Singapore

About Singapore

Singapore rose to a first world economy that is known today through the efforts of the first prime minister Lee Kwan Yew. He transformed a port town that was colonised by Stamford Raffles into a city state that houses a melting pot of culture from both sides of the world. The little red dot has a reputation of being a benevolent dictatorship as a result of some really strict laws. But it is from these laws that you get a city that is squeaky clean and green. Singaporeans are known for their pride for their country, and it shows especially when the country collectively mourned the passing of their founding father. Singapore is also known to produce pop songs in conjunction with the national day parade, as opposed to other countries simply singing their national anthem every year. A notable example was churned out in 1998 titled "This is Home" and it is available in Singapore's 4 national languages: English, Malay, Chinese, and Tamil. Aside from the occasionally sterile appearance of this island nation, there is a slow but growing arts scene. These artists and performers are usually found in hole in the wall cafes or small community gatherings that are often overlooked by the tourism board.