Canadian High Commission, PDAs and family in Singapore
Well, my first half week in Singapore. So far, things are going alright. Have had a few rather interesting run ins with the inlaws. Though, granted, not really a face to face issue but more a behind the lines issues that are being passed through my wife to me. For me, I am hearing about things that I wear that are not really acceptable in some eyes and am being told to change it just to keep people happy. I also hope that in return, the inlaws are getting some info on things I find rather interesting that might be changed or accomodated. Hey, I can dream....
Though I did learn that the Canadian High Commission here is truly a gov't run organization. We got there to have to sign in at the basement with our names, date, time in and ID badge number they provided, went up to the 11th floor, talked to the security guard (who, I swear, asked 'apply for?' though Ee swears he asked "what are you applying for?"...not sure if the 'what are you...' is automatically heard by Singaporeans who are used to speaking in broken english without nouns, verbs or adverbs and such..who then told us that everyone was out at lunch, to go down the elevator and come back in 30 minutes. Returning in 30 minutes we had to sign in at the basement with our names, date, time in and ID badge number they provided, went up to the 11th floor, talked to another security guard who had us sign in AGAIN and took our laptop, MP3, camera, cell phone and basically anything electronic, walked through a metal detector and sat in the waiting room for 5 minutes then we got to talk to the 'receptionist'. Found out she was the almightly receptionist who answered questions the same way 'go to this web site, read about it, go from there'. Ahhh, the wonders of the internet...reduce the use of actually talking to a human and getting them to explain things to going to a webpage to get the information, that we already went to and got the run around on it cause it is basically the worst navigational website I have ever seen. Even better, I think i was in a no win situation. I ask her one question at a time, she gives one answer at a time passing papers through the little security grill work and then expecting me to leave when I have so many questions. Near the 3rd questions he was pissed. Though, I have learned that when I ask all my questions in one breath, people get annoyed at me and answer one and then ask "what else did you want to know?" and then get annoyed when I ask question two. Ahhh, so nice to know, that when it comes to Canadian officials overseas, we get all the run around, just minus the cheery canadian smiles that you get in the actual Canadian gov't buildings on Canadian soil.
As for the webpage I was given, truly it is a work of the gov't. Instead of them actually having a person there that I can go up to and ask "hey, I am a Canadian Citizen living in Singapore and will be working. I really don't want to pay income taxes in two countries cause, hey, let's face it, both countries have high income tax, you tax me twice and I am pretty much broke. How can I file in only one country?" and I get a simple answer from people that know what they are talking about. Instead, with the wonders of the internet, I get to go to a place and, in the privacy of my own home and on my own time, I can get the gov't run around and walk away with absolutely no solution to my problem whatsoever. Ahhh, Gov't incompetance has found a friend in internet confusion.
Other than that, things are going as I remember life in Singapore from my many visits. Holding hands with my chinese wife in the mall will get me glances, hugging my chinese wife in the MRT will get me head shakes and glances, and if I dare to actually kiss her anywhere in public (MRT, street, mall, stores) I get glances/head shakes and glares all in one. At first I thought it was the racial thing where people dont approve of interracial relationships. However, after hearing the MM and PM talk about how Singapore is a cultural/racial accepting nation, I really couldn't blame it on that. I mean, how can a $2,000,000 politician be wrong? Got to be paid for something. So, I guess I get those glares because Singapore is definitly a very reserved country in the froms of Public Displays of Affection (PDAs) and I will have to learn how to keep my hands/lips to myself and off my wife.
Also, wonder how long it will be before I can walk through a mall without being accosted by tailors wanting to make me a suit for cheap price, and the trishaw bicycle people to not try to catch my eye and wave me in for a ride.
Though I did learn that the Canadian High Commission here is truly a gov't run organization. We got there to have to sign in at the basement with our names, date, time in and ID badge number they provided, went up to the 11th floor, talked to the security guard (who, I swear, asked 'apply for?' though Ee swears he asked "what are you applying for?"...not sure if the 'what are you...' is automatically heard by Singaporeans who are used to speaking in broken english without nouns, verbs or adverbs and such..who then told us that everyone was out at lunch, to go down the elevator and come back in 30 minutes. Returning in 30 minutes we had to sign in at the basement with our names, date, time in and ID badge number they provided, went up to the 11th floor, talked to another security guard who had us sign in AGAIN and took our laptop, MP3, camera, cell phone and basically anything electronic, walked through a metal detector and sat in the waiting room for 5 minutes then we got to talk to the 'receptionist'. Found out she was the almightly receptionist who answered questions the same way 'go to this web site, read about it, go from there'. Ahhh, the wonders of the internet...reduce the use of actually talking to a human and getting them to explain things to going to a webpage to get the information, that we already went to and got the run around on it cause it is basically the worst navigational website I have ever seen. Even better, I think i was in a no win situation. I ask her one question at a time, she gives one answer at a time passing papers through the little security grill work and then expecting me to leave when I have so many questions. Near the 3rd questions he was pissed. Though, I have learned that when I ask all my questions in one breath, people get annoyed at me and answer one and then ask "what else did you want to know?" and then get annoyed when I ask question two. Ahhh, so nice to know, that when it comes to Canadian officials overseas, we get all the run around, just minus the cheery canadian smiles that you get in the actual Canadian gov't buildings on Canadian soil.
As for the webpage I was given, truly it is a work of the gov't. Instead of them actually having a person there that I can go up to and ask "hey, I am a Canadian Citizen living in Singapore and will be working. I really don't want to pay income taxes in two countries cause, hey, let's face it, both countries have high income tax, you tax me twice and I am pretty much broke. How can I file in only one country?" and I get a simple answer from people that know what they are talking about. Instead, with the wonders of the internet, I get to go to a place and, in the privacy of my own home and on my own time, I can get the gov't run around and walk away with absolutely no solution to my problem whatsoever. Ahhh, Gov't incompetance has found a friend in internet confusion.
Other than that, things are going as I remember life in Singapore from my many visits. Holding hands with my chinese wife in the mall will get me glances, hugging my chinese wife in the MRT will get me head shakes and glances, and if I dare to actually kiss her anywhere in public (MRT, street, mall, stores) I get glances/head shakes and glares all in one. At first I thought it was the racial thing where people dont approve of interracial relationships. However, after hearing the MM and PM talk about how Singapore is a cultural/racial accepting nation, I really couldn't blame it on that. I mean, how can a $2,000,000 politician be wrong? Got to be paid for something. So, I guess I get those glares because Singapore is definitly a very reserved country in the froms of Public Displays of Affection (PDAs) and I will have to learn how to keep my hands/lips to myself and off my wife.
Also, wonder how long it will be before I can walk through a mall without being accosted by tailors wanting to make me a suit for cheap price, and the trishaw bicycle people to not try to catch my eye and wave me in for a ride.
posted by Capt_Canuck at 2:49 AM
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