Living in Singapore: A Westerner's View

Living in Singapore is a totally different experience than visiting Singapore. Since this tiny island makes a lot of its money off of foreign tourists, there is a strong effort by the Singaporean government to make tourists visits pleasant, safe, and above all, repeatable. Many people fly through Singapore without ever really seeing beneath the almost Disneyland-like "happy shiny people" that is pushed so strongly by the government (when I was there last, metro cards actually had pictures of the buses filled with smiling happy faces!). As an American born in Singapore who left and then came back (and then left again,) I feel like I may be able to assist you in understanding what living in Singapore is like, especially if you are not a Singaporean.

Singapore's geography colors every aspect of living in Singapore. Being located almost on the equator affects daily weather, giving it a hot, humid feel year-round, although rainfall does vary a bit according to "wet" or "dry" seasons. Most Singaporeans don't actually feel the heat all day however, as public and private indoor climates are kept at 70F/18C, a temperature that feels like below zero when you come in from the outside (especially if you're wet from a typical tropic shower!).

The placement of Singapore among its neighbors also plays a strong, if subtle, influence on the common mindset. Malaysia is a bridge away, while Indonesia is a short boat ride away. These two large Muslim countries are teeming with poorer denizens that Singapore does its best to keep out unless they have something to contribute.

Being born in Singapore does not confer citizenship; only being born to a Singaporean parent confers citizenship (so there isn't a big rush of pregnant ladies coming over for their births.) Both Malaysia and Indonesia are large enough to be a real threat to Singapore's national security, so the government and the average citizen are just a little paranoid underneath, not to mention having been an occupied country within living memory (by the Japanese during WWII - the scars are still vivid. Many Singaporeans can still tell you what horrible thing happened to their parents or grandparents during the occupation. The Japanese were not kind). Thus, Singapore's global geography gives a distinct flavor to living in Singapore that can only be appreciated over time, although anyone will readily appreciate Singapore's tropical beauty right from the beginning.

Since Singapore actually did the "pull-yourself-up-by-the-boots traps" in the last 50 years, there is also a bit of an arrogance in that most Singaporeans believe that they are living in a much better country than their poor unlucky neighbors. This is helped by frequent government propaganda with the same message. Singaporeans do have many economic advantages over their neighbors since the government only has to take care of a small number of citizens with a large GNP.

The public transport options are bus, cab and metro and all are in good condition, clean, affordable, and safe. Health care for citizens is among the best in the region. After race riots in the last century, sparked by history and the cultural makeup of Singapore, the government strongly pushes a "Singaporean" identity over ethnic identity, while requiring school children to be proficient in English as well as their mother tongue. Singapore tactfully chose 4 official languages at its birth: English, Mandarin (Chinese), Melayu (Malaysian) and Tamil (Indian). As an actual example of unified Singaporean identity, there is a sub-language of English called "Singlish" that has many borrow words from other languages that all Singaporeans understand and share; yet there is a colonial leftover feeling of shame for not speaking "proper" English. This means that visitors rarely get spoken to in Singlish, which is a shame because it's a great dialect.

All Singaporeans share a love of food, and it is probably the best unifier the country has. It is easy to appreciate other people's cultures when the sharing of food is so common. Singaporeans are favored with many excellent ethnic choices at any normal food court; well, except Western. Unfortunately, most Singaporean hawker center cooks think "Western" food is pork and beans from a can with some fried chicken steak on the side. Forgo the Western food, unless you're actually in a ritzy Western restaurant that caters to expats. Otherwise there are a wide variety of delicious choices, and eating communally in the ever-present "hawker centers" is one of the ways to live like a Singaporean does; many don't even really cook at home (or their foreign maid does the cooking).

Speaking of maids, there is a whole 'nother people group in Singapore that is usually ignored: the hired help. Many of those poorer neighbors come to Singapore to work as menial laborers, some even commute from Malaysia daily. They send money back to keep the home economies going, and it is a common thing to have a Singaporean child being raised mostly by a foreign caretaker while both parents work. I personally had a Malaysian amah while a child, and let me tell you, she was wonderful. This cross-cultural exchange is another way living in Singapore is a unique experience.

A love second to food must be shopping. Singapore has a great number of shopping centers, malls and stores. The average Singaporean will go shopping with friends as a social engagement. This isn't really different from visiting Singapore, though, since it is a regional hub of commerce and most people on a layover are able to appreciate Orchard Road or any of the many other shopping choices. One thing people coming from a more moderate climate shouldn't miss is Christmas time in Singapore. Each of the four official ethnic groups have two public holidays a year, and Christmas is one of the "English" ones. Orchard Road area goes all out at Christmas, with shopping Santas to what can appear as slightly bizarre decorations (pink snow?).

Foreigners living in Singapore usually fall into one of two groups: the expats and the gone-natives. The expats usually live in small communities with other expats and shop at expat grocery stores like Cold Storage. They may interact with Singaporeans on a daily basis, but they are not really "living" in Singapore in the common sense. Then, there is the other extreme of expats who are indistinguishable from natives (except maybe skin tone,) who adopt the local identity as their own.

Expats come from all over the world and there are as many sub-groups as there are countries. Particularly large subgroups are: Europeans/North Americans, mainland Chinese, Filipinos, Indians, Indonesians and Malaysians. Thus, living in Singapore can be strongly affected by what country you are a native of; if a native Singaporean, your choice of friends (and their ethnicity) colors your life.

There is some inter-marrying among the different people groups but it is more likely to find that one or both people in the inter-ethnic couple are foreigners. Because unity is so strongly pushed by the government, Singaporeans are friendlier with each other than one would expect in a place with such strong ethnic identities. Outsiders are almost always welcomed generously, although invitations into people's houses might not be as common as what you could find in a colder climate. If you are invited over by someone, realize that you have been extended a very special honor and remember to bring a gift of food or something small for the host. Gift-giving is very big in Chinese culture, and Singapore is 70% Chinese by heritage. When giving gifts, try to give something of a medium value that the other person can reciprocate easily; an unreciprocated gift leaves the recipient in the giver's debt and most Singaporeans would not like that.

Living in Singapore is such a unique experience that it is very difficult to put into so few words. If you are contemplating a move to Singapore, count yourself blessed. As long as you avoid totally isolating yourself from the community, you will find yourself enjoying a beautiful country full of all kinds of people who are usually happy to welcome a stranger. If you're already living there, write about your own experiences! Ah, I'm getting too homesick to continue. Drink some milk tea for me if you can.