Sure...about subsidies?
In other news...
When I first moved to
Bangkok,Thailand I needed to do a visa run (leave Thailand to get a
new visa, then come back) and a friend recommended Singapore. I'd
never been to Singapore, heard it had good English bookstores and,
with a two hour flight from Thailand it was convenient, so I booked
a trip. But, two days after arriving in this 'island state', I
couldn't wait to leave Singapore and, since then, I've never been
back. In fact, if you're thinking of traveling to Singapore on
business or vacation, these five big reasons might make you think,
like I do, Singapore is definitely a country to avoid.
1. Singapore Is The World's Most Boring
Country - One of the smallest countries on the
planet, Singapore has little to do to keep you entertained. Sure,
if you like shopping malls, or sitting in restaurants, Singapore
has many of them. But other than tacky Sentosa Island with
its Universal
Studios Theme Park, there's little else to do except shop
and eat.
Half the fun of being in Asia is its lively streets, smells,
sounds, street nightlife, food stalls and cities that never sleep.
Singapore, on the other hand, is one of the world's most sterile
countries, with all the outdoor food in 'hawker areas' (dull,
compared to Bangkok), and with none of the street life of most
Asian cities. After being in Bangkok, Hanoi, Kuala Lumpur and Hong
Kong, I felt like I was sleepwalking in Singapore - it really was
that dull. After my second day in Singapore, and a 'city tour' that
took all of three hours, I was so bored I booked a flight back
to Bangkok two days early as I couldn't
stomach one more day in the world's most boring country. Singapore
is a country to avoid.
2. Singapore Is Expensive - Compared to most
other Asian countries, Singapore is expensive. With things like
taxis, hotels, shopping and eating on a par with America, I saw no
point in visiting an Asian country, then spending as much as I
would in America, if not more. For cheap yet amazing places to
travel in Asia, avoid Singapore completely, and try Bangkok, Kuala
Lumpur, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh - basically anywhere but
Singapore.
3. Everything in Singapore Is Regulated - A
society gone mad with rules, you hardly dare breath in Singapore,
in case you do something that's against the law. Chewing gum is
against the law and bubble gum and chewing gum are not allowed to
be sold in the country. Forgetting to flush the toilet could get
you a fine of $500, if you're a gay man and discovered kissing
another man you could end up receiving a jail sentence, and don't
forget people are still caned in Singapore for some crimes,
including that really serious one of chewing gum.
4. Singaporean Culture is Conformist - In
other Asian countries like South Korea, Japan, Thailand and
Malaysia, the culture of the country is fascinating as, with less
rules, citizens are free to experiment with ideas. In Singapore,
due to the restrictive laws, the Singaporean art scene practically
non-existent. Not surprising really as, if you stifle a people's
creativity and imagination as the Singaporean government does, then
people are socialized to conform and think within the box and not
outside it. Not a catalyst for great artwork, literature or any
other cultural experimentation.
5. Singapore Is One of the World's Most Censored
Countries - Censorship in Singapore is rampant.
Political, racial, sexual and religious issues are frequently
censored, with most TV programs, movies, magazines and newspapers
censored by the Singaporean government. Movies have scenes cut from
them, certain books are not allowed to be sold, some music can't be
played, cable TV has some shows banned, and newspapers and
magazines have to be careful what they publish in case the
government shuts them down.
Many people think Singapore's intense censorship is to keep the
People's Action Party in power, which is done by stopping political
dissention and discussion. But, to a tourist or business person
thinking of visiting Singapore, why would you want to give your
hard-earned money to a country that practices that much censorship
and control over its citizens?
The final straw for me though, as a writer, was to hear about the
arrest of British journalist Alan Shandrake. Shandrake, who lives
in both the UK and Malaysia, was arrested during a book signing in
Singapore because of his book "Once a Jolly Hangman:
Singapore's Justice in the Dock", a critique about Singapore's
legal system. Now stuck in Singapore awaiting trial, Shandrake will
probably be found guilty, if Singapore's censorship court cases in
the past are anything to go by, and could receive a fine and a jail
term. All for criticizing a long-outdated legal system and one
which has the world's highest per capita rate of executions.
As a writer, and as someone who travels around Asia often, for the
above five reasons plus many others, Singapore is the last place in
the world I would ever go back to. Censored, conformist, bogged
down with rules, and the dullest place on the planet - Singapore?
You can keep it.
*******
I think she should stop surfing SC here...
Sibei fake review sia 
Seriously u can tell all those from a 2 day trip to
Singapore!?!?
