Top 5 Things About Living In Singapore

Singapore being a popular stop over for people when they are travelling the globe, means that we have had lots of Australian friends coming to visit recently. One question I am continuously asked is ,’What is it like  living in another country?’

Answering this question so often has caused me to reflect on what I personally enjoy about living here in Singapore. I have been here for almost 5 months now (wow), so I thought I would share my top 5 things about living in Singapore! 

1.    You are forever sightseeing; even if it isn’t planned: This is number 1 for the obvious reason that it is my favorite thing about living here. Living in Australia my entire life, meant that it was rare where I lived that I would continuously have my eyes opened by my surroundings on a daily basis. I am continuously amazed by the places I bump into here without looking for them. By not knowing where every place or street is means that I am forever exploring.

2.     You become very, very open minded: At uni recently we have been studying how narrow-minded people are the ones that generally get the least out of life.  

If you told me 5 years ago that I would be moving to Singapore in the near future, there is NO way I would believe you. Though, by moving here I have learnt to accept everything that comes my way; good or bad. Its too tiresome to fight against things which are going to happen no matter what. I have learnt to accept my surroundings, different cultures and the fact that life is fast-moving and we are not always in control.  I have escaped the predictable bubble of living the life I assumed I would always be living. It may be daunting but it is an amazing feeling.

3.     Surrounded by people from a range of cultures: Singapore is an extremely multicultural place, which in some respects is similar to Australia, but I have never been the minority.  It is extremely humbling.  Shout out to my uni pals for this one, because in the time period of 5 months, I don’t think I have ever learnt so much.  All my friends are from different parts of the world; India, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Indonesia. Every time I am with them, I learn something new.  Whether it be the correct way to pronounce an Asian word, or learning about religion and culture. People are also always asking me about Australia, the traditions, stereotypes and the slang language. I was absolutely stunned to learn that most of my friends didn’t even know what Easter was! 

You forget how the rest of the world lives when you do not go out and explore it.

4.     Food: I obviously could not forget to include this! I have always been a huge lover of Asian and Indian cuisine, but I hadn’t eaten it very often in Australia, because it is usually pretty pricey to eat out.

So so so many places in Singapore offer DELICIOUS meals for under SG $6. Its insane.  You will usually find food this cheap at Hawker centres where there are a variety of food stalls such as Indonesian, Vietnamese and Indian. I find myself continuously re reading menu’s because its unlike anything I have ever encountered.  Drinks are all usually under SG $2! It is a food lovers heaven, especially for those who do not mind spicy foods and love trying out new things.

5.     Breaking language and cultural barriers: This is linked to my third point.  When I first arrived here, I found it particularly difficult to interact with people who couldn’t speak strong English. Even though English is the first language in Singapore you find that most people speak in Chinese. Over time, (without learning Chinese mind you) I have developed my patience and motivation to learn and be inspired when interacting with those from other cultures. 

You find that people here will respect you so much more if you greet them using their language, speak in Singlish and are patient if they are struggling with their English. 

Hope you enjoyed reading my top 5 things about living in Singapore! Please feel free to follow and comment on any of my posts.

Bintan: Part 2

Saturday morning in Bintan began with a massive buffet breakfast of hot foods such as sausages, omelettes and other meats as well as yoghurt, cereals, fruits, pancakes and pastries. Basically anything that will make breakfast the best meal of the day.  It was heavenly. The eating area overlooked the pool.

After being fuelled by the delicious breakfast we caught the resort bus into the village. The closest village was about 20 minutes drive away. It is incredibly small consisting of some shops and restaurants, catering for all the tourists. They had some really lovely souvenirs and nick nacks there. 

Sadly, the weather was atrocious. It was pouring with rain which meant that we all got drenched before we got to look around.  The beautiful Indonesian people soon came out with umbrellas for us all. They were so incredibly hospitable.

After wandering around the various stores, we went for lunch at a seafood restaurant. Being the first ones in the restaurant, the waitresses and waiters looked after each of us getting us our drinks and making sure everything was perfect; which is really was. We ordered 4 dishes. The black pepper prawns and pineapple rice were my personal favourites. The pineapple rice at the restaurant was the best I have ever had!

We left the restaurant, following some of the waiters asking for a photo with us, (which I thought was adorable) and headed back to our resort.

For dinner that night we travelled to a neighbouring resort, Nirwana, which was about 10 minutes drive away. Many of the staff at the resort we were staying at recommended us to visit the Thai restaurant there.

I have tried A LOT of delicious Thai in my life, from many, many different places but this had to be the best Thai food I have EVER had. Now I know that this is a ground-breaking statement, but I’m being completely honest here. It was also the only night I forgot my camera which is so frustrating!

We ordered rice paper rolls, barbequed chicken in banana leaves (which are one of the best things I have ever eaten), green curry, fish curry and papaya salad. Each dish was outstanding. We sat outside once again. The restaurant overlooked the water and it was very cool that night which was something I’ve really missed.

