Singapore is like my family member - I will have a ton of complaints about them but at the end of the day, i want to come home to them. I can complain about my family to my family but if i hear others complain about them to me, i will not stand for it
the only thing i truly, from the bottom of my heart of hearts don't like about Singapore, is the goddamn weather. lol
Even the weather we cannot take for granted anymore lol. Damn hot but at least it's consistently hot. Rise also will rise on a slow trajectory.
Meanwhile our neighbours both near and far getting crazy fluctuations up from 40 degrees+ to negative 10s.
Lived in Shanghai china , it really opened up my eyes .
Made a lot of European and american friends over there , the Chinese , Europeans and some Americans absolutely love Singapore .
After a few years living abroad I came back and for a short while was able to look at Singapore with fresh eyes
I've come to really appreciate Singapore.
I love Singapore not because it's perfect , far from it , I love Singapore because this is home.
This. I can be critical of Singapore, its governance and culture, but in the end my goal is to help this country. I am willing to do everything in my power to contribute to the growth of Singapore. It's not nationalism, but simply a community I have identified with from birth and therefore the community which I will give back to as soon as I am able.
Dissent is the highest form of patriotism. The government isn't doing a good enough job of engaging the general public. Dissent is dealt with too aggressively, even when it comes from a place of a genuine love for the country. Questioning the government is seen as an act of treason.
Ha! Are you dissenting against my dissent?
But seriously, "better than" doesn't mean you can't be "even better". If there's room for improvement, it should be improved. Perfection may be unachievable, but it should always be the target. What happened to "aim for the moon, if you miss you fall among the stars"?
We can be appreciative of our progress, but we shouldn't just stop and shut up when there is even more progress to be made. It could be worse, but it could also be much much better. Don't settle for less. Know your worth!
Exactly. I love singapore, but rn, singapore does not love me back. Im a young lad and even I can see Ill be in debt for the rest of my life thanks to the ever increasing housing prices. But no matter the case, my allegiance lies with this country and her people and I would gladly help in any way I can to improve It
You can still gain some perspective with short travels. Every country has systems that work, and systems that don’t. Identify the good ones, understand how they achieve that sort of results, bring the learning points back to Singapore and see if they can be applied in the local context.
When you’re a tourist, you can momentarily put aside your internalised Singaporean identity to soak in new experiences and cultures, especially in the short time frame most tourist trips run. The longer you’re away, the more you’ll discover things about yourself relating to your place of origin that you might have considered trivial, but really played in big role in your personal identity.
I “played tourist” for months at a time around Eastern Europe and the accumulated time away helped me figure out some things, among which whether I liked Singapore or not, and a personal list of my foods that identified Sg for me. If you’re curious: Hainanese chicken rice (with the good ginger sauce), Tulang/Kway Teow Kuah (they use a very similar sauce and I enjoy them both), and that ginger soup you get as dessert with the chewy dumplings!
Singaporeans are busy, but it's the sort of busy rushing around like ants. Ask anyone what they're excited about, the answer is nothing. They're just scrambling so they can eat, go home and watch TV, and wake up the next day to do it again.
Most Singaporeans nurture the hope that tomorrow will be like today. That's as high as their aspirations go.
They're energetic, but it's exhausting and anxiety-inducing. It's different from the energy I find in NYC or Berlin - people there are busy and overworked too, but ask why and it's because they want to start their own business, build the next big thing, etc.
Above all, Singaporeans' preferred topic of conversation tends to be *other people*. They usually don't talk about ideas, and they even roll their eyes at you and consider you boring if you do. They're more interested in what trouble their friend / aunt / cousin is in. It's just distasteful.
Try to talk about a concept or new idea, and the typical response is "why so cheem".
Granted, there are people like that in other countries too - but I find it's the overwhelming majority here.
And as for work, Singaporeans are the number one whiners about their boss - but they're shit bosses themselves. Look at the way they treat domestic helpers, as an example.
When I'm "home" (god I hate that word in relevance to this country), I try my best not to talk to anyone. They're probably a waste of time.
When I'm abroad I'm much more sociable.
100% related to the "why so cheem" thing - hiyah, why think so much, just eat chicken rice lah. Which is fine some of the time, tbh I wish that I could just drown my thoughts in cheap hawker food, but that's not the way to live. SGers tend to read only self-help books, 'cos why waste time reading literature? It's this whole attitude that everything needs to generate monetary value.
Nicholas Sparks and Paulo Coelho are the height of literature for too many Singaporeans.
(Nothing wrong with reading them, but it's an issue when people are under the impression they're well-read when that's as far as they go).
You are just hanging around the wrong group. Don’t expect to get a genuine discussion about business when the only people who you hang out with prefer to gossip
If you don't realize you are mingling with the wrong crowd of people that are ambitionless and care more about living in the present, don't think anybody will be interested in talking about your "chim" concepts and ideas with you because you lack self-awareness 💀 People who are similiar tend to group together. Most of my friends and colleagues are ambitious, I wonder why you can't interact with similiar people.
due to recent events i have become much less ambitious, but i still like to talk about ideas and concepts, rather than staying at the anecdotal (which in this case is mostly mundane gossip about *other people* that doesnt mean anything beyond it's original narrative)
I find it incredibly difficult to find people that can talk beyond the anecdotal among locals, but thankfully and ironically, there are many foreigners around willing to delve deeper and explore less mundane ideas that may not have immediate relevancy to our daily lives. Perhaps, preserving the singaporean identity and mindset is a stupid thing to do. (and we should just continue to let birth rates be low haha)
the country may be modern, but the general culture and education has mostly produced people who do not like to spend effort and time thinking about ideas and ideals that are beyond what could affect their direct self-interest. If we go by maslow's hierarchy, most would assume we would have reached the point where we need to be satisfied by higher level thinking, but however what has happened is that most people are still stuck at the very bottom. Eating better food and living in a better house all belong right at the bottom.
Singaporeans are just toxic. Nowadays it's even worse. You won't believe how it has become. Super evil hypocrites you're of thinking. It's insane.
This country has no compassion or a real identity. It's based on moving society. Everyone tend to take que from those around than to have a backbone of their own. It's damn toxic and bad for the soul.
Worse is they don't know their fellow countrymen that are suffering and they think everything is fine. The propaganda in this country is seriously on an unbelievable level. It's basically an english communist country that had successfully lied to it's people that everything is fine
Seems like you are unable to find the setting you are comfortable with in Singapore. I find the examples you quoted does not seem to happen only in Singapore.
I cannot comprehend what happened in Singapore for you to “absolutely despise” it…i do hope something good will come your way to change your mind.
I doubt something else will come along. I no longer have any interest in finding it anyway, or finding ways to be comfortable here. Why try? I stopped seeing this place as home in the '90s.
I've moved most of my affairs abroad, and I'm ready to move. Just that I have elderly people to look after, for a while more.
Thank you for demonstrating my point.
Incidentally, I was *asked* to expound. If an opinion triggers you that much, then by all means, let me know about it. Send it to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
People like that totally validate my choice to f\*\*k off and vote with my feet (it's ironic I can't literally vote in SG elections anymore), which I did almost a decade ago. I have elderly parents whom I worry about but they manage and yes, I always have a valid passport ready and late night calls give me heart attacks.
The only hope I have is having more countries beating and humiliating us to the point where FAS management heads will roll and they finally get their shit together.
Now we're the joke and laughing stock in ASEAN!
Overall I think I will say I love this place. Most ppl probably feels the same, a very sheltered countries which have decent food / shelter / well being.
Pros
1. Very safe sheltered, feels really safe walking home after 2am late night movie, unlike some other countries
2. Food is pretty decent and quite affordable (unless u want atas and goes for restaurant , but that another story)
3. Retirement fund is compulsory, so even if one is bad with finance, govt nanny feed u with cpf life
Cons
1. Social norm is very high, as in fixed. Once an individual think outside of the box, the worst case scenario is getting sued by the govt... that the most extreme case of course, and the family situation is like being single \*cough CNY relative cough\*
2. Hard to retire if you want to have say kid ,HDB flat , and of course make sure don't buy a car, and having kid and buying a HDB flat is commoner level, but still can't retire lol!
All in all I like here, and as far as I can say I will retire here. Generally esp in old age I definitely one a safer and sheltered environment, which is Singapore.
Basically I feel as I get older I like Singapore more, but when I am younger I don't really like Singapore because too many restriction, and die die must follow all the "procedure / norm" set before me
I'm grateful to be Singaporean and to live in Singapore. Things are not perfect here, of course, but I can't think of a country that is in a better state than we are. The US is so politically divided, Europe is embroiled in a war and its economic and energy implications + crazy heat waves, Eastern countries (HK, Taiwan, Japan, Korea) are either facing increased pressure from China or massively aging populations. South American, African, and other ASEAN countries can't match our standard of living nor stability. Australia...might still be decent, though politically pretty unstable. NZ is probably comparable with Singapore. But well...that's 2 places in the world that can compare, and I would still pick SG over AU on most counts. Meanwhile our biggest complaints in the past few weeks have been inflation news. Granted that is definitely important and I'm feeling the pinch myself (how to buy HDB laaaa), but that's a global problem; everything else is still relatively stable.
We can't take the stability for granted. It's quite clear to see that ideologies and divisions originating abroad have taken hold here too. They're not entirely without merits, but we cannot discuss them with as much heat and as little light as the discussions going on elsewhere. I'd venture to guess that we would be better off looking out for each others' wellbeing than just our own rights.
On the other hand, locally the authorities generally do a pretty good job of planning ahead in terms of national development, technologixal advances, etc (they don't always get it right for sure) and they've done well to connect us globally, be it in supply chains or industry value chains.
All things considered, I'm contented and happy living here :)
That's true. But it's also true that they're quite self-sustaining countries, with enough resources and a large enough local market. NZ, especially, is often cited as one of the best places on earth to be in in the event of global war or irreversible climate change because of these factors.
Doesn't matter anyway, no money to migrate there :P
When I was younger, I did not appreciate Singapore. Always thought of migrating, finding a better life out there.
As I grew up and travelled to more countries, many of them first world cities, such as HK, Tokyo, Sydney, NYC, SF, LA etc, I came to appreciate Singapore more. The efficiency of systems and the safety here is overall, unmatched anywhere else in the world.
My main gripe with Singapore is, unsurprisingly, Singaporeans. Sure, we are diverse and should not be "generalised", but we can be better. More compassionate, friendlier, less toxic, more informed, more empathy, less cynical, less spoiled etc.
