Culture Shock - Arriving in singapore

[nakatago]

- Slippery bank-notes. I hold ten in my hand, most folded, to count them. Feels like most will want to spring out onto the floor.

Polymer notes. Allows for that transparent window as a security feature, lasts so much longer than paper.

The funny thing is that you can drop it in a washing machine and do your laundry, it will come out as new.

Money laundering?

[JR8]

My better half and I went walking in Macritchie reservoir and had several monkeys trying to steal a carrier bag off of us that had some sunscreen in it. They were quite aggressive about it.

I've been there many times, and witnessed this too. It is because despite the 'Don't feed the monkeys' signs, people still do!

[Sergei82]

- Slippery bank-notes. I hold ten in my hand, most folded, to count them. Feels like most will want to spring out onto the floor.

Polymer notes. Allows for that transparent window as a security feature, lasts so much longer than paper.

The funny thing is that you can drop it in a washing machine and do your laundry, it will come out as new.

Money laundering?

Yes, sisn't think about this analogy.
All started with me forgetting to remove a few bucks from my pants...

[bgd]

- Very few people of any age have grey hair.

We haven't met…

I'm enjoying your observations. I should have done something similar. All I remember now are;

People pushing the pedestrian traffic light button repeatedly - lights change quicker perhaps!

or bizarrely not pressing the button and expecting the lights to change on their own.

Standing on the left on an escalator - makes more sense than the counter intuitive standing on the right on the London Underground.

[zzm9980]

- Spray on, 'high-top' shorts on girls. The waist band must be just under their breasts I think. Doinky looking.

These drive me nuts, and they're EXTREMELY unflattering. I don't know if it makes the girls just look fat, or they really all are. But god most of these girls should never wear those.

I disagree. Those shorts actually flatter the waist area. I think some girls really pull those off very well but I cannot say the same of the majority.

Well this makes sense then. I thought they made girls look fat (particularly accentuating fat thighs). Perhaps I have it backwards. Fat girls are just wearing them to look thinner, and they just don't work that well.

[the lynx]

Well this makes sense then. I thought they made girls look fat (particularly accentuating fat thighs). Perhaps I have it backwards. Fat girls are just wearing them to look thinner, and they just don't work that well.

Here is another thing: Shorts generally make fat thighs look mammoth! And I've seen a lot of young girls in this population, who think those high waisted shorts are great to help to tuck their chubby bits in like corset, but they obviously forgot to look at their thighs.

[Sergei82]

These drive me nuts, and they're EXTREMELY unflattering. I don't know if it makes the girls just look fat, or they really all are. But god most of these girls should never wear those.

I disagree. Those shorts actually flatter the waist area. I think some girls really pull those off very well but I cannot say the same of the majority.

Well this makes sense then. I thought they made girls look fat (particularly accentuating fat thighs). Perhaps I have it backwards. Fat girls are just wearing them to look thinner, and they just don't work that well.

Women accumulate fat mostly on thighs and butt, men - tummy. That's hormones.

[Sergei82]

- Very few people of any age have grey hair.

I'm not sure about that since they all colour their hair - men and women totally!

[iloverice]

- Spray on, 'high-top' shorts on girls. The waist band must be just under their breasts I think. Doinky looking.

These drive me nuts, and they're EXTREMELY unflattering. I don't know if it makes the girls just look fat, or they really all are. But god most of these girls should never wear those.

+1[/quote]

It's on the magazines for the past few months, so it has to be the "style" regardless weather, location, your body shape, etc.

[Barnsley]

- Spray on, 'high-top' shorts on girls. The waist band must be just under their breasts I think. Doinky looking.

These drive me nuts, and they're EXTREMELY unflattering. I don't know if it makes the girls just look fat, or they really all are. But god most of these girls should never wear those.

+1

It's on the magazines for the past few months, so it has to be the "style" regardless weather, location, your body shape, etc. [/quote]

Will you be sporting a pair at the Gathering on 21/28 June

[nakatago]

- Spray on, 'high-top' shorts on girls. The waist band must be just under their breasts I think. Doinky looking.

These drive me nuts, and they're EXTREMELY unflattering. I don't know if it makes the girls just look fat, or they really all are. But god most of these girls should never wear those.

It's on the magazines for the past few months, so it has to be the "style" regardless weather, location, your body shape, etc.

