This article was originally on GET.com at: 10 Things We Complain About In Singapore But Secretly Adore
Try typing “Singaporeans love to complain” into Google and you’ll find a host of articles and videos discussing how Singaporeans love to complain. It has been said that Singaporeans have had too much of a good life here, having been born in a very well-managed country with little poverty, thus giving rise to a feeling of self-entitlement.
Despite that, is complaining even a bad thing? And are we sometimes complaining about things we secretly love and can’t do without? GET.com has listed 10 things that we think Singaporeans actually love more than hate about our country even when we complain.
1. MRT
In my years of growing up in Singapore, I’ve never seen so many complaints about the MRT system in Singapore than those in the last 2 years.
In the past, we Singaporeans relied on our trusty train system to get us to work and school on time, and with no food and drinks allowed, it’s perhaps one of the cleanest subways in the world.
Somewhere along the way, I guess the increase in population and tourists might have taken a toll on the MRT.
Breakdowns become more and more frequent, causing some to be stranded for their examinations and work, and we even saw incidents where passengers had to walk on the MRT tracks.
Yes, the efficiency breaks down sometimes, but seriously, for the price we pay and the comfort we enjoy, ask any tourist and you’ll know that we should all be really grateful for what we have.
Here are 3 things SMRT can do when the MRT breaks down.
2. Singapore is “little”
Singapore is affectionately known as the “little red dot”. And yes, admittedly, the island-state is small in size. Measuring just about 719 square kilometres, it’s certainly viable to cycle around the circumference of Singapore in a day or two.
But because it is small, it enables us to travel from the east to the west in less than 2 hours even on public transport.
The proximity we have lets us save lots of time on a daily basis – compare that to those who live in larger cities where their one-way commute to work can easily take more than 2 hours.
3. CPF
While most of us might be very grateful to our government for coming up with such a brilliant idea such as the CPF, there are some haters who feel that since it is money that is hard-earned, we should have full entitlement to how we want to use it.
Well, let’s say that there is a clear reason for locking up that money until we need it – because not all of us can trust ourselves to manage money properly, even if it is our own.
When the time comes for you to buy your own house, you should remember that it may not have been possible for you to afford it without your CPF.
4. Singlish
Love it or hate it, but Singlish has definitely established itself as a clear part of the Singaporean identity. Everywhere we go, you can identify a Singaporean just from the way they speak “English”. Isn’t that an obvious way we’ve got something uniquely Singaporean going on here?
5. City of fines
Some may feel that our country is a little obsessed with having fines for small offences such as littering, drinking in the MRT or smoking near a bus stop.
The signs may cause much anxiety for foreigners who are new to the country, but if you’ve lived here long enough, you already know that there’s a very small percentage of us that’s fined because it acts more as a deterrent.
After all, it is small things like this that make us grateful for the clean and safe city we live in.
6. Staying with the folks
In some other developed countries, people may frown upon the idea of young adults still staying with their parents past 18 years old. Not so in Singapore at all!
Indeed, we might even be a little surprised if we spoke to someone in their twenties who’s still single that’s renting an apartment/room to stay on their own.
While we complain about the pains of staying with our parents, such as having someone nag us to do out dishes, come home earlier or clean our rooms, living with our folks saves us lots of money and also helps to keep the family together.
7. Foreign talents
There’s been quite a bit of discussion with regards to foreign talents and workers in Singapore during the last election. Some Singaporeans have felt that the influx of foreign talents has taken up jobs that should be reserved for Singaporeans.
Well, let’s just say that having foreigners working in the same environment drives diversity, keeps us international and opens our perspective.
Another reason is that practically speaking, the Singapore economy can’t sustain itself without foreign talents simply because the local population is shrinking and ageing.
8. National Service
Recently there’s been some debate about whether foreigners who have been born in Singapore should fulfil their National Service duties here.
Well, judging from some of the news interviews on TV, it does seem like most guys who’ve been through the NS felt that it was a good experience to toughen themselves up.
I’ve also heard from my own relatives and friends how their sons and/brothers have changed for the better after NS.
Don’t we feel proud that our fellow Singaporeans are doing their bit at protecting their nation? You certainly do not want mercenaries doing the job in the event of war, do you?
9. Ban on gum
It has become something we’ve come to live with, sparking this obsession with chewing gum to our hearts’ content when we travel.
You just need to remember that no gum means no sticky stuff on your brand new Nike shoes when you are running outdoor and no disgusting chewed-gum stuck on your home’s public lift buttons.
10. Expensive homes
Yes, we all know that Singapore has recently emerged as one of the most expensive cities to live in for the third straight year.
With public housing selling at some $1 million for those near the city, how can you expect Singaporeans to be pleased with that?
On the other hand, the well-managed homes of Singaporeans are also top-notch compared to public housing in other parts of the world.
And judging by our home-ownership that has been hovering around 90 per cent, we have a strong reason to believe that beneath all that complaints, we still adore our housing system here.
Here you can find out how much money you need to buy your first HDB flat. If you’re looking to buy a property in Singapore, make sure to check our comprehensive home loans guide.
Here you can get the most in-depth information about Marina Bay & Chinatown properties, Tanjong Pagar properties, Tiong Bahru & Queenstown properties, Telok Blangah & Sentosa Cove properties, and Pasir Panjang & Clementi properties so that you can compare property prices and amenities and find out which area of Singapore is the best place for you to live.
This article was originally on GET.com at: HEADLINE
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