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I moved to Singapore

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Re: I moved to Singapore

#41

Post by lotusleaf1987 »

frossie wrote: post #17

The whole stay-abroad until you see "their" point of view is admirable. The flip side is that after that, you can never really go home. I mean obviously you can physically, but you give up your ability to fit in with your own people. This may or may not be a downside for you, but something to be aware of. Anyway, congratulations on your move. [edit in response to questions below: there is a big difference between liv…

Why is it necessary to "give up your ability to fit in with your own people" to understand another culture? Why would understanding America and Singapore mutually exclusive?

I know people who have lived abroad for a few years and returned--they weren't fundamentally changed or different, same person new life experiences is all.

Re: I moved to Singapore

#42

Post by shmulkey18 »

iantimothy wrote: post #35
shmulkey18 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Different kinds of freedom". Whenever anyone says this, I get very nervous. It's pretty clear that these "different kinds" are not real freedom at all, and so don't include things like freedom of speech, the ability to truly determine who governs you, or even the freedom to water or not water the plants in front of your apartment (failing to do the latter in Singapore will result in a visit from the cops). Here's a…

Is an individual's freedom to do something more important than another individual's freedom from something? My country takes a rather paternalistic view on this but like I said, i am casually optimistic that things will change and we as a country are moving towards a more informed citizenry renegotiating the social compact between the govt and people and finding a balance in both positive and negative liberties. Edit…

"Is an individual's freedom to do something more important than another individual's freedom from something?"

Generally, yes, it is.

Re: I moved to Singapore

#44

Post by keyle »

phlux wrote: post #39
kylec wrote: post #11

I'm surprised at his choice of location - Singapore is quite a nanny state, and the punishments are sometimes quite severe. "Singapore society is highly regulated through the criminalization of many activities which are considered as fairly harmless in other countries. These include failing to flush toilets after use, littering, jaywalking, the possession of pornography, and the sale of chewing gum." "Singapore has o…

I used to manage a team in Singapore when with Lockheed and would go there regularly. It is one of my favorite cities on the planet. I took a sabbatical in 2000/2001 for six months and backpacked through asia - I spent 2 months in singapore then as well. The laws and strictness of the place is greatly exaggerated from my perspective -- if your not doing crazy stuff, you have nothing to worry about. The city is AMAZIN…

I've visited Singapore twice. I've settled in Australia, originally from Europe.

I was really worried when I visited Singapore and took their 'tourist' tour. They put you in a bus, drive you around all jetlagged and give you orange juice on the beach. Completely surreal.

What really put me off was their unconditional love for their government. The woman 'tour guide' in the bus just couldn't stop thanking the government for giving them so much. It was unhealthy. Yet they don't own anything and they live in towers. Sure it was really pretty but it freaked me out a little. I felt a deep communism in this pro-capitalist ex-colony.

I'm no die hard capitalist but I prefer the australian way of owning my own life and freely talking crap of the government.

Re: I moved to Singapore

#45

Post by vegai »

shmulkey18 wrote: post #32
sahillavingia wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There are pros and cons of living anywhere. Visit Singapore and you'll encounter some of the cleanest streets on the planet. I don't mind the "severe" punishments that come down on those that do things like litter, because I don't litter — all in all it doesn't change my behavior for the worse, and only improves the quality of life. And jaywalking is illegal in the US too. I'd love to answer any questions about Singa…

Clean streets vs. freedom of speech. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

How is anyone's freedom of speech violated if they're not allowed to litter?

Re: I moved to Singapore

#46

Post by more_later »

In my opinion, you can judge the autocracy of a state based on how polite (or, impolite) the police (or civil servants) are and their general attitude towards an average citizen. I lived in Singapore for 12 years. It has, by far, the most polite police force. The civil service is way more efficient than any other country's bureaucracy. When you deal with any arm of the government, you get the feeling that they are there to serve you.

Re: I moved to Singapore

#47

Post by barrkel »

phlux wrote: post #39
kylec wrote: post #11

I'm surprised at his choice of location - Singapore is quite a nanny state, and the punishments are sometimes quite severe. "Singapore society is highly regulated through the criminalization of many activities which are considered as fairly harmless in other countries. These include failing to flush toilets after use, littering, jaywalking, the possession of pornography, and the sale of chewing gum." "Singapore has o…

I used to manage a team in Singapore when with Lockheed and would go there regularly. It is one of my favorite cities on the planet. I took a sabbatical in 2000/2001 for six months and backpacked through asia - I spent 2 months in singapore then as well. The laws and strictness of the place is greatly exaggerated from my perspective -- if your not doing crazy stuff, you have nothing to worry about. The city is AMAZIN…

The cities in anime I suspect you are referring to are almost exclusively dystopias. The things that enthuse you about the city make me certain I would not like it, perhaps even less than I like American cities. I like my cities with history and layering, nooks and crannies as well as new growths.

Re: I moved to Singapore

#48

Post by true_religion »

vegai wrote: post #45
shmulkey18 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Clean streets vs. freedom of speech. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

How is anyone's freedom of speech violated if they're not allowed to litter?

You can't possess or view pornography---that's a violation of free speech. There's more.

But the only positive that's trumpeted about singapore is that their streets are clean and their city beautiful. This is good for the tourist, but not necessarily a place you want to move to.

Re: I moved to Singapore

#49

Post by shii »

keyle wrote: post #44
phlux wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to manage a team in Singapore when with Lockheed and would go there regularly. It is one of my favorite cities on the planet. I took a sabbatical in 2000/2001 for six months and backpacked through asia - I spent 2 months in singapore then as well. The laws and strictness of the place is greatly exaggerated from my perspective -- if your not doing crazy stuff, you have nothing to worry about. The city is AMAZIN…

I've visited Singapore twice. I've settled in Australia, originally from Europe. I was really worried when I visited Singapore and took their 'tourist' tour. They put you in a bus, drive you around all jetlagged and give you orange juice on the beach. Completely surreal. What really put me off was their unconditional love for their government. The woman 'tour guide' in the bus just couldn't stop thanking the governme…

s/communism/totalitarianism/g and you'll make better sense.

Re: I moved to Singapore

#50

Post by phlux »

keyle wrote: post #44
phlux wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to manage a team in Singapore when with Lockheed and would go there regularly. It is one of my favorite cities on the planet. I took a sabbatical in 2000/2001 for six months and backpacked through asia - I spent 2 months in singapore then as well. The laws and strictness of the place is greatly exaggerated from my perspective -- if your not doing crazy stuff, you have nothing to worry about. The city is AMAZIN…

I've visited Singapore twice. I've settled in Australia, originally from Europe. I was really worried when I visited Singapore and took their 'tourist' tour. They put you in a bus, drive you around all jetlagged and give you orange juice on the beach. Completely surreal. What really put me off was their unconditional love for their government. The woman 'tour guide' in the bus just couldn't stop thanking the governme…

That was the tour guide -- you get a completely different version of things in a candid discussion with friends who live there.

I am by no means an expert on the politics there at all, but if one thinks that the us political system is not more corrupt at the highest levels then is simply delusional -- yet life is good for most of us in the US.

I think that one can create a bit of there reality and are not 100% subjected to the douchebaggery of their government, same goes for singapore -- just dont make the cardinal mistake (which applies equally globally) of being poor.

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