Happy Birthday Singapore!

When I was much younger, or rather, before I started travelling, I used to really dislike staying in Singapore. I would complain about the erratic weather, - especially the blazing sun, the rigidity of our education system, the rudeness of some Singaporeans and how Singapore was just plain boring.

But ever since I started travelling to more places besides Malaysia and the neighbouring countries, I started appreciating Singapore as a whole. It wasn't that Singapore got better during the period when I wasn't in town, but rather, I've learnt to overlook the nitty gritty rules that were implemented solely for our safety, the betterment for our people. The weather here, at the very least, is predictable. It's either rain or shine. We don't have to worry about extreme weather conditions such as hail or sleet (which would totally require a whole new set of armour to combat those). Rules were placed on the smallest thing such as spitting/littering - which is fortunate because zero personal hygiene is just horrible for many. I am very thankful for the fact that I can roam around the streets at night without having to worry for my safety, and that I can dress (almost) as freely as I want - which usually means shorts and tee. Some countries publicly despise females donning such 'indecent' gear. On their religion basis, it is wrong to dress as such. But I am thankful for religious tolerance within Singapore, and that we can all live relatively harmoniously with everyone.

People always compare Singapore to other places that they've been to, and claim that if the other countries can do this, so can Singapore - for example, road taxes. But from a non-political point of view, other countries have different geographical layouts that can enable them to do things differently. So, instead of comparing, we should learn of the reasonings behind these differences.

The other cities I've visited were nothing short of stunning. People were nice, buildings were gorgeous, beaches were ethereal, and a different kind of weather - which always made me excited while planning for the trip.

However, I've come to realise that the best flights I've taken, were always the ones coming back home.

Happy Birthday Singapore,
And thank you Mr Lee Kuan Yew for all of these.

#15yearsmorethenyoucantakeCPFliao!