I want to blog about this before I forget. Before I go back to my normal routine of life, and forget that such a conversation ever took place.

Why? Cus I want it to change, but yet I don't. Yet I know that at least, for the next 10 to 15 years, at least, things would still be this way.

I'm going to blog about differences about culture again, but this round, it won't be between the two countries I stayed in before. Rather, it would be of North America (more particularly Toronto) and Singapore (more particularly SMU). It's from my point of view and the conversation between a Sri-Lankan migrant from Toronto (but it very much westernised) and a Singaporean who lived in Malaysia, so don't screw me because of this.

See, I took this course - Life Contingency Risk, with a bunch of other Actuarial Science (AS) dudes. In such courses, I usually meet the same people - the people who take AS ain't many. But this time round, there was an exchange student among our class of 20. I'll call him Sean for short. Well, it wasn't that hard to spot him - he is of another skin tone anyway. Initially, I thought he was of Indian decent. It was only today I found out that he is originally from Sri Lanka (yea, same as my Ethics Prof. =.=)

He is pretty quiet in class, don't talk much. Ah, what can you say in a maths-y course anyway. While taking the course, I got to know from my friends that Sean is actually from Canada, and he is taking a Bachelor in Maths as his degree. When I heard that, I was like "what...what is he doing in SMU? SMU is a total non-Math uni!" But oh well.

Throughout the course, I did not talk to him, cus he was pretty silent, as I said. And unlike others, this is the first time I see him around in my classes. He seemed pretty smart though, cus when Prof asked the class something, he managed to answer.

Then, it was on that day I was studying in school 2 weeks ago that I bumped into him in the library. I see him in the library at times, but we don't talk to each other. At most, we smile at each other. I was studying with Evina, when he just came over and said hi. It was coincidental that I bump into him then, cus I actually wanted to go home to sleep that day. We had class the previous day and it ended well with our presentations, so we struck a conversation from there. At that point in time, he mentioned that he was to head back to Canada right after exams. I was like "O..." And so he said:"hey, maybe we can hang out some time next week, you know, before I fly off. I mean, it would probably be the last time we meet." I didn't expect him to ask me out, cus we had never talked to each other before that day.

At that point of time, the following week would be the study week. I needed to study. But being compliant, I just casually agreed. Well, it turned out that we didn't hang out during study week. He wasn't feel well and was meeting up with others before he leaves.

Our exam ended yesterday, so we agreed to meet today.

Life contingency class :)

I thought it was pretty cool, with the exchanges in experiences we had. Well, it was mostly him who was telling me how he thought about the culture here and stuff, since he is going back soon.

This is the thing: he thinks that universities here (well, at least SMU), do not teach, or educate the students well. The conversation went like this. For easier reading, I headlined the things we talked about. Or you can read parts which you are more interested in.

Uncritical thinking education

Sean: Yea, I mean, what is this? You know, as compared to the presentations I do back in universities, the presentations here are so simple! I just have an article, summarise it and present it to the class. The prof does not even ask questions, and just passes me on. Back in Canada, when we do presentations, the class will ask critical questions, analytical ones, that make you think. For example, if I set the interest rate of this fund to 5%, then the class would probably ask: why this 5% and not 4%?
Me: Oh, but people here may feel offended if such questions are asked.
Sean: Yea? So people take it personally here?
Me: Yea, we are more sensitive here. And you know how class participation is part of the class marks? Some people voice out their opinion or ask questions just for the quantity and not quantity.
Sean: Oh, I see. I feel that it is quite sad here, that too much emphasis is placed on the grades. Like back in Canada, you know, the difference between a 80 point person and a 90 point person is not that great. We consider more than just grades. It is the personality, whether the person can communicate...like if both the 80 point and 90 point person are similar in personality and character, the 90 point person may get the job. But if the 80 point person communicates more effectively and the 90 point person is just a nerd, then the employer will choose the 80 point person.
Me: Ah...I see.
Sean: I was talking to a prof about this, I wouldn't want to name his name, but he is a Westerner. And I told him my opinion. He said that you should be lucky that you are getting an education which focuses on critical thinking. And yea, I agree, and I am. But I'm the selfish kind of person. I would want others to think more critically too. Before venturing out of North America, I always thought that every university was like that - focusing on building the students up to thinking critically. But I'm wrong.

