10 things I hate about Singapore

Post by **nakatago** » Wed, 13 Mar 2013 6:15 pm

JR8 wrote: Hmmm. I understand that SGns are generally 'socially conservative' (aka cold to anyone other than friends and family) in the eyes of a westerner. For such a successful citizenry they are a pretty hard-bitten lot.

Nope; not just Westerners.

Brah · Post by **Brah** » Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:22 pm

nakatago wrote:
JR8 wrote: Hmmm. I understand that SGns are generally 'socially conservative' (aka cold to anyone other than friends and family) in the eyes of a westerner. For such a successful citizenry they are a pretty hard-bitten lot.
Nope; not just Westerners.

Exactly, to the point of near-cruelty in some cases. Makes the term double-standard an understatement. Westerners have it easy in many cases by comparison.

Sloc · Post by **Sloc** » Thu, 14 Mar 2013 9:19 pm

Apologies if someone has mentioned this already, but I need to get it off my chest: receiving hot tea or coffee in limp PLASTIC bags when you opt for take-away from many of the hawker stalls.

Why can't they just provide a damn Styrofoam cup?

WTF is the point of serving a *take-away* hot beverage in a thin polyethylene bag that cannot even be held properly. And having to drink aforementioned hot beverage through a thin plastic straw?!!

What manner of vile sadist invented this tea delivery mechanism?

I arrived in Singapore in 2005, and was confronted by this evil phenomenon on the very first day itself. Since then, I don't patronize drinks stalls that don't provide a proper takeaway cup.

Been lurking for a while, but I registered just to vent about this.
Phew...I feel much better now.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Thu, 14 Mar 2013 9:27 pm

Good one Sloc

p.s. And may I be the first to welcome you to the forum!

Sloc · Post by **Sloc** » Thu, 14 Mar 2013 9:44 pm

JR8 wrote:Good one Sloc

p.s. And may I be the first to welcome you to the forum!

Thank you for the welcome, kind Sir

I will be sticking around I think. Being unemployed (not by choice) at the moment, I have way too much time on my hands...

rajagainstthemachine · Post by **rajagainstthemachine** » Thu, 14 Mar 2013 9:49 pm

Sloc wrote:Apologies if someone has mentioned this already, but I need to get it off my chest: receiving hot tea or coffee in limp PLASTIC bags when you opt for take-away from many of the hawker stalls.
Why can't they just provide a damn Styrofoam cup?

WTF is the point of serving a *take-away* hot beverage in a thin polyethylene bag that cannot even be held properly. And having to drink aforementioned hot beverage through a thin plastic straw?!!

What manner of vile sadist invented this tea delivery mechanism?

I arrived in Singapore in 2005, and was confronted by this evil phenomenon on the very first day itself. Since then, I don't patronize drinks stalls that don't provide a proper takeaway cup.

Been lurking for a while, but I registered just to vent about this.
Phew...I feel much better now.

I agree with you plus the absence of milk in coffee or tea is downright disgusting.
I stopped drinking coffee and tea in hawker stalls purely because they I hate creamer or evapourated milk *yuck*

Sloc · Post by **Sloc** » Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:02 pm

rajagainstthemachine wrote:
I agree with you plus the absence of milk in coffee or tea is downright disgusting.
I stopped drinking coffee and tea in hawker stalls purely because they I hate creamer or evapourated milk *yuck*

Getting desi style strong tea with milk is rather difficult here actually. Even most of the big local Indian restaurant chains are hit or miss (mostly miss) in this regard. They may be using desi tea powder, but the milk is somehow not alright..I suspect they use milk powder.

