8 UNWRITTEN RULES THAT EXIST IN SINGAPORE!
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ก.ค. 2018
- 8 UNWRITTEN RULES THAT EXIST IN SINGAPORE!
FOLLOW ME 》:
➫ INSTAGRAM: goo.gl/EG0bLO
➫ CAROUSELL sg.carousell.com/thevintagevi...
➫ TWITTER: / georgiacaney
➫ BUSINESS ENQIRIES ONLY: Contactgeorgiac@gmail.com
Free $45 Gift Card to Airbnb: goo.gl/HqK6nA
------------------------------------------
WEARING 》:
Glasses: bit.ly/TheVintageVision_Horace
Jewellery: bit.ly/2tqbEtx
**Get 20% OFF With Code 'GEORGIA20
------------------------------------------
POPULAR SINGAPORE UPLOADS 》
➫INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS CONTROL MY LIFE FOR A DAY IN SINGAPORE!: • INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS CO...
➫ IS THIS THE BEST BRITISH FISH & CHIPS IN SINGAPORE?!: • IS THIS THE BEST BRITI...
➫ COME TO WORK WITH ME IN SINGAPORE:
• COME TO WORK WITH ME I...
➫DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN ENGINEER WORKING IN SINGAPORE! 🇸🇬 • Video
➫CHOOSING MY DREAM HOUSE IN SINGAPORE: • CHOOSING MY DREAM HOUS...
➫WTF IS THIS PLACE!? HAW PAR VILLA SINGAPORE: • WTF IS THIS PLACE!? HA...
➫ARE WE BECOMING SINGAPORE CITIZENS? Q&A! 🇸🇬: • ARE WE BECOMING SINGAP...
➫MY FAVOURITE SINGLISH SLANG!🇸🇬 BRIT IN SINGAPORE: • MY FAVOURITE SINGLISH ...
➫MAKING FRIENDS IN SINGAPORE! 🇸🇬: • MAKING FRIENDS IN SING...
➫SIGNS YOU'VE BEEN LIVING IN SINGAPORE TOO LONG: • SIGNS YOU'VE BEEN LIVI...
➫ EXPAT LIVING IN SINGAPORE: • EXPAT LIVING IN SINGAP...
➫ EXPAT LIVING IN SINGAPORE | 1 YEAR ON!: • EXPAT LIVING IN SINGAP...
➫ CULTURE SHOCKS LIVING IN SINGAPORE! 🇸🇬 • CULTURE SHOCKS LIVING ...
➫ LEARNING SINGLISH FROM A SINGAPOREAN!: • BRITISH LEARNS TO SPEA...
➫ 10 SINGLISH WORDS & PHRASES I'VE ADOPTED 🇸🇬 | BRIT IN SINGAPORE: • 10 SINGLISH WORDS & PH...
➫ MY THOUGHTS ON BEING CALLED ANG MOH! | SINGAPORE EXPAT Q&A: • MY THOUGHTS ON BEING C...
➫ REACTING TO SINGAPORE TV SHOWS!: • REACTING TO SINGAPORE ...
➫10 GENIUS THINGS ABOUT SINGAPORE!: • 10 GENIUS THINGS ABOUT...
➫ MISCONCEPTIONS FOREIGNERS HAVE ABOUT SINGAPORE! 🇸🇬: • MISCONCEPTIONS FOREIGN...
➫ SINGAPOREANS THOUGHTS ON SEX & MARRIAGE: • SINGAPOREAN VS BRITISH...
Inspired by: • Video
----- Camera Equipment -----
Main Camera: amzn.to/2y8O4o5
Vlog Camera: amzn.to/2y8GSYX
Microphone: amzn.to/2y8C4Tn
F A Q 》
Where are you from? UK
Where do you live? Currently living in Singapore
How long have you lived in Singapore? 3 Years!
