by Katherine Born

Created on: August 13, 2009   Last Updated: August 17, 2009

Living in Singapore is a totally different experience than visiting Singapore. Since this tiny island makes most of its money off of foreigners, there is a strong effort by the Singaporean government to make tourist's visits pleasant, safe, and above all, repeatable. Many people fly through Singapore without ever really seeing beneath the almost Disneyland-like "happy shiny people" that is pushed so strongly by the government (when I was there last, metro cards actually had pictures of the buses filled with smiling happy faces!). As an American born in Singapore who left and then came back (and then left again,) I feel like I may be able to assist you in understanding what living in Singapore is like, especially if you are not a Singaporean.

Singapore's geography colors every aspect of living in Singapore. Being located almost on the equator affects daily weather, giving it a hot, humid feel year-round, although rainfall does vary a bit according to "wet" or "dry" seasons. Most Singaporeans don't actually feel the heat all day however, as public and private indoor climates are kept at 70F/18C, a temperature that feels like below zero when you come in from the outside (especially if you're wet from a typical tropic shower!).

The placement of Singapore among its neighbors also plays a strong, if subtle, influence on the common mindset. Malaysia is a bridge away, while Indonesia is a short boat ride away. These two large Muslim countries are teeming with poorer denizens that Singapore does its best to keep out unless they have something to contribute.

Being born in Singapore does not confer citizenship; only being born to a Singaporean parent confers citizenship (so there isn't a big rush of pregnant ladies coming over for their births.) Both Malaysia and Indonesia are large enough to be a real threat to Singapore's national security, so the government and the average citizen are just a little paranoid underneath, not to mention having been an occupied country within living memory (by the Japanese during WWII - the scars are still vivid. Many Singaporeans can still tell you what horrible thing happened to their parents or grandparents during the occupation. The Japanese were not kind). Thus, Singapore's global geography gives a distinct flavor to living in Singapore that can only be appreciated over time, although anyone will readily appreciate Singapore's tropical beauty right from the beginning.

Since Singapore actually did the "pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps"

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