oh gosh reverse culture shock is so real!! got so used to saying "cheers" instead of "thanks" that i forgot no one says that back in sg... i once said "cheers" while buying stuff and the cashier was like "boy this is a 7/11" lol
LOL I legit got so confused when I visited UK for the first time, cos we usually say "cheers" in SG only when drinking. So imagine my confusion when I went to the supermarket and the British cashier said "cheers" when i paid him🤣
BUT fish and chips is still like £10 in UK, which is approximately $17-18 SGD, so about the same :( But the fish and chips in UK are rlly rlly good tho, miss those so much!
As a Singaporean living in London, I still find hawker food my most missed thing about home. Meal Deals and Weatherspoons jsut don't seem to cut it. Hawker food is cheaper and so much tastier. and in winter, when you want a nice hot meal, you would usually have to pay at least £5-£6. Groceries here are so much cheaper and better though!! Looking forward to my visit for CNY. Driving, agreed. roads in london are like patchwork. it's a lot older infrastructure though. Walking, i think i walk slower in SIngapore cause i don't wanna sweat. =) I love that I can chat to anyone here!
There is more Asian food in London now though! Bang Bang Oriental is a food court in London with lots of Asian stalls. My godmum who immigrated to UK used to run a shop there
How about instant noodle? I remembered Singapore Airline was running out of instant cup noodle when they flew a group of Singapore passengers from Barcelona to Singapore.
@@maureenkam9212 LOL srsly? My experience travelling on SQ has always been amazing. But I remembered when I took British Airways, they actually ran out of toilet paper and water 🤣🤣
The closest thing to 'hawker food' I found in the UK (well, Brighton) was foodtruck food? In terms of pricing and packaging etc. Especially I went to eat some like middleastern curry thing, it tasted exactly like rendang curried goat.
Yea, the hawker culture should be universally adopted. From a consumer perspective, it would be a food hot-spot as you get to choose what you to eat or even multiple types of different cuisines. It is also more convenient in a family setting when different family members craves different foods. In a cafe or restaurant setting, its usually follow a specific genre of cuisine i.e. Western, Korean, Mexican, etc. Maybe from the restaurant perspective, it is like potentially sharing your consumer base with others as some people might have craving for your food but when they reached, they saw something else and changed their mind whereas in restaurant, you will purely be there for their food.
some culture shocks i experienced: - in london you insert your card on your own and key in your pin, in singapore you have to give your card to the cashier to insert - escalators! in london you stand on the right, here it’s left - there arent a lot of malls in london so you walk A LOT more, plus cabs aren’t so accessible. this gave me reverse culture shock because when i came back to singapore after three years, i tried to walk everywhere and realised it isn’t possible because it’s frickin hot and it’s either in a mall or i’d have to take a bus - bubble tea is so much better here 😭 and there’s so much of it!! asian food like hong kong egg waffles, chicken rice, mee rebus, prata are all disgustingly cheap and are no longer luxuries like they were when i lived in london. - i wore boots when i came back to singapore for about a month and my family kept making fun of me and i finally realised it’s just not practical. all the tips i’d thought up just weren’t relevant anymore (like making sure your boots are waterproof in case it rains or bringing a coat instead of an umbrella because the wind is going to flip it inside out) - there’s really so much more! you guys should collab with a singaporean youtuber who has lived in london. that would be really fun
I think SG stuff is more expensive because almost everything is imported right? UK would probably have the same stuff but much cheaper if it was produced locally
i lived in canada for a while, been to UK a bit, and now i travel a lot to KL for work. what i find is that singapore is actually quite cheap if you live as a local. groceries, public transport, food are cheap, except for housing ofc. when i’m grocery shopping in Malaysia, i find things are so expensive for the average malaysian. sure it’s cheaper than sg after conversion but with a local salary, groceries are expensive. canada and uk’s public transport are expensive. canada has a lot of cheap supermarkets and drugstores. uk as well. but canada has 13% tax so everything is 13% more ex than listed price. uk too has high vat but it’s alrdy included in the price like sg. but what i love is that uk doesn’t tax children’s stuff, and other necessities. i like how direct conversations are in sg. like justin said, all the filler words are taken out lol. whereas in other countries you have to speak proper full-on sentences, with pleasantries etc to not seem rude. when i lived in canada, i went through the seasons so early sunset wasn’t a complete shock. i was gradually introduced to it. but when visiting a winter country for holiday, sunset at 4pm is a shock on the first night, then subsequent nights we know the sunset timing better.
Totally agree on the Malaysia stuffs Many Singaporeans were saying it's cheap,but if you are earning ringgit, it is expensive. Earning sing dollars and spending in Malaysia and tells them your things are cheap is really adding salt to their people.
LEONG Yet i realised that i have a different mindset when i’m in malaysia for work vs for holiday. when i’m working, i live a frugal life. a starbucks for RM15 is ridiculous. but when i’m on holiday mode, oh RM15 is only S$5 so cheap!
This video is bang on! At work in UK, we do drink rounds and even though I've left half my previous tea to get cold, I'll still have another new one when someone asks. And when I worked in SG, colleagues rarely asked about each others weekend, but in UK it seems mandatory to ask on a Monday or even Tuesday. Then a bit of a lull on wednesday, before on Thursday and Friday you can ask what people will be doing that coming weekend.
I couldn’t agree more! Had similar shock when returning to the Netherlands. Oh my lord salad and coffee are extremely expensive in SG, and all of sudden everyone in the Netherlands is so messy.. i was used to all the ladies in SG dressed up, with make up and expensive handbags.. whereas in the Netherlands people are so low key, don’t like flashy stuff and most people don’t bother to brush their hair and dress practical due to the weather 😂
I am Singaporean but live in England. I know exactly what you mean. Singapore is a fast paced country so not many have the time to stop and talk to you unless they are charity tin shakers wanting your money. The cashiers are only hired to collect money and do it fast otherwise there will be a great long queue forming behind you and they might get scolded for not doing their job efficiently. As for walking, I never like walking fast in Singapore as I get all hot and sweaty so I understand why the locals stroll along slowly. When I got back to SG recently, someone told me that they accept "paylah" and I said "whaaa?"... same kind of response you gave when you tried to ask about Contactless. haha
I can understand the English part. That was how I had to learn to adapt and speak the Singaporean English when I first came to Singapore, otherwise I had to repeat myself a few times or being misunderstood. After 25 years, I have completely 100% adopted Singlish in my speech. And the funny thing is I don’t realised the changes until whenever I visit my relatives back home, they would laughed and teased me on my English.
