American in Singapore

The clock is ticking and we have about a month left in Singapore! I thought I would record some of my observations before they are lost in the dark recesses of my brain. These are just random observations.

In Mexico, I am a Gringo. Here, I am an Ang Moh. I don't think it's a derogatory term. At least, that's what they tell me.

In America, we visit tanning salons and buy lotions to make our skin darker. Here, they buy whitening cream to appear more "fair".

Public transit here is amazing. The buses have a GPS system and you can send a text message to find out if the bus is near your stop. There is a smart card that you can use at on every bus and train throughout the country. You tap the reader with your card when you board, and tap when you get off. It automatically deducts the proper fare based on the distance travelled.

Some city buses have satellite television. I watched Singapore Idol for several weeks on the Express Bus from Jurong to Orchard Road.

Many people here have maids from the Philippines or Thailand. It is not uncommon to read about a maid who has been verbally or physically abused by a Chinese housewife. I have also read about several maids who fell to their deaths while hanging laundry out of the window in a high-rise apartment.

There are no laws against drunk driving here. Only "drink driving" is illegal.

You don't "get off" the bus. You "alight". Sounds much more graceful than something I would do every day.

There is no tipping in restaurants and no server is assigned to your table. They will NEVER bring the bill unless you flag them down and ask for it. This is because it is considered rude to bring the bill before you ask because it implies that you should vacate your seat. Once we learned this, we were much less furious when dining out. Just stick your hand in the air, and someone will come help you. I actually like it better than the American system. If you flag down the wrong person in an American restaurant, they will say "let me find your waitress for you". Here, they just take care of you.

In general, service staff in Asia are better than what I've seen in the West. Here, they are more attentive and proactive. They anticipate your needs and take action.

Most carriers serve free alcohol in coach. The service on Singapore Airlines is so superior to any that you will receive in America that it's embarrassing. American Airlines should change their name to Kazakstan Airlines based on the comparative quality of service they offer. Let me illustrate a couple of examples:

Singapore Airlines screens its employees for customer service skills and good looks. The men and women are young and attractive and seem most happy when they are filling a request.

American Airlines employees on the Texas to Japan route are grumpy old cows who hide in the galley and give you dirty looks if you ever press the Call button.

On asian flights, you receive an ice cold scented fresh towel as soon as you sit down, and a full hot meal - even on 1 hour flights. You may also order a special meal such as vegetarian, muslim, seafood and others according to your preference or dietary needs. The food is really tasty!

Just recently, an airline steward saw that I was reading and turned on my reading light for me. This has never happened in the history of American aviation.

On American Airlines, if you miss your connection due to a late departure, you get sent to a counter with nobody to help you, three dirty phone, and nothing to write with. "Call the reservation line and sort out your own damn schedule" is their message.

On a recent Malaysian Airlines flight, our departure was delayed 1.5 hours. They hired a caterer to serve hot food, tea, coffee, and juice in the waiting area at the gate! Also notable is the fact that with all the travelling I've done over here, I've only had one late departure.

There is a wide range of foods and wide range of prices. I can eat fish, rice and a vegetable at the local food court, (Yummy Yummy is the name of the food court), for less than two Singapore dollars. Or, I can pay a LOT more for Western food at a proper restaurant. I've yet to eat at a Mexican restaurant where everything didn't taste like curry. I really miss burritos.

There are some foods I really like here, but to be perfectly honest, most of the local food is not appealing to me. Food courts tend to have a fishy, greasy, chicken smell that dampens my appetite. Even though everything is in English, you still don't know what it is. A food court may offer Tom Yam soup, Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Ikan Bilis, and Chicken Rice. I only know what chicken rice is. They take a whole chicken, cook it, and chop the whole thing into slices and serve with rice. Each slice may contain bone, skin, and chewy bits. Much like the Native Americans, Asians waste no part of the animal. This approach is much less wasteful than the American approach, but it takes some getting used to.

One thing I do crave now and then is Durian. It's a spiky smelly fruit that MUST be eaten as soon as you crack open the skin. If you save it for later, you have a stinky mess on your hands. You must also buy good quality Durian and pay dearly for it. As much as $15 SGD per fruit.