How old are you? 27
What Camera do you use? Canon G7X Mark II
What do you use to edit your videos? Final Cut Pro X - บันเทิง
![เบิ้ล ปทุมราช - อ้ายกินดอง น้องลาบงัว ft. สแน็ก อัจฉรีย์ [Teaser]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n863TMuA1Ck/mqdefault.jpg)
Here’s some funny unwritten rules that I realised exist here in Singapore! Can think of some more? Comment below and tell me!👀😊
Georgia Caney finallyyyy someone that understands
Georgia Caney I hate you but you are lovely
Indigenous Guy Of America. That makes no sense
Georgia Caney you can try to hold your hand in front of you like a knife, and like "cut" your way out of the lift or the train while saying excuse me. Works for me most of the time.
Hahaha, the table had been "chope"
Angpow is not a Singapore rule though, it's more of a culture thing.
Ivan Lim true, I feel like it just depends on the family/culture because I have never been to a wedding where I’ve seen people give money.
Its Chinese culture, so only Chinese people do it.
thesuperproify the Malays do it too. But they give what they can give and if they can't give much, they still try to give. They believe it's a blessing when you give some money in weddings
Princessbroccoli M yes as a malay honestly i only give what i can afford. we will give sincerely. is very easy though if u want to give u give sincerely
I think that guests just want to help married couple to refund costs spent on their wedding. But nobody of that folks doesn't emphasize it. This culture became popular in Ukraine with the growth of quantity of services that comprise wedding celebration. I mean photo, video, decor, entertainment and other thingies
tbh i always sit on the reserved seat when it's empty or like half-full. i only don't sit on the reserved seat if the train is almost full
hi
Seriously the "take the shoes off before stepping in the house" is really underrated and needs to be done more often especially in Western / European places. This is to avoid tracking dirt and grime from the outside. It makes a lot more sense to do that~
Unwritten Rule...
SAF Rule Number 1 - You Can Do Anything... But Don't Get Caught...
And thus, the toxic culture is born.
Most of these rules exist due to the differences in culture. In a western country, the culture leans more towards individualism while in Asia, it's more towards collectivism.
People standing on the right side of escalators/not letting train passengers alight first, it gets on my nerve too!!! How I wish passengers here were as polite as those in Japan!
Oh my gosh sammmee! Japan ❤️
Georgia is british so I dont understand why she doesnt know that people in London also stand on one side of the esaculator on the London underground to let people who are in a rush run down the other side. Also taking your shoes off at someones house is pretty standard at most british households.
Omg ikr! Esp those old aunties and uncles
I’m in the ‘sit at the reserved seat until someone needs it’ team 🙋🏻♀️
Likely the best way to reserve those 'RESERVED' seat to passengers that truly requires it, because some travellers won't surrender those particular seat, by PRETENDING to sleep. I dislike selfish passengers.
I usually do this trick, so the elderly people actually will get a chance to sit. I even do this trick in the UK/European subways trains 😂
I dont seat in buses or mrt becuse I dont want to stand up is werid to stand up after you seat when u are not going down the bus or mrt so I dont seat
yah me too. but only when the mrt is completely empty cause like if there is more people. people would get annoyed at me or somebody may have some injury you can’t see
Javier Lim so true. i travel from simei to dover to go to school but like my legs are pain too
Me too.
why you dont sit at reserved sit ?
becoz your photo would end up in stomp ,haha
Seat**
on*
Omg youtube * Grammar * police alert ** lol , haha
That's some D7 english right there tbh
Not to mention the NS people in uniform who are too afraid to even sit down because of stomp...
Payment: because the banks often issue credit cards that can also be used for other multiple payment modes (including EZ-link, NETs and NETs Flashpay), so cashiers wouldn't know what mode you want to use.
MRT let people out first issue: for me only a problem I face with entitled old people and tourists. Walk out with purpose, give people no doubt that you intend to exit.
I dont like sitting on the MRT when it is crowded at all! Everytime we arrive at a new station I have to make sure there's no one who needs the seat and in addition to that I get stressed trying to decide whether someone is old enough to need the seat or if I will offend someone by offering my seat. I do sit on the reserved seat sometimes but it always just feels wrong.
