'Shocked at how petty he was': Taiwanese YouTuber recounts date with Singaporean who wanted $1.50 back for teh peng

When on a date, do you expect one party to pay or prefer to go Dutch?

While opinions vary, asking your date to pay $1.50 back for a drink at a kopitiam may be on a whole new level.

In the latest podcast by YouTube channel HeyKaki, some foreigners living in Singapore came together to discuss their dating experiences with Singaporean men.

Taiwanese food YouTuber Alison Wu shared a negative experience she had on her first date with a man, where they had gone to a coffee shop.

"I felt he was very petty, I was shocked at how petty he was," she said.

She added that she had bought a teh peng for $1.50, to peals of laughter from the host and fellow podcast guests for her accurate memory.

Alison continued: "And then, after he ordered, he asked me to pay him back, 'Eh, remember to give me the $1.50'."

She added that "more importantly" she had given the man a $2 note and said he could keep the change, which he happily did.

"Then I never went out with him ever again," Alison concluded.

Fellow podcast guest Tiffany Zhang from China had a similar experience with a local man. She had gone to a cafe with her date, and wanted oat milk with her latte.

"Then he said, 'Are you sure? It's extra', and I said, 'Yes, it's okay'," she continued. 

She asked to split the bill after the date as "he looked really petty" to her. To Tiffany, it meant splitting the bill evenly, but not to her date.

"His interpretation was that my latte was $1 more, so I had to pay him $1 more."

Alison quipped that Tiffany's date and her date could be good friends.

On TikTok, netizens were of two minds.

"I agree, Singaporean guys [are a] bit calculative," one commented. "Like [it's the] end of the world."

Another commiserated with Alison: "I had the same experience eating roti canai."

Others, however, felt that Alison was making generalisations about Singaporean men.

"Maybe he was already scared/disappointed with her. She must have done something," a netizen speculated. "No man would react this way. Takes two hands to clap, girl."

'If the girl wants to pay, he might get angry'

Alison continued that, in Taiwan, guys were more "generous and conventional" and believe that they are supposed to pay for the woman on a date.

"If the girl wants to pay, he might get angry. He might wonder why you didn't give him face," she added.

Tiffany agreed that men in China were similar, and both women shared that women from Taiwan and China believed that men should come with a "package" consisting of a house and a car.

She joked: "There will be blind date vibes. 'What are your savings, how many houses do you have? How many cars, what kind of car is it? What does your family do for a living?'"

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Alison said that families were more traditional there while in Singapore, there was a greater focus on gender equality.

So, how do the Aussie men compare to those from Singapore, China and Taiwan then?

According to Australian-Chinese guest Daniel Dunn, it was common for "one person to foot the bill" at a time and take turns.

"Maybe it's the girl first, then the guy, something like that."

While Tiffany and Alison both said they are in relationships with Singaporean men now, our local lads still don't have the best of reputation with some women.

Earlier this year, UK-born Daisy Anne claimed it was difficult for her to find "independent" men locally, and even said: "It's a running joke that Singaporean men are like a different species."

A Tokyo-based TikToker Tiffany also shared about a first date with a Singaporean so disastrous that it had his fellow countrymen apologising on behalf of the nation.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KMcAM2jRdY&ab_channel=HeyKaki%E5%98%BF%E5%8D%A1%E5%A5%87[/embed]

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drimac@asiaone.com