What are somethings you enjoy in Singapore but don’t exist overseas
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Did you know… washrooms in EU countries cost $$$ ?
Yes some toilets in Singapore charge $0.10,0.20 but by and large these are minority. You can easily find a free toilet at coffeeshop/malls
In the UK, restaurants toilets have passcode, you must purchase something and get the receipt to get the passcode
At the bus terminal? At petrol station? You assume toilet is free. They are charging anywhere onwards of SGD 1.50
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Another thing that most people will miss is definitely the closing time. Their supermarket(commonly coop) mostly close at 6:30pm AND close whole day on Sunday
Netizens’ comments
- Double mcspicy upsized with curry sauce
- walking alone at night, midnight and you are safe.
- No need to pay tips
- Well I’m glad you ask me this question first thing in the morning!
– The streets and the train stations don’t smell like piss (underdeveloped countries but also Paris, New York, etc.). No open sewage smell like many other countries as well.
– Peaceful, harmonious living among vastly different ethnicities and cultures. The four main ethnicities in Singapore came from four major civilisations: Chinese, Indian, Islam, and Western. How cool it is. You would expect major clash of civilisations but here we are, drinking teh si and eating prata together.
– Stable politics. Even if you don’t like PAP, they make life very predictable in Singapore. No government shutdowns, strikes, demonstrations, riots, etc. when everything stops working.
– Zero drugs tolerance that is actually enforced.
– CPF forced saving – this is controversial but I for one appreciate this aspect; after many years looking back I wouldn’t have been able to save much without this.
– Integrated public transport at your doorstep (for most people): MRT, bus, taxis, car rentals, bike rentals, PCNs.
– A government that ACTUALLY works for the interest of the public. Some people may not agree but try to live in other countries for a few years and see. There are very few countries I feel is on par, may be the Swiss and the Scandinavian.
– Police that greet me and smile and call me Sir.
– A lot of free and top-notch public facilities: toilets, libraries, museums, concerts, parks, walk ways, community spaces, nature’s parks. (When they are not free, they cost next to nothing: public swimming pools, public gyms, etc.)
– Trees, trees everywhere, beautiful, well-cared trees. Also, grass everywhere. It’s hard to find a piece of dirt land not covered by grass in Singapore.
– Nice, honest, well-educated, respectful people.
– Almost no homeless people.
– Low taxes: no capital gain tax, low income tax compared to developed countries of the same level of wealth, low GST compared to many countries. No tip.
– Public housing done right. Say what you want, they are good quality, airy, with nice layout, with good facilities (lifts, fitness corners, green spaces, pavilions, carparks with rooftop gardens, etc.) in thoughtfully planned neighbourhoods (with parks, PCNs, elderly care centres, childcares, kindergartens, food courts, clinics, etc.) and most people can afford to own them. And the layout of newer HDBs and planning of new towns are only getting better.
– Safety. If you’ve lived in a country that is not safe, you’ll know how exhausting life can be. You need to spend like 20-50% of your energy and effort to ensure you’re alive and your stuffs are not taken from you. By safety, I mean: no snatching your bags on the street, no breaking in, no smashing car windows, no gun violence, no kidnapping of your kids or your dogs, the government not harassing you, no wars, no riots, no natural disasters, low traffic accidents. Seriously, as someone living in Singapore, there are not many ways to die or get yourself hurt apart from old age and sickness.
Lastly, it’s really hard to find another country that has got so many things right.