10 things I hate about Singapore

[sundaymorningstaple]

Vocal, as in, if you ain't part of the solution, you is part of the problem.

[nakatago]

I have thought of another one though. Film censorship. I couldn't work out why sometimes when I am watching a film I lose the plot and scenes don't look joined up. I now realise the Government is protecting me from unsuitable content. Funny at 51 years old I thought I was old enough to decide that for myself.......................

Even more funny, they censor differently for what is on the DVDs and differently for the cinemas.
Also what they censor is pretty amazing. My favorite example is this French movie Amelie few good years back, there was a scene where a couple was having sex in a phone booth and all what was shown in the uncensored movie IIRC was the glasses on the bar's shelves nicely vibrating with the corresponding frequency. They removed it all.

In the latest Spiderman movie, I was wondering what happened to the Indian corporate guy. I only found out because articles on the internet posted a screen capture I don't recall having seen in the movie.

[x9200]

You mean like they already went beyond restricting Indians from getting PRs and turned to removing them also from the movies?

[nakatago]

You mean like they already went beyond restricting Indians from getting PRs and turned to removing them also from the movies?

I was wondering too if ethnicity had something to do with it.

[the lynx]

In the latest Spiderman movie, I was wondering what happened to the Indian corporate guy. I only found out because articles on the internet posted a screen capture I don't recall having seen in the movie.

No I don't think the government has anything to do with that. It is just a recut done by Hollywood itself.

[sensei_]

I have thought of another one though. Film censorship. I couldn't work out why sometimes when I am watching a film I lose the plot and scenes don't look joined up. I now realise the Government is protecting me from unsuitable content. Funny at 51 years old I thought I was old enough to decide that for myself.......................

sg gov't has always had that socialist attitude when it comes to the media. these days there are very few places that allow for self censorship. hell, even the internet in singapore has certain sites filtered. sites as innocent as downloading taiwanese media (in the native dialect not mandarin as per gov't policy)

[Brah]

Steve it probably depends on the person and where they came from.

In my case the annoyances have been pretty constant since the time I got here and it hasn't really gotten much better, if anything I just got bored of acknowledging / complaining about / noticing / caring about those things after my time here.

Not that this place is a hardship posting or anything like that, but as nice as it is, there are a number of sacrifices to being here, and some of those involve tolerance of and separating oneself from those numerous annoyances, which are pretty well documented in this thread and many others.

Is it the time that wears you down?

I have only been here 3+ months and have seen little that offends me more than when I lived in my native UK (London).

Maybe I will become more bitter and twisted over time.

[Segue]

Is it the time that wears you down?

Some people say they see (get annoyed) it immediately but typically it happens after 1-1.5y. It's a fatigue related thing and what you are experiencing now is within what is call here a honeymoon

I am here for three years and still love it like it was my first day...I wonder how long it takes until my fatigue kicks in. Yes, the locals are sometimes too "kiasu" in public transport and in the streets, but I have just accepted it as a fact of the "local culture". Besides the locals are generally a very kind bunch of people.

I am more irritated with foreign workers from a certain subcontinent who often dont understand the fact that there will be another MRT just 2-3 minutes later and that it is very unpolite to brutally push into the carriage in groups even though the trains is already full.

Additionally, the thing that really pisses off my wife off is the fact that everyone automatically assumes that she speaks Chinese due to her East Asian looks, which she absolutely does not...

I've been here seven years and the fatigue is starting to settle in. I had a long honeymoon period as well - it lasted about three years. Big difference now is the cost of living has escalated so much. Its not just rent, but also every little thing like a cup of kopi.

My salary has not kept up with the cost of living, so every year I've found that I've had to give something up. Its acceptable since it happened gradually over time, but if I was a newbie coming here for the first time (without a rich expat package) it would certainly be a shock.

[Mi Amigo]

You're right about the cost of living increasing so much in recent years; in fact I was just mentioniong that in another thread. I also find that the 'ang moh markup' irritates me more the longer I live here. I try to frequent the same shops for specific items, but even so I still experience the shopkeepers talking amongst themselves and workng out how much extra they can charge me.

[nutnut]

Arrggghh, Don't talk to me about the Ang moh mark up! I ha a taxi driver pick me up at a famous night spot the other night and asked for a ride to another famous nightspot about a couple of miles away. When I got in the car, he said "20 dollar" to which I nearly removed his spleen and fed it to him! He eventually put the meter on, drove to my destination, apologized for the upset he had caused me and my friends, I nearly removed his camera from his windscreen to take to the LTA as proof he tried to rip me off, lets just say he won't be making that mistake again. I was not a happy bunny!

Other than that, today I did a local trial of how not to be polite on the MRT, I pushed past people at the entrance to the escalator, pushed into the carriage and took the first available seat and pretended to go to sleep and then pushed my way off in front of everyone else, only to stop on the right side of the escalator and hold everyone else up. I must admit, after putting up with this kind of behavior for a few years, I still felt a little guilty, still can't fathom how these people don't!

[sundaymorningstaple]

You just don't have the right amount of inbreeding, that's all.

[nutnut]

Lol

[the lynx]

Other than that, today I did a local trial of how not to be polite on the MRT, I pushed past people at the entrance to the escalator, pushed into the carriage and took the first available seat and pretended to go to sleep and then pushed my way off in front of everyone else, only to stop on the right side of the escalator and hold everyone else up. I must admit, after putting up with this kind of behavior for a few years, I still felt a little guilty, still can't fathom how these people don't!

You even have the guts to run that 'trial'. I already have guilt trip thinking about it...

[nutnut]

It's been a few months building up to it! I won't be doing that (all) again!

[sensei_]

Other than that, today I did a local trial of how not to be polite on the MRT, I pushed past people at the entrance to the escalator, pushed into the carriage and took the first available seat and pretended to go to sleep and then pushed my way off in front of everyone else, only to stop on the right side of the escalator and hold everyone else up. I must admit, after putting up with this kind of behavior for a few years, I still felt a little guilty, still can't fathom how these people don't!

actually do it more often, and maybe (not holding much hope!) the locals might see that you are mirroring their actions.