Is Singapore boring? 



Banner (6)
Banner (6)


Share this post:

The first and last time I heard the claim “Singapore is boring”, it came from Singaporeans, born and raised. Now, as an exchange student who, in all transparency, has spent just a little over a semester in Singapore, I found this a baffling accusation. So I, the outsider, have taken it upon myself to understand (and maybe debunk) this argument. 

The Origins of “Boredom”

In my unofficial interviews I found a couple of common threads: expenses, repetition and inauthenticity. Let’s talk about them.

  1. Singapore is expensive. In fact, the Economist Intelligence Unit found Singapore to be the most expensive city in the world. While the methodology and impact of this finding is up for debate, it definitely does cement the city as extremely expensive. In addition, Singapore’s Southeast Asian neighbours don’t help the reputation, offering high standards of living for a fraction of the price.
  1. Singapore is small. You could theoretically cross the entire island from east to west in under an hour (although it sometimes takes me an hour to get downtown from NUS). While the merits and demerits of this are an non-exhaustive list, one thing it does ensure is repetition. People have been eating brunch at Lola’s since the beginning of time (and will probably continue to do so till its end). 
  1. This one might be more of a complaint from non-Singaporeans: Singapore feels gentrified, sanitised, perfect. Although I myself have been guilty of saying this, I’m torn. Is this a valid criticism? Or is it outsiders complaining that Singapore doesn’t fit into their vision of Asia (like some sort of poverty porn). That’s a debate I’m more than happy to have. Personally, I do find some truth to it. Everything is very well done. Prim and proper. Nothing weird, or out of the ordinary. No cultural quirks like throwing up in the New York subway (although, I did hear news about someone going number 2 on the MRT). It’s what makes Singapore so unique and nothing like any other big city I’ve been to. Good administration, minimal crime and low pollution (but complaining about this is a fool’s game). 

An External Perspective 

What I find extremely interesting is that, for the most part, exchange students tend to disagree with the idea that Singapore is boring. Even though we’re here for a much shorter period of time, I still wonder why we’re on the other end of the spectrum. Here are some theories:

Nightlife 

There are only a handful of clubs in Singapore and drinking is expensive. So yes, it gets repetitive. But bars and clubbing in Singapore can still be really fun. There’s a wide variety of bars with really good drinks that are cheaper or the same price as most big cities (Sago House is one of my favourites). Clubbing is always safe, which combined with ladies night, is a massive win for women. Plus, cabs back are not super expensive compared to other cities. And (even though I’m not a fan) Marquee is definitely a required pilgrimage for anyone with an interest in clubs in Southeast Asia (I did like the slide). 

Food and Culture 

I’ve seen my fair share of big cities. Rarely do countries with such high standards and costs of living have food this cheap. Most hawker centres feature a trove of cuisines, and in many cases, you can get a meal for under $5. AND it’s good. You are definitely spoiled for choice between the Malay, Chinese and Indian food alongside those cultures. Eid, Diwali and Christmas, all in the same year (I’d never heard of Thaipusam and I’m Indian). The party never stops. Sanitised, yes; but it is also an incredibly diverse culture to be in, especially if you’re not from Asia. 

Travel 

Singapore is very conveniently located for travel across Southeast Asia. If you have any exchange friends, you know they’re in Malaysia every weekend. Singaporeans are privy to this too. You get to earn in the Singaporean Dollar and spend in the Thai Baht. I feel like Southeast Asia was this wonderful, tropical secret that I’m finally discovering (cheesy I know, but try being in Europe in January). 

Comfort and the People 

Having spent some time in France, I like to juxtapose Singaporeans with the French. While the French are polite but cold, Singaporeans are rude but warm. On the spectrum of having been screamed at, to given the cold shoulder from the bus drivers to the hawkers centres, every international person has had an experience. But Singaporeans are also uncharacteristically nice. People always stop to give detailed directions, sometimes they walk with you. If you’re staying on campus, people on your floor you don’t talk to you will take care of you. Help with the printer, food, language, everything. The safety and convenience of the city, coupled with the warmth of the people (and the weather)  makes for an attractive destination. 

So what’s my conclusion? Is Singapore boring? I hate to be that person, but it depends on you. How much you want to see, where you want to go, and (unfortunately) how much money you have. Singapore is like the stable, dependable partner with a finance job who has a taste for the “finer” things in life. The partner you move in with after 1 year of dating, marry after 5 and have 3 kids by 35 (I find BTOs completely jarring). That partner is not for everyone. Some people want partners so toxic that you can’t breathe but you’re always entertained like Delhi; or partners that are the life of the party like Bangkok. Everyone gets to pick. So no, I cannot answer the question but I can offer synonyms to “boring”. I prefer reliable, calm, safe, well kept. For that I will always recommend giving Singapore a chance, there’s more than what meets the eye. 



Notice: ob_end_flush(): failed to send buffer of zlib output compression (0) in /home/students/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 5427