Singapore

So… amazing food. Great public transportation. Very clean. But very conformist. Self expression limited. The irony of seeing an exhibit on graffiti, yet no actual graffiti in the streets. And the causal racism especially if you’re brown. You could be British born but still expect to be sat far away from everyone else at cocktail bars, experience comments and have weird assumptions made.

Not gonna lie, I was pretty curious and kinda hyped before I came to Singapore. However, within 24 hours all of my curiosity turned into disappointment. Yes, Singapore is clean by any standards but especially by Asian standards. And yes, you have shopping malls, fancy skyscrapers and free toilets everywhere.

But beside from that Singapore is boring and has no soul. It just seems like Singapore tries to copy interesting parts of other countries and their nature. Take Cloud Forest for example which is nothing more than a copycat of an actual cloud forest. Floral Fantasy is trying to bring blossoms in the cold reality of concrete and glass of Singapore. Gardens by the Bay is a park which is hyped because of its supertrees but actually quite boring, if you go for a walk. Those plus several different examples create the impression that Singapore is like the one kid in class which is trying really hard to get the attention but still doesn't have any friends.

Also, Singapore is all about money. It's about seeing and being seen. It feels like a big show off, almost no matter where you go. Everything seems so superficial.

Prices are ridiculous, too. Because Singapore has a bare minimum of agriculture everything needs to get imported, which will hurt your bank balance... a lot.

Pros:
- you can hop from one air-con-zone to the next
- clean, like to an extend where you'd eat from the street. This is impressive, not gonna lie.
- shopping heaven if you're into that and have the money to spend
- Little India is great and offers tasty food for cheap prices if you don't mind hanging with the "poor" people
- great airport with an incredible amount of connections in Asia and Oceania

Cons:
- expensive to an extend which seems unfathomable in Asia
- pretentious AF
- polished and hollow
- actually boring

If you have some money to spend and love Gin, go to ATLAS. It offers over 1300 different Gins from around the world. Their creme brulee is great, too!

Feels like living in the future because of how wealthy, clean, modern, efficient, and organized it is. Probably the most "developed" city I've visited. And amenities everywhere... you're never more than 10 minutes walk away from a shopping mall or park. Only downsides are the extreme heat and humidity and very small homes compared to American standards. Yes it's very expensive but if you live like a local it's mostly housing that's a big expense.

Like everywhere, Singapore has pros and cons.
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Pros:
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Everything works very well, it's clean, you can use the trains and transport system with a bank card, Grab taxis are efficient and safe, the airport is amazing
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Everyone speaks English
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Population seems well educated and cosmopolitan
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There are lots of parks and green spaces.
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Cons:
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It's very expensive. For what you get it feels overpriced compared to most Western countries for example.
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It's hot and very, very humid. Until you adjust, you just get covered in sweat, then a wall of ice cold AC hits you as you enter any indoor place.
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Due to it's origins as a centre of trade and capitalism, it feels very money orientated and shallow, lacking any more culture or depth than... the desire to work and make money. Soul less may be a bit too harsh, but something along those lines.
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Basically I would describe it as a very well functioning, but sterile, giant shopping mall, with some gardens and a few museums.
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If you're coming from the grittier areas of SE Asia, maybe clean and sterile is exactly what you're after. But it's also a lot less interesting than neighbouring countries for that reason, in my opinion.

They say you get what you pay for. After having traveled the previous 4 months in India, Cambodia, VietNam, Myanmar and Thailand, Singapore was so easy! The subway system is a marvel, streets signs were easy to read, everyone speaks English (that just makes it easy for me as an English speaker) it is safe, clean, and parks are gorgeous. I was there as COVID 19 was breaking out fairly fast and that put a damper on my time but I was so happy to be there anyway and plan to go back. For digital nomads if you can afford accommodation this is a very easy city in which to stay awhile. The internet was strong and consistent everywhere I went. If order, safety, and ease of transport is high on your list Singapore can be a great place to land for awhile.

Clean and modern city state. Singapore is clean, modern and Singaporeans are friendly and internationally minded. It has skyscrapers, green parks and food courts. It's a country that exists by the grace of globalization and internationality. Anyone can feel home here as the country is a collection of ethnic Chinese, Malay, Indian and a whole bunch of expats from anywhere. Singaporeans are highly educated, smart and professional.

Singapore is a great place for incorporating your remote startup and do banking from there. It's a great place for dating because there's lots of internationally minded high educated high income and somewhat progressive young people.

The only bad things you could say are that 1) Singapore is expensive. I don't deny that. But it's because it's a first world country in a continent of third world countries, 2) That's it not completely free. There's limits to political freedom of speech in favor of a more stable government. If I agree with that, I don't know. But it is stable, 3) That it's too hot and humid. Singapore is on the equator. Luckily they have A/C pretty much anywhere. And they have tunnels under the city to walk that are also A/C'd. Nice.

Easiest subway system to master. Everyone lives within 10 minutes walking of a major greenspace. 90 percent home ownership. People believe in the laws the government writes. Offices are VERY QUIET.

It truly is a garden city - the amount of green space is mindboggling. Everywhere you go it's green and amazing. One of my favourite cities anywhere.

Everything just works. The food by Singaporean Hawkers are world-class for a good price too. 👌

The Diet Coke of Asia. Zero crime, English spoken everywhere. Reliable public transport. Some nice spots for off-the-beaten-path walking and hiking. But also clinical, authoritarian, money-minded and very costly. Companies and shopkeepers will always do what's good for them (or makes their own life easier); not what's good for the customer. People avoid eye contact and are generally overworked and miserable. After a while, crossing over to Malaysia's neighboring Johor will, warts and all, feel like a breath of fresh air ("Yes! Space! I can move! I can breathe!").

Nomad-ed here for a month. A totally ok place if you have the budget for it. Coworking spaces are good, 4g everywhere, transportation is effective. Lots of things to do. I was able to find friends. Lots of international people, very few digital nomads. If you're there, consider not renting in the center (as it gets expensive fast) and being creative with places to eat to find cheap options. Be prepared to use cash unless you live in a luxury.