You can't spell "Singapore" without P-S-A

Contrary to popular commentary about its unbelievable cleanliness, extremely low crime rates and amazing efficiency, not everything in Singapore is perfect.  Believe it or not, there actually is occasional litter on the sidewalks, you may come across a police notification informing residents that a bicycle has been stolen, and you might even find yourself waiting for a delayed train from time to time.  Quelle Horreur!

Yes, there are some imperfections in the "Disneyland-like" facade of the city, but what would you expect in a city of more than 5 million people?  Personally, I think you have to hand it to the Singaporeans...they don't let these blemishes get them down and they are typically addressed head on!

I first noticed this as I watched the 2013 National Day Rally, during which Singapore's Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, outlined government policy and programs for housing, education and healthcare reform.  Sound familiar?

However, there were distinct differences from a typical USA State of the Union Address:

1. It was actually a policy and future strategy speech, not a partisan campaign speech
2. Prime Minister Lee actually described specific policy:  for example, providing 25 minutes of detail on the actual cost of new housing in a specific housing complex as well as providing details on healthcare coverage thresholds and rules for new school choice programs.
3. No discussion on foreign policy, funding Middle East regimes, or whether or not the military should be involved in the rest of the world's issues.  
4. No discussion on gun control, legalization of drugs, or undocumented workers etc.  It's illegal - end of story.

Obviously, it's a little easier to manage a country of Singapore's size, age, population and border situation - but still, it was interesting to see the difference in approach and content.

While the speech itself was clearly designed to address the average Singaporean's concerns about their life, their children, and their future, it's only one part of the country's approach to resolve the concerns of Singapore's residents.

Another tool, very often on display in Singapore are the various government and local company Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that do their best to address several other "issues" across the country.  Some advertise new incentives or solutions to some of the biggest domestic issues - while others simply try to influence behavioral change among the residents.   Either way, a heavy dose of PSAs are in action across the country.

Here are a few I find the most interesting:

Public Transportation:

The public transportation system in Singapore is cheap, clean, safe and efficient - but I get the impression many local residents expect even more. Ridership is estimated at 2.6 million on the MRT (train system) and 3.4 million on the bus system daily.   With more than 100 trains traveling through 102 stops across about 90 miles of track, typical wait times are only 3-4 minutes.  Rush hour trains do, however, get crowded from time to time....so I guess this PSA, encouraging residents to travel early for reduced fares, is an effort to address the rare over-crowded conditions.

And whether you opt for the bus or the train, you're constantly reminded of how to behave.  Three new posters have been popping up all around Singapore, reminding passenger to:

1. Give up your seat to elderly, injured, pregnant, or otherwise in-need passengers
2. Allow passengers to exit (alight) the train before trying to get on
3. Move in once you get on the bus, allowing space for others to get on behind you. 

Personally, I haven't really found any of these situations to be a problem, but I guess I'm not on the buses and trains with the other 6%, 2%, and 4% (respectively) of Singaporeans who don't follow these rules.

Dengue Fever:
Dengue is a real issue across Southeast Asia, and Singapore is no exception.  The virus is transferred by the Aedes Mosquito and there's really no drug to cure it.  There are several deaths a year in Singapore, and the only real way to prevent it is keep the mosquitos from breeding.  There are annual campaigns led by the National Environmental Agency, encouraging Singaporeans to "Do the Mozzie Wipeout" to prevent breeding and the risk of the disease.   (see the video here)

Don't Get Rubbed the Wrong Way:

Though this is obviously a very serious subject, the ads encouraging women to protect themselves from "predators" and to report abuse would be laughable if they weren't so creepy!  Perhaps not surprisingly, these ads have received international attention because the of nature of the ad - which many point out as innapropriate because they portray women as "at fault" for the abuse.  I don't necessarily see that - I see them as a reminder that there are creepy people about, so watch your back!  Again, the subject matter is no joke, but who volunteers to be the man photographed for this ad??  Might want to get a new agent, buddy.

Happy Everywhere
By far, however, one of my favorite knee-jerk reaction ad campaigns, is the "Happy Everywhere" television ad put out by one of the local cable television / mobile phone providers, Starhub.  In 2012, according to some Gallup study on how emotional the citizens of various countries are, Singapore was rated the least emotional country in the world.  Not a country and government to let something like a Gallup study define them, a full court press of PSAs, commentary from the Prime Minister, etc. aimed at changing perception, and encouraging residents to show they are "happy".  I can only imagine the mayor of Philadelphia - or better yet Detroit - trying to sell this ad campaign!  (enjoy multiple videos here....and here...and here...and here..and here) - you get the point.

