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ARTICLES

39 Reasons That Make Singapore Home

Whether you live in a bungalow at Bukit Timah, a condo in Tampines or a HDB flat in Jurong, there is sure to be something in your neighbourhood that is special and distinct to you. As a tribute to 50 years of nation building, here is a list of 39 iconic sights and sounds that make Singapore home.

##1. HDB Blocks
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Only in Singapore can you find these HDB blocks that come in every colour of the rainbow. ##2. Zouk
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Our iconic nightclub Zouk has become synonymous with its neighbourhood, Jiak Kim Street.##3. Koptiam
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Craving for roti prata, mee pok, or a cup of kopi? You have everything under one roof.##4. Community Centres
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The only place where you get to see aunties channeling their inner Beyoncé during Zumba sessions. ##5. MRT System
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Our love-hate relationship with the MRT system that connects us to every neighbourhood##6. Street Names
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We love our fruits so much that we named our roads after them. (Magis means Magosteen in Malay). Is there a Durian Street?##7. Sentosa Cove
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Where Tony Stark lives.

##8. Superstitious Singaporean

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When fengshui becomes our number one consideration during renovation.##9. Matilda House
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Who doesn’t know about the history of the Matilda house? Creepy…

##10. Reservoirs

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There are 17 reservoirs in Singapore. Kiasu? Nah. More like kiasi, survival mode on!##11. Kiasu Parents
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Have to live within 2km radius of an elite school? Bring it on!

##12. Black and White Bungalows

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The grand dame of Singapore bungalows.##13. The Kampong Spirit
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The camaraderie that came with a kampong spirit##14. Coastline
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Whether you are living in East or West coast, you can always find cargo ships resting along our coastline.##15. Last Kampong
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Kampong Lorong Buangkok is our last surviving kampong in Singapore. ##16. Heartland Malls
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Wherever you live, there’s bound to be a heartland mall located near you whether it’s Jurong or Tampines Mall. ##17. The Pinnacle
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Our grandest HDB achievement – The Pinnacle@Duxton – is the world’s tallest public housing building.##18. How to Train Your Dragon
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The only place where you can claim that you travelled through the belly of a dragon. ##19. All Hung Up
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Only in Singapore will you see underwear openly flapping in the wind like victory flags.##20. Mama Shop
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Our beloved mama shops where Indian uncles in sarongs sell our favourite tidbits at the void deck.##21. Public Libraries
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We are a nation of bookworms! There is almost one public library in every neighbourhood.##22. National Day
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We love our country and we’re not afraid to show it. Majulah Singapura!##23. EIP
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Our Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) helps you make friends of different races living in the same block.##24. BTO
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“Dear, shall we get a BTO?” is a question that sends many Singaporeans blushing as it is one of the greatest local proclamations of love. Those in their 20s and 30s will know what we mean. ##25. Multipurpose Void Deck
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From hosting exuberant Malay weddings to solemn Chinese funerals, void decks bring people together.##26. Abbreviations
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EC - Executive Condominium, BTO - Build-to-Order, DBSS - Design, Build and Sell Scheme, HDB - House Development Board. The never-ending list of acronyms.##27. CPF
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We don’t know many other countries with schemes in place that make saving compulsory to help pay for a house. ##28. Bird Singing Corners
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You’re missing out if your neighbourhood lacks a birdcage-touting uncle who boasts about the five-octave vocal range of his prize-winning mata puteh. ##29. Residential Cat
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Our neighbourhoods will not be the same without them roaming the void decks with their nonchalant expressions.##30. Karung Guni
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The blast of a horn followed by the throaty bellow of “Karung Guni!” is familiar to anyone growing up in a HDB flat. ##31. Ice Cream Man
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Do you remember the excitement you felt when the ice cream man rang his bell? ##32. Local Barber
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Things you see in an old neighbourhood – barber shops with their signature barber’s pole that hypnotise us with the spinning red, blue and white colours. ##33. Bomb Shelter
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More than a bomb shelter, Singaporeans have turned them into storage rooms. A+ for practicality. ##34. GRC
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When just one Boundary Road divides Serangoon into Marine Parade and Aljunied GRCs. Why is Serangoon in Marine Parade?##35. Green Corridors
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Mint, pandan or chilli padi. Name it and you will see it growing along our HDB corridors.##36. Changi Airport
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That tingly feeling you get when your Singapore-bound flight lands and the air stewardess announces, “For those of you returning home, welcome back”.##37. Garden City
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Growing in clusters on overhead bridges, carparks, or along road dividers, brightly coloured bougainvilleas are a common sight in Singapore.##38. Lee Kuan Yew
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Our founding father together with other pioneers have housed an entire nation.##39. Our Beautiful Skyline
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At the end of the day, we are proud to call Singapore home.This article is done in collaboration with MustShareNews.com. A one-stop platform for social, viral and relevant news for today's generation of Singaporeans. Keep up with the freshest news and perspectives here (hyperlink: https://www.facebook.com/mustsharenews).

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