I make excellent tea at home with normal supermarket milk..can't start my morning without a *strong* cup of Kannan Devan/Wagh Bakri + Marlboro Lights.

rajagainstthemachine · Post by **rajagainstthemachine** » Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:06 pm

Sloc wrote:
rajagainstthemachine wrote:
I agree with you plus the absence of milk in coffee or tea is downright disgusting.
I stopped drinking coffee and tea in hawker stalls purely because they I hate creamer or evapourated milk *yuck*
Getting desi style strong tea with milk is rather difficult here actually. Even most of the big local Indian restaurant chains are hit or miss (mostly miss) in this regard. They may be using desi tea powder, but the milk is somehow not alright..I suspect they use milk powder.

I make excellent tea at home with normal supermarket milk..can't start my morning without a *strong* cup of Kannan Devan/Wagh Bakri + Marlboro Lights.

brooke bond chai for me with meiji fresh milk and 1 cardamom pod
it is effing amazing.

Sloc · Post by **Sloc** » Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:17 pm

Yeah, meiji milk is awesome for desi tea. I use cardamom occasionally only for my evening tea. Morning cup is plain strong tea to kickstart my brain

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Thu, 14 Mar 2013 10:37 pm

Try Marks and Spencer's 'Breakfast tea', totally different from the likes of Liptons dishwater.

Industrial strength, you could resurface a tarmac road with it > Two thumbs up!!

p.s. So strong, that I can use a single 'one-cup' teabag to make two sledgehammers of mugs of tea.

rajagainstthemachine · Post by **rajagainstthemachine** » Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:02 pm

JR8 wrote:Try Marks and Spencer's 'Breakfast tea', totally different from the likes of Liptons dishwater.

Industrial strength, you could resurface a tarmac road with it > Two thumbs up!!

p.s. So strong, that I can use a single 'one-cup' teabag to make two sledgehammers of mugs of tea.

I'll give that a try, I like my tea strong and aromatic

Post by **sundaymorningstaple** » Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:00 am

rajagainstthemachine wrote: I stopped drinking coffee and tea in hawker stalls purely because they I hate creamer or evapourated milk *yuck*

I stopped because they put stuff in the tea. Full Stop! I like my teas black, strong & hot! But because I just find it disgusting to have to say Teh-O Kosong just to get tea WITHOUT cream or sugar innit!

Yeah, I might give M & S a try as well, as Dilmah's English B'fast tea just isn't quite strong enough.

JR8 · Post by **JR8** » Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:13 am

sundaymorningstaple wrote:
rajagainstthemachine wrote: I stopped drinking coffee and tea in hawker stalls purely because they I hate creamer or evapourated milk *yuck*
I stopped because they put stuff in the tea. Full Stop! I like my teas black, strong & hot! But because I just find it disgusting to have to say Teh-O Kosong just to get tea WITHOUT cream or sugar innit!

Yeah, I might give M & S a try as well, as Dilmah's English B'fast tea just isn't quite strong enough.

The Queen drinks her tea straight/black.

As do I.

I don't think I could drink tea or coffe with milk in it... like a milkshake kinda confection... yuk!

... and then put sugar in it.... OMG (fingers down throat!).

BedokAmerican · Post by **BedokAmerican** » Fri, 15 Mar 2013 8:32 am

Those squatting toilets are irritating. I honestly didn't know what they were the first few weeks I was here.

Another thing about restrooms I've seen that is annoying is they sometimes put the toilet paper roll on the outside of the stall so you have to take some pieces before you go in. Sometimes it's hard to know in advance how much toilet paper you'll need. Other times, you don't see the toilet paper before going into the stall and expect it to be there and it's not Thank goodness this isn't the norm and that most restrooms have paper in the stall.

Post by **nakatago** » Fri, 15 Mar 2013 8:35 am

BedokAmerican wrote:Those squatting toilets are irritating. I honestly didn't know what they were the first few weeks I was here.

AKA Asian toilet. They're also common in other countries, including Japan.

Moreover, at least the toilets in Singapore have tissue.

The cleanliness of some of them, however, make you wonder the civility of the users.

SINGAPORE EXPATS FORUM
Singapore Expat Forum and Message Board for Expats in Singapore & Expatriates Relocating to Singapore

10 things I hate about Singapore

Who is online