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

[QRM]

Only one complaint as love the place so far - people walking far far far far too slowly maaan that can drive you up the wall trying to get past them!

In one years time you will be walking at the same speed and soon you will be able to just stop, and not worry about the congestion you are causing.

Go with the flow you will notice all the sweaty Singapore newbies trying to get past you.

[jez]

In one years time you will be walking at the same speed and soon you will be able to just stop, and not worry about the congestion you are causing.

Go with the flow you will notice all the sweaty Singapore newbies trying to get past you.

I think you are right in a years time i will also walk at snails pace! What gets me though is at that speed you'd never get anything done

[maneo]

1) The fact that Priority Seats are always taken up by young people (aged 35 or below), mostly pretending to be asleep.

2) . . . Those 21 year olds sure need their sleep, bless them.

With the motion of the train it can be so, so difficult maintaining your balance to avoid stepping on those toes.

9) Why do supermarkets have to pack your shopping for you (it takes ages) and why do they need to use so many bags.

That's so you have enough bags to line your small trash bins at home.

[ksl]

The only culture shock i have experienced in Singapore was in 1971, down Bugis St ........When all the squaddies from NAM were dancing on the tables doing strip tease, and throwing beer over each other, with a bus load of MP's gate crashing the event!

Besides the other more sinister events one could visit down desker rd area! and a Welsh guardsman being chased by a bunch of trannies

I can also remember having a shower outside in the monsoon rain and our monkey mascot being let loose in a restaurant in Holland village!

I think basically we all shocked the culture, rather than getting a culture shock! Culture shocks you can get in your own Countries, you don't have to be in Singapore in my opinion!

I mean my first shock was in London, in a pub down at the Elephant and Castle with all those drag queens parading on the bars! Amazed that all the women loved it and the guy's well say no more, I was glad to get out in one piece!

I'm in shock now, though, I miss my mummy, after she passed away in 95 god bless her!

[snowqueen]

That's so you have enough bags to line your small trash bins at home.[/quote]

I have officially become my mother - I have carrier bags full of bags stashed in my cupboard. I try to get through them as fast as I bring them home but they are breeding!!!

[hothumid]

And so far I haven't seen an ethnic gang rampaging down the main street with samurai swords and baseball clubs. I've seen that happen at Swanston Street on a Sunday morning. The police usually turn up an hour later- the press also show up too- but somehow consider the news too boring to report.

Hi,

I'm a Singaporean, and am living in London. Here, we do not have "ethnic gangs". Racial distinctions are not very important here, which also affects the nature of gang activities to a certain extent: although a gang is usually made up of members from the same ethnicity, gang fights are not racially driven. Just wanna' point this out so you can get an accurate picture of how gangs exist.

[hothumid]

Culture shock in:
London
- People spitting in the streets
- Strangers in buses who insist you move to one side when you're squashed and THEY have space on their side
- Strangers who abuse you verbally for no reason (got shoved and shouted at by a group in Blackheath rail station)
- English acquaintences/friends who would flare up easily and apologise repeatedly
- English acquaintences who just don't get it that English is the lingua franca in Singapore, and if they do, that my English would be of an inferior quality and I can't understand them
- Shopkeepers, public transport users etc who start screaming at you for no rhyme or reason
- Services that don't work, and even if they do ... they stop working. eg. broadband, bus, tube, mobile, Argos. Hm, everything that makes living possible
- Buses that don't go the full route - and when they stop, they don't stop along their original routes
- 1 toilet in a 3-storey house
- Terrible rental market
- People who insist on hurtling themselves into sardine-packed tube trains
- Poor standards in advertising (design and copy)
- Witty, daring editorials
- Passionate and independent people (reflected in choice of lifestyle: careers, partners, interests)
- Good work-life balance in work places
- Strong sense of history and heritage
- People who sometimes go out of their way to help

Singapore
- A large majority of locals do not have passion (i.e. people who think that a single -party government is fine, people who think single-party government isn't fine but they "have no choice", people who hate their jobs but think they "have no choice", not interested in recycling)
- Mainstream, government-owned and mediocre media
- Efficient organisations and corporations
- Friendly, honest people
- Non-carpeted kitchens and toilets
- Hygiene is highly prized
- No racism. Sure there's some discomfort between races, but compared to what I've experienced
- Standard of living is proportionate to cost (excl. cars and private housing)


(I'm a Singaporean living in London.)

