And now, for the "Real" Singapore
Trip Start
Sep 08, 2007
1
14
23
Trip End
Dec 30, 2008
Kings Canyon,
Australia
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Age: 23
Nationality: Singaporean
Family status: Single
Job: Students
Religion: Not religious. Self described free thinkers.
I failed to meet any Singaporeans when I was in Singapore in January, so I wrote about the foreigners living in Singapore. Now that I am in the Outback (close to the absolute middle of Australia) I have not one, but two Singaporeans to interview. We are on a week long, 3,000 km journey from Adelaide to Alice Springs.
CK &Tai are army time friends
How Choon Keat & Chuan Tai Foo (CK & Tai)
. Tai is a medical student in Melbourne. CK is studying biology in Singapore University, but is currently on a 3 month exchange program in Australia. They are intelligent, friendly and much taller than you'd expect of an Asian (178 & 180 cm to be precise). Both are planning to live in Singapore long term. While CK is going back in a few weeks, Tai is planning to spend the next three years in Australia. He has two more year of study to become a medical doctor, but he wants to do his residency in Australia too. He likes that in Australia the doctors are being trained to treat patients rather than medical conditions. Few days into the trip, we are off again for a long day on the bus. I power up the laptop, pull up my story on Singapore and hand the laptop to CK. Here is the story I wrote in Singapore, I say. I want you to read it and tell me what you think, especially if you think something is not true. When he is done reading it, I sit next to him and we have a long chat. I repeat the same with Tai in the afternoon.
Both guys tell me that I've only seen the glitzy part of Singapore and that not everything is luxury and shopping malls, but in general agree with what I've said. Then we talk about the "real" Singapore, this time from the middle class, educated native Singaporean perspective.
Your typical Singaporean family nowadays consists of 4 family members. Gone are the days when families averaged 10 people. Most Singaporeans live in HDB flats (Housing Development Board) that they are still paying off. Children stay with the parents until marriage, and even then, don't move to far. We Asians, Tai says, live our lives close to our families. We are not like westerners - moving far from home at an early age. Grand parents help with raising the kids and children take care of their aging parents. There are few nursing homes. It would be a problem if you lived too far from home.
Singapore is a fascinating little country. There isn't really a Singaporean ethnicity, but there is a Singaporean nation. Malay, Chinese, Indian and Eurasians are the largest ethnical groups in Singapore. They all call themselves Singaporean. While the different ethnicities are still distinct, mixed marriages are not uncommon. Neither Tai, nor CK think that it would be a problem to introduce a non-Chinese girlfriend to their parents, although, Tai says, your parents still expect you to marry within your ethnical group.
Singaporeans are truly equal opportunity celebrators, with an impressive list of national holidays that celebrate not only the nationhood, but also the diverse religions of Singapore: National day, Labor day, New Year, Chinese New Year, Christmas, Deepavali (the Indian festival of Light), Hari Raya Puasa & Haji (the first and last day of Ramadan - Muslim), Vesak day (Buddhist), etc. I am impressed that CK & Tai know all the religious holidays, and they tell me that everyone learns about the different cultures in Primary school, when children are thought how to understand and appreciate the different cultures and religions of Singapore, which at the end of the day amounts to learning how to be tolerant to cultural differences.
Most people strive for the same thing these days, says CK. People have become quite materialistic really. Personally, he prefers the simple life. His home in Singapore does not even have an AC. Then again, he says, I am not a good example of your typical Singaporean, concerned about their comfort. That's okay CK, I say, I didn't expect to meet one of those on a camping trip in the Outback any ways.
As to the strict rules in Singapore, the guys are not particularly worried. I thought the rules are pretty relaxed already, says CK half way jokingly. Yes, the rules might be strict, but they keep the country in check, and it is not like anyone is policing you, he explains further. How about the huge gap between rich and poor, I ask. Doesn't that bother you? Yes it bothers me of course, CK says, but consumerism and excess bothers me in general. Relaxing the rules won't shrink the poverty gap. And as for caning - this is a punishment for really serious crimes. I'm proud that my country has a tough punishment for the serious crimes.
Tai's views on the poverty gap are a little less extreme. He thinks that while rich are getting richer, poor are not being left out completely. Singapore is trying to stay away from being a social state, but there is a lot of help available for the poor in the form of educational and re-qualification programs. Throwing money at people makes them lazy and uncompetitive. People need motivation (and opportunity) to do better in life.
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Hugs & Kisses, Vik
