As this chat was on Facebook, I felt I didn't quite do the question justice as I rambled. Here is the longer answer to Alvin's question now that I have had a few hours to think about the issue.
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| Why am I still interested in what happens in Singapore? |
The content is often driven by the traffic to my blog.
The most popular topics on my blog this year has been Anton Casey, Steph Micayle, MH370, the cost of living in Singapore, Singaporeans being miserable, Alvivi and gay rights in Singapore. With the exception of MH370 and Alvivi which are Malaysian, every other topic have been my responses to topical issues in Singapore. For some reason, many people in Singapore want to read what I have to say in response to the latest Singaporean headline. Hot topics like Anton Casey, Singapore's cost of living and miserable Singaporeans have created massive spikes in traffic to my blog. We're talking a five to ten-fold increase in traffic to my blog when one of my articles goes viral.
Here's the irony (as Alvin pointed out). I'm not in Singapore, I'm blogging from my living room in London's West End. I make it clear that whilst I am not able to experience some of the situations in Singapore first hand (such as the haze problem), I am able to offer a fresh perspective on the issue from where I am sitting in England - as the saying goes, 当局者迷，旁观者清. Indeed, I can say what the hell I want without worrying about getting censored by the Singaporean government. Another popular format which is popular is this "Singapore vs London: compare & contrast" approach.
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| I'm blogging about Singapore from London, halfway around the world. |
As a blogger, I want to be read. I almost gave up on blogging when I first started - the figures were miserable in my first month. I got a grand total of 22 views on my blog in that first month. I was thinking, what's the bloody point of spending all this time and energy writing when only 22 people are reading my articles? I managed to get 147 views in my second month and I've come a long way to June 2013 when I had 404,852 views that month on my blog (thanks to this piece) and I have now had over 5.6 million views on my blog.
I remember back in around 2001, way before the explosion of social media - I went along to a writer's group in London on the recommendation of a friend. This was a group of aspiring writers who wanted to form a support group to encourage and help each other. It was a miserable experience - I remember staring out of the window, watching the traffic on the street as this old man droned on and on. He had written this poem and it was relentlessly long and tedious. I was thinking, "I could think of so many things I'd rather do right now than to sit here and here his shitty poetry. Why the hell did I come here today for this?" That old man was a terrible writer, he would never get published and the ten or so people in that room were the only people who would ever hear his poetry. I didn't want to be like that old man, I wanted to be a writer who was read my millions and I have achieved just that.
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| I love blogging and vlogging. |
I don't simply write about Singapore, about 55% of the content on my blog this year has been about things that I encounter here in London or that I feel strongly about (and have nothing to do with Singapore). Let me give you an example: I wrote a heartfelt piece about the way watching TV has changed the way we interact with people in our lives I have worked in TV, I know a lot about how TV programmes are scripted and produced, I can make astute observations about human interaction. It was a very well researched and funny article - yet it got less views than my articles on MH370. What can I possibly tell you about MH370 from my living room in London? But I jumped on the MH370 bandwagon, churned out three articles simply because I know they will be well-read and I will get the traffic to my blog.
The relationship that I have with my readers
I can monitor the traffic to my blog and I can see that about 60% of the traffic to my blog originates from Singapore - that is why it is no surprise that my readership are generally interested in Singaporean topics on my blog. It is a cycle that reinforces itself - I gain a reputation as a writer who offers astute insight into Singaporean topics and in turn, I attract more Singaporean readers who come to my blog, looking for articles on Singaporean issues and I am always trying to appeal to my readers, guessing what they want to read. Sure once in a while, I may churn out an article which is interesting to me but may be read by nobody apart from my most loyal of readers - but if I was content with that, I could simply use Facebook or Twitter, but I actually like the influence I have as a blogger with a big readership. And if that readership happens to be in Singapore, then I have to appeal to those readers there.
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| I am able to reach many readers through my blog. |
One of the most interesting aspects of blogging for me is to stimulate a vibrant discussion in the comments section of any blog piece. A vibrant discussion could generate over 50 responses, with long running arguments and passionate debate. A mediocre article could generate like 10 to 20 responses, some articles generate just one or two responses and others totally flop in this department and generate zero responses. Fortunately, that is fairly rare but that is the other way I monitor my readers' reactions. I am very fortunate to have a faithful readership - they come from a diverse background but most share a connection to Singapore and are generally very well educated. If I can give them enough food for thought to motivate them into leaving a comment, then I know I have succeeded. If they read the article then just go 'meh' and close the window, then I have failed. My readers offer me excellent quality control when it comes to the quality of my blogging and I really enjoy interacting with them through the comments section.
