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ASEAN – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com Bringing you yesterday's news from Japan and Asia, today. Sun, 08 Jun 2014 22:00:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.1.4 https://soranews24.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2020/05/en_rocket_1024.png?w=32 ASEAN – SoraNews24 —Japan News— https://soranews24.com 32 32 176746664 No lions, six time zones and fast walkers: 10 fascinating facts about Singapore https://soranews24.com/2014/06/09/no-lions-six-time-zones-and-fast-walkers-10-fascinating-facts-about-singapore/ https://soranews24.com/2014/06/09/no-lions-six-time-zones-and-fast-walkers-10-fascinating-facts-about-singapore/#comments Sun, 08 Jun 2014 22:00:43 +0000 http://en.rocketnews24.com/?p=155178 2014.06.07 singapore skuline

With four national languages, a multicultural population and its infamous chewing gum ban, Singapore is one fascinating country. Singapore is a major financial hub and its airport makes it an easy flight from almost anywhere in the world. And recently we found 10 lesser-known facts about the Southeast Asian island nation that can make up for even the most embarrassing tourism campaign mistake. Click below to find out where Singapore got its name, what’s up with their time zone and why some people love hugging vending machines there!

1. Forget the national anthem? You may have it in your wallet

If you are ever in a pinch and need to remember the lyrics of Singapore’s national anthem “Onward Singapore,” you might be in luck if you’re carrying around some cash. The Singapore government decided to help out those who might forget the words, so the entire anthem is printed on the back of the S$1000 (US$800) bill. Although, carrying around a bill with that high of a value just to be able to recite the national anthem might not be the best option. Plus, the lyrics are printed in extremely small type.

▼ Get out those magnifying glasses if you need to unexpectedly sing the anthem!

2014.06.07 singapore 1k bill Image: banknotenews

2. No lions in Lion City

The Malay word for the country, “Singapura,” literally means Lion City, which would explain the lion statues you can see around Singapore. According to legend, the founder of Singapore named his kingdom “Lion City” because he saw a lion on the island and saw it as an omen of good luck. Unfortunately, zoologists doubt that he would have seen a lion in Singapore since there’s little evidence they have ever lived there. More likely, he saw a tiger or another kind of big cat native to the area.

▼ This “merlion” might actually be just as real as the existence of a lion in Singapore

2014.06.07 singapore merlion Image: Wikipedia

3. Member of the exclusive City-State club

At just 716 square kilometers (276 square miles), Singapore is one of the smallest countries in the world and is one of the few sovereign city-states. The entire island is basically run as one big city and the 5.2 million people living there make it the third-most-densely populated country in the world.

▼ More than one city? Singapore doesn’t have time for that

2014.06.07 singapore map Image: Wikipedia

4. Hug a vending machine for a Coke

If you love Coke so much you’re willing to hug a machine, then head on over to the National University of Singapore where they have installed a vending machine that dispenses bottles of Coke to anyone that, quite literally, embraces their soda machine. Watch the video below to see the “Hug Me” Coke machine in action.

Video: YouTube (James Procter)

5. Fandi Ahmad: Singapore’s David Beckham

While the U.K. has their celebrity soccer star, David Beckham, Singapore also has a sporting legend that has made him a national icon. Fandi Ahmad played in the national soccer team from 1979 to 1997 where he scored 55 goals and joined the Asian Football Confederation Hall of Fame. He now coaches a Singapore soccer club. He married South African model Wendy Jacobs in 1996 and they have five kids.

▼ Bend it like…Ahmad?

2014.06.07 singapore becham Image: Wikipedia

6. No one knows where Singapore is

Singapore is an independent country, but many people might mistakenly say it’s part of Malaysia, Indonesia or other larger countries in the area. And some may think that Singapore is part of China given its heavy Chinese influence. One such example is from the U.S. cartoon “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends” where the characters think Singapore is in Malaysia. Watch the video below and insert your own facepalm.

Video: YouTube (calsilver)

7. Singapore’s ever-changing time zone

Since 1905, Singapore has changed their time zone six times. From 1933 to 1941, the country moved their clocks forward 20 minutes for a Daylight Saving Time, but then changed it to 30 minutes. During the Japanese occupation in World War II, Singapore’s clocks were in sync with Tokyo—1 hour and 30 minutes ahead of the former time zone. The most recent switch in 1982 synchronized it with neighboring Malaysia as well as mainland China and Hong Kong.

