28 March 2009

Culture Shock.......But not that Shock!!

Singapore definitely has its owns unique culture, but there are still some commonalities to HK or China. At the end of the day. it is still a Chinese majority society.
Here are some of my interesting findings....
1, People think there's nothing wrong with putting chili sauce on everything they eat.
2, The idea of a good night out consists of having dinner at a hawker centre, and then going to another hawker centre and eating again.
3, Crossing the country means taking the MRT to the end of the line.
4, In a country where people use smart cards for public transit, people have no problem with construction workers riding in the open backs of pickup trucks.
5, Street naming system is confusing that locates streets like Clementi Road, Clementi Street, Clementi Crescent,Clementi Lane, Clementi Drive, Clementi Way, and Clementi Avenues 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 all within Walking distance of each other.
6, People think saving fuel is achieved by getting to 5th gear in the quickest possible time and then tapping the foot on and off the accelerator.
7, People drive across the island and spend half an hour idling in a queue just to save 10% on the most expensive fuel because that is all the "discount" petrol stations offer.
8, People add lah to the end of every sentence. And when you asks them to do something, they answer with "Can, Can"
9, People really believe that IKEA is high quality and top design furniture and not some cheap plastic crap.......
10, People calling the elderly cleaners at the condo or taxi drivers 'uncle'
11, Go to Burger King on Orchard Rd at lunchtime and there is only 1 person serving and 10 people wiping tables/stacking lids.
12, When riding any two-wheeled vehicle, riders wear their jacket with the zipper facing backwards.
13, People go to the gym and (a) sit on the equipment talking or (b) hang out by the pool.
14, People are so concerned that their job does not have the title of "executive to the executive vice president to the vice president of the president"
15, People make a real mess at McDonald's and don't see why they should clear up.
16, When driving on the highway people head straight for the fast lane and stick to it like glue.
17, People constantly check to see if their car is the oldest in the condo.
18, People take taxis on weekends, even though they have a car, because they now know that they can drive any where they like....but they just can't stop.
19, Ladies use an umbrella in the sun.
20, People have no problem watching the Star Channel playing the same commercials 8 million times over and over until you nearly go insane..., and they don't change the channel because there is nothing else better on.
21, I always wonder how drivers get to the Kleenex tissue housed in the decorative box covers way.....in the BACK of the car window.
The list can go on and on....but having said that, Singapore is still a developed country, just a bit different to our western counterparts.