From fishing village to global city in 60 years — multicultural, multilingual, with strict laws and incredible food.
• Chinese: 74% — Chinese New Year, mooncakes, temples
•
Malay: 13% — Hari Raya, kampong culture
• Indian: 9% —
Deepavali, Little India, Tamil
• Others: 4% — Eurasians, Peranakan
•
4 official languages!
• Unique Singapore English creole!
• "Lah", "lor", "leh" — sentence-ending particles
•
"Can" = yes. "Cannot lah" = no way
• "Kiasu" = fear of losing out (very
Singaporean!)
• Officially English but Singlish = national identity
• Hawker culture = UNESCO heritage!
• Chicken rice, chili crab, laksa,
roti prata
• Food is national obsession — "Eat already?" = greeting
• Hawker centres =
community gathering spots
• Every ethnic group's food available everywhere
• No chewing gum (selling banned!)
• No littering: S$300 fine
• No jaywalking: S$50
fine
• Drug trafficking: Death penalty
• Result: One of the safest, cleanest cities on
Earth