Glad that you speak Singlish! It is our unique that binds Singaporeans together! Just in case most of the foreigners who may not know this, some of our Singlish words are in the Oxford Dictionary. www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36275640
When I returned from Australia I still greet the bus drivers when I board the bus. Still do it from time to time but I definitely do not say thank you when I alight now. We really should bring back the courtesy campaign and greatly improve our customer service. I find myself saying thank you more than the people I patronize the shop from 😂
It is now slowly but surely happening here. More drivers are doing the greeting, and more passengers are responding. In time, more passengers will start to take the initiative to greet and say thank you. Btw, you will notice a rather strange exception. People of all ages, especially the older folks, tend to thank the drivers of the free shuttle buses in SGH. It seems that in local culture, people will express appreciation when it is a free service!
I love the sunset at 4pm part. My parents and I recently went to South Korea for vacation and the sun set at 5pm, my dad was disoriented and he told us “hey, it’s getting dark, let’s go back to the hotel.” He was ready to go to the bed, lol!
What a lovely couple who embrace Singapore as your second home. We, as Singaporeans, love to have you here enjoying our little country. Not all Singaporeans are aloof so don’t be afraid to say “hi” to us anytime and anywhere. You are both ones of us.
I stayed near Stratford station in London last year for 2 months with my partner who was doing an attachment,we took a taxI from the airport to our accommodation in Stratford that cost us $170 pound!! And it’s very scary for me to take the Jubilee line subway to downtown, the cabin is very narrow and I felt very anxious and claustrophobic every time I took the line.The grocery shopping is cheap but not eating out. Thumb up to your National gallery, it’s free and the collection of art pieces are amazing! And all the British guys dress very well.
Caught a glimpse of Justin and you while passing by a cafe the other day, unknowingly felt a brief moment of starstruck awe hahahaha looking great guys!
Georgia, if you have ever gone deeper into Singapore‘s residential area, you will have "lobang" to find almost everything cheaper. (But not medical bills)
You are a very nice couple! We are a Brazilian family who lived in Ncl upon Tyne for 6 years, now living in Canada. I have a job offer to live in Singapore and your comparison between UK 🇬🇧 and Singapore is quite helpful. Thank you!
Haha I always enjoy watching your videos! I relate to one of the comments below on using the word cheers back in Singapore and getting weird looks. I was also carrying my reusable grocery bag all the time since coming back to Singapore from the UK. I MISS CHEAP GROCERY SHOPPING IN THE UK.
For the part about walking fast. You may want to check it out during the morning peak hours at Raffles mrt station after alighting from the station. People do walk very fast but not sure now in this pandemic covid19 period as many may still be working from home
the young people working things is actually growing to be more popular in Singapore. But one of the major reasons students don’t work is because parents want them to focus on their studies bc school can get very stressful and tiring. Moreover , when some students work , they go for agents (not sure if this is the correct term) , who give them jobs that are one-time as most jobs require you to work for about 3-8 months.
I agree with 9:50 I never thought my fellow Singaporeans walked fast. But I sort of get why - when I was in Indiana, people generally walked 2x slower than in Singapore... that was excruciating.
I'm born and bred in Sg. When I learnt driving in UK, once I booked an afternoon lesson during winter. Like what you said, the day just suddenly got much darker around 4pm. By the time my lesson ended the sky was dark. I wasn't used to it at all and was low-key freaking out cos I was still getting used to driving and now I had the added challenge of darkness.
As a Singaporean who lived in New Zealand for 6.5 years, it was so difficult for me to drink water in Singapore whenever I visited. I'm surprised you missed Singapore water!
Hi Georgia and Justin Love the video and congrats on your engagement. So so true on the reverse culture shock. Presently living in Canada. Whenever I go home (Singapore) for holiday, it really drive me nuts on everything - from foods, shopping, people, lifestyles, etc etc. Anyway it is always good to be home. Cheers
I love this video so much as I can relate all this you guys have mentioned 😅 adapting to UK life is still difficult after a year and half. I miss the convenience of everything in Singapore like good food everywhere, good transport urgh😭 . Love your videos Georgia!!(:
Here in Australia, in most States, you can start to work at McDonald’s at 14 years old & at Woolworths (the biggest Supermarket chain in Australia) at 14 years & 9 months, there are no plastic bags in Supermarkets in Australia & in Australia, we do use the term PayWave.
Yea I noticed that too when i visited australia! However in singapore some supermarkets have already starting charging for plastic bags. Most fast food chains have stopped giving plastic straws. Many people here use metal straws due to a junior college girl starting the no plastic straws movement. And even if we do use the plastic bags, we dont throw them away. Plastic bags are always second home to us singaporeans. We reuse them either for the bag for dustbin, or to carry our wet umbrellas eg
Hi guys, you're so cute together and continue doing your videos about Singapore! I am a Bulgarian and been living in the UK for 10 yrs now. Still remember the huge culture shock I had to experience when I first arrived in the UK! Some of the things were 1) graveyards in city centres 2) driving at the left side of the road 3) people queueing everywhere,even to get on the bus. I still don't quite understand 1), I am so used to 2) that when I go back home I can't cross a street property...and about 3), I queue everywhere now, even in countries where people don't queue at all I would still queue and get angry with the others not doing it 😅 🇬🇧
In Singapore, everyone eats heavy breakfast because we share a common belief that if we want to start our day well, we need to have a good and nutritious breakfast before we go to school or work. you will find that eating a good heavy meal (breakfast) is therapeutic psychologically and physically. it essentially perks you up if you are sleepy. Singapore is a Food Paradise because we are blessed with abundant food resources and we are promoting the "Foodie" culture.
Agree with u Georgia. Groceries are much cheaper when I was in UK, I love Lidl ,Aidl and sainsbury... Ice cream is very cheap in UK supermarkets too...
@@GeorgiaCaney Yupp. Even a simple bread from Lidl or Aidl bakery taste great... Fish and chips are the best... They r very big portion, filling and reasonably priced.... The pastries there are very tasty too... I love how the British in general are really friendly,polite and considerate...
