A good indication of English proficiency (or maybe the educational level) in S'pore is to listen to what they say when they try to get by you. The order is ranked from best to poor: pardon me, excuse me, excuse, hello, and nothing. Actually, saying "hello" to get by is very annoying to me. Thought I still prefer it to people bumping by without saying a word. It's quite common here in S'pore.
I saw a few things that a typical Americans wouldn't see. Things like looking at Fay's case from the S'poreans' perspective. How influential and arrogant US can be to the rest of the world. Also, how well develop American entertainment industry is compared to the rest of the world. It's like a one big free advertisement. That's one thing the other countries didn't do so well. Maybe it's one of the reasons that Russia lost the cold war 8-)
One of my major peeves about S'pore is the service. The no tip system means that no matter how the service is, they get the service charge. At least in the States you can leave nothing if you dislike the service. You can even leave a single penny to add insult to injury. No such thing here. Although some mom and pop shops treat people very well once you get to know them.
There isn't much consumer protection here in S'pore. You are basically stuck with a deal once the money has been exchanged. I still have to learn the art of bargaining. It's essential if I need to survive in S'pore.
The States have government campaign once in a while. One of the most successful one is the "Just say no" campaign. In S'pore, government does it all the time. Recently there is this family value campaign. And now it's the courtesy campaign. I have even seen the posters for awarding the most courteous bus drivers. Now that's going to be a extremely tough task 8-)
The motorcycle riders do not respect the car drivers and the car drivers do not respect the motorcycle riders. And of course, chaos results. There was another campaign for safe motorcycling but I don't think it made a dent in this traffic jungle. Why is motorcycle so much different than a car in the Far East countries?
One of the attractive thing in S'pore is the cleanliness of the streets. It's very deceptive because it is because S'pore has a very efficent cleaning crew. They clean the streets twice a day. The fines and campaign really don't stop people from littering. It's really the cleaning crew and not the people of S'pore that should take credit for the cleaniness of the city.
Still haven't found a good Italian restaurant. Tried Al Forno Travita and Prego. Both are disappointing. Wine is not popular here at all in S'pore. Maybe because of its price.
Watching PG-rated R-rated movie is a torture. Saw a few movie in S'pore such as "Intersection" and "Crows". They are quite unbearable. Finally get to see and feel what censorship is like. Though it's just the tip of the iceberg. Watch out Internet.
Went into a store called Sports Station. It's very similar to Herman in the States. But the goods are very different. Instead of seeing tennis and racquetball rackets, you see mostly badminton and squash rackets. I have to convert my tennis and racquetball swings into badminton and squash swings. I don't think I saw an American football in the store.
What's good about Kenny Roger Roaster Chicken? I will give it six months before it packs up and leaves. Reason? Too many competitors. KFC, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Chinese Roasted Chicken are very popular here. Get Roy Rogers or Arby's here in S'pore. Introduce the concept of roast beef and Bar-B-Q sauce to S'pore.
The concept of S'pore Steamboat need to be exported to other countries. It's a combination of Korean Bar-B-Q and Chinese steamboat. You have to try it to believe it.
Punggol had a good view of M'sia at night from the shore of S'pore. The food there is even better.
Discovered places to go if I ever get a girlfriend here 8-) Somerset bar on Westin's Plaza, Pinnacle on UOB Building, MacRitchie Reservoir, Botanical Garden, Marina Bay, Sentosa, etc.
One of the most interesting way to see S'pore is by SuperBus. In case you are wondering what SuperBus is, it's a double decker air conditioned bus. It has a great view if you can get a front seat on the upper level. It's great especially for seeing Orchard Road during Xmas.
SDU? What about it? 8-)
Most of the Churches here are very dynamic in nature.
Mixing of languages here in S'pore is still fascinating to me. Learn a whole arsenal of vocabulary to confuse my friends with, (why use long words such as "male-chauvinist-pig" when you can use a simple "buaya"?) words such as lift, queue, makan, alight, air-con, boot (instead of trunk), kiasu, etc.
And finally, the top five mysteries in S'pore:
That's it for now. Looking forward to another six months in S'pore.
11/07/94