[stacey]

yeah, but then again, you're talking about london.
Who cares about the culture shock when you're in cities like London or New York or other like cities where millions of young people choose to be...
it's not like its the midwest is USA or local-v-expat cities like Dubai...
If you didnt go there by choice, you should still consider yourself lucky.
Others may disagree, but not many young people...

[stacey]

........ wait for me to get to London and start complaining....
and I DO complain about NYC, but it's worth it for a certain period of time...

[hothumid]

yeah, but then again, you're talking about london.
Who cares about the culture shock when you're in cities like London or New York or other like cities where millions of young people choose to be...
it's not like its the midwest is USA or local-v-expat cities like Dubai...
If you didnt go there by choice, you should still consider yourself lucky.
Others may disagree, but not many young people...

Firstly, culture shock is culture shock. Why shouldn't I care about it.
Secondly, who are you to decide if I should care or not.
Thirdly, the way some foreigners (and locals who have gone abroad) list the various things they hate about Singapore makes it seem that the flaws are unique to this place. What I'm trying to do is remind all of ourselves that not all flaws you see here are "Singaporean", but universal in nature.

[stacey]

relax... I'm not deciding anything for you...

I have my views, and you have yours, and we respect each other and keep the tone nice sorry if you found my post a bit (c)rude for your taste.

I said 'who cares' as an expression.
I did not mean you should not care

I think the focus here is on Singapore because it IS the Singapore Expats website...
If we go to a forum for people moving/living/working/etc in the UK, then I'm sure the focus there is on the UK and all of it's good and bad things...
So I think it's fair to focus on Singapore here and most people have moved or will/may be moving to Singapore in the coming days...

It's fair to say the bad things you'll find in SG you will also find elsewhere in other cities or countries, so your reminders are very welcome...
I wouldn't say they are universal, but surely common of plenty other places in the world.
And it's clear people are nicer in SG than in the UK/US, so we got that going for us ( well, that is surely an opinion and varies by person)

[ksl]

City life is a shit hole in NY, London, and anywhere else, if you are broke and no chance of a job, and the hood and manor, is where it happens, the intimacy of roots and a punch up, that you cannot always escape, and have to embrace, numbers rule, but they never used to.

The flock are pussies in arms today. what's called losers. wankers, and wannabes, that don't have the balls to stand up alone and no matter, because there are still the single ones, that will take all the Shiite on, they are parasites of a dwindling society.

Culture shock is all in the mind of bigots, and inbred local jack arses, that lack experience, knowledge and the ability to adapt to a situation, its nothing new.

Preparation is all it takes. Although I must admit, when I ended up in Walton, Liverpool jail, it was a shock, that i never got over! and you never do if you are innocent.

That's when i learnt there is no justice in this life...and I'm not afraid to voice my opinion and say it.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Especially when you've have a pint or two or three?

[pakjohn]

And it's clear people are nicer in SG than in the UK/US, so we got that going for us ( well, that is surely an opinion and varies by person)

I like the people here,, but haven't met very many of them so I can't say if they're nicer than in the UK or US. I'm assuming you're basing this on the millions of Brits and Americans you've met? lol!

Agree it is a personal opinion, don't agree it's clear Singaporeans are nicer than anyone. (And I'm a fan...)

Not really sensing culture shock. The lack of courtesy in public places, escalators, MRT, ques, etc triggers my competitive streak and has become a source of entertainment.
If you live near a right turn intersection on a 4 lane street you'll hear horn honking, sometimes for the amount of time a light is green, from 5:30 p.m. till around 9 p.m. over people trying to jump in line for the turn. Such drama...

[snowqueen]

Hothumid, I can't believe you say there is no racism in Singapore. Myself, my husband and quite a few other expats I know cannot believe how racist this country is considering how 'multi-cultural' it is.

Having worked in recruitment for 10 years I have always been very mindful not to offend foreigners (especially due to the sueing culture in the UK).

We have witnessed some terrible attitude towards mainly indians but also some Malays, Thias etc. I've seen people shouted at, buldozed out of the way when walking down the street/through doors, and my husband who also works in recruitment was told by a manager that unless they were white or yellow, not to bother sending their CVs over!!

My husband has also seen some racist comments in his staff's emails referring to their foreign colleagues as '**** scum' depending on which country they come from.

I also have to laugh at the word 'handicapped' on disabled toilet doors because this word is sooooo non-PC in the UK.