@@PlayFoodSG I was eating ice cream with my gf almost daily. It's either those from supermarkets or from those independent shops. Drank lots of hot chocolates n ate lots of cakes too!
Congratulations! In winter mainly but when you touch items and they are cold! Coming down the escalator at Heathrow I couldn't believe the hand rail was cold
At the risk of being pedantic, I want to say that the difference in taste of the water is probably due to the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids - a measure of the combined inorganic and organic substances dissolved in water, expressed as parts per million) levels. Singapore's tap water TDS readings typically range from around 60+ to 170+ (mine at Simei measured 72 the last time I used my TDS meter), whereas in the UK, it can range from 100+ to 500+
London and the south is so different from the rest of the country. Water is nice in Birmingham (water from Wales). People are more laid back and definitely walk slower than Singapore. Groceries are cheaper but you should go to Aldi and Lidl. You will find them even cheaper. 19p for cauliflower is because it was around Christmas. They slashed the price for carrots, parsnips and other vegs over Christmas although throughout the year, groceries are cheap in UK compared to Singapore. This is mainly due to the fact that there is farming in UK and we do not have to import everything. Public transport is expensive as you said. I had a reverse culture shock as a Singaporean living in UK on a recent visit to Singapore and saw how cheap public transport was (and also how expensive shower gel was).
In Sg, if you see somebody smiling at you for nothing. They are usually trying to ask direction, promote service or products. BTW the water in Sg is a little bit sweet. Formerly I don't believe water taste different but it does.
I got such a culture shock when I was living in London and everything was wrapped in plastic. In France you can find all the fruit and veg unwrapped and everywhere and if just bring my cloth bag and get them. I felt really frustrated in London doing groceries
Food seems to be more expensive in Singapore because you are eating British food locally. If you are eating local food in hawkers centres, they are cheaper than UK.
True. It's always the reverse. Western food in SG is expensive, Asian food in SG is cheap. Western food in UK is cheap, Asian food in UK is expensive. 😛
for my family, we consume boiled water(boiling water to 100 degree celsius then left to cool) at room temperature normally. we do have hot water flask for storing boiled hot water for later on consumption, either to make instant coffee, milo or tea. my family doesn't drink cold water stored in bottles in the fridge, we have a habit of putting ice cubes into the drink that we want to be chilled. we do not drink from the tap directly. in singapore, everyone boils tap water for consumption. if you compare tap water and boiled water, boiled water taste better and healthier. lukewarm water or hot water is essentially good for calming down your gastro problems. it calms your stomach when consumed. most people would prefer hot tea over chilled tea. but for me I prefer cold beverages. I only consume hot beverages when I feel very cold and trembles.
i studied in the US for almost a year now but had to return due to covid. In the US, pedestrians have the right of way and drivers would normally stop at every stop sign so i was really used to crossing the street even tho there was a car coming from a few meters away. when i returned i had to stop myself from thinking that drivers here are as polite as drivers in the US. i even got shouted once at by a motorcyclist delivering food and was like 'yea i gotta stop doing that' lol
I have to agree, as compared to other countries, general groceries in Singapore is really expensive. Well, most of the produce we have are imported from other countries which increase in price due to transporting cost. Even if u get local produce, becos of the small land, it cost alot more to produce them as well. That includes vegetables and meats. Which is why its alot more difficult for ppl to eat healthy as well becos its alot more expensive. Unhealthy stuff like instant food is alot more cheaper becos majority of them are just cheap to produce plus its made in nearby countries.
I was in the UK for three months, came back to Singapore and didnt feel much of a culture shock. Watching this video tho, mannnnn i miss the UK :’) i have a huge smile on my face while watching this. Thank you!
Had the same weird feeling in winter in the US while on an extended business trip. Sun is out at 4pm. Very depressing feeling. Makes you feel like you are doing OT throughout winter.
Things in Singapore are generally imported and so the prices are unsurprisingly pricier than say in the UK. Groceries usually take up a substantial portion of household budgets because items like food ingredients, vegetables, spices and etc. are all imported stuff. So the govt set up 'cheap' food outlets known as 'hawker centers' to cater to local needs and wallets but in general unless you're PMETS, MPs, Ministers, senior civil servants, life can be quite a struggle for the average Singaporean.
I don't know what you mean by "struggle", but I feel like a dual-income family with normal jobs can survive quite comfortably in Singapore? Certainly, we have to be selective about how we spend our $$$, but honestly thats just how life is.
@@lNFINlTEx Neither is mine and that's the whole point. Not many average Singaporean family is. This bunch of elite class is in a world of their own making. So altho' they are mostly leaders who make decisions that affect the lives of most ordinary people, they don't understand nor really care for that matter what the average people lives are like. Its ironic and tragic.
@@blmetal65 I can't argue with that... but its certainly not a uniquely Singaporean problem if that brings you any comfort. Thats deviating from what I'm trying to bring across tho. You can live a comfortable life on a salary of an average job. To say that 'generally everyone in Singapore is struggling' is making light of what it really means to be struggling to make ends meet.
I remembered my first day arriving at London and was faced with a long flight of stairs up to where I wanted to go. A nice young man came up to me and just offered to carry my luggage up for me. He asked me where I am from and if it was my first time in the UK. It was my first UK trip and I said I was mighty impressed with the English’s friendliness. Love the UK more than I thought I might. I find UK has similarities to SG in some ways and I believe strongly is due to the English colony before. Regardless, UK is great too!
Georgia, Singlish is uniquely Singapore! Yes it may sound broken but it is the way which distinguish us apart from the rest of the world. We can be in US or UK and when we heard someone speaking in Singlish, we will definitely start talking to each other. By the way, some of the Singlish words are in the Oxford Dictionary: www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36275640. Not forgetting there are so many different English accent in UK that half the time, most people may not understand and may think it's broken English too :) I am glad that you both enjoyed your short time in Singapore and I must say I have many foreign friends around who have visited my country before, most of them wish to stay here. Cheers!
It's the opposite for me! I've been living and working in the UK now for a while and go back for like 2 weeks a year. I start to get revere culture shocks whenever I go back to Singapore (home). The way I currently speak and use the English language is also quite different as compared to the time I was in Singapore
I think the walking pace is slow compared to London cause Londoners walk insanely fast, almost had to jog to keep up when I was there. But compared to other countries or even Britain just not in the city, the walking pace might be considered fast. I remembered going to Australia and was zooming past everyone using my normal walking pace.
