The Changing Face of Singaporean
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Vevey:
:xedfingers:
I hope our younger generation would not deteroriate so far.
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Up till maybe 10 years ago, Singapore was Singapore. Nothing complicated. You are either Chinese, Malay, Indian or Eurasian. Our cars were all roughly about the same size. Our children all look about the same. But now, we have to manage our expectations about what Singapore has become and who a Singaporean is.
Firstly, expect more and more mixed marriages. Depending on where you live and where your kids go to school, you will see that children of mixed ancestry have increased. In the past they held mostly foreign passports. But today his or her local Singaporean mother would even add a western surname to her maiden name. The caucasian father may also be the holder of a pink NRIC.
Second, expect more inequality. A Singaporean may earn $800, $8000 or $80,000 a month. There is no running away from it because the Singapore ship has set sail in its chosen course. We have left the port for good. We can gripe and lament about the good old days but they will remain the good old days. Singapore is undergoing a makeover to attract the richest, the biggest, the most popular, the snazzy. And they will only come when Singapore has the most luxury hotels, the most happening restaurants, the most exclusive marinas and the most expensive products to be bought and to be enjoyed. Anyone noticed there are more Porsches, Maseratis and Bentleys on our roads yet?
Third, expect more crime. I think Singapore has been trying to project a less stern image and to actually appear welcoming. Maybe we all have been too used to the level of police presence in the past. Do you remember how our parents or grandparents threatened us saying "If you are naughty, the police will come and catch you?" Well, these days we do not see policemen anywhere anymore. Crime prevention has been shifted onto our own shoulders.
And, finally… expect more competition. While we are sitting in front of our computers sharing our disappointment with one another, the PRC China mummy is coaching her son to get into Raffles Institution, the well-qualified Indian national is eyeing a CEO job at an MNC, a Brit started his own hamburger joint, a German opened his own engineering company… . I do not think any of these new residents or citizens are slowing down for Singaporeans to catch up. They are here to beat us at the game. -
all in the name of higher GDP…
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EllaEmma:
all in the name of higher GDP...
all in the name of survival.
You stop pedalling, you fall off the bike.... -
UncleLim:
Up till maybe 10 years ago, Singapore was Singapore. Nothing complicated. You are either Chinese, Malay, Indian or Eurasian. Our cars were all roughly about the same size. Our children all look about the same. But now, we have to manage our expectations about what Singapore has become and who a Singaporean is.
Firstly, expect more and more mixed marriages. Depending on where you live and where your kids go to school, you will see that children of mixed ancestry have increased. In the past they held mostly foreign passports. But today his or her local Singaporean mother would even add a western surname to her maiden name. The caucasian father may also be the holder of a pink NRIC.
Second, expect more inequality. A Singaporean may earn $800, $8000 or $80,000 a month. There is no running away from it because the Singapore ship has set sail in its chosen course. We have left the port for good. We can gripe and lament about the good old days but they will remain the good old days. Singapore is undergoing a makeover to attract the richest, the biggest, the most popular, the snazzy. And they will only come when Singapore has the most luxury hotels, the most happening restaurants, the most exclusive marinas and the most expensive products to be bought and to be enjoyed. Anyone noticed there are more Porsches, Maseratis and Bentleys on our roads yet?
Third, expect more crime. I think Singapore has been trying to project a less stern image and to actually appear welcoming. Maybe we all have been too used to the level of police presence in the past. Do you remember how our parents or grandparents threatened us saying \"If you are naughty, the police will come and catch you?\" Well, these days we do not see policemen anywhere anymore. Crime prevention has been shifted onto our own shoulders.
And, finally... expect more competition. While we are sitting in front of our computers sharing our disappointment with one another, the PRC China mummy is coaching her son to get into Raffles Institution, the well-qualified Indian national is eyeing a CEO job at an MNC, a Brit started his own hamburger joint, a German opened his own engineering company.... . I do not think any of these new residents or citizens are slowing down for Singaporeans to catch up. They are here to beat us at the game.
:goodpost:
靠山山倒，靠人人跑，只有靠自己。 -
When I was younger (80s-90s), I pedal in a comfortable pace with my peers.
When they are slower, I let them catch up. When I am behind, they wait for me. No one left behind.
Its all about the speed of the pace set. We cannot stop, but we can go slower.
My 2 cents. -
EllaEmma:
I think you have a rose-tinted view of the past. You mean there was no competition for jobs or uni places back then?When I was younger (80s-90s), I pedal in a comfortable pace with my peers.
When they are slower, I let them catch up. When I am behind, they wait for me. No one left behind.
Its all about the speed of the pace set. We cannot stop, but we can go slower.
My 2 cents.
There are many industries where going even slightly slower means extinction.
Just ask Creative Technologies.
There is no industry in Singapore today that cannot in future be done cheaper, faster, better than by some other country. When that other country does it cheaper, faster and better, the local industry will migrate to the other country.
Ask Seagate, ask Maersk, ask Chartered Semiconductor (remember that name).
It is binary these days, a hard job, or no job, there is almost no in-between. The competition is not against other Singaporeans, its against the world. Its not whether you ride the bicycle faster or slower compared to other Singaporeans, if the fast riders in Singapore don't pedal as hard as they can and try and pull others forward, then all of us fall behind.
No, we can't go slower, not when everyone else is working at maximum speed. As individuals, we may want to make that decision for our own families and lifestyles, but surely we cannot expect others who can ride faster to slow down on our account? -
EllaEmma:
but that was between you and your buddies. You did not see the groups that pedaled furiously ahead in front of you.When I was younger (80s-90s), I pedal in a comfortable pace with my peers.
When they are slower, I let them catch up. When I am behind, they wait for me. No one left behind.
Its all about the speed of the pace set. We cannot stop, but we can go slower.
My 2 cents.
now you see them ahead of you and realised that there are others ahead of you and not waiting and no sign of slowing
good thing that you now see them instead of just staying out of view of what is ahead of you -
the first laptop I used in 1994 was an IPC, black and white screen, 256MB of ram (or there about), then switched to windows 3
in between I had Compaq, HP, Acer, Sony, Fujitsu, etc etc
5 years ago my laptop had 2GB of ram
today the starting line is 8GB of ram, Intel CIRE i5, windows 7 -
Morning
What I wrote may not be a good example, but all I want to point out is that current policies left many behind.
Higher birth rate is expected, yet new housing is benchmarked to market, transport costs high to own a car for family, public transports is overloaded, high medical costs, youngs to feed with aging parents to look after, and still to compete with imports, there's a lack of balance in my opinion for those affected...
In earlier days, double incomes already a must for many SGs, not everyone can be a SAHM. Getting pregnant as working mum is not easy, carrying it through 9 months not necessary smooth sailing, miscarriages at worst. Just my view from raising 2 kids experience back in days when policies still not so bad. How the new couples cope....
Life is never going to be easy, unless borned with a silver spoon.
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