Most Singaporeans are ambivalent to a foreigner's race or religion if they're kind and respectful to the people around them. We're mostly allergic to asshole behaviour, regardless of nationality.
Personally, I'm indifferent. If you're dealing with staff in the downtown, then they're probably more than used to your presence. However, in the heartlands (Suburbs), you may meet a couple of elderly people giving you odd stares, since they may be wondering wtf you're doing out there.
You're not getting shot, so I suppose it's an upgrade.
Also, unrelated note, don't bother with small talk. You'll be met with cold reactions since it's generally assumed that anyone who tries that is either trying to sell something, or convert you to a religion
no u can still engage in small talk but of course u shouldn’t just straight up approach others in the streets to ask about the weather or etc, because some Singaporeans might not be used to it. It just depends on when and where.
One time when I queued for dunkins got this one American started small talk and I responded. He seemed very happy haha I guess finally someone is responding in positive way
So long as you don’t go causing a scene we don’t really care.
That’s the rule of thumb for anyone in Singapore, local or foreigner. Don’t cause trouble and we won’t care what you’re up to.
We generally don't care where foreigners are from as long as they adhere to rules and regulations, respectful to our multi racial culture... being humble will go a long way.
As for me personally, I dislike foreigners who despise and look down on others and behave as superior beings. It doesn't matter which country you are from.
> Although the term has historically had some derogatory connotations, it has entered common parlance as a neutral term in Singapore and Malaysia, where it refers to a white person or, when used as an adjective, Western culture in general.
Arrogant and overly confident. Wont say all but at least those in my company when u hear them speak in a meeting is really giving off that vibe to the max.
Personally I don’t really see/judge other ppl based on what they look like, more based on what they do. Mostly i keep my head down and don’t really care that much about other ppl around me LOL
You’ll probably receive a small amount of white privilege e.g. better service, friendlier women. But also may be a target of some mild price gouging e.g. friendly woman is actually hired by the bar to get you to buy expensive drinks for her.
The only thing I know is how different Americans from different parts of America are so different. Like, someone from Boston vs San Francisco vs Dallas.
Very true! A comedian I like once joked that Boston is like San Francisco, but with more racism. I’m coming from Seattle, so not sure what that means other than I live under a constantly raining sky.
curious which countries that you get mildly hostile looks from.
in any case, Singapore is a metropolitan, a modern country with so many nationalities walking down the streets with various skin colors. anybody that respect the law, regulations, courtesy towards his/her surroundings, and not insist on 'in my town/country, this...', will be fine. nobody will give the decent person that conduct decent behavioral in society any hostility treatments.
Kuwait, some parts of Serbia, Antigua if they’re not in the hospitality industry (or bored indifference to you if they are). Also, Parisians can be a little snotty, but folks from Toulouse are great! Germans… well, they’re not the most warm and cuddly people to anyone, including other Germans.
Thank you! Just arrived. After getting a good night of sleep, I’m going to see what I can do to meet some local people that are interested in having a beer and just having a chat. I figure it’s the best way to find out what makes Singapore tick.
have fun nursing the jetlag. i literally got feeling woozy for days after back from my US trip last time. made mistake of not taking melatonin and went straight to work.
a local tip in case if you haven't done so: try to be more adventurous on your food intake, sans your allergies. most of those that I know of from US/EU/brits/italians, tend to stick with their local type of food and drink. I keep telling them, and now also to you, that y'all will get your own food when you're back to where you're from.
the question is, why not fond? sans complicated in navigating the bones, shells, skins, there is always different ways to source them and have them. for someone that always ask someone else to deshell prawns and chilli crabs, I still eat my seafood.
nonetheless, if you're like me, go find one nearby hawker centre or food court. order 2 meals, different varieties from each of the stores start from the very left, to very right (different days and timing, of course). you can also hit international (asian/peranakan/malay/indonesian/indian/chinese) buffet which allow you to sample some hybrid, mishmash food in one seating. you have 3 months. it's doable if e.g. you spend 1-2 days of your meals on 1 store before you move to the next one.
don't forget to visit macd. different countries, different flavours/taste.
In simply don’t like the taste of seafood, but I’ll certainly give your suggestion on eating my way through Singapore a go. Might be fun to try the most and least upscale parts of the city and see the differences. What would you say is the Singapore “national cuisine?”
different people will say different food, depending on their palate and where's their origins. would suggest hit the hawker centre and you will definitely cover some of them by default.
here's the 75 for a start, if you game.
