Singapore - A Faustian Ideal

[carteki]

This article appeared in the Guardian and to my mind pretty much sums up the good and the bad about living in Singapore. I've paraphrased the concluding paragraph and the link to the full article is below.

“It depends on your horizons,” he says. “If you keep to yourself, life is very comfortable here. But if self-expression is important, you will be stymied at every turn... It’s a Faustian deal. Some [people] are prepared to make that deal. Some are not.”

http://gu.com/p/44he4/sfb

[Wd40]

Well, you must just ask yourself, if you have changed much after coming to Singapore. I mean, all those rules that have been put out there, have they really prevented you from doing something that you would otherwise do in a different city?

I can't really think of anything, so those articles are just headline grabbing, nothing else especially those signs "no heels", "no umbrella" seriously?

Here is a similar article but its a counterview, it may be slightly outdated especially the part where he says, you can get residency quickly.
http://www.internationalman.com/article ... ht-for-you

[JR8]

'The government doesn’t drag people off the streets, but the populace acts as if it could be a possibility.'


Bwahaha....

[carteki]

all those rules that have been put out there, have they really prevented you from doing something that you would otherwise do in a different city?

Which works for 90% of the people who live here and agrees completely with the advice I've passed onto people on this forum who're looking at moving here, but what the article is trying to say is that if you fall into the 10% - or have a modicum of feeling for the 10% - you may find living here very difficult. For foreigners its not so difficult - you pack up and move home. For locals ... this IS home. Where do they go?

BTW - It was probably before your time when one of our forum contributors was "lured" to Singapore and promptly arrested and left in freezing solitary confinement - I think it was for 3 weeks. His "crime"... pointing out legal ways for people to address their issues on a specific topic that the powers that be didn't like him pointing out. This issue left a marked impression on the members of the forum and how they answer questions about this and other topics.

[Barnsley]

Well, you must just ask yourself, if you have changed much after coming to Singapore. I mean, all those rules that have been put out there, have they really prevented you from doing something that you would otherwise do in a different city?

I can't really think of anything, so those articles are just headline grabbing, nothing else especially those signs "no heels", "no umbrella" seriously?

Here is a similar article but its a counterview, it may be slightly outdated especially the part where he says, you can get residency quickly.
http://www.internationalman.com/article ... ht-for-you

Another bonus point for your PR application

[JR8]

Better watch out, he'll be like the East German Stasi next, loyally demonstrating his patriotism to the authorities by reporting any 'criticisers'...


[/jk WD]

[carteki]

Better watch out, he'll be like the East German Stasi next, loyally demonstrating his patriotism to the authorities by reporting any 'criticisers'...
[/jk WD]

I did consider it, but as I am no longer in the country I thought I was safe ... but who knows!

[x9200]

Well, you must just ask yourself, if you have changed much after coming to Singapore. I mean, all those rules that have been put out there, have they really prevented you from doing something that you would otherwise do in a different city?

I can't really think of anything, so those articles are just headline grabbing, nothing else especially those signs "no heels", "no umbrella" seriously?

Here is a similar article but its a counterview, it may be slightly outdated especially the part where he says, you can get residency quickly.
http://www.internationalman.com/article ... ht-for-you

Another bonus point for your PR application

Clearly yes. It looks like an article written for a purpose. My favorite piece: Despite having among the highest population densities in the world, you almost never get pushed in public places. People respect your distance, and the young never occupy reserved spaces on public transport, if there is a slightest chance that someone might need them. Locals are almost always well-dressed and students well-behaved.

[nakatago]

Clearly yes. It looks like an article written for a purpose. My favorite piece: Despite having among the highest population densities in the world, you almost never get pushed in public places. People respect your distance, and the young never occupy reserved spaces on public transport, if there is a slightest chance that someone might need them. Locals are almost always well-dressed and students well-behaved.

Five letters: s, t, o, m, and p.

[Wd40]

Yeah, I noticed that, which is why I thought the article might be outdated.



Also, it is relatively, not sure which city he is comparing with. You indeed do not get pushed in public places in Singapore, may be he is comparing with other similar crowded places. I read in Tokyo, someone stands outside the train just to push people inside

[nakatago]

Yeah, I noticed that, which is why I thought the article might be outdated.



Also, it is relatively, not sure which city he is comparing with. You indeed do not get pushed in public places in Singapore, may be he is comparing with other similar crowded places. I read in Tokyo, someone stands outside the train just to push people inside

Or being sarcastic which clearly would be missed by the locals.

You don't get pushed; people just won't let you out of the train.

[JR8]

Well, you must just ask yourself, if you have changed much after coming to Singapore. I mean, all those rules that have been put out there, have they really prevented you from doing something that you would otherwise do in a different city?

Certainly.

But I think a point of note is how laws define outer boundaries, and most people aim to keep a generous safety margin between themselves and such boundaries.

Example: Back home I can legally drink say three glasses of wine and then drive. In my home I know the size of the measure, and the strength of the wine, but at a pub or restaurant I might not. Two 250ml glasses of 13% wine would render me in a state where I would choose not to drive, if at such a point I were still able to make a rational decision. So, in many ways, and considering the consequences of drink/driving, 'You know what, it's just easier if I don't drink at all tonight?'

A similar approach seems prudent with Current Affairs. Back home it is almost a tradition that any family gathering or party will at some point descend into heated debate about the hot political topics of the moment. It can involve much ardent posturing, but ultimately is merely a form of engaged entertainment. Woe betide any of my friends who together with me visit my parents and cannot hold their own across the dinner table. Over here, I'm not sure how to compare it. It feels rather like, it's not that people aren't interested in Current Affairs per se (although they might claim that, as it's a simple way to shut-down any discussion), it is more like they feel they are not at liberty to hold or express an opinion. This often comes across as if such topics are 'Over-serious and not fun, and we ARE here to have fun aren't we!?'.

So yes, I do feel materially socially restrained here, and that is a major factor in why I would not wish for a long term future here. I can fully understand the equation for others, it is down to a balance of ones own potential gains vs losses based upon individual circumstances. Hence the Faustian Pact*; not everybody considers it something worth entering into.

----
*The term might not translate readily, and since it is rather critical to the topic here...

'According to traditional Christian belief in witchcraft, the pact is between a person and Satan or a lesser demon. The person offers his or her soul in exchange for diabolical favours. Those favours vary by the tale, but tend to include youth, knowledge, wealth, or power.
...The bargain is considered a dangerous one, as the price of the Fiend's service is the wagerer's soul.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deal_with_the_Devil