The relationship I have with my hometown.
This is a concept that many Singaporeans find hard to understand until they have spent some time away from Singapore. In a big city like London, many people have come from all over the world to come and study or work here. There are great universities, great job opportunities, a vibrant arts scene and so many things which draw people to the bright lights of London - many people who take this big step to move to London come because they want to pursue something they couldn't otherwise do back in their hometown. This is particularly true in the showbiz where you really need to be in a media hub like London - but that can be said about a whole range of industries really.
I have two sisters who live in Singapore - I am very fond of them and are very close to them. I owe them a lot for they were always there for me when I was a child, taking care of the younger brother and where my parents had glaring gaps in their parenting, my sisters were always there to step in and do something about the situation. I have nothing but love for my two sisters - so did I move to London because I hate them or because I wanted to get away from them? Hardly. I miss my sisters everyday and think about them all the time (social media is a great help for us to keep in touch these days), but they understand that I have to be in London to follow my dreams and do what makes me happy.
Very few Singaporeans actually ever work outside Singapore - it has a booming economy and is city with plenty of opportunities. That is why many Singaporeans cannot understand my decision to want to leave PAP's paradise and they just default to the assumption that I must somehow hate Singapore enough to want to leave. I repeat for the record: I don't hate Singapore. I hate the PAP - that's not the same thing, there is quite a big difference.
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| I like Singapore, I dislike the PAP. |
The world is indeed interested in Singapore.
And why wouldn't they be? This small country has a success story to tell and many people all over the world are coming to my blog to learn about Singapore. I can monitor the traffic to my blog and goodness me, I get readers from all over the world coming to my blog and often if a major story breaks in Singapore (such as Anton Casey or Sun Ho/CHC) I get a massive spike in traffic not just from Singapore but from all over he world. I gladly offer these people my views about Singapore - what is the alternative? For them to go onto some SPH controlled website and read their version of the news? If people from Africa, North America, Europe etc want to come to my blog to learn about Singapore, well, I am only too happy to oblige them and I do a pretty decent job of it. So I'll keep writing if they'll keep reading.
So there you go, that's why I am still interested in what happens in Singapore. If you have any other questions on the issue, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you very much for reading.
There was a survey some time ago that 'only' 1 in 2 Singaporeans want to migrate. So I don't think anybody will wonder why you decided to leave the PAP's 'paradise' anymore, because half of Singapore is dying to get the hell out of here
ReplyDeleteThanks Ron, things have changed a lot since I've left Singapore in 1997!
DeleteSingapore is indeed PAP's paradise, with the information disseminated on media being tilted in favor of the PAP government alright. There seems to have been various books written by former Singaporeans who became Americans about why it is not paradise in the sense that it is made out to be, especially the existence of the death sentence and the structure of the judiciary. Since I am already basically detached from that place, I would probably prefer not to get embroiled in any kind of critique of it which would be likely to get me legally pursued ( :p ) But it does appear to be a norm among many young Singaporeans to want to migrate though. Most of the friends that I know from secondary school always express envy when they knew that I was away in Canada for years and then Japan, and that I also hold a permanent residency elsewhere. Some others also express their imminent intentions to apply for residency in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
DeleteBy the way, LIFT, your being away since 1997 is seriously considered long compared to my 9 years since 2005!
Well Kev, I am older than you. But I got out at the first available point - ie. after I finished NS. I left myself enough time to pack and I was out of Singapore pretty promptly.
DeleteActually, LIFT, I might be the same age as you. I am 37, turning 38 this year. I just happen to look younger than most people, and plus, I took a while to get my doctorate degree (was working and freelancing prior to that) so that factors in. But 9 years after leaving the red dot, and even after short visits back there, and I am still not missing it whatsoever. When I left, I had that mindset anything that you can buy in Singapore can be bought elsewhere, and family can be visited whenever you are able to afford a ticket, but getting out is optimal for mental health LOL. A lot of the stuff which I carried either had to be chucked out or left at my parents' home then, but it is arguably good to travel light, because that way, you start afresh in a new location. As I would say now, "May the burning bridges light the path to a new place. Amen."
DeleteWe are exactly the same age Kev, crikey - we may even have some mutual friends by that token :) Why did you wait till 2005 before leaving S'pore then?
