Briefing of Singapore
I think most visitors of Singapore would agree upon how successfully it has been planed, with the lack of traffic jams, loots of trees and plenty of parks for a nice stroll. Then again, I think most visitors of Singapore would agree that this perfection makes it a bit dull. Not in a lackluster way, not in a dead way because everything is shining, it's just a bit too good, almost uninspiring. That being said, Singapore have a spiring cultural scene, but without any urban fermantation I felt like the city lacked creativity.
I most say thou that Singapore have a great sense of humour. In a city with so much people from so many different cultures being mashed together, the most attractive tourist attractions are still the hotels. The tought of going to a city just to stay at the hotel feels amusing, but it seems to work. An other thing entertaining me was what they chose to show at the tourist maps. In the shortage of actual magic in Singapore they invested in a big Ministery of Manpower, properly marked on the tourist map so everyone could come and visit. They might not have Hogwarts but they sure are proud about the University of Chicago which takes that place on the map.
Also Sweden got a their fair amount of bashing, first of all with the Halal Swedish Cafe and Bistro which to me seems rather incomprehensive, and then also with the placement of their Embacy. With all the other embacies beautifully placed in fancy skyscrapers or located with other embacies in the outskirts of the metroline, Swedens embacy is by itself, sharing facilites with the Public Utilities Board.
I really love my own country and my home city, so it makes me reluctant to compare it to Singapore. Somehow it seems like they managed to fix problems like traffic jams, lack of vegetation and too narrow sidewalks, even adding flirty customs officers to the list of important, nay vital, requirements for a functional city . The people laying the plans for this people really put a lot of effort in to it, but the result is impeccable.
//Nisse
