Blog Directory ID: 2385
Blog URL: http://singaporeaninlondon.blogspot.com
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Blog Description: London through the eyes of a Singaporeans. Offers humorous insights to the differences in culture. A food and travel blog to boot!
Offers tips for fellow Singaporeans settling in London as well.
Blog Category: Travel Blogs
Blog Owner: ckwoo
Blog Added: April 29, 2008 02:57:19 PM
Audience Rating: General Audience
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5 reasons why Singaporeans return to Singapore - part 1 of 2
From the comments given in my previous posts on 6 reasons why Singaporeans leave Singapore, it is apparent that Singapore remains an attractive place to work and reside in for many for a variety of reasons. Though there is no official figures, I am certain that there are many Singaporeans who, after living for a couple of years abroad, will return to Singapore for good when the opportunity arises.After spending some time in London, it became apparent that there are certain things that I take for granted when I was back in Singapore. Here's the 5 reasons why Singaporeans return to Singapore. Again, the post will be presented in a series of two posts.
1. Safety
Singapore prides itself as one of the cities with the lowest crime rate. One of my favorite author when I was back home, Neil Humphrey, who incidentally hailed from the UK, was commenting on how safe the island state is.
Unlike London, you can hardly find police officers on the streets patrolling. On a rare occasion, you might be able to see a police patrol car. Yet one would be able to roam the streets in the wee hours without being worried of being mugged or harassed.
Perhaps that could be attributed to the relatively harsh laws and heavy punishment that the population abide by. Convicted murderers are hung, manslaughter comes with a life sentence, convicted vandals are whipped, drug mules carrying more than 18g of heroin are sentenced to death by hanging, unauthorized carrying of a weapon (eg. Blades, firearms) would be met with a stiff jail sentence. Even littering comes with a hefty fine.
Generally, the burden of guilt is place on the suspect unless proven innocent. With that as a deterrent, it's not surprising that the island state enjoys a relatively low crime rate. Neil Humphrey has put it quite succinctly, "The laws are harsh, but then again, why would I want to go about doing all those things (i.e. vandalising)?"
2. Cleanliness and greenery
Singapore is known to many as the 'Garden City'. Planting trees is a serious affair in this country. Every tree is planned and accounted for in the urban development plan. I've seen layouts after layouts of 'canopy forecast' so that sufficient greenery could be had in every part of the island. Well, with an average temperature of 28-32 deg Celsius, Singaporeans do need the shade.
Visitors to Singapore generally agree that the country is relatively litter free. Note the use of the word 'relatively'. Although the are numerous campaigns to keep Singapore litter free, there are still some persistent litterbugs out there. Singapore's secret to keeping its streets clean - an army of cleaners, which will descend on the streets towards the end of the day.
I had an interesting conversation over lunch with a colleague of mine the other day. She was exclaiming about how clean (and spacious) Singapore's MRT is. In fact, she spent quite some time photographing the interior of the train stations. I didn't tell her that I did exactly the same when I first entered a London Tube station albeit for different reasons.
Read also...
6 reasons why Singaporeans leave Singapore
6 reasons why Singaporeans leave Singapore - part 2 of 2
This is a continuation of an earlier post.4. Influx of foreign 'talent'
Of late, Singapore has been welcoming skilled foreigners with open arms. These foreign 'talent' are viewed as essential to maintain the relatively healthy economy growth that the city state has enjoyed for the past couple of years. As a result of which, the local populace see an influx of Chinese, Indians and to a much lesser extent, Europeans. Many of whom were subsequently granted permanent residencies.
Generally, Singaporeans view these foreign talents as responsible for squeezing them out of the job market and driving up property prices. A familiar story even to London, I supposed. But to a small island state such as Singapore, the effect is much more profound.
5. Quality family time
As mentioned in an earlier point, the increase in standard of leaving means that most young families see both parents working ? just one generation earlier, it was common to have a parent (most probably the mother) to tend to the household.
