Strange life of a British student in Singapore

[@ivanteo1973]

I was a student in UK, and it was the best part of my life a a student. I came back telling my Singapore friends how much they miss in life.

[@justnow5809]

To each his own....

[@tuppenceworth5485]

Like getting drunk every week and being racially abused?

[@ivanteo1973]

@@tuppenceworth5485 racially abused, nope. Not even once.

[@ivanteo1973]

@@justnow5809 in Singapore, the life of students is just studying and nothing else.

[@singing_covers]

I think it depends on your personality if you are more reserved I think you would not like London as much wheres is Singapore if you are sarcastic you would not suit people here as Singaporeans don't tend to understand sarcasm as sarcasm is rarely used here.

[@teddina]

Very articulate and well spoken young man. Great video as usual Max Chernov! Keep up the great work!👍🏻👍🏻

[@thesavvyartist]

British wit is legendary. Once you hear it often, your idea of humour will certainly be more discriminating. No other country has humour that well-horned. And of course, your knowledge of the English culture has to be broad enough and your English has to be good enough to enjoy it and participate in it.

[@CrosbyStill]

"Play hard" does not necessarily have to be going to some nite spots...personally for me "playing hard" can be anything I do that makes me happy, even if that means doing nothing... Also I dont think I would like our unis students to behave in the same way as those in the UK...You see it as "crazy fun" but I see it as something unhealthy. I guess its our upbringing, culture that we do things in a certain manner...yes we all can have fun but in everything there must be a line you dont cross...well maybe to the brits, im a boring person but Im fine with it, knowing Im pretty contented n happy person. Cheers!

[@anchored555]

Well said. “Crazy fun” is a euphemism for potentially harmful activities that end up with people getting drunk or high. Not everyone’s idea of fun. Certainly not mine. I would prefer a quiet evening with a good book or a good meal shared with good friends or family.

[@jaywu7078]

3 pounds in UK , u have a Tesco meal 3 pounds in Singapore, u have a whole meal 3 pounds in Malaysia, u have a whole meal for 2 person 🤣 3 pounds in Thailand, u have a whole meal for 3 person 😂

[@MaxChernov]

Lol 😂

[@limchyehock6722]

Salary 3 pounds a day?

[@arsenal_84]

Is hard to find Thai street food priced at 40 baht in bkk due to inflation, on average at night markets you will be looking at 50 to 60 baht onwards.

[@광동아재廣東大叔]

Yeah, but with 3 pounds in Laos, you can have a girl.

[@justnow5809]

Be specific how to earn this 3 pounds, affects spending. ..☺

[@sarinahpape4569]

Great personality and wise person. That very rare to find. Nice! Possibly, a future diplomat. Just an honest opinion. Your video is the best! Thanks.

[@MaxChernov]

and he is just 20 years old!

[@nishthefish2861]

Thanks for the interview Max! Pleasure being able to reflect on my semester abroad with yourself. Hope you all enjoyed listening!

[@MaxChernov]

oh man, you are so young on your channel hahaha

[@nishthefish2861]

@@MaxChernov ahaha yes… plenty of history on this account 😂

[@impopquiz]

Yes do go out of your comfort zone when u r young, even living and working abroad. Once you hv tried it for at least 5-10 years, then settle on which country is best for u growing older.

[@MaxChernov]

What age should you stop trying life in different countries? :)

[@sktanable]

Not everyone like night life and party. We find pleasure in simple things like meet up with family and friends, doing sports.

[@tuppenceworth5485]

Apart from a few prestigious universities in UK, many are of poor quality and they attract many overseas students willing to pay huge amount of money to study for a British degree.

[@nishthefish2861]

This is incredibly true. There are perhaps only 12-15 that are truly good universities. The rest feel like fillers

[@christine8203]

Well, it’s a business to the Brits, the bottom line being profits. The ‘education’ business brings more that a few billion £s annually.

[@tuppenceworth5485]

@@christine8203 Indeed, many of the univiersities will have to close without the income they get from these students. Chinese students from mainland China make up the largest contingent despite the fact that many British anti-China politicians constantly accuse them of spying. China's science and technology today is far more advanced in many fields, so this accusation is laughable.

[@ianstreet5724]

Even more so in the US. Most developed countries have a small number of outstanding universities and a plethora of very poor ones.

[@moodyo1705]

This really helped ❤

[@kamariahabdrahim6963]

During Covid19 when there was a lockdown of border we saw singaporeans did many outdoor activities and it's funny though they live all their life here some still don't know there are hidden gems places in Singapore and they were astounded.They never thought these places existed coz most singaporeans love to travel and explore other country but ignorant about SG their own country backyard.