8. World-record walkers

Apparently the British Council researches walking speeds around the world and has determined that the people of Singapore are the world’s fastest, walking about 6.15 km per hour. Tourists planning on a visit to Singapore should take note and maybe take a quick lesson on speed walking before their trip.

▼ Some New Yorkers preparing for a trip to Singapore

2014.06.07 singapore walking Image: Tumblr (lovingmemmoriess)

9. Singapore Five-0

The American police TV series Hawaii Five-0 filmed a two-part season finale in Singapore in the 1970s. The Season 11 episode “The Year of the Horse” is about a Singapore drug ring that is trying to take root in Hawaii. Watch the video below to see a fight scene from the episode and check out some of the scenery in Singapore amidst the 1970s era fashion choices.

Video: YouTube (Thomaz Kravezuk)

10. Singapore, USA

Singapore, Michigan is a ghost town in the U.S. that was destroyed in a fire in 1871. Now the town is completely buried under sand from nearby Lake Michigan, but a yacht club in the area still uses the name.

▼ A sign marking where America’s Singapore used to be

2014.06.07 singapore michigan Image: waymarking.com

Did any of these Singapore facts surprise you or do you have any fun facts about Singapore? Let us know in the comments below what you thought of this Singapore trivia session!

Feature Image: Wikipedia
Source: Yahoo! News Singapore

For many people around the world, it’s an automatic reaction to buckle up whenever you get into a vehicle. However there are still many countries where, despite having the laws in place, there isn’t much of an awareness of the tragic consequences failing to strap yourself in can have…that’s where Taylor Swift comes in.

In the UK, my home country, road safety organizations such as THINK! have drummed into us the importance of wearing a seat belt. In my childhood, I remember having a VHS tape with one of my favourite movies on it that had been recorded off the telly. I forget which movie it was, but what I will never forget is the particularly gory and depressing advert for seat belt safety that would crop up during the breaks. Those images burnt themselves onto my impressionable young mind, resulting in some terrifying nightmares, and the rather more positive effect of my never once failing to wear my seat belt.

However, there are still many countries where this is not a matter of common sense as it simply has not been ingrained in the national psyche.

Check out the study below which shows that in nearly all of the ASEAN countries surveyed, more than half of people only use their seat belt when they’re in the front seats. This may make sense for Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam where seat belt laws only apply to people in the front seats, but it’s surprising that the proportions are generally the same for Malaysia and the Philippines which both have national seat belt laws that apply to all occupants of a vehicle. While laws might be the first step, they won’t go much further if people aren’t aware of them, or of the consequences of not complying.

▼ Vehicle Safety Study in ASEAN (Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam) on Seat Belt Usage

Survey2i

Of course these statistics are formed from people’s personal answers, but the hard data also shows that traffic safety is a real issue in these areas. According to SEARO, the South-East Asia Regional Office for the World Health Organization, “Road traffic crashes accounted for 334,815 deaths in the South-East Asia Region during 2010, with the rate of 18.5 per 100,000 population.” All the laws in the world won’t do much good if they aren’t upheld, and SEARO admits that “overall enforcement of seat belt law is poor in the Region.”

The Institute for Traffic Accident Research and Data Analysis in Japan claims that air bags are 15 times more effective in conjunction with a buckled seat belt, and with such a simple way of decreasing the chance of people dying a horrible death when they’re thrown head first through the windshield, it’s important to try and educate people.

▼ Fatality Rate in Traffic Accidents in which SRS Airbags were Deployed

seat belt survey

In order to try and reduce the number of needless fatalities, and boost its corporate responsibility record in the process, Toyota is launching a road safety campaign in South East Asian countries aimed at increasing the use of seat belts amongst all vehicle passengers. Of course any self-respecting campaign needs a celebrity spokesperson, and Toyota have managed to hook fresh-faced darling-of-the-moment Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift’s RED tour will be making its way around South East Asia this June, and with her legion of young fans what better way to get the message out than to broadcast a short and sweet video at the start of all her shows.

▼She really cares about traffic safety, guys.

And finally, we have the campaign’s official video, which looks like some kind of candy advert from the 90’s, complete with awkward jingle. It’s certainly not the same as the shock tactics used in the UK, and I can’t say that this sunny little clip would have left any lasting impression on me as a youngster. Then again, if this kind of promotion does work then maybe it can spare some kids from gruesome nightmares, as well as sparing many, many lives.

▼ Buckle up! Buckle up! Buckle up! …Shut up!

Source: TOYOTA Global Newsroom, Be Safety Leaders, Global Health Observatory Data Repository, SEARO
Images: TOYOTA Global Newsroom

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