Sunday sadly arrived and I really did not want to leave. We headed to the beach in the morning, renting jet skiis which was incredibly fun.

We had lunch at Rice again which was so so good. I ordered a delicious meal after being exhausted by the beach fun.

Following this we headed to the pool to finish off the afternoon, packed out bags and headed home.

My long weekend in Bintan was just so wonderful.  I recommend everyone to visit Bintan! The people are so accommodating and genuine; they will do anything and everything to help make your stay perfect.

I really hope you enjoyed these two posts because I loved writing them!

Bintan: Part 1

So this past long weekend (Friday-Sun) we went on a short family holiday to Bintan. Bintan is an island in Indonesia which is outlined by the bluest of oceans, filled with tropical jungles and the kindest of people.

I am going to make this blog post a two part installment because there is just so much I want to write about and obviously I don’t want it to be encyclopedia length!

I had heard a lot about Bintan when I first moved here. I suppose because it’s so close to Singapore that everyone typically goes there for holidays. There are many contrasting opinions of Bintan. The majority of people I spoke to didn't say it was that exciting. Although, I've found that when I speak to Singaporeans about activities and holidays they don’t take as much of a liking to it as I do. Which is totally understandable, seeing as they have probably done everything to do here many times. I've only been living here for just over 3 months and I intend to absorb everything I can whilst I’m living here!

We caught a ferry to Bintan from Singapore which took an hour and a half. It’s so exciting to be able to travel ‘overseas’ just by going on a short ferry ride. We stayed at the Bintan Lagoon Resort which was absolutely beautiful to say the least! We had our own villa, but used the resorts pools and dining facilities because they were far superior.

We were greeted at the resort by Balinese dancers and served cane sugar beverages. I could immediately tell I was going to love this place.

The entire resort is very open. It is filled with natural light and a cool breeze which makes it feel like a real tropical retreat.  You cannot see any other buildings or cities besides the resort, so it makes you feel like you are totally alone on the island.

To get around the resort (because it is massive) you are to use golf buggies. There was one parked at our villa and you could see all the employees and other guests zipping around on them. They were seriously fun to use. 

On our first day we arrived at around 10:30 am Singapore time, although Bintan is an hour behind.  We were all so terribly hungry because we had to wake up at 6 and we had to wait until 12 pm Bintan time for the lunch buffet to begin. So we explored the island.

Bintan is filled with the most luscious greenery and flowers. It is honestly one of the most beautiful spaces I have ever set my eyes upon. I was completely blown away.

The lunch buffet was not the typical, stale looking variety of foods. It included many Indonesian dishes, salads and soups. It was very very classy. The traditional Indonesian dishes were so incredibly delicious. I loved the sweet and sour fish and the barbeque chicken. Usually sweet and sour fish is deep fried and coated in a disgusting, sticky sauce, but this was very clean and fresh! So so yummy. If you know me, you will know I am a MASSIVE sweet tooth, so of course I couldn’t look past the delicious Indonesian puddings and cakes. Indonesian tea was also served which was definitely one of my highlights.

In the afternoon my brothers and I spent close to 3 hours between the two pools. No shame. Both pools were massive and you could see through to the beach. There were sit-in pool bars, water slides and plenty of seating areas. It was so nice just to spend hours in the pool and on the sun chairs relaxing!

That night we went to a restaurant right on the beach called ‘Rice’. We sat outside, where the tables were located on the beach front. It was a beautifully designed restaurant, with all the tables illuminated by candles. You could hear the waves rolling onto the shore as you ate your meal. We were also treated with a Balinese band and dancers, which was such a highlight for me because I really wanted to see them perform! They were so lovely handing out flowers and they were more than happy to pose for photos.

So this is post 1 done and dusted! I look forward to sharing the rest with you at the beginning of next week.

Last Saturday I went to the Singapore Zoo; a time for me to relive my childhood and it proved itself to be a really lovely break from assignments.

I hadn't been to the Zoo in years; so I was pretty excited! Its easy to forget how things feel when you haven’t experienced them for so long.

Singapore Zoo is such a cool space due to the fact that it is nestled in the middle of the Mandai Rain Forest. I absolutely love the lush greenery here.  We were lucky it was an overcast day because when the sun comes out in Singapore, being outside is almost torturous.

I was most looking forward to seeing the Pandas, but when I asked one of the employees why they weren't on the map, she informed me that you could only see them on the river cruise. I was so disappointed! So yes, the river cruise is the next thing I must conquer whilst living here.

I do recommend visiting the Singapore Zoo. I had been told by so many people since I moved here that I must go and I really underestimated how enjoyable it would be. It  includes such a vast array of species, and the loveliest scenery which  stretches into the magnificent Seletar Reservoir, which really helped contribute to the jungle-like feel.  It really felt like an escape from the fast paced lifestyle Singapore leads.