Singapore- As I see it

Who doesn't love Singapore? Whats not to like about Singapore? A developed country- is not even half of Bangalore! Clean , well organised and a safe friendly country. Now this would be an awesome motif for debate.

If you ask me , this is heaven on earth. I am going a little overboard ain't I? Call me naive, call me a  frog in the well, I would still stand by my words. If I have to make a list of like/dislike about this beautiful island then the like list would be way too long! So I will keep it short for now.

Singapore weather is just unpredictable( at least used to be, lets blame global warming for the change now).In 2009 when I first set foot in this country , the weather was hot and sunny one moment and the next pouring cats and dogs! And the most fascinating part is: on the streets when raindrops start drenching mother earth the pedestrians out of nowhere produce their umbrellas out of thin air! Just like that! They are no less than Chris Angel or the great Houdini! It has always amused me how the Singaporeans are always prepared. Like the saying goes about saving for the 'rainy day', they even are very careful about where, how and when they spend their money.

Another thing I like about Singapore- Taxi drivers. Here they prefer to be called 'tour ambassadors'. Dont ask me why. I heard it from someone else too.. Just like the bus drivers are called 'Captains'. Give and take respect ideology? Maybe.The taxi uncles are so very talkative, and can be a pain when you have had a long tiring day:) . They can be very nosy too. Several have asked me what my salary is, how much rent I pay for my house etc etc.But So far I have had very interesting conversations (the fine system, the government, Ah Bengs etc etc. I must confess not a very easy task for me as I still have difficulty understanding the SINGLISH!

A weird thing I have noticed is there arent any crow or a sparrow in this country! Or maybe because I stay close to the airport. But seriously where are the birds?? And why name Singapore ( The Lion City) when there are none???

So what dont I like about Singapore?? The fact that they think we Indians are still old fashioned idiots . I dont blame them. In little India the culture and tradition followed by the resident Indians as I hear sounds gruesome and is not followed by us Indians(except the villages maybe) . It seems like the Indians in Singapore have formed their own cult. I will write about it with pictures soon when I see it for real . Inflicting pain on oneself in the name of God, whipping oneself, piercing tongue, cheeks and what not. (Now donot question me about the tattoos - thats different :)) . They call it 'Thaipusam' , and I was amazed when I first heard about it through my colleagues.

 If you have ever watched the movie Indiana Jones and the temple of the doom you will know what I am talking about. The movie depicts the Indian culture in a very bizarre crude way. Eating monkey brains, snakes , living a tribal life reflecting a false image of India. Just the way the Oscar winning movie - Slumdog Millionaire portrays the Indian way of living , completely giving the wrong picture. We indians have come a long way. True ,you will still find cows wandering around the streets of India, but we definitely are not cannibals or uncivilized brutes as misinterpreted by some of the movies.

I love this Concrete jungle we call Singapore. I love it because I feel safe, when I feel dizzy looking at the tall  buildings, love it when I canshop till I drop all night long in Mustafa..

More to come in Singapore as I see it- Part 2.