Swiss expat points out 'bizarre' Singaporean habits, including snapping photos of food

What's understood as normal to some may be seen as peculiar to others.

As an expat living in Singapore, Mary Muller has seen a number of Singapore-centric habits she'd describe as bizarre.

"[It] left me so perplexed in the beginning and I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw it," the Swiss woman said.

On Sept 5, Mary goes on to explain "weird" Singaporean habits she's seen firsthand in a six-minute YouTube video.

This was far from a bashing of Singaporeans' behaviour as she did mention how some of the highlighted habits are rather cute.

Before the first bite

Not only do Singaporeans love their food, there seems to be a love for food photography too.

Mary noted that this has had an influence on her and she is now guilty of this habit of snapping a shot before tucking into a meal. 

She sees Singapore as a foodie paradise and the nation's enthusiasm for food is simply "next level".

According to Mary, there's a running theme among food festivals attendees in Singapore.

"You would never see a person eating their food or drinking their coffee without taking a nice picture first," she said.

Chope and queue

Funnily enough, many of the habits Mary listed can be applied in a scenario involving food.

This includes our infamous "chope phenomenon",  the culture of queuing and the informal use of terms like "uncle" and "auntie".

At food joints like hawker centres, Mary has seen diners reserve a table with their personal belongings such as bags or umbrella. But what blew her mind was how diners wouldn't hesitate to use more valuable items like their keys and wallet.

Having secured a table, it's time to queue for some food.

Mary was shocked to see how people would "stay politely in one line" until their turn came along, whether it's queuing for food or public transport.

This was very different from her native Switzerland where getting on the train can be a "mess" as people would push each other to get the best seats.

Is that your uncle?

In Singapore, once you hit a certain age, you'd likely be referred to as uncle or auntie.

This isn't the case in Switzerland it seems, and Mary shared a personal experience where she mistook the chicken rice hawker as a relative to her friend.

All because her friend referred to the hawker as "uncle" when placing her order.

Mary's friend explained that Singaporeans tend to use the terms "uncle" or "auntie" rather loosely.

More often than not, these terms are used to establish a warm relationship and show respect to an individual that is older than you.

This tradition provided a more familiar and friendly touch when meeting a stranger which Mary seems to appreciate.

ALSO READ: From delivery culture to condo living: Expat couple explain why they love living in Singapore

amierul@asiaone.com

No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from AsiaOne.