DeleteMy parents were the ones paying for my university studies, and could not afford overseas programs. I took a year after university studies to work in publishing and then went onto graduate school, but after that, it was pretty much the beginning of a journey outwards. Yes, money to move out was an issue then. Now, I have skills, graduate degrees, and savings, and plus, my parents are perfectly supportive of the moves. Well, better later than never. Some of the people whom I knew from undergraduate days and even high school days are still busy complaining, such that I doubt they will ever see the light of day when it does hit them...just like the man in Plato's cave.....it's not healthy to do that by any means.
DeleteLIFT, did you ever take French classes at Alliance Francaise de Singapour with Janet Martin Lau, because if you did, we might actually have been in the same class before??!!?? Quel surprise! She taught me not only for my basic French, but also, for my advanced French classes. Arguably one of my favorite French teachers who is approachable and also interesting nonetheless.
DeleteOMFG, oui oui oui! Yes she was my teacher there! But I don't remember a Kevin in my class then...
DeleteI went by the name 'Caleb' then. That was before I got baptized years later as 'Kevin'. Now everyone knows me as 'Kevin'.
DeleteI remember a Longxiang who did gymnastics back in VJC, and was planning to major in Economics, although I am not sure if that was you back then. It's an unbelievably small world. I got a place in U of Durham back then to do a degree in English Literature, but when the crunch in money and finances came, the obvious choice became that of doing a cheaper degree first along with an exchange semester or two abroad, and then followed by funded graduate studies thereafter abroad. Either way, I am now basically done with regards to SG residency and just want to focus on my new life out of it.
DeleteYup, c'etait moi. So we do know each other. How extraordinary, LOL!!!
DeleteAlliance Francaise! I was there before 1986. Yvonne and Michelle taught me. Before you and Kevin, I am sure. What a coincidence that you guys must have met! I bet Alex was a super keener type. LOL! I am like Kevin. If not for family, SG can cease to exist for all I care. I hate that the few "friends" I have left behind have not changed at all, and they expect me to be the same person. I am so different, but they do not see it. Well, they can all continue to live in their small existence. I have moved on. Planning a trip with my family in the next 3-4 years for my husband's sake as he has not been back since 1995. After that, someone will have to die before I visit in a long time. I know for a fact that my mil will do the major guilt trip mental control. I have a few years to plan my snappy comebacks. Teehee!
DeleteTellement extraordinaire......amazing LOL....
DeleteOh I remember you for the way you mispronounced the word 'person' in French' :) And I was like, whaaaat? Goodness me, we must catch up. It's been so long.
Delete*typo: PERSONNE :) If my memory serves me right, you inserted a K between the R and the S for some reason...
DeleteI don't remember that haha. But I have not used my French for a long time now. My Korean is probably my next best language now after my English, since I use it a lot when conversing with people, and because I have studied it extensively in international school and during my graduate school days. I was in London during 2007, while conferencing there as a Canadian scholar in Europe, although by now, it has been another 7 years since then! Time flies....
DeleteDi Talasi, it seems like we have the same trouble with fitting in with Singaporean society whatever it is when back. I guess that partially it has to do with me sounding and speaking differently from everyone else on the streets when I communicate with them, such that when they hear that my parents are still in Singapore, they have an extremely hard time believing that I am not Canadian! I made my return trip to Vancouver last year around the Xmas period after about 2-3 years away, and seriously, it felt so much better like home than Singapore. Even Canadians whom I did not know told me after I had asked for directions to a street, and said that I was away for 2 years, "Welcome back!" I just love this whole thing about being welcomed back to Canada so much more than any 'returns' to Singapore, if not for my beloved granny and parents in Singapore.
DeleteKevin, I was a misfit even when I was growing up there. I couldn't careless about '0' levels or 'A' levels. Only that they will get me into university and out of there. Of course, I failed Mandarin, and I did not managed to get into NUS. I hated the heat, the kaypoh aunties, the lack of culture (I was an anglophile --- still am a bit), the constant conversation about getting "registered" so that one could apply for a HDB flat which took years, the same old arguments with my mother, ... I hated everything Singapore. I rejected Chinese culture mainly because of my mom. I rejected Singapore culture because of the people and the 'garhment'. Then I could not process my unhappiness, but when I got here, I blossomed, and I eventually found a clearer picture of myself. I know my limitations and strengths, and I no longer reject ideas/concepts just to piss anyone off. It's hard to explain, but I think you and Alex may understand. Basically, I had to move away to find myself. Canada is home.
