In Singapore for 2 weeks and 2 days. This day has been my break from sending my resume to too many people and companies (hanged out in East Coast to jog and roller skate with the people I'm currently living with this morning). I used to be very careful about this one back in the PH since sending too many applications to different job openings might give you a bad rep, but here I just can't take chances. Recently, they have increased the levy on foreign workers and are more keen on hiring locals (which I perfectly understand because it IS their country, but there are just some points which I find quite unreasonable still). So even though I have recently graduated with an AB Psychology degree with flying colors (but sadly, no work experience of any sort), I am forced to look for work under my qualifications, like Customer Service or menial Admin work (or in FnB but my grandparents wouldn't allow me to do that).
During my first week, I was sad to see that most of the people I live with have high qualifications that might have easily landed them a middle or high end job back in PH, but here they just end up mostly as FnB servers and whatnot. They say "Pera-pera lang kasi" (It's all about the money) and I do find that true because you can earn twice or thrice as much, if you are lucky, for the same job (or even a low end job) working here than in PH even though you get lower salaries than the local counterparts. But that's okay since most of us need money to send home to our families who need to fill their growling stomachs.
I spent the latter half of my day watching and reading about racial discrimination here in SG, mostly about Filipinos and local sinkies (and occasionally complaining local minorities and other foreigner stories as well). What was funny was that both sides had the same stories to tell. Sinkies get bullied by pinoys, pinoys get bullied by sinkies. It's all the same, really. And it came off as quite funny under all the serious connotation of the remarks.
I guess one thing wrong that most Filipinos do here is that they don't really conform to the norms. We have a saying that "When in Rome, do as Romans do", right? I have tried to stay straight but shared maybe 1 or 2 obstruction of the law because I chose to conform to my Pinay friends than the local ones (mostly on the road). Oh how I hated it (but I am a weak and ignorant fool who can't stand her own race hating on her because I want to "simply" follow the road signs and rules). Since back at home I also hate jaywalking (because if not, I am quite sure that I'd be dead because a car on full speed would break my limbs into pieces). I wondered during my first week here - actually up to this moment - why can't they just follow simple road signs? If there is an overpass 10 meters away, I would rather use that and walk a few steps than try my luck with the speeding cars and be on my deathbed the next hour.
I have watched this one video of pinays bringing straw mats in high end places like Ion Orchard and treat it like a plaza or a park of some sort. Why that place of all places in SG? Why not go to east coast or to Sentosa for leisure and play? That way you won't be bothering other people who go there to find a quiet haven. I don't think that even in the Ph, people do that sort of thing in those kinds of places. Why do they do that here? Also, I have read that most of Filipinos here are loud/noisy/etc. Well, I have no excuse for that since majority of us loves to party with all our hearts and vocal chords (more so since they are away from home, it's the only way to drown their sorrows). Personally, I prefer some peace and quiet too. I usually get irritated with people (Filipino, Singaporean, Malay or whatever) who are just too noisy on public places. Can't you consider other people around you? (I actually have a story about some teenage sg locals who were just too noisy in the MRT. Also of some Chinese foreigners who have been bickering for all the world to hear). I say to my fellow Filipinos, since we are in a foreign country, why don't we just follow their rules? Yes, we have our own culture and whatnot, but this land is theirs not ours. We are the visitors to someone else's house. We cannot push our own mentality into them because, sadly, that just won't work. If some people just learn how to conform, swallow the wrongly used "pinoy pride" and follow the rules of this good ol' land, then I foresee a bright future for all of us.
I do feel bad that many local sinkies look down on pinoys in general (although prolly not all of them. Hopefully not). We Filipinos share the blame, but it's not only on us. Sinkies complain that FTs (foreign talents) are hoarding all the work, leaving nothing for them, but I have read many statements from employers themselves that most really do prefer foreigners because they are cheaper and more hardworking. I wonder, then, where does all the hatred really come from? Enlighten me please, aside from some of the reasons I have elaborated above.
I have always thought SG would be a haven for me. When I came here, although it really is still a thrilling experience, I was a bit disappointed because it was not as I thought. It is a melting pot of culture, but the pot is too small and too narrow for all the diversity. If some people say that there is no discrimination here and they are all open to all races, then they are in denial.
PS
Sorry, this has been too long. I may only have been here for 2 weeks and counting but what I have stated above is quite clear and evident to me already.
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