Week 3

Friday. The last day of my first 3 weeks of working here in Singapore.

So what exactly has been my work about? I’ve been doing business process documentation, interviewing users, cleaning up the process diagrams handed-over to me, which were in such a bad shape that I had to redo the whole thing. I earned the ire of the users because I’ve been already the 3rd person interviewing them for the same purpose. I would be irritated myself, if it happened to me. But work has to be done, and so I bear the brunt of their impatience. And my boss constantly asks me about how SAP can “do things”, in relation to the processes I’ve been documenting. So far, I’ve been confident with my answers. Hoping to keep this up. Hehehe.

I decided to hang out by the benches outside Suntec to catch some sun and polluted air (there are cars and busses going around the Fountain of Wealth, and smokers behind me). For the past 2 days, I found the client’s office very stuffy.

So, 3 weeks. What do I think, so far?

Singapore is a multi-cultural country. Though it’s predominantly Chinese, there is a large portion of the population who are Indians, Malays, Muslims, and Filipino. Call it weird, but I find comfort in hearing inane Tagalog conversations and tsismis in the bus or MRT.

For the past 3 weeks, I have compiled a list of general observations (not in any order) about the people, the culture, and the interesting things here in Singapore. N.b. these are just mere observations, and not sweeping generalizations. I don’t aim to hurt or judge anybody.

1) “-lah”. What could this 3-letter word/suffix/phrase mean? Whenever I talk to anybody who is distinctly Singaporean, these 3 letters seem to pop out at the end of each sentence. “Don’t include this lah”, “Let’s go out for lunch lah”… and so on. Why? Why?

2) Singaporeans are workaholics. They take pride in working long hours, working at home, working on weekends, during lunch... I found it sad.

3) They’re so quiet in the office. If it was quiet in my previous office, it’s quieter here. People hardly talk, there isn’t anyone listening to music (even with earphones), or the occasional jostling and joking around. I could hear the aircon humming overhead. Nakakapanis ng laway…

4) It’s amazing to see the number of shops and malls here. There are just so many things waiting to be purchased! Laptops, digital cameras, phones, speakers, usb devices, ipod, mp3 players, shoes, bags, clothes, food, more shoes… I often wonder how these shops could survive.

5) Most foodcourts only have a handful of stalls with spoon and forks.

6) All of the foodcourts I’ve been don’t give out paper napkins as part of their service! So frustrating…

7) The serving size of meals here is BIG. Most of the time, I can hardly finish my meal. I usually buy my food as “take away”. Whatever I couldn’t finish for lunch is usually my dinner. Katamad na rin mag-prepare. I miss Gingging. Hehehe.

8) Canned/bottled softdrinks here cost an arm! $1.50 for a can of Coke Light x P30/$SG1 = P45/can. And that’s already in a foodcourt. Crazy! Another reason to stick to the diet (if there is one).

9) Most foodcourt/hawker busboys/cleaners here are senior citizens.

10) Most people here eat alone during meal times, like I do. 3 or 4 strangers can share a table in the foodcourt, not minding one another’s business.

11) Despite observation #7, people here are slim, sexy, well-groomed and fashionable, especially the women. They can walk for hours in stilettos and strappy sandals, with short skirts or shorts, despite the always impending rain. Also despite their varicose veins and leg spots. Now that is confidence.

12) [Another] despite observation #11, I noticed that most people here are not fond of taking a bath or washing up everyday. There isn’t a day, during the morning bus ride, that I don’t see a pretty lady or a guy smartly dressed but smelling of someone who just got out of bed. Amoy kama. As a result, I think people here have gone immune with BO. Either that, or they’ve mastered the art of ignoring it even in the enclosed space of an aircon bus or MRT. As for me, the only thing I’ve mastered is pretending to ignore BO. I keep a straight face whenever there is an “encounter”, but deep inside, I want to belch and run out.

13) Everything is ‘sanitized’ here. Everything looks clean, manicured, and OC. There is hardly any dust at the house, or any litter in the sidewalks. The MRT and the buses are well-kept. Buses only stop at designated areas. There are no creepy kundoktors or hold-upper looking men. There are trees and shade even in the heart of the city. Ang saya-saya.

14) I think there is only one big grocery store here (Carrerfour) that can rival SM and Landmark.

15) Prices of liquor are outrageously! No wonder people here are so … somber and always looking constipated (ehehehe).

16) There aren’t too many pogi and guapa people here. Well, beauty is subjective. But as for me, people here look too Chinese or too Indian for my taste. I’ve come to realize that the Filipinos’ physique and “face” has been too watered down by centuries of intermarriage with the colonial Spanish, that we look neither distinctly Asian nor Malay nor Spanish. Whereas people here are, like I said, too … distinct.

17) There is hardly any traffic here. “Hardly”, in comparison to the monstrous traffic back in Manila. Traffic here would mean being stuck for a maximum of 1 hour. One hour back in Manila is just ‘normal’ travel time from Makati to Ortigas. Maybe because there aren’t too many cars here. Too expensive. And besides, the public transport system is very efficient and covers most of the country, so why bother with a car?

18) Whereas there are queues or “pila” for cabs, people don’t queue at bus stops. Rampage! Especially during peak hours between 6pm and 9pm. Parang sa Pilipinas din pala.

19) Children here are very independent. Those as young as 6 years old can go to far-off schools without a yaya, provided they have their own ez-link (smart card for busses, MRT) ticket or coins.

20) People read in the busses and the MRT. I still couldn’t bring myself to catch this habit. The strain of focusing my eyes on the letters, while the bus or the MRT is forever shaking, gives me migraine.

21) There is hardly any news about killings, rape, child abuse, rallies, hold-uppers, and terrorists. Like the general surroundings, the news is also quite sanitized. Parang exciting na dito ang nahulog na kotse sa kanal, kotseng nakabanggan sa kalye, and the like. Made me think na ang boring talaga dito.

22) Deal or No Deal here is a boring show, compared to the ‘dramah’ and excitement in Pinas’ version. The audience isn’t too loud, the host doesn’t have Kris Aquino’s ka-eklatan, and is so “trying-hard” to be witty and funny.

23) The entertainment industry here is a speck compared to Pinas’. You see the same faces in almost all the local shows. One actor could be doing drama in one show, and comedy or action an hour later in another show. Mileage.

24) Most taxis here are Toyota Crown. Kulay at company lang ang nag-iba. There must’ve been a time when they mass-imported these cars to be used as taxis. Cabs here are nice, clean, don’t smell of cigarette smoke, and they issue receipts, so you wouldn’t hear the irritating “kayo na po bahala ma’m ha…” comment.

25) During communion at mass, people follow the queuing per pew system. A row of people can only stand up when the row before them has already queued or taken communion. It’s very systematic, and facilitates faster distribution amongst the people. Unlike sa Pilipinas, walang systema. Queue at your own sweet time.

26) Sentosa, the largest island/beach resort here, with an atmosphere like Boracay, is pitiable compared to our beaches. The sand looks and feels fake, the water is murky and has a horrible shade of monster green (yeck), and the whole place just reeks of “artificial”. Even though I shun Boracay for having lost all its “naturalness”, I would prefer it, hands-down, over Sentosa anytime. But then, who am I to complain? It’s the only ‘decent’ beach near the city. And as I need to be sun-scorched once in a while, I don’t have any choice.

So there, 26 items in just 3 weeks. I’m foreseeing that this list will grow longer, as I begin to miss dear old, chaotic, unforgettable lupang sinilangan.