DeleteDi, I TOTALLY understand what you mean by this. When I went in 1999 to Canada, I managed to experience a lot of the differences between the west and Singapore. Given that I was already pretty much an Americano-phile or Francophile at that point in time, I already took to North American culture immediately. At least I knew that when I spoke up, I did not need to have people looking at me weirdly or with the dirty look, and then saying, "No, you are not supposed to say this!" or "Shut the f-k up!" without any valid reasons at all. Well, I hated the greed of Singaporeans too as they lined up in those queues just for some small promotions, snatching at every small thing that they can grab and leaving nothing for the rest. Basically, it is what I associated with Singaporean 'Chinese' culture: the go-getter 'greedy' mindset of each man for himself (or each woman for herself), on top of their 'tight' 'boa constrictor' mores in which everyone--even people you barely know--try to probe into what you are doing and to comment on it to death. In comparison with other Asian countries like Japan and South Korea, Singapore was in actuality the worse of the lot to me because of this kind of mores.
DeleteI won't say that I blossomed as a person abroad more than that the collar around me was falling off bit by bit, and once I landed in Canada and then moved to other countries(now I do not need to go back to Singapore either with a valid permanent visa until I get my new passport elsewhere), I found the freedom to be the 'me' that I always wanted to be without criticism and any fear of it. I remembered how when I was telling part of the story of how I ended up leaving Singapore for good to missionary friends(an African American and a Korean-American) back in Japan, the Korean-American girl who had extended family back in Korea said, "Asians can be quite unforgiving" [towards 'failure' or deviation from the 'norm']. I know consciously that I will want to go back to Canada for a while one day again(just made my return last year in December 2013) but for now, Australia is my home, and well, Singapore is largely a 'hotel' country to me with the whole sense of vapidness that surrounds it. After a few weeks in it, I get so bored and restless and cannot wait to get out of it.
I agree most people working and have worked in Singapore are quite the 井底蛙 (frog in the well). I usually don't bother talking to them about local issues since all of them assuming paying 10 years to drive a car for 10 years and 30 year loan on public housing is considered normal (no it's not, people in UK can buy a 2nd hand car using their first paycheck and housing loans for 30 years are unheard of).
ReplyDeleteOnly people who have worked elsewhere for any amount of time (US or Europe since other parts of AsiaPac are quite bad like Japan) understand that the situation in SG is untenable and only getting worse the longer the PAP stays in power.
Yup, there is a story recently about recently: http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/25/thats-not-asda-price-shopper-charged-450-for-loaf-of-bread-4678396/ and my first reaction was, no shit you can buy a car for £450 ($900)?!? That's dirt cheap compared to Singaporeans who pay through the nose for a car! As for housing loans of 30 years? Good grief.
DeleteBy all means accept such conditions if you want to live in Singapore, but don't pretend that it is normal. That's why you and I are on the same wavelength on this issue.
But then I'm been around the region and also worked in places other than SG so i understand the market outside SG.
DeleteLIFT, I suspect that the reason why Singaporeans assume automatically that you must hate Singapore because you left it is that Singaporeans practise the idea of 'burnt bridges once left'(become a resident elsewhere or works and lives elsewhere, even if you still hold a Singaporean passport). I have yet to give up my passport, since I am now en route to clocking in a few years to obtain my new passport elsewhere and to qualify for citizenship in another country, but every time I come back on low-profile for my family, whenever I bump into people I knew in the past, they deliberately choose not to talk to me, or to even entertain any kind of sustained conversation with me. It's not about me and them having different ideas, it's simply about the fact that I left and am by default of their definition a 'quitter' or 'traitor', and hence, not to be welcome in Singaporean society. Notwithstanding those who are still my friends(very few, sadly, and probably countable on one hand), the rest are just usually going about their business as if they never knew me even if they bump into me somewhere else. I guess that it has to do with that element of envy or jealousy(not that it really matters at this stage anyway, since I have a new circle of friends elsewhere).
ReplyDeleteIn some strange ways, I think that this is probably where the Singaporeans learned from the Japanese. There is such a thing called an exit doorway through which once you step through, you can never turn back the other way, when it comes to Japan (not literally). The Japanese handle it in terms of farewell parties for those who leave the company and move on elsewhere, but in actuality, it is a way of saying that 'thank you for your service. We want nothing more to do with you thereafter once you leave.". I believe that Singaporeans abide by that too once you get a residency or passport elsewhere.
