I am returning to UK after a stay of 2 and a half month stay here in Singapore. I leave with very mixed feelings. I have a love-hate relationship with Singapore and therefore each time I leave or return to Singapore I have this feeling of joy mixed with trepidation. I must confess that with the increase in the number of visits I am slowly getting accustomed to what to expect here in Singapore. I list below the reasons for my joy when returning to Singapore,
Food
Singaporeans love eating and one can find food courts and eateries almost at every corner of the island. I must admit I love to eat and enjoy Singaporean cuisine. Food at the food courts are generally very good, although one must be careful not to indulge too much, bearing in mind the evils of Trans fat highlighted in the papers recently.
Public Transport
In Singapore the public transport is second to none. Buses are generally on time and the MRT is as good as it gets. It is very easy to get to most places in Singapore by public transport. The new MRT Circle Line will no doubt make it easier to get around. Taxi is quite reasonably priced and all taxi rides are according to meters, unlike in KL where you have to bargain for every journey.
Cleanliness
Singapore is by far the cleanest city I have been in. Littering is strictly prohibited. Litterbugs if caught are prosecuted, hence the cleanliness of the streets and parks. Foreign workers are employed to sweep the streets and clean the shopping malls. If you enter a public toilet anywhere on the island you can be sure it is clean and tidy.
Below are some of the reasons why I dread returning to Singapore,
Driving
Singapore has been transformed from a third world country to one of the richest in a relatively short period of 40 years. However, the majority of Singaporean drivers still maintain third world mentality when it comes to driving. They are often rude and offensive on the road and they never respect other road users. I have been told many times that this is the way people drive here and I have to accept it whether I like it or not. Whatever excuses one may say in the defense of the bad driving habits of the Singaporeans, I still say that bad manners on the roads should never be tolerated.
Queue Jumping
There are many Singaporeans who would on the pretext of ignorance jump queue. This may be because these people are always impatient and always in a rush.
Rudeness
Generally I find Singaporeans rather a rude lot. I am accustomed to people saying “thank you” and “please”. Here in Singapore it is quite common to be totally ignored when you hold open doors, allow others to pass, giving up seats etc. I have never been able to get any response when I wish people on the street “good morning”.
Talking loudly on mobile phones
Singaporeans tend to be very loud on their mobile phones, especially true amongst the heartlanders.
On balance Singaporeans are OK, as long as you bear in mind that this way of life is quite normal here. They may appear rude at times but maybe their abruptness is unintentional.
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4 comments:
i agree on the part of rudeness. i have made it a point to walk straight into young punks who will walk straight into you.
and the girls are just as rude even if you offer your mrt seat to them. not a single word of appreciation. i don't give up my seats any more except to the pregnant. don't bother about holding the doors for them. they expect you to do it like a doorman. i treat them as transparent. not deserving to be treated like a lady.
but compare to the foreign workers/students, strong sturdy young men, these are really self centred. they will rushed into mrt trains looking for seats, ignoring the older folks or those who need the seats more than them.
Hi Redbean, thanks for the contribution.
Only yuesterday in a crowded MRT train, I was standing next to a very pregnant lady. I looked round and the seated passengers were all either sleeping or listening to their MP3, none noticed the poor pregnant lady. Normally I try to mind my own business, especially when my wife is around, because she tells me off for being a KP. However, yesterday was an exception. I tapped a young girl in the seat reserved for needy passengers and told her to give the seat to the pregnant lady. The girl stood up grudgingly. I was not a very popular person in her eyes.
Near my house there lives a man with an alsatian dog. Each evening he will take his dog round the corner from his house and allow the dog to foul the grass strip next to the kerb. This grass strip is a passageway used by students from a nearby school. I often see dirty footprints along the concrete path next to the grass strip indicating that children often step on the dog poo. On one occasion I saw him and the dog doing it business on that spot. I stopped and said, " I hope you are going to pick up the mess". He looked angrily at me and carried on. He hadn't taken notice of my protest and is still doing exactly what he has been doing all along. I have to walk pass the spot every morning on my way to get the papers from my friend al pek at the wet market. Some people just cannot understand simple hygiene.
this morning i was in the mrt. managed to get a seat beside a young woman and a young man. then came a young mother with 2 kindergarten kids, a boy and a girl. the little girl hanged on to one pole and the boy to the next. little girl was sleepy eye and looked so miserable.
and yes, everyone just looked. nobody thought it was decent to offer their seats to the two child. then me, the uncle, had to stand up and offered to the little girl. a smile lighted up instantly on her sleepy and sad face. and her mother told her to say thank you. she did, shyly.
that smile made my day.
and the young man beside me felt bad to see uncle stood up. so he stood up and little boy also got his seat and said thank you too.
the young man smiled and i smiled.
the young woman retained her grouchy look on her face. so did the others.
What are you talking about? It's not the young people who are rude! It's the old Chinese aunties and uncles. They are too stupid to let people get off the train before they try to get on. Once I was on the MRT. The door opened. The old lady pushed into me. I didn't move. The door closed. She wasn't able to get on and I wasn't able to get off. The train left. And they are racist to boot! And what are you talking about MRT?! It is the slowest subway I've ever been on! Cleanliness?! All the uncles spitting?!
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