singaporeans and aussies.

I just had a discussion with Justin that made me think. As you know, I'm both Australian and Singaporean, and yet sometimes I identify with neither. What do they say? Neither fish nor fur nor red herring. Why's that?

I suppose that this is really triggered off my his saying that I'm never going to find someone that wants me to tutor them - I mean, Aussies generally think that Singapore is somewhere in China and that we can't speak a word of English, right? Well I've already gone through that stage in high school, and I basically shut them up by topping English (there wasn't a Lit class). I'd like to think that Aussies are mostly more enlightened than that, but I guess that one must face the facts that stupid people abound, here in Perth, back in Singapore, and everywhere else.

Why do I want to be classed as Aussie?

That would be because of their laid-back, I-don't-give-a-damn kind of attitude that gets them places if they know how to use it well. It's because I like how they don't push their kids into professions or academic subjects simply to end up as a doctor/lawyer/dentist/(insert gold-plated job here). It's because I love their independence and their out-there nature. It's because they know how to appreciate the good things in life and not worry constantly about upgrading to the latest Merc. It's because I like how they're fervent in what they believe in, whether it be religion, humanism, or beer. I love the atmosphere of political freedom, and where essays don't have to be a regurgitation of what your Lit teacher said in last week's lecture.

Why would I not want to be classed as Aussie?

Much as I like Aussie culture, the drinking and swearing DOES get to me. And I do hate how Australia is turning into America, v.2. I don't like how they mostly believe everything on the media and how they think that everyone must conform to the National Values. I don't like how most of the aussie asians are Prada-toting, money-flinging, Gucci-dressed, prefectly-coiffed statues that think they're better than everyone else.

Why or why won't I want to be classed as Singaporean?

To be honest, Singapore is a nice city. The shops are open late and there's good food to be found everywhere (although it's all MSG-laced and dad's allergic to MSG). My friends are there, the people who have supported me all my life and who I love dearly. The libraries are great, the books are cheap, the clothes are cheaper, and one can get good art supplies there. It's the stupid people I can't stand. I mean, I know there are ugly Aussies as well as ugly Singaporeans, but I really can't stand the arrogance of Singaporeans sometimes. I can't stand how they think that they think their education system is the best in the world - can someone tell me how many Nobel Laureates Singapore as produced? And furthermore, can someone please tell me how being cooped in a stressful environment, in and out of classrooms all day, being tutored since the age of 6, in a culture where smoking is still considered cool, can be good for any kid? I don't like Singaporean tourists who can't handle the culture of another country, who go to Paris to eat at the local Chinese resturant, only to complain that the food back at home was better. The catchphrase here is: when in Rome, do as the Singaporeans do. I can't stand how Singaporeans think they're superior in every way, how they snap at waiters, how they train their kids to be as narrow-minded as they are. I hate how they always think of money and measure everything in the worth of dollars. "You're a doctor? Whhhaaaa, earn so much money hor?" Whatever happened to: "What's the best bit of being a doctor? The smile on a patient's face? The pleasure of a suffering allieviated, a job well done?"

I'm sorry, but although I acknowledge my Singaporean roots and culture, and love my Singaporean friends dearly, I wouldn't want to live there. The relative pollution, the generally selfish population, the repressive atmosphere, the stressful life... I think the grass is greener on the other side. At least for now.