Lifestyle in Asian countries vs Western countries


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rodel

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Sep 22, 2006
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Why lifestyle in Asian countries like Singapore is a rat-race?
We need to stay back during weekdays and need to work in weekends.
Unlike in western countries like US and Australia, the work only 8-5 on weekdays.
Free during weekends. They really enjoy their lives.....
:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:
 

Why lifestyle in Asian countries like Singapore is a rat-race?
We need to stay back during weekdays and need to work in weekends.
Unlike in western countries like US and Australia, the work only 8-5 on weekdays.
Free during weekends. They really enjoy their lives.....
:dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno: :dunno:

You must have not worked the U.S and Australia before, have you?
There are lesser public holidays in the US than Singapore.
The people you hear who work 8-5 in Western countries are either very poor, or extremely rich. The majority middle class work long hours just like everybody else and get taxed till death. And of course, if you are an immigrant or on a work visa, you work doubly hard.
 

I don't think they work lesser than us, it's just that during their weekends they have a greater variety of recreational activities, more places to visit etc which make it seem more relax. In any developed countries the pace of life is fast.
 

The pace of life here is slower than in London IMO. Sure, go to Perth and everyone works 9 to 5 and spends all weekends have BBQs but you are not comparing like with like. Compared to Sydney and NYC, Singapore is much less stressful I think.
 

Actually hor I once worked in a prepress place starting at 7am and finished at 2pm 5 days a week here one.

Finished work so early where to go? Si Beh Sian lah. So I ended up going to the public library and fell asleep in the magazine section leh. :bsmilie:

Sion
(Sydney, Australia)
 

Western countries lifestyle betta meh?

In Sg, u can afford a maid for few hundred bucks.....but in Aust, u have to pay Aud$17 per hour.
In Indon, lagi shiok.....u can have more than ten maids.

If you can do well in life......any country also a paradise :bsmilie:






To each its own
 

The pace of life here is slower than in London IMO. Sure, go to Perth and everyone works 9 to 5 and spends all weekends have BBQs but you are not comparing like with like. Compared to Sydney and NYC, Singapore is much less stressful I think.
Even compared to HK, Singapore is nowhere.........

Pace is at least twice than here. People also more efficient......here I find people are actually more relaxed when they walk on streets. If they are in a hurry, they probably woke up too late for work :). I noticed actually that the Bangladeshi here walk faster than the majority of Singaporeans!

When I was in India, the people there were also faster than here, but then again, India is booming.......

Holland is even slower then Singapore, unless you work in a high paced job, it all depends on your job I guess.

People here should go more often to the surrounding (materialistically poorer perhaps, but people are happier) countries, they will then appreciate more what they have........

HS
 

Actually hor I once worked in a prepress place starting at 7am and finished at 2pm 5 days a week here one.

Finished work so early where to go? Si Beh Sian lah. So I ended up going to the public library and fell asleep in the magazine section leh. :bsmilie:

Sion
(Sydney, Australia)
No wonder you are one of the most frequent poster in Clubsnap! You bring your laptop into the library?

HS
 

well.. its different i guess..

bigger countries.. usually a land of opportunities.. less saturation and stuff..
smaller countries.. people have to compete etc.. and when there's competition.. fewer jobs, companies would prefer to recruit people who are hardworking, can work long hours.. and squeeze every ounce of energy from them.. eventually becoming overworked and underpaid..

its funny that in the states, no matter whatever circumstance one is in.. there's never a sense of desperation, unlike back in singapore.. one at his lowest point would feel as though he "zhou3 tou2 wu2 lu4"

oh yes.. tmrw is a saturday.. and i have to go back to work as well.. but at least i think i'm enjoying it.. the pace is much more relax i suppose. people are friendly and patient.. etc..
 

Actually hor I once worked in a prepress place starting at 7am and finished at 2pm 5 days a week here one.

Finished work so early where to go? Si Beh Sian lah. So I ended up going to the public library and fell asleep in the magazine section leh. :bsmilie:

Sion
(Sydney, Australia)

:bsmilie: :bsmilie: If only you had discovered the Afghan girl earlier!
 

No wonder you are one of the most frequent poster in Clubsnap! You bring your laptop into the library?

HS

It's just like this hor.

I work from home operating a small image production unit lah. I never have to go out these days except to supermarket twice a week.

I never talk to outside world too except coming to Kopitiam here. All of my work related communications are through email.

I've found out that there are a lifestyle photographer and a digital illustrator in Australia also work like this one.

Thanks to internet. :bsmilie:
 

This may not be true in the general sense, but i tend to subscribe to it as so. I have spent some time in places like Hong Kong, New York and London for work. To me, the asian way of working is simply not effective, and there is a false sense that staying longer hours to mean a posititive thing. Long hours are associated with work of tight deadlines, and it does not automatically extend to all jobs, but you will nevertheless see asians staying late at the workplace just to finish up their work, most of the time because the asian slave drivers require it unnecessarily. While I was at London and New York, the people there do not spend a lot of time out at lunch, probably just to drop by at a deli to pick up a sandwich. They spend 8 solid hours to get things done at the office, they don't bicker as much as asians where work is concerned and so make progress, they don't like to do manual tasks so emphasise on automation, and they generally leave on the dot. It is healthy for work life balance and it encourages people to maximise their time at the office.
 

I heard in western countries, if you are sick, you just have to call in sick, don't have to see doctor to take MC. is it true?

:dunno:
 

I heard in western countries, if you are sick, you just have to call in sick, don't have to see doctor to take MC. is it true?

:dunno:

why look at western countries when its already happening in your own back yard.
 

This reminds me of my holiday in South Korea. My tour guide said that secondary school students don't sleep till 2am and wake at 6 everyday if they want to go to a uni. They have normal school in the day but have night classes as well for those who want to do well.
 

I heard in western countries, if you are sick, you just have to call in sick, don't have to see doctor to take MC. is it true?
The previous place I worked in, full-timers get an annual 5 day "sick leave" entitlement per year(meaning you can call in "sick" for a maximum of 5 days without any certification from a doctor).
 

Actually hor I once worked in a prepress place starting at 7am and finished at 2pm 5 days a week here one.

Finished work so early where to go? Si Beh Sian lah. So I ended up going to the public library and fell asleep in the magazine section leh. :bsmilie:

Sion
(Sydney, Australia)

then you should organise a talk on how to get there :)
 

I guess you have to compare cities with cities, even though it's ironic that Singapore is country/city in a sense. A more even comparison with "western" countries to be fair would be cities like NYC, Sydney, London.

Having said that, many countries can boast to have a very high standard of living, but everybody is forgetting about the quality of life.
 

I heard in western countries, if you are sick, you just have to call in sick, don't have to see doctor to take MC. is it true?

:dunno:
In Holland the health insurance doctor can come knocking at your door to check! :)
 

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