The grass ain't always greener on the other side. It took a month-long trip to the US and Canada for TikTok user Sophieonggg to fully grasp that life in Singapore is actually pretty good.
It seems the difference between some of her North American adventures and what she would experience back home was pretty stark.
On Monday (July 10), Sophieonggg posted on TikTok a diary of some of the more unpleasant experiences she had during the trip.
She labelled it as "super different" before noting that Singapore will always be her home.
Dirty, in every sense of the word
While Sophieonggg was very much aware of Singapore's impeccable level of public safety, she did not know just how different it was in other cities abroad.
"I witnessed someone getting overdosed from drugs with a group of adults, who left that teen alone," she shared.
Sophieonggg recounted that she came across drunkards and druggies during her trip, and while she knew some of them were harmless, she said she was always on her toes while out and about.
She noted: "Many times I do get scared and just forget to breathe."
Another observation she made was how dirty public spaces could be, to the point that Sophieonggg could smell urine "everywhere [she] walked every day".
Just think back, when was the last time you sniffed that same stench in a public space in Singapore?
Some of the public toilets Sophieonggg visited weren't much better, with no flush or tap in the toilet.
"The dirty [toilets] are those that do not have ventilation, and you could smell everything without even entering," she added.
Singaporean food trumps all
A month in the US and Canada confirmed for Sophieonggg that Singaporean food beats theirs hands down.
Local foodies might snigger at her plight, in a you-should-have-known-better fashion, but Sophieonggg had no clue then that she'd eventually get "really tired" of American food.
It didn't help that her cravings for Asian food weren't exactly met because of the exorbitant prices over there.
According to Sophieonggg, a Haidilao meal for four in the US would cost US$400 (S$535). That's about $133 per person.
In comparison, a Haidilao meal in Singapore costs roughly $50 per pax.
Although Singapore is expensive, the food she came across in North America was even more so, Sophieonggg said.
Case in point, there was an apparent lack of affordable, coffee-shop-priced meals.
AsiaOne has reached out to Sophieonggg.
In the comments section, local netizens got rather patriotic and backed Sophieonggg's positive points on living in Singapore.
A TikTok user shared that she had similar experiences when travelling in the UK, as she "didn't dare to go out alone" at night.
That said, Sophieonggg added a disclaimer in the comments section that what she has shared were her personal opinions and experiences.
"It does not depict the whole country and everyone's experiences," she commented.
This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.