The safest country in the world

Singapore celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 2015 and four years later, Sir Stamford Raffles began preparing for the 200th anniversary of its founding by establishing a business center for the British East India Company.

Unlike the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Independence, the 200th anniversary of the foundation is celebrated by invigorating moments of particular importance in the country's history, given the divergent views on the British colonization of the island and the refusal of many Singaporeans to commemorate this anniversary. But organizers of the event said the event was an opportunity for citizens to contemplate the colonial past of not more than 200 years, but 700 years in total, and reflect on the values ​​that contributed upon arrival from Singapore.

The Commission has identified these values ​​with openness, multiculturalism and self-determination, values ​​that are appreciated by many who live here. LG Han, owner of Michelin-starred restaurant LaBirneth, said: "Singapore is a country with its own identity. Ethnic and religious diversity is closely linked to social interaction, food and monuments. "Despite this diversity, there is much in common between Singaporeans, who speak of the values ​​to which they are attached and who accept people. differently. "

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Despite Singapore's cultural diversity, its position on different sexual orientations has not yet evolved and it still adheres to the British colonial rule conferred on it, which prohibits lesbianism, even though it has been the subject of many court challenges. The New York Times says the ban will be the subject of a new judicial review in 2019 after India abolished a similar ban on the colonial era.

Why do they like Singapore?

The combination of cultures in this country helps expatriates, especially Westerners, to adapt quickly. "Singapore is an excellent gateway to Asia, both geographically as it is an excellent center for other nearby tourist destinations like Bali and Boracay, or culturally for its deep-rooted relationships with the West, especially Britain, "said Alexandra Veg, an American woman who has been living in Singapore for three years and writes a travel blog titled" A Virgin Traveler ".

"The Singaporean traveler sees Buddhist temples alongside British-style shops, local food markets serving chicken and Chinese rice, Indonesian-style rice, and Western-style beef sandwiches."

Jordon Bishop, a Canadian resident of Singapore and editor-in-chief for Hao Travel, said Singapore's open food markets did not look like other street food stores. Two of the stores won the 2016 Michelin Star, Absolutely Unprecedented.

Multiculturalism does not stop at food, but people have their own language that reflects this melting pot, a language that the government does not recognize (and has recently taken steps to discourage), the language of the sanglish , which mixes English with other languages ​​such as Mandarin, Hokkien and Cantonese. As well as Malay and Tamil, spoken by people at informal events.

How does Singapore live?

Unlike life in many big cities, people here are not afraid of theft or violence. The crime rate in Singapore is among the lowest in the world.

"You can leave your car open or your purse unattended, and as a woman I can go out at night without worrying about my safety," said Alison Ozawa Sanders, an American woman who has been living in Singapore for five years and who is co-author of the Singapore Expatriates Guide. I do not fear that if I miss my children for a moment, they will be kidnapped. "

Singapore is also very clean and easy to navigate, with rare traffic jams. Partly because of government restrictions on cars and high prices of vehicles.

"Some say life here is boring, but I personally think that their monotonous feeling is safe and comfortable, which is much better to worry about everyday than being robbed in the street," says Pino Chua, who has been living in Singapore for eleven years.

The business center of the city is very busy, the staff is fast, but you can escape the hustle and bustle of the city and get lost in the surrounding landscape.

"My apartment is not more than 25 minutes walk from the dense forests where wild birds can be enjoyed," said Daniel Burnham, Asian flight expert at Scotts Chip Flight Tours, which brings together a large number of beautiful national parks and a lot of life. Wild, given its size and population density ".

Due to the small size of the island, it is advisable for residents to take advantage of Changi International Airport, famous throughout the world, and cheap air fares. "I was bored, it is easy to catch the plane for a trip abroad," says Burnham.

Further information

Singapore is just north of the equator and its climate is hot all year, which means expats need time to get used to it.

"You have to get used to sweating all the time, and the moisture will leave your mark on your hair," says Ozawa Sanders "She will not look like your body in your home country." "Air conditioning is essential everywhere because of the high temperature," says Burnham.

According to a recent report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, Singapore is the list of the most expensive countries in terms of cost of living, according to which the cost of renting a room apartment is of 1394.50 USD, while the average price of the new car is about 73 978 USD.

"Many visitors and expats combine their perceptions of living in Singapore with what they see in movies such as" crazy Asian people "or the lives of expatriates whose activities allow them to stay in business. to settle in Singapore, "says Burnham. But the cost of living in Singapore would not be astronomical. They rent a public house, cook at home and use public transportation. The cost of living will be much lower than in the United States. "

Singapore's tax rate is among the lowest in the world and does not exceed 22%.

You can read the original article on BBC Travel

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