Sorry I have to Disagree with you.Originally posted by LazerLordz:No one's saying they're racist, it's just that when you fail to interact and live the life you could, then your perception becomes quite limited and anything unhappy you encounter might lead you and lull you into thinking that it might be directed at you, because you have not moved around in their culture to find out that it might just be a normal thing and not targeted at anyone in particular.
You don't have to splurge to experience life abroad, you just have to get out of that dorm room and just walk about on weekends, or join a society where there are more locals.Break free of the shell and get to know more people, treat it as networking(the only excuse a pragmatic S'porean can give himself to get away from the books :lol.
Bro, I'm not targeting your points la.Originally posted by NuLife:Sorry I have to Disagree with you.
Well, it started w racism topic. and 'someone' started on this.
Like i said b4, the experiences was not just mine.
And it is not the students mind you. Read my post again.
Did i ever said i did't join clubs with more locals???
Dun assume things just to make you feel superior.
If it is just my view, i would have just say so.
The problem is almost every sporean(and asians) see it that way in my uni.
(of cos, thats many years ago)
If you choose to see things your way, then whats all these
experiences post for??
Sorry hor, I believe i had seen enough, having worked
in US, Germany for periods of time.
To me, the US and Germany people are definitely much much
better than the English.
ok lor...my fault...cheersOriginally posted by LazerLordz:Bro, I'm not targeting your points la.
I'm talking about something in general.![]()
Originally posted by NuLife:ok lor...my fault...cheers![]()
Oh yes, the truly 1st class scandinavian countries.Originally posted by BillyBong:In addition, scandinavian countries require their citizens to learn their mother tongue, and 2 other european languages. One of them is usually English. It is no surprise the people in these countries have a greater understanding of racial ACCEPTANCE (not tolerance) as learning the language often curtails immersion into the native cultures.
These countries also have a broader and more open society, with a truly 1st-class govt in a first class nation.
talking about china town, do you know how did china towns come into being in the first place? the chinese who went there were mostly hard labour with no education. most of them didn't even know chinese, let alone english or english education; and could they be assimilated into the societies?? the chinese who formed the original china towns were far from students who looking for an alternative way of life!!Originally posted by HENG@:there is a chinatown in many major cities. name me famous englandtowns, whitetowns or americatowns that ACTUALLY have names like that in places like China or Asian countries.
some angmohs do have little respect for other cultures i don't deny but to say all of them are racist is... well its overly generalising.
And while yes, they have their own social groups, the "ang mohs" i know in Singapore tend to socialise a lot more with the locals, when compared to the chinese or singaporeans i know in UK. they tend to have less of a herd mentality.
and i say u're out of touch with the world in general if u think the French generally speak more than French or that the Germans generally speak more than German. I can name u 2 countries where people actually speak their native language and another language for example english. Holland and Belgium, and belgium only because flemish is a mix of french,english, german and dutch.
And yes I've also met quite a few englishmen who speak other languages. Imagine my surprise when i heard someone speaking chinese in westminister abbey n turned around to find an englishman speaking. And many englishmen are in all honesty, of mixed blood nowadays, with many having asian blood, so they speak many different dialects of tamil or hindu. My flatmate is an englishman. he speaks gurjurati (or something. not sure how to spell it). So yes i know loads of englishmen who speak something other than english. perhaps u're the one who is more out of touch with the world as a whole than i am with singapore. i mean, afterall, how many ang mohs do you personally know?
it is interesting to note there are many citizens of singapore are migrating because their children would also required to learn their mother tongue and just one other language, which is english.Originally posted by BillyBong:In addition, scandinavian countries require their citizens to learn their mother tongue, and 2 other european languages. One of them is usually English. It is no surprise the people in these countries have a greater understanding of racial ACCEPTANCE (not tolerance) as learning the language often curtails immersion into the native cultures.
These countries also have a broader and more open society, with a truly 1st-class govt in a first class nation.
Originally posted by sgdiehard:correction: I mean most outsiders, can only dream of migrating there.
it is interesting to note there are many citizens of singapore are migrating because their children would also required to learn their mother tongue and just one other language, which is english.
Looking at the current cartoon saga, some scandivavian countries are apparently not very sensitive to other religions. With such respect for other religions, I am not sure if their society is truely broad and open to things not scandinavian. My understanding of the Scandinavian countries are the ones who are first class for their native citizens [b]but few outsiders, especially those from the eastern europe, could only think of migrating there to become citizens in their dreams. Correct me if I am wrong. [/b]
i wonder abt these too.Originally posted by sgdiehard:it is interesting to note there are many citizens of singapore are migrating because their children would also required to learn their mother tongue and just one other language, which is english.
Looking at the current cartoon saga, some scandivavian countries are apparently not very sensitive to other religions. With such respect for other religions, I am not sure if their society is truely broad and open to things not scandinavian. My understanding of the Scandinavian countries are the ones who are first class for their native citizens but few outsiders, especially those from the eastern europe, could only think of migrating there to become citizens in their dreams. Correct me if I am wrong.