Although there was a recent effort to increase paid maternity leave to beyond three months, it is still frowned upon in the private sector (not so much in the public sector though) if an employee were to exercise that right. Crèches in workplace is almost unheard of and if there is, is only found in foreign firms that set up branches in Singapore.
With the long working hours, families would have to employ a maid or rely on the grandparents to look after their children during the work hours. Even though a bill was passed to provide a one time financial relief to families for every newborn child, parents would still prefer to spend more quality time with their kids if given a choice.
6. The mainstream society
Like many Asian societies, Singapore?s is still very much conformed to the mainstream. This manifested itself more prominently in education and the choice of lifestyle of Singaporeans.
In school, mathematics and science subjects are immensely more popular compared to those belonging to arts and humanities. In many junior colleges, where the students are first streamed into these two disciplines, the number of students taking the former subjects outnumbers the latter five to one, sometimes more.
This phenomenon can be attributed an entire generation who has grown up during the sixties and seventies when Singapore is still a fledging young nation and thus required people with technical skills. Even as Singapore celebrated her 43rd year of independence earlier this year, there are still much more opportunities for a physicist than a historian.
Although Singapore Tourism Board has been busy chasing the pink dollar for the past decade, alternative lifestyles still belong very much as a sideshow in the daily life.Homosexuality is still outlawed in the penal code and a recent effort to overturn that was unsuccessful. However, even so, there hasn?t been an instance where person is persecuted by the law for being a lesbian or a gay.
* * *
That being said, many Singaporeans returned to Singapore after spending a couple of years overseas. So what makes these people return to the island state, which many referred affectionately as the ?tiny red dot?? Look out for the top 5 reasons why Singaporeans return to Singapore.
Read also...
6 reasons why Singaporeans leave Singapore - part 1 of 2
6 reasons why Singaporeans leave Singapore - part 1 of 2
Over the course of my stay in London, I had the opportunity to meet up with some fellow Singaporeans who have decided to relocate to the UK. I realized, after speaking at length with them, that there are a couple of common reasons why Singaporeans leave Singapore. Let's cut the chase and here are the top 6 reasons, which will be presented in two separate posts.1. Space
This is the most common reason given by Singaporeans below their 30s. Singapore, an island state of merely 700 square kilometers, is home to over 4.8 million souls. That's over 6,800 people crammed in a single square kilometer. In comparison, New Zealand has got 4.2 million people spread over 268,680 square kilometer (15 people per square kilometer).
Even though Singapore has got a reputation to be a 'garden city', the greenery is simply not enough go around when all you see are crowds of people everywhere you go. Thinking of bringing your Porsche out for a spin? You wouldn't even hit 100 km/hr before hitting another traffic light. Likewise, those longing for open spaces will have to get their fix elsewhere.
2. Stress
The typical work day in Singapore is extremely fast paced. Overtime is almost mandatory and 9am - 6pm work is non existence unless you are working in certain service sector but even then, its getting increasing rare. As a result, Singaporeans tend to speak and walk faster, which contributes to the stress.
There is also this chase for material wealth, which is common in most metropolitan society. A while back, there was this talk about 5 Cs - Car, Credit cards, Condominium, Country club membership and Cash. Most families are 'double income' - both parents are working. A typical young couple is expected to have a kid (or two), own a flat, a car and employs a maid - all before they hit their 30s. In short, Singapore is not for those who prefer to 'take it easy'.
3. Education system
As Singapore is branding herself as an educational hub, many Singaporeans, having gone through what they consider to be a rigid system would prefer not to subject their children to the same ordeal and move abroad before their children hits school going age.
Although the primary and secondary education has gone through a much needed revamp and has seek to move away from rote learning, creativity is still generally not fostered. As a result, the Singaporean educational system is able to produce generally high averages but comparatively lesser peaks.
Read also...
