Cultural Observations

Singapore is the most developed country in South East Asia. Because of this, there are some similarities to western culture, but after many conversations and experiences the differences are quite obvious as well.

Singaporeans love nothing more than eating and shopping. One person explained to us that "there is nothing else to do." While there could be some truth to this, there are also other reasons for these two favorite pastimes.

Eating is a very social experience. Home cooking is rare in Singapore because the price of food is quite reasonable at restaurants and Hawker Centers (the irony in the word is obvious... Hawker Centers are large food courts). People plan their meals weeks in advance in order to organize schedules with family and friends. Every day is a feast. The locals recognize that the dinner table is a great place for conversation. Since everyone needs to eat three times a day, they might as well eat together. Most of the time one person will pay for the whole meal. The recipients of the free meal occasionally joke about being "chiat-free's" (chiat means "eat"). When this is said quickly it sounds quite similar to "Jeffrey". Again there is irony in the word. Because we are guests in Singapore, our friends and relatives will not let us pay for meals and we continuously experience their generosity. We will try to host them well when they come to Vancouver.

Shopping is popular for a couple reasons. The malls have air conditioning, which is a refuge from the hot and humid tropical air. In addition to this, people are conditioned to be consumers in order to drive the economy. There was a campaign about the six C's: credit card, country club, car, and clothes. Singapore amazes visitors with its extravagance. All throughout the city there are fancy hotels and country clubs. There are two casinos, where foreigners get in for free, but locals have to pay $100 at the door (this builds the economy by bringing in foreign money and dissuading Singaporeans from losing their money). Almost all cars on the road look brand new, or five years old at most (cars cost twice to three times as much money in Singapore compared to Canada and taxes actually make it more expensive to own an old car than a new one).

It is strange that Singapore's economy is doing so well when it actually has no natural resources - no forests, no fresh water, no metals or minerals or precious stones, no oil, etc. However, we have been able to experience a little bit of nature in the midst of the concrete jungle. Our uncle Tom and his daughter Celine took us to the Botanic Garden, which somewhat reminded us of Stanley Park. It is quite manicured - every tree and bush is strategically placed - but it is quite beautiful.



[Jeff, Deb, Uncle Tom, Celine]





In the center of the gardens there is an orchid garden, which has hundreds of different species of orchids (these are hybrid cross-breeds). The colors and shapes of these flowers were stunning. The orchid is actually Singapore's national flower. We also enjoyed some walks along the sandy beach. Speaking of sand, Singapore expands its landmass with "reclaimed land" by dumping sand (taken from Malaysia) into the ocean. Perhaps someday they will reclaim so much land that they connect with another nearby island.

Family is very important to Singaporeans. Most children will stay at home well into their adult years and that is seen as a positive thing. The parents will do everything they can to give their children a good life and to get them educated. Since there is a lot of competition for University, some families will move away for the sake of their children's future. This was the case for Debbie as well as much of her extended family. Senior's homes are rare in Singapore because the elderly tend to live with their children. The government supports this financially.

Housing costs are quite high in Singapore, but there is an abundance of government subsidized HDB flats available, which are simple basic apartments that all look the same. If you get lost in Singapore near an HDB development, it would be nearly impossible to find your way.

Cleanliness is strictly enforced in Singapore. Chewing gum is illegal and there is harsh punishment for littering. The MRT (similar to Vancouver's skytrain) stations and trains are good examples of how clean Singapore is. They look brand new even though some of the lines first opened in the '80s.

Religion in Singapore is a mixed bag. Many people are practicing Buddhism or Taoism. There is also a strong Catholic population, while some people are caught in syncretism (picking and choosing certain elements of the different religions). The Christian church in Singapore is also diverse. Some churches are preaching a prosperity gospel, while others are truly seeking to live out the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). We had the opportunity to attend a worship gathering at cousin Carolyn's church. The people there were very friendly and welcoming. There was plenty of participation in the congregation as we had time to share what we were thankful for, pray together, greet one another, and respond after the sermon. We chatted with some people about local and international missions. Reaching out to the poor and oppressed in Singapore may be difficult because they are often hidden. Some issues that are concerning us are the treatment of foreign workers/maids/nannies, homelessness (which we haven't seen), prostitution, as well as the lack of environmental responsibility (such as a basic recycling program). There is a lot to pray about and plenty of work for the local church to do.

-Jeff