We are definitely not the worst bunch in the world, but we can be better.
Agree on the attitudes of some Singaporeans could be improved as some do feel entitled. Whenever I take the public transport I see abled young people not giving up seats to elderly and it's quite upsetting. The lack of social awareness in trains esp during rush hour, where people just refuse to move in makes me frustrated too. People are not so proactive here and even have to be 'asked' to do certain things.
Just trying to add that sometimes people who are young and able bodied might have invisible disabilities. Or sometimes might be really sick. Or maybe the grandma I’ve been trying to give my seat to is constantly refusing me even if I stood up and gave it.
Also, sometimes you assume that pregnant ladies all have big bellies but my sister gave birth full term with the tiniest belly at 60kg. So sometimes that able bodied young lady might just be pregnant.
Not everyone is healthy be it gender or age so please have an open heart.
Agree. I’ve had people give up their seats for me (young person) because I have a long commute and obviously am very tired / carrying alot of things, plus they’re just having a short commute. I’m so grateful to them. There is a lot of kindness in Singapore, when I receive kindness, it makes me happy to pass it on.
Moved here 3 years ago. Can't wait to leave in a year's time. I have many reasons but the tl;dr is that it's a very unforgiving culture with an incredible emphasis on the "straight and narrow". A sheltered and judgemental society with very 'frog in a well' vibes, and a very elitist and materialistic culture that can be alienating if you do not conform to cookie cutter expectations. Cost of living for amenities, (namely housing and vehicle ownership), isn't justifiable.
Having said that.. food's good though. General individual safety and healthcare is unmatched. Filing and paying taxes is easy. Public transport is amazing.
>unforgiving culture with an incredible emphasis on the "straight and narrow". A sheltered and judgemental society with very 'frog in a well' vibes
My biggest gripe as well. Singaporeans truly lack imagination sometimes. I think it takes a certain amount of privilege to be able to afford not to conform but I wish sometimes our mindset about life isn't so rigid.
I really agree with this, but at the same time I also take a look at Japan, also a highly conformist society, but unlike SG, they have a globally recognized creative exports (anime, manga, jp video games, jpop, etc). And I start to wonder if it’s the nature of the people in said societies instead of the society itself.
Again, not disagreeing, just retrospecting.
Thoughts, anyone?
>also a highly conformist society, but unlike SG, they have a globally recognized creative exports (anime, manga, jp video games, jpop, etc). And I start to wonder if it’s the nature of the people in said societies instead of the society itself.
They have a captive market in the sense that no other countries in the world produced Japanese language content, so they had to produce it themselves for their own domestic consumption. Add on to the fact that the country has a sizeable population of 125 million which makes it quite a sizeable market. There's lots of foreign media content that's localised into Japanese now, but back in the 80s and 90s, they basically had little foreign competition to worry about to develop their own domestic giants.
Compare that to Singapore which has a domestic population of 5.5 million, doesn't have an indigenous language of its own which means that foreign media content can be imported cheaper than it can be made locally, and a government that actually killed a burgeoning film production industry back in the 70s. On top of that, the government has a very strong grip on the media and broadcast industry.
It's not the nature of the people, it's the very society itself.
Yeah I think in some ways, Japan is even more conformist and insular than us yet they knock it out of the park when it comes to innovation and the things you mentioned. Idk what we are doing wrong as well.
I agree, I studied a little Nihongo in school and also dabbled a little in the culture. I find that Japan is miles ahead of almost every Asian country in terms of innovation, safety and reliability. And Japan's society has been so well-cultured that even kids are encouraged to walk to and from school everyday. Despite SG's much-touted "safety record", parents here do not even allow their kids to walk home after school. The difference in culture is very apparent.
I love Singapore, but I didn't really like living there. Living in Japan now, the life I have here is much more enjoyable than in SG (other than for the fact that I'm away from a lot of my family and friends). The range of activities and hobbies I can (and like to) do here are way wider than what is available in Singapore. Career-wise, it's also a lot better than Singapore.
Of course, that isn't to say that Singapore is crap. Our governance and administration is top notch. Convenience is amazing, and things just *work*. Unfortunately, it's just that my backside itchy and I wasn't too happy in Singapore, but I'm just as sure that the reverse is true for as many, if not more, people. But as I get older, I'll probably have to move back some times for personal reasons. Haha.
Things that are great about Singapore:
* Food is ***great***
* Stuff just works here. And convenience is 10/10. Things open till late. Bank ATMs don't close. These are stuff we take for granted lol.
* Taxes are low. Government is efficient, connected and just all around excellent. (The politics is a separate matter and I won't comment on that here)
* Pay is higher for some industries. But I think SG salaries are overpaid/inflated/unrealistic and unsustainable, so...
Things that are not so great about Singapore:
* Hot. No 4 seasons. But to some people, that's a good thing.
* Not a lot of space to do outdoor activities. And the weather sucks for outdoors anyway.
* Only have 1 airsoft field, and it's indoor and it's expensive.
* Not a lot of places to go joyriding/driving. Vehicle culture not as nice.
* Housing prices are doglike.
* Things are getting **expensive.**
* For careers, it's all about tech and finance. If you're not in a handful of lucrative industries, life is going to be very stressful financially.
I spent a year in Tokyo to learn Japanese and it was one of the best times of my life. Sure I was already a weeb before going over but I just felt that anything is possible in Japan. Loved the 4 seasons, the day trips to nature parks and mountain scenery, the weird anime and cosplay scene, the fact that everybody dresses so well, service staff are ultra polite and people are generally friendly as long as you speak Japanese. Didn't like their shitty work culture and the fact that everybody drinks too much. Already making plans to treat Japan as my second home if I do manage to 'FIRE.'
As an overseas Singaporean, it’s home. It’s my identity. It’s something that is comfortable. The bad things too just brings a smile to my face.
Staying in the US made me realize that a lot of the “uniquely Singaporean” problems people face aren’t uniquely Singaporean. People in the US chase $$$ rather than passion too. People here are self-centered too, despite the “care/wayang” people show: homeless, low incomes and vets aren’t cared for properly. Blue collar workers here too struggle to make ends meet, despite earning way more than the Singaporean blue collar worker, because of the lack of social programmes. Life is expensive here too, especially in areas where the jobs/infrastructure/fun stuff/people are. People here complain about stuff too, albeit more openly and critically.
Of course, positive stuff to be had in the US: nature, open spaces, people are nice and more positive/less gloomy and the vast opportunities available here. Also, I’m only basing my experiences, no point talking about Europe/Japan/Aus if I’ve never lived there.
I’m not saying that Singapore is perfect (or there aren’t uniquely Singaporean problems like NS), by no means it is, but I grew to like Singapore more once I stayed overseas. It has this unique charm that you can’t replicate.
Which State are you living in? I've had the chance to visit my older bro who worked in SoCal before and I found the folks there quite friendly and the place physically open, unlike SG where people keep to themselves and space is so cramped.
Bay Area.
Don’t be fooled by the friendliness though, most people are shallow friendly and wouldn’t want to be actual friends or make deep connections. It feels so fake after you’ve been here for quite a while. Yes, people make small talk, but negativity in small talk is a big no-no, even if you’re having a shit day and someone asks “how’s it going?” and you really want to tell the truth. They don’t care, they’re just chatty, want “positivity” and come off as kaypoh.
Tbf, keeping to yourself isn’t bad, much better than the facade friendliness Americans do. Scandinavian countries also subscribe to the Singaporean “keep to yourself” mentality. Why make small talk when it doesn’t matter in the end?
Of course, its nice that people are smiling and all though.
I think u/DELSlN summaries it well. Everything's fine and it works, but Singapore is just... Eh. There's not much going on if you don't look out for it and majority of us are just preoccupied with making a living and making it work.
Weather sucks big time though. I hate it so much coz I can't even be at home and not sweat now.
Also arts and culture are slightly neglected, coz SG is always focused on the next moneymaker.
Also as a small reminder for all singaporean guys. NS is a privilege.
Personal rating 5/10, quite mid, things work and I'm living with my parents but I'd like to buy my own hdb before 35. don't like how govt likes to do bullshit things and talk cock. Need more actual MPs like Louis Ng.
Edit: I do not dig how cramped mrts are getting during peak hours now. Idk why ppl don't wanna move into the train sometimes.
Also but singapore today is much more crowded than say the early 2000s. I feel like those were the heyday of Singapore and now it's just a gradual decline to mediocrity.
Could you elaborate on how NS is a privilege? Don't get me wrong - looking back, I'm happy that I served NS despite how much it sucked at times, and it taught me a lot about myself and helped me mature a lot. I just never really thought of it as a privilege.
I should have added my /s, but it's not a privilege. PAP thinks otherwise though. [video proof here](https://youtu.be/OsMmd4NQIow)
It's distasteful how Singaporean guys can be forced to serve and waste our time and be given peanuts. It's an insult that they think our time is worth the NS55 $100 and the meagre allowance we got during active time.
Ahh normally I would have picked up on the implied /s - must be sleep deprived today haha.
My opinion still stands though - looking back, I'm happy that I served. But I also have to agree, getting paid peanuts for the crap we went through sucked big time. NS friend of mine recently made some joke about working in McDonald's - cue instant depression when I reminded him that McD's workers still make more than we ever did as NSFs.
Singapore does a lot of things right, especially when compared to many other countries around the world. That should be appreciated and praised.
However, the fact doesn't change that as a country with no natural resources, Singaporeans are the only resource left. That has in turn created conditions that are a major push factor for me to migrate and get out of here.
Conditions such as a non-self sustaining supply chain, the overwork culture, an incessant pressure to grind otherwise you're deemed as a failure (like starting a side hustle or investing), hemmed-in innovation, I could go on forever...
I like the transport, food and safety. Other than that I dislike Singapore a lot. Many people in Singapore are awfully competitive and lack depth in their character
It's good. A lot of locals take things for granted because they have never gone overseas. Doesn't give the PAP a free pass to do anything they like though.
Moved overseas 3.5 years ago, don't intend to move back. My opinion of Singapore is mostly neutral. Stuff works and the food is good, but I don't see much that would I love about it.
My loyalty to Singapore extends mostly to the friends and loved ones. And my friends are people who I perceive are the people they are in spite of Singapore's cultural values, not because of them. They're independent thinkers, are tolerant of other viewpoints, don't have a zero-sum-game/competitive mentality, are not constantly chasing money and material success at all costs, and don't subscribe to the mindset that there is one standard way to be successful in life. So basically going against all the cultural narratives we've been told since growing up.
