I got a chance to travel to Singapore in May 2026, thanks to an invitation by a friend to attend Teach for All’s Better Future Forum conference. As it happens, growing up in a family of limited means, a chance to travel is much more than attending a conference- it’s about discovering a new place, culture, people and the way of life.

One of the first things that struck me as soon as I landed in Changi airport was the smoothest possible immigration I have ever faced. I just walked out of the airport by scanning my passport and a camera scanning my face. There were a couple of immigration officers standing to aid travelers who might be struggling with this process. Amazing efficiency!

Pic 1: Singapore Changi airport

As I landed quite early, I dropped my bag in the hotel and headed out for breakfast. I was staying in the Katong area and found a 100-year-old cafe- Chin Mee Chin confectionery where I had the signature kaya toast and kopi (coffee) with soft-boiled eggs that I drizzled with soya sauce and white pepper. Kaya is a coconut jam that they smear on the bread and that does all the magic! Also I increasingly see how soya-sauce dominates the South Asian cuisine.

Pic 2: Traditional Singapore breakfast – kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and kopi

Post breakfast, I checked in to the hotel and took a small nap, jet-lagged from the late night flight. Once I woke up, I headed out straight for lunch. And this time it was Laksa– a rich soupy noodles with a coconut broth and filled with seafood. I have a love affair with soupy noodles- be it the Tibetan ‘thupka’, Vietnamese ‘pho’ or the new entrant to my tastebuds- Laksa! I paired that with another unique dish, Otah – ground fish mixed with spices, then steamed or grilled. Easily one of my favourite discoveries thanks to the amazing flavour.

Pic 3: 328 Katong Laksa, the restaurant (left), and laksa with otah (right)

The area itself (Katong) was full of heritage buildings and colourful houses.

Pic 4: Streets of Katong

As my conference was starting from the next day, I wanted to make the most of it in Day 1 itself. So I headed out to the National Gallery Singapore in the hot and humid weather. As I was roaming around, I came across an interesting artwork on the walls of a floor :

Pic 5: Guess what is this?

If you are trying to figure out what this deep abstract object is- let me tell you this is brinjal! Imagine a wall full of brinjal in various stages of flaccidity. Modern art. What a bharta they make at times!

I found a new painting style that I had not seen before though- ink paintings. Look at these two paintings for sometime- what’s standing out?

Pic 6- Chinese ink paintings

After a brief tryst with the museum, I headed out to Merlion park. Merlion is the official mascot of Singapore- a mythical creature with a head of a lion and body of a fish, representing the two names- Singapura, which means lion city and Temasek- its earlier name of the fishing village that Singapore was.

Pic 7- Merlion park

The skyline from this park truly reflects Singapore’s prosperity, the towering banks and corporate skyscrapers rise over the bay. Dominating the skyline, of course, is the iconic Marina Bay Sands, the city’s famed casino resort.

Pic 8- Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

My Day 2 in Singapore started with a school visit to a public school- Boon Lay Garden primary school. Singapore’s public schools are one of the best in the world. It was not only extremely well resourced, but the school leader and the teachers whom we met were highly motivated and engaged. I later came to know that this school is one of the average schools in Singapore. This is one of those schools I would not hesitate to send my own child- colourful and full of warmth. It helps that children of Singapore’s government officials attend public schools- incentives get aligned to ensure the best possible outcomes for these schools!

Pic 9- Boon Lay Garden primary school

The rest of my days were mostly spent on the conference and attending the ‘The greatest show on earth’- a musical by Teach for India kids at Gardens by the Bay. The musical portrayed how our school education system is chaining student freedom and creativity and ended with a promise of reimagining the education system.

Pic 10- The Greatest Show On Earth

‘Gardens by the Bay’ itself was a fascinating concept, with trees and plants sourced from across the world and curated into different sections. Another highlight is the Supertree Grove, where giant metallic tree-like structures covered with creepers and climbers come alive with lights in the evening.

Pic 11- Gardens by the Bay; Supertree Grove (right)

On my final day, I went to the ‘Lau Pa Sat’- an iconic hawker center serving a variety of food right at the heart of Singapore. Singapore has many hawker centers around the country and each of these places has an assortment of small shops selling different cuisines. I relished the Hainanese chicken rice- a dish made with poached chicken dipped in soya sauce and rice made in chicken broth. And I had Char siew noodles- noodles served with Cantonese barbecued pork, and here the noodles being dipped in soya sauce. You just cannot escape soya sauce in this region and nor did I want to!

Pic 12- Lau Pa Sat -an iconic hawker center nestled amidst the towering skyscrapers of modern Singapore

Pic 13- Lau Pa Sat (inside view)

Pic 14- Notice the ever present soya sauce? Hainanese chicken rice (left), Char Siew noodles (right)

I wrapped up my last day in Singapore with a quick visit to Chinatown. It was sweltering hot, so it was a quick walk to Chinatown and took some pastries from the famous Tong Heng Traditional Cantonese pastries. Truth be told, it was underwhelming. Sweets seldom match the diversity and taste that India offers. At least to my palate and limited exposure!

Before taking my flight back to Kolkata, I visited Jewel Changi Airport, home to the 131-foot Rain Vortex- the world’s largest indoor waterfall. For me, it somehow summarized Singapore itself: the audacity and ambition to transform a tiny fishing port into one of the great economic powerhouses of the modern world.

Pic 15- Jewel Changi