Singapore Expats

I know this concept means different things in different countries... or cities...

Just curious about what it means in Singapore, in general mostly...

But I'll throw in a specific example...

It 'seems' to me at least, in NY for example, suddenly as a new big trend (ok maybe not new but much bigger than ever) for there to be couples of mixed backgrounds all over the place, not just couples, but also groups of friends are like a mini united nations...

One combo that is extremely popular is to see a white male with an asian female, mostly of chinese, japanese, or korean descent... some women being from their original countries but also plenty asian-americans of second+ generations...)

How common is it to see this?
Is it stared at?
Is it frowned upon?
Do nobody care?

I did read a thread about a french dude with a girlfriend from SG, and he had some slight complaints on the stares, but I also read that people stare and everything so perhaps it wasnt just him..

How about the other way around, an asian man with white women?
Other other combos from personal experience?

And I dont meant exactly the expat-local mix, although I know that's related and a whole other topic altogether...!

stacey wrote: How about the other way around, an asian man with white women?

you wont see much of that, either in singapore or worldwide. the last one i know of is bruce lee.

stacey wrote: How common is it to see this?

I see it everyday

Saint wrote:

stacey wrote: How common is it to see this?

I see it everyday

which way?

the whiteboy-asiangirl thing I'm sure he meant...

you do see it the other way around, but you gotta be almost as cool as Bruce Lee or William Hung to pull it off...

Is it a size matters thing or racy preferences ?

stacey wrote:Is it a size matters thing or racy preferences ?

it's the passport thing. also, white = cash cow.

not for long...

sorry to say... but in america the asian invasion has already landed...
and if they didnt have the cash when they arrived... asians (indians included) who are sent over to the us must be their top of their class because you see them all over the place in competitive jobs...
but they still dont get the white-girl.

yes I was talking about the bruce lee way combo...

the other way around... the passport comes into play

Do it matter if they mixed?? Why the question and what's the issue?

it shouldnt matter...
but the questions is exactly that 'does it matter there in SG'

You go to some places in rural US and it does matter, so those couples or people dont go there much.... at least not by choice...

nothing wrong with rural US, i'm not from the cities originally and you can live much more better or peacefully at times, but a bit more removed as well.

just, also, wondering what is common in NY may not be in SG, and trying to prepare for culture shock, prempt as much...

Although, racewise.... unbelievably so many asians in this city of mine (nyc) that I wont feel displaced at all in SG. except for the broader mix perhaps?

I think if someone asked me what Sg was like. Its not really asia. Dont shoot me, what i mean its very western, clean, cosmopolitan. I was more shocked when I went to Vietnam last month.

well that's what makes it more shocking then...
if you go to viet nam you can expect the environment to look different...

but some people call it a first world (and first class) city with third world people. and there's two world's difference between 1 and 3.

but anyways SG seems to have its Alphas and Deltas and everything in between....

And I only speak of unfounded opinion so you may disregard me anytime
cant speak first-hand for anything so I can easily be wrong!

stacey, if you want to come to singapore, just come and take it as it is. no need to prepare yourself for the culture shock if there's any. experience it yourself first hand.

just like a virgin. you wont know it until you do it no matter what you read, research or what people tell you.

i agree I wont truly know....

but you gotta admit these forums have helped me a lot (and others)


especially the culture shock thread....

although the title is misleading..


I've lived in big and small city in the US and in third-world country/city before. Only I havent done Asia.

I agree with you... and I would add... as long as you are open to expecting the unexpected... there's nothing to worry about...

and some differences in how things are or work between new place and home place should not always amount to calling it culture shock... some maybe just small nuisances,,,

Is there much culture shock moving from Upper East Side to Upper West Side in NYC? to some perhaps


still a pretty scary move just because of the lengthy geography!!

scary and exciting! so it's all good?


until customs confiscates all your gum...

first time I ever heard of singapore the word gum was in the same sentence...

ok, not true. but almost.

stacey wrote:I know this concept means different things in different countries... or cities...

Just curious about what it means in Singapore, in general mostly...

But I'll throw in a specific example...

It 'seems' to me at least, in NY for example, suddenly as a new big trend (ok maybe not new but much bigger than ever) for there to be couples of mixed backgrounds all over the place, not just couples, but also groups of friends are like a mini united nations...

One combo that is extremely popular is to see a white male with an asian female, mostly of chinese, japanese, or korean descent... some women being from their original countries but also plenty asian-americans of second+ generations...)

How common is it to see this?
Is it stared at?
Is it frowned upon?
Do nobody care?

I did read a thread about a french dude with a girlfriend from SG, and he had some slight complaints on the stares, but I also read that people stare and everything so perhaps it wasnt just him..

How about the other way around, an asian man with white women?
Other other combos from personal experience?

And I dont meant exactly the expat-local mix, although I know that's related and a whole other topic altogether...!

Singapore might just be starting to accept the cultural/racial mixture or rather sometimes the stares tend to be from the older more " conservative " generations and on the positive side I'd just take it that the younger generations think I've got a hot date hahah...

I've dated darker skinned guys ( i'm rather fair ) and we get stared at occasionally,
It gets worst when I dated white guys,
sometimes it's the nonchalant " curious " stares though there is the " she must be after his money/ cheap trash " since as usual bad experiences/stories tend to spread faster and wider than the good ones and create a negative stereotype.

asian guy and white girl combo is rather uncommon but not as rare as a few years back, I saw 1 the other day and boy the white girl was hot! ( Asian genes rarely get those nice european curvea ) and everyone in the foodcourt was staring at them! Mostly in suprise/curiousty, I think white girl asian guy combo gets better judgement than vice versa...

Though in another 10years or so, I think the western asian / fair and darker skinned combo would increase with the rise in foreigners moving to singapore, maybe by then the bad stereotype and stories would fade?

I think that most people don't care so much and it's pretty accepted. The only exception would be older guy/very young girl which i very rarely see any-way. But I think that would get stares all the world over.

I have noticed most mixed race couples seem to suit each other and match, ie: cute guy with cute girl. Slightly dorky looking guy with slightly dorky looking girl. I do know 2 couples where the girl is white.