the utopia of singapore

"Who are you traveling with?" the immigration officer asked.
"I'm traveling alone," I replied.

"Alone?!" he exclaimed. "That's very unsafe. You'll be fine in Singapore, but please be careful elsewhere."

Visiting Singapore was like entering a strange twilight zone where everything is clean, safe, and orderly. Littering will cost you a fat fine. So will eating and drinking on not just the subway cars, but the stations as well. You can't buy chewing gum anywhere. But the city is pristine, and the people are so kind. Every cab driver eagerly chatted with me and shared their life stories and wisdom. A police officer approached me with a flyer about how to report sexual harassment on the subway. A sweet old man asked if I needed help when I was evidently lost. Airport security helped me zip up my bag, got me a trolley, and told me I was brave for traveling alone.

Not to mention, I had the kindest friends that took their sweet time to show me how locals live, eat, play and party. Thank you for the endless good food, posh cocktails, midnight zoo treks, art galleries, cycling adventures, and clubbing nights that turned to mornings.