Singapore Local Customs

 
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  • other sauces for roti like the canai
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Most Viewed Local Customs in Singapore

1.

Daily Customs   Singapore

Daily Customs, Singapore

 15 Reviews  Dear Uncle Arthur We all missed you. My uncle died of cancer on 10th March 2012 at age 80, he gone peacefully without any pain. Cremation on 14th March 2012 at Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium... 

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2.

Singlish   Singapore

Singlish, Singapore

 7 Reviews  Singlish, quite literally, means Singapore English-- a unique blend of the languages and dialects of the diverse ethnic groups residing here. Most Singaporeans are actually capable of speaking proper... 

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3.

HDB Housing   Singapore

HDB Housing, Singapore

 6 Reviews  Most of the HDB estates have shops at ground floor level selling day to day items that you may need for around the home. They sell a large varietyof things like foods and drinks, alcoholic... 

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4.

Weather   Singapore

Weather, Singapore

 2 Reviews   Singapore is very near the Equator, surrounded by water and HUMID all year round. Plan accordingly. Wear cool comfortable clothes and stop into air conditioned hotels or shops from time to time to... 

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Comments

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Auntie and uncle

by kemisteryoso

I heard people saying auntie or uncle to address someone older than you but not related to you. It's like this is their way of being polite to a stranger.So the following will be the usual phrases a traveler..Uncle ( cab driver) take me to Marina bayAuntie(noodle vendor) how much ?

Singlish

by kemisteryoso

You will encounter lots of Signage or phrases that sometimes you can't understand easily.Take away - To go or take outEat here - Dine inYou will encounter this when you are buying your food from a food chain. I read an advertisement saying " Take away noodles won't soften"No money - sometimes means no load or credit left from a prepaid cellphonePleas clear the steps - I read this on a escalator maybe it means don't block the escalator or something.Just smile and don't laugh if you read this "Please lower down your voice volume"

Lantern Festival

by ahcoln

Lantern Festival (also called as mooncake festival or mid-autumn festival) is a chinese traditional festival. On the night of the festival, decorative lanterns depicting birds, beasts, historical figures, and any one of a number of different themes are carried by children or adorn temples. At Singapore Chinese Garden, there is an special event to celebrate the lantern festival (most probably on mid August to mid September). I was there at the right time to share the great moment.

Peanut tapping at Raffles

by tropicrd

Yes I agree with Lynne.Try and be in the longbar when they have peanut tapping--it is so much fun drinking singspore slings--shelling fresh peanuts and throwing the shells on the floor--when people walk on them it sounds fantastic.The crushed shells are then used as mulch on the beautiful gardens at Raffles.Also check out the marble staircases in the main foyer.High tea is a nice experience. Enjoy.

Haircut in 10 minutes

by muratkorman

The dynamic atmosphere of Singapore makes time even more valuable each day. You can find barber shops doing haircut in 10 minutes for 10 SGD. There are many outlets all around Singapore. QB House and EC House are two main haircut saloons having many branches.

Local cuisine

by JohanIsWeg

Since visiting Singapore I have fallen in love with Nonya food. This is a term used to describe the delightful fusion of Chinese, Malay and other Southeast Asian flavours and cooking styles. My personal favourite is Mee Siam (spicy tangy noodles), but other outstanding dishes are Laksa Lemak (rice noodles in coconut gravy), Nonya Mee (nonya noodles), Itek Tim (duck and salted vegetable soup) and Ayam Buah Keluak (chicken with keluak).Singapore is also rightly famous for Char Kway Teow, Hainanese Chicken Rice and Chili Crab.Treat your tastebuds!

Mee Siam (Spicy Tangy Noodles)
Tissue paper scare crow...

by bladedragon

Yes, in eating places, especially around CBD, tissue paper put on tables or chairs can act as a scare crow or should I say scare people from taking the place.It's a common thing in Singapore as most offices have similar lunch time (around 12-2pm) and there is simply not enough seats in hawker centres to cover for everyone during those 2 hours.Some other common items that can be seen to "chop" the seats are: umbrellas and newspapers.Interestingly, there are other non conventional "chopping" stuffs too, such as: name cards, handkerchiefs, ballpoints, lighters and even body lotions.I wonder if we'll see wallet in the list soon :D

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Getting by in Singapore

by cochinjew

Today's Economist, dated 3 june 2008, had an article on the etiquette of singaporeans and the cultural peculiarities of this Asian island.you can read it at:http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2008/05/continuing_our_weekly_series_o.cfm?Fsrc=glvrnwlThe comments following the articles are also entertaining..

Feng Shui is very important

by Rodan44

Singapore's population is approximately 75% ethnic Chinese, and therefore many traditional Chinese customs and philsophies are observed in Singapore. Feng Shui is the concept of being in harmony with one's environment, and it is applied on both micro (e.g. decorating one's home) and macro (e.g. city planning) scales. Examples of Feng Shui can be found all over Singapore, such as the placement of trees and plants all around (and even inside or on top of) buildings and the many koi ponds found in public places.But Feng Shui can also work in a negative way, as illustrated by this photo. The buildings shown were designed with a sharp edge on one side. In terms of Feng Shui, this is very negative because it resembles a knife that could slash and do harm. As a result, there is a totally empty lot directly across from the sharp edge of the building. Despite this being prime downtown real...

Sharp building and empty lot
Lion Dance during Chinese New Year

by Rodan44

During the Chinese Lunar New Year (January/February), you can see traditional lion dance performances taking place throughout Singapore. Many different dance troupes can be seen (or more usually heard) driving around the city in the backs of lorries, banging loudly on drums and cymbals. Local businesses hire a team to stop in front of their shop and perform the dance as a way of bringing good fortune for the coming year. The dance usually last about 20 minutes or so and follows a symbolic pattern.If you are in Singpaore during this time, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a dance, as you can hear the loud drums from far away.

Mmm, young children, my favorite!

Top 3 Hotels in Singapore

Victoria Singapore Hotel  Singapore

 1 Review and 185 Opinions  Didn't stay there but was there for western steak lunch. 

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Raffles Hotel - Singapore  Singapore

 16 Reviews and 709 Opinions  Yes, it''s true, even the staff at the raffles hotel say that their iconic and historic hotel are... 

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Hotel81 - Tristar  Singapore

 1 Review and 49 Opinions  Keep in mind we were only there for 2 nights. Walked into the lobby and it was nice, bright, and... 

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Singapore Local Customs

Reviews and photos of Singapore local customs posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Singapore sightseeing.
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