GordonGekko wrote:My question is simple: is my race ( Caucasian) going to do be a problem in being recognized as a Singaporean?
I know that there has been discussions about expats not pulling their weight by having no interest in Singapore, not having to do NS and so on. I also know that some Western tourists are making big fools out of themselves by bullying elderly trishaw drivers and so on.
Has Singapore become a difficult society to live in for Caucasians and is there any risk that I will be taken for another foolish Ang Moh?
Since all angmohs are foolish, you will be taken for one for sure. Hence it's not a risk, but a certainty. Hope that removes any doubt.
Seriously, if you truly consider Singapore your home, these issues are irrelevant, no? I mean, I have my moments with my family but never doubt that we belong together. You just take the good with the bad. If you're asking just to be prepared, which is wise, then here's a perspective from a Singaporean:
- being Angmoh is not an issue unless you use that as a reason to expect better treatment. we don't like 'atas' (haughty) people.
- we like foreigners who attempt to speak the local lingo (and this goes beyond randomly affixing lah to your sentences), even though it means that we can't gossip about them to their face
- we adore angmohs who eat at hawker centres despite the heat and discomfort, since suffering for the sake of good food is a hallmark of Singaporeans and this makes you one of us
- we get irritated with foreigners who harp on about how things are done differently back home as we can't understand why you didn't stay home in the first place if you like it so much there
](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
- we can smell a a mile away an angmoh who thinks in terms of "us and them" ie "I am not one of them" versus one who considers himself one of us. If you are the latter, you will be very happy here.
And in advance, welcome to Singapore!
