Stayers & Quitters

[Joerox]

I think relocating has its pros and cons, but one thing's for sure. It's a lot easier to uproot yourself now.

However, in all fairness to the 'sterile' (as my US friends will call it) environment, I'd say Singapore is safe, efficient and politically stable. In sum, a rather good place to retire in.

However, we all know that this comes at a price, which I feel has been elaborated time and time in this forum and the media at large. We aren't really as cheap and competitive as 'Lao Lee' says we are.

Coupled with our wonderful education system, I'd say that Singapore ain't really the price to raise your kids in.

Moving on the the realm of politics, I am proud to say that I haven't voted before, my area of residence falls under a voting zone (or whatever you call it) that is a walkover every year.

Since it's lunch time at the office, I shall take the liberty to post some of my thoughts on the validations in staying here FROM MY PERSPECTIVE (so please be gentle with me). I'd say its pretty much IMO, but I'm sure some of my countrymen can emphatise. =)

Firstly, I shall tackle the age old "You-have-family-and-friends-here" argument.

Yes my countrymen live here, this is my 'island home,' as Kaira Gong said in her national day songs. But I think that I'm not big enough an ass not to be able to have friends overseas, considering that most of my friends now are currently from / staying abroad.

Wrt my family, most of my are in Canada or China / HK.

In sum, I find rather challenging PERSONALLY to swear allegiance to a piece of land by virtue of the fact that my family and friends are in Singapore.
I have friends and family out there in the global village, which could be why I'm singing this song in the first place, but let's not go there.

Next, I shall talk about the myth of equal oppourtunities in the country.

Singapore's plan to keep things going is to ensure that there is an elite class of people to take care of the rest.

For proof, check out the DSTA scholarships and what nots. Lazy to do so? No problem!
Just wait / think back to your NS days, and let me focus on the difference in the oppourtunities that president scholars get in comparision with the SAF scholars.


Apologies to RoRk for my "talk like gotch farni," and confusing you a little in the process. I'd like you to know that the feeling is mutual.

I DID answer your question wrt being a stayer or a quitter. It's in the last paragraph of my previous post. =)

For the sake of the uninitiated, it roughly translates to what any economist worth his salf will answer whenever asked a question; "It depends."

Ok, lunch time is over, back to the real world and real work. =(

 

[ac]

im afraid to say im a quitter. stayed in singapore for almost 15 years. pretty much grep up there. from K1 to J2 i stayed there. but recently my dad got a job offer with expat status and the offer was pretty much irresistable. so he decided to pull the plug and we all moved to the United Kingdom (Scotland) in Dec 2007.

deh i think most people would agree that being forced to move overseas because daddy had to go is considered being a quitter.

and ....

this is SPARTAPORE!!!!

*kick*

 

[shinobi]

our country is relatively safe
our country is relatively stable
our country is relatively developed

relative to what? we are already making comparisons without even knowing what we are comparing against

emigration is not a matter of the failure of society, government policy, or lack of patriotism. that is bullshit. the decision of whether to migrate depends on individual choice, and his response to his personal circumstances. the opportunities and opportunity costs of one's decision to migrate will not exist in another's.

i also believe that singapore is a land of quitters and stayers.
LOCALS WHO STAY + QUITTERS FROM OTHER COUNTRIES (FOREIGN TALENT)

this is called inconsistency. how about i leave the politicking to the politicians, and i take responsibility for my own life?

 

[RoRK]

bro Joerox, RoRK oso econs grad - I was kidding with you about the farni farni bit - hope it's more obvious now.

It looks like the majority of those that posted here would like to quit (or have already quit).

What I find amusing is that Singapore has gone on a 'mad' rush to fill in the space around us. I dread going to Orchard these days because the crowd is just too bloody ridiculous!

Sardines can walk one meh?

From the "Stop at Two" campaign, hitherto, HOW THE HECK DID WE GET TO THIS!!!

 

[shinobi]

Sardines can walk one meh?

who said cannot?

anyway maybe we missed out a third class of singaporeans... arguably a subset of the stayers. the quitters, the stayers, and the whiners!

 

[RoRK]

Whiners are losers mah. Must have ethics mah! Cannot say lidat one ah.