I am from SG but I have been living in AU for about 4 years. I am totally not used to the all the summer in SG and I miss winter and autumn. Also, I realised that I strike a lot of conversations with strangers that i look nosy.
I went to visit my grandma in a rural area in Bogor, Indonesia. My huge culture shocks were that the traffic was soooo horible. Like from the airport to my destination took 7-8hours by car or more and when I need to pee I had to hold it in so bad. The roads are very confusing, the bus, the train is not as convenient as singapore. The worst part was they dont have a proper disposal system in place for throwing thrash in the rural areas. So people literally threw their garbage by the lake, or outside. I saw my grandmas neighbour had thrash buildup so high outside her house it almost look like a mountain. But one thing that I did like, was when I ride their version of a bus, that is really like a van. Random kids will jump in by the door randomly and start singing to earn money. And most of the time they have such wonderful singing voices. It makes the cramp train ride more bearable although I feel bad that the kids had to earn money at such a young age
“@%#...speak properly!” 😂 Georgia, i get you! i’m a local in SG, but loves speaking loads in Oz & UK...i get to make full use of my vocabulary there...but it’s not efficient & effective using it daily in SG! i often have to break it down & simplify here 😅
Haven't finished watching the entire video yet but had a similar experience popping home for Christmas from HK. Spoons for the win. Finding a decent full English breakfast here is quite expensive. Edit - After watching the rest I can really relate. Having random people start conversations really caught me off guard, instead of thinking they're just being polite and wanted to chat at first I kept thinking what did they want? Or if I had done something wrong lol. It was a little hard to get use to at first after living outside the UK for so long. Living in Asia these kinds of conversation rarely happen, different kind of culture I guess. Visiting during December was also bad because of the train strikes, although I must say they handled it well in my area as there was a replacement bus. The only time is was truly a mess was when the train signalling system went down and took me 3 hours to get home from visiting friends instead an hour and half. There are things I definitely miss about the UK, sandwiches, cornish pasties, pub lunches but the public transport isn't one of them.
After 10 years in Johor Bahru, I really don't want to go back! But, I do miss, Thatchers, Pukka Pies and of course proper Cod & Chips and as you said, Sandwiches!. Oh and watching Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Tried boiling the water from the tap in UK and it was too hard to drink it plain. That was something I personally find difficult to adjust to especially when the weather was cold.
Totally agree that people in Singapore tend to walk slower... they probably think fast walkers are "kan cheong" ..worst is when several people ahead walking as a pack.. creating a barricade..
@John Lonewolf...."Ang mo (Chinese: 紅毛; pinyin: hóng máo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: âng-mô͘ / âng-mn̂g), or ang moh, is a racial descriptor used to refer to white people that is sometimes seen as a pejorative epithet." Not nice, John, not nice at all.
Used to live in Singapore for 11 years. Didn't really like the water there. They put chlorine inside to kill the bacteria. The water in my hometown is like spa/evian water. In Singapore I always had to put it in the fridge to get rid of the chlorine taste.
Grape Jucie ?? i nvr experienced country lag via singtel before though. Gotta say singtel only has breakdowns like almost every year which they pay back via free data for that day
oh gosh reverse culture shock is so real!! got so used to saying "cheers" instead of "thanks" that i forgot no one says that back in sg... i once said "cheers" while buying stuff and the cashier was like "boy this is a 7/11" lol
Hahaha
😂😂😂😂
hahaha love that 😂 CHEEEERSSS!!
HAHA
LOL I legit got so confused when I visited UK for the first time, cos we usually say "cheers" in SG only when drinking. So imagine my confusion when I went to the supermarket and the British cashier said "cheers" when i paid him🤣
There's also a Tea Drinking Culture in Singapore.
Bubble Tea.
Hahahaha your comment is tea-rrific. 🤣🤣🤣👍
We also got teh too.
Maybe check how much a bowl of wanton noodles cost in London.. so that’s the equivalent cost to the English breakfast in SG
That's a good point. It's about £8 - £14
haha so right!
I remember someone said the 1 Old Chang Kee curry puff is like 5 pounds there 😅
That's such a valid point!
BUT fish and chips is still like £10 in UK, which is approximately $17-18 SGD, so about the same :( But the fish and chips in UK are rlly rlly good tho, miss those so much!
Due to the tropical weather in Singapore I often find myself walking a lot slower to reduce sweating.
I find myself walking faster in europe too because of the cold weather like I just wanna get out of the cold and get home fastttttt
Definitely the climate plays a part.
As a Singaporean living in London, I still find hawker food my most missed thing about home. Meal Deals and Weatherspoons jsut don't seem to cut it. Hawker food is cheaper and so much tastier. and in winter, when you want a nice hot meal, you would usually have to pay at least £5-£6. Groceries here are so much cheaper and better though!! Looking forward to my visit for CNY.
Driving, agreed. roads in london are like patchwork. it's a lot older infrastructure though.
Walking, i think i walk slower in SIngapore cause i don't wanna sweat. =)
I love that I can chat to anyone here!
There is more Asian food in London now though! Bang Bang Oriental is a food court in London with lots of Asian stalls. My godmum who immigrated to UK used to run a shop there
How about instant noodle? I remembered Singapore Airline was running out of instant cup noodle when they flew a group of Singapore passengers from Barcelona to Singapore.
@@maureenkam9212 LOL srsly? My experience travelling on SQ has always been amazing. But I remembered when I took British Airways, they actually ran out of toilet paper and water 🤣🤣
The closest thing to 'hawker food' I found in the UK (well, Brighton) was foodtruck food? In terms of pricing and packaging etc. Especially I went to eat some like middleastern curry thing, it tasted exactly like rendang curried goat.
Yea, the hawker culture should be universally adopted. From a consumer perspective, it would be a food hot-spot as you get to choose what you to eat or even multiple types of different cuisines. It is also more convenient in a family setting when different family members craves different foods. In a cafe or restaurant setting, its usually follow a specific genre of cuisine i.e. Western, Korean, Mexican, etc.
