After returning from a trip to Singapore, I was struck by several strange phenomena.
Last month, I finally had the opportunity to take my family on a trip to Singapore, and I stayed there for almost half a month, which gave me a deeper understanding of the country. Here are a few of my thoughts about the strange phenomena I found in Singapore.
First of all, there is a big gap between Singapore's retirement system and what I know about the situation in China. In Singapore, locals rely more on their own and their businesses' retirement savings than on the government's full coverage pension. I was surprised by the way this pension system works, but from what I've talked to Singaporeans, I have found that they generally feel that it poses a lot of challenges to their retirement life.
Secondly, the policing in Singapore really caught my eye, and I have to praise it. As we all know, Singapore is definitely recognized as one of the safest countries in the world, so I felt very relieved during my trip to Singapore. I was able to walk freely in the streets and alleys day and night without worrying about insecurity, which gave me a very good impression of the safety of Singapore.
However, Singapore is also facing a considerable problem, which is the general labor shortage in the country. The Singapore government encourages retirees to continue working to make up for the lack of labor. They advocate for such a way to provide a sustainable labor force for the economy, and at the same time, it can also alleviate the stress of living with a lack of pensions. It's a strategy that works for them, and it's both practical and innovative.
Another interesting observation is that the use of English in Singapore is very high. Although Chinese make up a large percentage of Singapore, many people prefer to communicate with me in English rather than Mandarin. This shows the importance of English in Singapore's education system, after all, it is a need for Singapore to connect with the rest of the world.
When it comes to the cost of living, I have to complain that the prices in Singapore are indeed higher than those in China, not even a little higher. The prices of lunch boxes, coffee and haircuts are higher than those in China. However, I also noticed that Singapore's public transport system is very convenient, although the bus does not announce the stop, there will be some corresponding numbers on the stop signs, which provides convenient guidance for those who do not understand English, and if they do not understand English, it is also possible to read the numbers corresponding to the stop signs.
It is worth mentioning that dining at the Food Court in Singapore is indeed a pleasant experience. The food there is not only delicious but also looks clean and tidy. I tried a bowl of seafood noodles and although it was very expensive at S$10, the taste made me think it was worth the price. In addition, I also found that when I buy freshly cut fruit, I usually give sour plum powder as a gift, which made me very surprised by this combination as a sour foodie.
It is worth mentioning that Singapore offers generous scholarships for top students. Those students who receive a full scholarship are not only free of tuition, but the scholarship amount is sufficient for their living expenses. This shows that Singapore attaches great importance to education and is willing to support outstanding students. Therefore, as long as you are good enough Xi study in Singapore, you can basically study without spending money, and you can save on living expenses.
I have also observed that most families in Singapore are Xi eating out. It is estimated that more than 95% of the country's households choose to eat out three meals, and they rarely choose to cook at home. As far as I know, some Singaporeans have told us that they usually have a fast-paced lifestyle, while others say that their domestic food supply is quite convenient, so it is more convenient to eat out.
I don't know if you've ever heard the saying that people's quality is cultivated by fines, and to be honest, I agree with this very much. Because I found that Singapore's public toilets are very clean, I was very surprised, and later learned from some Singaporeans that the public toilets in Singapore were actually very dirty, but later the Singapore government punished those uncivilized phenomena through education and strict law enforcement, and later this move gradually improved the people's public morality and quality. This also proves that the importance of education plays a crucial role in developing good Xi and behavior.
However, I found out that Singapore's public facilities are simply not comparable to China's. Because Singapore is unique as a country, it has a small land area and a small population, and it is relatively easy to build and maintain public facilities. In contrast, China has a vast territory and a large population, and the construction and maintenance of infrastructure such as high-speed rail requires more investment and effort.
Overall, I was very impressed with this trip to Singapore. If you have the opportunity, I recommend that you go over for a walk, which is still very good!