What do people know about Singapore??

Actually I wanted to keep my blog as a way of venting my frustrations whenever I feel upset, depressed, sad or happy. You know, those extremes feelings that I can’t express verbally except the best way I know - to write(or rather, type) it down. However, my host parents just bought a PC for the home few days ago, so now I have access to the internet and computer 24/7. This is great news and I love it!! So, since I save time by not going to the library to use the internet, I have lots of time just to browse the net. I really enjoy reading my friends’ blogs so I thought maybe I should just write down my days’ happenings and feelings more often. After all, I have the access!!

I think I’m addicted to the computer now. I can just sit here for the whole day if permitted. They have cable access after all, so it doesn’t really cost extra just to log on the whole day. Most of all, my motive for sitting here for so long is to listen to 933 on the internet radio. It gives me my dose of S’pore and Mandarin pop that I miss so much ever since leaving my dear country almost 15 months ago. I don’t know how to stop myself. When I’m with the girls, it really takes a great restrain on me to not just sit them down for a movie while I sit myself in front of the computer. :Þ

Last night I went for a meeting with a meet up group from the net. We went for a restaurant that claims to sell South-East Asian cuisine. Well, it isn’t so authentic anyway. It’s been Americanised to suit the tastes of the customers. Food is good, really, just not authentic for me to praise it. Anyway, that’s not what I wanted to comment on. Most of the time, when I meet new people and they know that I’m from S’pore, the next question would be, "What language do you speak in S’pore?". I would start giving a funny face and then stammer, "Err…English? And because I’m a Chinese, I speak Mandarin and a little of other Chinese dialects myself." This would be followed by a look of surprised(and sometimes shock) on the people’s faces. They would always follow by, "No wonder you speak very good English". At this point, I always get embarrassed, don’t know for S’pore’s lack of it’s own culture or for the other people’s lack of knowledge.

Most people have heard of Singapore and know about it but you’ll be surprised how much they know the details about it. The language thing is one. Another is where, geographically, we are. I had someone ask me before where in China Singapore is. Duh!!?? Also, they don’t know that we have different races living within one country and we live peacefully with one another! When I say we have Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasians living in Singapore, they would get confused with what’s a Malay race and we’re not Chinese from China?? I really have to brush up a lot on my heritage. I tried to read up a little about my country in order to teach these ignorant people. Indeed, when back home, we do take our country for granted and think that being so modernised and all, people would know about us. Surprise, surprise! Little did I know…

Well, I’m proud to be a Singaporean and I admit it. Never will I give up my Singapore citizenship for a US one, or even the greencard, for that matter. As stated before in my other blog. I won’t want to live here forever. Singapore may have it’s faults, but no one’s perfect, right?