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World's Greatest City: 50 reasons why Singapore is No. 1
By Catherine Ling, Michelle Bong, Alisa Chopard, Christa Yeo, Hatta Aziz, Yuen Yi Ying and Larry Loh, CNNGo Singapore City Editor.
The little red dot heard round the world proves that size doesn't matter..
1. Food capital of the world
Singapore = Food. The city-state dominates the 'net with food blogs where hungry netizens compare, dissect, argue and swap foodie fodder, scouring the island for new tastes. And nearly every conceivable victual from every earthly corner has a home here. Fancy authentic Egyptian Baba Ghanoush? Arab Street's got you covered.
Crave something Nigerian besides a scam e-mail? Find it on Verdun Road in Little India. If it's edible and fits on a plate, bowl, banana leaf or sheet of paper, we'll wolf it with zeal. But if you truly want to sample Singapore's food culture, head to any of the hawker centers in the heartlands -- there's a huge variety of stalls there at dirt-cheap prices.
2. Green thrives in the big gray city
Singapore's a Garden City, literally. Amid the concrete jungle we call home, there's the Botanical Gardens, HortPark, MacRitchie Reservoir, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve -- each claiming myriad varieties of flora and fauna.
But the most common impression left visitors to Singapore concerns the rows of trees that line roads everywhere, from expressways to suburban streets. It's not just a green facade -- Singapore's a champion of environmental initiatives, from the world's largest CNG refueling station to its first Solar Greenlots for electric vehicles.
3. Greatest living politician
No one in Singapore, regardless of political stripe, has anything but a healthy respect -- perhaps even awe -- for Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. He led Singapore to independence in 1965 and served as its first Prime Minister for 31 years, setting the record as the world's longest-serving Prime Minister.
He's the architect of Singapore's present prosperity, laying a foundation of nation-building which has taken Singapore from a sleepy little island to one of Asia's most developed states, despite its small population, limited space and lack of natural resources.
In my own context: Without him we are nothing. He is singapore saviour.
In chinese -- Long life long life ... long long life our majesty.
4. Dedicated to keeping us alive forever
Singapore has one of the best health care infrastructures in the world, with various dignitaries and royals from the region patronizing local hospitals -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe even slipped in quietly for a 'secret cancer check-up' in 2008. The health care provision system is also one of the world's best, so good that some say it beats the proposed ObamaCare model.
5. First and only Night Race in the world
Singapore is the first F1 venue to host a night race on its streets, and will do so for several years to come. The inaugural race in 2008 also earned the city-state an unfortunate distinction for being the one in which Team Renault boss Flavio Briatore ordered Nelson Piquet to crash, giving teammate Fernando Alonso the win. It's now known as the Singapore 'Crashgate' scandal -- which might lend some cred to Singapore's squeaky-clean image.
By Catherine Ling, Michelle Bong, Alisa Chopard, Christa Yeo, Hatta Aziz, Yuen Yi Ying and Larry Loh, CNNGo Singapore City Editor.
The little red dot heard round the world proves that size doesn't matter..
1. Food capital of the world
Singapore = Food. The city-state dominates the 'net with food blogs where hungry netizens compare, dissect, argue and swap foodie fodder, scouring the island for new tastes. And nearly every conceivable victual from every earthly corner has a home here. Fancy authentic Egyptian Baba Ghanoush? Arab Street's got you covered.
Crave something Nigerian besides a scam e-mail? Find it on Verdun Road in Little India. If it's edible and fits on a plate, bowl, banana leaf or sheet of paper, we'll wolf it with zeal. But if you truly want to sample Singapore's food culture, head to any of the hawker centers in the heartlands -- there's a huge variety of stalls there at dirt-cheap prices.
2. Green thrives in the big gray city
Singapore's a Garden City, literally. Amid the concrete jungle we call home, there's the Botanical Gardens, HortPark, MacRitchie Reservoir, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve -- each claiming myriad varieties of flora and fauna.
But the most common impression left visitors to Singapore concerns the rows of trees that line roads everywhere, from expressways to suburban streets. It's not just a green facade -- Singapore's a champion of environmental initiatives, from the world's largest CNG refueling station to its first Solar Greenlots for electric vehicles.
3. Greatest living politician
No one in Singapore, regardless of political stripe, has anything but a healthy respect -- perhaps even awe -- for Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. He led Singapore to independence in 1965 and served as its first Prime Minister for 31 years, setting the record as the world's longest-serving Prime Minister.
He's the architect of Singapore's present prosperity, laying a foundation of nation-building which has taken Singapore from a sleepy little island to one of Asia's most developed states, despite its small population, limited space and lack of natural resources.
In my own context: Without him we are nothing. He is singapore saviour.
In chinese -- Long life long life ... long long life our majesty.4. Dedicated to keeping us alive forever
Singapore has one of the best health care infrastructures in the world, with various dignitaries and royals from the region patronizing local hospitals -- Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe even slipped in quietly for a 'secret cancer check-up' in 2008. The health care provision system is also one of the world's best, so good that some say it beats the proposed ObamaCare model.
5. First and only Night Race in the world
Singapore is the first F1 venue to host a night race on its streets, and will do so for several years to come. The inaugural race in 2008 also earned the city-state an unfortunate distinction for being the one in which Team Renault boss Flavio Briatore ordered Nelson Piquet to crash, giving teammate Fernando Alonso the win. It's now known as the Singapore 'Crashgate' scandal -- which might lend some cred to Singapore's squeaky-clean image.
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