Having fun is not allowed

Singapore has an odd reputation. Most of my friends (yes you) who had never been to Singapore really knew nothing about the country but still felt the need to warn me about chew gum and told me that the country was really strict and really clean. That’s pretty much about all I knew about the country before I got here. I came with the impression that it’s a boring and kind of nerdy place where everyone falls into line behind absurdly strict rules. Luckily I was wrong. I’ve only been here two days and I already know my impressions were off.

Singapore is actually a little more liberal than Canada on a few fronts. For example, prostitution is apparently legal. There’s even a place known as the Four Floors of Whore on Orchard Street. It’s not really a prostitution joint anymore, but they still walk the halls. It's now an irony loving hipster hang out.

The real big thing is the fines and enforcement of those fines. There are fines for spitting, spitting out your chewing gum, littering, feeding the monkeys, etc, etc. It’s a $10,000 fine for feeding monkeys but its only $120 for not wearing a seatbelt. I don’t really understand the logic.

Luckily, people here like to play as well as not litter or spit. Lonely planet says Singapore is taking over Bangkok as the Southeast Asian nightlife capital. I can’t say I’ve had a real impression yet. I mean the bars have been packed and awesome, but its new years. The one thing that’s not awesome is the beer prices. The cheapest beer at a grocery store I’ve found so far is $15 for a 6 pack of Tiger beer and it’s like $10+ to buy a beer at a bar.

Also there’s no kite flying.