Reader comments on Singapore Blog Post
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Below is a comment from a reader, probably best to read first;
WROTE:
http://www.hobotraveler.com/2005/10/i-am-in-singapore.html
"Like Chicago with every speaking bad English, with a Chinese accent."
I find this comment of yours rather amusing. It's a shame you didn't have the opportunity to speak to educated Singaporeans who speak fluent English with real Singaporean accent. I'm not sure which Guide book you referred to before you came here, but I'm sure it did a pretty bad job in providing accurate information about the country and its natives.
I have to say though that us Singaporeans are an enigmatic bunch of people given the different waves of immigrations at different times, and how much British influence we had received over the years.
MY ANSWER:
This is Andy.I did not have a guidebook so all the observations are mine. I do not go to great efforts to FIND a culture. It is the culture I encountere, no more, no less.
I find it very annoying that people think a visitor will or should go out and find the culture. Any culture they encounter is the culture.
However in many countries the USA or Europe, Western Travelers only sees the cream off the top because they are too afraid to leave the Five Star Hotel. I hope and expect they seen a great part of the culture.
I walked around for a long time in Singapore in the rich area. I went to a mall, tried to buy or talk about a hard drive, the man did not speak English. I went to the grocery many times in the bottom of the mall. No English again.
The two people that worked in the 7-11 spoke good English one did not. None of the staff in the Summer Hostel spoke English EXCEPT for the boy from India and the Owner from Jordan.
I think people like to put countries on pedestals and make them the best experience of their life. I will say that Singapore is a first rate place, westernized in every sense, very clean, however I do not think they speak that good of English, however 10 times better than Thailand.
I try to avoid meeting the rich sectors of countries as they will normally just put on a dog and pony show and hide the rest.
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