Myth about Singaporeans

Seriously, I wonder who started this myth about describing Singaporeans as Kiasu (Scared to lose). Since young, I thought this rumour perhaps started because Singaporeans were the only people around who are scared to lose out on things.

But ever since I came Australia, I think, perhaps, maybe, possibly got a slight chance that this kiasu myth is not to say not true, but it doesn't apply on Singaporeans ONLY.

Aussies do queue up for freebies and whenever there is a sale going on, you can see flocks and flocks of Aussie aunties stuffing cheap clothes and undies into their shopping basket. They dont even bother looking at the sizes and from what I reckon, they are stuffing clothes that are size Medium or Small when obviously the aunties look like XXL to me.

The only difference Aussie aunties behave and Singaporean aunties behave is that maybe Aussie aunties snatch freebies in a more elegant way. They say Thank you once they get what they want but Singaporean aunties only say "Still got more stock boh ah boy?" or "Wah, pi gao kao peh, bo gia wa lugi." (Wa, cheap till cry father. No take I lose out)

And let me stake another obvious example.

Yesterday during lecture, my lecturer announced that we will have to sign up for time slots for our pratical groups. And the thing was, some slots were good, some slots were bad. And the place to sign up was outside the lecturer's office.

So guess what, once the lecture ended, within 5 min, there was a massive queue outside the office, all anxiously waiting to sign up for the slots. Is this a sign of kiasu-ism or what? And some even ran to the office. RUN ok?


But... even though there was a massive queue, I was the 2nd person to sign up tsk...

I didnt wait for lecture to end, I left lecture 5 min earlier to sign up.

Dont play play ok, We are the pioneers of Kiasu-ism.