[@stargazeronesixseven]

Happy that , the World 🌎 society is beginning to distinguish people based on their Nationalities instead of their Ethnicities because based on DNA Test Kit results , we are all of Mixed Bloodlines but Related due to the various Family Tree Branchings over the Millennia! Anyway , being a Good Person & to Do Good Deeds with Wisdom that is more important than what blood type we belonged to! ... 🙏🕯🌎🕊🇸🇬

[@aniqaliq7291]

Wow u need to be shouted to be appreciated in singapore, tats a new norm 😂😂😂😂, this guy is super polite… instead of saying sporeans are cold and unfriendly he explained in a really polite way not to hurt anyone

[@mkang666]

Sorry, that bus driver was a foreigner as well.

[@lanka8786]

I have watched a lot of your videos..I love the selection of guests....so diverse ….is it possible to a guest who is originally from Sri Lanka? As a Sri Lankan I would like to get their experience and advice as well…

[@davidcks]

Finally the GoPro is on the table and not on your hand! Haha! Great content as usual…👍🏼👍🏼

[@MaxChernov]

I even bought a new tripod for gopro haha

[@chew-ki4rx]

Your guest are from well educated From a better family who do not have to provide income for the family, can enjoy his passion in others hobbies, citizens here have to work hard to provide for old Age parents too when are sick, not all are high income earners

[@AppleMacGeek]

Sometimes I wonder if the lack of understanding of sarcasm is due to the purely functional command of English by many since I notice if that same sarcasm is expressed in Singlish, it gets through. Nirshorgo's observations about the dating scene is spot on. I think Singaporeans "couple-up" much earlier than Western students and tend to have a "timeline" they feel they must follow (e.g., married at a certain age; having kids by a certain age; etc.) to the point that they are overly focused on it otherwise they feel like failures. I see this as someone who spent my first 23 years attending local schools and then my university aboard in an American university and the rest of my career until retirement in New York City.

[@justnow5809]

You are what you are.....

[@heesingsia4634]

I guess the humour in Singapore is definitely different from English humour. It would probably have plenty of sexual innuendoes in it and spoken in a mix of Hokkien+Mandarin+Singlish

[@shaqisumari304]

Not sure but most of my foreigner friend tend to mingle a lot with SG and MY communities

[@oceejekwam6829]

"...and I was God forbid a Tottenham fan..." 🤭

[@stargazeronesixseven]

As all Countries have their Prisons & Institute of Mental Health , we must be prepared to deal with criminals & mentally unsound people when visiting any Countries! 🙏

[@chew-ki4rx]

Now a day bus company, also recruited staff from China & Malaysia, because of long hours, needs to work overtime daily

[@user45-z2t]

Макс, а почему вы используете вшитые сабы, а не те, что встраиваются в ютуб и которые можно отключать?

[@johntee1614]

Looking at his clothes type although he is from the UK. He doesn’t go out for fun in UK street. He is a homebody big time.

[@nishthefish2861]

@@maverick7323 too bad you’re wrong 🫡

[@ravenmusic6392]

​@Maverick Bro you're replying to him aha

[@bdjeosjfjdskskkdjdnfbdj]

is that coffee roasters!!!

[@koowaa]

11:04 r u sure bout the exchange rate?

[@MaxChernov]

ouch! you are right. its 3,345 sgd

[@surroundstudio2066]

£2000 is surely not SGD5000. Maybe that’s why you think Singapore is not so expensive.

[@kamariahabdrahim6963]

The humour is different.

[@ramk-q6p]

Bro is a little chatter box.

[@AR-ek1jr]

Singaporeans are sarcastic, but just not English. Hunneh we be throwing shade multi lingually!

[@walkwithdon]

London is a great city ...but singapor pepol are great .coz they are not half evolved ❤

[@msee23]

Yup, it seems culturally u are not fitting here. The bus driver is not shouting at u. He is seeking ur understanding of the problem he is facing. Any anger is toward the people blocking his bus n the fustration caused. By saying he shouted at u here, you have put him n bus company wrongly in bad light.😅😂

[@leongyet9896]

First !😂

[@shadowj3311]

The guest do look like Asia/ Chinese, further more the bus driver maybe from China can’t speak other language besides mandarin LoL. It do have a high % of China bus drivers in Singapore.

[@emalejack]

£2000 pounds is not 5000 SGD………. You are definitely not going into finance 😂

[@Utube1024]

The time when policeman worn short pant 6 SGD to £1. Today £1 = SGD1.67. See how much it has dropped. The sun had set long ago.

