About a month ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Singapore to attend a couple of statistical programming courses as part of my professional development allowance for my fellowship. A friend from the South Africa CDC office had raised the idea to my attention, and together we decided to attend the courses over a span of seven days. It was going to be my first time visiting Singapore, but I was extremely excited given the diverse melting pot that the city-state embodies. As both a city and country, Singapore is only one of three city-states in the world alongside Monaco and Vatican City. It is among the smallest countries in the world, but still contains a high population density with just under six million residents. It comprises of several main ethnicities, including Chinese, Indian, and Malay and the official languages are English, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil, and Malay. I arrived two days before the class began and immediately upon stepping outside the airport felt the rush of humidity and heat seep into my clothes. It didn't take long before I was already sweating. It was impressive how orderly and efficient everything was. From the reliable and punctual well-connected Mass Rapid Transit network for bus and train transportation, to the entrance into the top rated airport in the world and smooth immigration clearance process, to the pure cleanliness of the streets and buildings. The only thing that became a bit frustrating was trying to locate a garbage bin in most places and being served only one napkin max (if you're lucky) with your food, which took some getting used to.
Singapore Changi International Airport
First Impressions
I took the day before the course to just explore the city as I'd be limited in my free time once the course began. To account for the outdoor heat, nearly every indoor facility had their air conditioners on full blast. In a way it reminded me of when I used to walk to the office from the train station during the frigid winters back in Chicago. I remember one time a few years back when it was nearly -30 degrees Fahrenheit for a week straight and you would have to walk for a few minutes and then go into a building to heat up for a bit before going back into the cold and continue on. In contrast, in Singapore it definitely helped to cool off inside a building after walking outside in the sweltering heat for a while. It was amazing to see the landscape and skyline of the city. There were massive skyscrapers and countless luxury high-rise condos. I honestly didn't know much about Singapore before coming besides what I had seen from the movie, Crazy Rich Asians and the famous hawker food stalls. I knew Singapore was expensive, but I didn't realize the extent of the wealth distribution in the country. Singapore is ranked among the most expensive cities to live in the world alongside New York City and Hong Kong. While you can certainly find your range of high-end eateries and Michelin-starred restaurants costing hundreds of dollars, you can surprisingly find a lot of really good cheap eats for less than $10 USD ($1 SGD = 0.75 USD). In fact, the cheapest Michelin-starred restaurant in the world is found in Singapore itself at Hawker Chan. They are popular for their soya sauce chicken and rice dish, which only costs a bit over $5 USD.
Soya Sauce Chicken and Rice from Hawker Chan
Singapore Food Culture
Additionally, it was interesting to learn that kitchens in most Singaporean homes tend to be quite small with small cooker stoves. This is partially due to space constraints, but largely due to a lifestyle and food culture that promotes eating out for most meals instead of cooking at home. There is a large hustle and intense work ethic culture in Singapore that leaves little time to cook and prepare meals. Therefore, many opt for affordable, delicious, and convenient meals from hawker food stalls, which can be found all around the country. They were originally intended as a lunch spot for the everyday working person, but soon gained popularity due to the variety of delicious local and international food options ranging from Singapore chili crab, Hainanese chicken and rice, mutton satay, sting ray, curry laksa, and so much more. I definitely made the most out of my time by exploring several of the hawker centers the country had to offer, and I can confidently say it was some of the best food I've ever had.
