Singapore Expats

Posted: **Fri, 12 Aug 2011 8:08 pm**

sundaymorningstaple wrote: <snip>
I often said, in response to the lack of courtesy here, that it starts with you. If you don't confront discourteous head on, then you are tacitly agreeing with the inconsiderate behaviour. Will it make a difference? No. Not immediately anyway, but as more and more get the message that it's not okay, then change, albeit slowly, starts happening.
<snip>
It is very hard to bridge the difference, the east/west divide, especially in the heartlands. It's easier today, but 20 years ago, it was virtually impossible without meeting them further than half way. I found, what for me, was an ideal solution, that worked better than I had ever anticipated it would/could. I'm basically an introvert. But I started working part time for SBC back in 1988 as a part time actor. In 18 years I acted (not as an extra) in over 100 Mandarin drama serials from 1988 to 2006. I've acted with all the old famous one including Zoe Tay (Pretty Faces) and Fann Wong (Golden Pillow) to just name a few. This has made me easily recognized in kopitiams, buses & MRt trains. So, even the office kopi lady has seen me over and over again, including even today as they are all being run in the afternoon rerun time slots as well. So, even with very little English at all, the curiosity gets the best of 'em. "You, ah, SBC izzit?" So if I happen to know which series is on I'll reply "Yeah, Mr. Brown" or whoever. All the barriers come down immediately.

One just has to find out what works, and you can bridge the divide.

I'm generally a jolly person and when I first moved to Singapore, someone told me not to smile too much since people will think I'm crazy.

Anyway, I should try to catch those movies and see the ang moh there... So that once I spot him in real life, I can get his autograph.

j/k

Posted: **Fri, 12 Aug 2011 9:48 pm**

Asian_Geekette wrote:
I'm generally a jolly person and when I first moved to Singapore, someone told me not to smile too much since people will think I'm crazy.

Haha I don't thing it's that extreme

ppl are not very open but if you're joyful it's great to have you around

@Sundaymorning: I really admire you for being so patient. I kind of gave up for sometimes in the middle of my first year (well I'm still trying to be more friendly and make ppl be friendly but I also have my own problems). I rmb how tough it was going to class and smiled/tried to make friends with my classmates but they tend to stick together and kind of ignoring me (and it really took me a lot of courage to be able to smile and start a conversation, giving the fact I'm quite shy and knew no one in my class before). Anw in the end it all turned out fine, I made good friends during college and other classmates still rmb me after we graduated (may be because of my smile and nodding head to them?

)

Btw, talking about whining, that to me is Singaporeans' trademark! They LOVE to complain, and even make fun of themselves for complaining, but never stop it!

Posted: **Sun, 14 Aug 2011 8:55 am**

how they will smile and greet at you when they are allergic to "Foreign Talents"

Posted: **Tue, 23 Aug 2011 5:06 am**

and was on a date last week and this Ohio guy had no eye contact, all hedid was stare and yak at the ceiling at no.5 lol

Posted: **Tue, 23 Aug 2011 7:02 am**

Blind date? Or he wished he was blind?

Posted: **Tue, 23 Aug 2011 12:21 pm**

haha not funny...i wish i was blind too

Posted: **Tue, 23 Aug 2011 3:54 pm**

Perhaps Ohio guy isn't into blind people.

Posted: **Tue, 23 Aug 2011 5:04 pm**

From the sounds of it, it might have been a case of the blind leading the blind?

Posted: **Tue, 23 Aug 2011 5:12 pm**

A blind man is sitting on a park bench. A rabbi sits down next to him.

The rabbi is chomping on a piece of matzah. Taking pity on the blind man, he breaks off a piece and gives it to the blind man.

Several minutes later, the blind man turns, taps the rabbi on the shoulder, and asks, "Who wrote this crap?"

Posted: **Tue, 23 Aug 2011 5:32 pm**

custard26 wrote:and was on a date last week and this Ohio guy had no eye contact, all hedid was stare and yak at the ceiling at no.5 lol

No, not blind. Probably a nerd.

Posted: **Wed, 24 Aug 2011 12:57 am**

yeah a nerdy, blind and rude date ... kept looking at his mobile in between stares at ceiling lol my margarita was probably the tastiest thing at the table lol

Posted: **Wed, 24 Aug 2011 1:20 am**

My advice is, on a blind date never go anywhere where you're going to have to sit down with a stranger.

Stand a cocktail bar or what ever, that keeps your options open.

Posted: **Mon, 12 Sep 2011 11:55 pm**

No, we are not allergic to smile

I'm a Singaporean, born here, bred here, still living here

Erm, it's just that we are really shy.. We can be very shy but once you know us, we do smile

, we do talk to you, we do become friends.
And I think, maybe because we are Asians so we are not so huge on displaying our emotions. Do you know what I'm saying? Haha..

Ya ya, I know some expats think we don't make friends with expats because they are stealing our jobs. Well, if you are in this country, you know it runs on a meritocracy treadmill. The most capable wins. Local people just have to be good, if not better so we can survive. And wherever there are expats and locals in one place, there's bound to be some friction in terms of survivorship . Just depends which side of the coin you're on. I used to be working in UK and I could hardly make any UK friends at first because they did think I am taking their job. Now I'm the local here, I say that locals have to learn from expats. And expats are also fellow humans and this world should be without strangers, no?

Anyway,

Posted: **Tue, 13 Sep 2011 12:07 am**

Anyway I'm here because I meant to ask if any of you are globetrotters and interested to meet my friend. He's expat from UK, gonna be here for almost a year. But because he's always travelling (seriously like almost every week), his social circle here is really small. And for him to meet other friendly expats who smile, are like god-send.

So, if interested to meet, pls just let me know?:) My friend is in town this whole week..

Love,
Friendly smiley local in 30s

Posted: **Tue, 13 Sep 2011 9:33 am**

i hope you friend's travelling all the time but knows how to use the internet? coz I'm wondering why do you have to ask for friends for him?

Singapore Expats

Are Singaporeans allergic to smile :)

Are Singaporeans allergic to smile :)