Wd40 wrote: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.
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*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