9 misconceptions of S’poreans all S’pore travellers are sick and tired of hearing when they’re overseas

By
De Hao
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Last Updated on 2016-10-06 , 2:32 pm

If you travel often, I’m sure that one of the many remarks you may hear from others when you tell them that you are from Singapore would be that Singapore is a clean and green city.

Besides that, you will also hear some comments from others that you may have heard a million times and are sick of hearing. Here are some of the most common misconceptions that you may be sick of hearing when you are overseas.

Singapore is a part of China
I’m sure one of the most annoying things that you can hear as a tourist when visiting other countries is that many foreigners have the impression that Singapore is a part of China. This is probably because the majority of our population are Chinese, but the truth is that our population consists of three other races too, namely Malay, Indian and Eurasian.

All of us cannot speak English
This misconception is tied to the first reason above. Because of the wrong impression that we are part of China, many foreigners think that the only language we know of is Chinese. Actually, we know more than that, besides Chinese most Singaporeans can speak or write these languages: English, Malay and Singlish.

Chewing gum is banned in Singapore
Yes, it is true that that chewing gum is prohibited in Singapore, but if you consume it for personal or medical use it is allowed and the ban only applies to those who wish to import or sell it. Chewing gum used or medical or nicotine withdrawal purposes is still allowed, as long there is prescription authorised by doctors.

Tiger Mums
The first impression that anyone has of Asian parents are that they are strict and they cannot tolerate nonsense. They expect perfect grades from their children. Unfortunately, due to our declining birth rate and the cost of raising a child becoming more and more costly, Singaporean mums nowadays are more like strawberry farmers who pamper their children and protect them in every way rather than being Tiger mums.

The last thing you will expect from a Singaporean mum will be scolding their kids for mistakes they have made, instead, they will be shielding their precious kids from the evils of the modern world.

Singapore is boring
The first fact about Singapore that many can think of is that we are small and that being tiny means that we have limited choices when it comes to entertainment and that there’s nothing to do here. The actual fact that they should know is that Singapore despite its small land area, is home to many places of interests and that it takes more than a day to fully enjoy what our island has to offer.

Cleanliness
Singapore is a clean and green city, there is truth to this saying, but the reason why Singapore is clean and green is not because its citizens make the effort to ensure cleanliness, but actually because we have an army of cleaners who clean up after us when we mess up everything.

Caning
Litter in public? Cane! Spitting in public? Cane! Forget to tap your card before alighting from the bus? Cane! This is so untrue. For most offences in Singapore, you just have to pay a fine and everything will be settled.

Travelling around
It is true that Singapore has a small land area and that travelling around is convenient. But the one misconception that some may have about getting around in Singapore is that it takes 10 mins to travel. Try taking the MRT during the peak hour rush and see how long it takes you to get from Changi Airport to Jurong East.

Seasons
If you think that Singapore is only hot or wet, you are wrong. We have seasons too: Haze season, Monsoon Season, Durian Season, Dengue Season, Hot, Very Hot and Sibei Hot.

Top Image: leungchopan / Shutterstock.com

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De Hao
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