新加坡是個地小的華人為主國家，東西寬三十六公里，南北長二十三公里，全年屬熱帶氣候，但室內的冷氣超強無比，尤其是公車內像是到了冰箱裡頭。到處都是樹蔭草地，讓人耳目清新，儼然像一處大型公園，而且整潔乾淨。因有其他種族組成，所以成了多元文化國家，官方語言是英文，但是年輕人語言交談中時而夾雜英語及華語，甚至馬來語、印度語，發展成獨特的SINGLISH腔調，但多種語言能力意味著中文能力並不強，有時與公司同事聊天，一講到中國成語就莫宰羊，如〝歸心似箭〞，大部分老一輩的人沒有學過國語，一般都講英語及閩南語。
美食廣場內各式各樣的小吃，尤其是FOOD COURT內的咖啡(GO BEE)，香甜好喝，另外馬來西亞進口的榴槤雖然小，但是嚐起來有種碳燒咖啡的味道，新辦公室的對街的印度餅及拉茶，真是美味可口，午餐的小吃街有一家肉骨茶很值得一試。坐在計程車內，放的音樂是非常老的歌曲，老一輩的人用閩南話交談著，商店名稱寫的是英文，唸出來是閩南話的音，新加坡人很會包裝廣告，當然環境的乾淨不在話下，但一些沒什麼內容的地方，常常誇大到很特別，譬如有熱門的旅遊小島叫聖陶沙，另外有一個動物園、飛禽公園及爬蟲類公園(平均每個地方去過三次)。
居住在烏節路後的單臥套房，上下班公車地鐵都很方便，原來上班地點在小印度區，每天上班總是會經過小印度，巴士乘客大多是印度人，附近的樹上常有黝黑的大烏鴉，環視著小吃店客人吃剩下的食物，剛開始有一次到附近用餐，一些印度人是用手直接拿飯吃的，而我大多點海南雞飯或是雜菜飯(自助餐)，比較符合口味，另外印度人的商店有時可以買到便宜的好貨。用下班後總是要穿越過百貨公司回到家中。有時搭車至中國城逛逛，水果用餐蠻便宜的，也可以到二輪電影院坐坐。假日最常去海邊沙灘，聽說沙灘的沙是買來舖在上頭的，整個環境可說是完全是人工打造的，可以在專用道上騎自型車及滑輪，可以舉辦烤肉及活動，碩碩最喜歡在沙灘玩沙子，有時與闕寶兩家人在沙灘活動，大人聊天，小孩玩沙，黃昏的夕陽、美麗的景緻收眼底，有時到海邊的餐廳享受海鮮，最特別的是斯里蘭卡的黑胡椒螃蟹，真是口齒留香。
總覺得新加坡人因身處在缺乏天然資源的地方，人們比較敏感及較有憂患意識，風吹草動就很擔心，政府幫人們規劃一切生活所需，因此人民較有服從性，但有時很八卦，那時台灣璩美鳳事件翻騰一時，晚上上課時同學總是圍著我談論此話題。曾經參加旅行團到馬來西亞一遊，同行的一位當警察的年輕小夥子說他是孫燕姿的同學，光是過一座橋到馬來西亞就折騰了許久，參觀吉隆坡市中心，享受到一種黑糖醋豬腳，真是美味。
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美麗花園新加坡，多元文化在一國，城市美景吸引人，亞洲美食回憶多。
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Singapore: A Vibrant Multicultural Experience
Singapore is a small country, spanning just 36 kilometers wide and 23 kilometers long. It enjoys a tropical climate year-round, although the indoor air conditioning is incredibly powerful, especially on buses where it feels like stepping into a refrigerator. Everywhere you go, there are shaded trees and green spaces, creating a refreshing and pristine environment resembling a massive park. Due to its diverse population, Singapore has become a multicultural nation. English is the official language, but conversations among young people often mix English, Mandarin, Malay, and even Indian languages, forming the unique Singlish accent. However, the ability to speak multiple languages does not necessarily imply strong proficiency in Chinese. Sometimes, when chatting with colleagues, discussing Chinese idioms can be a challenge. Most older generation Singaporeans do not have a background in Mandarin and primarily speak English and Hokkien dialect.
The food courts offer a wide variety of snacks, with the coffee at the food court, known as "go bee," being particularly delightful and fragrant. Additionally, the imported durians from Malaysia may be small in size but carry a flavor reminiscent of charcoal-roasted coffee. The Indian pancakes and milk tea across the street from the new office are also delicious. The lunchtime street food scene includes a highly recommended Bak Kut Teh (pork bone soup) stall worth trying. While sitting in a taxi, you'll hear nostalgic old songs playing, and conversations between older passengers are often in Hokkien dialect. Store names are written in English but pronounced in Hokkien dialect. Singaporeans are skilled at advertising and, of course, maintaining cleanliness. Sometimes, certain places without much substance are exaggerated to sound extraordinary. For example, there is a popular tourist spot called Sentosa, referred to as a 'beach island,' and other attractions include a zoo, a bird park, and a reptile park (each visited three times on average).
I resided in a single-bedroom suite on Orchard Road, which provided convenient access to buses and the subway for commuting. My workplace was located in the Little India area, so I would pass through Little India every day. The majority of bus passengers were Indians, and there were often dark crows perched on nearby trees, attentively observing customers' leftovers at eateries. On one occasion, I dined nearby and noticed some Indians eating with their hands, while I typically ordered Hainanese chicken rice or mixed vegetable rice from buffet-style eateries, which suited my taste. Indian shops sometimes offered good quality products at affordable prices. After work, I had to cross the department store to get home. Sometimes, I took a ride to Chinatown to stroll around, where fruits and dining were relatively inexpensive. I also visited a second-run movie theater. On weekends, I frequently went to the beach, which I heard was artificially constructed with sand imported to create a beautiful environment. I could ride bicycles and rollerblades on dedicated lanes, participate in barbecues and activities, and my son particularly enjoyed playing with sand on the beach. Sometimes, our families gathered at the beach, with adults chatting and children playing, while we enjoyed the mesmerizing view of the sunset. We would also dine at seafood restaurants by the seaside, with the Sri Lankan black pepper crab being a particularly flavorful delicacy.
Living in Singapore, I felt that people were more sensitive and conscious of potential risks due to the country's lack of natural resources. The government meticulously planned everything needed for people's lives, leading to a more compliant population. However, people could be quite gossipy. At the time, there was a lot of talk about the Jolin Tsai incident in Taiwan, and my classmates would often surround me during evening classes to discuss the topic. I once participated in a tour to Malaysia where I had the chance to travel with a young policeman who claimed to be Jolin Tsai's classmate. We encountered some difficulties crossing a bridge into Malaysia, but eventually made it to Kuala Lumpur city center. There, I enjoyed a delicious dish of black sugar vinegar pork trotters, which was truly delightful.
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