What's culture shock to you for those who live(d) in Singapore?

[Cuchu]

Am wondering what is culture shock to you and what kind of things that shock and how you overcome these shocks during your stay in Singapore.

[Bonbon]

MRT crowds, there is no give way, no queuing, people just crash in as soon the door opens, without letting people getting off first.

And people don't move into the centre of the train, all cramped around the doorway, so poeple can't get on to the train.

and when you ask people Politely to move, they'll just pretend they either don't know your existence, dont hear you, or simply just ignore.

Used to be so MAD about this, later on, found out, oh well, there isn't much you can do. Either you say *excuse me* and push yourself in to try to give people behind you more space to come into the train, or, you somehow become one of them, just well pretend it doesn't bother you, and that's what everyone does anywyay.

ARGH!

[Charlatan]

The crowds getting on the MRT is a good one. Similarly, people getting onto elevators are annoying. Also when I am waiting for a bus and the bus pulls up in front of me, why is that other's who are waiting behind me think it is OK to push in front of me to get in the door? It's only common courtesy that the person closest to the door gets on first.

For a nation that, in some people's opinions, is good a queuing I am shocked at the impatience on display.


I am still adjusting to this.

[moonwatcher]

Wow, thought I was going to miss that after a year in Beijing. Come on, it can't be worse in Singapore, and if you look on the bright side, you are also allowed to push and fight for a seat, right? Makes the ride a bit more fun, haha

[oku]

packets of tissue on table to "chop" place. sat at at table with no one around but a packet of tissue on it. suddenly two women came to tell me to find my own table as that 1 i am sitting at is theirs cos' they have already "chop" the table with the tissue. ?????? how do the people tell which packet of tissue is theirs????

i find this really funny be it at a bookshop or supermarket. checking out some stuff on the shelves and was standing very close to the shelves with lots of room to pass by behind me. yet people still try to squeeze between the shelf and me. really don't understand why they can't walk behind me. this happen all the time.

haha

[ScoobyDoes]

.... why is that other's who are waiting behind me think it is OK to push in front of me to get in the door? It's only common courtesy that the person closest to the door gets on first.

Actually the courtesy is to let the person that arrived at the bus stop first and has had to wait the longest to get on the bus first, not whoever happens to be nearest the door where it stops.



Manners, over all, are dropping all over the place so i try to avoid places i expect to be busy. For sure all the pushing and shoving will really wind me up, as it did when i lived in Hong Kong until i moved out to the countryside.

[Splatted]

it's not just getting on public transport that can get rude & pushy,.. it's also getting off!

take example, i position myself in front of exit of bus, with ezlink card in hand and press button for bus to stop.

I have then two aunties nudging me out of the way to want to scan their cards even before the card reader switches on. I mean, hello - it's obvious i'm getting off and not just there for the view..

[sundaymorningstaple]

it's not just getting on public transport that can get rude & pushy,.. it's also getting off!

take example, i position myself in front of exit of bus, with ezlink card in hand and press button for bus to stop.

I have then two aunties nudging me out of the way to want to scan their cards even before the card reader switches on. I mean, hello - it's obvious i'm getting off and not just there for the view..

I have that one 4x every day. They really get aggravated when I lean against the reader thereby completely blocking it until it's time for the doors to open. they are actually trying to cheat the system by scanning their cards before the old fare disappears. At least that's what they do on the 189 when it reaches Clementi (there's no dead zone between the two stations).

After over two decades here, I no longer have any culture shocks. I've just learned to accept that I am in a country with a 1st world infrastructure inhabited by 3rd world citizens (at least their social morals) Common Sense? I won't go there at all.

[Florian]

Hi there,

Singaporeans, especially Chinese Singaporeans, are extremely funny!

I have been living here for 1 year only so I can't say much but...

I think the biggest competition among Singaporeans is 'elevator button pressing'. They press the "close door" button 5453 times within 3 seconds because the door can't close early enough...That is actually my favourite...

Then...

Walking beside each other (at least 3 buddies) on the sidewalk with the speed of a snail and blocking the way for others..Great!

The bus and mrt thing is self explanatory! lol

These things make me laugh but ONE thing drives me nuts...

PLS GUYS LIFT YOUR FEET WHILE YOU ARE WALKING!

i am outta here...

F

[schizoide]

umm. yes, annoying habits but it's the same thing where i come from (the netherlands).. don't know why people get so worked up about it..

back home no one queues as well, they block the escalators, smoke/drink/smoke crack/throw their garbage in the bus, piss in the subway stations, put their feet on the benches of the train.

i've no complaints here actually. and btw, i find so-called 'third-world' people often much nicer than the 'first-world' people. funny that it's always the inhabitants of the 'first world' who like to stress that difference.

[ksl]

Funny Funny ha! ha!

Sat in the food juction, a nice big round table to ourselves, my daughter and me, sitting quietly, when a man at the next table, started to clean his table of the plates, and walk over to our table, and put all the dirty plates on the seat, he was looking into my eyes, maybe for permission, I let him do it, the first time, and when he was approaching with the second lot.

I said to him " You can clean the table as well" he looked at me, and said what, I said if you intend to put all that shit on the seat, you can clean the table, when you remove them off my wifes seat as well.

He then asked if someone was sitting there, I said no not at the moment, and pointed a finger over to where she was.

Oh! So sorry he said, and moved them, I said don't forget to wipe the seat, with a smile, surprisingly he did.

Just another day in Singapore for me! I love it, like a pain in the butt. Just like home.

[Florian]

@Shizoide

Well, we all have nothing to complain about here in Singapore that is why we recognize even the tiniest things.

And of course, we Europeans are the worst...

[Loops]

I've never really felt culture shock - input overload maybe, but not culture shock.

the lack of courtesy to get on the bus etc has become so much the way of life here that I worry how I'll be when/if I ever go home to live. Like ScoobyDoes mentions, at home, the person who was at the bus stop before you sort of gets preferential treatment to get on the bus first. I worry that back home I'll be frowned upon because I dive on the bus first because I happen to be standing next to the door when it opens.....but I'm sure (or I hope!) my good manners will kick in again.

I love the close button on the lifts though - I like to stand next to it and make no attempt to press it and watch everyone else twitching with impatience. Gives me a bit of sadistic pleasure

[Charlatan]

.... why is that other's who are waiting behind me think it is OK to push in front of me to get in the door? It's only common courtesy that the person closest to the door gets on first.

Actually the courtesy is to let the person that arrived at the bus stop first and has had to wait the longest to get on the bus first, not whoever happens to be nearest the door where it stops.

I don't think that's accurate. If there are ten people waiting for a bus when I arrive should I take a poll and find out who was there first?

Me: OK. Who was here first? Sorry? The auntie in the back. What what that sir? No, you were here first? OK. So who was here second...

(and so on)

Meanwhile: The bus drives away because none of us can decide who goes first.


I think an orderly unloading and loading is the way to go. Let those who want off off and then who ever is closest to the door goes in (if they choose to let an elderly person go first, all the better).

Common sense doesn't take much effort.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Common sense doesn't take much effort.

It does here.

Loops,

Looks like we both have at least one similar habit! My other one is always clambering over top of the auntie or uncle who wants to sit on the aisle seat in the bus and block the rest of the seat. Invariably that's where I will sit! stepping on toes on the way in and landing on the seat very forcefully. (at 95 Kg and only 5ft 7) There is only so much room and the bus wall doesn't give so now the auntie has been forced to sit with one cheek hanging off the seat in the aisle. Gives me perverse pleasure to let them know that if they weren't so inconsiderate they wouldn't be quite so uncomfortable now.