Or to hookup for the weekend. Tinder is an old favorite and is still remarkably popular with singles the world over. Just keep your wits about you, as it is not unheard of to meet people online who have wives, husbands and children back home, especially those visiting a city like Singapore. If you want to feel a little more control over who you talk to, then try out Bumble. You might find yourself in the company of a Singaporean local, whom you wish to get to know better.
It is quite acceptable to flirt with members of the opposite sex in Singaporean culture and swapping phone numbers is the done thing. However, it is more common that the man would make the first move but it is entirely acceptable for women to do it too. In fact, some men really enjoy this!
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Most Singaporeans prefer to wait until they know more about the person in question before deciding if this is someone they would like to date. Once you have secured your date, do not be surprised if you turn up and find that you will be meeting up with more than one person.
Group dates, involving other couples, are quite common in Singapore as it maintains a safe space for both parties, whilst getting to know each other in a more social and less intimate context. Physical contact in many South East Asian countries is frowned upon, so tread with caution.
Singapore Expat Dating Etiquette - Singapore Expats Guide
This is especially true in the case of Singaporean women, who have often pursued criminal cases against expat men who have casually touched their backsides. This can be punishable by law and results in a rather large fine, so watch out. Even if you are dating an expat, remember that excessive displays of affection in public can be seen negatively by others so tread carefully and be respectful.
Your email address will not be published. Recent research and surveys suggest that Singaporean men feel that the standards that women expect are too high, while women are often dissatisfied by what is perceived to be the unromantic quality of their male counterparts. Singaporean women in particular find their status problematic.
They consider themselves less demure than some of their Asian counterparts, yet not as outgoing and upfront as western women. They are independent and career-oriented, but yet many still have the traditional family with the man as the breadwinner as an ideal. At the same time, or perhaps as a consequence, Singaporean men are not as patriarchal as in some Asian societies, but nor do they take as light-hearted approach to dating as young men do in western societies, and so they too are somewhat unsure as to how they should act and what their expectations should be with regards to relationships.
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They have a fundamental belief in ideas of equality and empowerment, yet the majority would still prefer their wives to stay at home to raise children. In both sexes, therefore, there is a mixture of both liberal, modern attitudes and social conservatism regarding gender roles and relationships, with individuals themselves often holding conflicting views simultaneously.
- The Real World of Singapore Expat Dating | Expats in Singapore.
- Meet Your Neighbours in the Global Village.
- The Real World of Singapore Expat Dating.
- Approaching a Singaporean for a date:.
Most Singaporean men, likewise, are content with this dynamic, although perhaps less enamoured of the expenditure involved! Marriage as an institution continues to be valued by men and women, young and old and across all ethnic groups in Singapore, and is considered a significant milestone in life. This is one of the many paradoxes around dating and marriage—most Singaporeans hold the view that marriage is the state to which all should aspire, and yet growing numbers remain unmarried.
Young Singaporeans, raised on ideas of high achievement, material wealth and upward mobility set criteria that their prospective partner needs to meet, yet increasingly it is thought that they simply set the bar too high, creating unrealistic standards that very few people could attain. There is added pressure on marriage because cohabitation is not common in Singapore.
Singapore | Living the Life | Dating and Marriage
This is partly due to the government policies that only enable HDB housing to be purchased by married couples or singles over 35 as well as the conservative attitude of parents and families across all ethnic communities, and so marriage is still the desirable state in order to make a life and, more importantly, raise children.
There is still some sense of stigma attached to divorce in Singapore, although the most recent data suggests that social attitudes are changing and remarriage for divorcees is on the increase. Inter-racial relationships and marriage are far from uncommon in Singapore. This is, of course, entirely to be expected in a country that is made up of distinct ethnic groups, has a significant expat population that is increasing all the time, and where growing number of Singaporeans go abroad to work and study.