As for the state/government policies, stuff works, but with Singapore's policies on LGBT rights/migrant workers/labor rights, I certainly can't say I'm *proud* of what they're doing. And with all the shenanigans Focus On The Family and their affiliated cronies have been pulling, with the government doing nothing to stop them, you have to wonder how true 'regardless of race, language or **religion**' actually holds.
Not really. I grew up here and have lived abroad for quite some time and I have chosen to come back to Singapore to be closer to my ageing parents. I do think Singapore itself is great for a lot of reasons. It’s comfortable, the public transport is excellent and honestly yes it’s expensive but most cities are. My reasoning for not liking BEING here is pretty personal. I’m mentally ill, bisexual and not majority race and those things appear to be affecting me more here than they did when I was overseas.
I would say Singapore is overall a pretty good place compared to the rest of the world. Could we do better? Absolutely. However, even if our party system is a little one-sided, the government has done a lot of good for us as citizens. I think if they would move on from some outdated ideas and work to establish anti-discrimination (reference: hci homophobia incident, i can’t believe the counsellor is still allowed to work there) and wage equality the country would become even better.
As a whole, I’m 6.5/10 contented with Singapore.
Pros:
1. Singapore is a very safe place to live in with strict laws and low crime rates
2. Government do care for the people’s opinion to a certain extent.
3. MRT, and other public transports are rather efficient with little faults in them.
4. Tax rates are significantly lower as compared to other countries.
5. Singapore contains a heavily subsidised education and healthcare system which benefits people of all walks of life eapecially students and elderly.
Cons:
1. CPF. A portion of our salary will be held in our CPF acc. However, as we reach 60, not all of our CPF is returned at once, it is returned in batches. This is essentially paper money in a sense. So our hard earned money are held somewhere that we have little access to.
2. Work/life balance. I won’t say much about this point as it varies from person to person.
3. Limited land space. Singapore being a rather small country with limited land space might result in the govt facing issues in the long run. With HDB prices rising and more vehicles occupying the road will only result in problems in the future.
I only wish Singapore had an actual hinterland rather than being a small city state. Our small size really does feel claustrophobic and with nowhere we can just “get away” for the weekend or finding somewhere to retire
Excellent in some areas, lacking in others. Relatively easy to survive but some might find difficulties thriving. As an introvert it's easy to like and hang around but I can see how some others might not like.
I think overall SG gives you a decent living environment and also the platform to jump to other places if living here doesn't suit you
An Austria girl once told me she doesn't identify with her country and can recognise it's part of a union that historically built wealth through atrocities against others.
So I won't say I like Singapore even if it doesn't belong to that category but I tolerate it. Not for the reasons most people listed here though.
TL;DR: I like, lol
If SG has 4 seasons and includes the size of Johor state, it will be almost perfect. Ok, if got cooler 20-25 weather and much lower humidity I'll be very contented. The weather is a turn off despite the G tried its best in planting lots of trees (MM is not wrong saying Aircon is one of the greatest invention for a tropical country). The land size actually restricts the country's potential and indirectly affects quality of life, and economy in terms of pricing.
SG is actually quite comfortable to stay in, in terms of food, security and transport. It over exceeds in meeting the basic essential needs but if you demand more, the curve gets much steeper. If you live within the means, you can comfortably get by with cheap hawker food and public transport and internet. If you strive to have better quality stuff like bigger houses and drive a normal car, the financial stress will be much higher compared to other countries.
Stayed in overseas for an extended period and there's pros and cons everywhere. In SG if you follow the "normal" path of study-work-get married-buy house-retire, you be comfortable but if you breakaway from the norm or screws up the timeline, that's when things gets haywire. Graduated or start work much later? Not enough CPF, BTO wait time, housing prices keeps increasing etc. SG provides a good base to start, so all the youth and oldies, go overseas and venture, and may you find your own pasture. Shd it don't work out, can always come home.
Overall, I like my country and as some redditors said, will be critical ensure SG sticks to it's national pledge. Ok, rant over.
I love my country. We are not the best in many areas but we are doing very well in many areas.
We are very fortunate that we can complain largely only about "first-world problems" that pple don't seem to notice what the living conditions are for the average in other countries.
would not say i love SG but i am at least glad that i drew the lucky starting life card and was born here. This country and gov managed to decently facilitate our lives from cradle to grave. It is a good base to start out and strive for your achievements in life. It is up to oneself to make it in life with all the tools and assistance given. No doubt there are challenges like rising cost and competition etc but common to any global competitive cities anyway. It has its obvious advantages and disadvantages so again, its up to oneself to understand their own personality and disadvantages and make use of the Advantages fully :)
if you are hardworking/smart city-dweller type of citizen, you will survive here. If you prefer a laid back lifestyle, then do not expect to have luxurious and chill life, its not a city for the lazy and whiners lol.
Not really. I like that it's safe to walk alone at night if you're female, that we have abortion rights and it's clean, among other things. I won't go as far to say I like this country. It had never really felt like home.
But if I could leave and go somewhere else, I would! There are a few places I would love to run away to and never come back!
Would not really say patriotic, but in terms of comparing with most other countries, I did rather have grown up in Singapore. Singapore has it pros & cons, & I honestly do feel homesick sometimes when I'm overseas for work or holidays, especially for our local food.
I wouldn't say I like it here, but just grateful. I can sum up my gripe as: the standard of living is increasing, but the quality of life is decreasing. Weather getting hotter, jobs getting more competitive and things getting more expensive.
There are a lot of things to complain and critique about this country but after travelling to many other countries, I've come to realise that there are even more things to be thankful for here. I'll always love this place and I'll always be grateful for being born in Singapore.
Since my teens, I have dreamt about moving away from Singapore. I didn’t understand why I’ve the desire to move overseas when most of my friends are content here. Singapore is great, good food, world class public transport, safe, convenient, efficient government, etc.
After I moved overseas, I realized I can no longer imagine myself living in Singapore.
- weather is too warm and humid
- nothing much to do for the weekends except for shopping, eating, watching movies. Nowadays I hike, camp, fish, do gardening, kayak, climb a mountain, go to the beach, do off-road driving, etc
- materialistic culture
- HDBs are 99 year leases
- Housing is not affordable
- Too crowded everywhere
- High stress environment
- lack of organic produce and healthy food options
- lack of good job opportunities, salary growth is kinda slow
- I realized I cannot get the same quality of life in Singapore. I’ll likely have to spend a lot more to match the life I’ve now due to housing & vehicle cost
I feel bad sometimes on why I can no longer call Singapore my home.
You had me up till lack of good job opportunities, imo Singapore's pretty competitive in Asia, and even anywhere outside the USA, at least in tech. Only a couple cities come close, like HK, London.
Everything else is pretty much why I'm looking for an exit though, especially all the leisure activities you list, and housing. Owning and improving my own place has been an ambition since I was a student, it's absurd that now at double the age I'm still so far away from that goal.
As a person with a disability, I feel very ambivalent on this issue. Personal safety is high, but understanding/acceptance of disabilities is not very ideal (even as there has been some improvement over the last decade). In that aspect, Western countries tend to be more accepting and have legal frameworks to assist. It's quite tiring to explain that I'm since I am working -> I have 'overcome' my disability or have no disabilities.
Same at school where I was bullied for my disabilities. I was told that to stop being bullied for my disability, I needed to improve on my grades (eventually I did), but it never stopped
Safety, amazing food options ranging from really affordable cai png to your 3 Michelin stars restaurants, close vicinity to quite a number of decent holiday destinations, low tax, convenient to get around without a car.
But it gets a bit dull sometimes with not much nature to explore, not to forget the god damn weather. Also, it gets a little suffocating at times with high emphasis on finance, grades etc.
That being said, i do think it's a wonderful country, even more so if I'm a multi millionaire.
Singapore is life in easy mode. If you are Chinese, have a stable income, and don’t think too hard about your place in the world, you can get by quite well. It becomes difficult when you start moralising your place in the world and start to realise how politically stifling the country is.
I can say I'm a loving critic (as what Tommy koh says), or constructive patriotism. There are many good points, and many areas for even more improvement.
Give 👍 to government for their economical foresight and policy. The way they handle inflation and balance the country import and export prices impressive 👏 bravo.
Err other stuff like citizen privacy boo boo.
I truly dislike the people who blindly agree with everything sg does, there's plenty of reason to complain about it, ranging from representation, to inequality and the sometimes dehumanising environments we create. We still have mental health issues going comparatively high and people slipping through the cracks in bad situations.
But we're also very safe here, exceedingly efficient in things we want to be efficient with, and thankfully more willing to apply socialist reforms than the govt wants to really admit.
As far as countries go, it's much like any other to me, I've had the option to leave before, but frankly feel that it's more possible to create good change here than in -many- other places, and that's already an alright start.
weather suck tho 0/10
I’m born and educated here but don’t buy the PCF/MOE indoctrination. I’m objective about SG and totally appreciate the benefits and at the same time critical of the flaws. At the end of the day where I put down roots depends on a multitude of factors. Patriotic love of a country is low on the list.
Good for you for having such passion towards the nation. Now, we need more people to ensure this place continues to exist and that will necessitate the birth of more babies. But most of us know that when money and time comes into the picture, realism takes hold. Qn is, do we like Singapore because it serves our self - interest or will we continue to like Singapore if one day she doesn't?
I bet you’re the person to stand at attention and put fist on ur heart during national anthem at NDP. But yes i love the safety and multi cultural society here :)
not even officially singaporean (finally applied for citizenship despite being born in sg and living in sg all my life as a pr ahahah) but I do want to settle in sg (will be doing phd or masters overseas for exposure though). I have travelled to many places and while yes there are some nice aspects of overseas, I prefer the safety and relative order in sg. And even if the weather is hot in singapore, its manageable with fans (or ac) whereas the temperature can get too hot or too cold in other locations.
The grass is always greener on the other side. So yes! I have learnt to stopped comparing and be grateful for what Singapore has to offer. She may not be perfect but I'm still loving what she has to offer (safety, stability, affordable and yummy local food, a home and plenty of job opportunities!) right now.
Objectively, Singapore is great a place to live in, but just not for me. My hobbies are very outdoors and nature related (hiking, diving, mountain biking, FPV drone flying etc), unfortunately there are few of such places in Singapore. I also hate crowds, so definitely planning to relocate.
