http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_634501.html
RECENTLY, website CNNGo, a lifestyle and travel companion to CNN, ranked Singaporeans ahead of the siesta-loving Spaniards and the dreadlocks-donning Jamaicans as the second- coolest people in the world. At No.1 were the samba-dancing Brazilians.
But do Singaporeans themselves think Singapore is cool? When The Sunday Times hit the streets to ask 200 Singaporeans what they thought was cool about their homeland, 91 - or close to half - either could not come up with an answer, or gave an outright 'no' to the idea of Singapore being cool.
WHAT OUR POLL FOUND...
We asked 200 Singaporeans what makes Singapore cool.
Do you think Singapore is cool?
YES 109
NO 91
Top five things that make Singapore cool
1. Good transport system
2. The diversity - multiracialism, multiculturalism
3. Food
4. Safety
5. Shopping
What is least cool about Singapore?
1. Rude Singaporeans
2. Too many rules and regulations
3. Kiasuism
4. Not enough entertainment
5. Weather
Coolest icon in Singapore
1. Can't think of one
2. MM Lee Kuan Yew
3. Marina Bay Sands
4. Gurmit Singh
5. Hossan Leong/Kumar
People's opinions:
What experts and Singaporeans in the street say:
'I don't think Singapore is cool but it is definitely getting cooler...
Model city it may be, but can the Singapore way result in a place that people all over the world love the way they love Paris, New York or Shanghai? I'm not so sure.'
AUSTRALIAN TIM RICHES, chief growth officer, FutureBrand Singapore
'I guess we need something strong that our citizens can be proud of, like some innovation, brand or label. Perhaps then we'll feel like our country is keeping up with the scene. Like, if Apple's from Singapore then that would be cool.'
MS PEARL TAN, 22, undergraduate at Nanyang Technological University's business school
'When you're a local, after a while, no matter where you are, nothing's cool any more.'
MS ESTHER SOH, 21, student
'As tourists, we tend to be more inquisitive and look for certain things but if you live in the same area for many years and take the same bus route every day, your surroundings become part of the wallpaper.'
MR BAEY YAM KENG, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC and managing director of public relations firm Hill & Knowlton, explaining why Singaporeans think cities such as New York and Tokyo are cool and not Singapore
'I certainly think Singapore is 'super cool'. Whenever we travel, I always get this warm fuzzy feeling when we touch down at Changi Airport and the Singapore Airlines stewardess announces, 'And to all Singaporeans, welcome home.'
I am very proud of the progress Singapore has made post-independence. Whenever I am with my foreign friends, they are full of praise for my country and are often curious to know how this Little Red Dot managed to achieve so much. So we are cool, because outsiders look at us with envy.'
SOCIOLOGIST PAULIN STRAUGHAN
From The Straits Times Facebook page:
Being away for three years made me appreciate the infrastructure (transport, network, accessibility) and multi-cultural society. We do not stare at people because they look different from us. We are a cosmopolitan society and foreigners appreciate that. Of course, there are also the ugly truths of higher cost of living and wider income gap.
LOIS TEO
I like the amount of greenery, the general cleanliness of the streets, the safety of the roads after dark, being stable politically and economically. That is cool. What's uncool? There is nothing to do here except eat and shop.
KHIAM YEONG HENG
The lovely beautiful smiles on elderly folks' faces when you walk past them are cool, and pushing and shoving in crowded places is so uncool.
JAMILAH ABDUL RASHID
Our efficiency makes us both cool and uncool. If you want to get something done, you can trust a Singaporean to get it done for you. But we've become a victim of our success. We forget how to live life and be who we really can be.
ROY YI LING SEXIESPIDER
Our dress-sense is cool. Slippers and shorts rock!
ANNO VI
On Twitter:
Being multi-ethnic and peace-loving about it. Being totally wired up. Having two cellphones is normal.
@leonardryong (Leonard Royce Yong)
So cool nobody can speak Singlish the way we do, no matter how hard they try.
@_alfy (Li Fang)
It's so cool that Singapore is known for its food worldwide; chicken rice in Tokyo?! It's so uncool some Singaporeans lack manners.
@mimivinci (Vince Lee)
Singaporeans spend way too much of their time studying. That's so uncool.
@xheartinfinity (Steph Kim)
(TAKEN FROM THE STRAITS TIMES IF YOU HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO CLICK ON THE ARTICLE)
So, if you're Singaporeans, do you think Singapore is cool?
For me, I don't really er... have too much opinion. I'm basically a Singaporean, with no demands or compliments. But I do have to say that the Singaporeans invented Singlish. lol. And had chicken rice, wanton noodles and stuff.
I don't like the MRT saying that no plain-water drinking is allowed though. I always coughed almost to death at MRTs. I like buses cus they're cheap and I can stand there looking awkward and stuff.
I asked my brother for his opinion. Yes he thinks Singapore is cool, cus it's a clean and colorful city. lol.
So yeah. What's your opinion? Tag below? lol
