Having traveled to Singapore for several times, I am quite familiar with the airport, the transportation and even the Singlish. During those journeys, I had encounters and conversations that lingered in my head.
#1. Singapore is a well-being city, but does well-being create a vibrant city?
“What do you think about Singapore?”
I was at an Indonesia cuisine restaurant on Orchard Road with a group of friends and the man sitting across the table popped out the question somewhere between the main course and desserts. He was waiting for 'es cendol' while I for 'es teler'. I held my answer until the waitress left our table.
“It’s very neat,” I said.
He smiled, stirring the ice topping to melt it.
“That’s what I also feel. Our city is so neat. Everything is properly placed, almost reaching the level of boring,” he said.
“Isn’t neatness good? I think people prefer doing shopping in Singapore than in Jakarta because everything is neat here."
"Not really, shopping is about having a unique experience. I once went shopping to Bangkok just because it's more interesting there."
I suddenly remembered a coverage about the changing face of expats. In one of the articles there, the expats say that they enjoy living in Jakarta as it provides them with different experiences everyday. Ok, so Singapore is the most neat city in Asia. But when I went there, I missed Jakarta with all its hustle bustle activities. I missed the smiles on people's faces, the motorcycle-taxi drivers in every alley who would give a quick ride and all comfort I can get in Jakarta.
Jakarta may be a tough city to live in, but it has the nice and friendly people. If you ever get lost in Jakarta, all passengers in the public minivan you're riding in would tell you which bus you should take. It's quite vibrant. I remembered pulling out a map inside the MRT, no one offered suggestion and when I finally asked the person sitting next to me, he seemed a bit irritated. Everyone in Singapore seems to be on the run.
Jakarta may be a tough city to live in, but it has the nice and friendly people. If you ever get lost in Jakarta, all passengers in the public minivan you're riding in would tell you which bus you should take. It's quite vibrant. I remembered pulling out a map inside the MRT, no one offered suggestion and when I finally asked the person sitting next to me, he seemed a bit irritated. Everyone in Singapore seems to be on the run.
"Are you happy with your life here?" I asked carefully.
He remained silent for a brief period.
"Happiness is a complicated word. I will say that we have a very competitive life here."
#2. Being mistaken for a local
- I was walking around with a map in my hands and snapping photos (it really sends the message that I'm a tourist, isn't it?), but still a man asked me for directions. I guess I emanate confidence:).
- When I had my lunch at a McDonald's, two women asked which menu I ordered. They were surprised that I could have a burger, a pack of french fries and a glass of drink for a lower price compared to what they have: a burger and a glass of drink.
"How do you know about the menu? Because I couldn't understand what the girl behind the counter was saying," one of the women asked.
"I just pointed to the pictures," I said.
"Oh I see. We didn't know that," she said.
"So where do you come from?" I asked.
"Oh, we're Singaporeans," she said.
Moral of the story: (a) when traveling abroad, go to a restaurant that has their menus photographed, (b) Singlish can be confusing, even for Singaporeans
- I was walking around with a map in my hands and snapping photos (it really sends the message that I'm a tourist, isn't it?), but still a man asked me for directions. I guess I emanate confidence:).
- When I had my lunch at a McDonald's, two women asked which menu I ordered. They were surprised that I could have a burger, a pack of french fries and a glass of drink for a lower price compared to what they have: a burger and a glass of drink.
"How do you know about the menu? Because I couldn't understand what the girl behind the counter was saying," one of the women asked.
"I just pointed to the pictures," I said.
"Oh I see. We didn't know that," she said.
"So where do you come from?" I asked.
"Oh, we're Singaporeans," she said.
Moral of the story: (a) when traveling abroad, go to a restaurant that has their menus photographed, (b) Singlish can be confusing, even for Singaporeans
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