10 Reasons Why I Love Singapore

Before I ever stepped foot in Singapore, I heard and read a lot of things about it. For one thing, they say it's a "FINE" city, which implies that one wrong move, and you get fined. And I've heard stories about people getting publicly whipped for various offenses. Even though there are a lot of stories circulating from all kinds of sources, one thing I've learned, you really can't be too sure about a place, or truly get to know a place, unless you experience it for yourself.

Yes, before I booked a plane ticket, there was a bit of apprehension, I admit. But more than that, I really wanted to see Singapore. Mainly because I also heard a lot of positive reviews about the city and wonderful stories from people who have been there. So when I finally decided to pack up and head to the Lion City, it turned out to be one of the best decisions I've ever made.

The first time I visited Singapore in December 2010, it was only for 5 days. But those 5 days were more than enough for me to fall in love with the place. After that brief encounter with Singapore, I came back on April 8, 2011 and stayed there for 9 months. Having the opportunity to live in Singapore (no matter how short) is the best way to fully appreciate and enjoy the city. Here are just a few reasons why I love Singapore...

It's a very safe country. In fact, it's considered one of the safest countries in the whole world. You don't have to worry about thieves, snatchers, pickpockets, rape, etc. I got comfortable using my cellphone in public places and I carried my bag around (sometimes even open) without worrying that someone will snatch it away from me or steal anything from me. Once, in a bar, we just left our bags at our table while we were dancing on the dance floor. I used to walk home late at night not fearing for my safety. Of course, being born and raised in the Philippines, it's not easy at first. It's hardwired in my brain to worry about personal belongings and that leaving them in a public place is a complete no-no. But when I was in Singapore, I learned to worry less and trust more. Of course, I'm not saying that you should be irresponsible altogether, or do stupid things just to test the system. After all, a low crime rate doesn't necessarily mean zero crime. All I'm saying is, the city is safe enough to give people peace of mind. Never lose your common sense anywhere you go, even if you're in a safe place.

You don't have to submit your bags for inspection at every public entrance, like in the supermarket and MRT stations. In the Philippines, security guards at malls and other public buildings would ask visitors to open their bags for routine inspection to make sure they're not carrying any illegal stuff in there. This is a complete hassle for me, especially if there's a long line at the entrance and I have to wait in queue just to get in. I got so used to this in the Philippines that the first time I came to Singapore, I couldn't believe what I saw. People have the freedom to walk in and out of buildings without security guards! It was a strange feeling, to be honest, being able to walk into the supermarket with a plastic bag in my hand and a backpack without anyone stopping me for inspection. Out of habit, I even asked my friend if there were any baggage counters around so I can leave my things. But she said there was none! I've been to a lot of malls in Singapore, and I haven't seen a single baggage counter. I guess they're not scared of shoplifting there because CCTV's are installed practically everywhere and again, it's a very safe country.

There are no power interruptions and brownouts. This is one of the best perks you get when you live in Singapore. In the Philippines, particularly in my hometown, we have frequent brownouts. Imagine spending the night without lights and electric fan during the hot season. Imagine having your favorite TV show cut short or your Internet chat interrupted by power failure. Not very nice. But in Singapore, I can happily take off my battery laptop and just plug it while I'm inside my apartment. It's such a joy living in a place where you don't have to worry about electricity problems.

It's a clean city. Singapore is very clean, you can very rarely see garbage in the streets, and their toilets are also well maintained. There are people cleaning the city round the clock and there are also trash bins all around the city. Maybe this is partly because the people are scared they might be fined if they litter in the streets? LOL. Chewing gum is banned so you don't have to worry about accidentally touching a chewed out gum stuck in public walls or stepping on  it in the streets. It's really a nice feeling to walk around and you see everything is clean. Their toilets also have a steady supply of tissue paper, which is something I'm pretty sure women can really appreciate.

The public transportation system is fabulous! It's very easy to get around Singapore, because they have a fantastic public transportation system. All you need is an EZ-link card which you can top up and use in trains, buses, taxis, and a lot more! Their MRT stations are huge underground and very well maintained, Their taxi drivers are very honest, you don't have to worry about getting ripped off. Everything is fast and the traffic in the streets is not so bad, definitely unlike the traffic that we have in the Philippines. This is one of the things that I really wish our country can have as well. Here, even just riding the jeepney is stressful.

The food is awesome! Singapore is a food haven. I'm big on food and I love trying different kinds of dishes in different restaurants and food establishments. Singapore is your one-stop shop for everything edible. You can find all kinds of cuisines here. Wanna know my top 10 favorite food in Singapore?

It's a green city. Singapore has a lot of parks and greenery and trees dotting the streets and pratically the whole city. Even if it's hot out, you can comfortably walk under the shade of trees. Everywhere you go in the city, even amidst the tall buildings and hotels, there's always trees and shrubs on the sidewalk or even in the middle of the road. Talk about clean and green! My dad even said he hasn't sneezed once during our 5 days in Singapore. The trees and the plants really help a lot in making the air fresh and nice.

It's very tourist-friendly and multi-cultural. Another thing I love about Singapore is that it's very easy for tourists to navigate. It's NOT easy to get lost in Singapore. Somehow, there's always a road sign or a poster or an arrow to point you to the right direction. And there are numerous maps available as well. The people around can also help you out if you ask for directions because Singaporeans speak English. If you're a tourist, you'll really find Singapore very easy to explore, plus they've also got an online map, Streetdirectory.com which is very useful. This has been my most useful aid when trying to find a certain place in Singapore. In Singapore, you can also find diverse races and cultures. It's possible to have friends of different races and ethnicity. I met people from all kinds of places, Malaysians, Indians, Sri Lankans, Filipinos, Australians, and who knows what else? There's also a variety of cultures that you can immerse yourself in.

Singapore is not likely to have typhoons and earthquakes. Why is this? According to USA Today, Singapore is only 1.36 degrees of latitude north of the equator, which puts it about as deep into the tropics as you can go. Tropical cyclones generally DO NOT form within about five or so degrees of latitude from equator because the Coriolis effect, caused by Earth's rotation, is not strong enough to create the swirl of wind and thunderstorms around a center that tropical cyclones need. That's why Singapore doesn't have typhoons (apart from a rare one which happened in 2001). Also, Singapore is located in a seismically stable zone, far away from fault lines, so it's less likely to experience earthquakes. Who wouldn't want to live in a place where there's no frequent natural calamities? I know I do.

Changi International Airport. I love it. What's not to love? The ultra-efficient immigration, fast luggage pickup, numerous free Internet stations, the super clean toilets, and not to mention the myriad of shops and restaurants and facilities to keep you occupied while waiting for your flight. They also have a nature trail, hotel, and swimming pool among everything else. I haven't explored the entire airport yet, but I hope someday I will. Once outside you can get a taxi after queuing for less than five minutes. Need I say more? No doubt about it, Changi International Airport is the best airport in the world!