Rediscovering JB's charms: Wider spaces, slower pace of life

The writer, who used to cross the Causeway for cheaper groceries and services, now enjoys JB for its own sake.

- Chang May Choon

Checking into a 19th-floor hotel room in Johor Bahru recently, I drew open the curtains and was delighted by a view of colourful low-rise roofs that seemed to go on forever, against a backdrop of faraway hills.

There were only a handful of skyscrapers—totally unlike the Singapore skyline.

This vast space, combined with a slower and more relaxed pace of life, is what has been luring me back to JB in the past two months as I rediscover its charms after being away for eight years.

The JB welcoming me today is familiar yet alien, with new mega malls and fancy condominiums built in my absence, while the roads remain as confusing as I remember them.

Like many Singaporeans, I used to drive across the Causeway on weekends for cheaper food, groceries and services, leveraging the strengthening Singdollar. I would even feel self-conscious when opening my car boot for inspection at the checkpoint, afraid I might be judged for the conspicuous rolls of toilet paper, kitchen towels and tissue paper inside—the auntie in me loved saving money and stocking up.

Moving back to Singapore from Seoul in 2023, I was keen to reacquaint myself with one of my favourite weekend hangouts, and booked a beach resort stay in Desaru. But I regretted the decision as soon as I got caught in the traffic jam at 7.30am. It took two hours to cross the Causeway that Saturday, and three hours on the way back the following day.

Five hours of being "trapped" in a small space moving at a snail's pace was not something I wanted to experience again, not when groceries and other daily essentials can now be found at cheaper prices on online platforms such as Shopee.