Will she ever truly belong in Singapore?

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I'm from Australia and have been living in SG for 7 years now. Singapore has some great traits but also some of the cultural differences are very hard to adapt to. I love the safety, cleanliness and low taxes but I have found it hard dealing with the shy culture. I don't want to sound rude but I think Singapore has a depression problem. I can clearly see how depressed people are here when I come back from bali or Australia. People are almost robotic because they work so much. It's almost like they've forgotten how to laugh and enjoy life. Australians are very relaxed and take time to joke around and say hi to each other. But here in SG people don't look at anyone in the eye. It's very transactional. I always try say hi to the 7/11 clerk or the grab drivers but most of the time they don't even acknowledge me. People are very closed off to each other here. Its sad because humans need community to connect. Though I am grateful for how this country has allowed me to grow but I'm still dealing with this cultural difference. Sometimes I get scared because I don't want the environment to become normal to me. I don't want to end up becoming a workaholic robot like everyone else. So I always trip back to Australia or Bali to maintain my sanity. Again, I hope this doesn't come across as rude. It's just what I'm personally dealing with.

It's a good interview and Yanna really understand what it takes to be Singaporean. We welcome anyone who wants to make Singapore their home and contribute to building this nation. Singapore is a small nation with literally no resources (except for its citizen). So we really treasure sincere people who wish to be one of us.

Love all these incredible interviews. They are very enlightening because locals do not really get the chance to interact with expats or foreigners. It is a breath of fresh air to hear their perspectives. Keep up the good work, Max!

Incredible Lady.:cat-orange-whistling::trophy-yellow-smiling: She brings to my mind an Orson Wells quote: “A man does not belong to the place where he was born, but where he chooses to die.”

Thank you for making Singapore your permanent home ! We welcome you ❤

Singapore is lucky to have her in our nation. Great interview

this is a very good interview. Love her positivity. We need more people like her.

Very genuine and respectful person. We need more of such immigrants. Welcome on board ah 😊

Another great interview. Yana is very astute. To add on, the point about being treated like a "foreigner" is absolutely true everywhere in the world. And to be perfectly honest, it will be very difficult for the average born-and-raised Singaporean to see a caucasian person with a foreign accent as Singaporean, even if they might possess a Singaporean passport. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. From my experience, Singaporeans will happily include you as part of their community so long as you make an attempt to mingle with them. Yes, they may not look at you and think "Singaporean", but nationality really doesn't matter when it comes to making friends and family. Remember, a key aspect of Singapore is its multiculturalism. Singaporeans have had decades of experience learning how to get along with one another despite the differences in language and culture, and that's one of the greatest things about this country.

Max fulfills a serious social and political need in Singapore. His unique work attempts to bring locals and expats together, something that the Singapore government has been trying to do. The government needs to give Max and his family a PR because he has likely ticked all the boxes. Singapore needs a personality like Max to bring Westerners and Singaporeans together.

I love your channel, Max. You are helping to show the amazing DIVERSITY of my fellow Singaporeans, like Yana and long term PRs living here in Singapore. ALL Singaporeans, doesn’t matter where they are born in - China, Russia, American, The Philippines, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, etc, etc, add to the strength and “unity in diversity”to our tiny island nation. Max, it would be great to hear the beautiful stories from any Singaporeans who were born in South America, or Sub-Sahara Africa.

What a very nice Lady. Successful, honest and still humble.

Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to the next interview.

I lived in Singapore for 4 years, 1980 to 1984. The Singapore Government is very caring towards all the people living there. Singapore is very safe, very clean and has an excellent education system.

I didn't expect today's interview to have so much life coaching 😌

One of the best expat vids I’ve ever seen. Deep, insightful questions which actually help us to understand real life in another country. Her English is fascinating! I can definitely hear the Singaporean accent but I also can hear the Swiss there as well.

Great interview. Very wise person. Glad to have her.

Max, I'm really glad you are taking the time to bring us interviews and perspectives that most singaporeans might not encounter daily. Keep at it! You deserve more subs for the consistent coverage

This is just one of the best conversations I ever heard in my life. She is amazing, worth more than a TED talk. ❤