Singapore likes to think of itself as a modern and high-end
Asian city. We are cleaner, greener and leaner than our Asian
neighbors, we are constantly reminded by our media and our
government.
In subtle ways, our media draws attention to the flaws of our
neighboring countries. Look at Malaysia and their church burning
religious zealots! Look at Thailand and the instability caused by
the Red Shirts versus the Yellows Shirts! Look at Taiwan and their
politicians who constantly fight in Parliament!
"Aren't you glad you live in Singapore, where things are
better?" seems to be the message.
It was the mental image of chair-wielding politicians that I
carried with me when went to Taiwan recently. The wife and I and
some friends flew to Taipei (on Singapore Airlines, of course,
because it is better than any Asian airline) and spent a week there
on holiday.
I was surprised by what I found. Let me share some ways Taipei
kicks Singapore's behind.
Singapore used to be known for cheap food. We still have it here
and there but really, food prices have been rising to what we call
"air-conditioned food court prices". Where we used to pay SGD2 for
a bowl of noodles in a hawker stall, it is now SGD3 minimum. At the
food courts, it is hitting S$4.50 for that bowl.
So much so that when we hear of a wet market or hawker centre
undergoing renovations, we expect prices to go up and the food
quality to drop.
In contrast, in Taiwan, you would find a meal for less than
NT$50, which is about two Singapore bucks. Sometimes with a free
cup of tea thrown in.
Needless to say, we totally pigged out at the night markets. We
made the mistake of having a full dinner on the first few nights.
The trick is to just snack your way through the stalls at the night
markets and not have one big meal first.
Singapore has always prided itself as having a world class
public transport system. But with a growing population, mostly from
the influx of "foreign talent" is stretching our transport
infrastructure.
The best that the Singapore MRT can do is an interval of 2 to 5
minutes between trains during peak. We are told it is due to the
signaling system that needs to be upgraded to decrease that
interval.
Trains in Taipei come as frequently as 1 minute apart during
peak hour. The trains never feel as packed as Singapore trains,
even though our populations are about the same (actually Taipei has
about a million more people).
Which brings me to my next point...
The thing that struck me when I took the trains was how
well-behaved people were. At the escalators, people automatically
stood to the right (they drive on the right there, unlike us), so
that those who wanted to move ahead can use the left side of the
escalator.
Singaporeans have never understood the concept of standing to
one side of an escalator. It is almost as if we believe that by not
giving way, we win. Letting someone else go faster than we do, even
if we just want to stand all the way down the escalator, is against
our religion.
This escalator behavior of the Taipei folks was not just
confined to the MRT. Everyone behaved in the same way even when
riding escalators in shopping malls. How refreshingly
civilized.
We were traveling with a child and an elderly person most of the
time (they were our friends' toddler and her grandma), and we never
had any problems getting a seat for them. Passengers in the Taipei
trains automatically gave up their seats for you, with a smile
too.
Try being pregnant, disabled, elderly or with a kid in a
Singapore train. You will discover the talent that the typical
Singaporean commuter has for falling asleep precisely when you show
up in front of their faces.
You can travel from the north to the south of Taiwan in 90
minutes using the Taiwan High Speed Rail express train. It is fast,
clean and comfortable.
I am told it has its share of financial troubles and scandals
but riding it was a pleasure. The only complaint I had was that the
stations tended to be located somewhat out of the way.
Buying a ticket was painless and the stations had all the
amenities you would expect from an airport terminal.
On the trains, food and drinks were sold at reasonable prices
and the food was actually tasty. In Singapore, if we had a service
like this, with a captive customer, you would most likely be buying
a soft drink at triple the street price. Hey, you are on my train,
there is no where else you can buy a drink, so I am going to sell
you a drink at restaurant prices.
Not in this Taiwan bullet train. I found that buying a drink
from the THSR train food trolley to be about the same as getting it
from their 7-Elevens.
To be fair, we don't need a high speed rail for our tiny
Singapore city. But it would be nice if we could travel from
Singapore to Penang or even Bangkok via high speed rail. That would
mean collaborating with Malaysia and we all know that it is not
going to happen. We can't even agree on simple things like a
crooked bridge connecting our straits.
I was struck by how freely people discussed politics and current
events in Taiwan. The taxi drivers spoke with passion about what
they felt about their government and political parties (do check
whose side they are on before you start whacking). TV and
newspapers ask tough questions and grill politicians daily.
While it is true that truth can sometimes fall by the wayside in
the pursuit of sensationalism and media ratings, I found it
refreshing to see this lively exchange of ideas and opinions.
I am told this was not always the case and things improved only
after the lifting of martial law in 1987 and even more so, after
the KMT lost their dominance at the 2000 elections.
The chaotic energy of its culture is infectious. You feel it
even walking through shops run by entrepreneurial young people.
I know this is odd but the air in Taipei smells cleaner than
even Singapore's. Perhaps they don't have neighbors who burn
forests every year willy-nilly, and perhaps their leaders have
really cleaned up the city's air. Regardless of the reason, I am
impressed.
And the streets! They are so clean! And they manage to do it
without having a dustbin at every corner too. We tried to look for
a place to throw our rubbish when we finished eating our street
snacks and could not find a trash can easily. Yet we noticed people
did not litter. When I asked the hawker where I could dispose of my
litter, he just said, give it to me.
Singaporeans have to be fined into submission before they can
stop littering. Even with the trash cans and cleaners at every
corner. And we are so repressed, we become littering monsters in
other countries, like Malaysia.
And the Taiwanese seemed more conscious of recycling too. The
convenience store clerk asked me if I wanted a plastic bag because
it would cost extra. And shops also gave out less disposable
chopsticks.
In Singapore, we use styrofoam plates and wooden single-use
chopsticks and Disposable Everything like our lives depended on it.
You have to beg the supermarket auntie not to double-bag your
groceries.
There you go, seven ways that Taipei is better than Singapore as
a city. I can keep going, like how their cabs don't have as many
ridiculous surcharges, and how much swankier their karaoke chains
are but I won't. I don't want to be accused of being
unpatriotic.
And don't have to remind me, I know, I know...
Singapore is still better because our politicians don't fight in
Parliament by throwing chairs.
Read more:
Say What? with mrbrown: 7 ways that Taipei beats
Singapore | CNNGo.com
http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/none/mrbrown-7-ways-taipei-beats-singapore-432166#ixzz0fx4aoPVP
Read more:
Say What? with mrbrown: 7 ways that Taipei beats
Singapore | CNNGo.com
http://www.cnngo.com/singapore/none/mrbrown-7-ways-taipei-beats-singapore-432166#ixzz0fx4at5FR