Collectively we subscribe to a number of online resources as well as Instagram and Facebook groups that are loosely aligned collectives of people from diverse backgrounds who happen to be from, live in, or plan to live in Singapore.
My last big adventure that started in the Middle East an astonishing twenty years ago didn’t have these resources and instead one had to rely on newsgroups like Yahoo groups, bulletin boards and the like to engage with others.
When my grandfather lived out here a century ago, the social circles would have been the Singapore Cricket and Swimming clubs, The Adelphi, the SVR and no doubt he Empire or British club.
Finding an affinity has always had its challenges and today, despite these associations, groups and clubs, it is likely no different. Some, naturally just love them, some are indifferent and some find them downright awkward. It only takes a couple of missteps or misadventures to put you off.
So i was somewhat sympathetic and yet at the same time frustrated by numerous insertions on some of these groups that fell far short of being friendly and convivial and in fact just came across as bing trollish or mean.
At the same time, I could see the cause of the derisive comments.
A lot is rooted in blind and sometimes even willful ignorance on the part of these transplants.
Statements like, “why are these people working on Christmas Day?” then followed by some off-the-cuff troll comments alluding to Band Aid lyrics or some more blunt comments like “..well perhaps they aren’t Christians?“.
There is a lot of criticism of people who transplant themselves and don’t embrace their surroundings or assimilate. This is especially a problem with very closed communities and unless one makes a particular effort, the likelihood of being ‘accepted’ is slim if not none, especially if you make no effort at all. We have all seen movies, watched TV series and read books about outsiders and being an expatriate in a foreign land is no different.
Come with an open heart, an open mind, a willingness to learn, a determination to grow as a person and put a little effort in. You will be glad that you did and the rewards you will reap will be immense. If you’re in a country where your native tongue is not spoken, learn a couple of local phrases, learn correct pronunciation and most of all, don’t be judgemental or patronizing.
I’ve been here before around Chinese New Year #CNY but this year I am in the thick of it. Of course, CNY hit the headlines with a wallop in 2020 when the festival was heavily impacted in China by the Wuhan in particular around the Covid-19 outbreak where it was identified that celebratory travelers were super spreading the virus.
For the less informed, the Chinese New Year is THE festival celebrated by communities with Chinese roots. Based on the Chinese calendar it is bigger and better than Christmas in Singapore at least and also in many East Asian countries.
The festival is also known as the Spring Festival, marking the end of winter and the beginning of the spring season though again, this close to the equator the season change is imperceptible though the days are starting to visibly become longer.
The first day of the 2021 Chinese New Year will be on Friday, 12 February, This will be the year of the Ox.
Chinese New Year is an important holiday in China, is a strong influence in Tibet, the Korean New Year and the Tết of Vietnam.
Regionally it is celebrated worldwide in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Mauritius and in robust Chinese communities in Europe and the Americas.