An American tells us why Singapore is better than San Francisco: "I don't want to go back to the US"
US resident Nick Burns shared his impressions of life in Singapore. The 32-year-old tech worker moved here from San Francisco and found many advantages.
In his post, he proves why life in this expensive country is better than life at home. What exactly won his heart and why he wants to stay here for life, businessinsider writes.
Burns said he grew up in Kentucky, studied nuclear energy technology and served in the U.S. Navy until 2017. During his work, he visited Singapore and has been dreaming about this place ever since. He moved there when he started working at KLA. As soon as possible, he transferred to Singapore and since then his love for the city has only grown.
"When I came to Singapore, I met new people at parties, dinners and barbecues. In December, I got married to a Singaporean woman. I don't think we'll be leaving anytime soon," Nick says.
The main advantage, in his opinion, is safety. Recalling his life in the United States, he emphasizes that when he got off the Bay Area train at Tenderloin in San Francisco, he saw people doing drugs, and his car was broken into very often.
"Singapore is so safe that it's hard to explain to Americans," he says.
He says with confidence that you can leave your belongings on a cafe table when you go to the restroom and they will be completely safe. And women can safely walk around the city at any hour of the day or night because there are no dangerous places in Singapore.
At the same time, he emphasized that drug possession and trafficking in Singapore can be punishable by death, which is why there are no drug addicts on the ground. In addition, there is no homelessness and almost no crime with cold steel.
Nick also spoke about his cultural preferences, noting that he likes the food and weather, as well as his location on the world map.
"I prefer heat to cold, so the weather here suits me. Thefood is really good because the surrounding countries, including Malaysia, India, and China, have a lot of influence on Singaporean culture," he said.
For little money in Singapore, you can eat food from street stalls. For example, for $3.71, he buys noodles or soup with dumplings, or a portion of pork with rice, which would cost $2.08.
And if the city gets boring, it's an easy and inexpensive way to get to interesting places for the weekend - Vietnam, Thailand, Bali.
Also, one of the advantages of a man in Singapore is low medical prices. The income tax reaches 22%, but, in fact, everything is cheaper. Nick recalled how he went to the doctors with a stubbed toe and a doctor's consultation and an X-ray cost less than $200.
"I believe that would cost thousands of dollars in the United States," says Nick Burns.
At the same time, there is a difference in culture. For example, in a restaurant, he usually does not consider it necessary to order a large amount of food, but orders something personalized for himself. While his wife orders a variety of dishes for the whole table.
Nick emphasizes that although he is different from the locals, he feels comfortable in Singapore.
"Sometimes I get stares in certain places, but generally people are friendly. There are alot of Europeans and Americans working here, so I don't really stand out," he says.
The main disadvantage he doesn't like is taxi driving. According to the American, drivers here drive too fast.
"A lot of drivers push the gas pedal, so the ride is never smooth, and you, as a passenger, are constantly nauseated," he says.
In addition to the driving culture, he misses Mexican food and a personal car in Singapore.
"Buying a car in Singapore is financially irresponsible unless you have a lot of children. Here you can order a taxi or rent a private car. Public transportation here is extremely clean, ubiquitous, and reliable, so we mostly use it," says the American.
He summarizes that he would be happy to return to America, but only for a visit.
"I want to stay in Singapore forever, as long as I'm making money.I dream of one day renouncing my US citizenship in favor of Singaporean citizenship. Then I could imagine retiring in Thailand, Bali, or some other more affordable place," Nick Burns fantasizes.
