Homecoming

In 24 hours, I'll be on a plane at Changi Airport and waiting for takeoff to go back to Brisbane. Back to Unilodge, back to QUT, back to Tara and Bentley who I've missed terribly over the pass 2 weeks or so. I was online when someone asked "What's so wrong with Singapore?" Careful not to offend the Singaporean, my simple answer was "Nothing."

In actual fact, coming back here made me see things about Singapore that I never saw before. Most of my observations were on the people of Singapore. Singaporeans seem to have lost the concept of personal space, particularly in public places. I felt like I was invisible, walking around the country because people treated me like I was invisible.

At the MRT station, people will literally knock you over in their haste to get into the train. Nevermind that you're standing in front of them, waiting to get into the same train. Singaporeans have no patience. At the photo shop, I stood at the counter and waited for the staff to finish whatever task they were working on before they could serve me. A man sidled up to the counter and when the staff looked up at us, the man shoved his receipt in his face. Nevermind that I was there first. He just chose to ignore my presence. And the staff didn't ask who was first and happily served the man, condoning his actions. Walking down the streets, random people will just stop right in front of you because they decided to go somewhere else. Nevermind that they parked themselves right in front of you while you almost fall over them.

I didn't understand what was wrong with Singaporeans. All my life growing up, I've heard of the phrase "Gracious Society" but we're not a gracious society. At least I don't believe so. You get people waiting for the train and before the doors can open, the guy with the baby's pram wheels right up to the front. Nevermind that he's blocking everyone inside the train from getting out and making life for the rest of us generally more complicated by causing a mini jam.

I'm sure there are kind, courteous people around. People still give up their seats for the elderly. People still smile and acknowledge you when you ask if you could take the seat from their table at a crowded food court. But I feel that the majority of Singaporeans aren't gracious. I believe that Singaporeans are generally out for their own personal gain. Be it to get a seat on the train, or to be the first served.

I don't believe that there is national pride in the hearts of Singaporeans. I believe the government is doing a good job of trying to instill this in the minds of its people, but I believe that there is still a long way to go. I don't believe the acts of generosity or kindness are done for the good of the nation. Generally speaking anyway. I believe there are good people out there, but where? I saw so few of them during my short stay here, that it made my heart sink. I wondered, why are Singaporeans so horrible? Why are they so rude? How the hell did we get this way?

Maybe it's the culture. If you don't get there first, someone else will so you have to be quick. Maybe that's why Singaporeans are so inconsiderate. Maybe it's because the country is so densely populated. There isn't much room for us to move around in, so we have to push and shove just to make our own space. Maybe the people behave the way they do as a reaction to the way society is structured. Adaptation to one's surroundings. Country gets too small, make your own space. How? You could push and shove or you could walk around and pretend that half the people aren't there and just walk through them.

Everywhere I go, there is a crowd. And there really isn't any space to move. Literally. A tiny island harbouring 4 million people is asking for trouble. Australia has a population 5 times of ours, but look at their size. I could argue until the cows come home, but it wouldn't change the way things are here. I don't know if we have always been this way, or if I've only noticed this now because I've been away for so long.

Whatever it is, the situation here is reinforcing my disdain for the way society here ticks. I wish we could be better people. And I believe that there are courteous, gracious, cultured people in Singapore, but I don't believe this is what the majority is like.