*according to 2023 GDP per capita by the International Monetary Fund.
For a small country of only 729 square kilometers and not blessed with natural resources, I have always wondered how Singapore managed to maintain a healthy economy and become a natural magnet for Asia's richest. The film Crazy Rich Asians had given me a glimpse of why that may be, but never in my wildest dreams have I thought that I will be visiting the country last year.
Image source: dreamstime.com
Back in our Economic Analysis Course, we have discussed what has made Singapore into the powerhouse economy that it is. Imagine how a small country devoid of natural resources can manage to stand on its own and have a powerful economy at that! Our professor would say it is because of good governance. With it, foreign investors can rely on the country's leaders to uplift the country's economy and make use of their resources accordingly. With great investor trust, more investment will be coming into the country and therefore, stimulating more economic activity.
Image source: Getty Images Signature c/o Canva
Some sources would also say that it is because of its prime location. Singapore is located strategically located within a 6-hour radius of any Southeast Asian Country, making it an accessible hub for trade. With their status of being the 2nd most globally connected country due to them housing the world's best airport - Changi, Singapore attracts tourists from all over the world.
SG is the Best First International Travel Destination
At least, that's what my cousin told me. She said that it is because most of the country's residents are English speakers and communication is not really a challenge at all. The locals have an accent but they can be understood and they can understand us as well. The country also resembles the US' advancement in technology. It was convenient to move around since most of the malls can accept cashless systems like Apple Pay.
My cousin and her boyfriend were our sponsors for this trip. They took care of our plane tickets, the accommodation, the antigen tests (for the plane ride back home, for individuals with no boosters yet aka me and 
It's absolutely funny recalling what I was doing before we got to the airport. I just finished an all-nighter MBA homework for Management of Information Systems and so I did not sleep. Fred and I went to the nearest McDonalds for breakfast and we took a taxi to the airport. My cousin and her boyfriend also took a cab to the airport.
We went through the check-in counters and paid travel tax. My cousin's boyfriend was treated fairly well with his US passport and he wasn't asked to pay for the travel tax rate. How weak could a Philippine passport get? I love our airport, but I couldn't say the same about airport food (coughs in overpriced).
Here's a cute story, it was Fred's first time on a plane. His mom was so worried that he might get sick so she made him bring meds and white flower oil which is a blend of several essential oils including eucalyptus and lavender. If you're Filipino, then you know that it is the titas' and titos' national perfume 😂 His mom insists that Fred might get scared and all, but we both knew that it was actually his mom who was scared 😅 Moms, we gotta love them.
Scoot Airlines had an in-flight portal that enabled guests to order food, track the flight and play some games. It was a feature that I thoroughly enjoyed because I like knowing where the plane was in real-time. The payment options for the food orders were also pretty convenient for Apple Pay users like my cousin. I ordered Mum's Fried Rice and an unsweetened iced tea. Both were catered to the Singaporean taste and my taste buds were up for an adventure.
The flight to Singapore lasted around 3 hours and 30 minutes. The first order of business was to secure bus passes and have our Philippine Peso exchanged for Singaporean Dollars. We weren't able to tour around the airport anymore because our bodies were tired. Hello Team No Sleep! We rode a taxi and noticed that the driver's seat was to the right. The roads were super clean and their MINIMUM speed limit was at 80 kph. Our driver was a bit chatty and told us that it costs so much to own a car in Singapore. People who have cars are either very rich or are in debt.
Our first meal in Singapore was a safe choice - Burger King. My cousin decided to meet up with friends that night that's why it was only me, her bf strolling down the neighborhood of our hotel. We stayed at Summer View Hotel on Bencoolen Street. It was a humid night but I had my "I can't adult today shirt," so I was okay.
Singaporeans are Night Owls
We woke up real early the next day and my cousin and I decided to go across the street for a quick stroll. I noticed that what the taxi driver told us was true - nobody was up at 5 am on Bencoolen Street, except for the storekeepers. He explained that most Singaporeans prefer the nightlife and aren't up until 9 in the morning. The stores also don't open until then. Thankfully, the 7-Eleven across our hotel was.
After getting ready for the day, it was time for breakfast and boy did we deserve it. From Bencoolen Street, we walked to the nearest Hawker market. We passed by bakeries, flower shops, temples until we reached the market. We had Kopi and Youtiao, any local here who thinks that this is the perfect pair? I got the shrimp noodle soup which was too salty and heavy for me. But the soup was just the right amount of warm my tummy needed. My cousin had congee. One thing that we took notice of was the senior citizens who approached the customers with their wet tissues for sale. Even the grandpas of Singapore still had to work. We were then told that they don't really like to depend on their children and so they find ways to make ends meet.
Our first SG Bus Ride! We got this tourist pass from Changi and it covered unlimited bus and train rides for three days. There was also an option to pick the reloadable one. Singapore was as hot as the Philippines! How do we look with our matching face masks and sunglasses?
