Country number 58. Singapore. A place I had been putting off for years for absolutely no good reason. You ever do that? Have a country sitting on your list that you actually want to visit and yet somehow you keep skipping past it’s no big deal? That was me with Singapore. For years.
What finally got me there was two French people I have known here in Paris for over a year. And before I call them friends, let me explain something. The French do not throw the word friend around like we do back home. In America we meet someone twice and they are already in the wedding party. Here, friendship has to be earned. So let us say I am working my way up the ladder. They lived in Singapore for five years, wanted to go back, and invited me to tag along. I said yes before they finished the sentence.
Listen. Singapore hits different.
The Good
First the good. This is the cleanest city I have ever set foot in by far. It has been named the cleanest city in the world and you feel it the second you step outside. Sidewalks look like someone polished them that morning. I think spitting on the street is actually illegal there which sounds dramatic until you realize you have not seen a single piece of trash in three days.
And let me add this because it genuinely caught me off guard. Singapore is one of the safest countries on the planet. Like, basically no crime, which makes it extremely safe. Women walking alone at night looking relaxed. Phones sitting on cafe tables while people go to the bathroom. I caught myself doing things I would never do in any other major city in the world and nobody flinched. After living in Paris and being from America, that took some getting used to in the best possible way.
The Better
Then the food. Oh my God. The food. If you love anything Asian, anything spicy, anything with layers of flavor that punch you in the mouth, get on a plane. I had no idea how many Indians and Filipinos call Singapore home, and the food scene reflects that beautifully. Indian food next to Malay food next to Chinese food next to Filipino food, all on the same block, all incredible. I ate my way through that city with no shame.
And the city itself? Imagine someone took a futuristic skyline and dropped it inside a rainforest. Live trees growing inside high rise buildings. Jungle pouring into the streets. Skyscrapers wrapped in vines. It looks fake, but it is real.
The Ugly
Now let me keep it all the way real with you because that is what we do here.
There is a clear social hierarchy in Singapore and you will see it. Many Singaporean born locals carry themselves like they are a tier above everyone else, especially toward Indians and Filipinos. An Indian cab driver told me straight up that people who look like him are often seen as low class or as the help. I watched a Singaporean couple on a train let a Filipino nanny feed their baby and chase their toddler while they sat there scrolling on their phones. Did absolutely nothing. I saw versions of that scene more than once.
I also caught some looks. The kind I unfortunately know too well. A few older folks in elevators looked nervous around me. In nine days I saw maybe eight Black people total and I am almost sure all of them were tourists.
Oh, and Singapore is hot with 98% humidity. Like 76 to 89 degrees year round hot. Living in that 365 days a year? Not the move for me.
Would I still tell you to go? Absolutely. Just go with your eyes open. Singapore is beautiful, fascinating, complicated, and absolutely worth experiencing for yourself.
That is just my two cents. ~Paul