The Singapore Botanic Gardens are a national treasure. Founded in 1859, it is a tropical paradise located at the edge of Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping district and is the country’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We live pretty close to the gardens and my parents go walking or running there frequently. It is also one of my favorite places to go for a run. We are not alone. Recently, the PM made a social media post in the evening by the gates about his night run there. It is interesting to observe how the politicians in Singapore are perceived. You truly feel like they are “one of us”. One day, just before an election, my mom saw PM Wong walking on the street and shaking hands with people in their cars at a stoplight. He was happy. Everyone was happy, but not in a fake politician way. My mom said it all felt genuine and natural.
This is something I think we struggle with in the US. I know many politicians genuinely want what is best for the people. There is a distinct lack of trust and an us vs them mentality that is unfortunate though.
Shifting Lenses 
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