I was never a fan of the National Day Parades, never wore red and white on National Day, nor felt inclined to sing National Day songs as loud as our teachers expected us to. One of the songs that we repeatedly sang was ‘Home’ by Kit Chan where the lyrics–I’m sure all of us know it by heart–sing of how Singapore is home.
Home to me was more of, well, a place I could hang out with my friends, sleep in during the weekends, and take a lazy stroll along the city centre. Being born and bred here, it is often unprecedented that I actually did not find a sense of belonging here in Singapore at first.
I had a love for music, and my Spotify playlist had bits and pieces of Singaporean artistes such as Joie Tan, Lew Loh, Gentle Bones etc. However, I realised that Singapore’s music scene wasn’t progressing anywhere and I wanted to go abroad to study it further.
With Singapore’s harsh reality of its education and some people say, lack of creative empathy, I wanted to get out of the country to give myself more opportunities. Nevertheless, Singapore gives me this warm fuzzy feeling on the inside that no other country would be able to replace. As I began to think deeper about the good that Singapore have, I concluded with these three reasons why I am grateful to be living in Singapore.
#1 The Safety of Singapore
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Living in a country that strictly prohibits people from owning or carrying guns, I am grateful that I can walk Singapore's empty streets with little risk of having a gun pointed at my face.
In a comparison of gun-related killings as a percentage of all homicides in countries worldwide, it was found that the US had the largest percentage (73%), significantly greater than Canada, Australia, England and Wales. Killings involving a gun accounted for nearly three-quarters of all homicides in the US in 2019.
The Arms Offences Act in Singapore that criminalises the illegal possession of arms and ammunition, as well as the carrying, trafficking, and usage of arms, is something that people don’t appreciate here enough in Singapore. The fact that a large number of people in America find it necessary to learn to use a gun and keep weapons in their homes is quite unsettling. It is truly a privilege that we can live in safety, at least without the public possession of guns.
#2 The Connectedness of Everyone
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Singapore is so small that it takes only three hours or less to get from one end to the other. Although I complain that I have to take a two-hour journey to my boyfriend's house on the other side of Singapore, I am grateful that it is by train and not plane. If I were in a long-distance relationship in America, I would likely have to take a plane, then spend another 50 dollars or so just to visit my significant other.
Here, if I wanted to go to Clarke Quay to grab drinks with my friends, it would take just a 30-min Grab ride. Imagine staying 36 hours away from your friend; when you want to meet, you have to wait three days just to see her or what if you need help urgently? What if she needed a shoulder to cry on? Some things are better face-to-face. Singapore is so small, sometimes it is a blessing in disguise.
Our cosy island also allows me to form close-knit communities within my neighbourhood. It's a small world where everyone is so connected with one another, which can be both good and bad.
With such connectivity, sometimes even the slightest rumour can spread amongst your friend cliques and even to people you don’t know. On the bright side, knowing everyone also means being able to receive help when you need it, especially when finding a job or getting into your dream school. The people you know can offer many more insightful tips than industry professionals or school administrators.
#3 The Affordable Public Transport
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Singapore’s affordable public transport system is much to be grateful for. For a student, one bus ride will cost you around $0.63 on average, with extra rebates if you take the train or bus one after the other. Furthermore, before 7:45 am, train rates are discounted to encourage off-peak travellers. As students, we also enjoy concessions, which save us some money on the whole.
With our largely state-funded public transport system, Singapore ranks second in public transport affordability when benchmarked against 11 other cities. A study in 2016 discovered that Singaporeans paid 11 cents per passenger kilometre, compared to 14 cents per kilometre in Hong Kong and 19 cents in London.
This is especially important as commuting forms a big part of our daily lives as students—going to meet our friends for dinner, to school for CCA, etc. We are so lucky not to have the cost of transportation hinder us from doing the things we love.
These are three things that I felt people often overlook when thinking about Singapore. Despite the variety of opportunities available in other countries, as Kit Chan would sing,
There's a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go
What are the three things that you’re grateful for about Singapore?
