepping out of the house for supper is commonplace, and night cycling and prawning are popular activities we partake in. In many other countries, it’s hide yo kids, hide yo wife time when the sun goes down. We are also geographically blessed. Landslides, forest fires and volcano eruptions are threats we don’t face – our “biggest natural disaster” thus far was the heavy flooding on Orchard Road.
3. Vibrant Night Scene
If you’ve been to countries like Australia, you would know that life crawls to a slow by sunset. Shutters go down by 5 pm and everyone is back home for dinner come nightfall. While this laid back way of life may be a relaxing respite from our hectic lifestyle, sometimes we can’t help but crave a prata and teh tarik combo from a 24-hour coffee shop, or hit the clubs for a night of TGIF partying.
4. The Grass is Honestly Greener on Our Side
Outsiders mock us relentlessly for being a fine city, and we’ve heard about our chewing gum law from foreign friends about a thousand times. But because these laws are in place, what we have is a relatively spotless cityscape and most importantly, public toilets that are actually clean. We may not be at Japan’s level, but we’re not too shabby ourselves either. Ask any tourist what they like about Singapore and they will, apart from our impeccable food, gush about how clean our public spaces are. We’ve got an army of cleaners, dustbins at every corner and NEA officers patrolling the streets to catch litterbugs.
5. Public Transport
We must admit that our public transport is not at its best right now (read: frequent train breakdowns). It is also an every-man-for-himself battlefield during peak hours. But it is still one of the cleanest and more efficient transport systems in the world. On breakdown-free days, we wait an average of five minutes for a train, nothing more. While we may be the most expensive city to live in, train and bus fares are still relatively easy on the wallet, as compared to our European counterparts. Our MRT lines are also pretty straightforward. If you’ve been to cities like Tokyo, an entanglement of squiggly lines known as the rail system map will overwhelm you at first glance.
6. Food
And finally, the national obsession that unites all Singaporeans in this foodie paradise we call home. Being a multi-racial nation comes with perks – a vibrant foodscape with cuisines from all over the world. Ask anyone who has lived abroad for a substantial period of time and chances are they won’t say they miss food from Michelin star restaurants or the cafés in Tiong Bahru. Singlish echoes of “Katong laksa!” or “prawn mee!” will reverberate loud and clear. There’s nowhere else in the world you can get a satisfying plate of Hainanese chicken rice with a bomb-ass chili paste for just $3 – cheap and good hawker food is something we take pride in.
There are about a hundred and one complaints we can easily list about Singapore. From our inferno-like weather to our absurd COE prices to our exponentially growing population, right down to the treacherous waiting time at polyclinics. But at the end of the day, there are still certain overlooked aspects about Singapore to be grateful for.
(Header image credit: from pictures above. Gardens by the bay picture credit: zoe lai. Words by editor)
