Things I Learned So Far Here...

And here comes the list again. Here goes:

• The more I talk and act as non-Singaporeans do (accent, quirks and all), the more the locals know I am a foreigner. Even if my skin color almost matches theirs, my accent and clear spoken English still mystifies them (by the way they look at me in surprise or what). Beats me, but they would readily ask me if I'm a Filipino (and that lyrical way of saying English comes to mind again).


• Just like Filipinos, seems the locals here have that colonial mentality when it comes to conversing with a foreigner (especially the "white people"). They may deny, but really they seem to give that "awe" and "respect" to the "white people" (which they fondly call here as "kaypo"). I couldn't say the same thing when it comes to treating each other or other Asian-looking individuals. Beats me again, but it's a phenomenon nonetheless to think the Western people are far greater than the Eastern ones. Ah, we're not being bigots here, are we. It's just that I see the same kind of "Fascination with the West" back in the Philippines.


• I learned you can't really get to explore well this colorful country no matter how small it may seem to be in the Atlas map. This island nation belies its small size when it comes to colorful and cultural activities one can stumble upon. I'll let you know in my next posts (and hopefully with pictures once I purchase my own digital camera one of these days). Yes, you heard it right, I am planning to buy one, lah.


• I keep on saying "Salamat" (or pronouncing it as "Selamat") to Singaporeans here especially to those who I know of Malaysian descent (like those serving in restaurants and behind the cash counters). It's a good thing that the word actually meant I "something good". Because I had this belief that whenever Malay locals here speak "selamat" after a conversation, I thought the word is similar to the Pinoy word "salamat" meaning "thank you". What it actually meant is a greeting of goodwill similar to "good morning" or "good day" or "wishing you a good trip". Ah, now I know. :-)


• Conversation is a nightmare here. I need to learn Mandarin, Malay or Indian as soon as possible (or in any other way). There is something in their English that I still cannot understand at all. Even the British guys here intimidate me with their brand of "English" accent. Such a bloody hell, hehehe. :-D

The Question

A visitor of one of my flatmates asked me if I feel homesick already here in Singapore. Yes, I replied without any pause to think about it. It was a resounding "yes" for me to his innocent-looking question.

For almost four months, I thought I could bear myself to not miss anything from the country I left behind and try to start "a life of my own" - even just a month or two. Everytime I see local families gather and walk together in the nearby beach, I yearn for my family. Everytime I see local youngsters here boisterously play, chat and joke around I do miss my friends and close ex-officemates in the Philippines. Heck, even the sight of imported breeds of dogs tagged along by their owners remind me of my two loving "askal" pet dogs.

Sigh. There are many things I miss about the country (I can't list them because frankly a blog post can't list them all here). It may not be as economically good as Singapore, but I can boast of the heart-warming smiles and energetic laughter of my countrymen (which come in handy amidst a crisis or two).

Sale Items And Food

Seems that there are a plenty of huge sale events that occur here in Singapore. "The Great Singapore Sale" is just one of the events that occur annually (island-wide) in this country, besides other sale events like PC/IT shows in Suntec City and another in Expo, Simei. I try not to fail to attend to these, as I might come across a useful item or two with inexpensive price tags.

I had finished up with purchasing some additional wardrobe (business and casual shirts) before "The Great Singapore Sale" officially ends by next week. I had to get another long-sleeved shirt as my old one had been accidentally burned during ironing last week (more like, melted a medium-sized hole at the back of the shirt). I loved that shirt, even if it was already five years old.

By the way, not all items are truly of "sale value". There are some items being sold with a 25-50% discount but if you look closely at the pre-price they're actually sold at half price of SGD$1000+ (SGD$500+). This is not sale for me - this is robbery to me.

* * * *

As weeks pass, I learn to be aware of places where one can shop for cheap food items. I usually stock on meat/poultry, cold cuts, eggs, bits of fruits and vegetables, and canned goods that would last me for the rest of the month. Stocking up is good as one tends to stick it out with what's available in the fridge instead of buying expensive meals outside. With a budget of around (usually) SGD$50 for a month, I can stock up for the food items I need for a month. It's big savings for me already; buying meals outside cost around at least SGD$2.50 - SGD$5.00.