Maybe from the restaurant perspective, it is like potentially sharing your consumer base with others as some people might have craving for your food but when they reached, they saw something else and changed their mind whereas in restaurant, you will purely be there for their food.
some culture shocks i experienced:
- in london you insert your card on your own and key in your pin, in singapore you have to give your card to the cashier to insert
- escalators! in london you stand on the right, here it’s left
- there arent a lot of malls in london so you walk A LOT more, plus cabs aren’t so accessible. this gave me reverse culture shock because when i came back to singapore after three years, i tried to walk everywhere and realised it isn’t possible because it’s frickin hot and it’s either in a mall or i’d have to take a bus
- bubble tea is so much better here 😭 and there’s so much of it!! asian food like hong kong egg waffles, chicken rice, mee rebus, prata are all disgustingly cheap and are no longer luxuries like they were when i lived in london.
- i wore boots when i came back to singapore for about a month and my family kept making fun of me and i finally realised it’s just not practical. all the tips i’d thought up just weren’t relevant anymore (like making sure your boots are waterproof in case it rains or bringing a coat instead of an umbrella because the wind is going to flip it inside out)
- there’s really so much more!
you guys should collab with a singaporean youtuber who has lived in london. that would be really fun
Really curious what Justin said when he ordered in Singlish, and how the Macs girl reacted
Damien Chan maybe he went, “fries no salt”
I think SG stuff is more expensive because almost everything is imported right? UK would probably have the same stuff but much cheaper if it was produced locally
correct :)
Also, I think the rent of shops in Singapore are very expensive.
Home is where the water doesn’t taste weird 😂
haha love that!
Ikr
singapore drinks new water
the biggest culture shock i had when i was in UK was everything closes so early! even big malls close at 6pm on a sunday
Yess we found that a shock too! Something we had totally forgotten about 🙈
🤣😂
You can thank non-whites for that
1 word: LAZY (for UK)
That's because of the Sunday trading law.
i lived in canada for a while, been to UK a bit, and now i travel a lot to KL for work. what i find is that singapore is actually quite cheap if you live as a local. groceries, public transport, food are cheap, except for housing ofc. when i’m grocery shopping in Malaysia, i find things are so expensive for the average malaysian. sure it’s cheaper than sg after conversion but with a local salary, groceries are expensive.
canada and uk’s public transport are expensive. canada has a lot of cheap supermarkets and drugstores. uk as well. but canada has 13% tax so everything is 13% more ex than listed price. uk too has high vat but it’s alrdy included in the price like sg. but what i love is that uk doesn’t tax children’s stuff, and other necessities.
i like how direct conversations are in sg. like justin said, all the filler words are taken out lol. whereas in other countries you have to speak proper full-on sentences, with pleasantries etc to not seem rude.
when i lived in canada, i went through the seasons so early sunset wasn’t a complete shock. i was gradually introduced to it. but when visiting a winter country for holiday, sunset at 4pm is a shock on the first night, then subsequent nights we know the sunset timing better.
Totally agree on the Malaysia stuffs
Many Singaporeans were saying it's cheap,but if you are earning ringgit, it is expensive.
Earning sing dollars and spending in Malaysia and tells them your things are cheap is really adding salt to their people.
LEONG Yet i realised that i have a different mindset when i’m in malaysia for work vs for holiday. when i’m working, i live a frugal life. a starbucks for RM15 is ridiculous. but when i’m on holiday mode, oh RM15 is only S$5 so cheap!
actually alot of students here start working at the age of 16 as well. mcdonald,kfc & cafes etc.
yea but majority of the workers are older
It’s so interesting to know the vast difference in cultures between the two countries.. nice..
thanks for watching!
I love how frequent Justin is in ur vlogs 😁 u guys are so cute😭
aw thankss! 😝
This video is bang on! At work in UK, we do drink rounds and even though I've left half my previous tea to get cold, I'll still have another new one when someone asks. And when I worked in SG, colleagues rarely asked about each others weekend, but in UK it seems mandatory to ask on a Monday or even Tuesday. Then a bit of a lull on wednesday, before on Thursday and Friday you can ask what people will be doing that coming weekend.
I couldn’t agree more! Had similar shock when returning to the Netherlands. Oh my lord salad and coffee are extremely expensive in SG, and all of sudden everyone in the Netherlands is so messy.. i was used to all the ladies in SG dressed up, with make up and expensive handbags.. whereas in the Netherlands people are so low key, don’t like flashy stuff and most people don’t bother to brush their hair and dress practical due to the weather 😂
Oh man I thought my fellow Singaporeans were sloppy dressers, because I see people in flip flops and cargo shops in the malls and I could never...
I am Singaporean but live in England. I know exactly what you mean.
Singapore is a fast paced country so not many have the time to stop and talk to you unless they are charity tin shakers wanting your money. The cashiers are only hired to collect money and do it fast otherwise there will be a great long queue forming behind you and they might get scolded for not doing their job efficiently. As for walking, I never like walking fast in Singapore as I get all hot and sweaty so I understand why the locals stroll along slowly. When I got back to SG recently, someone told me that they accept "paylah" and I said "whaaa?"... same kind of response you gave when you tried to ask about Contactless. haha
Ĺ
I can understand the English part. That was how I had to learn to adapt and speak the Singaporean English when I first came to Singapore, otherwise I had to repeat myself a few times or being misunderstood. After 25 years, I have completely 100% adopted Singlish in my speech. And the funny thing is I don’t realised the changes until whenever I visit my relatives back home, they would laughed and teased me on my English.
Glad that you speak Singlish! It is our unique that binds Singaporeans together! Just in case most of the foreigners who may not know this, some of our Singlish words are in the Oxford Dictionary. www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36275640
Oh my, this video cracked me so much🤣😂
"Can do Paynow?"
"Can do contactless?" 🤣🤣🤣
Might as well Justin say , "You got Paynow?" 😅😂🤣
Got PayLah?
When I returned from Australia I still greet the bus drivers when I board the bus. Still do it from time to time but I definitely do not say thank you when I alight now.
We really should bring back the courtesy campaign and greatly improve our customer service. I find myself saying thank you more than the people I patronize the shop from 😂
It is now slowly but surely happening here. More drivers are doing the greeting, and more passengers are responding. In time, more passengers will start to take the initiative to greet and say thank you.