The choice is whether you want to be a second class citizen in sg, or a second class citizen overseas.Originally posted by NuLife:i wonder abt these too.
and i wonder, if many here that praise aust/uk,
really do so "partly" due to the usual
"worshiping of the west" mentality.
only at a subconsciously level now perhaps.
hmm![]()
u'r too darn famous la.Originally posted by NuLife:I agree with what u said though.
Ironically, let me share a story,
at that time, i choosed a little known uni,
Hoping to start a "new college life" aborad....
only that i bump into a fellow spore student sitting next to me
on my flight there who knew me but i dunno him,
and he was going to the same uni !!?!? WTF.
dann...so much for a start to overseas study then.
Most most sporean go overseas study purely for a degree,
not the experience. Sad case i see around me.
Defeat the purpose of studying overseas.
It ain't just about mixing around.
I find sporean students studying too much even over wkends, holidays etc
(excluding me of cos..heee)
Many work hard to get a first class
and missed out on a true overseas experience.
But do we have the right to say that they are wrong or racist??
They simply have different priorities, perhaps,
cos they are being paid for from their parents hardearned money, mind u.
Back to the topic, this ain't really considered Racism isnt it?
A little out of topic isn't it?
u know what? u can say all of that but after that, the end result is that i've not had discrimination at all. Heck I was only in the UK for a few months and they gladly allowed me to vote. Honestly I think some people here are just making mountains out of molehills because they've had a couple of racist incidents. I mean, many of us overseas have never had encounters like that. And we're not just here for a short stay, we're here for the long term, I think we are more likely to be the ones considering carefully if where we've choosen to migrate to is a good place than you would? U might think u've observed more, but hey, maybe because u weren't staying for long, u just let a few incidents colour your views. The truth is that most western countries are just less racist than most of you think. So sorry that u've maybe had some bad encounters but to label those of us who can handle ourselves well in new societies as having life's honeymoon, is downright unfair. Its not like we moved in here easy peasy. The point is, we made a big effort to mix with the locals and find acceptance downright forthcoming. Which is more than I can say for a lot of people.Originally posted by sgdiehard:talking about china town, do you know how did china towns come into being in the first place? the chinese who went there were mostly hard labour with no education. most of them didn't even know chinese, let alone english or english education; and could they be assimilated into the societies?? the chinese who formed the original china towns were far from students who looking for an alternative way of life!!
The angmohs in singapore are also not here to stay, once their assignments are over, they moved back home or elsewhere. It is more relevant to compare them to the students who went to Uk to study for a few years and move on afterthat. If you talk about learning the local cutures, you were in UK studying in a UK universities, the angmoh here send their children to the american schools, the french schools, the australian schools; many angmohs even got hardship allowance for having to stay in china or some asian countries. I wont' label any particular race or nationals racists, but because english is a widely used language, many from the english speaking countries do show little need for respect to the non english culture.
different ppl go to a distant land for different reasons, some go to work, some go to get a piece of paper, some go and have a good experience sponsored by their parents; different ppl behave differently in different societies, some go and learn from the locals, some introduce their cultures to the locals...to each his own. if a few englishman you know speaks chinese is anything to shout about, then countries like thailand should be considered an english speaking country for almost everybody I met speak english.
the real world out there is a lot more complicated, enjoy yourself while you are still having the honeymoon of your life.
perhaps u have to 1st note that we're not praising them. we're simply saying that while no country is totally non-racist, u're perhaps letting some of your personal experiences exaggerate how racist a country is. Afterall, 1stly those of us who don't experience racist incidents are human too and if anyone were to be racist towards us, we'd be certainly upset and not bow over. 2ndly many of us who are actually considering migrating to said countries would take a CLOSER scrutiny than those of u who were there for a couple of years.Originally posted by NuLife:i wonder abt these too.
and i wonder, if many here that praise aust/uk,
really do so "partly" due to the usual
"worshiping of the west" mentality.
only at a subconsciously level now perhaps.
hmm![]()
i would say i feel more like a 1st class citizen overseas. I got to vote when i've only been in the UK for a few months. I can be in Singapore till I die and even if there's an election, theres nothing to vote anywayOriginally posted by SilverPal:The choice is whether you want to be a second class citizen in sg, or a second class citizen overseas.
Considering the pay and lifestyle, I'd choose second class overseas anytime.
I think you just provided your own answer in asking why there is still news on racism.Originally posted by NuLife:Glad to know that.
Which city are u living?
Perhaps, UK is worse than Aust in racism. huh?
But why is there still news on racism in aust?
No offence mate.Originally posted by HENG@:perhaps u have to 1st note that we're not praising them. we're simply saying that while no country is totally non-racist, u're perhaps letting some of your personal experiences exaggerate how racist a country is. Afterall, 1stly those of us who don't experience racist incidents are human too and if anyone were to be racist towards us, we'd be certainly upset and not bow over. 2ndly many of us who are actually considering migrating to said countries would take a CLOSER scrutiny than those of u who were there for a couple of years.
