singapore – Site Title

Airports

I don’t do much traveling anymore but during the time I did, I would rate Japan as having one of the worst airports.

I was new to traveling at that time and ill at ease with international travel and that could have been the problem. However, I had a hard time there. Most announcements were in Japanese, terminals were hard to get to, and finding where you needed to go to was hard especially when all the instructions were in Japanese. It may have changed now but when I was there, I almost didn’t make my connecting flight because I didn’t know where to go. A kind Japanese man helped me out and he said, “Don’t worry. I have the same problem here!”

The best and what is the top-rated airport in the world is Singapore Changi Airport. Everything about this airport is run with efficiency, precision, and getting around is no problem at all. Add the indoor forest that spans five stories housing a large indoor collection of plants and this place is captivating. It is a vacation in itself! If that isn’t enough, the entire forest wraps around the HSBC Rain Vortex. What? Yes, I have never seen anything like it before in an airport but leave it to the Singaporeans to do things differently. The Vortex houses the world’s tallest indoor waterfall at 130 feet high. It is completely free and open 24/7. There are also over 200 food and beverage outlets showcasing Singapore’s best. I think you can literally pitch a tent there and never miss anything!

I give this airport three thumbs up. 👍👍👍

You’ve guessed it, I am a Singapore fan but rightfully so. You can’t beat it for cleanliness, thinking out of the box concepts, and for being virtually crime free. This tiny island nation has much to offer. Rules and regulations exist but without them Singapore would be in utter chaos but that’s just my opinion.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the best and worst airport you’ve been to?

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Hari Raya Puasa

I love Thanksgiving but I decided to go with Hari Raya Puasa from a country that I love and having spent a lot of time there, I have come to know the cultural traditions well.

Singapore is a diverse society and it embraces many cultural traditions wholeheartedly. Multiculturalism is part and parcel of Singapore and during my stay there, I came to know the different cultural traditions well. I think I have written about some of them here but I’m going to go with Hari Raya Puasa because it is a lovely tradition and one worth noting.

Some of you may know it has Eid al-Fitr, a major religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide and it marks the end of Ramadan. Muslims make up about 15% of the population and Islam is the third-largest religion in the country. What are the other two? The ethnic Chinese community practice Buddhism and they make up about 31.1 % followed by Christianity which makes up 18.9 %. Here’s the thing about Singapore, all religions are accepted and practiced with no restrictions.

Coming back to Hari Raya Puasa, it is celebrated by Singaporeans and not just the Muslim population. People wear vibrant outfits, visit the mosque for prayers, and the best part is the food. The feasting usually involves a massive amount of traditonal Malay delicacies. People also open their homes to relatives, friends, and neighbors of all races and religions. It is time for celebration and the food fest is delicious and finger-licking good. My favorite is rendang. It is a spicy beef stew or it can also be made with chicken and it is served with rice cakes (ketupat), and sometimes satay, meat on skewers but that is not all. The dessert list is massive as well and just as good.

Singaporeans celebrate each other’s cultural traditions and the country comes together as a nation during these times. It is a lovely place that has made diversity a way of life and harmony among the different races is their mainstay and they work hard at keeping it that way.

Thumbs up Singapore! 👍

Daily writing prompt

What’s a cultural tradition from your country that you love?

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The Misunderstanding

I don’t know if you would call it the funniest misunderstanding but it was funny at the time. I’ve spent a lot of time in Asia and I thought I knew all the customs and how not to step on someone’s toes but there was one time when we, my ex and son, went to Singapore to see why I loved the place so much.

Things change very quickly in Singapore. It never stays the same and perhaps that is the attraction of this tiny island nation and we were prepared for a great time with good food and lots of things to see. We did get some delicious food and lots to see as well. However, things had changed again. They have these food courts or rather hawker centers and if you want really good food at low prices, it is the place to be.

We went there one evening. The atmosphere was great and the place was bustling. All the tables were taken and then I spotted one in the midst of all the chaos and it was empty! We rushed to it glad to have found it. There was a pack of tissues on the table and we were very grateful. It was hot and that pack of tissues came in handy. We opened it, cleaned our hands, and wiped the sweat off our faces. We noticed people glancing in our direction but paid them no mind.

A few minutes later, a young couple approached us and said, “Excuse me, this is our table.”

Me: “Sorry, we saw it first. It is ours.”

Lady: “We choped it first.”

Me: “What do you mean choped? What is that?”

Lady: “In Singapore, if there is a pack of tissues on the table, it means it is taken.”

You can imagine our embarrassment. We apologized and left the table politely and quickly.

Choping or rather reserving a seat is done by placing a pack of tissue paper on the table. This only applies at the hawker centers or at least I think so, maybe they’ve changed that again! It means it is taken or rather reserved. It is also considered a massive local taboo to break that rule.

We later laughed about it BUT we learned to read up on the rules and regulations and believe me when I say, breaking of rules and or laws in Singapore can cost you more than a pretty penny! The one we broke only cost us a laugh, but it could have been worse.

Daily writing prompt

What’s the funniest misunderstanding you’ve ever been part of?

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