It's time we acknowledged that we can be endlessly endearing...
Some might think it a fool's errand to sum up the measure of a Singaporean. They'd be right. Asking a question like what makes the average Singaporean is like asking what the best drink in the house is. If our citizenry is a bar, it ranges from the ubiquitous beer to free-wheeling mojitos and margaritas to respectable vintage wines. But there are a few endearing traits that most Singaporeans can lay claim to, or at least recognise in their fellow men, wherever we might be. To wit, five endearing Singapore traits that , what can we say, we're most proud to call our own!
1. We are softies deep down
Proof of how congenial we are? No matter how crowded a hawker centre is, we still acknowledge that you have reserved a seat just because you've plonked a packet of tissue paper or an umbrella on it. Funny, isn't it? When there's nothing to stop us from stealing the tissue and the seat, and use it to wipe our mouths later (the tissue, not the seat).
2. We speak funny
Let"s face it, we do. And it"s adorable. Wrong, but adorable. Who else refers to someone who hams it up as having more "patterns than badminton"? (pattern zui gor badminton), or uses "see me not up" to refer to not getting enough R-E-S-P-E-C-T? Singapore is a mish-mesh of Hokkien, Malay, Hindi, Mandarin, English so well blended into everyday use sometimes we are confused about the etymology of a phrase. The rest of the world doesn't understand us, but we get each other, like we have a special code. And nowhere do you feel more grateful for this than when you are all alone in a foreign country and suddenly hear good ol' Singlish being spoken. Nothing else makes you feel more at home.
3. We're practical to a fault
Our men don't propose marriage; they ask if you want to buy a flat together. Flowers that wilt? How about a value-for-money meal at Tiong Bahru market? We eschew romanticism for pragmatism and initially, that might be hard to swallow. What's important to keep in mind is that he's nots pending money on perishables or worthless things. The next time your boyfriend gifts you with a key-chain, remember: it's not only the thought that counts, your boyfriend is also counting his pennies so that both of you have a financially secure future. ?<-- HORRORS (but that's just me)
4. We are competitive in a good way
We want to win, and win in an open and above-board manner. We have titles like "Best Airport", "Busiest Port", "World's Most Global City" under our belt. Singapore has also been rated as the least-corrupt country in Asia. And the best thing about us? We freely share how we did it. The US has even adopted our educational method for teaching Maths since Singaporean kids out-performed American kids in the subject.
5. We live on hope and a prayer
So there's no way in this lifetime we are going to earn a million dollars by hard work. We'd do the next best thing and bet on 4D and Toto every week. Nothing wrong with a little hoping that Lady Luck will smile our way and send us enough moolah to buy the convertible and penthouse we've always dreamed about. And with two glitzy IRs, coming our way, our odds at The Good Life are that much improved, wouldn't you say?
Some might think it a fool's errand to sum up the measure of a Singaporean. They'd be right. Asking a question like what makes the average Singaporean is like asking what the best drink in the house is. If our citizenry is a bar, it ranges from the ubiquitous beer to free-wheeling mojitos and margaritas to respectable vintage wines. But there are a few endearing traits that most Singaporeans can lay claim to, or at least recognise in their fellow men, wherever we might be. To wit, five endearing Singapore traits that , what can we say, we're most proud to call our own!
1. We are softies deep down
Proof of how congenial we are? No matter how crowded a hawker centre is, we still acknowledge that you have reserved a seat just because you've plonked a packet of tissue paper or an umbrella on it. Funny, isn't it? When there's nothing to stop us from stealing the tissue and the seat, and use it to wipe our mouths later (the tissue, not the seat).
2. We speak funny
Let"s face it, we do. And it"s adorable. Wrong, but adorable. Who else refers to someone who hams it up as having more "patterns than badminton"? (pattern zui gor badminton), or uses "see me not up" to refer to not getting enough R-E-S-P-E-C-T? Singapore is a mish-mesh of Hokkien, Malay, Hindi, Mandarin, English so well blended into everyday use sometimes we are confused about the etymology of a phrase. The rest of the world doesn't understand us, but we get each other, like we have a special code. And nowhere do you feel more grateful for this than when you are all alone in a foreign country and suddenly hear good ol' Singlish being spoken. Nothing else makes you feel more at home.
3. We're practical to a fault
Our men don't propose marriage; they ask if you want to buy a flat together. Flowers that wilt? How about a value-for-money meal at Tiong Bahru market? We eschew romanticism for pragmatism and initially, that might be hard to swallow. What's important to keep in mind is that he's nots pending money on perishables or worthless things. The next time your boyfriend gifts you with a key-chain, remember: it's not only the thought that counts, your boyfriend is also counting his pennies so that both of you have a financially secure future. ?<-- HORRORS (but that's just me)
4. We are competitive in a good way
We want to win, and win in an open and above-board manner. We have titles like "Best Airport", "Busiest Port", "World's Most Global City" under our belt. Singapore has also been rated as the least-corrupt country in Asia. And the best thing about us? We freely share how we did it. The US has even adopted our educational method for teaching Maths since Singaporean kids out-performed American kids in the subject.
5. We live on hope and a prayer
So there's no way in this lifetime we are going to earn a million dollars by hard work. We'd do the next best thing and bet on 4D and Toto every week. Nothing wrong with a little hoping that Lady Luck will smile our way and send us enough moolah to buy the convertible and penthouse we've always dreamed about. And with two glitzy IRs, coming our way, our odds at The Good Life are that much improved, wouldn't you say?