Don't take it too personally when people from your past do not make too much of an effort to keep in touch lah, some people enjoy rekindling the past, others don't. I am Facebook with so many of my school friends from S'pore and each time I go to S'pore, the same people make a genuine effort to meet up with me and catch up whilst the rest just 'pretend' they didn't notice on FB that I am coming to S'pore. What to do? I just dedicate my energy and time to those who do want to see me and have a good time with them.
DeleteSuch is the way it is I guess.
Actually, I do not take it personally as much as that it is disturbing to me. Then again, I guess that since I am technically of no real 'value' to the acquaintances on Facebook (...), they do not see a need to really keep up with me or anything of that sort, let alone acknowledge that they have seen me when they see me IN PUBLIC! Still remember that post you wrote a few days ago about Singaporeans being kind to their own family and close circle of friends only, but keeping those who drift out away and refusing anything to do with them whatever happens. Well, I might as well not bother to even say hi to them if it is so.
DeleteI thought getting Japanese citizenship is the hardest of the lot, even people have have been staying in Japan for more than 10 years are not guaranteed of citizenship.
DeleteI am not a Japanese citizen at the moment. I am an Australian permanent resident, and am returning to Australia to chalk up time for citizenship. Yes, Japanese citizenship is difficult to obtain as far as I know. 10 years of residency qualifies you for permanent residency there, but citizenship is granted on various factors after as far as I am aware, including a translation exam in Japanese, ties to Japanese society(whether you married a Japanese spouse or have family there) etcetera. In comparison, Japanese citizenship would be easier than South Korean citizenship which is almost impossible, and has been exclusively limited to those who marry Korean spouses or are of Sino-Korean (born in China but of Korean heritage, hence 'joseon-jok') heritage and extraction.
DeleteI don't think it would make sense to pursue Japanese PR or citizenship especially not when their citizens are coming over to SG to look for jobs. Also Japan has 0 work life balance and unless you like the Japanese corporate culture (i hate it) there is no point going for it really.
DeleteI do not want to come across as 'stand-offish' with regards to Japanese residency and all. I know of one woman from Singapore who was in the department that I worked at under contract, and she had been there for 10 years and married to a tenured Japanese professor. She is actually a Japanese PR by now, and plans to give up her SG citizenship when her mother(whom she does not get along with...which is another story) passes away later, since the property back in SG is in her name. But as for me, despite what she said about the Japanese residency being easy to get once you stay long enough for a while, I am not interested much in Japanese culture nor in living there permanently. It was probably somewhat clear to some of the foreigner professors and instructors outside of my direct circle of colleagues that I was in Japan for financial reasons(to earn the money which was relatively better than elsewhere in Taiwan and South Korea in my field) other than experience.
DeleteResidency in a western country is by far what I would rather settle for. I have always been closer to Canadian and North American culture as a whole, and most people actually have difficulty believing that I still hold a Singaporean passport, maybe partially because it took me some time to obtain residency elsewhere and to get settled on where I ought to be. In addition, yes, work-life balance exists in the west while it is a dirty word in Japan and other Asian countries, possibly even South Korea too, which values the ethic of 'work hard, play hard'.
I never understood why Japanese wanted to go to Singapore so much. I have left SG for quite a while, and still do not miss Singapore that much. Every temporary return to the island is rather loathed, and if not for my family, I would rather pretend it never existed on the map due to various reasons. Perhaps, it has to do with the same reverence of an old and invalid social hierarchy and an aging bureaucracy which is ineffective, as well as the intolerance of heterogeneity. Whenever in Japan, the Japanese who want to go to SG or are planning to go there for permanent jobs end up surprised when they ask me whether I ever plan to return there to retire, and I say, "No, I already have residency elsewhere, and plus, I have valid reasons not to go back permanently."
Kevin, but do you ever miss Singaporean food, such as laksa etc?