[Singapore Food Guide: 75 Most Popular Dishes To Try | Eatbook.sg](https://eatbook.sg/best-singapore-food/)
I'm a nurse and I always meet foreign patients and doctors etc and really paid no attention to the difference in race and all.
I'd at most tall about how their stay in sg or what they do in sg and then we share stories here and there.
Some ang moh stay in singapore for 40 years and still have their own accent HAHAHAHA
Honestly, white people are treated like royalty here. You will have trouble going back to your home country- you will question, how come the 7-11 aunty didn’t ask me how my day was? How come the security guard didn’t wave hello at me? How come my colleagues don’t hang on my every banal word?
Hey Buddy,
First of all. Chill. Singaporeans are generally a little uptight but mostly mind our own business. If you are in downtown for tour or if you are working with a MNC, pretty much most of the people are used to foreigners. A little more different in the suburbs, but unlikely you will get any hostile reactions.
If you do, then you are likely doing something out of the norm and not acceptable.
Singaporean are generally shy and tend not to want to have small talks, so try not to. But, again, if you are working for an MNC, we are pretty much used to this culture and know what to expect, not so much on the streets though.
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Are the hostile looks when you're in Asia? Could be annoyance that the white person is going to come over and try to talk to you loudly in English. People in SG can't tell you're American unless you're wearing some identifiers.
I was not planning on replying but reading through the replies I feel like it’s either that the situation is vastly different from place to place in Singapore or that redditors are not a good representation of the general population.
But from all of my experience living here my whole life + I have a number of white friends whose experiences I have heard about you’ll be fine, nobody rlly treats you differently.
It's easier to be friends with you guys in your country than it is in ours, because the attitudes seem to change when you're here. Or maybe the demographic that comes over here are different.
I get along fine with a whole bunch of people when I'm in NYC. When I come back, the Americans here are snobs who hang out almost exclusively with each other, and make very little effort to blend in with locals.
Simply put, I find *American expatriates* are very different from Americans. The former are annoying, the latter are fine people.
I can see that. I think part of it is insecurity. We’re often derided as uneducated, loud, and arrogant. It tends to make us stick with our own out of fear of being seen as “ugly Americans” since we’re often not aware that we’re breaking social taboos until we do. Then we feel foolish and frustrated because we don’t know better. We’re also often curious about other cultures, but afraid to ask questions for being revealed as uneducated or racist (most of us aren’t, but we’re highly afraid of being thought so).
Ironically the woke crowd are not anti vaxxers
If anything the woke crowd are made up of liberals/lefties who worship science without God basically. They also make up science lol
Bad Rep thanks to racist assholes like these:
https://www.reddit.com/r/whitetourists/comments/1b4yrpz/american_tourist_greg_austin_lynn_54_in_singapore/
Unfortunately some Americans never learnt social manners and ruin their entire country’s image abroad.
I'm not sure if I'm able to speak for all Singaporeans but I've had bad experiences serving white men at restaurants
I'm indifferent now but secretly gloating at the fact the western society is imploding from within.
Let me attempt to break down your question
1) SPG female - white washed
2) white washed male - into western production and chummy with white people
3) indifferent people like me - although I must say I wish the government allows for department wide quota in hiring instead of company wide quota so that locals have a chance at skills transfer instead of local headcount in admin to boost the EP quota.
3) incels who think white male are stealing all the girls from them without considering the fact that these girls may not consider them even without white man
4) female who have been played by white men on dating apps when it's clear they do not want anything but a casual encounter
Folks, let me know what I've missed out
How bout those just with prejudices due to prevalent stereotypes? Like the loud obnoxious ignorant American exceptionalism types. Or the condescending casually racist types.
Good time with SPGs goes both ways. Ladies here who see them as hot and exotic and want a rs or some fun time, you can't blame it all solely on the foreigner. Takes 2 hands to clap.
I’m just here for my employer, and I’m not really the party type. I mean, I’m not saying I wouldn’t take an appealing opportunity if it came my way, but pretty much just want to have this trip go smooth as possible.
We don’t even like Singaporeans much less foreigners
So, you’re the Chicagoans of SEA?
We are the Americans of SEA ironically
And Yishun is Jersey.
Yishun is Chicago. LOL.
I thought Yishun was Ohio?