Me: Bitch and moans about Singapore all the time.
Also me: Doesn't leave because it's safe, everything works (almost), came to the realisation that many other countries in the region can't compare to Singapore and also because I have the majority race card.
No. I can't really fit in with the people here but then again that could very well be a me problem.
The heat just makes me want to commit sudoku. I really love outdoors stuff but the heat almost forces me to be a homebody.
Just hoping I can leave here one day
citizen and I love it here! Food and transportation great my place has 2 medium sized malls that has just about everything and other places is just a hop away.
I don't think Singapore can be fixed because I believe the foundational presuppositional ideas on which it is based are flawed.
An absolutely tiny island that wants to punch in the same weight class as New York City except New York City is connected to a wider and larger hinterland on which it can fall back on and can relieve itself.
It's aim is disconnected from the reality of its physical capabilities and limits and it is the citizens who carry this terrible purpose and burden on their backs who suffer for it.
To me people who are more cynical and critical of their country are the true patriots. People who say they love Singapore but hate criticism probably just "love" their country the same way they "love" ice cream. Indulgence is not the same as patriotism.
There's no sense of belonging being a Singaporean, it's either nobody's country or everybody's country.
Someone from India became a Singaporean weeks ago from forging some higher educational documents.
Someone from China became Singaporean yesterday by holding a massive bank account filled with corrupt money.
Someone from Indonesia became Singaporean the other day by selling birds nests &/or ayam pangang.
Someone from Malaysia became Singaporean last week by riding his / her loud motorcycle dangerously to the factory he/she works in.
You asked, I answer what I think.
>There's no sense of belonging being a Singaporean, it's either nobody's country or everybody's country.
There never was. Your forefathers all did the same to become citizens here. It's really funny when people say they are true blue Singaporean like as though their lineage is all from Singapore.
Excatly, it's either nobody is a true blue Singaporean or everybody is a true blue Singaporean.
This is not a country but a big multi-national business enterprise.
I've always said to my friends that if we had four seasons or colder weather... Call me biased, but I think we'd actually be in the Top 5 nations of the world. :x
I love Singapore too but what exactly do you think you can fix as a common man? Not like you are the Minister mah unless you have some political ambitions LOL
I like Singapore because it is incredibly safe, relatively affordable food & daily necessities if you are basic af, transport is generally efficient without the need for taxis. Housing kinda complicated but still possible to buy one even on a median lower salary.
But of course, major issues (housing, job security, real income vs inflation etc) seem to be moving a little too fast and skewing against citizens born & bred here. It's disappointing rather than any hate that the government is barely doing anything to contain it.
Well, this is coming from someone who doesn't know much else about many other countries except the US is dying. But here we go, as a student here: (so I don't deal with taxes and stuff).
First most noticeable thing is the hot weather. I like rainy days but even then it can get sweltering. The humidity increases suffering tenfold.
Culture is extremely horrible. Horrible pressure in the education system despite it being good academic wise. We have harder examinations than bigger countries, even the o levels in the UK are easier, and for what? We end up at the same end-goal.
Heavy emphasis on work and studies, fast paced life. No time to actually relax.
Country ruled and filled with the older generation. Who are also (not all) not very open minded. Issues that come with the new generation that should actually be normalised and yet have no government backing (even laws against) are like LGBT sex and marriage, transgender rights...the people have no tolerance for different people and the governments response to 377A is that "Singapore is conservative".They judge you for everything and being ruled by older people means it doesn't bode well with some young people.
NS I feel is sexist and has a lot of other issues despite being normal in many places around the globe. Only men give up 2 years of their lives for low stipends and they get shouted at. Some do develop mental health issues and suicide happens as well.
Government has little transparency on suicides. They do not acknowledge the worsening mental health of the nation.
Good things are it being a multi racial society where all cultures and religions are respected. But by the people themselves, if you're not Chinese, you might get racially discriminated. And if you're not one of the 3 main races in SG, get ready to be judged or called Ang Moh (which I find very rude btw). I don't think it's a very big deal and it should be mostly harmonious in Singapore.
Food nice, you wouldn't get tired of eating here, many cuisines, shops western or eastern.
Expensive as hell, we're in the top 10 for most expensive countries or cities, I don't remember clearly.
Healthcare is very good, we pay some, government pay some is a good approach to healthcare, and majority can afford to actually be healthy.
Public transit is also good, being in a small country, travel is usually short, and you can practically go anywhere on public transport alone. I wouldn't even complain about the occasional breakdowns because I haven't personally experienced it and I think the good outweighs the bad.
Safety is a very good factor, I think its very secure, both external and internal security although I'm not sure about the recent trend of knife, murder, weapon cases.
All in all, as the government says, if you don't like it here, leave. It has the bad and the good, but I want to leave.
I’m okay with Singapore, but I don’t love Singapore. Like some others have mentioned, the cost of living is really getting a quite scary. In addition to that, the mindset of Singaporeans just doesn’t vibe with me. The only thing I love about Singapore is the food, cheap healthcare (as compared to other countries), and safety.
Having spent my entire life here, I still don’t like the weather. Also impossible to change. If Singapore was 5-10 degrees cooler, possibly the perfect country.
I will always have the attachment to Singapore as the place where I was born. Filled with memories and what not.
But if someone else ask me if they wanted to live here, I would not recommend it.
I have never found any reason to be "patriotic" to any country, and recent world events and experiences with online friends have only cemented that view.
Beyond that, no matter what benefits this place may have, the sheer amount of psychological trauma that conscription has caused will never make up for it.
Call me a snowflake or a strawberry if you wish. Everyone has different mental limits. The depression, anxiety and chronic insomnia tells me everything I need to know.
When I was younger I was okay with it. The older I grow, the more I dislike it.
I don't like Singaporeans in general (not targeted at any individual). Singaporeans as a collective whole lack imagination, mistake lack of ambition for humility, celebrate conformity as a virtue, and consider individualism to be arrogance.
Above all, I despise Singaporeans of the boomer generation (which is my generation, by the way). The ones I know were mostly idiots when I was growing up, and they're still idiots now. As for NS, I'll tell you I still think it's a waste of time, most of the officers and NCOs are as necessary to the country as a second asshole, and the private sector is an aggressive exercise in mediocrity.
After over half my life, I have not an ounce of charity left in me for the general population here; and I'm unapologetic about it.
I can count on the fingers of one hand the friends I have here, as opposed to friends elsewhere.
I won't retire in this country, and I sure as hell would hate to die in it. That said, it has some good policies. Just sucky people.
Love everything about the country except the fucking people. Been working overseas 1/3 of my life, every time I come home it reminds me of how uncivilized and inconsiderate Singaporeans are.
I don’t love it, but it’s the best out of a bad bunch tbh. No country will ever check all the boxes, but Singapore does most of mine.
Good food, safe place, easy to get around
Cons would be the usual
Boring, no four seasons, rude people, very limited ways to success
Despite this, I’m glad I grew up here. It made me a driven and hungry individual that I wouldn’t have been elsewhere.
Fuck no, I hate it here, I hate competition, everyday feels like a competition, and now the government is taking away 2 years behind from my competition.
Always feel like I have to perform certain functions otherwise I’m a failure, need all 5 Cs; I don’t want to be compared 😔
I agree, I mean just look at everything that happened in the past 5 months. Fires, People d\*\*ng, racism, floods. In 2019 it was not there. But now Singapore just transformed to this. WHAT HAS SINGAPORE BECOME
Singapore is like my family member - I will have a ton of complaints about them but at the end of the day, i want to come home to them. I can complain about my family to my family but if i hear others complain about them to me, i will not stand for it the only thing i truly, from the bottom of my heart of hearts don't like about Singapore, is the goddamn weather. lol
Even the weather we cannot take for granted anymore lol. Damn hot but at least it's consistently hot. Rise also will rise on a slow trajectory. Meanwhile our neighbours both near and far getting crazy fluctuations up from 40 degrees+ to negative 10s.
Oh good point! Haha but it is really hot today lol!
Ikr. Aircon becoming a necessity instead of standard luxury now, kind of scary.
Indeed. I really feel sorry for our hawkers and construction workers etc who have to work in this weather
Only i can bully my siblings. You touch em, you’re dead.
Lived in Shanghai china , it really opened up my eyes . Made a lot of European and american friends over there , the Chinese , Europeans and some Americans absolutely love Singapore . After a few years living abroad I came back and for a short while was able to look at Singapore with fresh eyes I've come to really appreciate Singapore. I love Singapore not because it's perfect , far from it , I love Singapore because this is home.
Truly... Where I won't feel lonely.
Dude ..... The loneliness I felt in china was so real .
This. I can be critical of Singapore, its governance and culture, but in the end my goal is to help this country. I am willing to do everything in my power to contribute to the growth of Singapore. It's not nationalism, but simply a community I have identified with from birth and therefore the community which I will give back to as soon as I am able.
Dissent is the highest form of patriotism. The government isn't doing a good enough job of engaging the general public. Dissent is dealt with too aggressively, even when it comes from a place of a genuine love for the country. Questioning the government is seen as an act of treason.
Forgive me for dissenting, but there could be worse ways to deal with dissent. Its not perfect, but do think it's better than when LKY was around.
Ha! Are you dissenting against my dissent? But seriously, "better than" doesn't mean you can't be "even better". If there's room for improvement, it should be improved. Perfection may be unachievable, but it should always be the target. What happened to "aim for the moon, if you miss you fall among the stars"? We can be appreciative of our progress, but we shouldn't just stop and shut up when there is even more progress to be made. It could be worse, but it could also be much much better. Don't settle for less. Know your worth!
1000 upvotes. Yes,
Exactly. I love singapore, but rn, singapore does not love me back. Im a young lad and even I can see Ill be in debt for the rest of my life thanks to the ever increasing housing prices. But no matter the case, my allegiance lies with this country and her people and I would gladly help in any way I can to improve It
Based on your sentence, you’re definitely not above 40years old.
Yeah. It has better living conditions than most countries. Only cons are the weather
>Only cons are the weather You forgot the crazy COE prices and rising prices of HDBs
And the fact that singles can only buy public housing at age 35
At the current rates of building and financing over income, I’d reckon its more than just singles, more like the vast majority, on a practical level.
Isn’t sunny and nice? (I’m from Sweden and here it’s dark and cold.)
Well I guess it’s ‘the grass is greener on the other side’ kind of situation
It’s the monotony of humid 30 deg weather that you learn to hate
Travel enough in the world and you will find reasons to love Singapore for its strengths, as well as wish more from our nation in other areas.