DeleteIf anyone wants to take up Japanese PR I won't discourage them. But they have to go in with both eyes open. \
Delete\
The golden era when Japanese banks and real estate are the best in the world is over. Now with 30 years of continued recession and a huge silver tsunami there is no helping the Japanese economy. The PM has pretty much accepted a contracting economy and population since everything they have tried didn't work. In fact the reason that most younger Japanese are leaving for SG and other parts of the world is due to the high unemployment rate and the persimissm in the future of Japan. \
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But those going to Japan still have to deal with lots of traditional hold ups like the great gender inequality and also the seniority based hierarchy which has never and would probably never change. If they can accept it then sure Japan is the place to go.}
Ronald, I have just the response for you: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/singapore-day-in-nyc-2012-marslows.html
DeleteHey Ronald, to be honest, I do not technically miss Singaporean food that much. Partially because I am health-conscious, partially because I actually like eating Canadian (North American) food in general, and partially because I am actually 'more' Canadian than Singaporean in many ways, perhaps that is why I settled in quickly when I moved to Canada. Many of my Canadian friends also said that for someone who was born in Asia, I actually speak and think like a 'white' more than some of them. My best friend's mum--an American living in Canada--always told me that she is amazed that for someone like me, I could come so far all the way to central-western Canada (at least 20 to 24 hours away and probably more) and make that my home for years!
DeleteChoaniki, to be fair to Japan, although I do not envy their hierarchy and out-dated bureaucracy, I would have to say that Japan has many, many conveniences and good things that can be enjoyed by foreigners living there long-term as much as the Japanese, such as their technology, their products(cosmetics, skincare, toiletries and food products are all arguably great, and even their tea products are great), as well as their attention to details and various things even in festivities and cultural activities, and also, their food above all else. Whenever I do go back to Singapore to visit my family which is still there, I have to say that Singapore did not learn the good things from its neighbors, such as good service(something which the Japanese literally SWEAR by, and which is even better than what I have experienced in South Korea, Taiwan and Canada). Property prices in Japan are actually going down as far as I am aware, compared to the upward appreciation in Canadian cities such as Vancouver(which is almost ridiculously on par with some cities like Hong Kong and so on possibly, because of investments by ....ahem....the Chinese there...), although I guess that you have to worry about earthquakes and the possibility of your house being flattened by a tremor above degree-5 magnitude!
As for missing Singaporean-style food, actually I managed to have it at times in Vancouver, Toronto or New York City when there, so that is probably not getting me back to Singapore unnecessarily for the most part, since there are diasporiac Singaporean-Malaysian communities even in North America(Canada and the USA). Even in Australia, which is where I will be based for the next 5 years or so at least, unless I decide to jet off to work in South Korea or Europe for any reason, I think that there are enough of Asian restaurants, especially my favorite Korean food! Haha....actually, I prefer Korean food to Chinese food, and make better Korean food myself.
DeleteHi Kevin,
DeleteWell, maybe we shouldn't be that judgemental with people we met in the past (sorry if I sound judgemental to you, BTW). Some of these people never liked us to begin with, and we shouldn't expect them to like us after we are gone for a long time. On the other hand, I believe that people who cared about us in the past would continue do it, as long as they believe that we still care about them. That's why I use Facebook to keep in touch with old friends in Brazil, and I still try to call them on Skype during their birthdays.
I don't actually experience much enviness or jealousness when I come back to Brazil. Partly because I do everything to avoid being labelled as a bragger/boaster - in fact, I don't say anything about my experiences abroad unless they ask me first. Rather, I prefer to talk with my friends about their lives in Brazil.
Some of them never ask me about the things i experienced abroad, and that's understandable - Brazil is a very "Galapagos" country, where most people have little interest on how it is or what is going on outside - some major TV news programs don't even show international news. In that sense, Brazil is quite different from other developing countries as few people have a genuine desire to emmigrate.
@kevin I'll just leave this article about Japan here: http://www.cracked.com/article_20118_5-things-nobody-tells-you-about-living-in-japan.html
DeleteI've also told people that Japan is a good place to visit as a tourist but staying there for any long period of time would drive you nuts. Like most older Japanese are still xenophobic but are to polite to tell you the filthy gaijin off. Then the thing about Japanese not telling the truth (honne and tatemae) but that is my beef for another day.
The best thing about living in Japan is their amazing toilets. Singapore should really import some of their toilets. As for the rising prices in Vancouver, well it seems like the Chinese have a tendency to ruin people's days wherever they go.
DeleteWell, Edson, that certainly was not my experience of Singapore to be honest. Those people were actually people whom I used to talk to and be on cordial terms with but once news got out that I was a resident elsewhere, it was like a "How dare you!" type of response. Whatever, that is Singapore...I guess, or at least those who cannot move out.