Drip Drop exactly! It's the "stress" of having to look up whenever we reach a station, and judging if I should give up the seat. Mind as well not sit at all lol!
haha yesss I hate having to be alert and on the lookout for anyone who might need my seat. just not worth the stress
SAME!! I THOUGHT I'M THE ONLY ONE
I am a Singaporean and when i get my job done, i will just go off hahahahaha. Its okay, dont have to worry about the judgements. Just clock out when you are done with your work :)
#2: Reserved seat: i sit on it occasionally...but most people in Sg avoid it like the plague due to excessive citizen social journalism. It's funny but we're such a small place, it's hard not to get noticed.
#4: I leave my workplace on time as contracted (unless overtime absolutely necessary)...so I guess it differs wildly among company cultures
About reserved seat on undergrounds (MRT), as a taiwanese visiting singapore regularly, this situation is not that bad in singapore, as compared to in Taipei.
In taipei, if you sit on these reserved seats (even if there are other empty seats for the needy one), or even when there is NO needy people around, the people will actually scold you. In taipei, we called these people MORAL-monster or RIGHTEOUSNESS-POLICE,
Haha, I’d leave on time, I won’t give a damn 😝
Why I hated working in the corporate world: official working hours ended at 6 pm and everyday I knocked off at 7 pm and yet I still earned the evil eye from the boss. Wth!
I finally dared to sit on the reserved seat after getting a fracture!! that seat is really really scary !
Good observation there Georgia! Your unwritten rules are all 💯 accurate 😂l
I know this is already two months late but it's so interesting to me that for #4 you stay longer than contractually obligated!! In USA some companies would get in so much trouble if we stayed longer than 8 hours or what's in our contract. They shove us out the door as soon as the shift is over and not one minute less or more.
Cards in Singapore are linked generally to NETs, NETsflash, VISA/Master and Paywave. How things are charged are also different.
NETs is a direct debit function, kinda similar to how a debit card functions, except that the tech and system was in existence more than a decade before VISA/Master Debit. NETsflash is similar to paywave using the NETs function.
Another thing to note is that not all bankcards have the same function, eg a NETs card need not necessarily be a creditcard and vice versa, though in other cases they might just cover all of it. GIven the plethora of cards in SIngapore, cashiers do need to know which is your preference in how you would like to be charged.
Also vendors do acutally prefer it when we use NETs as the service charge to the stores by the service vendor is much lower than that of the VISA/Master card service vendor (hence once reason why you almost never find AMex terminals used in Singapore).
There are those of us here who do actually take note of our expenses so if we are aware that we are reaching the limit on our credit, we would prefer to deduct by NETs.
Well... the last you said is what i personally agree the most. MRT and elevators. If one don't let me step out. How does he or she expect to step in? I encounter this almost everyday. This is no longer unsaid rules... this is pure common sense.
Agreed with number 8. I've missed trains because i wasn't let out
sis...your hair is just wow
Awr thanks!!😊
She's legit cute, accent, cheekbones and hair on point. Damn
For the reserve seat, it depends on how guilty you feel I guess? But usually if no one needs it no one will judge you for sitting there 😂 also, I think the angpao thing is a tradition (?) not sure. But I think when people look up the cost of how much to put in, it’s because nowadays younger people are getting married and since they don’t earn so much they kinda rely on the angpaos to recover their monetary loss hahah. I guess you can consider it out of a form of courtesy. However if you’re still a student or don’t have a form of basic income, you don’t have to give an angpao, gifts are fine!
Its true!
i always avoid the reserved seat cause 90% of the time im in school uniform and that just makes to more vulnerable to judgement. im sure many agree on this
loved that you did this video. sometimes i don’t realise their uniqueness to singapore myself. ☺️
The reserved seat is something I noticed in Sg. That and the left "lane" (on escalators and in hallways) is the slow "lane". You adapt very quickly. Going back in September :)
flawless looking hair!
Love this video!
A surefire way to get off crowded MRTs or elevators easily is to put your palms together and point them outwards as you move out. It's a bit on the rude side but people would surely want to avoid their bodies being poked by strangers. Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for any altercations resulting from this action.
Lol just push ur way thru hardcore or shout at the top of ur lungs "SCUSE ME"
Hey I do that quite offten
If it's Tanjong Pagar during peak hours on weekdays it's a different story 😂😂
Workingg as an cashier before, i've gotten some annoying customers that are very very particular about their payment methods. (Some cards comes with nets and credit card payment options) So for clarity sake, cashiers will ask customers. The last thing we want is drama in the store so pleasee please understand!!
