Singapore is a land of contradictions. I was only there a few days and on the outside the place seems so ordinarily Western (if not for the fact that it’s neurotically clean), but there were so many moments during my time there when my mouth would drop in shock over all the things that I learned about the place.
Gum is illegal.
So is smoking.
But prostitution is legal. The working women get tested every two weeks and are taxed on their income. Most of their customers aren’t local. Most are migrant workers from India, China, the Philippines… men who are away from their families and sending money home. Massages, even high-end ones, can almost always end in a happy ending.
They are building one of the biggest new casinos in Asia, but are charging locals 100$ to play. Tourists get to go free.
When you grow up, you either go to uni or serve in the army. There is no such thing as doing nothing.
There is a mall on every street corner (no joke). You can walk for miles and miles and miles and miles inside a mall.
If you hurt a tree, you are fined. At least 500$.
It is all so interesting. A bit of a shock, a little confusing and in my humble opinion, somewhat elitist. I won’t risk saying anymore to avoid offending anyone. Suffice it to say that the place is fascinating.
And the food! THE FOOD! Heaven! Street markets galore – so delicious, so cheap and so safe! =)
