Things to Know: Singapore
Welcome to the Things to Know series, where I share my experience in certain places I have lived in the world. Today’s topic is Singapore. I lived there for 6 months, although you could say it is short, it can also be considered moderate period for an “expat” in Singapore.
I think I literally help all my exchange classmates set-up their first week in Singapore, so a lot of it are tips about setting-up a life there. Similar to my other articles, I have split this into: basics, culture, and how to stay clear of trouble.
Basics
It’s a hot country, so you can easily get away with wearing summer clothing for work and school. Many people sport flip flops and it is socially acceptable to wear them in most places. I used to take three showers a day because it is so hot there and I would expire by midday and will shower wherever I can. It is also a humid heat so you may want to invest a little on deodorant.
The A/C in most buildings are almost dial to the max and it is so humid that you can get cold easily - I would suggest bring layers if you plan to be in doors for a long time
During the “winter” months (late November to March), it is still really hot but it is also rainy season. Rain will guarantee to pour around 2pm for at least a hour and then by evening time the ground will be dry again. Bring an umbrella with you everyday.
Things are generally very convenient and people are very polite and helpful (just ask).
Alcohol is very expansive, make sure you buy your alcohol at the Duty Free when you clear customs at the Changi Airport.
On a related note, it is pretty expansive to go out in Singapore therefore many chooses to travel to another country for the weekend or holidays (it is surprisingly cheaper).
Also take advantage of Ladies Night, every Wednesday many bars have freeflow wine and cocktail for ladies or free cover to enter.
The majority of the country is Chinese, with a smaller demographic of Malaysians and Indians. Singa-lish will take sometime to fully understand, as it has a Singaporean accent with a lot of Chinese, Malaysian words mixed within. Ordering coffee is an art on its own.
Culture
Although the expat community is very helpful and are very friendly - it is difficult to make friends with Singaporean locals. It is also difficult to form deep relationships as the expat cycle changes so frequently and sometimes you are stuck saying the same old intro to new wave of expat every few months.
People are a stickler for rules and like most Asian cultures people do not speak up or voice their opinion as much as western societies. This was a bit of a surprise for me as a Canadian.
Culturally locals with Chinese ethnicity are far more traditionally Chinese than most Chinese in mainland China. This sounds like a tongue twister, but for example people celebrate Chinese New Year in a very traditional fashion (rituals and food) in comparison to many mainland Chinese.
I have a theory to why as my Chinese friends can never understand why my Chinese Canadian friends and I love certain Chinese cuisine so much. It is only because it is something we associate with home (or home-cooking from our parents) and therefore when we travel somewhere foreign we sometimes like to seek out certain Chinese cuisine. We also don’t eat it that often in Canada, as it is not part of our daily meal. Therefore the level appreciation is far higher than a person who grew up eating it all the time. Similarly, I think many Chinese Singaporeans grasp onto the culture they grew up with and protect it as it part of their identity, much more than mainland Chinese who may already evolved many traditional customs into something more modern.
Chinese Singaporean food is a small representation of Chinese food, as they are heavily focused on a region (Fuzhou) in China - mostly because most Chinese ancestry can be trace back to that region. Therefore Chinese Singaporean food is only a small subset of Chinese food.
How to Stay Out of Trouble
They say Singapore is a ‘fine’ country, and it is absolutely true. They have fine on a lot of behaviour that they don’t want you to continue. For example, the no gum rule is not a rumor but a fact, therefore they use mostly mint. Another interesting law is that you cannot be naked in your apartment/house. Well technically you can, but just don’t let anyone from outside your living quarters see it or they can report you and you can get fined.