My initial impressions of Singapore are very mixed. While I love the fact that we are in a big city, I feel like there is some sort of culture missing. When I have traveled to other places abroad, I have felt surrounded by history and culture. I do not feel this way in Singapore. Walking around, it seems like a city built for tourism at the expense of historical sites. While I do understand that Singapore needed to become a touristy area to survive economically, and tourism has made Singapore what it is today, I feel like I have not been able to really immerse myself in Singapore’s culture. I find myself feeling like I am in the United States, but just a lot more humid. However, there is one aspect of Singapore culture that I have fallen in love with hawker centers. Hawker centers are food centers that serve all different styles of cuisine for affordable prices. Something about the hole-in-the-wall feeling of hawker centers is so exciting. Additionally I have loved how much of the island’s natural habitat has been preserved. There are so many parks and forests that lead to great adventures. While there may not be a lot of historical buildings preserved, a lot of natural habitats have been preserved.
One of the big differences I have noticed between Singapore and the United States of America is the focus on individualism or collectivism. In the United States, people are encouraged to find themselves and differentiate themselves from those around them. This has greatly impacted my life by encouraging me to explore my interests. This is not the case in Singapore. The main focus in Singapore is working together to make the best country there is. One way that I noticed this is the laws and fines that are put into place. The laws put into place, such as no littering and jaywalking, are strictly enforced, and when broken, they often lead to fines. While talking to our tour guide, Tricia, I realized that the tiniest thing can get you in trouble and a pretty hefty fine. While we have things like this in the United States, there is not nearly as much enforcement. In the United States, people know what the laws are, but they do not really follow them. I have been so conscious of all my actions while in Singapore because you never know who is watching and what might lead to a fine. Another way I saw this was at a business visit. The speaker was asked to explain why he loved working at the company. Rather than talking about his personal experience, he mentioned why his team is so successful. While this could have been something lost in translation, I found it interesting that he only talked about his team and not his personal experience.