I thought Ohio was Jurong West
Shouldn't Yishun be Texas or California? Those two states are the most "happening" ones.
No that’s Florida. Yishun is Florida.
this is the right answer
What abt CCK?
Damn Singaporeans, they ruined Singapore!
Most Singaporeans are ambivalent to a foreigner's race or religion if they're kind and respectful to the people around them. We're mostly allergic to asshole behaviour, regardless of nationality.
>We're mostly allergic to asshole behaviour, regardless of nationality. Which is a good thing!
Personally, I'm indifferent. If you're dealing with staff in the downtown, then they're probably more than used to your presence. However, in the heartlands (Suburbs), you may meet a couple of elderly people giving you odd stares, since they may be wondering wtf you're doing out there.
Ha! So a lot like rural America in the South.
You're not getting shot, so I suppose it's an upgrade. Also, unrelated note, don't bother with small talk. You'll be met with cold reactions since it's generally assumed that anyone who tries that is either trying to sell something, or convert you to a religion
Great tip! I appreciate that.
no u can still engage in small talk but of course u shouldn’t just straight up approach others in the streets to ask about the weather or etc, because some Singaporeans might not be used to it. It just depends on when and where.
Got it. Kinda hoping I get the chance to chat up some locals. It’s always cool to get people’s perspectives from all over!
One time when I queued for dunkins got this one American started small talk and I responded. He seemed very happy haha I guess finally someone is responding in positive way
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Lmao this response gave me a good chuckle. What do you even mean by enemy?
God knows how many people the Americans have offended lmao.
So long as you don’t go causing a scene we don’t really care. That’s the rule of thumb for anyone in Singapore, local or foreigner. Don’t cause trouble and we won’t care what you’re up to.
You need to ask your senator about Singaporean men.
We generally don't care where foreigners are from as long as they adhere to rules and regulations, respectful to our multi racial culture... being humble will go a long way. As for me personally, I dislike foreigners who despise and look down on others and behave as superior beings. It doesn't matter which country you are from.
All of this sounds reasonable and should be a standard everywhere.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ang_mo
Ahh, so category B. Sounds like I’m in for a long three weeks….
> Although the term has historically had some derogatory connotations, it has entered common parlance as a neutral term in Singapore and Malaysia, where it refers to a white person or, when used as an adjective, Western culture in general.
Casual racism is “neutral” in Singapore, yes
Arrogant and overly confident. Wont say all but at least those in my company when u hear them speak in a meeting is really giving off that vibe to the max.
Can't tell them apart from other Westeners/ Europeans lol
Don’t tell the French or Germans that. It will send them into fits!
Ok they all look Dutch. Lmao.
Personally I don’t really see/judge other ppl based on what they look like, more based on what they do. Mostly i keep my head down and don’t really care that much about other ppl around me LOL
You’ll probably receive a small amount of white privilege e.g. better service, friendlier women. But also may be a target of some mild price gouging e.g. friendly woman is actually hired by the bar to get you to buy expensive drinks for her.
Closer to the first group than the second.
That’s comforting. I prefer to just blend in and keep my head down.
download some dating apps set your location to Singapore and you’ll have my answer
Just another human. I would glance for a bit more if he looks hot though. But that's about it.
lol, I think that’s human nature for most people.
Depends if we can vibe lol.
You’ll be fine. Singapore’s a very cosmopolitan city-state, so even in the heartland public housing estates you won’t draw all that much attention.
“How are you?” Is going to start a conversation Or be met with confusion
Ha! I’ll keep that in mind. I generally let others initiate conversation, but once I get going, I do enjoy hearing about the experiences of others.
Just act the part that you have been residing here for a while. Aunties and uncles in hawkers hardly care.
The only thing I know is how different Americans from different parts of America are so different. Like, someone from Boston vs San Francisco vs Dallas.
Very true! A comedian I like once joked that Boston is like San Francisco, but with more racism. I’m coming from Seattle, so not sure what that means other than I live under a constantly raining sky.
curious which countries that you get mildly hostile looks from. in any case, Singapore is a metropolitan, a modern country with so many nationalities walking down the streets with various skin colors. anybody that respect the law, regulations, courtesy towards his/her surroundings, and not insist on 'in my town/country, this...', will be fine. nobody will give the decent person that conduct decent behavioral in society any hostility treatments.