Deletechoaniki, I don't quite see your point. So, you blame the Japanese for not being "sincere" about their racism? Well, racism is all around the World, but knowing that it's not OK to unleash your racism against strangers is at least a small step forward, not backwards, for a society. I don't think anyone would have an experience of being humiliated and verbally abused in another country, and be glad about this experience because of the "sincerity" of the locals.
DeleteI understand that you may had bad experiences in Japan, but I am not sure how much you can generalize them. I had several friends who lived years in Japan, some of them loved it, others loathed it, but most simply liked some things and disliked others. In particular, I can't say that most older people in Japan are xenophobic - in fact, when I was in Kyushu, I found out that there are several uncles and aunties who study English or French after retiring and are very happy to chat with foreigners. Note that although I am ethnically Japanese, most people took me as Korean or Chinese due to my inability to speak proper Japanese, so I certainly wasn't immune to racism.
Actually, Choaniki, I do not agree with all the 5 points made by the article. #2,3 and 4 are probably true, and #5 is rather overblown but potentially untrue in some ways. #1 is actually what I disagree with, since I still find the Japanese 'weird' in the sense of being different from everyone else. Then again, I guess that I have had a rather positive experience of Japan on the whole as someone who worked there for the last 2-3 years. The only catch is, I was probably never meant to live there long-term since I was not interested much in Japanese or Japanese culture to begin with, and just went there for the money and experience.
Delete@Edson, of course you being ethnic Japanese wouldn't agree with me and that is expected. Part of the Japanese corporate culture or culture in general is to reject all things negative about Japan or the locals.
DeleteBut pretending that sexism, xenophobia and all the bigotry doesn't exists does not make it go away. This is exactly like what the Singapore government is doing in pretending that there is no racism, xenophobia and we are a peaceful multiracial society (they keep repeating that to themselves and maybe one day it would become true).
And so just pretending to be polite and "like" foreigners does not mean that the Japanese society in general is not xenophobic, hello there are still plenty of landlords with a no gaijin rental policy. So unless they accept and face up to their problems solving it would never happen. Like how Japanese politicians still pretending that Japan's role in WWII was that of a victim and rape of Nanjing didn't happen whereas Germany has faced up to it roles in WWII, fully accepted the crimes of the Nazis and done full apology and war reparations.
But this post has run way, way out of topic and it should deserve a blog post of it's own some other day.
Well, true or not, #1 was a hilarious read! And that's indeed how many people see Japan. It reminded me when I moved to the Netherlands, and my view that it was a place where people smoked weed everywhere, had sex in public parks, gay people would display they affection in public as everyone else, and trance music would be a national religion. To my surprise, the place where I lived in the Netherlands wasn't anything like that, in fact, public use of drugs and openly gay people in the streets where far common in my own country than there. Trance music was popular but it had clearly a niche public: most people instead listened to a sort of country music, as well as American pop.
DeleteWhat the author of the article says on #4 (about people of Korean ancestry in Japan) is only partially correct and quite misleading. From the text, you understand that if someone has Korean ancestry, the person will never be able to vote in Japanese elections or hold certain public sector positions - this is by no means true.
DeleteWhat happens is that Koreans who lived in Japan during the end of the Second War were given special status (Zainichi) as they couldn't get Korean citizenship due to the unstable political situation of Korea. Eventually Korea has stabilized, and the Zainichi who didn't applied for South Korean citizenship were given the option to maintain their status as "staleless" permanent residents - a status that can be passed to their descendents.
Therefore, Zainichi cannot vote on ellections neither occupy certain public sector positions - but that isn't because they are Korean descendents, but because they aren't Japanese citizens. However, Zainichi can acquire Japanese citizenship through normal means - either by naturalisation, or by having a Japanese citizen as parent. In fact, the number of Zainichi has been steadily decreasing as more and more are acquiring Japanese nationality or marrying with Japanese people.
Note that I am not saying that there isn't prejudice against Korean descendents in Japan, but isn't a state-sanctioned prejudice as as the article rather explicitly says.
choaniki, there isn't anything "Japanese" about me other than the fact that my grandparents moved from Japan to Brazil about 100 years ago, and they were pretty happy to do that as they faced severe discrimination in Japan due to their religion. Discrimination, by the way, that several of my friends, also Brazilians of Japanese ethnicity, also suffered when they lived in Japan as migrant workers (dekasseguis). Yes, they were in exact the same place where many Indians, Filipinos and Bangladeshi are now in Singapore, and don't think that their Japanese ethnicity shielded them. In fact, they were quick to form guettos and hang only with other Japanese-Brazilians.