Will you be sporting a pair at the Gathering on 21/28 June

I hate seeing those. Reminds me of really old people who have their belts waaaay too high.

[JR8]

- Very few people of any age have grey hair.

I'm not sure about that since they all colour their hair - men and women totally!

Yep, that's my point. There seems little appetite for 'growing old gracefully'... i.e. accepting you grey as you age...

Women, yeah ok I get it though to say 50 years old, but after? And then men!?

[JR8]

Well this makes sense then. I thought they made girls look fat (particularly accentuating fat thighs). Perhaps I have it backwards. Fat girls are just wearing them to look thinner, and they just don't work that well.

Here is another thing: Shorts generally make fat thighs look mammoth! And I've seen a lot of young girls in this population, who think those high waisted shorts are great to help to tuck their chubby bits in like corset, but they obviously forgot to look at their thighs.

What I have in mind is shorts pulled up to just under bust-line. Pulled up hard that there are gaping spaces flaring out from the legs at 9am, and 3pm (the wearer looking down, left and right).

And, they're super-tight, you know, the contours are WAY too much information.

Add that to blur-look, and duck feet... choice!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Your description brings to mind a certain mode of desert transport.

And I'm not talking about a hummer either. Although they can be often found together.

[JR8]

Another day's observations.

- The yellow/brown mouthwash, that usually burns like gargling with jet-fuel or something, has no bite at all here. Do they regulate the alcohol content here to stop people distilling it off... or something else?

- M&S at Plaza Sing has a dedicated 'Cold-wear' department. Woo-hoo, that's a bit of welcome competition to the only other cold-wear store in town (@ Ion?).

- 'Belif', make-up shop. 'Founded in 1860 by Duncan Napier'. Smells like bull to me, the idea of a Victorian gentleman giving such a silly modish name to a cosmetic range. Their website is in Korean or English ... hmmm.

- Women taking 'loaded' prams down escalators.

- Food outlet: 'Chippy Happy Food'.

- Another food stand that sells about 10+ chip/fries products, and 3 hot-dog products. Niche offering!

- I stop to read a menu on an outlet counter wall or above-head. Someone rushes up to ask if I need help (what with, reading?)

- A fat child with white spectacle frames. It is the dimensions of a fridge on small legs. Gender - unknown.

- A young Singaporean couple, him in a 'Penn State' sports vest - both
speaking broad American with just a vestigial hint of heartlander-Sgn remaining (//'So, yah, I like said to Anastasia that it's you know like really gross and .. //wah damn siow horr!'). I ponder how SGns, more so the youngsters, very quickly adopt foreign accents if they spend any time abroad.

- 'Lowrys Farm' clothes shop. Wonder what country that's from, and, they forgot the apostrophe.

- A bus going by with a large advert for 'George Town Festival'. Thinks: Where is this town called George?

- Men with dyed hair.

- Using the phone on the MRT. Nice, in most countries it would not work.

- People in Reserved Seating on the MRT pretending to be asleep (if you find another seat they suddenly come back to life).

- 'Commuter carriages' with no seating. That suggests to me that the MRT is running over-capacity. I don't think I've seen this anywhere else in the world... not even Tokyo.

- Many train passengers playing the game Candy-Crush on their mobile phones.

- A crossing on Orchard. By the time the lights changes there were about 50 people waiting to cross. [A feeling that traffic is prioritised over pedestrians]. Wow.... I haven't stood at a crossing with more than maybe 5 people, for years...

- An importer label (who cares?) stuck right over the ring-pull/pour-hole of a can of beer. Couldn't it go somewhere less awkward/inconvenient?

- Axe-faced caucasian women. Where are they from I wonder, Australia, America? I have only ever experienced this previously on moving from the east to the west (going from softer/smaller features to bigger harder ones; but here I am noting the reverse most odd).

- Papers headline 'Singapore acts...'. when surely they mean 'Government acts...'? Unless the suggestion is that the government is synonymous with 'the people'. Wondering if the top/left quarter page of the papers is reserved for daily government press releases.

- Being handed things by people, them respectfully holding the item in both hands.

- A Ferrari covered in maybe 100 'racing stickers', or that design within the paintwork. Now I don't know about you, but if I spent maybe S$750k+ on a car... ...

- White spectacle frames

- Quite strikingly handsome and noble looking southern Indian men.