China visitors get unfriendly welcome from Singaporean?

My friend forwarded me the below post from Straits Times, called me to ask if it is true because she is coming to Singapore for a short holiday next month.
For quite a long time, I stay in my silent, I just don’t know what and how should I say about this.
I am a Chinese lady who came from China too, married to Singaporean for 16 years till now. I understand the feeling of being called “ XiaoLongNu”, I got married at about the time when the “XiaoLongNu” whom is a China lady filed for divorce with Singaporean husband and asked for a lot of money, she was on the first page of newspaper news almost every day during the time. I still remember well how my sister-in-law despise the “XiaoLongNu” behavior and said she won’t ask for money if she divorce the husband one day, but in these 16 years, she divorced her 2nd husband and went to high court to fight for money many time…Every family have their own problem, every marriage have their own ups and downs, if there is an end of an marriage, a lot of ladies will ask for money to protect themselves, money is the only thing they think they can fight for and hold on since they are unable to keep the love. This is nothing with what is the nationality of the lady. This is nothing related with you are a “XiaoLongNu” or not. I felt hurt when all my in-laws talking the “XiaoLongNu” topics in that kind of tones in front of me, they were thinking I am one of the “XiaoLongNu” though I already have much higher income than my husband at that time. I felt hurt. The feeling of being hurt and the feeling of loneliness with the home sick almost destroy my life and my marriage. Thanks God to give me the strength to go through the hardest time in my life.
Since then I try not to tell people I was from China, I can easily make friends with people from USA, Australia those western country, they know I am from China though I am holding a Singapore passport now. But I just can’t get along well with our lovely Singaporean, there is a wall with no bricks in between me and Singaporean. For so many years there are seldom people out side my family know that I am from China, I am a China lady whom married to Singaporean. I don’t want to have the feeling of being hurt.
But this is not actually what I want to say in this post.
I want to say I feel shame being a China lady here in Singapore. For so many years in Singapore, I don’t make friends with any China ladies either.
My daughter only knows I was from China at her 12 years old, last year. I feel shame being a Chinese who is from China. I feel shame of what my dear China people inconsiderate and unmannerly behavior in public. We can’t blame the reactions of some Singaporeans towards the relatives and friends of David. Such reactions will continue for the years to come unless we, as the immigrants make attempts to change our image. We are all seeking for respect from others but we must first respect others. Since we come to Singapore for whatever reasons we stay here, make a living here, we must change our own self to merge into local culture.
Yes, a lot of Singaporeans are frustrated with the large numbers of mainlanders here. Here is a comment just below David’s post,

China Girls' only interest is in old man CPF.
They don’t need to study English..they know only " Want or not" "Money or no money"

That is most of the Singaporean have in mind. China ladies are known to steal husbands, cheating old people money. But I really want to tell our clever and lovely Singaporean: If there is no need then no supply. This is a rule for everything in life.
  1. If there is no Singaporean who are looking for “chicks”, I bet those ladies in Geylang will be jobless and go back to their country.
  2. If there is no married Singaporean who are looking for the China ladies, provide them all the best but don’t care much of the wife and kids, how can those China chicks dress well and talk loudly in public?
  3. If there is no old Singaporean who are willing to give all the CPF money to those China lady, don’t tell me they dare to rob you in Singapore? Old uncles, if you are old enough at 60+ and yet still looking for those 20+ 30+ who can be your daughter and even grand daughter, don’t tell me you believe they fall in love with you but not your money. When you take out all the CPF saving to give to those ladies, actually you know clearly enough that you are taking a gamble in life. Just you don’t want to believe you are not the winner.
  4. If don’t have those Singaporean who love money so much and are willing to get paid, where are the “false husband” from, where are the “false marriage” from, where are the “false owners of body massage shop” from?
  5. If Singapore government can come out more strict law to prevent those China lady to make a living as a “chick” here…
I know, I know there are many many “if” exit among the Singaporean and the China people who are working here, living here, travel to here, that is why we read the post from David as below.
My dear China ladies, if you can love yourself more than money, if you can respect yourself more than respect money…My dear China people, if you can change yourself a bit to be more like Singaporean, or “going to be Singaporean” …
All these need two hand to crap, and I wish I could say I am from China proudly in Singapore in not too long future.
David post attached below:
China visitors get unfriendly welcome from Singaporeans

But on their first day in Singapore, they were "greeted" with unfriendly remarks. One passer-by offered assistance with directions, but on learning that they were here to attend our wedding, asked if they knew that my wife would be known locally as "xiaolongnu" (or "little dragon girl"). The phrase, as I understand it, is commonly used to describe, with negative connotation, mainland Chinese girls married to Singaporean men.
The middle-aged man went on to ask if my friends intended to "work" here. You can only imagine how taken aback I was when my friends inquired the meaning of the phrase.
Over the next few days, while taking them around the city, I had the opportunity to experience first-hand how they felt. I was probably mistaken for a non-Singaporean, as for the first time in my country, I was treated by some waitresses and taxi drivers with uncalled-for rudeness clearly directed at foreigners.

As a Singaporean, I have always taken pride in our achievements: Changi Airport, the Singapore Flyer and the upcoming integrated resorts, just to name a few. The tourism industry attracts visitors from all over the world, eager to experience our culture. But how ever hard we may try to improve our tourist attractions, it is often the interaction with Singaporeans that matters.
What my friends experienced may be isolated or could represent a more serious issue. The impact on our tourism industry could be significant, though hard to quantify. It may take years for some of us to realise how the world, and in particular China, has progressed over the past two decades. We may be successful in many ways, but there is a bigger world out there and arrogance will never take us far.
David Lai
birds Yellow is happy and blue is sad. This is my Blue Monday after writing this post…

6 Responses to "China visitors get unfriendly welcome from Singaporean?"

Cindy (visit their site)

Interesting post! I enjoyed reading it.
Love the colors on the bird.
Cindy

Coloradolady (visit their site)

The blue is very pretty on the bird, but your post was really sad in a way. It is too bad as humans, we can not all get along and not be so cruel to each other. Hugs today....have a great day!

SmilingSally (visit their site)

Oops! You did not put a link so that others could find BLUE MONDAY. Please add:
http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/

Terry (visit their site)

Howdy
Happy Blue Monday to you .
I am sorry you have had so much sadness ,I do hope that all the sadness will some day go away and that joy will replace it.
Thank you for sharing today.
I learned a lot .
Happy Trails

eastcoastlife (visit their site)

Hi,
I'm a local Singaporean and I do not deny that there are Singaporeans who dislike the China ladies who come here to work in illegal trades and seduce the older, married Singaporean men.

On the whole, Singaporeans welcome foreigners to work and live in Singapore but don't approve of them breaking our rules.

I have made many friends with many immigrants and especially from China. I welcome you to participate in our activities if you want to meet more friends who are not judgemental.

Denise Marie (visit their site)

you can't get ugly, cruel comments get you down. I'm glad the Lord has strengthened you to press thru it but ugly is everywhere and you don't deserve the label so don't wear it!!