Hola! this is Farid attending,
Just raising my nose up after almost two months without a word in this place. Lol (this is on Wednesday May 15th by the way).
The almost two of months is little bit rapid change because first, its the second quarter of 2022, which is the highest tension of working period in my job, and second of all because we celebrate Ramadhan and also Lebaran in these last month just me in outdoor mode, mostly driving, traveling, no laptop, and yess, made this lovely blog is little bit vacuum.
So!
here we are! Just need to write some words to be a compliment for these epic memorable pictures/album to memorize that last month we just finally visit Singapore for the first time in forever (lol).
Basically Singapore is a very close to Jakarta, but seems the very basic economy reason made me just don't know why cannot reach this place in my fucking 24 years in my life.
Just so hard trying to pretending cool and calm down, when I see the Merlion and ready to pose like a tourist (Aaaa drinking water, or Tadaa my leg just kicking my ears in front of the iconic Merlion!!) Damn, I just did nothing, rather than 'click and click' alias jepret jepret random pictures any thing I found (and of course no selfie pls).
The very beginning, day I, just visit Singapore museum in central Singapore, to learn about how this magical small land becoming one of the highest GDP country in the world. And yess, since they are very well known related their advance technology and civilization, not only because geographically speaking they are strategic position for international trade route, but also because the people inside the country are high spirit for life, they are fighters mentally, smart, and littlebit under pressure by history. So that push this country to build their people and place really serious than us in Indonesia. And I also assume this is why the more higher educated citizen from Indo going out, the more they enjoy the foreign life rather than the life in our life in village in our home town (except for family, food and cheap things reason).
Then I just realized, this is so true, Indonesia is little bit left behind in term of civilization because of the one and only reason: People.
Why the heck so hard to find harmony of civilization that involve in develpoment and economy empowerment in Indonesia (in generally speaking). When we try to develop city, they got chaos in social. Once a region have a good social living, they left behind from modern technology and valued income economically.
This made me fidgety, even after I just come back to Jakarta and also going back to my home town in Makassar to celebrate Hari Raya; The main question related the synergy of civilization hanging around inside of my head. What made my home town, my origin country so hard to catch up, in term of the buildings, facilities, and the most important thing, the characteristic of the people it self.
Somehow, actually Indonesia is a very well designed countries, where everything is available in the land that given by nature. But just why, we are so loose control, lack of management skill for all of those fucking gold and minerals, and also number of people (as idea creator and worker), why we just hard to boost it up more and just very easy with less-civilized life; garbage, disasters, races fighting and so many chaotic society (like scrambled but not as good as scrambled egg).
The very "basic" things here in Singapore is something that "woww" once I came back to Jakarta, in term of public facilities, transportation, green city management, modern market, especially for pandemy, the way they face it by apps and trace together campaign, Singapore have many leading social standard compare us in Jakarta (generally speaking). DAMN!!! Its only separated by 2 hours flight from Singapore, but How far the people here left behind!
The 3 days trip in Singapore also teach me very good about simplicity; less is more; efficiency. Can you imagine how this very little land country produce their business to get highest GDP? And if you can realize, by main problem of the limited area, how effective they maximized their land to provide trade and business service to produce highest GPA and advanced trading and technology in the region? Its truly can described after visit the city and see how effectiveness of the government and people to manage it perfectly simplicity.
But anyway, just one thing maybe, dont ask me about food btw (haha). MEH! totally this country is nothing to eat! like everything not good, they eat for life, not for pleasure (like us here in Indonesia! Haha). They don't know how to value the ritual of feeding their mouth with some holy energy form holy ingredients for food. This is personal, but trust me I think Indonesia is far far much better than Singapore in term of food. So, what I ate for last 3 days there? After trying Mi Kari which pushed me to vomit it back, and tasteless of seafood bakar and goreng, It such so hard to pick a menu for just to eattt (pff), luckily they still have MCD KFC to cover it up. Basic, yes!
Until you finished these words here, you maybe realized just what I really want to talk here, randomly chit chat and bla bla yes this is never more than just a bla bla writings to keep my mind stay awake. If maybe you curious about my second day, let me tell you little bit common secret in this country: They even dont have that so called natural trees, waterfalls and beautiful of flowers and bugs. BUT THEY MADE IT!.
I visited Garden Bay by The Bay, a kind of human made jungle in the middle of town, paying about 200 bucks, only to see green house (semacam rumah kaca) with five floors of plants that they collect around the world ( and yes, I am totally sure, half of that is coming from Indonesian forest). Like: haha come on you pay this money to visit one waterfalls and a line up floras and mini trees? I have more than this, just all free in my home town! lol
Then after lame of Garden Bay, let me tell you that the beautiful night scenery form the city lights is just a "aha!' thing in this country. Ya, you can feel it lah, maybe like in Jakarta if you ride your cycles at 10 p.m around Sudirman Thamrin with spotify playlist in your ears. This is wonderful! Especially because the city lights around Merlion and Marina Bay at night is god damn wonderful! This is something expensive that I missed in Indonesia. I enjoy city lights that much since I was kid. So here I am smiling big enjoying the lights and luckily with a mobile speaker to play my Spotify to enjoy the night.
Day passed, and yes I forgot that I also made Solat Jumat in Singapore to feel the atmosphere of "Safar" in non Islamic country. And yes, its little bit challenging tho. First, we need to book the "Shalat" session that luckily more easy because they made it via online. Second, when I arrived, the mosque is near around market and restaurants, in the middle of Ramadan, I just keep fasting, in fact the foods and snacks is there in front of the eyes.
One last other thing; language! I don't care how fluent my english in Indonesia, just come to Singapore and boom! Feel nothing because their english is so ancur bangettt and I dont know how to deal with that. It just stressed me out made me cannot communicate with human just because different accent and pattern of english that they have. Fine, even Siri can do nothing, I ask for help to communicate with Uncle in Mall, but its failed. I tried to use Bahasa but still why so hard the fakin Singapore english communicate with me! Their chinese-malay tongue that really bad to be pronounce almost every words in english lol..
Maybe yes, this is not such a perfect trip, but visit Singapore is one thing that memorable and interesting to share. If you still confused what I really mean btw, don't be sad because I know the error is not in you, but simply my bad writing skills. That's why I keep writing in this loveable blog, rite! So, thank you for your willingness to give your five-ten minutes with something less productive by coming here.
Thank you, see you in another trip story, fellas!
