Clean, efficient and fun!
Want to guess what I am talking about?
Singapore!
I was in Singapore last week for some meetings and experienced all the above. Due to covid, I have not been to Singapore for 3 years! So, it was with excitement and wonder that I re-entered Singapore this time. And she did not disappoint.
But a lot has changed.
I wanted to go down by car with Markus, my husband, but the car entry process has changed. We needed to get our vehicle registered with Singapore Land Transportation Authority. It was recommended that we apply 2 weeks before our journey. Markus applied 3 weeks in advance and got rejected twice due to discrepancies. Made another correction and waited with fingers crossed.
The approval did come but it required a further 5 working days to process the auto pass card for collection at the Malaysian border town, Johor. That timing was strict and as my meetings were fixed and fell within the timeline of 5 days, I decided to fly into Singapore.
I have not flown into Singapore in a very long time. Because we consider it ‘down the road’ from us, I have mainly gone down by road. The journey takes about 4 hours.
Immigration processing has changed too. Arrival cards that previously needed filling on arrival have now been replaced by an immigration app (application). It has gone digital. Because I have a friend who had been to Singapore recently, I was aware of this and downloaded the app in advance and had my details filled in.
I could tell that others were not aware of this and there was a large group of people downloading the app at immigration to do the necessary. Luckily, the Wifi at Changi is excellent. It must be if they have such a requirement. My only wonder was what about the elderly or non-tech-savvy passenger? But I did see some immigration support staff ensuring that passengers had help if they needed it.
Then for more technology. Malaysia is one of the countries that is allowed to use the auto gate (human-less processing) for immigration clearance. The passport is scanned by a machine that links to the immigration app to ensure that all data is captured to process the entry.
Unfortunately, although I had filled in my details in the app, it did not connect correctly with my passport details thereby invalidating my scan. I tried twice but with no success. I had to see a human. I noticed that this happened to a few others too. Technology is great when it works but it can be frustrating when it doesn’t.
The queues were not too long, and I got to a human-ed counter soon after and was welcomed and processed in an efficient and super polite manner. In fact, the officer was rather surprised that the machine did not work for me. He told me to try a couple more times (scanning) next time.
He was quick, and polite and his last sentence to me was, ‘you are good to go, have a good stay.’ I remember messaging Markus immediately saying, ‘immigration officer was so polite, wow.’
To which Markus replied, ‘Singapore!’
Then it was onto my meetings. I took public transport to one meeting for greater efficiency. What an experience. Hassle-free train rides, and neat pavements to walk on. Everything was so seamless.
Singapore!
I spent some time that night walking around Quayside area near my hotel after my last meeting. My senses were overwhelmed. Everything looked inviting, vibrant, and alive especially given it was a weeknight.
But what really caught my attention was this (see photo below). Perched on the pavement by the river was a fresh orange juice vending machine with fresh oranges from Australia! It stopped me in my tracks. I don’t typically take photos of anything, but this machine had me taking my phone out!
I was not in the mood for orange juice that night but the following morning I walked up and got my freshly squeezed orange juice and it was good! What was amazing was it was popular with many. Cyclists, runners, and walkers stopped to get their cups of juice. Priced at SGD $3.00.
I am going back next week by car for some other meetings. Can’t wait to experience more.
Until next time, you can reach me at yoga@yoganesadurai.com
ps the Singapore Tourism Board did not commission this article 😉