My sister, who is based in SG, gave my mother a travel gift to Singapore on the latter's birthday. When my mother requested me to accompany her in this trip, I packed my things and flew to SG with her amidst the whirlwind of intertwining projects at work, to the rage to my boss.

Singapore has places that are NEVER-TO-MISS. Sentosa Island is a great place to go. You can go to Underwater Adventure, watch the Dolphin Show and have fun at the Luge. You can also drop by their zoo, or watch the safari animals at night or simply have a quiet time to the Botanical Garden. But, what I would like to present here are the mundane and the ordinary that adds flavor to the uniqueness only Singapore can spell out.

1. Murtabak

   This is an Indian food. It's mainly fish, with many spices, wrapped in a roti prata (an Indian bread of some sort). It is superb as it is healthy. There is this small halal restaurant in Killiney Road, right behind SingTel which offers this. My sister brought us there on our very first breakfast in SG. We enjoyed the murtabak so much that the next day, mom and I went there again and ordered two servings. We forgot that a serve is good for 2 - 4 persons!

2. Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee

   If you are in noodles, then fried hokkien prawn mee is for you. It's a mind-blowing piece of a noodle wonder! It's hokkien noodle sautéed with prawn and bean sprout and stuff. We has prawn mee at The Food Republic at Vivo City.

3. Kaya Toast Kaya

   This is  made of coconut jam of some sort. You will really follow its aroma anywhere your nose spots this amazing jam. It's usually spread on a toasted wheat bread with butter. I came from a country where coconuts grow everywhere but it was only in Singapore that I tasted kaya.

4. 3 for $10 Stores

   Singapore is not alien to Prada, Calvin Klein, Gucci and other big names in fashion and style. It has stores and malls that cater only to the richest in Asia and other foreign nationals. However, in its effort to serve the elite, it also serves the not-yet-so-rich and everyone in between. 3 for $10 store has an exciting collection of caboodles which you can get for every 10 dollars; from silver rings, shades, watches, hairpins, notebooks, t-shirts, wallets, earrings, picture frames, vases and everything else. Just perfect for anyone on a budget vacation.

5. Cold Storage

   I love this quaint and small store which offers just basically everything you need. They have friendly staff and the service they give is great. I was lost in somewhere in Kalang, when I went to see a friend who plays tennis at this gym of some sort there. I ended up buying goods from this store and the staff were nice enough to show me the back my hotel. Since then, whenever I need stuff for my kitchen, I only go to Cold Storage.

6. Fruits

   I am sure that Singapore doesn't have the luxury of land enough to supply the country's demand for fresh fruits. I don't know how they manage it but they have a wide variety of fruits sold at a very lovely price. Grapes, bananas, apples, peaches, kiwis, pears, ect…mom and I got them fresh. EVERYDAY!

7. Tissue here, tissue there, tissue everywhere

   Whether you are in Suntec City or in the public toilets in SG, a big fat roll of tissue paper awaits you in each cubicle. I happen to have this really bad experience of trying to relieve myself and walked into a toilet with no tissue paper. It was disaster! But in SG, even if you go to the ugliest building in the block in a very, very immediate time, CHILL! There is a roll of tissue paper. PROMISE.

8. Buses and Taxis

   Singapore has a very comprehensive transportation system. Each bus stop has a directory of buses with their routes, numbers, and time of arrival. They have electronic collection system that gives you the convenience of using top-up cards, saves you the time scavenging for coins after each time you get on and move down from the bus.
   
   Taxis are another story. Their cabs are equipped with GPS for easier address location, credit-swipe-card just in case you run out of cash and you opt to use your credit card, telephone and a service payment receipt.
   
   Drivers are very polite and very courteous. They are very neat in their crisp white long sleeves and their neckties. 10 points for them drivers!

9. Cleanliness

   First I would not believe it. Singapore is the cleanest country in Asia. So what?! There's got to be some place there which is not clean. Well, there is. BINGO! Little India, it's not very clean for sure. There are actually cigarette butts everywhere. But, who am I not to be forgiving when anywhere else in the city is SPOTLESS? I really made an effort to actually stretch my neck to see garbage. Well, what did I see instead? THE CLEANEST COUNTRY IN ASIA, if not in the WORLD!

10. People

    This country is a melting pot of Chinese, Malay, and Indian races working together in a very healthy manner such that a country's success like that of Singapore has been achieved. There are also quiet a good number of Americans, Europeans and Australian based there, representing their respective companies back home. Some, opted to spend retirement years in SG. Filipinos, Indonesians and people from mainland China choose to work there.
    
    Their co-existence is remarkable. If the world would treat and respect each other like these Singaporeans, then, world peace would not be so difficult to reach