Sep 24

The Bizarre Behaviour of Singaporeans
- observations made by a German national who has lived in Singapore for 9 years.

44 years of economic and material success have spawned some very strange behaviours among Singaporeans. They spent so much to buy a house or flat, furnished it up like a palace, but spent their time outside, most of the time at work. And the maids are the ones enjoying the million-dollar or multi-million-dollar assets.

Then they pay so much, the highest in the world, for a car only to park at home. Too expensive to drive, too many ERPs and car park charges to pay. And they are encouraged to park their cars at home and take public transport, being cheaper and more convenient.

And when Singaporeans travel, instead of seeing the places, they went shopping. The best part is that they would head for the cheapest bargains, buying stuff that they could get in Chinatown or pasar malam, at even cheaper prices. But they are still happy that they got a bargain.

And while the heartlanders are busy trying to make a life here, being told to bust off if they are not happy, which they could not, the rich and presumably very happy and contented citizens are buying up properties overseas just in case they need to make that escape from this paradise.

While many Singaporeans are thinking of jumping ship, or preparing to jump ship, hoards of new immigrants are rushing in to take their place in this paradise.

And to top it all up, they keep complaining about the govt and all the policies that they found unpalatable, but come every election, they will vote and return the govt to power.

Strange Singaporean behaviour

Sep 11
http://www.yoursdp.org/index.php/news/singapore/2763-democrats-visit-nursing-home-as-part-of-community-service

Democrats visit nursing home as part of community service

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Tuesday, 08 September 2009
Singapore Democrats

In our effort to perform community service and to raise awareness of volunteer work, the Singapore Democrats visited a nursing home over the weekend.

Armed with cakes, pastries and drinks, our members and friends came ready to do whatever they could to assist the staff there and to help bring a little cheer to the elderly residents.

The folks there were clearly happy to have visitors, their faces lighting up when they saw us. As we settled down and made conversation, it was clear that they enjoyed the attention and the break in their daily routine.

Some of them were bed-ridden and could not interact much with us. Despite this they seemed to appreciate our presence and often held our hands. The physical contact seemed to go a long way in helping to soothe aching bones and tired nerves.

They were especially taken in by the children who had come along. “How are you, ah ma?” one of them asked.

“You’re so lovely. Thanks for coming to see us,” the 80-year-old granny replied as she held on to the young hand. “Come, I give you something,” she beckoned, shuffling back to her bed from the common room.

She pulled out a preserved plum: “This is for you.”

Another resident told us, “I’m over a hundred years old and cannot walk. I retired a long time ago.” When we told him that we would return and visit on a regular basis, he broke into a smile and a teardrop ran down his face.

As this was the first time we were visiting the facility, one of our objectives was to familiarise ourselves with its staff and operations so that we can organise our resources to do more in future.

Those who wish to help in this project can contact us at sdp@yoursdp.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .