April came around a lot faster than expected this year. Its arrival means I only have four more weeks of regular class left and about a two-week exam period. As soon as May 16th hits, I will be closing the NTU door behind me; and jet off to discover Asia all summer long. So having passed the halfway mark a while ago, I wonder how well I have managed to integrate into Singaporean society.
One of the biggest barriers I encounter here in Singapore is language. Before I came here, I was told that English is the most commonly used language and communication should not be a problem. Yet, too many blank stares on either my end or the person I’m talking to have led me to conclude that there is something a little different about my English and Singaporean English. After a while I came to learn that ‘Singlish’ (Singaporean English) is actually a mixture of English, Malay, Tamil, Cantonese and other Asian languages.
Because I’m pretty sure my Chinese will never go much beyond ‘Ni Hao’ (Hello), which I can only remember because it is the name of most Dutch Chinese restaurants, I have not set myself the goal of mastering the Singlish language. What I have been able to conquer, and yes I am quite proud of that fact, is a spontaneous ‘can?’ ‘can’ exchange. Let me show you by the message I received from my roommate:
‘Can help me sth? I msg u in fb can?’ She basically asked me if she could contact me on facebook to ask me for help. The correct Singaporean reply would not be something along the lines of yes or no problem, it would be: ‘can’. Her next question was: ‘Can check ur fb msg inbox?’. After I would say: ‘also can.’ Talking to Singaporeans in quick exchanges such as restaurants, shops and taxis, I have caught myself replacing ‘yes’ by ‘can’ and ‘can not’.
So does this step in the direction of integration make me blend in a little more? Sadly, no. It certainly fills me with a sense of satisfaction but make no mistake that I am often still the odd one out. I couldn’t help but notice that in buses and lecture halls, seats often fill up everywhere else first, before people take a seat beside me. While I know I can give a pretty good mean girl stare, I promise my inner Regina has not come out yet so that can not be the reason. Luckily, it often stays at this initial stand-offish vibe and once I interact with the locals they are very friendly.
Other things that I have slowly gotten used to is the ‘driving on the left side’-debacle, which seeps down way further into everyday life than you’d initially think. For example, when you walk on the street you step to the left to avoid each other instead of the right. Needless to say, I have bumped into countless of people. On the escalator, you stand to the left so that people that are in a hurry can pass you on the right. I am proud to announce I automatically wait on the left side of the escalator now.
When I go to the movies, I come fully prepared for the out of control air-conditioning: leggings, sweater, scarf and hot chocolate. Two months ago, this newbie nearly froze to death while watching Love and other drugs. Thank god there was Jake Gyllenhaal to warm me up. (Excuse the cheesy joke, it had to be made.)
Also, I can distinguish between all sorts of different noodles and can explain to you the difference between prata, thosai, chapatti etc. And while I used to call the beans often served with sushi ‘green beans’, I know casually call them ‘edamame’. Cool, no?
Reflecting upon Singaporean life, I guess I can say that I have certainly learnt a few things and picked up on some local customs. But maybe the most valuable thing of all is to experience how it is to live in a society where you are simply different. I, for one, have a new understanding as to why a “little India” or a “Chinatown” or Utrecht’s “Lombok” come into existence.
