Coming from a foreign country to study in Singapore, I could not help but to notice a few differences in the culture practiced back in my country and also in Singapore.
When I first stepped into NUS, I must admit that I was quite surprised to see that the first girl that I met was wearing just a pair of shorts and a singlet. For us Malaysians, this attire is an ultimate no- no in our local universities. Students are not allowed to wear shorts on campus even if they are not attending lectures. For guys, it might still be acceptable in some cases, but for ladies, it is a compulsory rule to wear long pants or skirts that are well below their knees, even in hostels. The students are also not allowed to wear sleeveless shirts in any occasion on campus.
Before I came into NUS, I thought that the rules in Singapore would be similar to Malaysia, and thus, I packed all my long pants and jeans into my luggage and brought only 2 pairs of shorts that I thought I would wear in my room. Imagine my surprise when I reached my hall, and almost everyone was in shorts. I felt quite awkward and out of place when I had to wear my jeans in the hall since the shorts that I have brought over here were obviously not sufficient. After attending my very first lecture in Singapore, only did I realized that we are allowed to wear shorts/skirts that are not way too short and we could even wear sleeveless shirts to school. In Malaysia, the students must wear covered shoes when attending lectures. However, in Singapore, one of the most common footwear that I see around campus is slippers. Furthermore, I have also noticed that some of the students here tend to dress up very nicely whenever they go for lecture and have a better sense of fashion. Students in Malaysia are always in the usual jeans and shirts attire.
This is probably why, when we Malaysians first came over to Singapore, the locals here would be able to guess correctly where we came from. It must be the way we dress ourselves up and the boring (!) fashion sense that we have :P Needless to say, when I went back to Malaysia for my first recess week, I bought many pairs of shorts. My twin sister who is studying in Malaysia was so envious of me because of this and the fact that it is kind of hot to wear long pants all day long when they are attending lectures. I guess there is nothing that can be done for her case since Malaysia is a pretty conservative country where we have to respect the Malays over there who make up the majority of Malaysian populations.
Hi Cuishan,
ReplyDeleteWorry not! It's the Singaporean students who are dressing way too casual to school. And I am guilty of being one.
I think we should dress up in 'appropriate attire', and slippers with shorts and singlets is definitely not the right get-up. And your wearing of tees and jeans initially are actually ideal. It is also a form of respect to our lecturers; that we are here to attend lessons and not dressed like we're heading to the beach. If the lecturers can dress smartly to conduct lessons, I feel it is only right that we wear properly to attend lessons.
If we look up for the NUS code of conduct, under clause 8, Dress-Code: Student's Attire(http://www.nus.edu.sg/osa/activities/downloads/CodeOfStudentConduct(110510).pdf), you would realized that the Singaporean students have set a bad example for foreigner students :P
However, I think it is good that you tried to assimilate into our culture. My mum has also avoided wearing sleeveless top and shorts or skirt to Malaysia, in respect of the Muslims.
-richard
Hi Cuishan!
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Richard has said about the our dressing being too casual for school. I remember I once read an article published in the local newspapers about the dressing of university in Singapore, and honestly speaking, I was actually quite surprised to know that it is stated in most universities' Code of Student Conduct that shorts and slippers are not allowed on campus.
I guess it's just part of the Singapore culture to allow such causal dressing in school. I am glad to know that you assimilated well into our culture. :)
Hi Cuishan,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing on the differences that you noticed between Singaporean and the Malaysian students. I agree with you that different cultural background will cause people from the different countries to dress differently, behave differently and are obvious distinct groups of people when put together in a common place.
I think in Singapore, the weather is pretty humid and sunny all year round thus Singaporean students generally try to beat the heat and wear shorts and tank tops, combined with slippers to attend school. Furthermore, I find that Singapore is probably more globalized than Malaysia thus we are able to receive first hand information on latest fashion trends etc which also explains why the students from different countries dress differently. Singapore's fashion trend is very much influenced by the Western and Asian fashion trends. I also agree that Malaysia, being mainly a Muslim country, has a conservative culture which also explains the dressing difference.
I think it's not difficult to blend into the Singaporean culture or fashion trend, since we don't specifically have a unique sense of fashion/trend of our own.
Regards,
Mel
Hi Cuishan!
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting story, thanks for sharing!
I have a friend studying in a university in Malaysia, and she is always complaining about not being able to wear shorts to school. I thought it was a dress code specific to her course, but now I am aware that this is actually the rule for the whole country.
I agree with the rest. I think we are too casual in our dressing to school. I think there was nothing wrong in wearing jeans every day, other than the comfort issue. After all, you are only showing your identity as a foreign student, and there's nothing wrong with that! At the same time, it is also commendable that you tried to fit into our culture. This shows that you are aware of the differences, and in trying to fit in, have embraced our culture as well! This is very important when interacting with other cultures, that is, to be open to the different ways things are done.
Have fun dressing up to school :D
Amelia
Hi Cuishan,
ReplyDeleteIf not for reading your entry, I wouldn’t have known that the local universities in Malaysia were so strict with dressing. And that you have a twin sister!
I can imagine how you felt when you saw everyone dressing in such casual wear. Strictly speaking, the NUS code of conduct, as mentioned by Richard, has stated that students should be decently attired. In actual fact, shorts, singlets and slippers are actually considered improper attire, and are meant for domestic use. However, I am not proud to say this, but I am guilty of such behaviour myself!
The “casual culture”, I am sad to say, does not really reflect well on Singapore. However, many foreign students do not want to feel easily identified as “foreign” like how you felt. In a few of my modules, I see exchange students trying their best to fit in among us by dressing in Bermudas and slippers too. Ultimately, we choose the way we dress, and at times we must be aware of how our dressing presents ourselves to others. In the case of your sister, she is bound by the rules of her university and also the respect for people of different religion. I guess that is a way of being sensitive and tolerant towards other cultures, which we would need to learn when we are exposed to cultures other than our own.
I hope that after studying in Singapore for a few years now, you are more comfortable with living here!
Cheers,
Siyuan