Singapore doesn’t suck you in and spit you out like a lot of big Asian countries would do to a purely English speaking girl. Of course there are many differences to my life in Australia and a lot of ‘getting used to’ has had to happen, but overall my move to Singapore has been a much less daunting experience than I once thought.
Besides getting a history lesson of Singapore (and complete life story of the driver!) in every taxi ride I have taken, working with a local company has really helped me in this process.
The first step is to tackle Singlish and its unique slang. With all the “lah”, “can”, “aiyoh” and “aunty” and “uncle’s” (no not my mother and father’s siblings, but a respectful term for older men and women) down pat I thought I was making progress. Then switch to a group of Singaporeans having a conversation in lightning speed and I am lost!
I have also noticed the superb ability of Singaporeans to hit the ‘on/off’ button when it comes to Singlish. In the many interviews I’ve had the privilege to sit in on, I can safely say that Singapore’s journalists most definitely boast this skill. How they can hold themselves back from throwing a “lah” in the mix when interviewing an non-Singaporean is a talent worth identifying!