What's Singapore like?

Many overseas friends have asked me...

Click here as I found a website of photos taken by people who have visited Singapore. Good perspective from their end.

Back home

...it has been around a week since being home. In 10 months, Singapore has changed in many ways. Have to adjust to new buildings, road divertions, latest happenings like the museum festival, etc.

Aside from feeling like an oddball once again, ie, a local yet not local cos I enjoy angmoh/foreign things like picnic in parks, walking, showing foreigners the local stuff, etc. I'm definitely more sensitive to things around unlike before...

• Went to Bugis to activate my mobile, and was struck by how materialistic Singapore is, especially the change in the layout of the shopping centre at basement of Bugis with all the advertisements and signs say it all. Marketing certainly shows what entices and attracts the society/culture


• There are alot of cars in Singapore, went to Singapore General Hospital for mum's accupuncture appointment and all the carparks from Carpark A to I were full around 10.45am


• Prices of food have increased in air-conditioned food courts. Not possible to find $3 meals.


• There're alot of conveniences here, like you just have to walk 5-10mins and you'll reach places you can get stuff done. Having walked so much in UK, walking here made me aware of the conveniences. Strangely, maybe now I'm walking at a slower pace, I don't perspire as much as I did before I left. And the trusty umbrella is well needed, so I don't bother if some think it's really "aunty" (local term associated to being old) to carry one


• Bus drivers here are kind and I truly appreciate them. They see you running and they wait for you. There was even a bus which was full and the bus driver stopped for me to get on, but I dared not because it was full to the brim, though I could have squeezed myself in, but I didn't. In UK, the bus driver wouldn't even open the front door if it's full (capacity restriction/safety law)


• Have to get used to air-con. From leaving an air-conditioned building, getting out to the humidity and heat, then into an air-conditioned bus, only to drop off into the humidity and heat, and walk to another bus stop and get onto another air-conditioned bus. Have to positioned myself in the bus to not sit under the strong blow of the small air-conditioned pipes/holes, or keep adjusting those small pipes/holes to get less of the strong air-con wind. Need to keep a cardigan in my bag now


• Really miss the variety of food! Have to limit myself to eating 1 favourite dish during each meal time, less my tummy grows in size again! haha!


• Familiarity of understanding all the dialects around me


• Being able to call older folks/workers aunty and uncle, though they aren't related to me in any way (in UK, aunty and uncle means they are your relatives). Also the strong understatement that older folks are wise, have all the answers and they will gladly tell you the answer. If they don't know or have question, it shows their inability and they'll lose face infront of a younger person...never knew it was that strong before.


• Trying to fight off conformity and not be so sensitive that people are looking at me


• Was amazing meeting ex-colleagues from Finland who were here on business trip, and hearing all the familiar names of other ex-colleagues. Also visiting the office and seeing all the familiar faces!


• A trait of kay-poh-ness (inquisitiveness) amongst people here, wanting to know what were my plans from here onwards and knowing that I'm trying to find a job, their minds start rolling on how they could help and whom they know. It's really all about networks, an asian thing


• When I took the MRT trains, I noticed the large space between the 2 opposite rows of seats. I remembered in London's tube trains, the standing space inbetween opposite rows of seats were really small/tight, only 1 person can fit inbetween


• Segregation of society between the english-speaking and chinese-speaking is very wide though both look chinese by skin color. The acceptance of each other isn't there. It shows in their dressing and their body language of the great divide. You'll see it in the bus.


• There are lustful old men here just as they are lustful youths in UK who eyeball girls


• Alot of girls follow latest fashions and currently it's off-shoulder tops/dresses


• Asians are really small in size! I towered over some
  
• We're a sensing culture. I hardly bummed straight into a person whilst walking unlike in London.
  
• Busy-ness with time flying fast here, you get sucked into it and before you know it, the important things like reading God's word has been replaced by tasks or TV drama serials
  
• Seems like everywhere in the crowd, whether its downtown or where your flat is, there're foreign workers and space-wise, it's getting packed. London's Oxford St is busy, but once you go to the outskirts, it's less busy. Friend told me that Singapore govertment plans to increase population by 6 million! *jaw drop*


• Alot of drinks are sweet here, like teh peng (tea with milk), can drinks, fruit juice, etc. Think I only drank tea without sugar or water in UK, and the occasional Bulmer's cider =P


• Not many wide open parks accessible by walking. Labrador Park which is one of my favourite because it's near the sea, you'll have to drive there, as it's a long long walk from the main road


• I don't get many hugs here. Only if I see a really close friend, I'll dare to give a big hug. Otherwise even if I see friends whom I've known for more than 2 years, it'll just be a wave of "hi" standing right infront of the person


• Conclude...Singapore is a truly modern city which pampers its citizens alot! Its citizens are truly materially rich, seeing from the food restaurants.

The challenge now is how to see our society from the gospel mindset, how has the world been brought into the church? I wonder what are the possible/common worldviews amongst Singaporeans...