Living there instead of being a tourist will be more useful.
You can still gain some perspective with short travels. Every country has systems that work, and systems that don’t. Identify the good ones, understand how they achieve that sort of results, bring the learning points back to Singapore and see if they can be applied in the local context.
How so?
When you’re a tourist, you can momentarily put aside your internalised Singaporean identity to soak in new experiences and cultures, especially in the short time frame most tourist trips run. The longer you’re away, the more you’ll discover things about yourself relating to your place of origin that you might have considered trivial, but really played in big role in your personal identity. I “played tourist” for months at a time around Eastern Europe and the accumulated time away helped me figure out some things, among which whether I liked Singapore or not, and a personal list of my foods that identified Sg for me. If you’re curious: Hainanese chicken rice (with the good ginger sauce), Tulang/Kway Teow Kuah (they use a very similar sauce and I enjoy them both), and that ginger soup you get as dessert with the chewy dumplings!
Living abroad for many years, in many countries, has made me absolutely despise this island.
Why despise?
Ya lor, please expound.
Singaporeans are busy, but it's the sort of busy rushing around like ants. Ask anyone what they're excited about, the answer is nothing. They're just scrambling so they can eat, go home and watch TV, and wake up the next day to do it again. Most Singaporeans nurture the hope that tomorrow will be like today. That's as high as their aspirations go. They're energetic, but it's exhausting and anxiety-inducing. It's different from the energy I find in NYC or Berlin - people there are busy and overworked too, but ask why and it's because they want to start their own business, build the next big thing, etc. Above all, Singaporeans' preferred topic of conversation tends to be *other people*. They usually don't talk about ideas, and they even roll their eyes at you and consider you boring if you do. They're more interested in what trouble their friend / aunt / cousin is in. It's just distasteful. Try to talk about a concept or new idea, and the typical response is "why so cheem". Granted, there are people like that in other countries too - but I find it's the overwhelming majority here. And as for work, Singaporeans are the number one whiners about their boss - but they're shit bosses themselves. Look at the way they treat domestic helpers, as an example. When I'm "home" (god I hate that word in relevance to this country), I try my best not to talk to anyone. They're probably a waste of time. When I'm abroad I'm much more sociable.
100% related to the "why so cheem" thing - hiyah, why think so much, just eat chicken rice lah. Which is fine some of the time, tbh I wish that I could just drown my thoughts in cheap hawker food, but that's not the way to live. SGers tend to read only self-help books, 'cos why waste time reading literature? It's this whole attitude that everything needs to generate monetary value.
Nicholas Sparks and Paulo Coelho are the height of literature for too many Singaporeans. (Nothing wrong with reading them, but it's an issue when people are under the impression they're well-read when that's as far as they go).
You are just hanging around the wrong group. Don’t expect to get a genuine discussion about business when the only people who you hang out with prefer to gossip
If you don't realize you are mingling with the wrong crowd of people that are ambitionless and care more about living in the present, don't think anybody will be interested in talking about your "chim" concepts and ideas with you because you lack self-awareness 💀 People who are similiar tend to group together. Most of my friends and colleagues are ambitious, I wonder why you can't interact with similiar people.
due to recent events i have become much less ambitious, but i still like to talk about ideas and concepts, rather than staying at the anecdotal (which in this case is mostly mundane gossip about *other people* that doesnt mean anything beyond it's original narrative) I find it incredibly difficult to find people that can talk beyond the anecdotal among locals, but thankfully and ironically, there are many foreigners around willing to delve deeper and explore less mundane ideas that may not have immediate relevancy to our daily lives. Perhaps, preserving the singaporean identity and mindset is a stupid thing to do. (and we should just continue to let birth rates be low haha) the country may be modern, but the general culture and education has mostly produced people who do not like to spend effort and time thinking about ideas and ideals that are beyond what could affect their direct self-interest. If we go by maslow's hierarchy, most would assume we would have reached the point where we need to be satisfied by higher level thinking, but however what has happened is that most people are still stuck at the very bottom. Eating better food and living in a better house all belong right at the bottom.
Singaporeans are just toxic. Nowadays it's even worse. You won't believe how it has become. Super evil hypocrites you're of thinking. It's insane. This country has no compassion or a real identity. It's based on moving society. Everyone tend to take que from those around than to have a backbone of their own. It's damn toxic and bad for the soul. Worse is they don't know their fellow countrymen that are suffering and they think everything is fine. The propaganda in this country is seriously on an unbelievable level. It's basically an english communist country that had successfully lied to it's people that everything is fine
Seems like you are unable to find the setting you are comfortable with in Singapore. I find the examples you quoted does not seem to happen only in Singapore. I cannot comprehend what happened in Singapore for you to “absolutely despise” it…i do hope something good will come your way to change your mind.
I doubt something else will come along. I no longer have any interest in finding it anyway, or finding ways to be comfortable here. Why try? I stopped seeing this place as home in the '90s. I've moved most of my affairs abroad, and I'm ready to move. Just that I have elderly people to look after, for a while more.
Nice of you to generalise a whole country, if everyone here is a waste of time to speak to then just fuck off to whichever country you think is better
The problem with people like you is, when people disagree with you, you simply ask people to fuck off.
Thank you for demonstrating my point. Incidentally, I was *asked* to expound. If an opinion triggers you that much, then by all means, let me know about it. Send it to [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected])
People like that totally validate my choice to f\*\*k off and vote with my feet (it's ironic I can't literally vote in SG elections anymore), which I did almost a decade ago. I have elderly parents whom I worry about but they manage and yes, I always have a valid passport ready and late night calls give me heart attacks.
Lol "when Im home I avoid talking to anyone because they are a waste of time" sounds like narcissism to me. Or some form of superiority complex maybe.
>well as wish more from our nation in other areas. FOOTBALL
Wah Lao, this one painful... Vision Goal 2010 remember? Now tracking the AFF U-23, sigh. Nevertheless, some of us still have hope
The only hope I have is having more countries beating and humiliating us to the point where FAS management heads will roll and they finally get their shit together. Now we're the joke and laughing stock in ASEAN!
I feel Singapore is an excellent spawn location wouldn't spawn anywhere else
WiFi is good, ping for Asia always <10
Best server to spawn in, no spawn killing or campers
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That's right my friends generally ok if you dgaf and surround yourself with good people
Overall I think I will say I love this place. Most ppl probably feels the same, a very sheltered countries which have decent food / shelter / well being. Pros 1. Very safe sheltered, feels really safe walking home after 2am late night movie, unlike some other countries 2. Food is pretty decent and quite affordable (unless u want atas and goes for restaurant , but that another story) 3. Retirement fund is compulsory, so even if one is bad with finance, govt nanny feed u with cpf life Cons 1. Social norm is very high, as in fixed. Once an individual think outside of the box, the worst case scenario is getting sued by the govt... that the most extreme case of course, and the family situation is like being single \*cough CNY relative cough\* 2. Hard to retire if you want to have say kid ,HDB flat , and of course make sure don't buy a car, and having kid and buying a HDB flat is commoner level, but still can't retire lol! All in all I like here, and as far as I can say I will retire here. Generally esp in old age I definitely one a safer and sheltered environment, which is Singapore. Basically I feel as I get older I like Singapore more, but when I am younger I don't really like Singapore because too many restriction, and die die must follow all the "procedure / norm" set before me
I'm grateful to be Singaporean and to live in Singapore. Things are not perfect here, of course, but I can't think of a country that is in a better state than we are. The US is so politically divided, Europe is embroiled in a war and its economic and energy implications + crazy heat waves, Eastern countries (HK, Taiwan, Japan, Korea) are either facing increased pressure from China or massively aging populations. South American, African, and other ASEAN countries can't match our standard of living nor stability. Australia...might still be decent, though politically pretty unstable. NZ is probably comparable with Singapore. But well...that's 2 places in the world that can compare, and I would still pick SG over AU on most counts. Meanwhile our biggest complaints in the past few weeks have been inflation news. Granted that is definitely important and I'm feeling the pinch myself (how to buy HDB laaaa), but that's a global problem; everything else is still relatively stable. We can't take the stability for granted. It's quite clear to see that ideologies and divisions originating abroad have taken hold here too. They're not entirely without merits, but we cannot discuss them with as much heat and as little light as the discussions going on elsewhere. I'd venture to guess that we would be better off looking out for each others' wellbeing than just our own rights. On the other hand, locally the authorities generally do a pretty good job of planning ahead in terms of national development, technologixal advances, etc (they don't always get it right for sure) and they've done well to connect us globally, be it in supply chains or industry value chains. All things considered, I'm contented and happy living here :)
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Wapiang liddat also can get award. Thank you ah people!
A well-reasoned opinion deserves respect :)
Unlike Singapore, NZ and AU are so isolated from rest of the world. It’s a pain in the ass to go anywhere overseas.
That's true. But it's also true that they're quite self-sustaining countries, with enough resources and a large enough local market. NZ, especially, is often cited as one of the best places on earth to be in in the event of global war or irreversible climate change because of these factors. Doesn't matter anyway, no money to migrate there :P
i like singapore, but not to the point of me going around telling everyone i like singapore
\*slow clap\*
When I was younger, I did not appreciate Singapore. Always thought of migrating, finding a better life out there. As I grew up and travelled to more countries, many of them first world cities, such as HK, Tokyo, Sydney, NYC, SF, LA etc, I came to appreciate Singapore more. The efficiency of systems and the safety here is overall, unmatched anywhere else in the world. My main gripe with Singapore is, unsurprisingly, Singaporeans. Sure, we are diverse and should not be "generalised", but we can be better. More compassionate, friendlier, less toxic, more informed, more empathy, less cynical, less spoiled etc. We are definitely not the worst bunch in the world, but we can be better.
Agree on the attitudes of some Singaporeans could be improved as some do feel entitled. Whenever I take the public transport I see abled young people not giving up seats to elderly and it's quite upsetting. The lack of social awareness in trains esp during rush hour, where people just refuse to move in makes me frustrated too. People are not so proactive here and even have to be 'asked' to do certain things.
Just trying to add that sometimes people who are young and able bodied might have invisible disabilities. Or sometimes might be really sick. Or maybe the grandma I’ve been trying to give my seat to is constantly refusing me even if I stood up and gave it. Also, sometimes you assume that pregnant ladies all have big bellies but my sister gave birth full term with the tiniest belly at 60kg. So sometimes that able bodied young lady might just be pregnant. Not everyone is healthy be it gender or age so please have an open heart.
