This entry was not to offend anyone. I wanted to express my thoughts on Singapore, The country which i love more than my own country, on my last visit, Singapore has been …..different.

I was raised in Singapore. I was educated in a very good school and experienced really good memories that affected me MUCH. It made the way I am today, having more advantages than average Thai citizens in being able to communicate with three languages, and of course, I love Singapore alot. But i would rather say… I LOVED Singapore. I would want this love to come back, as soon as possible.

First of all, I thought that Singapore, of course, gonna be forever the PARADISE of SE ASIA. YEAH…. you can never get robbed by mobs or have a surprise attack on some random dude. In Singapore, you feel completely safe!!! YEAH!! That safety net that protects us in Singapore somehow still exists, but something has changed.

I went to shopping, and spoke ENGLISH (WITH AN AMERICAN ACCENT) to the shop assistants.. They gave me a glare like I was speaking some alien language. and they spoke to me back in Chinese…..notice this well, not Singaporean-accent Chinese that I am proud of having, mainland chinese accent.

This was just a basic conversation.

Me: Excuse me, how many ml is this double eyelid charm?

Girl: Hmm…..This one? 我不知道。。。

Me: (surprised, but still not willing to speak Chinese) So between this and this, which is better?

Girl: 这个比较好。这是从日本来的。。。有很多人喜欢这个。。。

Me: Oh I see…

And the conversation goes on with me as English, and her as Chinese……I am not being stubborn to not speak Chinese to her, but i am not good in Chinese, so why would I need to change my language when I am the customer? Doesn;t she needs to be the one who speaks ENGLISH? If a native English speaker comes and ask her, and she is unable to speak English, would this make Singapore look bad?

Before every single soul on the streets. shops, corner of Singapore CAN speak English. After the flock of Chinese immigrants in Singapore, it makes Singapore look a bit bad……
(Why they can;t speak English, they come to work? So funny lah….people will view Singapore as what now? “say it in Singlish accent”)

Well, I am not if a majority would disagree with me or not, but i am trying to express my worries on the country I love. Why do they use shop assistants who can;t even speak English to the customers? Even if she knows I am speaking English to her, she ought to switch the language, not continue with her heavy accented Chinese…..

If I am in China or Taiwan, I would have no problem in speaking Chinese. I would know that the country’s native is Chinese, I need to blend into their culture even my Chinese is really not that fluent as my Thai or English. So, Singapore is an English speaking country, no? Even shop vendors in hawker centers speaks English to me, yet those China shop assistant can’t comprehend simple conversation? If this continues, what would people think of Singapore now?

First of all, these people need to be trained better. Not only this shop that spoke Chinese to me, every shop which assistants ain;t Singaporeans, basically spoke chinese to me.

I hope Singapore would be the same……I love Singaporeans…. I love Singapore, and the food, but ………………….

Hope something would change…….