Finding the Singaporean Identity

One of the most remarkable thing about being an exchange student and going out to see the rest of the world is that you are hit by the sudden realisation that there is a lot, as in really a lot of people with whom we are sharing this planet with, about whom we never really bothered to know more about and compared to whom we share as many similarities as differences. As a Singaporean, these circumstances have put to the test, the strength of my identity and how proud I am of my life back home, especially when one my European friends ask me, “So tell me more about Singapore”. And to describe my life back there, I have no need to look further than the group of friends who followed me here, and it is with some pride, some amusement and some could-do-better feeling that I write this article.

A Swedish guy I once met at a bar told me how his Singaporean friend described Singaporeans and Swedes as the most emotionally private people on this planet. The Swedes I have noticed thus far, despite their friendliness, are at heart, very private people, sometimes even towards other Swedes. On the other hand, Singaporeans display a truly amazing speed and efficiency when it comes to creating local networks. Even before most of us reached Sweden, a Facebook group, everyone was answering each other’s question. In Sweden, it goes one step further. Group dinners are common and during this time, it is heartening to see the collective spirit of Singaporeans, with everyone more than willing to help. Every expense and effort is shared, not only for dinners, but for travelling and so on. This strong sense of community is something all Singaporeans can be proud of.

Then there are the humorous mannerisms that define us. Such as how, cost, or to be more precise, ‘where to get the cheapest’ dominate all our conversations. From chicken to plane tickets, we are extremely obsessed with getting the best deals, which perhaps explain why we Singaporeans are never happy. This information is greatly valued and proliferates faster than nuclear power in North Korea and Iran combined. If not money, we are talking about travelling and food, though these two topics rarely go without a cost attached to them. Then of course, every dish has to be visually recorded and posted on Facebook and every street corner be snapped a dozen times, just in case we forget what it looks like ten minutes later.

Though in the midst of all this fun, I worry we float on an ocean of opportunity and do not bother even taking a dip in it. Yes, a collective sense of identity is good, but as I said before, we are not alone. There are 6 billion more people out there, everyone with their own stories to tell and information to share. Despite the growing xenophobia back home, we cannot deny that national identities will be further blurred in the future. Where they remain strong, as in Japan, they fall behind the rest of the world, because they learn that much less. Our collective sense has to be balanced with a willingness to go out and lend a listening ear to whom we know little about. As I have found out, it is by no means an easy task, but persist and who knows what benefits it holds for you in the future. Besides, it is only when you talk to them that you realise that at the end of the day that we all want to know where to get the cheapest chicken, that we all share the same concerns for the present and the future and that we, Singaporeans, Swedish, Germans, Asians and everyone else are all, more or less, the same.