10 Little-Known Fun Facts About S’pore That’ll Make You Love This Country Despite #CPF & #NS

Last Updated on 2019-02-15 , 6:32 pm

Some time ago, my colleague engaged me in a pretty interesting conversation.

“Truth or dare?” he asked.

Dare.

“Well, I dare you to tell me the truth.”

Shit.

“Touch your heart and answer me; do you love Singapore?”

…

“Exceed 5 seconds and you owe me 100 bucks.”

…

“5…”

…

“3…”

Where’s the 4?

“0.”

Where’s… oh fack it, yeah I love Singapore!

“Are you sure about that?”

Y-Yeah… I mean sure; it has its flaws. The weather’s too hot. The girls have really high standards. There’s the damn CPF. But I still love it, cos it’s my home. My country.

“So patriotic. You do know that PM Lee isn’t gonna read this article right?”

Oh- err yeah I knew that! Who cares if he reads anyway? My patriotism is to nobody but the country and myself!

“Wise words, wise words. Well with that said, have you heard of the 10 little-known things about Singapore that will make you love it?”

But I already love it.

“Well, it’ll just make you love it even more.”

… tell me.

“Listen carefully then, little boy, for it all started with…”

1. Fastest walking speed

Now, I’m sure you’re aware…

But Singaporeans walk pretty quickly.

In fact, you just have to step outside for a bit and you’ll probably see someone walking extraordinarily quickly, whether it’s because he/she’s late for something, trying to catch that train or is doing some kind of reality-based HIIT.

But here’s the thing; Singaporeans don’t just walk pretty quickly.

They’re the quickest in the world.

Indeed, according to a study done in 2006, Singaporeans are found to be the fastest-moving pedestrians in the world, followed by residents of Copenhagen in Denmark and Madrid in Spain.

Guess being kiasu has its perks.

2. Headquarters

This might come as a surprise to some of you, but the World Toilet Organisation‘s not actually something out of a Doraemon comic.

It’s very much real.

And indeed, questionable namesake or whatnot, they’re actually pretty well-established with their own website, collaborations, etc. etc.

But do you wanna know something even more surprising? The organisation’s headquartered in none other than…

Singapore.

I’ll just leave you to figure that out.

3. The very first thumb drives were created locally

I’m sure you’ve heard of thumb drives. I’m also dead sure that if you’re above 12, you’ll have used one of them before at some point in your lives.

But here’s the thing: the technical devices we’ve used so often and so unsparingly throughout the course of our lives…

Were actually manufactured in Singapore.

As it is, Trek2000’s the Singapore company that first produced it.

4. We have our own ‘Yeti’

To start off, I would just like to express that Singaporeans have a real tendency to complain.

“Wa today hot ah?”

“KNN THAT AUNTIE IN THE BUS TOUCH MY ASS.”

“Singapore’s so boring. Hais, it’s too safe, you get what I’m saying? There’s no feeling.”

While I can’t really do much about the first two, the third might be a distinct possibility, seeing how Singapore actually has its very own cryptid…

The Bukit Timah Monkey Man.

With sightings dating back as far as 1805, the creature has been cited as a forest-dwelling hominid or primate, and is also accounted for as being immortal. To date, its exact identity remains uncovered, and its existence disputed. While the creature has been featured in leading cryptozoologist Karl Shuker’s book, Extraordinary Animals Revisited (2007), alleged sightings of the animal remain rare.

5. Home to its own natural hot springs

If you’ve always pined for Japan because of all its lavish, smoking hot springs, well guess what?

You don’t have to go to Japan just to take a dip.

Indeed, Singapore has not one, but two natural hot springs that are located in Sembawang and Palau Tekong.

Skinny dipping, anyone?

6. The longest bus ride in Singapore

Always complaining about your long bus rides to work, and whining about how it’s probably the ‘longest bus ride’ in Singapore?

Well, chances are that you’re wrong; unless your bus service happens to be 858.

As it is, the bus, which obeys a trunk route that runs from Woodlands Regional Interchange to Changi Airport and back, is touted to be the service with the longest bus route. And seeing how it passes through Woodlands Avenue 9, Sembawang, Yishun, Lentor and Jalan Kayu and is 73.4km long…

We’re not inclined to believe otherwise.

#kudosbuscaptain

7. A station that was never meant to be

If you’ve ever taken the train from Khatib to Yio Chu Kang, you would know that it’s pretty far.

Like ludicrously far.

And indeed, legend says that Chuck Norris once took the train at Khatib, only to bear five children and sixty grandchildren by the time it reached Yio Chu Kang.

Shocking stuff.

But alright, jokes aside, the reason why Khatib and Yio Chu Kang are so separated might be because of this one reason:

There were plans to build a Lentor MRT station between them.

As it was, the MRT station was supposedly meant for a Disneyland proposal that rather sadly fell through.

If only…

8. Pride at being first

We all want to be the first in everything, and you’re lying if you say you’re not.

But rather unfortunately, there’s one thing we, save a certain percentage of the nation’s population, will never be able to pride ourselves on.

The first MRT station that was built in Singapore.

Indeed, the honour would have to go to the residents of Toa Payoh, whose station was the first to be completed on 5 August 1985.

Though if you think about it, Toa Payoh does seem to be filled with the elderly…

#jkingloveyoutoapayohxoxo

9. Chewing gum

Over the years, we’ve been conditioned to believe in one thing:

Chewing gum’s illegal.

Which is definitively true (and a definite pity), considering how chewing gum’s such a fun (and distracting) thing to play with.

But did you know something?

Chewing gum isn’t actually illegal to consume in Singapore.

Indeed, the only thing illegal here is that you can’t sell it for commercial use over here, but other than that it’s all fair play. Though with that said, do try not to stick gum up the back of seats.

We don’t want the government taking away this little privilege again.

10. Ang Mo Kio

Now, this might be a little-known fact, but I’m pretty sure it’s gonna shock you.

“What is it?” you ask.

Well, it’s the simple, verified notion that despite being named Ang Mo Kio…

The town doesn’t actually cater to just Ang Mohs.

Editor: Hahahaahaha, you think you funny ah.

Yep, and that’s probably why Goody Feed isn’t actually a catering company.

Editor: … are you dissing the name I gave it?

Of course not- I’M JUST KIDDING PLEASE FORGIVE ME SENPAI

Editor: You’re definitely dissing me right now.

HALP-

Reports have emerged that instead of the Bukit Timah Monkey Man, a Bukit Batok Helpless Man has been spotted running along streets, screaming ‘HELP’ whilst being chased by an unidentifiable man.