DeleteI don't have any reason to defend Japan, and in fact, I often criticize Japan's politics and culture when I discuss with my Brazilian friends who are ethnical Japanese or found of Japanese culture (such as the ones who are anime fans and whose view of Japan remembers item #5 of the list). You say that there is a lot of xenophobia and racism in Japan, and I agree wholeheartedly with that.
But a completely different thing is to think that, as Alex has said a few times, just because you hate someone, this someone should also hate you. The typical Japanese doesn't hate foreigners, doesn't denies the Japanese atrocities in the War, and doesn't have a strong opinion on the country's territorial disputes. According to opinion polls, Japan isn't even one of the most racist countries in Asia (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2325502/Map-shows-worlds-racist-countries-answers-surprise-you.html).
Although I disagree with Abe's and other Japanese politicians' revisionist attitudes as much as you, it's a long way from suggesting that someone must be paranoid when moving to Japan, thinking that everybody hates him/her and interpreting any not-so-friendly attitude as a sign of racism or xenophobia.
That's exactly what happened with a Chinese friend of mine who visited Japan, who, despite not being victim of racism a single time, said that he felt uncomfortable during the trip because "he somehow knew that the Japanese didn't like him". Heck, if I interpreted any not-so-friendly attitude I experienced in East Netherlands as a sign of racism or xenophobia (and in the 1st year when I was still adapting to the country, they were countless), my years in the country would have much been much sourer.
And finally, although I dislike Japanese corporate culture as much as you, it is a fact that many foreigners who move to Japan don't end up working in Japanese companies; in fact, many come to work for companies from their own countries or in universities, and are likely to have a better experience and work/life balance.
Yes I understand that the Japanese simply do not like outsiders even native Japanese born and raised overseas or who went overseas for any length of time to work/study.
DeleteAnd i do not hate Japanese or Japan in general it's just that there are a lot of aspects of the Japanese culture where they think their way is best and so everyone must follow the Japanese way even when they are not in Japan (rant for another day). And there are alot of times I here the Japanese badmouthing the locals in their own country (I understand Japanese so I know what they are saying but not the locals). So is this another example of Japanese arrogance carried over from imperial Japan?
And since i know this whole honne/tatemae shit I know when I go to Japan as a tourist I will have the best experience. But toward strangers i know they wouldn't offend me but I often joke around with my native Japanese friends whenever they say something nice that it's 建前言葉 (polite words).
So the more I know about Japan and Japanese culture the more turned off I am about it. I still enjoy certain aspects like the food and entertainment (anime/manga/video games) so I will let my interest in Japan remain superficial. Maybe some day I might even go back to Japan on a holiday or maybe not since Fukushima is spirally more and more out of control (regardless of what TEPCO and the government says).
Keep up the good work. Your posts are always worth a read, even if we do not agree with everything that you say. :)
ReplyDeleteHi there Mr G123, thanks for your comment. I never expect my readers to agree with everything I say. Often, my aim is simply to offer people my opinion on a topic or situation rather than dictate to them, "this is what is happening and this is the truth." I accept that not everyone can ever agree on these topics and I am most excited when I can stimulate a healthy debate on the issue in the comments section.
DeleteKevin, are you in the prairies? As for housing prices in Vancouver ... those Chinese driving up prices really piss me off. I digress.
ReplyDeleteHi Di, I lived in the prairies a few years back, but now, just finished my job in Japan and am moving off to south Korea for a short while before Australia. Yes, we digress to talk about Chinese driving up prices for property in Canada, but seriously, they do that in cities like Vancouver and Toronto. A Torontonian Chinese-Canadian friend(born in Hong Kong but US-educated) told me that in her neighborhood, they(her French husband and her and her child) are surrounded by PRCs, and her husband once mused that it does not feel like Canada......
DeleteWell, I avoid Richmond, Vancouver except for our once a year visit to see my tax accountant whose office is in Richmond. Every time we drive there, we get very annoyed with the Chinese behaviour. As for my neigbhours, I live in the less prestigious part of town, so few, if any PRCs. The upside of not being wealthy. LOL. I am not surprised by your's situation.
DeleteI meant I am not surprised by your friend's situation of being surrounded by PRCs in her neighbourhood.
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