If you have ever been to Singapore, you probably have heard of the term 'Singlish' before. Just like in China or Japan, every part of the country uses a different dialect other than their common language. Singlish therefore is Singapore's very own dialect we commonly use in our daily conversations.
Singlish is a creole interlanguage native to Malaysia and Singapore. It is the first language of many younger uneducated Singaporeans, especially those whose parents do not share a native language or dialect, and is the second language of nearly all the rest of the country's citizens.
The vocabulary of Singlish consists of words originating from English, Malay (mainly Bahasa Melayu rather than Indonesian), Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese, Tamil, Bengali, Punjabi. Also, elements of American and Australian slang have come through from imported television series. And in recent years, due to the fact that Mandarin is taught to most Singaporean Chinese students in school, Mandarin words have also found their way into Singlish.
If you are new to this dialect of ours, it may take some time before you get used to it. :) But once you get a hang of it, some people say that it is addictive and hard to get rid of. So to help you blend in to the Singaporean culture when you visit Singapore in the future, we will be teaching you some basic Singlish phrases to help you communicate with the local people.
When people hear you speaking Singlish, it might not only shock our fellow Singaporeans, but it will also create a sense of closeness when you use this special dialect of ours.
Some of the Singlish words include lah, leh and ah. It is to be used as a punctuation after your sentence. For example: I am going to have my lunch soon, lah! (It is to further empahasize your point.) Are we going to visit the Merlion park ah? (To be added when you ask a question) I am not free leh.
Some of the other interesting phrases include:
Singlish: Want to go Orcher walk walk see see or not?
English: Let's go shopping/sightseeing at Orchard Road.
Singlish: Dun anyhow touch here touch there leh.
English: Please don't mess with my things.
Singlish: We two fren-fren one.
English: We are close friends.
Singlish: You go take the small-small one ah!
English: Retrieve the smaller item, please.
Do give Singalish a try when you visit Singapore! :)
Posted by: Bow
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Singapore Chinese: 新加坡, Xīnjiāpō
Malay: Singapura
Singapore, the smallest nation in the south East Asian community, is home to a vast mixture of different cultures and heritages. Singapore used to be made up of a mixture of an indigenous Malay population with a third generation Chinese majority, as well as Indian and Arab immigrants with intermarraiges. Along with these combination, there are also significant Eurasian and Peranakan (Straights Chinese) communities living together in harmony on our small sunny Island, Singapore. And in today's context, there are many inter-marraiges between Singaporeans and people from all over the world! Just take my family as an example. My dad is a Thai chinese while my mum is a Singaporean. It is amazing how diverse Singapore's culture can get huh? :)
Although on the surface, you may be able to differenciate our race and know the differences between the cultures and heritages, that is really not enough to explain 'Singapore'. When you really come and experience the culture we have here for yourself, I promise you that it will be a totally different experience afterall and you will not regret it. Plug Type
Voltage
220/440 volts
Language English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil
Population 4.3 million
Time Zone GMT +8 hours
Mobile Phones GSM 900/1800/CDMA
Visas
Foreigners holding travel documents issued by certain countries require either a Business or Social Visit visa. For more information, please visit the Singapore Immigration Web site.Visa Requirements from the Singapore Immigration Web site
Currency
The Singapore dollar is the unit of money. Like the US dollar, it is divided into 100 cents. It is normally abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or alternatively S$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies.
The Singapore dollar is available in 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 1,000 and 10,000 denomination banknotes.Credit cards are accepted in major hotels as well as shopping malls. Cash and travelers cheques can be exchanged in licensed exchange offices and international hotels.Here are the most recent exchange rates for some common currencies.
SGD 1.00 equals:
.66 US Dollar (USD)
1.00 Australian Dollar (AUD)
.52 Euro (EUR)
.44 British Pound (GBP)
5.11 Hong Kong Dollar (HKD)
32.26 Indian Rupee (INR)
64.34 Japanese Yen (JPY)
1.17 New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
Taxes
GST is applied at the rate of 7% of value of almost all goods and services consumed in Singapore.
Tipping
Generally, there is a 10% service charge added to the bill. If this charge is not included, then it is appropriate to tip the waiter 10% or whatever you feel is appropriate. Tipping taxi drivers is not customary, and is, in fact, discouraged.
Business Hours
Bank Hours9 am to 3 pm, Monday through Friday9:30 to 11:30, SaturdayOffice Hours9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday9 am to 1 pm , SaturdayShop HoursShops are generally open from 10 am to 9 pm Monday through Saturday. Most shops are open on Sundays.
Public Health
Medical facilities in Singapore are of high standard. Tap water in the hotel is potable and if desired, may be boiled prior to consumption using the facilities provided in-room. Bottled water is also provided, compliments of the hotel.
Dressing in Singapore
Given Singapore’s tropical climate, lightweight summer clothing is generally sufficient. A suit is appropriate when conducting business. Some restaurants may require a jacket, otherwise smart, casual clothing will suffice.
Weather
Located just north of the equator, Singapore enjoys warm to hot temperatures all year round. With rainy seasons along the year.
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heartinsg
Through this blog, my team of editors and I hope to bring you the best of
If you have any suggestions on how we can improve this blog to suit you better, please contact me at travelwithbow@hotmail.com
Q: So how will this blog help me?
A: This blog will record all our experiences as we journey to places and that will help you in getting to know the places better even without having been to those places. This information will benefit you in the planning of your itinerary to Singapore.
Q: How do I navigate around this site?
A: We have created links for you to go to individual posts without getting mixed up in all our posts. Also, on the red links, you will be able to find all the posts in that particular theme. The links are conveniently located on the right of the page. Scroll down further and you will also be able to see the links to the main websites of attracttions and events. We hope that it will be able to assist you in your planning. :)
A: Definitely! We will be more than glad to bring you more of Singapore in any way! :)
Posted by: Bow
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