I just left Singapore and I am both relieved yet feeling… weird.

So, I ended up there after India for a teaching gig. I signed up to teach English on Workaway, a website where you can trade your skills for a place to stay and sometimes food. This is perfect for backpackers and other young people.

Anyway, I got to my workaway and they no longer needed me. That was fine. I decided to stay in Singapore for a few days to explore while I figured out what to do. I got a pod in a capsule hotel for women in China town. It was really cool, yet a bit claustrophobic.

This is when I started feeling weird. Singapore is gorgeous. It is an island nation and a city all in one. I learned that it was once part of Malaysia, yet decided to break off and do their own thing. Same lol.

But, it’s also kind of scary??!?! Like, everything is tooooo clean. Toooo beautiful. Toooo orderly. On the subway, everything is on time. It smells GOOD — even underground — and there are signs stipulating what you can and can’t bring on the trains. Durian is one of them, however, I am glad. It’s kinda gross, tbh. I heard I can’t even chew gum here.

I have been going to a Buddhist temple where they serve vegan/vegetarian food and just talking to people. I met a lady, let’s call her Ms. Fong, who has been telling me about the not-so-pretty parts of Singapore. She’s shared that any sort of protesting or talking negatively about the government will have you disappeared. Apparently, the people who build the city are poor, foreign laborers who are intentionally kept hidden.

I dunno if its’s true or not, but it definitely affirms the word vibes I get here haha.

Singapore, I like you. You are beautiful, yet scary.