Singapore

This island with its islets located in the heart of Southeast Asia is where I am born and bred. Between Malaysia and Indonesia at about 1° north of the equator, you get a metropolitan city nation of 5.1 million and where about 74% called it "My Home, My Country".

The tropical climate tends to make people hide from the heat and humidity in air-conditioned buildings but there is also no shortage of places for outdoor activities for those who love the nature and sport. The cool night air is especially conducive for families and friends to meet up and enjoy the good food and bright lights.

Wheelchair Accessibility

All subway trains and stations in Singapore are wheelchair-friendly. The trains are levelled with the platforms so wheelchairs can easily board them. The stations are located in or near shopping malls and commercial/residential districts so you usually don't have to wheel far to access any attractions.

The bus companies are in the process of deploying new and replacing old buses with wheelchair accessible buses (WAB). The target is to have all service routes to have WABs by 2023. The Land Transport Authority is upgrading all bus-stops to accommodate the WABs. There are now enough WAB services for me to travel to places I used to rely on taxis to get to.

History & Culture

Singapore has gone through quite an amount of history, given the short period of founding and nation building as compared to other countries.

When Sir Stamford Raffles of the East Indies Company claimed it in the name of the British Empire in 1819, Singapore metamorphosised from a small fishing village into a trading post. Businesses came from both the East and the West and Singapore, along with other Straits Settlements Penang and Malacca, quickly became one of the jewels of British colony crown.

World War II saw the fall of Singapore into the hands of the Japanese for three and a half years with a new name Syonando. After the war, the people of Singapore realised they need to work towards self-governance and not rely on the British. The colony became a self-governing state in 1959. After a short-lived merger with Malaya, Singapore declared its independence in 1965. This new Singapore has gone on to years of rapid development to achieve today's status as an industrial and financial hub.

Singapore is ethnically made up of roughly 76.8% Chinese, 13.9% Malay, 7.9% Indian and 1.4% other races. Malay, Mandarin, Tamil and English are the four official languages with Malay being the national language and English the de facto medium for formal communication.

After more than a century of British colonisation and 5 decades of being a country, the people still retain the cultures and traditions of their ancestors from southern parts of China and India and the Malay archipelago. At the same time, a unique blend of culture and a brand of colloquial English are formed which make being Singaporeans special.

However, a large influx of foreigners in recent years has eroded this Singaporean cultural identity and disrupted the building of a society by its citizens. Tensions between locals and foreigners have surfaced with some immigrants failing to assimilate enough. Increase in social problems have also been felt.

References

• SMRT
• SBS Transit
• Land Transport Authority
• Taxi Fare Calculator
• www.sg - Your Official Gateway to Singapore
• Statistics Singapore