Top 10 Unique Things About Singapore… an American Perspective

Here are 10 attributes of the Lion City that really stand out to Curly, the American, Singapore PR on our editorial staff.

Navigation Agitation
For the longest time after moving to Singapore I could not figure out why navigating around the Island in a car perplexed me so. Eventually it dawned on me: much of my confusion was due to the fact that all the roads change their name every hundred yards or so, with the parallel portion of the road going in the opposite direction having a different name as well. Bukit Timah and Dunearn or Ophir and Rochor?

No Tipping?
While there is a 10% service charge tacked on to your restaurant and hotel bills, tipping, per se, is not practiced. That is a shame, because service quality in Singapore is spotty at best, and being able to provide a good tip to an individual for great service would provide them an incentive to provide great service again and again.

Stress Free Airport: Fastest Immigration Clearance in the world
I have traveled through many airports in many countries, but none come close to Singapore’s Changi Airport when it comes to immigration clearance time. Unlike many airports, the staffing level at the immigration clearance booths always seems to be staffed at the optimal level for the incoming traffic, ensuring that there are never more than a few people queued in front of you.

Stress Free Airport: Fastest Baggage Clearance
Once you have cleared immigration in record time, your luggage is usually on the carousel awaiting your pick up.

Great Food!
All of the great global cuisines are available in Singapore, but of the scrumptious food available, the South/Southeast Asian cuisines stand out “front and center” in both the breadth, depth and affordability of the offerings. Great flavors and heat from Singapore unique foods like Laksa and Hainanese chicken rice, superb Thai, Malay, Indian and Indonesian food and, of course, the Singapore versions of all foods Chinese. Keep your browser pointed to this site for upcoming top 10 lists of great food in Singapore.
“Low Crime Doesn’t Mean No Crime”
While getting shot or mugged in Singapore is a rare occurrence, having property stolen is a bird of a completely different feather. In general, if you leave something outside, the odds that the something will be stolen is very high. After two bicycle thefts at our home, we have finally figured that out. And ladies, keep your eyes on your purses when you are out shopping or in a restaurant…they have a nasty tendency to “run away” when you are not looking.

Great Health Care!
Health care in Singapore is an interesting blend of public and private approaches in the way the costs of health care are covered. The health care itself is very accessible and of world class quality. Whether a GP or a specialist, I can usually get an appointment within one day. The fees are very affordable compared to the USA and the quality of care is excellent. Having been knocked out 7 times for surgery in the past 7 years here, I can personally recommend the Gleneagles Spa and Resort (oops, Hospital and Medical Center).

Low Personal taxes!
The only way an American can live overseas on local terms (i.e., without a great expatriate $$$ package) and not get killed on taxes (the US government taxes you on your world wide income, so you pay tax to the USA and to the host country) is to live in a country with a marginal tax rate significantly lower that in the USA. Singapore has a top marginal tax rate of only 20%, no capital gains tax, no estate tax…..awesome!

Safe and Clean
Singapore is world renowned as a clean and safe country, and it delivers on the promise. Outlawing fire arms is an enlightened move by the government, and a major reason you do not fear for your personal safety in Singapore.

Deploying an army of cleaners around the Island appears to be the government’s way of maintaining a “state of clean”, in spite of the tendency of many Singaporeans to throw trash out of their car windows and generally leave rubbish everywhere they go. I inevitably trip over trash left on the ground by “considerate” citizens on my morning walks, but by 10:00am, auntie has picked up the trash and the Island is pristine again.

Great Government
In Singapore, the issues facing the country are openly discussed: in Parliament, on TV and in the newspapers. After a suitable discussion period, concrete actions are taken to actually address issues! How refreshing! The country has a legacy of great leadership from its founding and the best analogy I can come up with for Singapore’s unique form of government is this: The country runs like a well oiled private corporation that is focused on the long term success of the nation, not the results of the next election. And the results speak for themselves!