Did you know?
1.The name "Singapore" comes from the Malay word "Singapura," which means "Lion City." The idea of lions became connected with Singapore in the 13th century when a prince on a hunting trip claimed to have seen a lion on the island. Lions have never lived on Singapore (except in the zoo), so many think that what he saw was actually a Malaysian tiger.
2.Much of Singapore's culture has been influenced by its British roots. From the 1820's until 1963, the British exercised sovereignty over Singapore. (With the exception of the Japanese occupation,which lasted from early 1942 until late 1945). Many British colonial-style buildings still exist across the country and British English remains the standard in many schools.
3.This year is Singapore's Golden Jubilee year. Fifty years ago, it left the Federation of Malaysia and became an independent country.
4.Every year Singapore celebrates National Day on August 9th (Here's a blog post that I wrote about it: Happy Birthday, Singapore). Each year they pick a new theme song to be the National Day song for that year. This year's theme song is "Our Singapore" (Our Singapore on YouTube). The music video for the song features some interesting historical video that gives a good feel of where Singapore has come from.
5.Singlish, the local dialect of English spoken here, borrows extensively from other languages. It borrows words and phrases from no less than eight other languages, which include Malay, Tamil, and a number of Chinese dialects.
6.The national flower of Singapore is the Vanda Miss Joaquim, an exquisite white and deep magenta-colored orchid. Singapore is known for its extensive hybridization of orchids and has a whole section of the Botanic Gardens devoted to them.
7.Speaking of the Botanic Gardens, Singapore is currently trying to have the gardens named as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
8.In other current news, Singapore is hosting the Southeast Asian Games (S.E.A. Games) this year for the fourth time in the event's twenty-eight year history. The Games started on the fifth of June and will continue until the 16th.
9. Singapore is a foodie's paradise. For those who want a variety of international cuisines that are easily accessible and affordable, Singapore is a great place to experience new flavors. From Indian to Thai to Japanese food, one could eat day and night and never experience all the great tastes. Most hawkers centers, even the smallest ones, tend to offer at least three different types of cuisine.
10.If any of this has whet your appetite to visit Singapore, then you will be pleased to know that you will be arriving in a world-class airport. To date Changi Airport's amenities include a movie theater, spa, an arcade, a swimming pool, beauty services, a hotel, a playground and a number of other ways to wile away the hours. They even offer a free sightseeing tour for people with a layover that's longer than five and a half hours. Presently, they are building a fourth terminal and "Jewel Changi Airport," a new multi-story entertainment complex that will feature a biodome with a 131 foot-tall waterfall.
Great facts. Very interesting. Makes you want to visit Singapore soon.
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