6 reasons why Singaporeans leave Singapore - part 2 of 2
Bonda Cafe - cheap authentic Malaysian food in Central London
190 Sussex Gardens, Paddington, London W2 1PU
Tel/Fax: +44 (0) 207 4025 111
Other than Leicester Square, which is full of tourist traps, the next obvious place to head towards for affordable Asian cuisine in Central London would be Bayswater area.
Not surprisingly, the many familiar names (Four Seasons, Royal China, Mandarin Kitchen etc.) that lined Queensway are often packed with queues spilling onto the streets. One would need to wait up to forty minutes even with a reservation.
However, unknown to many, there's a small Malaysian eatery tucked in a corner basement in Sussex Gardens, which is just a tube stop down (Lancaster Gate). Bonda Café serves authentic Malaysian street fare that include masak lemak cili api (spicy mackerel cooked in coconut milk) - £4.80, ayam goreng kicap (deep fried chicken in thick soya with red pepper) - £5 and mee goreng sayur (fried noodles with egg, beancurd and veg) - £4.Though the food was fantastic, the warm service from the staff is the main thing that kept me returning repeatedly and recommending it to those who care for authentic Malaysian food. It kind of reminds me of the eateries that used to populate the bus and railway stations where I frequented as a kid.
If you're considering heading towards Kiasu for a meal, why not try out Bonda Café, which serves better food at a fraction of the price, instead. Believe me, the service is way better too.
Read also...
JoM Makan - the true taste of Malaysia
Melati Restaurant - a mix mesh of sorts
A forgotten pier - River Thames
The wind was howling during lunchtime and understandably the queue for Tower of London was considerably shorter. Donning my trusty North Face, I braved the winds that threatened to sweep me off (given my relatively light frame) and headed towards River Thames.As I was stumbling across the converted warehouse offices along the northern river bank, I noticed this small alleyway that I have ignored previously. Though I have seen people wondered down that path before, I have always thought that it would eventually lead to a dead end.
This time round, I turned into the alley and was greeted by a blast of cold wind - due to the wind tunnel effect I was told. After negotiating a long flight of moss lined stone stairway, I realized what I have missed all this while. With the tide at an all time low, what emerged from the murky river water was an abandoned pier.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one enthralled by the sight. Another suitably warmly dressed lady came down the alleyway right after me. She was much better equipped than me though - she was sporting an SLR.Read also...
Tower of London - history and review
Boat rowing in Hyde Park
Red Bull Air Race 2008 series - London River Thames
Where else can you see single engine propeller planes zipping along the length of a river with relative pin point accuracy? Red Bull Air Race World series promise that and much more. The London leg was held on the first weekend of August this year. This F1 equivalent of air racing saw the world's best pitted against each other for points.
Unlike F1, the format for Red Bull Air Race is more straightforward and its pace more pulsating. There's no pit stops, no wrangling for pole position and a crash in this event is most certainly fatal. Competitors have to fly through a circuit marked by inflatable gates and the fastest time recorded wins. Time penalties are awarded for hitting thus deflating the air gates and pilots are disqualified for dangerous flying.
Mike Mangold of US was crowned the champion in 2007 but didn't seem to do too well in the current season. Needless to say, the crowd went ballistic when UK competitor Paul Bonhomme's plane flew past the grandstand. Bonhomme disappointingly didn't complete the circuit when he was penalized for deflating an air gate.The 3hrs event would probably end after an hour or so if not for the side shows, which in my opinion, makes the ticket price more worthwhile. For one, I've never seen a helicopter flying vertically before much less performing somersaults and righting itself in a matter of seconds. Navy rescue helicopters, which were always the crowd pleaser, also demonstrated search and rescue tactics.
The finals proved to be quite popular with almost 80% of the tickets sold two weeks before the event itself. At £45 per ticket, they don't come cheap either. I managed to get a decent view over at the south bank and caught quite a bit of the action. Would I attend it in 2009? Probably not. After awhile, the flights seemed somewhat repetitive. But then again, I'm not exactly a fan of F1 either.Read also...
Redbull - sponsor of Red Bull Air Race series
The Royal Ascot - betting at Horse race
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