It is not unusual to hear a comment or two from a friend that goes something like this. “OMG, Singapore is so freaking boring. There’s nothing for me to do.”
I guess it is one of those classic “the grass is greener on the other side” scenario where the foreign country is always better?
I have recently joined this new company, MeGuideU. We specialise in creating unique walking tours for tourists as well as organising Business to Business tours that bring tourists into Singapore.
Through this job, not only did I get to know Singapore even better but also meet new people from around the world.
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| Taken during recent tour at Village Hotel Changi with guest from Indonesia! |
The tourists are always very impressed by Singapore for a few things.
1. How safe our country is. The fact that you can go running in the evening around the neighbourhood is an eye-opener, especially for ladies.
2. How clean our country is. The malls, the street and even common living areas.
3. The amount of effort our government has put in to preserve our heritage sites.
I have been travelling a fair bit myself recently for both work and play and I agree very much with these compliments. I’ve been to countries in which tour guides actually advise us to just stay at the hotel after sunset! And countries that are so dirty that not only do we see litter all over but the lack of bins! I had to walk for hours before I found a bin to dispose of my rubbish.
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| Now you know why I always stay in a bin? |
Proud To Be A Singaporean
I can’t say enough how proud I am to be a Singaporean (at times, besides the time when we get onto the news for the wrong thing) especially when I get to host some friends around Singapore.
Here are some of my favourite places to bring my friends when they come to Singapore:
Little India – The special sights and sounds of little India are always something I love to share with visitors. The food and colorful streets! And of course not to forget the heritage of this place!
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| Clean enough for me to squat around. |
Chinatown – The Chinese counterpart of Little India. This place is especially happening during the Chinese New Year and it’s surely one of those spots that every “ang mo” friend would like to visit.
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| Something about China town area that always keeps me going back. |
Katong – The charm of this area lies in its old buildings and clean environment. A little offbeat as compared to the first two spots but this is really one of those places where you can find some unique food, experience Peranakan heritage as well as some good drinking bars!
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| Also a very good place to do hipster photo taking! |
Running a tour agency made me visit these areas frequently and am proud of them. I try my best to keep them clean to for ourselves and our visitors to enjoy. Can you imagine trying to show our visitors around if these places are all unsafe, dirty and smelly? It makes me feel especially good when visitors comment on the fact that we are so clean and bins can be found everywhere. It also reminds me that as a Singaporean, we all have a part in keeping our country clean and beautiful. But I guess we still have quite a fair bit to catch up when it comes to recycling but that’s another story altogether.
Singapore is really an awesome place to be regardless of staying, working or simply just as a holiday destination. And just in case you are bored, here’s a picture of me squatting around.
P.S. If you are a friend from a faraway land reading this, do drop me a note when you are visiting and I will be more than happy to bring you around!