Joanna James
Singapore has the knack to surprise and beguile even the expats who have lived on the land for over 50 years. Here is a list of little secrets you most likely did not know about this fabulous nation.
That's right folks the national anthem is printed on the $1000 note; in case you are raising your eyebrows in disbelief and rooting around for a $1000 bill, note that the anthem is printed in micro text, and is located on the back of the note.
Singapore lays claim to having the largest bottles of Yakult in the Southeast Asia region; they are also the most expensive. Check it out and enjoy.
Why is this story interesting? Well for starters, every primary school student knows the legend, and second, the island was so named after Prince Sang Nila Utama spotted a lion-like creature on the land; mind you Singapore has no lions, other than for the residents at the modern zoos. The Sanskrit name the prince gave the land was Singapura, 'singa' meaning 'lion' and 'pura' meaning 'city', hence you now have the Lion City, home to no native lions.
The country is one of three long lasting city-states, the other two being Vatican City and Monaco. It's called a 'city-state' because the country has no capital. Equivalent to the capital is the vibrant CBD, just 20 minutes from Destination Singapore Beach Road, amongst the many properties around the lovely Beach Road stretch; it is one of the more popular locations for seeking the best value hotels in Singapore.
A very common mistake that most people make is to assume that the tiny country is in Malaysia; so common in fact that the popular cable TV channel 'Cartoon Network' made the same assumption. Even Singaporean nationals are often thought to be Chinese or Malaysian when overseas. And 'no', Singapore is not in Malaysia.
It's true! A study by the British Council has shown Singaporeans to be the fastest walkers on the earth. Having the fastest walking speed, a Singaporean on average can cover a distance of around 6.15kms within an hour.
Did you know that the youngest individual to get through the GCE Level chemistry paper was a Singaporean? This honour goes to Ainan Celeste, who was just 7 years old when he achieved this marvellous feat.
Well, the country Singapore is the only one of its kind. But the name is not, head over to Michigan and you will come across a ghost town also named – Singapore, coincidence?
Singapore main island is well known, but it is not the only one, the country is made up of 63 other smaller islands; most of which are not inhabited.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