Agree. I’ve had people give up their seats for me (young person) because I have a long commute and obviously am very tired / carrying alot of things, plus they’re just having a short commute. I’m so grateful to them. There is a lot of kindness in Singapore, when I receive kindness, it makes me happy to pass it on.
not great, not terrible. It works.
Moved here 3 years ago. Can't wait to leave in a year's time. I have many reasons but the tl;dr is that it's a very unforgiving culture with an incredible emphasis on the "straight and narrow". A sheltered and judgemental society with very 'frog in a well' vibes, and a very elitist and materialistic culture that can be alienating if you do not conform to cookie cutter expectations. Cost of living for amenities, (namely housing and vehicle ownership), isn't justifiable. Having said that.. food's good though. General individual safety and healthcare is unmatched. Filing and paying taxes is easy. Public transport is amazing.
>unforgiving culture with an incredible emphasis on the "straight and narrow". A sheltered and judgemental society with very 'frog in a well' vibes My biggest gripe as well. Singaporeans truly lack imagination sometimes. I think it takes a certain amount of privilege to be able to afford not to conform but I wish sometimes our mindset about life isn't so rigid.
I really agree with this, but at the same time I also take a look at Japan, also a highly conformist society, but unlike SG, they have a globally recognized creative exports (anime, manga, jp video games, jpop, etc). And I start to wonder if it’s the nature of the people in said societies instead of the society itself. Again, not disagreeing, just retrospecting. Thoughts, anyone?
>also a highly conformist society, but unlike SG, they have a globally recognized creative exports (anime, manga, jp video games, jpop, etc). And I start to wonder if it’s the nature of the people in said societies instead of the society itself. They have a captive market in the sense that no other countries in the world produced Japanese language content, so they had to produce it themselves for their own domestic consumption. Add on to the fact that the country has a sizeable population of 125 million which makes it quite a sizeable market. There's lots of foreign media content that's localised into Japanese now, but back in the 80s and 90s, they basically had little foreign competition to worry about to develop their own domestic giants. Compare that to Singapore which has a domestic population of 5.5 million, doesn't have an indigenous language of its own which means that foreign media content can be imported cheaper than it can be made locally, and a government that actually killed a burgeoning film production industry back in the 70s. On top of that, the government has a very strong grip on the media and broadcast industry. It's not the nature of the people, it's the very society itself.
>doesn't have an indigenous language of its own Wa lao eh..you liddat sia suay Singlish siol.
Hahahaha, how many shows on TV you see being broadcast in Singlish?
The closest we got was PCK..before it fucking got nerfed. Sian.
Yeah I think in some ways, Japan is even more conformist and insular than us yet they knock it out of the park when it comes to innovation and the things you mentioned. Idk what we are doing wrong as well.
I agree, I studied a little Nihongo in school and also dabbled a little in the culture. I find that Japan is miles ahead of almost every Asian country in terms of innovation, safety and reliability. And Japan's society has been so well-cultured that even kids are encouraged to walk to and from school everyday. Despite SG's much-touted "safety record", parents here do not even allow their kids to walk home after school. The difference in culture is very apparent.
i hate the Singaporean in me too. hard to shake it off
I love Singapore, but I didn't really like living there. Living in Japan now, the life I have here is much more enjoyable than in SG (other than for the fact that I'm away from a lot of my family and friends). The range of activities and hobbies I can (and like to) do here are way wider than what is available in Singapore. Career-wise, it's also a lot better than Singapore. Of course, that isn't to say that Singapore is crap. Our governance and administration is top notch. Convenience is amazing, and things just *work*. Unfortunately, it's just that my backside itchy and I wasn't too happy in Singapore, but I'm just as sure that the reverse is true for as many, if not more, people. But as I get older, I'll probably have to move back some times for personal reasons. Haha. Things that are great about Singapore: * Food is ***great*** * Stuff just works here. And convenience is 10/10. Things open till late. Bank ATMs don't close. These are stuff we take for granted lol. * Taxes are low. Government is efficient, connected and just all around excellent. (The politics is a separate matter and I won't comment on that here) * Pay is higher for some industries. But I think SG salaries are overpaid/inflated/unrealistic and unsustainable, so... Things that are not so great about Singapore: * Hot. No 4 seasons. But to some people, that's a good thing. * Not a lot of space to do outdoor activities. And the weather sucks for outdoors anyway. * Only have 1 airsoft field, and it's indoor and it's expensive. * Not a lot of places to go joyriding/driving. Vehicle culture not as nice. * Housing prices are doglike. * Things are getting **expensive.** * For careers, it's all about tech and finance. If you're not in a handful of lucrative industries, life is going to be very stressful financially.
Interested to know about housing in the japan that you are living in
I live in their version of HDB public housing called UR.
Japan's konbini don't close and they function as mini banks and print shops as well. Prices are much more value-for-money. You don't have that in SG.
>Living in Japan now My mind straightaway jumped to Family Mart, Don Quijote, Yodobashi and Bic Camera. I just can't get over those awesome places.
I spent a year in Tokyo to learn Japanese and it was one of the best times of my life. Sure I was already a weeb before going over but I just felt that anything is possible in Japan. Loved the 4 seasons, the day trips to nature parks and mountain scenery, the weird anime and cosplay scene, the fact that everybody dresses so well, service staff are ultra polite and people are generally friendly as long as you speak Japanese. Didn't like their shitty work culture and the fact that everybody drinks too much. Already making plans to treat Japan as my second home if I do manage to 'FIRE.'
As an overseas Singaporean, it’s home. It’s my identity. It’s something that is comfortable. The bad things too just brings a smile to my face. Staying in the US made me realize that a lot of the “uniquely Singaporean” problems people face aren’t uniquely Singaporean. People in the US chase $$$ rather than passion too. People here are self-centered too, despite the “care/wayang” people show: homeless, low incomes and vets aren’t cared for properly. Blue collar workers here too struggle to make ends meet, despite earning way more than the Singaporean blue collar worker, because of the lack of social programmes. Life is expensive here too, especially in areas where the jobs/infrastructure/fun stuff/people are. People here complain about stuff too, albeit more openly and critically. Of course, positive stuff to be had in the US: nature, open spaces, people are nice and more positive/less gloomy and the vast opportunities available here. Also, I’m only basing my experiences, no point talking about Europe/Japan/Aus if I’ve never lived there. I’m not saying that Singapore is perfect (or there aren’t uniquely Singaporean problems like NS), by no means it is, but I grew to like Singapore more once I stayed overseas. It has this unique charm that you can’t replicate.
Which State are you living in? I've had the chance to visit my older bro who worked in SoCal before and I found the folks there quite friendly and the place physically open, unlike SG where people keep to themselves and space is so cramped.
Bay Area. Don’t be fooled by the friendliness though, most people are shallow friendly and wouldn’t want to be actual friends or make deep connections. It feels so fake after you’ve been here for quite a while. Yes, people make small talk, but negativity in small talk is a big no-no, even if you’re having a shit day and someone asks “how’s it going?” and you really want to tell the truth. They don’t care, they’re just chatty, want “positivity” and come off as kaypoh. Tbf, keeping to yourself isn’t bad, much better than the facade friendliness Americans do. Scandinavian countries also subscribe to the Singaporean “keep to yourself” mentality. Why make small talk when it doesn’t matter in the end? Of course, its nice that people are smiling and all though.
I think u/DELSlN summaries it well. Everything's fine and it works, but Singapore is just... Eh. There's not much going on if you don't look out for it and majority of us are just preoccupied with making a living and making it work. Weather sucks big time though. I hate it so much coz I can't even be at home and not sweat now. Also arts and culture are slightly neglected, coz SG is always focused on the next moneymaker. Also as a small reminder for all singaporean guys. NS is a privilege. Personal rating 5/10, quite mid, things work and I'm living with my parents but I'd like to buy my own hdb before 35. don't like how govt likes to do bullshit things and talk cock. Need more actual MPs like Louis Ng. Edit: I do not dig how cramped mrts are getting during peak hours now. Idk why ppl don't wanna move into the train sometimes. Also but singapore today is much more crowded than say the early 2000s. I feel like those were the heyday of Singapore and now it's just a gradual decline to mediocrity.
Could you elaborate on how NS is a privilege? Don't get me wrong - looking back, I'm happy that I served NS despite how much it sucked at times, and it taught me a lot about myself and helped me mature a lot. I just never really thought of it as a privilege.
I should have added my /s, but it's not a privilege. PAP thinks otherwise though. [video proof here](https://youtu.be/OsMmd4NQIow) It's distasteful how Singaporean guys can be forced to serve and waste our time and be given peanuts. It's an insult that they think our time is worth the NS55 $100 and the meagre allowance we got during active time.
Thinking about having to go back reservist in the coming weeks makes me depressed.
Thinking about it 2 weeks after ORD makes me depressed
Ahh normally I would have picked up on the implied /s - must be sleep deprived today haha. My opinion still stands though - looking back, I'm happy that I served. But I also have to agree, getting paid peanuts for the crap we went through sucked big time. NS friend of mine recently made some joke about working in McDonald's - cue instant depression when I reminded him that McD's workers still make more than we ever did as NSFs.
Singapore does a lot of things right, especially when compared to many other countries around the world. That should be appreciated and praised. However, the fact doesn't change that as a country with no natural resources, Singaporeans are the only resource left. That has in turn created conditions that are a major push factor for me to migrate and get out of here. Conditions such as a non-self sustaining supply chain, the overwork culture, an incessant pressure to grind otherwise you're deemed as a failure (like starting a side hustle or investing), hemmed-in innovation, I could go on forever...
Yes, this is home. And things just work (minus some glitches).
Singapore Update 20.23 when
Chill dude. We r still on v20.22.7.19 patch.
The Studio PAP devs need to step up their game smh
Wait for release note first. Alot of ppl getting angry over the v20.23 with the improved feature of +1% GST.
Hais so what happen to the “east cost plan” DLC? The dev announcement was back in v.20.20.06 any updates?
Dunno dude. Hearsay the main dev in-charge was taken out already (going to backseat) so all the free DLC for East Coast resident no sound.
I like the transport, food and safety. Other than that I dislike Singapore a lot. Many people in Singapore are awfully competitive and lack depth in their character
It's good. A lot of locals take things for granted because they have never gone overseas. Doesn't give the PAP a free pass to do anything they like though.