You is champion! Maybe you start your own thread on SG whiners?

Eh! chinobi you gotch Japanese ancestry ah? I see your nick like you gotch lovelovelove from Japanese lidat.

 

[empihsrow]

Haha, the whiners! The cynical whiners who complain about staying and quitting! And you realize they always stay in the end.

Actually, I'm hell bent on leaving this island.

 

[shinobi]

Eh! chinobi you gotch Japanese ancestry ah? I see your nick like you gotch lovelovelove from Japanese lidat.

i gotch no japanese ancestry but hopefully my descendants will have japanese blood

 

[RoRK]

i gotch no japanese ancestry but hopefully my descendants will have japanese blood

Dey! Blood all red ah.

But if I had to choose between a Japanese and a Korean gf/wife, it'd be a Korean. Japanese food easy to find mah! :mrgreen:

Alamak! We digress. OK, RoRK go back on course.

Sorry ah.

 

[shinobi]

lol, back on course because i can't sleep. ask a general question, get a general answer.

but if you ask me what i would do, the answer is: migrate

i would love to be patriotic, i have lots of sentiment for this land, i would pledge allegiance to this country...

but to put it coarsely,

can patriotism put food on the table?
can sentiment pay the bills?
can allegiance support your ageing parents?

only one thing can: money.

and now my GREATEST concern is that i will not be able to afford to retire

cpf minimum sum is $106,000. if you use CPF to pay for your house, it is not even enough. much less will you be able to set aside 106,000 bucks for your retirement

and because of this the government expects the retirement age to increase. but does my company want to keep me employed till i am 62?

this is how the rich will feel the pinch, but the poor gets farked

it is said that we owe the country a living (somehow). but who owes me a living?

 

[holahee]

singacore.
that's all.

 

[henryvelge]

after i earn enough money and sever all ties here, im going to pack my bags and leave singapore. i'll move out into southern new zealand and stay in the wilderness. i'll grow a beard and become one with nature.

yeap.

 

[guitarsan]

^ Aye. That's the spirit.

Btw, the word "quitter" is so negative and propaganda-ish. Only this government can think of something like that. The right words should be "endeavour seeker".

 

[shredrat]

milo bar/kit kat $2.20-10 years back i can use that amount of money to buy chicken rice.

 

[Ikiru]

Wanna quit because it's sickening to stay in Singapore. Sometimes it's the mindset that it leads people to have, sometimes it's the people themself, sometimes it's even the system that Singapore runs in. Everything just doesn't rub well against me. It's like I've been born in the wrong place.

But still in the end, it's Home you know.... a person will still be hesitant when they have the capability of leaving. Even if you leave, you'll still miss this damned country lol.

 

[Mobius]

It makes u wonder are people leaving because they are so pampered here that they grow to expect more and whine at the smallest inconvenince and problems and overlook the pros ? Just feels that we are like pampered kids...

 

[empihsrow]

It makes u wonder are people leaving because they are so pampered here that they grow to expect more and whine at the smallest inconvenince and problems and overlook the pros ? Just feels that we are like pampered kids...

Pampered? If we're probably pampered, we wouldn't even bother to think about leaving Singapore.

And seriously, why don't you tell me what's so good about Singapore?

 

[dir]

And seriously, why don't you tell me what's so good about Singapore?

Nothing, man. it's only about as good as you make it out to be.

Why should any of us stay or leave, instead of trying to make a difference here and now? Maybe it's not worth it. Some of us couldn't care less... apathy is indeed bliss. Maybe we are all cowards for not doing enough?

To those brave enough, I raise a glass of Victory Gin in your honor!

 

[THOA]

The people here have a lot of potential to create that change. But those who can change things either migrates or gets arrested. Both of which is a direct effect to how the system has been dictating the course of where and how that change-potential gets channeled, shut or dessipate.

Sometimes though, the ones who are pursuing the change are using the wrong tactics to do it, and end up falling into the same ol' stupid trap, and being seen as the foolish brats of society.

Change needs a new approach on things.

I am a stayer. Because I want to witness change when it happens. Hope I see it in my lifetime.

 

[empihsrow]

I've always wanted to be an opposition politician. But I think, in Singapore, it's not gonna bring me anywhere.