Before I start on this probably controversial post, lemme give a background as to why this came about. My sister had told me that when her colleagues asked her if she had gone abroad during her leave, she told them she just stayed at home. They say that she's kinda weird for staying at home instead of travelling abroad for holidays. I just told her that its a Singaporean lifestyle it seems. While I am trying not to stereotype anyone, its just what I figure from my interactions with friends and colleagues that shapes this perceived lifestyle (man, its hard to type fast with a wrapped forefinger...)
Well what is this lifestyle shared by so many?
Firstly there is the 'time-frame formula' for marriage. At least for the guys. They plan to finish NS, work for a few years, then get married before or by the age of 30. This seems to be a fairly common practice. Though the formula doesnt really work for the gals cos being Asian, its still the guy chasing the gal, not the other way around, hence the increasing number of singles (me being one of them too)
Second is the way they spend their holidays. Its almost always a trip or two abroad, be it the nearby Asean countries or the further European, Asian tours or free-and-easy trips. Talking to some colleagues and friends, it seems to them like a sort of getaway. Like work so hard through the entire year so must reward oneself with a trip. Some save up hard too, to enjoy this reward. For some I've encountered, their dream is to be able to travel to many many countries in their lifetime, hence they work and save up and then go to those destinations.
*At least for my family, we dun really like to travel. The only frequent travelling is back to the home country. Having to go back regularly during the holidays when we were younger, meant we didnt grow up travelling abroad for tours. When one is older, dun feel compelled to travel unless necessarily. Though not all other foreigners share this. It didnt help that we have only a few destinations that really want to go to, unlike some whom seemed like wanting to travel the world. There is no right or wrong but just dun go about pushing one's lifestyle onto others. Do note that many things lies on a spectrum, the ends being the extremes. There are those who love to travel on one end, and those travel-adverse on the other end. Its not entirely one or the other, most lies somewhere in the middle*
A third obvious trait is the need to own a housing. It is understandable cos the price of housing in sg is very expensive compared to the neighbouring countries, hence for Singaporeans who intend to work and live here, get married, its very high on their list of priority. It is so important that boyfriends and girlfriends would go to HDB to sign for their first unit, and then after a place is settled, then go for engagement then marriage nearer to the completion of the unit.
*At least for my family, the main investment tools seem to be in shares and in land. My grandfather is mainly agricultural land and my dad is through shares. Not housing land but more commercial and plantation land. Though I myself dont own any physical land, I note the value of it through what I saw as a child. In agricultual produces generating income, in commercial ppty generating rental and capital appreciation. As my dad had explained, though one doesnt own the land, but if one buys shares of a biz that owns land, one is somewhat 'owning' it. The biz generates returns from the land and you get a slice of it. Moreover, land appreciates in value over time, though commercial is faster and more valuable than agricultural, hence the 'value' of such shares will rise. But unless one can have the capital needed to buy up a piece of land and develop it and sell/rent it, the prices are beyond the reach of a middle-class. This view is somewhat echoed through the stock counters I am buying into. Most are ppty related, not housing ppty, but retail, commercial, agricultural ppties, some with manufacturing activities.
Yet in sg, things are different, there are those who profit from the housing market. We dont hear much about individuals with commercial land but about pple selling/en-bloc etc and making money. The difference is that in msia, the owning a housing wont make this type of money, nor is renting as prevalent. Also the fact that in sg, most can only afford a unit in their lifetime. Its a bit like a gamble that one can sell off when prices have risen. The only problem is that selling off one, meant have to buy another (if you live it) to replace it, both in a market that is going up. Hence based on our background, our perception of owning ppty differs. But again, to each his own, there is no one right way to make one's dreams of wealth. Maybe mine will take longer or even not materialize but that's my path so far*
Maybe another minor one would be the need to own a car in sg. Most would have a license by time one is a uni or poly grad. Then those who got married would get their cars, though not always. Those singles would still get their cars a few more years into their working life or settle for sharing the family car.
*Understanably the transport system in other neighbouring countries pales in comparision to sg transport. In fact time and again, I have to mentally chid myself for being spoilt rotten by the public transport here. Things like having air-con, tv to watch, a comfortable seat, the ease of changing modes as well as the relatively low fares are often forgotten in the grinds of daily life. Compare it to taking a bus in JB or my hometown. Cramped and squeezed into a non-air con bus, manually buying a ticket from the bus conductor, waiting long under the sun for fifteen mins to half an hour for the only bus plying the road, no desiginated bus stops... etc etc So in those countries, the car is a must. Its the most efficient mode of transport. At least in sg, there is a few choices, bus and mrt, or cab or own car. Some would say even in sg, getting around is not easy without a car. If one wants to save time, gotta pay the price for it though cos sg has one of the world's highest cost of owning a car. So for those who are paying, they would want to maximize it*
Well other minor quirks aside, its easy to forget that there are others from other cultures who cannot seem to understand or fit into this sg mould. Its part of the percularities of each country, shaped by the way things are in their lives. Hence practice tolerance towards differences.
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