Singaporeans 
From Singapore Hotels & Singapore Lifestyle
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Singaporeans are the citizens of Singapore. They are quirky, intelligent, interesting and a very warm and friendly bunch of people to hang out with.
Ask any tourist who has visited Singapore, and they will probably be able to attest to this!
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Quirks of a typical Singaporean
Singlish
Singaporeans don't speak English; rather, they speak Singlish!
Singlish is simply the localised form of "English" that Singaporeans use.
Despite the government's efforts to promote the "Speak Good English" campaign in Singapore, Singlish remains a rich vernacular in its own right and, if language is the ultimate manifestation of a national identity, ought to be celebrated rather than discouraged. In this vein, the government is now redirecting its energies towards encouraging people to develop Singlish as a kind of spare accent; so that Singaporeans can speak good formal English at work or whenever they need to speak to a foreigner.
Shopping
"Shop till you Drop" is a favorite phrase in Singapore.
Shopping is the second national obsession for Singaporeans - only after Food - and the retail onslaught will either seduce you instantly into maxing out your Credit Cards and emptying your wallet or send you screaming back to your Hotel room to shiver under the blankets.
The best items to pick up are Electronics (which can be cheaper here, but you need to shop carefully and arm yourself with the standard retail price before looking for bargains), Art and Antiques (unless you're travelling on to other Southeast Asian countries) and Clothes. Books and CDs are also cheaper than in most Western countries.
Orchard Road is Singapore's most famous Shopping district. It is to Singapore what Fifth Avenue is to New York and the Champs-Elysees is to Paris - one long line of shops, shopping malls and hotels with shopping arcades stretching from the top of the road at Dhoby Ghaut where Plaza Singapura stands to the end where Tanglin Road begins.
Eating
Singaporeans just simply love Good Food!!! - Eating is THE National Pastime, with Shopping coming in a distant second!
A typical Singaporean lives to eat and their preoccupation with culinary matters means that finding good food here - at the right price - presents no problems. Few places in the world can offer as diverse, exotic and thoroughly appealing a food scene as Singapore. The city has every imaginable cuisine, for every imaginable budget.
After all, Singapore is a multi-racial and multi-cultural society. It is not surprising therefore that the favourite local Food comprise the melting pots of the richness, tastes and peculiarities of each unique culture. Singapore is a cornucopia of different Cuisines and the variety of dishes available is enough to keep one eating all the time. Whether you fancy haute cuisine, ethnic foods, vegetarian or spicy Local Dishes, you are sure to find many great Food choices.
Kiasuism
"Kiasu", a Hokkien word meaning "afraid to lose", entered Singapore's popular lexicon via the Mr Kiasu cartoon character, whose philosophies include: Always must win; Everything also must grab; Jump queue; Keep coming back for more; Look for discounts; Never mind what they think; Rushing and pushing wins the race; and Winner takes it all! all! all!
Other Noteworthy Characteristics
- Extremely Hardworking
- Very Business-Minded, particularly the Chinese
- Deliberately late at Chinese Wedding Dinners
- Wears spectacles from a very young age, or if not, likely to have gone for Lasik surgery
- Finds traveling on public transport for an hour on a single trip a very long distance!
External Links
- TalkingCock.com: Extremely hilarious satirical humour website on Singaporeans and Singapore
