My life in Singapore

My life in Singapore cannot be called dull, but on the other hand I wouldn’t consider it interesting either. To live in Singapore I have come to the conclusion that one has to understand the mentality of the people. There are many good and gracious habits of the Singaporeans and there are as many ugly aspects one encounters here too. To have a happy life here one must learn to “ blend in “. I certainly do not mean that one has to bring oneself down to the level of some ugly sides of the Singaporeans, but one has to learn to accept that it is the norm here. If one cannot accept this concept then it is better to stay clear of this little “ red dot “.

The longer I remain here in Singapore, the more I find life bearable. In the beginning I was constantly at odds with certain behavior here, where in a civilize society one would take as rudeness. Here are but a few of the what I call unacceptable behavior one encounters in a day to day life in Singapore.

Queue jumping – this is a norm. Singaporean must be first in everything; hence they are always looking for ways to be ahead.

Loud – Singaporeans speak loudly in public places. Noise pollution or courtesy to neighbours is an alien concept.

Never give way – if you see a Singaporeans walking towards you and without avoidance would result in a crash, you better give way or there will be a crash.

Rude drivers – Singaporeans like to be considered as citizens from a first world country. The way they drive, they might as well come from a third world African state.

Money grabbers – To Singaporeans money is God. There is no other more important item in the whole world that even comes close in importance as money is to the Singaporeans. There is a saying that Singaporeans would sell their mothers for money; however, I personally think that that is going too far.

Ungracious – You seldom hear a Singaporean say thank you when you hold the door open for them or when you allow them to pass before you. However, I tend to put that down to the Singapore way and not rudeness through intention.

I very seldom see young Singaporeans offering seats to the elderly or the needy in public transport or anywhere else for that matter.

Of course there are many good points about the people of Singapore. Surprisingly I am unable to think of any right at this moment. When I do, I will publish them in my blog at a later date.