Haha I understand now! But maybe there shouldn’t be so many options for them to be particular about 😝
OMG did you just suggest that Singaporeans shouldn't have many options?!! Quick hide! 😅😉
Lmao the place i worked at has this rule whereby if the customer doesn't specify when giving card and there r several options we just go for visa
what if they have a mastercard though?
Yeahhh! It was so strange for me to transition from standing on the right to the left of the escalator. You're right about the Tube having to stand on the right...same here in Germany. 🤣😄
The angpow money-packet for the wedding dinner is to help the wedding couple defray some of the massive costs involved - hence the general rule-of-thumb to give an angpow that would more or less cover the cost of your own dinner.
Congrats on 60k! :)
For me I always avoid the reserve seat in the MRT even if it's the last one. It's too awkward for me to sit there.
Haha!
😍😍 you are so pretty!!
About the Reserved Seats on the MRT, I just find it ridiculous to make a molehill out of such a trivial thing. I'm a Singaporean and when there are no other seats available on the train I will go ahead and sit there unless of course a pregnant lady or elderly person comes up. I happen to have a single kidney and standing for long on a moving train adds stress on my kidney, so I'm not giving in to all those SJWs who try to bash or Stomp me. Seriously, people like these need to get a life and stop judging others they don't know.
Technically you are kind of disabled so I guess you're an exception. No offence meant.
The last one, letting people off the train before u enter, when i was young my mum tried to teach us that, we end up missing the train because once everybody gets off, the door just shuts LOLOLOLOL 😂
Georgia your hair looks so good! Suits you a lot XX
Thank you!!!😊
I just scream at people when I am trying to get off the train. They usually get stunned enough to stop and stare long enough for me to get away. :P
I'm a singaporean here, and here are my take on some of the unwritten rules.
#2 I will sit on the reserved seat if it is the last seat available, and no one around me fits the "people who need it more than me" category. Just always be ready to give up the seat to someone who needs it more.
#4 I always leave on the time stated in my work contract, on the dot. No way would I linger around in my office when its time for me to knock off. I have my own life and commitments outside of work.
In the past everytime I used to sit in the reserve seat in the MRT, I always felt very uncomfortable, like fellow passengers in the train were looking at me thinking “hey you are not old or disabled why are you sitting in that seat for!”, now I avoided that seat like the plague. By the way Georgia your hairstyle looks very beautiful in this video.
Generally, there are 2 terminals at the cashier, 1 for NETS and 1 for credit cards (VISA/Mastercard). So maybe that's why they always ask your preferred mode of payment.
LOVE LOVE LOVE YOUR HAIR
I have lived in Singapore for over 10 years now and idk most of the things that you have stated in your videos. Really good job in merging into the Singapore culture🙌🏻
If I want to get off work at 6PM sharp I’ll ask my colleagues if they want to leave at 6PM too that way the Boss can’t say no. 😜😆🤫
You forgot about queuing when you see there’s a long queue! Usually if there is a long queue it means it is good so just queue & find out later on.
I think it’s perfectly ok to sit on a reserved seat as long as you are willing to give it up when someone in need walk into the train.
As for Ang baos and wedding, most do it but it’s not a must though. It’s perfectly fine to give a non monetary gift like a necklace instead, i have seen people giving gifts to the couple before.
As for shoes, you can ask the owner of the apartment where you can leave your shoes , if they have a shoe cabinet that is inside the house, they may not mind if you take off your shoes after you step through the door
I have hesitated to sit on the reserved seats of the MRT, but my mum was always just sit on it and offer your sit of someone comes along, so I have done it haha
Thanks for mentioning about people waiting for others to walk out of the MRT before waking in! I hope they hear.
we never linger till our boss leaves~~ just leave on time
At my school we generally leave when we finish our individual work. Our VP actually asks if something is wrong if we are found lingering around in the staff room.
i live in malaysia and the people here often sit at the reserved seat no matter what unless someone really needs it but i personally HATE sitting in the reserved seat. i don’t mind people who do but here, it’s like a first-come-first-serve basis. even if an elderly came in after you, they wouldn’t really ask for the seat and people wouldn’t really stand up. i’ve seen few stand up but more often than not, even my own friends or family, they’d be super hesitant to give up their seat. hence, i just really don’t sit there, so that when someone does need it, they wouldn’t have to worry about being impolite to the one already sitting there. i bring this trait to every other country i go to, too.
