20 years on

I’ve been thinking about my first visit to Singapore, and why I didn’t like the place back then. Context is important. Then I’d flown in from a vibrant Hong Kong, where the culture was very different to the UK. This time I’d come from London and with middle age kicking in, what I found bland and dull back then, is now rather appealing. The streets are clean, shop fittings are polished within an inch of their lives, even the public loos are immaculate. People party in the streets, but there is no public drunkenness and consequently no laddish intimidation or pools of vomit to negotiate.

Novelty is a prime driver here – and so is success. A strong welfare state provides decent housing, education and healthcare, but this isn’t taken for granted. From an early age families encourage their children to work hard and succeed. Always looking forward may have its downside and there is little sense of history – but our history is their colonial oppression, so why keep buildings as reminders? And as the tourists like them, the remaining 19th century buildings are now being renovated rather than ripped down. And while the current architecture reflects a bigger+taller+newer=better philosophy, adding little to daytime views, the city lights up spectacularly at night.

But what really impressed me is the respect people have for each other. Everyone I encountered was unfailingly polite and helpful – as if it gave them pleasure to make my life easier. What goes around comes around. I’m going to adopt this approach too, and see if good karma keeps coming back.