[@huaiwei]

@@Utube1024 currency value is hardly a measure of anything. If it is, than HK must be nearly 6 times poorer than Singapore.

[@laufamilytwoo1840]

🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬🇸🇬👍👍👍👍👍💪💪💪💪👏👏👏👏 we r 🇸🇬. 👍👍👍👍👍

[@JanghoTango]

WHAT is the intention of the Title "he shouted at me in Mandarin", only the author knows his true intention. The implication is that it cast bad light on the Mandarin speaking driver, and that's NOT good 👎👎

[@bell-xk5dd]

You have to be Singaporean to understand local humour ... like “ if you can’t think without chewing gum, try a banana 🍌 “ said our LKY 😂

[@kamariahabdrahim6963]

Lol

[@bluePigeon-jm5pm]

why chew gum when it's plastic

[@callmejim8422]

LOL ..that's a good one ! 😂

[@conned]

The shouting bus driver probably is from mainland china, it's noisy in bus, so he probably raised his voice....deal with it, it's just noise...you angry because he shouted or you are angry because he shouted in MANDARIN?!! move to back of the bus please!!

[@akyeera]

He does look like a isngaporean lol

[@yayie2235]

Sarcasm is a cure for stupidity.

[@kc-st]

This guy is quite pompous. If this isn't your observation you don't have a good read on people. Sarcastic humour is overrated. More critically, to do it properly you have to understand the culture first and have a grasp of what is sacarsm looks like before apply failng which you fall flat on your face and it's a delivery issue. Can't be helped as he's still a kid trying really hard to make it in life as can be seen in his LinkedIn profile. The Taiwanese grasp this a lot better. No mention about his country of origin Bangladesh. Is he going back to contribute? Our idea of fun is just eating? Think he's missing the point. It's about the close conversations we have over food. Completely missed the point.

[@WarriorChampion47]

Singapore Indians are different from India Indians. India Indians talk non stop. Singapore Indians don’t go other country take their jobs . India Indians come Singapore and take our jobs 😂

[@limchyehock6722]

From the moment they board the bus till the moment they alight. Non stop on the mobile phone and loudly too.

[@SuccessforLifester]

Yes my Indian national neighbour would be on hp the moment he leaves the house. When he comes back home he is still on his phone

[@limchyehock6722]

@@SuccessforLifester And they prefer to talk on their phone along common corridor in front of neighbour's house rather than indoor in their own home. And very LOUDLY.

[@rozyue1177]

Maybe in very crowded India ( or any other country ) , one has to raise the voice to be heard , certainly not only Indians

[@malakatan3235]

Yeah, place you grow up effect you more than your origin country. That also he said in interview

[@cmymotion]

Dont think UK work very hard... 😂

[@Utube1024]

They don't need to with all the loots they gathered with their gunboats. Go the British Museum of Stolen Artifacts you will understand.

[@noproblematallmate]

Is the definition of 'having fun' mean taking substances and having sex?

[@MaxChernov]

Whats wrong with having sex lol

[@noproblematallmate]

@@MaxChernov There is nothing wrong with sex. But real casual sex with different people every 2 weeks can cause certain social issues. That is just what I think. But of course I would see why most people like to look back and think of the good happy times. Also the substances part. I never been in a UK school thats why Im asking. I had 1 friend who went there and he told me drugs were readily available everywhere.

[@bell-xk5dd]

@@MaxChernov Unwanted babies? Unmarried mothers? VD? Eventually they become social burdens ..a stigma

[@MaxChernov]

@bell1980 have you heard of contraception? 😐

[@malakatan3235]

@@MaxChernov Sex wasn't part of Asian until it westernized. But even then, in big cities still most of Asian have 3 body counts before marriage, it really REALLY different from the west

[@WarriorChampion47]

That’s why your PM only lasted a few days lol😂

[@robw1927]

don't you know you are in a province of china? speak mandarin please!

[@MaxChernov]

ouch

[@arianrolex6456]

LMFAO WHAT PROVINCE OF CHINA LOLLL WOW WE GON BECOME TAIWAN 2.0 IS IT

[@fuky7536]

thats right 🫠

[@Utube1024]

My daughter went to King's College in London for the exchange program. She said it that was super easy compare to NUS. She got culture shock to see so many homeless people there. What she like is the food there though more expensive the portion is much bigger. They can share among themselves thus saving cost.

[@valdeswright8069]

What an insightful young man. Honest and helpful perspective. Great interview Max!