Doing Touristy Things
VIVO CITY
We rode a bus to Vivo City and we already missed home - NOT! But it was nice seeing familiar stores in the mall - we went to Dyson, Love Bonito, and The Whisky Distillery. It was nice to see MUJI again too. There used to be one in Cebu, but they packed out of the country and I did not miss the chance to buy pens and refills. How Filipino can we be when we bought coffee from CBTL? And would I have missed this chance to take a picture of this Jollibee? I would never.
We rode a monorail to Universal Studios. They were strict when it came to wearing masks on the ride. I was even reprimanded when I took it off for a while to drink. You know what they say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do," so I just obeyed and let it go.
UNIVERSAL STUDIOS, RESORTS WORLD, MALAYSIAN FOOD STREET
Of course, we went to where any other sane SG tourist would go - the chocolate stores! We did not buy anything though, we were allergic to sweets (and expensive chocolates). My cousin is so cute. Her boyfriend towers above her but they still look perfect together. Notice the MUJI paper bag on his right hand? He stashed weird snacks from MUJI and he was proud of it!
We ate at Resorts World's "Malaysian Food Street" as we were all drawn to SG's hawker culture. It is said to have originated from the early migrant population selling quick, affordable meals on street pavements, in town squares and parks. In Cebu, I guess they are the equivalent of our pungko-pungko, makeshift stalls that sell food. I would say hawker stalls are way better. Some even have Michelin stars - they're that good! This one in Resorts World is catering to tourists, prices are a bit high and they only accepted cashless payments. Thank you cousin for Apple Pay!
SENTOSA ISLAND
With our tummies filled, we were now ready to explore Sentosa. What adventures await us? We reached Sentosa by cable car. I was thinking of the island as Cebu's Mactan Island, except getting to Sentosa was way cooler. The beach was filled with people and just to the horizon, the view is lots of cargo ships. Mactan island beach views are better. Sentosa island + 1, Mactan island + 1 = a tie!
The Sky Garden had an awesome attraction - iFly Singapore. It was a simulation of the skydiving experience and they were all rooting for me to go. However, the waiting time was around an hour for the training and another 30 minutes for the dress-up, I could not bear to let them wait for me that long. They would be bored to death. So we decided instead to just freshen up a bit at the cafe in Sky Garden and watch the iFlyers go. We then went out and explored Sentosa island more. It also had a beach called Palawan. Didn't miss the chance to take a pic of the Palawan Kidz City and Sentosa's Shangri-La.
We really wanted to try the self-balancing scooter. However, all of the units were already rented out and so it left us no choice but to wait for the bus. What we didn't expect was these buses were almost always full. So we had to walk and wait for almost an hour as well! That would have been time to train for the iFly attraction. Anywho, we just walked and walked and walked until we saw this lovely little peacock who, we've been told, is actually wild but loves human attention that much that he never misses to come out at around that time. My cousin can also be seen to be in her element as she took home cute dino unicorn stuffed toys. Her inner child must have been so happy 😂.
It was time to go, we grabbed a snack and rode a cable car out of the island. We still had a lot of attractions that we weren't able to try out like the Luge, the iFly and the scooter. We promised ourselves that the next time we get the chance to go, we will not miss trying them out.
We got to Bencoolen St. quite early so we were able to catch this food place open. We tried Peking Duck and some noodle dishes for us three. My cousin went out with her local friends again that night.
CHINA TOWN
Day 2 in Singapore and as usual, we were up early. No wonder the streets were so clean, look at their mean cleaning machine! The tourists were then off to Chinatown and were down for the authentic hawker market experience.
My lola always told us that our great grandma's parents were of Chinese descent. My cousin was always interested with Chinese culture that she took professional Chinese lessons just so she can enhance her Mandarin. She also follows Chinese drama and has a Chinese boyfriend. She's more obsessed than I am, obviously 😂.
My cousin taught me how to eat xiaolongbao the "normal" way. She says to scoop a dumpling using a spoon, pinch a hole through the dumpling wrapper, slurp the juice out, add some sauce, and eat it in one go. Of course, we had coffee to pair because coffee is life.
I noticed that this market had a lot of floors and most were food stalls. There were still seniors who sold wet tissue to customers and just from below where we're at was a park for senior citizens. You can see them playing chess.
We took a bus and went to stroll around to find the perfect pasalubong for Fred's manager - Moon Cake. She granted Fred's vacation leave but he has to bring her moon cake in exchange. Hahaha, it was a fair deal, I think. My cousin and her boyfriend were also quite supportive with the search.