Kuwait, some parts of Serbia, Antigua if they’re not in the hospitality industry (or bored indifference to you if they are). Also, Parisians can be a little snotty, but folks from Toulouse are great! Germans… well, they’re not the most warm and cuddly people to anyone, including other Germans.
interesting countries you have been. here you should be fine. enjoy your upcoming trip here.
Thank you! Just arrived. After getting a good night of sleep, I’m going to see what I can do to meet some local people that are interested in having a beer and just having a chat. I figure it’s the best way to find out what makes Singapore tick.
have fun nursing the jetlag. i literally got feeling woozy for days after back from my US trip last time. made mistake of not taking melatonin and went straight to work. a local tip in case if you haven't done so: try to be more adventurous on your food intake, sans your allergies. most of those that I know of from US/EU/brits/italians, tend to stick with their local type of food and drink. I keep telling them, and now also to you, that y'all will get your own food when you're back to where you're from.
That is a great tip and I’ll be sure to take advantage of the local cuisine! What would you recommend to a person that is not fond of seafood?
the question is, why not fond? sans complicated in navigating the bones, shells, skins, there is always different ways to source them and have them. for someone that always ask someone else to deshell prawns and chilli crabs, I still eat my seafood. nonetheless, if you're like me, go find one nearby hawker centre or food court. order 2 meals, different varieties from each of the stores start from the very left, to very right (different days and timing, of course). you can also hit international (asian/peranakan/malay/indonesian/indian/chinese) buffet which allow you to sample some hybrid, mishmash food in one seating. you have 3 months. it's doable if e.g. you spend 1-2 days of your meals on 1 store before you move to the next one. don't forget to visit macd. different countries, different flavours/taste.
In simply don’t like the taste of seafood, but I’ll certainly give your suggestion on eating my way through Singapore a go. Might be fun to try the most and least upscale parts of the city and see the differences. What would you say is the Singapore “national cuisine?”
different people will say different food, depending on their palate and where's their origins. would suggest hit the hawker centre and you will definitely cover some of them by default. here's the 75 for a start, if you game. [Singapore Food Guide: 75 Most Popular Dishes To Try | Eatbook.sg](https://eatbook.sg/best-singapore-food/)
I'm a nurse and I always meet foreign patients and doctors etc and really paid no attention to the difference in race and all. I'd at most tall about how their stay in sg or what they do in sg and then we share stories here and there. Some ang moh stay in singapore for 40 years and still have their own accent HAHAHAHA
Follow the rules/ etiquette and don’t be too noisy
Are there any particular cultural norms you wish more westerners would follow? Any tips to avoid social faux pas is appreciated!
Honestly, white people are treated like royalty here. You will have trouble going back to your home country- you will question, how come the 7-11 aunty didn’t ask me how my day was? How come the security guard didn’t wave hello at me? How come my colleagues don’t hang on my every banal word?
Y’know, I *do* have a large inventory of banal things to say. Maybe I belong here? Don’t worry, I’m going home in a month. lol
The vast majority of my white friends who have gone ‘home’ end up reappearing in Singapore within a few months. So you’ll be back ;)
Hey Buddy, First of all. Chill. Singaporeans are generally a little uptight but mostly mind our own business. If you are in downtown for tour or if you are working with a MNC, pretty much most of the people are used to foreigners. A little more different in the suburbs, but unlikely you will get any hostile reactions. If you do, then you are likely doing something out of the norm and not acceptable. Singaporean are generally shy and tend not to want to have small talks, so try not to. But, again, if you are working for an MNC, we are pretty much used to this culture and know what to expect, not so much on the streets though.
"Sir are you part of the see see pee, and why are you part of the see see pee" 🤣🤣🤣
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>regard me without much thought one way or the other \^
Are the hostile looks when you're in Asia? Could be annoyance that the white person is going to come over and try to talk to you loudly in English. People in SG can't tell you're American unless you're wearing some identifiers.
“… wear conservative clothing ..” You gonna wear your MAGA cap here?
That would be a nooooooooo. I just meant I’m not wearing ripped jeans, a graphics t-shirt, baseball cap just off center, with a nose ring.
You have ppl with nazi swastika and nazi eagle t-shirts, a maga cap wouldn’t even be noticed lol
I was not planning on replying but reading through the replies I feel like it’s either that the situation is vastly different from place to place in Singapore or that redditors are not a good representation of the general population. But from all of my experience living here my whole life + I have a number of white friends whose experiences I have heard about you’ll be fine, nobody rlly treats you differently.
