Culture Shock - Arriving in singapore

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JR8
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Post by JR8 » Fri, 17 May 2013 6:53 pm

[apologies for any repetitions, on my little pad, I forget where the yesterday/today cut-off is].


- A woman at the crossing-light holding an open paperback book against her face, to shield her from the sun.
- Axe-faced females, really brutal features (Ozzie, US? ... ??)
- People returning bank cards to me, held in both hands.
- I saw a car 50m away, from behind. Thought it looked like a Ferrari. As I had time I wondered pver... Peugot RCZ!?
- People, within groups, walking backwards. Perhaps only possible as people walk so slowly here.
- People handing out leaflets, for stuff you don't want.
- Young men, with the sides of their heads shaved.
- On an escalator in a mall, the 5-6 surrounding people are all studying their phones!?
- The shaved head thing (above) is quite anarcho-punk in Europe. As I eat lunch I spy one young man with said style, who looks about as intimidating as a doe-faced poodle.
- Lunch. 2 skewers of grilled food, packed in 3 plastic bags.I walk 3m to a counter, eat them, then throw bags and skewers in the bin.
- In the shops, some people go through every packet of a product line, before choosing one.
- young 'ladies' with full-on tattoos on their backs.
- Clothing brand 'Baby Shoop' ..... hah?
- In store promoters. (The one in CS seems to spend the whole time playing with his phone rather than promoting anything).
- Expensive wine, but some of the offers are good, like maybe 30% off.
- A bus coming down the road. It's front indicator panel marked 'Off service'. Like 'Offing' a light?
- Wife gets home (now) saying she just ran into a schoolfriend in a lift, from 20 years ago. SG = small country!
- A yellow Lamborghini. I think I've seen more supercars here in 2 weeks, than 3 years in Europe.
- A Mercedes, and on the boot there is a logo '7G-Tronic'. What does this mean.... I have never seen it in Europe, incl. Germany.

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Post by Addadude » Fri, 17 May 2013 7:15 pm

Sergei82 wrote: What to do? Gym stuff...
I'm just teasin'. My gym bag on back day weighs a ton too - belt and short chain for adding weights for weighted pull ups, wrist straps, shoes, sports attire, change of clothes. Carrying the damn thing to and from the gym is pretty good warm up in its own right.
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Post by stuckmojo » Fri, 17 May 2013 8:22 pm

Sergei82 wrote:
JR8 wrote:Viewing property? Expect a full house!

At minimum it's you and your agent. But most likely it's you, your agent, plus owners agent.

Next step is you, your agent, owners agent, and owner (why oh why!?).

And so it goes. Today we viewed a place, wife and I, our agent, mother in law, her maid, our moody teenage niece, 2-3 or so people from landlords agent (we just opened a door and it was like 'Oh! And w2ho are you?). About 10 people all rattling around a small unit.
Never been to so close to wishing to strangle the M-I-L! Us discussing the precise details of the diplomatic clause.... her barging into the kitchen... 'Hey, isn't kitchen very small lah?'
My case: me + landlord wife and husband + 3 (three!!!) agents from my side + 2 agents from landlord's side = 8 people
I had this too. And they were expecting everyone to take shoes off to walk on marble floors. Meh.

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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Fri, 17 May 2013 9:06 pm

stuckmojo wrote:I had this too. And they were expecting everyone to take shoes off to walk on marble floors. Meh.
Hello! You are in Asia, right? Certain protocols should be adhered to whether it's two or twenty. It would only be a problem if one was taking off everybody's shoes, rather than each taking off their own, neh?
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Post by stuckmojo » Fri, 17 May 2013 10:56 pm

sundaymorningstaple wrote:
stuckmojo wrote:I had this too. And they were expecting everyone to take shoes off to walk on marble floors. Meh.
Hello! You are in Asia, right? Certain protocols should be adhered to whether it's two or twenty. It would only be a problem if one was taking off everybody's shoes, rather than each taking off their own, neh?
of course. But since we're talking of culture shock,here it is.

Needless to say, after the first house, we were taking shoes off all the time automatically.