[@GA-ik6pi]

As a Londoner I completely get this guy.👍🏾 Although born and raised in London, I don’t feel London is for me anymore. So I want to trial living in either KL (which I love and is my favourite city so far) or possibly visiting next year, Singapore. I know Malaysia is cheaper to live than Singapore, but again you can find some affordability in country too. I love travelling and experiencing new places, so for me staying in the U.K. is HARD😂😂. But, as I’ve never lived anywhere outside of my home country, I want to try to see how I get on. Either being a digital nomad, student etc, getting away from Your home country is sometimes quite nice. I believe it prepares you for a new culture (unless you’ve visited the same place more than once), and what to expect. You can decide from there whether you choose to uproot n leave your home permanently, or just uproot for a few months, and return.👍🏾 What would you guys do? Plus, where I currently am in Kent, is really quite nice, so can’t complain.

[@domwren]

This interviewee had a lot of humility and wisdom. One of the more insightful I have seen on this channel 👏 Once you escape the alcohol-infused culture, if you ever do, then Singapore becomes much more appealing.

[@superconnie5003]

You could have met a PRC...Singaporean Chinese scream in Hokkien. Anyway there very few true Sinkies around

[@rozyue1177]

U are dead right about the difference in humour , sarcasm is not accepted as humor in Singapore. But it also depends on your circle of fiends , some are very witty and have a quirky sense of humour, different backgrounds and upbringing , exposure

[@anchored555]

You are spot on saying it depends on your circle of friends and their backgrounds. In my Singaporean circle, witty jokes and sarcasm are a norm, and we prefer wry British humour to slapstick American humour. But to each his own. It doesn’t make one better or worse. Just personal preference. The degree to which one can appreciate the British humour also depends on one’s command of English and understanding of British culture. So it doesn’t surprise me that not everyone in SG can understand British humour. Likewise, few British people would be able to appreciate local humour here because they don’t have a sufficient grasp of Singlish and local culture.

[@anchored555]

SG full of corruption? FYI, corruption is even worse in most other places. Including the UK. You obviously haven’t heard of UK politicians including Boris Johnson getting into trouble for charging personal expenses to the public purse. Sure they have more greenery. The grass may seem greener till you get close enough and discover it’s plastic. As for freedom, free speech/expression unfettered by responsibility enables racist abuse and hate crimes. Which system you prefer and what you’re willing to give up in exchange is a matter of personal preference.

[@capy222b]

Chinese also knows how to be sarcastic, not just British people yo! I worked for a British boss previously. I can't tell if he's being sincere or not when he becomes sarcastic. I think that's the drawback of sarcasm. Good for humour, but what are you REALLY saying/feeling?

[@huaiwei]

"sarcasm is not accepted as humor in Singapore". Oh really? Just about any established comedian in Singapore uses sarcasm heavily, and are over-represented too on local movies like those from Jack Neo. Most societies with a high level of self-censorship tend to use sarcasm in the entertainment circles, and Singapore is a prime example of that.

[@JNJN7686]

90%of the Singapore public bus drivers are foreigner. And most of them are China national. They don't speaks English here.😔

[@kamariahabdrahim6963]

And malaysian too but they do speak english.

[@bell-xk5dd]

And sometimes these drivers can be exceedingly rude. ..and many tourists or foreigners may mistaken them for Singaporeans.

[@jsurfin1]

More Malaysians than China national bus drivers in Singapore for obvious reasons.

[@shadowj3311]

@@jsurfin1long ago yes but not now.

[@fba90130]

You know the thing is we're better for the older expat with a family. It's by design. It's who we want to attract.

[@beezlebub9]

Probably the only truthful, honest review of Singapore. Sounds like he’s not been as cocooned as the rest of the expats interviewed here. As a Singaporean, he’s 💯 right. And yes, 7:25 sarcasm doesn’t work well here for some reason.

[@MaxChernov]

the only?! 😥

[@limchyehock6722]

No not 💯 right. Spent nearly whole life in UK and less than 4 months in SG and wants to compare?

[@cmymotion]

Sarcasm doesnt work 80% of the time. There is a 20% chance it may work though..

[@beezlebub9]

@@cmymotiontrue.

[@beezlebub9]

@@MaxChernova bit too rosy and when it’s from quite a privileged POV, Singapore 🇸🇬 looks different, I guess. I liked that this was authentic.

[@kevina2907]

Nice and objective. What a dude.

[@eddylee7786]

Singaporeans are serious about everything

[@capy222b]

Lol who are his friends?! I drank heavily and party like crazy almost every week when I was in university. Alcohol does get served in campus! There are mass parties organised by faculties with bazzar, performances and alcohol. We also get drunk in dorms playing Indian poker and other card games. I had the most fun in my university life when I stayed for 2 years in a dormitory. Yes, you need to get enough points to stay for another year in dorm, but that makes you participate in lots of dorm activities, and not just study the entire time. I believe he probably doesn't stay in those dorms that are tightly knitted and organised lots of activities.

