After ten days in Singapore, I got to learn so much about their culture and their ways of coping with daily challenges. The country lacks natural resources due to their location and size. However, Singapore has found ways to deal with these issues. One of their most valuable resources is water. They are proud to say they provide safe drinking water to everyone. That is due to their innovative ways of processing the water they collect from recycling, importing from other countries, or desalinating. In addition, the presence of challenges has motivated Singapore to invest a lot of time and money into technology. Don’t have enough land? Build up and under. Singapore has its MRT (metro) system all underground and it works very efficiently. Underground you can also find malls, grocery stores, and other cool stuff. You will also see a lot of tall buildings in Singapore. Most people live in apartment homes or condominium buildings and they go up many floors. The government invests a lot of money subsidizing housing for their citizens. In fact, lots of Singaporeans own their own apartments.
The economic and political environment in Singapore has attracted a lot of businesses, including banks. There are as many as 117 foreign banks located here. The fact that Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world also contributes to banks coming here- and I can attest to that. Something I will miss the most about Singapore is being able to walk freely in the streets without having to worry about my safety. That is because laws are very strict. For example, you can?t consume anything when inside the metro, talking is discouraged inside public transport, masks are strictly enforced, and you can?t chew gum in public. I also did not notice many police officers the entire time I was there. I was told that most of the crime prevention is done through CCTV. Everywhere you go, there are cameras and the government is tracking most of what you are doing. Knowing that, you are already aware of the consequences of violating a law even if cops aren?t present.
It is crazy to think that in only a few years, Singapore has been able to accomplish so much, to the point where they have surpassed the US in GDP per capita. This country is very wealthy and has a lot of potential. They have stable political and economic policies that attract lots of companies and emerging businesses, which contributes to the development of new technology. In fact, I was told that you can start your own business in Singapore in under 3 hours.
This country has everything, advanced infrastructure, tourist attractions, cultural sites, world heritage sites, hawker centers, efficient public transport, and many other great amenities that make Singapore one of the best countries in the world. Looking back at its rapid growth, Singapore still has a long way to go and we may be expecting the future to arrive sooner here in South East Asia.