This Ang Moh has been living in Singapore for almost a year, and I think it is time for a review. I will keep it fairly short since I still have another year…
There are a lot of “you know you are in Singapore when…” type lists, so I decided I would use a different format. Below you will see a quote from a local, followed by some comments. I would love to hear what Singaporeans have to say…
Ten Quotes, Ang Moh Explains
1. “Ah, very far one!”
This quote is courtesy of my colleague. We were driving to a 10K race, and when I asked him where it was, that was his response. It would not be worth noting if it were actually far, but it was 15, maybe 20 minutes away. Coming from a big, open state, this was one of those times where I was reminded of where I am, and just how small it really is.
2. “I need to take you to (some random place far away/in a neighborhood) for the BEST (insert local dish).
Food-hunting. This is a term I learned in the first couple of weeks here in Singapore. Food-hunters travel around in search of the best places to eat in Singapore. The better ones can tell you which hawker/restaurant has the best serving of the various ‘must try’ dishes in Singapore.
A colleague of mine is an expert when it comes to the local food, and lucky for me, he loves to take me out. Every couple of weeks we head off campus to try some specialty dish (Indian Rojak, Laksa, Bak Ku Teh, etc), even if it is near the boarder with Malaysia. Sometimes I wonder why we need to travel so far for one dish, but at the same time, I am happy I get to experience such goodness.
3. “Wow, it really is fall. I think the northern winds from Chang Mai are coming in”
There I was, walking to my desk after a 15 minute walk and a packed elevator ride when I overheard talk of the cool northern winds from Chaing Mai, Thailand. My co-workers commented on the change in weather, noting that it was much cooler these days.
Huh? What? You have to be f*&%ing joking me. It is as hot as it has been since I got here, and I still feel like I am going to die on a daily basis.
4. “Do you take spicy?” or “Be careful, that one is very spicy!”
This may come as a surprise to you Asians, especially the Indians, but I TAKE SPICY. In fact, I probably take more than you.
When I first got here, I would say that the 3rd most common question I got was whether I could handle spicy food. In some instances, I would ask for something really spicy, and they would barely add any spice because they assumed I could not handle it. From Thai to Japanese, I have been deprived of the wonderful chilies that I so long to burn my mouth!
5. “He very proper that one”
People think I am too proper when I speak and when I send SMSes. For the spoken part – there is nothing I can do about it, but I find it funny that you change the way you speak around me. See, most people in Singapore are code-switchers capable of moving from Singlish to English to Mandarin and back again without thinking. This cracks me up because my co-workers will be chatting away in Singlish, but switch to ‘proper English’ when I walk over.
As for SMSing - don’t know the lingo, and I use prediction. It is actually faster for me to spell out the words with prediction, then figure out how to shorthand other words.
6. “What is the government going to do?”
I have written about this before. One of the major differences between my country and Singapore is the way people view the government. It is assumed that the government should get involved with social and economic issues, whereas in the US, a lot of people think the government should stay the hell away.
The term ‘nanny government’ makes a lot of sense after one year!
7. “Confirm must buy lah!” (variation: if got sale, confirm you must buy leh!)
Sometimes I feel that trends spread faster in this country than they did at my high school. From the newest hand phones, to the popular sports drink, new products take hold, and before long, ‘everyone is doing/wearing “it”‘.
It makes sense that this is the case. The country is so small, and the people love shopping. Sometimes I want to go into marketing to take advantage of the crazy reaction to trends…
8. “Chope ready ah?”
Singaporeans reserve their seats with packets of tissue paper. In some cases, they will reserve an entire table with these little packets, and I am not kidding.
Special Tissues for Reserving Seats!
If you go to a crowded hawker center and see a bunch of tissue packets at the table, don’t even try to sit there.
9. “Haytch” (for the letter ‘H’)
Hey, I hope you don’t have Haytch 1 N 1. That’s right. H’s are pronounced in a way that seems funny to Americans.
10. “Makan ready? Hurry ah, got sale next door!”
I think I understand the whole shopping and eating thing.
When I first heard someone say that a defining characteristic of Singaporeans is that they like shopping and eating, I did not think it was all that special. I mean, I am an American, and we love those two. However, after a while I realized it is on a whole different level here than it is in the US.
Eating, I quickly noticed, is a part of the culture. I love it. Many times I hear Singaporeans complain about how hard they have to work and how stressful their jobs are, but they never seem to let that interrupt their morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, or supper (not like the meals I skipped when I was a Uni student…). People often ask me if I have “taken my lunch”, and if I haven’t (assuming it is later), I am encouraged to do so, or am offered food. When I take classes or attend lectures, there is always a nice spread of food and a selection of tea and coffee.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Some Thais pronounce an ‘H’ as a Haytch too! That is my one of biggest pet peeves, ugh.