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Guest Post by Raji PV: What I love about Singapore

♥♥ This is the second Guest Post on Petals in 2015. I thank my former colleague Raji PV for sharing her personal writing on my blog. Raji, as I know her, is a lovely person and a dedicated mother with an angelic, soothing presence. Her simplicity and humility inspire me. In a nutshell, I am blessed to be in her company. Thanks for writing, Raji!♥♥ 

The first time I landed in Singapore, I was pleasantly surprised by the lush greenery all around. Gigantic trees lining both sides of the road  met overhead high above the road. The change in scenery was too stark not to notice, as we arrived from Delhi. The sceptic in me did not expect it to last  more than a few miles; but guess what, I was overjoyed to have been proved wrong!

Greenery in Singapore
The beauty of Singapore lies in its ever-spreading green robe, both planned and natural, that stretches across the length and breadth of the island. Best of all, Singapore goes that extra mile in protecting its natural beauty. This is exactly the reason why Singapore has several nature reserves and forested areas. 




The citizens also play a role in ensuring the same. To make matters easier, Singapore also has fool proof rules that ensure compliance.




Public Libraries in Singapore

The second best feature about Singapore is its network of well-equipped public libraries. One of the best in the world, Singapore libraries offer excellent services and boast great infrastructure. This means that if you are looking for a book, you just have to search online at the National Library Board (NLB) website. 

Key in the book title or the author name and you will be provided with a detailed list of the current status of the book. You can also reserve books online at nominal charges. Final, the library charges are very affordable, making it attractive and accessible to all. 

Parks in Singapore
Singapore parks deserve special mention, given their expansiveness, beauty and accessibility to all. 

Conceptualized with excellent landscaping and design, Singapore national parks provide excellent amenities and recreational facilities for the public. To further up their attractiveness quotient, most are located along the beach, making it the perfect family outing spot. 

Anytime you feel sad, angry or bored, you know exactly where to head!














Architecture in Singapore
While Singapore national parks pamper visitors with their expansiveness and greenery, Singapore City beckons with its blend of modern, colonial and regional architectures. 

Many buildings in Singapore boast unique histories and identities of their own, which has been preserved and protected even to this day. Be it the historical shop houses in Chinatown or the skyscrapers in Central Business District, all of them have a story to tell.












To get to the heart of the Singapore Chinese culture, do visit Chinatown during the Mid-Autumn Festival or the Chinese New Year. 

To experience Malay and Indian cultures from close quarters, visit Geylang and Little India respectively. Then, there are fairs galore during festivities, such as Hari Raya and Deepavali. No wonder, they call Singapore a traveler's paradise and a photographer’s delight!


About Raji PV: Raji is an avid food lover and an armchair traveler, her  love, in her own words is 'to lose myself in the leaves of a book." All photos shown on this blog belong to Raji. 




Comments

Raji said…
Thank you so much for featuring my writing here, Swapna! It's an honour for me...:)
Vishnu said…
Thank you both for sharing this post. Lovely photos by Raji - even for someone like myself who has visited Singapore often. I had no idea about the library system and will definitely be checking them out when I go visit again in the next couple of months.
A perfect post with so many information's. Just superb one. Loved reading it. Thank u for the share.
Dear Raji,

Thank you for writing for Petals! It's a pleasure and a blessing to read the positive energy and the useful information you have shared here....hope to see you write many more such blog posts for Petals!

Love,
Swapna
I agree, Vishnu. Raji's inputs on Singapore's library system is something that I haven't read anywhere else...and it caught my immediate interest too...glad to know you liked the pics too.
Ankita said…
nice post! I wish we could enjoy such perfect public library system in India! the pics are awesome. Thanks for sharing :)
@Shreya: Great to know you found Raji's post informative...thanks Shreya.

@Ankita - Good to read that you found Raji's post informative. Exactly what i felt - that we in India should also have a public library system just as in Singapore.

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