I would say its quite unfair to say we have a "worship the west" mentality just because we have observed things on a closer basis. I mean, what, u think we're humbling ourselves by allow ourselves to be insulted by people in UK? Judging by the way I've been locking horns verbally with u here, u should know non of us are push overs. So be fair and stop labelling anyone who disagrees with your opinions formed of your experiences as push-overs who worship the west.
Hey. Interesting fact.Originally posted by HENG@:i would say i feel more like a 1st class citizen overseas. I got to vote when i've only been in the UK for a few months. I can be in Singapore till I die and even if there's an election, theres nothing to vote anyway![]()
ah ok. so maybe u did leave out the time factor. well, I am in UK, now.Originally posted by NuLife:No offence mate.
Dun mean to offend anyone. Thats why i said "wonder if".
Apoligies here if i offend any1.
However, im sure you shld know urself whos the
more famous 'labeller' hor??
Back to topic, when were u in UK betw???
I have to say, there is perhaps one important fact missing.
I was there quite long time ago.
And I believe recent growing globalisation trend,
led by emerging china and india economic power,
definitely makes every1 worldwide more open and wake up to watch
these 2 Asia giants.
This definitely improves racism issues across the world
and especially those that are interested in doing business
with china, india and thus asia. Isnt it???
So blur of me to miss out this fact.
Quite a few years time since i graduated.
Forgotten how much things have change globally in recent years, huh.
Every1 is now waking up and looking up to china and indians more.
Asians, chinese or indians etc, are definitely becoming
a "respected" race. Where is racism then?? haa
Thus, Globalisation, with the rise of China and India
IS really the true reason for less racism worldwide.
Before which, when i was still a college student
which was few years before 911, things were quite different thou,
at least to me.Blur me.
We shld appreciate China's rise and PRCs more isnt it??
that is also racism on the part of the barmaids. Oh yea. singaporeans ARE racist. game, set and match.Originally posted by lwflee:I agree with you on many points. I had not given much thought to the rascism in Singapore until it was pointed out to me by someone who is working in Singapore.
I also know of too many singaporeans who have this anti angmoh attitude. I dunno why really...but i suspect this has alot to do with the perception that all ang mohs who work in this country are on far expat salary packages and steal our women. On the latter point, I must say I have seen barmaids in Singapore ignore Singaporeans and fawn over ang mohs, much to the consternation of me and my friends.
Originally posted by HENG@:You are in UK looking at some asians visiting UK and I am in singapore looking at the angmohs visiting here. you label singaporean as racists because they don mix with the locals, I am just told you that the angmohs here are no different but I have not labelled them racists yet.
u know what? u can say all of that but after that, the end result is that i've not had discrimination at all. Heck I was only in the UK for a few months and they gladly allowed me to vote. Honestly I think some people here are just making mountains out of molehills because they've had a couple of racist incidents. I mean, many of us overseas have never had encounters like that. And we're not just here for a short stay, we're here for the long term, I think we are more likely to be the ones considering carefully if where we've choosen to migrate to is a good place than you would? U might think u've observed more, but hey, maybe because u weren't staying for long, u just let a few incidents colour your views. The truth is that most western countries are just less racist than most of you think. So sorry that u've maybe had some bad encounters but to label those of us who can handle ourselves well in new societies as having life's honeymoon, is downright unfair. Its not like we moved in here easy peasy. The point is, we made a big effort to mix with the locals and find acceptance downright forthcoming. Which is more than I can say for a lot of people.
[b]And im going to point out very nicely that it was YOU who said this:
"It is very rare to find americans or the brits who speak a different language. Ever saw an englishman who speak tamil or hindu??"
So yup im telling you yes, a lot of them in fact. And now u tell me its no big deal. So if it was no big deal, I wonder why u even brought it up in the 1st place. Try not to shoot yourself in the foot, its not a nice sight.
Yes the real world is more complicated indeed. more complicated than you simply saying UK, US and Australia are racist countries. I hope u realise the irony of your own words[/b]
you use the word "racist" very liberally. By your own definition, you are the worst racist here.Originally posted by HENG@:not only is it too small to cater for everyone, i dare say the pressures of being a country whose only resource are people, has lead to a society where if u're not 100% useful, u're treated like dirt. And then because everyone is trying to ensure they're useful, they end up forgetting not to be selfish, adopt a "every man for himself" attitude, and nobody cares much anymore.
Anyways the irony about racism is that in countries like China, the chinese can be racist against their own race. Its quite obvious that they often look down on non PRC chinese. And look at Singapore. One rape case in Malaysia done by malays and they condemn all malays as rapist cum murderers. It was disgusting. And adding to the racist fray were a few PRCs.
And finally, like it or not, u have to admit that the Chinese can be an awfully racist race. And incredible it may be, but being racist can often stem from an INFERIORITY complex to be honest.