On Singapore remaining competitive

Sean: But I think the situation will change.
Me: What makes you so confident?
Sean: Well, it has to. You know how Singapore always strives to be competitive and the best...well, it has to change in order to achieve that level of competitiveness. Singapore is depending a lot on foreigners to boost the economy. If the foreigners leave the country right now, I'm on a 99% confidence interval certain that Singapore can't sustain itself.
Me: *looks at him wide-eyed*
Sean: I mean, there is a reason why Singapore have low taxes. It is to encourage the foreign companies to come to set up. A foreigner would see "ah, it's 40% in Canada, and only 20% in Singapore", and come here to set up their companies. Singapore is driving on these foreign companies to remain competitive. If you see the top management, most of them are foreigners.
Me: *thinks to self: yea, he has a point*.

Innovation level

Sean: I mean, the innovation level here is quite low. Not many things are invented in Singapore. Many things Singapore do is adopted from another country and improve or modify on the thing. If you want to have a more competitive society, you have to change.
Me: But I think Singaporeans...they are not risk-takers.
Sean: Ah, that's the word. They are not risk-takers.
Me: Yea, they would rather stick with the job that they have and just do their job. *Thinking to self: sometimes just doing for the sake of doing*

Productivity level

Sean: I also feel that people here do not work very efficiently.
Me: How so?
Sean: You know for project meetings, sometimes when we meet, we just pass the work around to do - not really achieving what a group meeting should. I believe that, well, how to put this - quantity does not equal to quality. The amount of time you put into doing something does not equal to how well you do it. It may seem that you're doing a lot, but if you measure the productivity level of the people here, I don't think it'd be very high.
Me: Haha, I know what you mean.
Sean: Yea, I think you all work really long hours.
Me: Yea?
Sean: Yea, like how long do you guys work?
Me: Well, 830 to 6...
Sean: Well yea, that's like 10 hours. Back in Canada, we only work 8 hours, or less. Well, it depends on which industry you are in. If you are in the finance industry, you probably work 10 to 12 hours.
Me: Uhuh...
Sean: I believe that the amount of time spent in the office does not equal to productivity level.

On the work culture in Toronto

Sean: Of the internships that I have done, it has a pretty flat working culture. Like fellow colleagues are like friends, we can call the boss by their first name, I can just pick up the phone and call my boss to discuss issues anytime...We can go for lunches whenever we want. Not as time-sensitive. Like if I just ask my fellow colleagues whether they want to have lunch now, we would go together and stuff. But if it's in the finance industry, then it is more time-sensitive. It's a finance trading company, so we have to watch the prices moving and stuff.
Me: So you won't get scolded if you talk during work?
Sean: Nah, not at all.
Me: So you can bond with your colleagues and stuff...
Sean: Yea. I mean if you get to know each other more it creates a better work environment. We can work together more efficiently like that.

Culture

Me: How do you find it here?
Sean: Well, things are good here, but people well..
Me: ...are not as friendly?
Sean: *laughs* yea, not as friendly. Like in Toronto, I could just strike a conversation with someone over there, or like when you're taking a subway, I can just talk to the person next to me. Down here, it's like people don't do that.
Me: Yea, I know what you mean. I felt the same way too when I just came here.

Me: Which place do you like the most here?
Sean: Well, I have been to Vietnam, Cambodia, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau...mostly Macau (ya...haha, doing what man :P) and also Jakarta. I like Bangkok...Vietnam was good, Cambodia was okay..but I like Jakarta most.
Me: Oh, what do you like about it?
Sean: Well, it is a city, but there are still other things happening in the city. It is not just the modern cities like Toronto and Singapore. I'm amazed by how Jakarta has skyscrapers, and yet next to it, you can see a slump over there...literally. The difference in culture exists even within the same city.

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I'm quite amazed by his background. He is in his final year now, so he's looking for a job. He is actually doing a 5 year programme, a double degree in Business Admin and Math, majoring in stats. That's so powerful man, it'll be SMU's quantitative finance plus business stats equivalent. Under this programme, he has to do internships too. And guess how many he has done...not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 internships!! It was done in a pension fund, Siemens, a hedge fund company and a bank. I think it's quite cool...and he think that internships are not as popular here as compared to in Toronto. He says that some of his engineering friends do up to 7 internships before graduating. That's like 2 years working experience before graduating!!! @.@ And he for him, internships are like a break. WOW. I wish work was like a break to me too, hah.

All the best my friend. Good luck in the job hunt.