Actually the ang pao is the wedding gift. But ang pao(red packet) is the wedding gift for chinese culture, malay also have a similar wedding gift culture which is the green packet. The amount we choose to put in depends on our closeness to the couple and our own courtesy to help cover the cost of the meal during the wedding.
I completely agree with the train rule where you should wait for people to alight first! It doesn't make sense, especially if it's packed and they try to squeeze in. But I think the 'chope' seat rule has got to be the most unique one!
Love your videos. Please make more.
#8 i just push the people who wont let me out of the mrt first :)
Hamizah Aqilah I was given a harsh warning by a staff in mrt when I sniff a pastry. The staff with bloodshot eyes at Geylang station, stared at me and told me off. He said you can't eat here ( I've closed box already). He said I can go to Jail. I felt scarred that I have broken the law. I am officially not a good citizen
Same
Lol same. I suddenly become gangster bang bang all those shoulders when they block the exit
I sit on the reserved seat if there's no one who needs it. And, I don't linger at the office longer than I need to, so I always go off when my work is done!
I love your hair ! 💕💕
i always sit on the reserved seat! like i don’t really see the big deal just stand when someone who needs it enters the mrt :-) on the other hand i just stand if i don’t plan on doing any social interaction lol
The problem with sitting on the reserved seat is that then you will have to constantly monitor your surroundings to see if an elderly/pregnant person comes along. That's just too tiring and effortful. I preferred to just not sit there at all.
There’s actually levels to reserving a seat. Have to notice how the tissues or objects are placed. If its in the middle its usually fully booked. If its on the side or on individual seats, it means only those seats are booked. True for business areas at least.
f622 I did not realise that I did it this way ....but it’s true
Generally, all wedding invitation recipients give red packets (english for 'ang pows') at Chinese weddings. From what I understand from our elders, it started as a form of blessing and a caring gesture to help cover some wedding expenses. (Cash is always the practical preference over gifts) Over time, people started checking out the cost of the wedding banquet to estimate how much to put into the red packets. Personally, i don't think red packets that match banquet costs should be expected. I have had hosts who genuinely wanted to treat their guests as part of the wedding celebrations. That said, we tend to give 'bigger' (in amount) red packets to people we are close to, e.g. a bosom friend, a cousin, niece/newphew or a member of the family.
People would sometimes offer their seat to people that look tired or sick on the mrt. An elderly women gave her seat to me cuz I looked pale once. She was so kind.
A huge situation that happened years ago where and elderly aunty filmed a teen girl sitting on the reserved sit. After that many people started avoiding that sit
I have the same pet peeve too! I really hate it when people don't let people out before they charge into the elevator and the train cabins!
Thoughts:
1. MRT handicap seat: It includes pregnant women too. Sit by all means, but give it up to someone who needs it.
2. Payment: I think that confusion came up after the cards were combined, that a bank ATM card (in the past used only for NETs) now also a credit or debit card.
3. Wedding angpow: Usually hotels banquets charge by per table. So you roughly estimate the cost per table (i.e. Cost divided by 8 or 10 pax). Roughly ranging from $80 to $120. Usually the sums end with an '8' or '3' - eight for auspicious, three for 'birth', appropriate for a young married couple. You can always add more to the angpow. When yr turn comes, people will renumerate the same (hopefully). Church weddings cum luncheon are the cheapest ($25 - $35). In Sg, no practice of receiving gifts. Money is more convenient and useful.
More unwritten rules:
1. Tidy rubbish: You are expected to throw yr rubbish neatly into a chute. Tie the rubbish bag up well;
2. When hanging clothes out to dry, do it early in the morning so everybody's clothes are wet. Don't ever drip on other people's already dried clothes, esp when you are living in a HDB apartment and everybody hang clothes out with bamboo poles.