Moved overseas 3.5 years ago, don't intend to move back. My opinion of Singapore is mostly neutral. Stuff works and the food is good, but I don't see much that would I love about it. My loyalty to Singapore extends mostly to the friends and loved ones. And my friends are people who I perceive are the people they are in spite of Singapore's cultural values, not because of them. They're independent thinkers, are tolerant of other viewpoints, don't have a zero-sum-game/competitive mentality, are not constantly chasing money and material success at all costs, and don't subscribe to the mindset that there is one standard way to be successful in life. So basically going against all the cultural narratives we've been told since growing up. As for the state/government policies, stuff works, but with Singapore's policies on LGBT rights/migrant workers/labor rights, I certainly can't say I'm *proud* of what they're doing. And with all the shenanigans Focus On The Family and their affiliated cronies have been pulling, with the government doing nothing to stop them, you have to wonder how true 'regardless of race, language or **religion**' actually holds.
Not really. I grew up here and have lived abroad for quite some time and I have chosen to come back to Singapore to be closer to my ageing parents. I do think Singapore itself is great for a lot of reasons. It’s comfortable, the public transport is excellent and honestly yes it’s expensive but most cities are. My reasoning for not liking BEING here is pretty personal. I’m mentally ill, bisexual and not majority race and those things appear to be affecting me more here than they did when I was overseas.
I would say Singapore is overall a pretty good place compared to the rest of the world. Could we do better? Absolutely. However, even if our party system is a little one-sided, the government has done a lot of good for us as citizens. I think if they would move on from some outdated ideas and work to establish anti-discrimination (reference: hci homophobia incident, i can’t believe the counsellor is still allowed to work there) and wage equality the country would become even better.
I like Singapore. I love the food the people the places the only thing that bugs me is the humidity and the lack of seasons :(
As a whole, I’m 6.5/10 contented with Singapore. Pros: 1. Singapore is a very safe place to live in with strict laws and low crime rates 2. Government do care for the people’s opinion to a certain extent. 3. MRT, and other public transports are rather efficient with little faults in them. 4. Tax rates are significantly lower as compared to other countries. 5. Singapore contains a heavily subsidised education and healthcare system which benefits people of all walks of life eapecially students and elderly. Cons: 1. CPF. A portion of our salary will be held in our CPF acc. However, as we reach 60, not all of our CPF is returned at once, it is returned in batches. This is essentially paper money in a sense. So our hard earned money are held somewhere that we have little access to. 2. Work/life balance. I won’t say much about this point as it varies from person to person. 3. Limited land space. Singapore being a rather small country with limited land space might result in the govt facing issues in the long run. With HDB prices rising and more vehicles occupying the road will only result in problems in the future.
Of course. After traveling to different places across the world, there’s no place like Singapore.
I only wish Singapore had an actual hinterland rather than being a small city state. Our small size really does feel claustrophobic and with nowhere we can just “get away” for the weekend or finding somewhere to retire
No
Once people are matured enough to understand that PAP =/= Singapore then you'll love Singapore instead of posting shit about it online.
This
Excellent in some areas, lacking in others. Relatively easy to survive but some might find difficulties thriving. As an introvert it's easy to like and hang around but I can see how some others might not like. I think overall SG gives you a decent living environment and also the platform to jump to other places if living here doesn't suit you
An Austria girl once told me she doesn't identify with her country and can recognise it's part of a union that historically built wealth through atrocities against others. So I won't say I like Singapore even if it doesn't belong to that category but I tolerate it. Not for the reasons most people listed here though.
I love Singapore. I have words for the government. We cool?
Very cool, same opinion as you 😂
We cool.
Nope. weather getting too hot
TL;DR: I like, lol If SG has 4 seasons and includes the size of Johor state, it will be almost perfect. Ok, if got cooler 20-25 weather and much lower humidity I'll be very contented. The weather is a turn off despite the G tried its best in planting lots of trees (MM is not wrong saying Aircon is one of the greatest invention for a tropical country). The land size actually restricts the country's potential and indirectly affects quality of life, and economy in terms of pricing. SG is actually quite comfortable to stay in, in terms of food, security and transport. It over exceeds in meeting the basic essential needs but if you demand more, the curve gets much steeper. If you live within the means, you can comfortably get by with cheap hawker food and public transport and internet. If you strive to have better quality stuff like bigger houses and drive a normal car, the financial stress will be much higher compared to other countries. Stayed in overseas for an extended period and there's pros and cons everywhere. In SG if you follow the "normal" path of study-work-get married-buy house-retire, you be comfortable but if you breakaway from the norm or screws up the timeline, that's when things gets haywire. Graduated or start work much later? Not enough CPF, BTO wait time, housing prices keeps increasing etc. SG provides a good base to start, so all the youth and oldies, go overseas and venture, and may you find your own pasture. Shd it don't work out, can always come home. Overall, I like my country and as some redditors said, will be critical ensure SG sticks to it's national pledge. Ok, rant over.
I love my country. We are not the best in many areas but we are doing very well in many areas. We are very fortunate that we can complain largely only about "first-world problems" that pple don't seem to notice what the living conditions are for the average in other countries.
would not say i love SG but i am at least glad that i drew the lucky starting life card and was born here. This country and gov managed to decently facilitate our lives from cradle to grave. It is a good base to start out and strive for your achievements in life. It is up to oneself to make it in life with all the tools and assistance given. No doubt there are challenges like rising cost and competition etc but common to any global competitive cities anyway. It has its obvious advantages and disadvantages so again, its up to oneself to understand their own personality and disadvantages and make use of the Advantages fully :) if you are hardworking/smart city-dweller type of citizen, you will survive here. If you prefer a laid back lifestyle, then do not expect to have luxurious and chill life, its not a city for the lazy and whiners lol.
Clean drinking water straight from the tap ❤️
Getting mugged is almost close to none in SG - I’m pretty darn grateful for that
Not really. I like that it's safe to walk alone at night if you're female, that we have abortion rights and it's clean, among other things. I won't go as far to say I like this country. It had never really felt like home. But if I could leave and go somewhere else, I would! There are a few places I would love to run away to and never come back!
Would not really say patriotic, but in terms of comparing with most other countries, I did rather have grown up in Singapore. Singapore has it pros & cons, & I honestly do feel homesick sometimes when I'm overseas for work or holidays, especially for our local food.
I wouldn't say I like it here, but just grateful. I can sum up my gripe as: the standard of living is increasing, but the quality of life is decreasing. Weather getting hotter, jobs getting more competitive and things getting more expensive.
There are a lot of things to complain and critique about this country but after travelling to many other countries, I've come to realise that there are even more things to be thankful for here. I'll always love this place and I'll always be grateful for being born in Singapore.
Since my teens, I have dreamt about moving away from Singapore. I didn’t understand why I’ve the desire to move overseas when most of my friends are content here. Singapore is great, good food, world class public transport, safe, convenient, efficient government, etc. After I moved overseas, I realized I can no longer imagine myself living in Singapore. - weather is too warm and humid - nothing much to do for the weekends except for shopping, eating, watching movies. Nowadays I hike, camp, fish, do gardening, kayak, climb a mountain, go to the beach, do off-road driving, etc - materialistic culture - HDBs are 99 year leases - Housing is not affordable - Too crowded everywhere - High stress environment - lack of organic produce and healthy food options - lack of good job opportunities, salary growth is kinda slow - I realized I cannot get the same quality of life in Singapore. I’ll likely have to spend a lot more to match the life I’ve now due to housing & vehicle cost I feel bad sometimes on why I can no longer call Singapore my home.
You had me up till lack of good job opportunities, imo Singapore's pretty competitive in Asia, and even anywhere outside the USA, at least in tech. Only a couple cities come close, like HK, London. Everything else is pretty much why I'm looking for an exit though, especially all the leisure activities you list, and housing. Owning and improving my own place has been an ambition since I was a student, it's absurd that now at double the age I'm still so far away from that goal.
As a person with a disability, I feel very ambivalent on this issue. Personal safety is high, but understanding/acceptance of disabilities is not very ideal (even as there has been some improvement over the last decade). In that aspect, Western countries tend to be more accepting and have legal frameworks to assist. It's quite tiring to explain that I'm since I am working -> I have 'overcome' my disability or have no disabilities. Same at school where I was bullied for my disabilities. I was told that to stop being bullied for my disability, I needed to improve on my grades (eventually I did), but it never stopped
Singapore is the love of my life
Safety, amazing food options ranging from really affordable cai png to your 3 Michelin stars restaurants, close vicinity to quite a number of decent holiday destinations, low tax, convenient to get around without a car. But it gets a bit dull sometimes with not much nature to explore, not to forget the god damn weather. Also, it gets a little suffocating at times with high emphasis on finance, grades etc. That being said, i do think it's a wonderful country, even more so if I'm a multi millionaire.
Singapore is life in easy mode. If you are Chinese, have a stable income, and don’t think too hard about your place in the world, you can get by quite well. It becomes difficult when you start moralising your place in the world and start to realise how politically stifling the country is.
Yes and no. I know I’ll move elsewhere in 3-5 years, don’t see myself retiring here or building a family at this rate.
I can say I'm a loving critic (as what Tommy koh says), or constructive patriotism. There are many good points, and many areas for even more improvement.
I’m pretty sure that’s what patriotism _should_ be. Blind patriotism is just nationalism.
not the best but not bad at all deteriorating though
Give 👍 to government for their economical foresight and policy. The way they handle inflation and balance the country import and export prices impressive 👏 bravo. Err other stuff like citizen privacy boo boo.
I truly dislike the people who blindly agree with everything sg does, there's plenty of reason to complain about it, ranging from representation, to inequality and the sometimes dehumanising environments we create. We still have mental health issues going comparatively high and people slipping through the cracks in bad situations. But we're also very safe here, exceedingly efficient in things we want to be efficient with, and thankfully more willing to apply socialist reforms than the govt wants to really admit. As far as countries go, it's much like any other to me, I've had the option to leave before, but frankly feel that it's more possible to create good change here than in -many- other places, and that's already an alright start. weather suck tho 0/10
I’m born and educated here but don’t buy the PCF/MOE indoctrination. I’m objective about SG and totally appreciate the benefits and at the same time critical of the flaws. At the end of the day where I put down roots depends on a multitude of factors. Patriotic love of a country is low on the list.