Prawn curry laksa from Newton hawker stall
Hainanese chicken and rice from Tian Tian
Singapore chili crab from No Signboard Seafood in Geylang
Stingray and popcorn chicken from East Coast Lagoon food Village
Mutton and prawn satay from Maxwell Food Centre
Maxwell Food Centre
Dissecting the City-State
While the food was delicious, it was interesting dissecting further into how such a small city-state evolved into the leading financial center of the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore on the surface seems like a utopia of sorts. It's extremely clean, the people are generally very friendly and welcoming, everything moves very efficiently, and it consistently ranks among the safest places in the world with a booming economy. However, how all that became executed is not short of some controversies and room for improvement. There are steep fines for littering and spitting in public ($1000 SGD), eating and drinking on public transportation ($500 SGD) and the sale of chewing gum ($1000+ SGD). It should be made clear that the sale and spitting of chewing gum is illegal, but technically you can chew gum legally if you brought it into the country as long as you dispose of it properly and don't sell it. Additionally, under Singapore law, anyone caught trafficking, importing or exporting certain quantities of illegal drugs like cocaine or cannabis products receives the mandatory death penalty. In fact, while there a local Singaporean man was executed for aiding with the smuggling of a little over 1 kg of cannabis into the country. The government has no plans of removing the death penalty as they remain adamant that the approach deters drug traffickers and maintains public safety. However, neighboring countries in the region have adopted more lenient approaches towards drugs and capital punishment. Last year, Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis and neighboring Malaysia passed legal reforms to remove the mandatory death penalty. There is also a high level of constant surveillance around public places with extensive security camera coverage, facial recognition systems, and advanced data analytics in place, which makes it feel like your every move is being watched and hinders room for privacy.
Driving in Singapore
Perhaps the most interesting thing to learn about Singapore was the car ownership process. All vehicles in Singapore require a Certificate of Entitlement (COE). To register a vehicle, you must first place a bid for a COE based on the vehicle category. A successful COE bid gives you the right to own a vehicle that can be used on the road for 10 years. However, the COE comes with a hefty price tag. Based on the type of car, it can run an individual between $70,000-100,000+ SGD. On top of that, there are several taxes to account for in addition to the price of the car. In total, one could end up spending over $150,000 SGD to be able to drive a car every 10 years. It's worth mentioning that nearly every car I saw in the county was a new model. With car ownership at only 10%, it isn't necessary to have a car. In fact, the reason it is so hard and expensive to get a car is due to the limited space available on the 730 square km city-state. There is a push from government to encourage the use of public transport given it is extremely efficient, well-connected, and better for the environment overall.
Roaming the bustling streets
While the venue for the course was quite far north along the Malaysia border, we managed to learn a lot covering topics from Python programming to advanced analytics and machine learning in R. The small classroom setup provided a more personalized teaching format that allowed us to use simulated data from our work projects. The days were long during the week, but I made it a mission to make the most out of the evenings and explore the different neighborhoods that Singapore had to offer. Walking through Chinatown, I visited ancient temples, bustling markets, and vibrant street food vendors.
Chinatown street markets
Buddha tooth Relic temple in Chinatown
It was here where I tried durian for the first time. I had heard so much about the world's smelliest fruit, as it is nicknamed the "king of fruits" and is one of Southeast Asia's most popular foods. It is considered a delicacy, but most people either love or hate it. The durian fruit smell has been compared to garbage, raw sewage and sweaty socks. While it certainly doesn't smell pleasant, the taste is actually alright. I can't say I loved it, but it surprised me with it's soft custard-like texture and sweet rich flavor. Just beware that it is not allowed on public transportation or in most public buildings. In fact, there is a sign on all public transport banning durian because of it's putrid smell and can cost you a $500 SGD fine if caught.
Durian
There were so many different interconnected parts that made Chinatown what it is today. At times, it gave me flashbacks of walking through the streets of Shanghai itself.
Just nearby down the road was Little India, which very much reminded me of a toned down version of India. The streets were lined with spice and vegetable shops, textile stores, and colorful temples. The people were wearing traditional Indian attire and loud vibrant music could be heard in whichever direction you walked. A stroll through Little India was like embarking on a cultural journey filled with vivid colors, enticing aromas, and a rich tapestry of traditions. It offered a glimpse into the Indian heritage while seamlessly blending with the cosmopolitan vibe of the city.
Floral night market in Little India
Veggie and fruit store in Little India
I was fortunate to spend over a week in Singapore and also have time on the weekend and evenings to explore the place. It is a remarkable city-state that seamlessly blends tradition and modernity. It serves as a shining example of urban planning, efficiency, and cultural diversity. My time in Singapore not only expanded my professional skills, but it also broadened my horizons and deepened my appreciation for the wonders this world has to offer.
Friend from CDC South Africa and myself at Hell's Museum
Marina Bay Sands