3. Unwritten rule: Foreign workers, esp the Banglas, are told by their supervisors if they ride MRT they are supposed to give their seats up to a local. This is so foreign workers are not seen as invading the local space or taking over whatever. A sweet idea, but they do have right to sit as long as their clothing is clean not dirty from work site.
4. Do not step on or kick away any religious offerings by side of road or sidewalk. It is truly bad luck and you could literally be chased away by someone with a broom.
Great Video, Georgia .
thanks...
David
I'm just a Dumbskippy "Ang Mo" from Perth.
;-)
oh gosh... i used to do what u do with the reserved seats on the mrt, till one fine day i was seating there and then i fell asleep (by accident) and i was rudely woken up by an elderly lady. i was so embarrassed. i avoid those seats now. lol.
with regards to the staying back till your boss leaves, unfortunately it is true (old fashion way of running an organization) but really it depends on the company/the boss and the environment. i don't believe in staying back when you are efficient and you can complete your work on time.
better check stomp for the hall of shame ,haha
I feel so bad for u..... if that happened to me I'd do the same...
I wonder if the old lady know that u might be tired, its kinda rude to wake someone up only to chase them away...
The standing on left of escalator is similar to driving on Singapore roads. The right lanes of roads are for overtaking. So would expect to drive slightly faster than the speed limit for overtaking. Good to be aware to avoid road hogging which really annoys many drivers.
This is so true :’)
I am a Singaporean, maybe I have been lucky, I have worked in private and public sectors, and unless there was an urgent deadline, I never had to stay beyond the 'official' hours. As the matter of fact most people start packing five minutes before the 'knock off time' and all make a beeline for the door at 6 pm sharp. About the angbaos, yeh, it’s sort of a rule, but I think it’s somehow insincere and even rude to expect your guests to pay for the wedding dinner, when I got married, my husband and I didn’t plan or expect our guests to cough up enough to pay for the dinner, I told my friends not to worry about the angbaos, in any case, most angbaos didn’t match the costs...so it’s not a hard and fast rule. I wish them didn’t monetise wedding dinners , come with sincere blessings and if you can not afford five stars hotel, pick a venue that fits your budget... but then in Singapore it’s all about not losing 'face'...
lmao if you sit on the reserved seat with a school uniform on you'll be done for😂
I think people avoid the “reserved” seat like the plague because we used to have this page called “Stomp” where people would take sneaky photos of people who sat on those seats and bash them online 🤣
#4 Not really true. I leave on time most days
#6 Is due to the credit card machine. The cashier needs to select your method of payment.
Char Azn not really true for who? You or for others? I certainly know that it is true for me also.
Me, the entire company I'm currently working for.
And the previous company I worked for.
Come to think of it I've never worked for any company where I have to stay around doing nothing just because and I've been working for 19 yrs.
I was in a utility company, we need to act. I was there for a week only, but left at 6.15pm, 15 mins after official hours!!! I was asked why I left early, fk! But other companies, allowed to be late and go on time! No absolutes.
#6 how many options can there be if youre giving them a debit card? lolol
Reminded me of a wedding I went to in Singapore, but what I found weird was when the final course was served, everyone stood up and left! Also where one course was white sea fungus soup, the worst dish I've ever tasted😁
White fungus is not from the sea.
When I was 11 years old, I sat on the reserved seat on the train on the way to school every morning. Back then, the mrt wasnt really as crowded as it is nowadays but at that time, trains heading to Marina Bay on the red line would be empty for a number of stops at 10am (i was doing the afternoon school shift which I think got phrased out).
So what happened was that I was a kid sittin on a reserved seat on an empty train and all of a sudden, an elderly uncle came to me and asked me to move. LOLWUT?! THE TRAIN WAS EMPTY?! AND HE WANTS MY SPOT WHEN HE COULD SIT SOMEWHERE ELSE!? (and yes i gave up the seat...)
the lift n mrt thing is so truuuuue. it happens even when i’m in school 🙄🙄
Love the hair!