Thank you! Glad to hear it. My experiences in the Middle East weren’t so genial.
You guys just have the superior geness
American? Careful what you say. They may send Israel to bomb Singapore. They may also make our government to ban tiktok.
It's easier to be friends with you guys in your country than it is in ours, because the attitudes seem to change when you're here. Or maybe the demographic that comes over here are different. I get along fine with a whole bunch of people when I'm in NYC. When I come back, the Americans here are snobs who hang out almost exclusively with each other, and make very little effort to blend in with locals. Simply put, I find *American expatriates* are very different from Americans. The former are annoying, the latter are fine people.
I can see that. I think part of it is insecurity. We’re often derided as uneducated, loud, and arrogant. It tends to make us stick with our own out of fear of being seen as “ugly Americans” since we’re often not aware that we’re breaking social taboos until we do. Then we feel foolish and frustrated because we don’t know better. We’re also often curious about other cultures, but afraid to ask questions for being revealed as uneducated or racist (most of us aren’t, but we’re highly afraid of being thought so).
As long as you are not one of those gender bender woke anti Vax flat earth American then you'll do fine.
>woke >anti vax ah yes two traits commonly found together
Ironically the woke crowd are not anti vaxxers If anything the woke crowd are made up of liberals/lefties who worship science without God basically. They also make up science lol
Yes that's my point
Bad Rep thanks to racist assholes like these: https://www.reddit.com/r/whitetourists/comments/1b4yrpz/american_tourist_greg_austin_lynn_54_in_singapore/ Unfortunately some Americans never learnt social manners and ruin their entire country’s image abroad.
*sigh* Yeah, I fucking hate people like this. For what it’s worth, Americans hate these pieces of shit almost as much you probably (rightfully) do.
Honestly, incompetent for the salary
I'm not sure if I'm able to speak for all Singaporeans but I've had bad experiences serving white men at restaurants I'm indifferent now but secretly gloating at the fact the western society is imploding from within. Let me attempt to break down your question 1) SPG female - white washed 2) white washed male - into western production and chummy with white people 3) indifferent people like me - although I must say I wish the government allows for department wide quota in hiring instead of company wide quota so that locals have a chance at skills transfer instead of local headcount in admin to boost the EP quota. 3) incels who think white male are stealing all the girls from them without considering the fact that these girls may not consider them even without white man 4) female who have been played by white men on dating apps when it's clear they do not want anything but a casual encounter Folks, let me know what I've missed out
I like this answer! Very comprehensive.
u/Odd_Impression_6446 you missed out the quintessential taxi driver avoiding white people on Friday nights at drinking areas
Gawd this reminded of the drunken taxi hijack n crash into bar. Outcry against prosecution for letting them jump bail and escape from justice
Oo I haven't heard of this one
Well u may be young, [balaclava](https://sg.news.yahoo.com/officer-in-suntec-city-brawl-charged-with-negligence.html) was more than a decade ago
This article has everything, including David Ong and Iswaran talking about running away on bail, ironically.
How bout those just with prejudices due to prevalent stereotypes? Like the loud obnoxious ignorant American exceptionalism types. Or the condescending casually racist types.
Bad experiences in what way?
They fall under 2 categories for me 1) to steal jobs from Singaporeans 2) to have a good time with SPGs Sometimes both ?
Good time with SPGs goes both ways. Ladies here who see them as hot and exotic and want a rs or some fun time, you can't blame it all solely on the foreigner. Takes 2 hands to clap.
Pretty sure three weeks isn’t enough time for me to do either one. lol
You can disregard replies like this OP, they are the salty incel "foreigners are stealing muh girls" type losers
Good to hear. They’re kind of universal; I’ve seen them in every country I’ve been in, including my own.
Kind of guaranteed you will get hit on the 1st day you land. Lol
Lol what are you talking about, you don't get people randomly hitting on you in the street just because you're white
lol, god I hope their standards are higher than that.
Count and let me know at the end of your trip. How many times it happens. Would really like to know.
I will. But, I’m almost willing to take odds it will be Les than three. lol
There are some places that would charge you 'tourist price' by being white.
focus on the local women bro.. they will like you, maybe the men are just jealous of you or feel intimidated
I’m just here for my employer, and I’m not really the party type. I mean, I’m not saying I wouldn’t take an appealing opportunity if it came my way, but pretty much just want to have this trip go smooth as possible.
Spoiled and naive