I remember growing up, I was introduced to the concept of the Singaporean Dream, the 5Cs. Cash, Credit Card, Car, Condo & Country Club. In an interesting way, it is all Cs.
Now that I am much older and like the elders in my generation when we were much younger. I have decided that cash is more important than the material possessions. Car, I can always get a GetGo (car rental) and feel shiok (read: feel great) in a rented car, transportation in Singapore is so efficient anyway, but more importantly, the time during the commute that I could use for doing my own thing is much more important than having the shiok feeling of hands on the steering wheel.
Back in the day, the imagery of having a credit card comes with some prestige and the notion that you’re a high income earner. These days almost anyone can have access to that prestige, and the access to cheap credit seems to have devalued the value of hardworking middle class achieving their level best to get a credit card. My parents never believed in credit cards, for them, cash is king, credit is just an illusion that once you wake up, the reality is a mountain of debts that you would need to pay off.
I currently stay in my huge comfy government housing apartment flat, from my bedroom window, I can see the condo nearby. In sense, my view is condo. If I were to stay in a much smaller size condo, the view from my window is typically government housing apartment flats. It’s ironic, but I much prefer my bigger government housing compared to the ridiculously expensive condo. I wouldn’t say I never aspired to buying a condo, in fact, I did consider it, but after visiting so many condos (my friends’ condo), and seeing their cluttered lifestyles (the condo is really small), I am somewhat convinced that the condo life is really not for me.
Last but not least, the country club membership. I nearly considered buying a cheap one that didn’t have a golf course. And I wondered there and then, “but for what”. Furthermore, I don’t play golf.
And there you have it. My thoughts about the Singaporean Dream. Kind of overrated in this day and age of a good government.