Btw, you will notice a rather strange exception. People of all ages, especially the older folks, tend to thank the drivers of the free shuttle buses in SGH. It seems that in local culture, people will express appreciation when it is a free service!
I love the sunset at 4pm part. My parents and I recently went to South Korea for vacation and the sun set at 5pm, my dad was disoriented and he told us “hey, it’s getting dark, let’s go back to the hotel.”
He was ready to go to the bed, lol!
haha yesss I was ready for bed by 7pm, was so disorientating!
What a lovely couple who embrace Singapore as your second home. We, as Singaporeans, love to have you here enjoying our little country. Not all Singaporeans are aloof so don’t be afraid to say “hi” to us anytime and anywhere. You are both ones of us.
Love watching you guys just to get my feet on the ground. Born and bred in SG and I sometimes forget how very very pampered I am.
I stayed near Stratford station in London last year for 2 months with my partner who was doing an attachment,we took a taxI from the airport to our accommodation in Stratford that cost us $170 pound!! And it’s very scary for me to take the Jubilee line subway to downtown, the cabin is very narrow and I felt very anxious and claustrophobic every time I took the line.The grocery shopping is cheap but not eating out. Thumb up to your National gallery, it’s free and the collection of art pieces are amazing! And all the British guys dress very well.
Caught a glimpse of Justin and you while passing by a cafe the other day, unknowingly felt a brief moment of starstruck awe hahahaha looking great guys!
Georgia, if you have ever gone deeper into Singapore‘s residential area, you will have "lobang" to find almost everything cheaper. (But not medical bills)
So interesting to learn of the differences here from UK. Especially how you tell them.
You are a very nice couple!
We are a Brazilian family who lived in Ncl upon Tyne for 6 years, now living in Canada. I have a job offer to live in Singapore and your comparison between UK 🇬🇧 and Singapore is quite helpful. Thank you!
Great to hear from the other side about Singapore :)
Haha I always enjoy watching your videos! I relate to one of the comments below on using the word cheers back in Singapore and getting weird looks. I was also carrying my reusable grocery bag all the time since coming back to Singapore from the UK. I MISS CHEAP GROCERY SHOPPING IN THE UK.
For the part about walking fast. You may want to check it out during the morning peak hours at Raffles mrt station after alighting from the station. People do walk very fast but not sure now in this pandemic covid19 period as many may still be working from home
the young people working things is actually growing to be more popular in Singapore. But one of the major reasons students don’t work is because parents want them to focus on their studies bc school can get very stressful and tiring. Moreover , when some students work , they go for agents (not sure if this is the correct term) , who give them jobs that are one-time as most jobs require you to work for about 3-8 months.
I agree with 9:50 I never thought my fellow Singaporeans walked fast. But I sort of get why - when I was in Indiana, people generally walked 2x slower than in Singapore... that was excruciating.
I'm born and bred in Sg. When I learnt driving in UK, once I booked an afternoon lesson during winter. Like what you said, the day just suddenly got much darker around 4pm. By the time my lesson ended the sky was dark. I wasn't used to it at all and was low-key freaking out cos I was still getting used to driving and now I had the added challenge of darkness.
As a Singaporean who lived in New Zealand for 6.5 years, it was so difficult for me to drink water in Singapore whenever I visited. I'm surprised you missed Singapore water!
Hi Georgia and Justin Love the video and congrats on your engagement.
So so true on the reverse culture shock. Presently living in Canada. Whenever I go home (Singapore) for holiday, it really drive me nuts on everything - from foods, shopping, people, lifestyles, etc etc. Anyway it is always good to be home. Cheers
I love this video so much as I can relate all this you guys have mentioned 😅 adapting to UK life is still difficult after a year and half. I miss the convenience of everything in Singapore like good food everywhere, good transport urgh😭 . Love your videos Georgia!!(:
OMG YES. I LOVE IT WHEN I COULD TALK TO STRANGERS IN THE TRAIN or even just during my walk to the mall. I miss it so much.
Here in Australia, in most States, you can start to work at McDonald’s at 14 years old & at Woolworths (the biggest Supermarket chain in Australia) at 14 years & 9 months, there are no plastic bags in Supermarkets in Australia & in Australia, we do use the term PayWave.
Yea I noticed that too when i visited australia! However in singapore some supermarkets have already starting charging for plastic bags. Most fast food chains have stopped giving plastic straws. Many people here use metal straws due to a junior college girl starting the no plastic straws movement. And even if we do use the plastic bags, we dont throw them away. Plastic bags are always second home to us singaporeans. We reuse them either for the bag for dustbin, or to carry our wet umbrellas eg
Hi guys, you're so cute together and continue doing your videos about Singapore!
I am a Bulgarian and been living in the UK for 10 yrs now. Still remember the huge culture shock I had to experience when I first arrived in the UK! Some of the things were 1) graveyards in city centres 2) driving at the left side of the road 3) people queueing everywhere,even to get on the bus. I still don't quite understand 1), I am so used to 2) that when I go back home I can't cross a street property...and about 3), I queue everywhere now, even in countries where people don't queue at all I would still queue and get angry with the others not doing it 😅 🇬🇧
Winter - read, have a great home dining experience, chatting with family members, etc.
In Singapore, everyone eats heavy breakfast because we share a common belief that if we want to start our day well, we need to have a good and nutritious breakfast before we go to school or work. you will find that eating a good heavy meal (breakfast) is therapeutic psychologically and physically. it essentially perks you up if you are sleepy. Singapore is a Food Paradise because we are blessed with abundant food resources and we are promoting the "Foodie" culture.
Thanks, I would like to try the water in UK someday.
Agree with u Georgia. Groceries are much cheaper when I was in UK, I love Lidl ,Aidl and sainsbury... Ice cream is very cheap in UK supermarkets too...
Aldi is amazingggg
@@GeorgiaCaney Yupp. Even a simple bread from Lidl or Aidl bakery taste great... Fish and chips are the best... They r very big portion, filling and reasonably priced.... The pastries there are very tasty too...
I love how the British in general are really friendly,polite and considerate...
OMG YAS THE ICE CREAM! Ben & Jerry in UK was like £4???
Ice cream? More like "I scream" 🤣🍦
@@PlayFoodSG I was eating ice cream with my gf almost daily. It's either those from supermarkets or from those independent shops. Drank lots of hot chocolates n ate lots of cakes too!