[@TheTinyRedDot]

As a Singaporean and a Monty Python fan, i disagree with you 120%. I fart in your general direction.

[@gerryong1694]

Humour is quirky and sarcastic in Singapore. Just different from the uk. Eg the comment by ur friend. That was a joke!

[@runonbun]

I'm sorry to say that singappre unis are actually quite fun and there are definitely alcohol parties happening. But maybe you weren't invited to the parties? 😂

[@megakids627]

Who pay attention to UK now? Sinking like a toilet bowl flush....

[@MaxChernov]

London 🇬🇧 or Singapore 🇸🇬?

[@guessig]

i don't like guns

[@MaxChernov]

@@guessig you mean knives?

[@bell-xk5dd]

To each his own...

[@cmymotion]

London! Can get drunk and smoke pot everyday

[@jamesl.9776]

Same same

[@kris_tan]

Awesome video!

[@TheMscandy123]

A lot of the bus driver are nasty. I was pushing my mom's wheelchair into the bus and yelled at me for "not doing it correctly" and hesitantly helping me. But tbh, many bus drivers arent local.

[@bell-xk5dd]

Kiasu, kiasi, kiabu, kialang...are local humour...

[@yatishafii4976]

We locals relax and talk casually not with alcohol but coffee or tea.

[@zzzzxxxx341]

Bangla

[@ThomazMartinez]

Was the bus driver old Chinese with white hair?

[@MaxChernov]

Haha why? Your friend?

[@christine8203]

To the Brits, having fun is usually being out with your mates and drinking…to Singaporeans, having fun is dining/eating out and catching up with friends. I’ve said this before…I’ve also been on the receiving end of some rude behaviour from those in the services industry. And the information given to me was that many of these workers (and many bus drivers are) are from Mainland China(hence the shouting in Mandarin). Yes…and they are certainly not giving Singapore a good name. It’s their culture…they have no time for pleasantries…unlike the Filipino workers who are mostly delightful!

[@bay2176]

Honestly, some of the local old uncles are not very polite. Whereby in service industry, mainland Chinese are not bad though language barrier does exist.

[@christine8203]

@@bay2176 In the buses that I had ridden on, most of the drivers are either from Mainland China or India. In other places such as the grocery stalls, etc I’ve been served by Mainland Chinese and yes, quite often they would raise their voices (it could be just that this is how they communicate) and respond to you in Mandarin. Their expectation is that everyone should be able to communicate in Mandarin. 😬

[@kamariahabdrahim6963]

Yes! Service sector workers are not only from PRC but other nationalities too.A chinese who can speak malay is malaysian we can easily tell.Chinese with a thick mandarin we surely know.There is 2 ++ millions foreigner/SPR work and live in SG and malaysian is the largest community about 44% in Singapore.We can never tell if they speak english but only when they speak mandarin/malay or tamil that we can differenciate with their slang.Tourists could never tell who they are and generally they thought everyone a singaporean.

[@AtlantisAng]

I've seen a mainland Chinese speaking to a Malay service staff in Chinese. I was like 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️ Common sense??? There are Malays who can speak some but once the person look confuse, bloody don't continue. Use gestures or get help from others.

[@christine8203]

@@AtlantisAng Precisely…I do wonder if the employer (any employer for that matter) puts these overseas workers through some orientation/induction programme. We may look similar but cultures define our perceptions and behaviours and people need to be reminded of this. I recall the shocked surprise on the face of this Mainland Chinese serving me (in Sg) when I couldn’t communicate with her in Mandarin; result? Rude behaviour - raised voice reflecting her impatience and shoving the items and change into me like she couldn’t wait to be rid of me. Tourists or visitors go away with the impression that Singaporeans (given the Chinese majority and therefore any Chinese must be Singaporean) are rude, impatient, etc…

[@sneo7470]

👍👏💪🇸🇬

[@victorvaldez760]

He’s treated this way coz he’s not white.. he looks Indian so its basically over form him in Singapore

[@foljs5858]

"Having fun" in Britain basically meaning "getting pissed" and taking selfies to BS dance music. The video clips of chavs and chavettes "partying" should live no doubt that it's a rather sad prospect

[@MaxChernov]

why so biased? :)

[@foljs5858]

@@MaxChernov Experience :)

[@vvsapale]

Singapore does not have looted money from colonies. So we singaporean work hard. There is no time or play.