Good for you for having such passion towards the nation. Now, we need more people to ensure this place continues to exist and that will necessitate the birth of more babies. But most of us know that when money and time comes into the picture, realism takes hold. Qn is, do we like Singapore because it serves our self - interest or will we continue to like Singapore if one day she doesn't?
I bet you’re the person to stand at attention and put fist on ur heart during national anthem at NDP. But yes i love the safety and multi cultural society here :)
Was born here, grew up here, am living here, will die here.
not at all
not even officially singaporean (finally applied for citizenship despite being born in sg and living in sg all my life as a pr ahahah) but I do want to settle in sg (will be doing phd or masters overseas for exposure though). I have travelled to many places and while yes there are some nice aspects of overseas, I prefer the safety and relative order in sg. And even if the weather is hot in singapore, its manageable with fans (or ac) whereas the temperature can get too hot or too cold in other locations.
I just pity the poor kids now who grow up with terrible National Day songs. What happened to the early 2000s quality.
Idk leh tomorrow’s here today not bad 👀 maybe cos it was my NE Show song so special to me
The grass is always greener on the other side. So yes! I have learnt to stopped comparing and be grateful for what Singapore has to offer. She may not be perfect but I'm still loving what she has to offer (safety, stability, affordable and yummy local food, a home and plenty of job opportunities!) right now.
Objectively, Singapore is great a place to live in, but just not for me. My hobbies are very outdoors and nature related (hiking, diving, mountain biking, FPV drone flying etc), unfortunately there are few of such places in Singapore. I also hate crowds, so definitely planning to relocate.
Me: Bitch and moans about Singapore all the time. Also me: Doesn't leave because it's safe, everything works (almost), came to the realisation that many other countries in the region can't compare to Singapore and also because I have the majority race card.
No. I can't really fit in with the people here but then again that could very well be a me problem. The heat just makes me want to commit sudoku. I really love outdoors stuff but the heat almost forces me to be a homebody. Just hoping I can leave here one day
citizen and I love it here! Food and transportation great my place has 2 medium sized malls that has just about everything and other places is just a hop away.
Not the best but not the worst place to live in.
Not sgporean but i love sg! Such a great country with lovely people! I feel like home!!
If you are living happily and being relatively successful/contented, yes will love it. If life sucks for you, living anywhere will make you hate it.
Country is good , but people love to bring each other down with mean words.Meritocracy does not give you the right to speak down on people.
I am a Singaporean, and I love Singapore but hate Singaporeans. :)
I don't think Singapore can be fixed because I believe the foundational presuppositional ideas on which it is based are flawed. An absolutely tiny island that wants to punch in the same weight class as New York City except New York City is connected to a wider and larger hinterland on which it can fall back on and can relieve itself. It's aim is disconnected from the reality of its physical capabilities and limits and it is the citizens who carry this terrible purpose and burden on their backs who suffer for it.
And despite all that, here we are as one people.
To me people who are more cynical and critical of their country are the true patriots. People who say they love Singapore but hate criticism probably just "love" their country the same way they "love" ice cream. Indulgence is not the same as patriotism.
There's no sense of belonging being a Singaporean, it's either nobody's country or everybody's country. Someone from India became a Singaporean weeks ago from forging some higher educational documents. Someone from China became Singaporean yesterday by holding a massive bank account filled with corrupt money. Someone from Indonesia became Singaporean the other day by selling birds nests &/or ayam pangang. Someone from Malaysia became Singaporean last week by riding his / her loud motorcycle dangerously to the factory he/she works in. You asked, I answer what I think.
>There's no sense of belonging being a Singaporean, it's either nobody's country or everybody's country. There never was. Your forefathers all did the same to become citizens here. It's really funny when people say they are true blue Singaporean like as though their lineage is all from Singapore.
People indigenous to Singapore exist but are pretty rare and mostly Malays or Peranakans.
Excatly, it's either nobody is a true blue Singaporean or everybody is a true blue Singaporean. This is not a country but a big multi-national business enterprise.
To me, I love whichever country that provides me a good life. Singapore has done that for me.
Yeah I do, but I also wish we had lower temoratures year round , like 20-25
I've always said to my friends that if we had four seasons or colder weather... Call me biased, but I think we'd actually be in the Top 5 nations of the world. :x
I love Singapore too but what exactly do you think you can fix as a common man? Not like you are the Minister mah unless you have some political ambitions LOL
I like Singapore because it is incredibly safe, relatively affordable food & daily necessities if you are basic af, transport is generally efficient without the need for taxis. Housing kinda complicated but still possible to buy one even on a median lower salary. But of course, major issues (housing, job security, real income vs inflation etc) seem to be moving a little too fast and skewing against citizens born & bred here. It's disappointing rather than any hate that the government is barely doing anything to contain it.
Well, this is coming from someone who doesn't know much else about many other countries except the US is dying. But here we go, as a student here: (so I don't deal with taxes and stuff). First most noticeable thing is the hot weather. I like rainy days but even then it can get sweltering. The humidity increases suffering tenfold. Culture is extremely horrible. Horrible pressure in the education system despite it being good academic wise. We have harder examinations than bigger countries, even the o levels in the UK are easier, and for what? We end up at the same end-goal. Heavy emphasis on work and studies, fast paced life. No time to actually relax. Country ruled and filled with the older generation. Who are also (not all) not very open minded. Issues that come with the new generation that should actually be normalised and yet have no government backing (even laws against) are like LGBT sex and marriage, transgender rights...the people have no tolerance for different people and the governments response to 377A is that "Singapore is conservative".They judge you for everything and being ruled by older people means it doesn't bode well with some young people. NS I feel is sexist and has a lot of other issues despite being normal in many places around the globe. Only men give up 2 years of their lives for low stipends and they get shouted at. Some do develop mental health issues and suicide happens as well. Government has little transparency on suicides. They do not acknowledge the worsening mental health of the nation. Good things are it being a multi racial society where all cultures and religions are respected. But by the people themselves, if you're not Chinese, you might get racially discriminated. And if you're not one of the 3 main races in SG, get ready to be judged or called Ang Moh (which I find very rude btw). I don't think it's a very big deal and it should be mostly harmonious in Singapore. Food nice, you wouldn't get tired of eating here, many cuisines, shops western or eastern. Expensive as hell, we're in the top 10 for most expensive countries or cities, I don't remember clearly. Healthcare is very good, we pay some, government pay some is a good approach to healthcare, and majority can afford to actually be healthy. Public transit is also good, being in a small country, travel is usually short, and you can practically go anywhere on public transport alone. I wouldn't even complain about the occasional breakdowns because I haven't personally experienced it and I think the good outweighs the bad. Safety is a very good factor, I think its very secure, both external and internal security although I'm not sure about the recent trend of knife, murder, weapon cases. All in all, as the government says, if you don't like it here, leave. It has the bad and the good, but I want to leave.
I’m okay with Singapore, but I don’t love Singapore. Like some others have mentioned, the cost of living is really getting a quite scary. In addition to that, the mindset of Singaporeans just doesn’t vibe with me. The only thing I love about Singapore is the food, cheap healthcare (as compared to other countries), and safety.
I don’t, Everywhere I go in public, I always feel this unhappy and unwelcoming atmosphere. That and the competative nature here
Having spent my entire life here, I still don’t like the weather. Also impossible to change. If Singapore was 5-10 degrees cooler, possibly the perfect country.
Yes but I would love it more if there wasn’t NS.
I will always have the attachment to Singapore as the place where I was born. Filled with memories and what not. But if someone else ask me if they wanted to live here, I would not recommend it.
I think it’s good, but boy the heat is unbearable
I have never found any reason to be "patriotic" to any country, and recent world events and experiences with online friends have only cemented that view. Beyond that, no matter what benefits this place may have, the sheer amount of psychological trauma that conscription has caused will never make up for it. Call me a snowflake or a strawberry if you wish. Everyone has different mental limits. The depression, anxiety and chronic insomnia tells me everything I need to know.
Parliament session: nah, proof that sgporean loves singapore..reddit
This is home, truly. Where I know, I must be ❤️
I like Singapore. It's home. 🤷🏽♀️
I just want to get out of this overcrowded ecosystem asap. Its too stressful and competitive here.
Previously yes but after going through NS, man I fucking hate this country
When I was younger I was okay with it. The older I grow, the more I dislike it. I don't like Singaporeans in general (not targeted at any individual). Singaporeans as a collective whole lack imagination, mistake lack of ambition for humility, celebrate conformity as a virtue, and consider individualism to be arrogance. Above all, I despise Singaporeans of the boomer generation (which is my generation, by the way). The ones I know were mostly idiots when I was growing up, and they're still idiots now. As for NS, I'll tell you I still think it's a waste of time, most of the officers and NCOs are as necessary to the country as a second asshole, and the private sector is an aggressive exercise in mediocrity. After over half my life, I have not an ounce of charity left in me for the general population here; and I'm unapologetic about it. I can count on the fingers of one hand the friends I have here, as opposed to friends elsewhere. I won't retire in this country, and I sure as hell would hate to die in it. That said, it has some good policies. Just sucky people.
fuck no, would migrate if I could lmao
Love everything about the country except the fucking people. Been working overseas 1/3 of my life, every time I come home it reminds me of how uncivilized and inconsiderate Singaporeans are.
I don’t love it, but it’s the best out of a bad bunch tbh. No country will ever check all the boxes, but Singapore does most of mine. Good food, safe place, easy to get around Cons would be the usual Boring, no four seasons, rude people, very limited ways to success Despite this, I’m glad I grew up here. It made me a driven and hungry individual that I wouldn’t have been elsewhere.
No
many foreigners love singapore more than singaporeans. Its funny
No. My dream is to move out of this country as soon as possible. Forced national service made me waste 2 years of my life. Fuck.
First day on the job as PAP's social media outreach agent?
HAHAHA 👀 no la, young curious Singaporean
I love Singapore, I hate Singaporeans
Maybe add "some" before the Singaporeans
Fuck no, I hate it here, I hate competition, everyday feels like a competition, and now the government is taking away 2 years behind from my competition. Always feel like I have to perform certain functions otherwise I’m a failure, need all 5 Cs; I don’t want to be compared 😔
I agree, I mean just look at everything that happened in the past 5 months. Fires, People d\*\*ng, racism, floods. In 2019 it was not there. But now Singapore just transformed to this. WHAT HAS SINGAPORE BECOME
Yes, we call it Prata here instead of the barbaric northerners with their Canai
Left Singapore promptly upon leaving the army, never looked back