5 reasons why I chose to live in The Lion City

Singapore is only 3 1/2 hours away by plane from my native Philippines. Travel is cheap nowadays thanks to budget airlines like Cebu Pacific and Tiger Airways; I can go home anytime I want to for as low as US$150 (excluding taxes) on a two-way trip. I've so been living and working in The Lion City for the past 5 years and I'm loving it so far. Here are the reasons why I choose to be an Expat-Pinoy in Singapore:

1) It's safe - I come from a country where we are afraid of our own shadows when darkness sets in. I personally don't feel safe walking around town after sunset as this is the time when sleazy characters such as muggers and snatch-thieves come to life. This is the Philippines for you.

But not in Singapore. I feel that I can walk home at 3 am completely safe even with no police presence. The crime rate here is one of the lowest in the world although they have a very high incarceration rate, and sends criminals guilty of drug related crimes to rehabilitation centers operated by the Singapore Prison Service. There are reports of petty crime such as pickpocketing and street theft which occurs at airports, tourist destinations, hotels and on public transports. These are very rare occurrences and the general feeling is that you're safe here. Period.

2) It's so clean - I've always read about how squeaky clean this place is even before I first set foot here 11 years ago. They were right. Everywhere you go there are always trash bins and cigarette trays; you have no excuse not to throw your litter in the right container. If you're caught by the environmental police throwing rubbish anywhere, get ready to be fined. Singapore isn't called The Fine City for nothing. It's prohibited to eat or drink inside public buses and the MRT (Mass Rail Transit) to prevent people from littering and dirtying up. Ever heard of the Restroom Association of Singapore? It's a non-profit organization which champions the cleanliness of public toilets in the island-nation.

3) It's disaster-free - We Filipinos have to endure all sorts of natural disasters in our country; typhoons, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. Lucky for Singaporeans, their city-state is sheltered from most of the natural disasters that afflict neighboring countries and the rest of the world. Still, people get a kick each time a strong wind blows down from the north or our houses rumble from the aftershocks of Indonesian earthquakes.

4) It's so green - Garden City by name, Garden City by nature. Singapore takes the green stuff so seriously and it's known as the Garden City. The development of Singapore as a Garden City was a vision put forward by former Prime Minister (and now Minister Mentor) Lee Kuan Yew way back in 1968, just after independence, to integrate the environment with urban development and soften the effects of a concrete jungle. Now, there are trees along every road and parks in every estate. Just ask any visiting tourist what's their first impression of Singapore.

5) It's a shopping heaven - Orchard Road. One mention of this word in Singapore and one thing comes to mind: shopping. It is the retail and entertainment hub of the city-state and is regularly frequented by the local population as well as being a major tourist attraction. Often the surrounding area is known simply as Orchard.

Singapore's (Un)official Language - Singlish

I’m from the Philippines and I’ve been living and working here in sunny Singapore (on a Permanent Residence visa) for the past 5 years or so. I’m no professional writer but I do love to scribble about things once in a while and I’d like to use this blog to share my personal views of my second home.

There are gazillions of things to write about Singapore: its unique culture, food, people, places to go, etc. I’m going to devote this article to something uniquely Singapore: Singlish. It’s a strange blend of English, Malay, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi and to a lesser extent various other European, Indic and Sinitic languages, while Singlish syntax resembles southern varieties of Chinese. Also, elements of American and Australian slang have come through from imported television series and films.

To most foreigners and first-time visitors, Singlish may sound funny and ridiculous. I remember the very first time I came to Singapore 10 years ago and I was shocked at how Singaporeans spoke the language. To us Filipinos, speaking English is an artform that must be treated with utmost respect; proper usage of grammar and pronunciation is very important. Singaporeans don't seem to care about correct English grammar, spelling, tenses, etc.

Repetitive words in a sentence is a common trait of the Singlish language; someone who wants to "looksee looksee" at something, well.... obviously wants to look at or watch a show. Or we have to "die die must try" or else we'll never know unless we tried. Try explaining the Singlish syntax to a newcomer and he will surely become "blur as a sotong" (clueless as a squid). Here are some of the most common Singlish expressions by true Singaporeans and long-time expats who have come to adapt to this unique language:

1) Lah - The ubiquitous Singlish tag. Used liked a fullstop in a sentence
"He was running lah"
"Donno lah"

2) Liao - A Hokkien tag which depending on the context can either mean "already" or "finished"
"His mother early-early si liao, loh" (His mother died very early)

3) Go Fly Kite - means "Piss off" or "Fuck off"
"He know I so busy, still ask me to do things? Tell him go fly kite lah!"

4) Do'wan - Singlish contraction of "do not want"
"I told you I do'wan to do it, you still ask me to do it. Do'wan means do'wan, understand or not?"

5) Donch - The correct Singlish pronunciation of don't
"I really donch know what that Ah Beng is talking about".

6) Kan Cheong - A Hokkien and Cantonese term meaning nervous or uptight
"Dat guy ask me to do something, he wants it quick quick. So kan cheong ah".

7) Tah Pau - means takeaway (UK) or takeout (US), usually refers to food
"It's so crowded in the kopi shop, let's just buy food and tah pau".

8) Pai Seh - Hokkien for "shy" or "to have a sense of shame".
"This is the 23rd time I'm borrowing money from you. Damn pai seh man".

9) Pain - in true Singaporean way of speaking, it means "painful"
"My knee got twisted in our game last week, damn pain man!"

10) Basket - nothing to do with woven bags. It's a expression of utter disbelief or frustration
"Basket! It's 7 am and I haven't showered yet, I'll be damn late for work!"