Singapore is so sterile and I still like it

Maybe it’s the order freak in me. Or maybe, just like the first kiss, the first foreign country you’ve ever been to will always be a special place. So, people may say that Singapore is boring, artificial and damn sterile, but I still like it.

Hong Kong filmmaker Kenneth Bi summed it up well when I interviewed him in 2002 and asked why he picked Singapore as the setting for his film Rice Rhapsody (pretty good film by the way):

“I see it as a very interesting place because it’s the only place in Southeast Asia that has order. There is a lot of charm there. A lot of charming chaos and charming structure of life.”

Can’t agree more. The country is the closest a Jakartan can go to to have order, and it’s still has a sense of familiarity in it.

I don’t know about living there for a long time, but as a visitor, I’ve always enjoyed it. I love just to walk around without being suffocated with pollution, or being worried all the time of getting hit by a vehicle.

When shopping is the least of your preference, there are still a lot of things to do, unlike in Bangkok. I love to go the museums and galleries, strolling along the riverside or the series of shophouses, getting in and out of the bookshops, sipping coffee at Chijmes. I love seeing WOMAD, the plays at Esplanade… heck, I even enjoy night safari and the bird park.

(I have a limit though, I hate Sentosa Island. Now, THAT is artificial).

The food is pretty great too, with a lot of variety. Although, dear Singaporeans, it won’t hurt to smile and be nice for heaven’s sake.

New York City still tops the list of my favorite places that I’ve been to, but I’m not bored with Singapore and I don’t mind going there again.

Posted by hera at Saturday, December 29, 2007 8:33 PM | Permalinks