1. Chope-ing at a hawker centre or public food court? Well, if it's just one personal item, then it's usually one person doing the chope-ing, maaaybe two. If there's a bunch of items, then stay away, especially when most of the seats are reserved. However, sometimes one member of a large group will stick around to let folks know that the whole table has been taken. Chope-ing at a food court serving mainly companies nearby? Well then you'll usually find individuals in any group using their own items to reserve specific places at a table :)
2. I'm with you. Justin, you so silly!
3. Agree with you about this one, but I wish we'd follow London. However, you'll often find elderly folks, especially ladies, on the right. That's because they carry their bags on their left hand, so their right is free to hold on to the moving rail.
4. I leave on time, never earlier, although sometimes later. There's always stuff to get done, and if I prioritise correctly, I don't stress when I come in next morning. And if anybody asks, I tell them what I've finished and what I'm waiting for. Always update the boss, and then head out. Besides, if it's an urgent task that HAS to be completed by day's end, then usually everybody rallies, because the boss has made it pretty clear that's what they want done...
5. I read some of the comments, aaand I have to say, it's not limited to Chinese and Malay weddings; it happens at Indian weddings as well. If you're a friend of the couple, then give it to them directly; if you're attending as a guest of the bride or groom, then present it to the designated rep from either family. Yeah, you give what you can afford, but with some people, I guess they give more because they want to be remembered for exactly that. ...but, yes, it's also about at least helping to cover for the meal-and-the-venue-hire, but still goes back to point about affordability, see?
6. That's because there are sooo many ways to pay. And payment mode preferences vary drastically across the various demographics.....aaaand probably also because there's usually some kind of perk/reward/incentive for the payer.
7. Aaaaabsolutely! Unless you are bidden to enter with shoes on, that is. The idea is that you don't want to bring in the dirt that exists outside the home, to 'pollute' the clean space that is the home to begin with. Socks? Stockings? No problem, just no other footwear allowed.
8. Georgia, that how it is SUPPOSED to happen! But no, the 'kiasu' attitude of many residents here (especially Chinese mainlanders who either work here or have become New Citizens, Indian mainlanders and Pinoys. Oh, and many of the elderly as well, but I don't blame them; there's almost always such a rush for seats, and almost all consideration and courtesy is thrown out the window, especially during peak times...)
Your new hair is cute and agree the last thingy, i am peeved too when ppl rush in.
I'm working as a cashier, so I wish to clarify on rule #6 - payment methods!
because many cards have multiple payment methods - NETS, or through credit like visa, master or amex. So as a cashier, we will not know if your card is a credit or debit card. And even though certain debit cards have NETS logo at the back, it may not have the NETS function in it. I've came across many customers with these sort of cards, which I tried to do NETS payment but it failed. Then, they were kinda annoyed as they said "it's not a NETS card." Hence, even though it's kinda annoying, as a cashier, we have to ask for your payment methods since we aren't you, we wouldn't know what sort of functions your card have/don't have. Please do understand!!
Also, certain small businesses doesn't have the pay wave system, so please understand when we have to ask for your pin or your signature. Visa and Master are commonly accepted throughout the entire Singapore, however, amex, jcb, etc are slightly less uncommon. Lastly, I know keying in your pin may be kinda tedious especially when you're in a rush, but please do understand when the small businesses charges you in NETS instead of credit, or requires a minimum spending for card payments. Because the bank or the relevant operators (not sure which) will charge the business a transaction fee for each NETS, visa, master, etc transaction. Tbh, it's kinda a lot if you accumulate it in the long term. Especially when the total bill is like.. less than $5, $10...? But.. well, I do know that it's none of the customers' business, and paying by credit may gain you rebates or points.
Really hope that you guys will understand! and no hard feelings tho! Just wanna share my thoughts from my point of view, as a cashier.