MARINA BAY SANDS, GARDENS BY THE BAY, SUPERTREE OBSERVATORY, MERLION
Walking around the streets of Singapore on our way to Marina Bay Sands, we saw a fire. The respondents were quick to come to the rescue and I also took notice of the road repairs that were also ongoing then. I noticed that mostly Indians worked on the repairs and I haven't really seen a Singaporean local spearheading the roadwork. I also thought about the speed in which they would have accomplished such task and wondered if my country will ever reach that level of efficiency.
Finally got the chance to see the majestic Marina Bay Sands in real life. My cousin told me that if it were only her and her boyfriend on this trip, they would get a room here and live the luxe life, but alas, they were blessed with Fred and I and we had to spoil the luxe life for them 😂
We went to Gardens by The Bay and for a country famous for not having natural resources, Singapore made up for it with its man-made flora and fauna. Our professor would say that all of Singapore's attractions are man-made and are, therefore, nothing special. To that I would say, they made the most of what they had and they have made beautiful things out of it. Goes to show that it is in Singapore's nature to not become victims of their circumstances but thrive in the best way they know how.
We took lots of pictures and we got our tickets to see the Flower Dome and the Cloud Forest Dome. All the walking made me a bit thirsty so we grabbed a bottle before getting into the observatories. It was the most expensive water bottle I had in my life.
The conservatories were cool, kept between 23 to 25 degrees Celsius. These were by design because some plants alien to the tropics could not grow in the tropics. Gardens by the Bay boast of having 1 million plants, trees, and flowers from every continent except Antarctica. It was an honor seeing this architectural and horticultural marvel right before our very eyes.
If you have also noticed, there are no pillars inside the dome, this was also made by design so as to ensure that every plant gets ample sunlight for it to grow. There were also works of art at every turn. The cooling technology used in these gardens was also very efficient.
Plants that bloom once a year can now bloom all year round in this conservatory because their growing conditions can be controlled. Tulips, dahlias, camellias can be seen to bloom beautifully in the dome.
These supertrees are known to be a marvel in the nighttime. Unknown to many is its magic done during the day. It expels fumes from a biomass boiler that burns plant waste from the Gardens and other parts of Singapore to convert into fuel. The fuel powers the steam turbine that produces a portion of the energy needed to cool the observatories. A technological and an architectural wonder indeed.
Have you ever really been to Singapore if you haven't gone to the Merlion statue? That was what we were thinking with our feet sore from all the walking and sightseeing. We pushed through because the merlion was worth it. It represented Singaporeans through and through. Its fish-like body paid tribute to its fishing village origins while its head was derived from its original name "Singapura" which means Lion City in Sanskrit.
Food
I just had to try the laksa for myself in Esplanade Mall. It is a spicy noodle dish with thick rice noodles topped with shrimp and egg. It had a rich and spicy coconut soup. It was satisfying the first few sips. After a while, it becomes too heavy, which must be from the thick coconut soup.
Who thinks of a hot pot in hot and humid Singapore? These tourists did! It was our last meal before we fly out for tomorrow and so my cousin decided that we deserved to binge. We forgot where this Haidilao branch was but upon a quick search on the internet, they have a lot of branches there so it will be hard to miss.
It was a buffet style hotpot but you needed to pick your soup bases first per package. They had tablets to key in your orders and there were robots to help deliver condiments to your table as well. Apparently, it wasn't only tourists who loved getting their food fix in this place, there were a lot of locals too.
This set-up reminds me of Shabu Shabu in Cebu. After ordering our hotpot bases, we were then waiting for our meat, seafood and condiments to arrive. Writing about this now made me suddenly crave the unique taste of their sauce. Apparently, the sauce is the key to enjoying your Haidilao experience. Fred was up for the challenge and he poured out herbs and spices on his sauce. It smelled and tasted savory.
Once the soup bases come to a boil, you can then bring the meat to the boil and wait for it to be cooked by the heat. There was a special technique that my cousin taught us to effectively wrap the meat to the chopsticks. Fred did it rather well.
What a feast that was. We also got little ice cream cups for dessert. I remembered where this branch was! It was in a mall in Orchard Road. Hooray for Google Photos 🙌
Time to Go Home
It was a nice 3D and 3N stay in Singapore. We exchanged most of our Singaporean Dollars back to Philippine Peso, leaving one bill and coins unexchanged for memories. In the plane, I had to try one last Singaporean dish before I get back to the Pinoy dishes once again. Savored the last few hours I had on the air before catching my next agenda for the day. Literally right after I landed in Cebu, I had to drive to class to get ready for our Operations Class defense. It was a great experience.
She is on a mission to become better than who she was yesterday. A candidate for Masters in Business Administration and a Financial Advisor, she hopes to give value to this space as a motivated individual. She found the perfect marriage between what she wants to do in life and her mission in financial advising. She balances her work and life in the comforts of her home, co-working spaces, and cafes. She loves to meet like-minded people and live her life to the fullest. Watch this space for tales of self-improvement and self-acceptance, per Mark Manson, "the philosophical tightrope."
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