While I poke fun at some of these ads, I imagine they are having an impact.  I've obviously noticed them.  Now, if I can just get Gallup to produce a study stating the price of alcohol is too high in Singapore, and that's what's causing residents to be unhappy...maybe the government will react swiftly and address that domestic issue next!

Where in the world is Jon's pen? (and by the way, there are no fat people in Singapore)

This is the first installment of a new series called "Where in the world is Jon's pen?"  Our great friend, Jon Wingerd, left his favorite pen (a college graduation present) in our Scattegories game on our last Outer Banks vacation together.  I found it right before we left but forgot to give it to him, and realized I had it in my purse when I got here.  Soooo.....today Jon's pen just happened to be riding the MRT (subway) from the Labrador Park to the Harbourfront stations.  Ha!  I'm so funny.

Well folks, we've been here for a little over a week, and everything is still going as smoothly as you could hope for.  The kids have found friends (so have the adults!) and I have almost mastered the public transportation system.  I have to admit, this was one of the things that made me nervous about coming here.   The thought of taking buses and taxis to do things like grocery shopping just didn't sound appealing.  Turns out, it's pretty darn easy!   So today's post will focus on how we get around this island...sorry it's not a more interesting subject!  But's a huge part of our lives here, so it deserves attention.

There are three modes of transportation that we've been taking:

1.  Buses:

By far, we take buses the most.  Right outside our complex is a bus stop if I want to go in one direction, and just down the road and across the street is another bus stop if I need to go in the other direction.  The buses not only come every couple of minutes, but there is an app that I just plug in the place I want to go and it gives me the correct bus numbers as well as the number of minutes until it arrives at my bus stop.  The buses are clean and generally not too crowded. 

The kids just love the bus.  We all have cards that we refill with money at the MRT station (more on that in a minute) and we swipe it when we get on and off.  The picture above is from today, riding one of the double deckers.  We got the awesome front seats and I have to say, it was really fun!  It's a great way to see the sights and get familiarized with the areas. 

Lastly, the bus is CHEAP.  The kids and I rode many times the first week, and all we had on our cards was $7.00 each.  It costs Jason about $2.00 a day to go back and forth from work (he rides two buses and one subway) - a taxi would probably cost $20 each way.

2.  MRT (Mass Rapid Transit AKA the subway)

Another mode of transportation that we frequently use, although not as much as the bus, is the MRT.  I can get on the bus, go three stops and am dropped off at the MRT station in Holland Village.  From there I can easily go almost anywhere on the island.  For example, when the kids start school, I will have to go about four stops on one line, transfer trains and go just one stop.  The school is located at the entrance to that MRT station.  Not too bad!

Cooper thinks he's really funny when on the MRT.  He refuses to sit down, and either entertains or annoys the passengers.  Hoping for more of the former.

3.  Taxis

Finally, the taxi system is pretty much ubiquitous in Singapore.  Like the buses, there are super convenient apps that you can use to order a taxi.  Just open your app, call the taxi with about two screen touches, and not only have you ordered your taxi, you are informed how many minutes until it arrives AND you can watch the location of it on a map as it drives.  Crazy, right?  Here is the completely nutty thing about taxis though.  Maybe because the price of a car here is astronomical and they are fearful of an accident, the drivers will not drive in the rain.  They literally pull over somewhere and don't drive until it stops (hopefully this is not true if you're already in the cab!)  So during rainstorms  it is almost impossible to get one.   Sometimes it is just not convenient to use public transport to a particular location, or we're just feeling a little lazy, but for the most part we try our hardest to resist calling a taxi.  

The picture above is from a cab ride home from the zoo.  He was hilarious and so friendly - LOVED horse racing and was excitedly giving us tips for an upcoming race.  Chatted with the kids etc.  Not all of them are like that of course, but overall I've had good experiences. 

So all in all, getting around is much easier than I imagined it would be.  I hope you didn't fall asleep reading this...it's just my day-to-day life and I wanted to document it!

Lastly, I have to comment on something.  I am willing to bet everything I have that there will never be a Biggest Loser contestant from Singapore.  There are almost NO obese people in this country.  It's unfortunate for me, but I probably land in the top 10% of heaviest people here.  No, I'm not insulting myself.  I'm accounting for my height too :-)  But I'm not kidding.  Most people are not just average, they are SKINNY.  And this is a country known for being a foodie heaven.  They eat a lot, and eat out a lot!  I don't know if it's the walking or the portions they are eating, but take note, USA.  They're making you look really bad.

Next time - all about the Singapore Zoo.  I read that it is one of the top ten zoos in the world, and it deserves the accolade.