Foreigner says Singapore isn’t boring—praises kind locals, parks, and safety after a year here
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SINGAPORE: Moving halfway across the world is never easy, but for one American, settling into life in Singapore has felt unexpectedly natural.
Sharing his journey on the r/singapore subreddit on Monday (Sept 8), he said life in the city-state has been nothing short of positive.
He explained that he arrived a year ago, tied the knot with a Peranakan lady, and now calls Yishun “his home.” His in-laws, he added, are some of the “kindest” people he has ever encountered, and family visits are now a regular part of his routine.
Outside of family life, he and his wife launched a small business that has since gained momentum. He also took on computer repair work, which has taken him across nearly every MRT line and into more than 200 households.
“I’ve visited 200+ people now,” he shared. “Everyone has been very nice and kind, more hospitable than I’m used to! I’ve had some great conversations with people and made friends. I’ve even been picking up a little Singlish after a year of exposure, to my in-laws’ shock.”
When not working, he and his wife can usually be found outdoors, exploring Singapore’s green spaces. “My wife and I love to visit national parks; we’ve been to every large one now except Bukit Timah. Singapore is really amazing; I love the nature, the people, the architecture, and the hot dog buns from my local HDB bakery.”
He then shared that his favourite places in the country include Tongue Tip Lanzhou Beef Noodles (a restaurant chain), Forest Dome (where he proposed), Treetop Walk, National Museum, Bidadari Park, Punggol Waterway, Joo Chiat, and the little HDB bakery in Yishun.
“Some people say Singapore is boring, but even after being here a year, I still love just to walk around the small local parks (there are some real hidden gems I’ve found) and try out as many bakeries as I can.”
On Singapore’s tough laws and enforcement, he said they don’t bother him in the slightest. “Personally, the laws and enforcement of the laws don’t bother me at all; I am grateful for them. First time in my life I can walk down the street at night without any worry!”
Ending his post, he wrote: “All in all, I am grateful to be here, and I haven’t been mugged in Yishun… Yet. What are some of your favourite places in Singapore? Any ‘hidden gems’ you know of?”
“You’ve definitely seen more of SG than most locals.”
The Reddit post quickly went viral, pulling in more than 2,100 upvotes in just a few days. Many Singaporeans in the comments said they were genuinely happy to see a foreigner speak so warmly about life in Singapore.
One wrote, “It’s always refreshing to get an ‘outside’ view that SG isn’t boring. Of course, I think you have embraced the culture and are probably more local than a lot of people here. Hope you enjoy your stay and continue to discover things that you appreciate.”
Others were amused, and perhaps a little embarrassed, that he appeared to have explored far more of the city-state than most locals ever do. From hidden parks to neighbourhood bakeries, commenters admitted that the American seemed to know “more places” in Singapore than they did, despite having lived here their whole lives.
Meanwhile, several users chimed in to recommend their own favourite “hidden gems” around the country.
One said, “Check out slow bakes at the Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre; it offers a serene view of the Yishun pond. The sourdough and eggs are really good. Best to visit them on weekdays, as it can get quite crowded on weekends.”
Another commented, “If you live in Yishun, check out Moin Moin for affordable but pretty good neighbourhood gelato. You’ve definitely seen more of SG than most locals and living in the heartlands really adds to that. Cheers.”
A third added, “Hyderabad Road is a hidden gem. There is a beautiful view of the city from here. There is a big beautiful Buddha tree also. Breathtaking.”
In other news, a Singaporean man recently shared on Reddit that he is seriously considering renting a penthouse that costs S$2,000 more per month than his current apartment, just to escape his noisy upstairs neighbour.
“Almost every night, without fail, I get jolted awake around 3 a.m. and then again at 5 a.m. — usually from stomping sounds of my upstairs neighbour,” he wrote on r/askSingapore on Tuesday (Sept 8).
Read more: Man considers paying S$2K extra for penthouse rent just to escape noisy upstairs neighbour