@@jefflim7020 Yes! **stockpiles the ice cream like a classic Singaporean xD**
Congratulations! In winter mainly but when you touch items and they are cold! Coming down the escalator at Heathrow I couldn't believe the hand rail was cold
At the risk of being pedantic, I want to say that the difference in taste of the water is probably due to the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids - a measure of the combined inorganic and organic substances dissolved in water, expressed as parts per million) levels. Singapore's tap water TDS readings typically range from around 60+ to 170+ (mine at Simei measured 72 the last time I used my TDS meter), whereas in the UK, it can range from 100+ to 500+
I went back to the UK recently and was so shocked at how dirty the streets were. I don't even notice the clean streets in Singapore but now I do hah
London and the south is so different from the rest of the country. Water is nice in Birmingham (water from Wales). People are more laid back and definitely walk slower than Singapore.
Groceries are cheaper but you should go to Aldi and Lidl. You will find them even cheaper. 19p for cauliflower is because it was around Christmas. They slashed the price for carrots, parsnips and other vegs over Christmas although throughout the year, groceries are cheap in UK compared to Singapore. This is mainly due to the fact that there is farming in UK and we do not have to import everything. Public transport is expensive as you said. I had a reverse culture shock as a Singaporean living in UK on a recent visit to Singapore and saw how cheap public transport was (and also how expensive shower gel was).
Mildews everywhere? OMG, I thought. Then I realized it's "Meal deals".
hahaha omg 🙈
i got that too initially... milldews with sandwiches and i went HUH?????
Omg same. Im like, mildews wtf LOL
Excellent video. Thank you for sharing this! :) What are some places you love to explore in Singapore?
In Sg, if you see somebody smiling at you for nothing. They are usually trying to ask direction, promote service or products. BTW the water in Sg is a little bit sweet. Formerly I don't believe water taste different but it does.
I'm Singaporean, working in the UK, so I do experience the reverse of some of your points!
Spot on! I identified with every single one!
11:41 “not say it doesn’t exist here” 😂 the two of you are sooo localised. i love it!
The only thing that is not localised is their paycheck.
It's almost bright at 4am in the summer. Gawd it was something to get used to during my exchange in Scotland.
I got such a culture shock when I was living in London and everything was wrapped in plastic. In France you can find all the fruit and veg unwrapped and everywhere and if just bring my cloth bag and get them. I felt really frustrated in London doing groceries
Food seems to be more expensive in Singapore because you are eating British food locally.
If you are eating local food in hawkers centres, they are cheaper than UK.
True. It's always the reverse.
Western food in SG is expensive, Asian food in SG is cheap.
Western food in UK is cheap, Asian food in UK is expensive. 😛
Justin is so cute when he tries to explain stuff!
for my family, we consume boiled water(boiling water to 100 degree celsius then left to cool) at room temperature normally. we do have hot water flask for storing boiled hot water for later on consumption, either to make instant coffee, milo or tea. my family doesn't drink cold water stored in bottles in the fridge, we have a habit of putting ice cubes into the drink that we want to be chilled. we do not drink from the tap directly. in singapore, everyone boils tap water for consumption. if you compare tap water and boiled water, boiled water taste better and healthier. lukewarm water or hot water is essentially good for calming down your gastro problems. it calms your stomach when consumed. most people would prefer hot tea over chilled tea. but for me I prefer cold beverages. I only consume hot beverages when I feel very cold and trembles.
i studied in the US for almost a year now but had to return due to covid. In the US, pedestrians have the right of way and drivers would normally stop at every stop sign so i was really used to crossing the street even tho there was a car coming from a few meters away. when i returned i had to stop myself from thinking that drivers here are as polite as drivers in the US. i even got shouted once at by a motorcyclist delivering food and was like 'yea i gotta stop doing that' lol
I have to agree, as compared to other countries, general groceries in Singapore is really expensive. Well, most of the produce we have are imported from other countries which increase in price due to transporting cost. Even if u get local produce, becos of the small land, it cost alot more to produce them as well. That includes vegetables and meats. Which is why its alot more difficult for ppl to eat healthy as well becos its alot more expensive. Unhealthy stuff like instant food is alot more cheaper becos majority of them are just cheap to produce plus its made in nearby countries.
You guys are freaking adorable. If I were to be in a relationship, you guys are my goals
Oh ma gaaadd💕
Welcome back, you sweet couple!
I was in the UK for three months, came back to Singapore and didnt feel much of a culture shock. Watching this video tho, mannnnn i miss the UK :’) i have a huge smile on my face while watching this. Thank you!
Had the same weird feeling in winter in the US while on an extended business trip. Sun is out at 4pm. Very depressing feeling. Makes you feel like you are doing OT throughout winter.
Things in Singapore are generally imported and so the prices are unsurprisingly pricier than say in the UK. Groceries usually take up a substantial portion of household budgets because items like food ingredients, vegetables, spices and etc. are all imported stuff. So the govt set up 'cheap' food outlets known as 'hawker centers' to cater to local needs and wallets but in general unless you're PMETS, MPs, Ministers, senior civil servants, life can be quite a struggle for the average Singaporean.
I don't know what you mean by "struggle", but I feel like a dual-income family with normal jobs can survive quite comfortably in Singapore?
Certainly, we have to be selective about how we spend our $$$, but honestly thats just how life is.
@@lNFINlTEx If you don't understand what 'struggle' means then you have never need to 'struggle' to survive Life's challenges.
@@blmetal65 ... Yes, but nobody in my family is a "PMET, Senior Civil Servant, Minister or MP".
@@lNFINlTEx Neither is mine and that's the whole point. Not many average Singaporean family is. This bunch of elite class is in a world of their own making. So altho' they are mostly leaders who make decisions that affect the lives of most ordinary people, they don't understand nor really care for that matter what the average people lives are like. Its ironic and tragic.
@@blmetal65 I can't argue with that... but its certainly not a uniquely Singaporean problem if that brings you any comfort.
Thats deviating from what I'm trying to bring across tho. You can live a comfortable life on a salary of an average job. To say that 'generally everyone in Singapore is struggling' is making light of what it really means to be struggling to make ends meet.
