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American artist reviews Singapore experience and Singaporeans love it, Singapore News

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American artist reviews Singapore experience and Singaporeans love it, Singapore News

Singaporean and complaining at every turn?

An Asian-American crochet artist’s glowing review of her recent trip to Singapore has made many Singaporeans beam with pride instead.

Houston native Cindy Wang, also known as The Geeky Hooker (not what you’re thinking), visited last month before raving on Reddit about our idiosyncrasies such as Singlish, Mustafa Centre and salted egg.

Her post on the forum received over 1,400 upvotes, with the bulk probably cast by Singaporeans.

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Commenters loved her obsession with chilli crab, kaya toast, salted egg chips/fish skin and mangosteens (MANGOSTEENS?!), as compared to durians (we understand).

“CHILLI CRAB. OH MY GOD I MISS IT ALREADY. So freakin’ good. I bought packets of chilli crab sauce in hopes of using it on my food at home,” the self-confessed food lover wrote.

On the king of fruits, Wang recalled, “It wasn’t nearly as nasty as I remembered it to be! I’d eat it again if it were offered to me, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to buy one myself.

“Mangosteens on the other hand. Holy s***. So f***ing cheap in Singapore (they’re ridiculously expensive in the States and they’re not even fresh). I may or may not have eaten an entire bag by myself in my hotel room.”

Okay can.

Wang also made space for the polarising salted egg flavour and Irvin’s, the snack brand that was unfortunately associated with lizards not long before she came to Singapore.

“SALTED EGG CHIPS. THE OBSESSION IS REAL, And the fish skins were even better! Definitely bought a bunch of bags of Irvin’s from the airport.”

Reddit being Reddit, Lhc987 responded, “Right. No one told him (her) about it, let him (her) enjoy those in peace.”

Like many foreign observers, Wang praised Singapore’s public transport and multiculturalism, reserving her only criticism for our high alcohol prices.

Here’s her post in full:

Singapore Isn’t Just a Dot – It’s a Whole Story

When she talked about island life, she made it feel like you’d scooped up the whole place in one bite. It struck a chord because many of us can’t even remember how easy it is to see gorgeous skyline without the extra effort of a long bus ride.

What People Gave Us

  • Letterboxmind wrote, “I’m genuinely blown away by how much you cracked Singapore in a blink. You ought to be on the guest list of a travel ambassador—think of the title ‘Island Whisperer’!”
  • PMMETGINGER_KITTENS added, “Yikes, you sure made me grateful for my tiny (and humid) red‑dot home. I didn’t see Singapore as a hotspot before, but now I’m thinking of my own islands as a treasure chest.”
  • KimJiHoon chimed in, “Your post had me forgetting the bad vibes! Singapore is a city that *actually works—sans the endless drama.”
  • Bumps said, “You highlighted everything a tourist would love: street stalls, parks, and that little bit of adventure people misread as just a brochure. Glad to see the magic realised!”
  • Snoopychick8 gushed, “OMG, Singapore is amazing! Quick as I can find a cooler climate before I plan my next trip. The city’s too good to miss.”
  • Humanitarians sighed, “I missed Singapore’s vibe; your note feels like a tiny hug from the nation. Thank you for that comforting energy.”
  • Aimismyname made the crowd chuckle with a quick comment, “That’s one minute, see you tomorrow!” – the classic “I’ll be back in a flash”.
  • Wang wrapped it up by sharing why Singapore seemed the perfect choice. “Multicultural societies are great, the food is unforgettable, plus it’s safe and we’re all speaking English and Mandarin. There’s no better combo!”

With a mix of admiration, education, and a dash of humour, the thread felt like a real crossover episode of a travel show—minus the dicey plot twists. All aboard for Singapore!

The thread somehow spun off into lengthy discussions on Singlish and the weather, but we’ll leave you to scour through those yourself.

If you are wondering about the “little crocheted characters to scatter around for strangers to find” that Wang mentioned, she crochets for hobby and has published the book Literary Yarns: Crochet Projects Inspired by Classic Books.

Since 2011, she has had a habit of dropping these critters in different places for strangers to “adopt”.

Sorry folks, all four in Singapore have been found.

We will leave you with how Wang would sum up her trip in four photos:Photo: WordPress/Geeky Hooker

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