Welcome to Singapore

We leave our apartment in China at 3 AM, driven by my wife's nephew to the train station, and take the train to Tianjin. From there, we take the subway to the airport and are amazed to find no queue at the check-in counter. We check in quickly, and the security check is also completed swiftly.

Next, we experience something that exemplifies the small differences between Germany and China. At passport control, a queue of passengers is formed. As soon as the number of people grows into a second line, an officer waves, and an additional checkpoint is opened, so the already short wait does not get extended. In Germany two years ago, at passport control in Frankfurt, the queue of arriving passengers stretched up to the second floor, and the German officers simply closed two counters, further extending the already long waiting time. However, the level of service quality should be increased that day because we are flying to Singapore.

Two airport staff wave as the plane makes its way to the runway, and I quickly snap a somewhat blurry farewell photo of China.

To my surprise, the plane is half empty, allowing us to spread out like we're in business class. I had expected a fuller flight because of the upcoming Formula 1 weekend in Singapore. However, the Boeing 787 is very large, and I suspect a smaller aircraft is usually used, which is why we have more passengers on board than usual.

This makes the 6-hour flight time pass quickly with reading and sleeping. Finally, we land on time in Singapore, and Changi Airport welcomes us with all its professionalism: carpeted passenger areas, super clean restrooms, and luggage delivery can be announced via QR code through WhatsApp.

Even more impressive is the automated passport control: place your passport on the scanner, the gate opens, look at the camera, the gate opens again, and on the monitor it says 'Welcome to Singapore'. That took no more than 30 seconds.

We wander to the baggage carousel, which looks like a botanical garden. The status is sent to me via WhatsApp. We only need to wait a short time.

The entire airport has such elaborate planting. A very pleasant atmosphere. We move towards the metro station, and here I make a mistake. You don't need a ticket for the metro; a credit card is sufficient. We use our smartphone with Google Pay, and on the first try, the barrier does not open. I quickly tap on my smartphone so as not to hold up other people, and on the second attempt, the barrier opens. I go through and catch a glimpse of my PIN display on the smartphone briefly before it disappears. Shortly after, my banking app tells me that the payment was declined. I have a bad feeling about this, which is later confirmed.

After the approximately one-hour journey, since we booked a hotel in the west of the island while the airport is in the east, my credit card is not accepted at checkout. I go to the service desk, and the woman checks my card and says there is a block. She clears the gate for me, and that’s it. Therefore, I rode the metro for free.

In Jurong East, there is heavy construction, and we have to walk a few detours to reach our Four Points by Sheraton. Check-in is quick, the staff is very friendly, and the room door is opened with the smartphone.

After a shower, I head to my favorite vegetarian hawker in Jurong that I used to frequent.

Feeling satisfied, we walk to the Westgate Mall, where there is lots going on, with a children's train and live music.

And we take a look at the Oktoberfest that is also taking place there.

In front of Yo-Chi, there is a long line of people. I will never understand why people in Singapore stand in line for hours in front of trendy restaurants when there are sooooo many options available.

But we are exhausted from the trip and the long day and stroll back to the hotel.

Ah, it really feels good to be back in Singapore.