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Post by Sergei82 » Fri, 17 May 2013 11:05 pm

stuckmojo wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:
stuckmojo wrote:I had this too. And they were expecting everyone to take shoes off to walk on marble floors. Meh.
Hello! You are in Asia, right? Certain protocols should be adhered to whether it's two or twenty. It would only be a problem if one was taking off everybody's shoes, rather than each taking off their own, neh?
of course. But since we're talking of culture shock,here it is.

Needless to say, after the first house, we were taking shoes off all the time automatically.
I am always taking off my shoes at home… but I always put on home slippers right away. I know, guys from US even sleep with their dirty boots on, putting legs on snow-white pillows… well, at least I saw that in movies. :lol:

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Post by Sergei82 » Fri, 17 May 2013 11:09 pm

stuckmojo wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:
stuckmojo wrote:I had this too. And they were expecting everyone to take shoes off to walk on marble floors. Meh.
Hello! You are in Asia, right? Certain protocols should be adhered to whether it's two or twenty. It would only be a problem if one was taking off everybody's shoes, rather than each taking off their own, neh?
of course. But since we're talking of culture shock,here it is.

Needless to say, after the first house, we were taking shoes off all the time automatically.
I am always taking off my shoes at home… but I always put on home slippers right away. I know, guys from US even sleep with their dirty boots on, putting legs on snow-white pillows… well, at least I saw that in movies. :lol:

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Post by JR8 » Sat, 18 May 2013 12:01 am

Sergei82 wrote:I know, guys from US even sleep with their dirty boots on, putting legs on snow-white pillows… well, at least I saw that in movies. :lol:
That'll be that Leonardo de Caprio bloke right? :roll: :roll:

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Post by x9200 » Sat, 18 May 2013 9:11 am

stuckmojo wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:
stuckmojo wrote:I had this too. And they were expecting everyone to take shoes off to walk on marble floors. Meh.
Hello! You are in Asia, right? Certain protocols should be adhered to whether it's two or twenty. It would only be a problem if one was taking off everybody's shoes, rather than each taking off their own, neh?
of course. But since we're talking of culture shock,here it is.
If you follow some basic feet hygiene the shock can be negligible.

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Post by nakatago » Sat, 18 May 2013 9:32 am

stuckmojo wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:
stuckmojo wrote:I had this too. And they were expecting everyone to take shoes off to walk on marble floors. Meh.
Hello! You are in Asia, right? Certain protocols should be adhered to whether it's two or twenty. It would only be a problem if one was taking off everybody's shoes, rather than each taking off their own, neh?
of course. But since we're talking of culture shock,here it is.

Needless to say, after the first house, we were taking shoes off all the time automatically.
...and that you'll be wearing slip-on footwear if you anticipate going to someone's home.
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."

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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Sat, 18 May 2013 9:41 am

Innit the truth!
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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Post by nakatago » Sat, 18 May 2013 10:02 am

sundaymorningstaple wrote:Innit the truth!
I still wished Singapore dwellings had genkans!
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."

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Post by x9200 » Sat, 18 May 2013 10:17 am

nakatago wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:Innit the truth!
I still wished Singapore dwellings had genkans!
I think we had discussion like this before. In a condo it's not a problem. We leave all our shoes at the front door outside the flat. Not sure if this is safe option for HDB? Some condos with private lifts got also designated area (a separate transition room) between the lift door and the actual entrance to the flat.

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Post by nakatago » Sat, 18 May 2013 10:28 am

x9200 wrote:
nakatago wrote:
sundaymorningstaple wrote:Innit the truth!
I still wished Singapore dwellings had genkans!
I think we had discussion like this before. In a condo it's not a problem. We leave all our shoes at the front door outside the flat. Not sure if this is safe option for HDB? Some condos with private lifts got also designated area (a separate transition room) between the lift door and the actual entrance to the flat.
Yes, we did. I'm still not convinced why Singapore can't/won't do it.
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."

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Post by x9200 » Sat, 18 May 2013 10:47 am

Why do you think it is needed in Singapore?

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