Expat Kids Open Up About the Culture Shock When Doing NS

[StreetFight3r]

An interesting insight into the eyes of Expat kids serving their NS. Hard to imagine living in Singapore and yet not made a single local friend. If you have 10 mins of time while drinking kopi in office, it's worth a read.

 

http://ricemedia.co/culture-people-expat-kids-national-service-culture-shock/

[Kxbc]

If you work in a large company, some of your English educated (esp those who used to study in overseas uni) bosses would also send their kids to int'l schools.

 

It's not just their kids who do not identify with the average/below average Singaporeans. They themselves are in many ways, due to their financial status, also not part of the everyday Singapore.

 

So before the political bashing comments come, do note that this is not just a problem of Singapore's. It exists in all societies. The rich live in their own bubble and the poor in theirs.

[Jman888]

If you work in a large company, some of your English educated (esp those who used to study in overseas uni) bosses would also send their kids to int'l schools.

 

It's not just their kids who do not identify with the average/below average Singaporeans. They themselves are in many ways, due to their financial status, also not part of the everyday Singapore.

 

So before the political bashing comments come, do note that this is not just a problem of Singapore's. It exists in all societies. The rich live in their own bubble and the poor in theirs.

 

 

every country would have this group of community, the 2 case in the article show the one who born but not living here is more arrogant than the one who lives but not born here.

[Kxbc]

It is just as much a culture shock as most air level meeting hokkien peng, chinese helicopter meeting jiak kentang. It's one of the benefits of NS, to assimilate our own people who do not play with kids from other social circles. Something we've learnt a bit from the Swiss - they have similar mix of different background people in small population albeit all Europeans.

agree but in the earlier years of 70s, 80s and maybe even 90s, the income disparity was prob not as wide (personal feel only). There are the rich folks of course, but there are not as many of them. Most of us come from the other spectrum living in HDBs, play soccer at the void deck etc whether we are air level, psle pri three only, bananas or chinese helicopter and the gap though evident, is probably easier to bridge than what was discussed in the article just because living in the HDB is a big melting pot.

 

I thought Sudar in the article did well, making friends from the other socio-circle. I thought Kim would have done better but then it was not to be.

 

edit: deleted multiple posts.

Edited July 17, 2018 by Kxbc

[Beregond]

Even now, most people live in HDB estates, it's still the majority of population. There are more PRs and foreigners for sure, compared with 30 years ago. Some of them live in HDB, some of them live in ang moh choo, some of them don't live here but there's no more kampung now.

 

During one ICT some years ago, I first time saw one WO2 tried to speak English without expletives to an AMDK NSF, I was also "culture shocked".

 

Another thing is, more people live behind closed doors today than it was 30 years ago. Whether you lived in HDB or ang moh choo or kampung, Singaporeans used to go out and talk to neighbours more, but not much anymore. 

its like that , i can barely spot a local , when i go for warm down at a mini park beside my block after my evening running.

[Evillusion]

I had 1 Japanese guy who had an American accent during bmt. Most of the hokkien peng avoid him like a plague as most of them cant speak or understand english. Was only with us for the bmt but yrs later someone said he committed suicide.......

[Sosaria]

Don't even talk about ang moh, there's already a divide among people who went through certain schools to JC, then university, vs. those who were in neighbourhood schools then took poly route, vs. ITE to poly. Hardly any mixing.

 

And I'm not quite sure about the expletives thing, why is it a domain of the lower educated? I think it would be more of family upbringing issue more than anything else, then it just becomes a bad habit. Actually some people just take it on as a kind of affectation, but swear and mix expletives in their conversation very unnaturally, somewhat like ang moh trying to use "lah" Have you noticed?

[Watwheels]

It's a culture shock for everyone to be honest. Who doesn't live in their own bubble? We just have to learn to accept each other differences and work together.

[Throttle2]

Where got divide?

 

We are Singapore

We are Singapore

We are Singaporeans

[Blueray]

What is this rice media and their agenda ?

[BanCoe]

Got here oso 1.... immediately @Radx cums to mind  ....... ITE????? Got anything lower than that??? 

   

 

Don't even talk about ang moh, there's already a divide among people who went through certain schools to JC, then university, vs. those who were in neighbourhood schools then took poly route, vs. ITE to poly. Hardly any mixing.

 

And I'm not quite sure about the expletives thing, why is it a domain of the lower educated? I think it would be more of family upbringing issue more than anything else, then it just becomes a bad habit. Actually some people just take it on as a kind of affectation, but swear and mix expletives in their conversation very unnaturally, somewhat like ang moh trying to use "lah" Have you noticed?

 

[Somewhat1975]

If you work in a large company, some of your English educated (esp those who used to study in overseas uni) bosses would also send their kids to int'l schools.

 

 

 

 

unless the kid has been studying overseas for a substantial period of time before returning to SG, Singaporean are not allowed to send their kids to international school. 

[mersaylee]

What is this rice media and their agenda ?

To remind everyone to step out of the comfort zone to see and feel the real world. Don’t “eat waste rice”.

[t0y0ta]

Every country has the same - elite layer who is not aware of the ground. NS in sg forces them to see the reality - probably a good thing.

 

The scary thing to imagine is that many of these in-a-bubble "elite" are either ruling or going to rule the land....

[kdash]

If you work in a large company, some of your English educated (esp those who used to study in overseas uni) bosses would also send their kids to int'l schools.

 

It's not just their kids who do not identify with the average/below average Singaporeans. They themselves are in many ways, due to their financial status, also not part of the everyday Singapore.

 

So before the political bashing comments come, do note that this is not just a problem of Singapore's. It exists in all societies. The rich live in their own bubble and the poor in theirs.

good post to set the tone of discussion here

[Blueray]

To remind everyone to step out of the comfort zone to see and feel the real world. Don’t “eat waste rice”.

 

some of these websites claim to offer an alternative view, but some I find have divisive intent.

 

so I would urge discernment.

[DACH]

It's the same when one comes to the real working life, seeing the reality of many people's lives.

[Dleodleo]

An interesting insight into the eyes of Expat kids serving their NS. Hard to imagine living in Singapore and yet not made a single local friend. If you have 10 mins of time while drinking kopi in office, it's worth a read.

 

http://ricemedia.co/culture-people-expat-kids-national-service-culture-shock/

 

Actually a bit exaggerate lah  on culture shock .  I've know a foreigner PR who went to NS  last year (his father an angmo and his mother a Korean), he managed to blend in quite well leh. 

 

I was told that he has an option to serve and not to serve.  The parents decided to let him serve because they heard that it is better for him to serve if want to stay here long term and easier to find job.   I was wondering.... true meh?  So many Malaysians also never serve NS, come Singapore to work and get PR after few years.  Some even hold managerial positions.

 

First came sure culture shock but after few years should be fine liao.  My friend's hubby is an ang mo, he even scolds hokkien bad words and speaks singlish after staying staying here for so many years.