Singapore, first Impressions

Singapore. First impressions. Very NICE, clean, and organized. Beautiful trees and bushes. Everything was manicured. Very 1st world. I can’t say I’ve ever been to a place like it. There were malls and coffee shops everywhere. Lots of shopping opportunities, both modern in-style stuff, and unique handmade souvenir and clothing places too. As for shopping and restaurants, it had it all though generally more expensive than the States. Public transportation was a breath of fresh air. Buses came every ten minutes to anywhere in the city. And the train service was even faster. Traffic was never very bad probably because cars were mostly optionally.

As for culture, it was a mix from all over, but predominately Chinese, Malay, Indian, Singaporean, and then American/European. Everyone spoke English (or Singlish) so that wasn’t a problem. But I suppose like every big city it was kind of impersonal. All the specific traits and characteristics of these nationalities was absent. Instead it was replaced by a very streamlined, modern, fast paced mix.

But for all the cultures they’ve made it work well! Singapore is one of the safest and cleanest places on earth. It’s obvious they’ve really thought through how to make an international city. However, it felt a little bland. Everybody just sort of minded their own business. An amalgamation of cultures and religions, just try not to offend anyone. Singapore is rich and prosperous and has great infrastructure. However, if you’re looking for a rich cultural experience you might get lost in the malls.

All that said, it’s a great place to visit. Truly a beautiful city and definitely worth a visit. Be prepared to do a lot of shopping! You’ll want to.