The MRT is one of my pet peeves too!!! I get so annoyed especially during peak hours.
worked as a cashier in singapore. most of the time we ask what kind of payment type because some customers are very particular about it and for instance if they wanted to use NETS (which is immediate instead of visa which takes a few days to process), and the cashier just used paywave the nastier customers can kick up a fuss and the cashier would have to void the transaction with the card, then redo the payment which is very troublesome.
sometimes china unionpay cards can also transact with visa, and charging it wrongly can cost the customer extra because of conversion fees and such.
usually it differs from shop to shop but generally its polite and easier for everyone if the cashier asks/customer tells about payment method
Honestly the reserved seat can be sat on if there isn't anyone who needs it, but in recent years, commuters especially the younger generation try not to sit there because there have been incidents of people snapping photos of those who sit on the reserved seat and posting it online
Totally agree with the last one, sometimes I just have to bulldoze my way out 🤷♀️
You've really grasped them all! Now I wish more Singaporeans would know these unwritten rules!
im a local but everytime i watch your videos i learn a little something about sg that i’ve never known
One time I went to Singapore I just sat at the reserve seat there were no elderly, disabled etc came and no questions were asked.
I've never come across the rule whereby you have to wait till your boss leaves before you can leave. Hmm..but we do have a tendency not to leave on time, mainly because we have to finish our work. Otherwise, we can leave on time, even if the boss is drowning in work.
Taking off shoes - practiced by most east asians, according to my mother for cleanliness.
Reserved seats - did you really observe that? Seems like Singaporeans have improved in our manners. Taiwanese will also leave those seats empty regardless of the passenger volume.
Ang pao - traditional Chinese custom still practiced in China and believe me, they are just as obsessed as us with the amount in it.
Keeping left on the escalator - this is a new practice that came about in the last 10 years or so. In the early days of the MRT, it was stand anywhere you want. Why on the left? I think it's because we follow the local traffic rule which says 'keep left unless overtaking'.
PingPongNoodles. Comment on Ang bao- In China, the money inside the ang bao is a few times more than our Singaporean version. We are lucky in SG because we "modified" the amount "to suit us" ...lol
On Escalator, in Australia, they stand on the left as well
The MRT was nowhere nearly as crowded about 10 years ago. The huge wave of foreigners starting around 2006 so unwritten rules needed to be made to accommodate the crowd.
It's not really an unwritten rule because there are signs telling us to keep left in Mrt stations, no?
Pretty much a Finnish thing as well to get your shoes off (we have to police on speed dial) and it was always funny as kid to see American TV series with people at their houses wearing shoes inside, even on bed etc.
See e.g. th-cam.com/video/RRbi-CySf9Y/w-d-xo.htmlm7s
Super agree with number 8. Like rushing to get nothing. My only theory is they want a chance to squeeze with people. Why else?
At my current company, we only go home when we complete our tasks for the day. So contract or not, I don't often get to go home or leave at 6.30pm
Unwritten rule: you can eat or drink on public transport, as long as you do it quietly and dont attract too much attention, noone really cares unless you bring eat a durian on the train or something
Unwritten rule: if your wearing an army uniform, dont sit down on public transport. Punishment: photo ending up in stomp. Doesnt matter if your not actually in the army and its just a costums
Georgia, honey, the last one is nothing compared to other countries... I am a Singaporean and went to China for vacation during June this year. So basically, I have observed that for every single time I board the train, (you know those lines on the floor that you have to stand behind them?) locals from outside completely ignore the line and stand front and centre the doorway, and will just squeeze themselves into the train without even considering the people coming out of it. I'm not being bias towards Singapore... The locals in China are just much worse as compared to Singapore....
Miss walking and shopping along Orchard Road. Stayed in the Mandarin Hotel many times.
Another unwritten rule : You are obliged to order a drink at any coffee shop even if you are not thirsty .
It's common in my company to leave at 5.30! The office is empty before 6pm most of the time haha.
Most of these sound like general Asian culture differences. Eg working until boss leaves, Asian weddings, bus seats
Leaving on time will depend on the company culture. There are some companies, employees will just disappear at 5pm sharp.
Reserved Seats could be used if there is no one sitting.... Just offer to the seat if someone needs it.
I have low blood pressure and when i get dizzy spells I need to sit down. When I sit on the reserved seats, I get stares from people :( I got scolded by an auntie before lol
Hello I'm new! Subscribed lol
I'm a Singaporean and I cannot disagree with what you said... The last one, I also get super annoyed as I am really small sized and it's difficult to make people move to let me have a way to get out!