I remembered my first day arriving at London and was faced with a long flight of stairs up to where I wanted to go. A nice young man came up to me and just offered to carry my luggage up for me. He asked me where I am from and if it was my first time in the UK. It was my first UK trip and I said I was mighty impressed with the English’s friendliness. Love the UK more than I thought I might. I find UK has similarities to SG in some ways and I believe strongly is due to the English colony before. Regardless, UK is great too!
also moving but not through an employer.. do u have a recommended expat networking group etc to connect with foreign business owners
The water thing is so interesting! I would've stocked up on my fav snacks like crazy!
Your videos are authentic and sweet :)
One sentence from me after the video, Welcome to Singapore!
Georgia, Singlish is uniquely Singapore! Yes it may sound broken but it is the way which distinguish us apart from the rest of the world. We can be in US or UK and when we heard someone speaking in Singlish, we will definitely start talking to each other. By the way, some of the Singlish words are in the Oxford Dictionary: www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36275640. Not forgetting there are so many different English accent in UK that half the time, most people may not understand and may think it's broken English too :)
I am glad that you both enjoyed your short time in Singapore and I must say I have many foreign friends around who have visited my country before, most of them wish to stay here.
Cheers!
Yes! British shows are just so addictive! 🥰 Just look at Fleabag which won the golden globes! 🥰🥰
Yesss they're so good!!!
It's the opposite for me! I've been living and working in the UK now for a while and go back for like 2 weeks a year. I start to get revere culture shocks whenever I go back to Singapore (home). The way I currently speak and use the English language is also quite different as compared to the time I was in Singapore
I think the walking pace is slow compared to London cause Londoners walk insanely fast, almost had to jog to keep up when I was there. But compared to other countries or even Britain just not in the city, the walking pace might be considered fast. I remembered going to Australia and was zooming past everyone using my normal walking pace.
I am from SG but I have been living in AU for about 4 years. I am totally not used to the all the summer in SG and I miss winter and autumn. Also, I realised that I strike a lot of conversations with strangers that i look nosy.
Yep, the four seasons would be the single thing that I miss the most, living in SG. Embrace the cold of winter and welcome the warmth of summer!
@9:47 - walk fast in Singapore will overheat you.
You guys are funny..... Love you both. Have a lovely Chinese New Year.
Interesting share & perspective from you guys
I went to visit my grandma in a rural area in Bogor, Indonesia. My huge culture shocks were that the traffic was soooo horible. Like from the airport to my destination took 7-8hours by car or more and when I need to pee I had to hold it in so bad. The roads are very confusing, the bus, the train is not as convenient as singapore.
The worst part was they dont have a proper disposal system in place for throwing thrash in the rural areas. So people literally threw their garbage by the lake, or outside. I saw my grandmas neighbour had thrash buildup so high outside her house it almost look like a mountain.
But one thing that I did like, was when I ride their version of a bus, that is really like a van. Random kids will jump in by the door randomly and start singing to earn money. And most of the time they have such wonderful singing voices. It makes the cramp train ride more bearable although I feel bad that the kids had to earn money at such a young age
“@%#...speak properly!” 😂 Georgia, i get you! i’m a local in SG, but loves speaking loads in Oz & UK...i get to make full use of my vocabulary there...but it’s not efficient & effective using it daily in SG! i often have to break it down & simplify here 😅
Haven't finished watching the entire video yet but had a similar experience popping home for Christmas from HK. Spoons for the win. Finding a decent full English breakfast here is quite expensive.
Edit - After watching the rest I can really relate. Having random people start conversations really caught me off guard, instead of thinking they're just being polite and wanted to chat at first I kept thinking what did they want? Or if I had done something wrong lol. It was a little hard to get use to at first after living outside the UK for so long. Living in Asia these kinds of conversation rarely happen, different kind of culture I guess. Visiting during December was also bad because of the train strikes, although I must say they handled it well in my area as there was a replacement bus. The only time is was truly a mess was when the train signalling system went down and took me 3 hours to get home from visiting friends instead an hour and half. There are things I definitely miss about the UK, sandwiches, cornish pasties, pub lunches but the public transport isn't one of them.
Loved this!
After 10 years in Johor Bahru, I really don't want to go back! But, I do miss, Thatchers, Pukka Pies and of course proper Cod & Chips and as you said, Sandwiches!. Oh and watching Bristol City at Ashton Gate.
Silverfox Live in johor bahru too, food are cheap, people are friendly and weather is sunny!
@@SukayahRamli Yes, that sums it up. As a family we love it here.
Did you order Teh-O, Kopi-O in UK?
Tried boiling the water from the tap in UK and it was too hard to drink it plain. That was something I personally find difficult to adjust to especially when the weather was cold.
Just got back from a holiday in the UK and I agree. Water tastes so weird there! But also, SUPER CHEAP GROCERIES YASSSS. Gonna miss £2 prosciutto 😭
Awesome sharing
Totally agree that people in Singapore tend to walk slower... they probably think fast walkers are "kan cheong" ..worst is when several people ahead walking as a pack.. creating a barricade..
6:45 are there refunds when trains are cancelled?
Many Thanks for sharing
Funny seeing two ang mohs experiencing reverse cultural shocks back home.
@John Lonewolf...."Ang mo (Chinese: 紅毛; pinyin: hóng máo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: âng-mô͘ / âng-mn̂g), or ang moh, is a racial descriptor used to refer to white people that is sometimes seen as a pejorative epithet." Not nice, John, not nice at all.
@@2eleven48 this negative connotation is no longer attached to this term. Relax
Miss UK! Gonna travel there again!
Used to live in Singapore for 11 years. Didn't really like the water there. They put chlorine inside to kill the bacteria. The water in my hometown is like spa/evian water. In Singapore I always had to put it in the fridge to get rid of the chlorine taste.
Are there PMDs in the UK?
What about WIFI speed comparisons between SG and UK
Grape Jucie ?? i nvr experienced country lag via singtel before though. Gotta say singtel only has breakdowns like almost every year which they pay back via free data for that day
I’m a Singaporean and have been to the UK once, and I almost agree with everything that you mentioned
Also I miss Pret A Manger it was so delicious
You guys are so sweet 😊😃😃😃🤗🤗💖💖💖
Good heavens , the laddies back ! Welcome back !
ayooo
Amusing and lovely Colonials 🏴🇬🇧