In the space of two days last week, I had near-identical conversations with two friends. Both were looking at real estate options, but refused to acknowledge their financial realities. Neither was particularly wealthy but both sought pricey districts. “I don’t think I could live in your area,” one of them said to my suggestion. He offered a long commentary on my estate compared with his expectations. 3 bedrooms, a balcony, an open kitchen. But he didn’t want, nor did he have the finances to fork out for it.
Another friend who has been contemplating buying an apartment for a decade decided she could only live in the Marine Parade area. She didn’t want a longer commute, and she wanted to live near the sea. But when she saw the prices, she balked. Meanwhile, she rants about exorbitant apartments even though every year’s delay only makes her future purchase more challenging.
I’ve written before about Singapore’s social policies that are developed with the dream family in mind. If you’re married, with two kids and one or two parents living with or near you, you’re the Singapore dream family. If like me, you’re single, living alone and marriage isn’t in the works anytime soon, you’re a Singaporean nightmare.
But that’s not the issue. The real problem is the disconnect between what Singaporeans want, and what they can attain. Our refusal to settle for slightly less, while admirable, only adds to our discontent.
When I was growing up the definition of success were the 5Cs. Uber, Grab and mobike have eliminated the car aspect. Digital coinage has replaced cash. Country clubs have gone slightly out of vogue and everyone has a credit card. Housing is the only ‘C’ still relevant.
I considered going for private housing when I bought my home. But it was out of my league, so I settled. I learnt when young and poor that there was no shame in settling. Public housing as opposed to private. Japanese automobiles instead of intercontinentals.
More at The Singaporean dream has become an illusion
Another friend who has been contemplating buying an apartment for a decade decided she could only live in the Marine Parade area. She didn’t want a longer commute, and she wanted to live near the sea. But when she saw the prices, she balked. Meanwhile, she rants about exorbitant apartments even though every year’s delay only makes her future purchase more challenging.
I’ve written before about Singapore’s social policies that are developed with the dream family in mind. If you’re married, with two kids and one or two parents living with or near you, you’re the Singapore dream family. If like me, you’re single, living alone and marriage isn’t in the works anytime soon, you’re a Singaporean nightmare.
But that’s not the issue. The real problem is the disconnect between what Singaporeans want, and what they can attain. Our refusal to settle for slightly less, while admirable, only adds to our discontent.
When I was growing up the definition of success were the 5Cs. Uber, Grab and mobike have eliminated the car aspect. Digital coinage has replaced cash. Country clubs have gone slightly out of vogue and everyone has a credit card. Housing is the only ‘C’ still relevant.
I considered going for private housing when I bought my home. But it was out of my league, so I settled. I learnt when young and poor that there was no shame in settling. Public housing as opposed to private. Japanese automobiles instead of intercontinentals.
More at The Singaporean dream has become an illusion
