Observations and Insights

Now that I have spent almost 2 months in S'pore, and have been meeting folks and earning more about the culture I have observed the following:

The National sport/pastime is:  

• Shopping/Eating Out or Eating Out/Shopping.

I am not sure of the proper order and am convinced it depends on the time of day/person/and current priority the individual is focused on!

The Culture:

• As I have been told by many locals, when you make money, you must spend it!  
• Most people do not cook at home.  Ingredients are expensive and with the sheer number of places to eat, it  just is easier and can be less expensive than cooking!
• Status is Key.  
• The more expensive the brand, the better.

• There are more Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, Bentleys, Rolls Royce's, Mercedes, BMW's, Aston Martin's, Porcshe's, ETC than I have ever seen in one place.  We even saw a McLaren (for non car enthusiasts, this is a very rare car!).  UPDATE:  There are 3 McLaren's in Singapore.
• Add on the fact that the you need a COE (Certificate of Entitlement) that costs SGD$90,000 for a big engine (SGD$60,000 for a smaller car) just to be able to buy a car; plus really, really high taxes and you get prices that would make an American quiver.  

• If US residents/citizens had to pay for a COE and had the tax burden that Singaporeans carry, the number of vehicles on the road would be minimal.  No one would be able to afford to buy a car.
• There is a decent public transportation system.  
• I can walk, take a bus or subway to get to most places I need or want to go to.  
• It is very cost effective.  In spite of a lot of bad press regarding breakdowns, I wonder if the breakdowns suffered are any worse than some of the delays that I experienced in Denver and the occasional disruptions in NYC, Chicago, etc.  
• While the aircon works most days in the subway, there have been a few times when I felt like I was stuck in an EZ Bake oven with hot air blasting instead of cooler air!
• The escalators to the metros break - especially the ones leading outdoors to street level!  I think for every 7 days of operation, the ones at Orchard and Scott break about 2 days out of the 7!  This is not surprising since it is bloody hot here!
• I don't think a "good hair day" is possible here with the heat and humidity combination!
• There is a huge gap between the "haves" and "have nots".  I think it is even worse than the widening gap in the US.
• Service people are not treated nicely by many people.  I call the folks at the hawker centers and other food court type establishments as "the invisibles".  My perspective is that they are treated rudely and like they do not exist or are subhuman.  The fact that I say "thank you" to them surprises them and many times they are embarrassed that I acknowledge them.  Usually it does garner a generous smile that someone actually acknowledges them and the service they provide.
• No one tips.  There is a 10% service charge added to bills, but I have learned that this money does not go to the people serving you.  I have learned that if you get good service it is nice to give a tip and that you should give it directly to your waitperson.  Want to make someone's day and see their face light up with enthusiasm?  Give a tip!!!
• When eating out, I struggle with the arm waving and snapping of fingers of patrons to get a wait person's attention.  Yes, I know I am not in the US anymore, but WOW!!!  I have a much better understanding of some people's behavior across other cities in the world now.
• The Singaporeans do not seem to be aware that they live in one to the 10 most expensive cities in the WORLD and that not ONE city in the USA is in the top 10!
• Housing is ridiculously expensive - but there is no space.
• Want to eat at a sit down restaurant?  Plan on dropping at least SGD$50 - and that is without alcohol!  Want Western type food and your bill will be closer to the SGD$100 mark for 2 people without alcohol!
• Alcohol is really, really expensive!
• This is very "proper" society, but I also live across the street from a building who is known to house the "4 floors of whores"....prostitution is legal, but solicitation is not.  I keep wondering - what??????? 
• There has been a major scandal rocking Singapore regarding underage solicitation
• http://www.smh.com.au/world/underage-call-girl-scandal-shakes-singapore-elite-20120428-1xrdi.html
• The metros are very, very crowded at peak times and the weekends are almost worse than the week days!
• I think this is one of the most technology dependent societies.  
• Watch on the sidewalks - people are texting and trying to walk and walk into you!  
• Watch on the subway/metro and about 70% of all passengers are watching something on their mobile device, talking on the phone, texting or otherwise disengaged from the people and their surroundings!
• Mornings are funny to me - I feel like I am in a feedlot!  You get off a train and no one says a word - all you hear is the endless "click clack" of thousands of shoes as we march off to our offices/destinations!  I secretly wonder what would happen if I started "mooing" during the morning march?  They'd all think the crazy Ang Mo went off her rocker, I am sure!