10 Singaporean Types And Their Statement Staples
Being Singaporeans ourselves, we are pretty familiar with the various personalities and characters one can meet on a daily basis. They can be frustrating, funny and heartwarming all at the same time, but are exactly the bits and pieces that populate and form our little red dot home.
At Naiise, we believe that design is for everyone, for everyday. Whoever you are and whatever you do, there will be something that celebrates your personality, quirks, beliefs and lifestyle. Check out our tongue-in-cheek laundry list of 10 Singaporeans and what they should own! Whether you fall neatly into one of the types, or belong somewhere in between, we hope you enjoy reading this!
1. The Kiasu Type
Definitely an understatement for a true-blue Singaporean, being kiasu or, literally, "scared to lose" in Hokkien, is almost a necessary and distinctive trait of many Singaporeans. A good example of how this is practised is how some people can queue overnight for a new release of Hello Kitty toys at McDonald's, or for a place in that 'atas' kindergarten school, or when a queue has formed and you simply don't want to lose out.
If you are a kiasu person, you are always on the way to somewhere to get the best deals. Put this tee on and, we hope, everyone will move aside and help you get there faster.
Know of any promotions you want to check out or any cheap deals you cannot miss? Jot them down on this notebook! Feel free to document down your latest adventure while dealing with that auntie who cut your queue. This statement notebook is definitely a must-have!
Being kiasu also means that you make wise and economical choices. This backpack comes with multiple compartments for storage of all your current and new possessions. A detachable inner bag means that you get two bags at the price of one! Practical and worth every penny, we say.
2. The Blur Type
If you hear a lot of your peers or co-workers saying “Why you so sotong (“squid” in Malay, slang for “muddled” in Singapore)?” to you, it is a huge sign that you fall under “The Blur Type”.
There is nothing scientific behind our analysis but to further determine this, we are speculating that you might have lost more than two phones in your life time, met your friends at the wrong location or forgot to attend a work meeting until your client called.
It’s okay if you know you fall under “The Blur Type”. Embrace your personality with this tee. Once you put this on, we are pretty sure the people around you will be more forgiving for the mistakes you make.
If you are always forgetting appointment dates, important meetings or birthday parties, this will be a handy notebook to have. Practise this: Write down things that you tend to forget in here but never forget to check this notebook.
If you ever bought fruit juices or fresh cut fruits from the local hawkers, you might have overheard their way of saying watermelon as “我的美人” (“my beautiful in Mandarin). You might have once thought that the hawkers were complimenting you and if you only just realised this, we are sorry to burst your bubble. Tote this around and laugh about it!
3. The Foodie Type
One of the biggest things in Singapore is food. From local delicacies, fancy desserts to fine dining, "The Foodie Type" will definitely know which restaurants or cafes to introduce to their peers. Best part to that – they never disappoint with their suggestions.
As a foodie, you probably know how to avoid getting your tee stained while indulging in the goodness of your favourite bowl of laksa. Fret not if you don’t. With this tee, you can eat your food without worrying about the stains. We are pretty sure the fresh laksa stains will bring out the realness of the design.
Remember “Mamee”, that childhood snack we can't stop crushing, shaking and stuffing our mouths with? Reminisce the past with this notebook and in the meantime, grab a packet of Mamee while you draft your new list of food places to conquer in the upcoming month.
Head down to your next food hunt with this tote bag! Throw in your essentials – camera, spare batteries, mobile phone, notebook and pen – and be on your way!
4. The Lepak Type (Literally “Relax” in Malay)
Nothing really pisses you off, you always push till tomorrow because now is the time to have fun, and “laid back” is your middle name – if all the above speak to you, you are undeniably "The Lepak (“relax” in Malay) Type".
Professional Procrastinator T-shirt
Taking life slow might be good but pushing your work back constantly might also point you to the procrastinator side. When you come to terms with that, you can put on this tee and announce to the world that yes, you are a professional procrastinator who gets work done, and you are not ashamed of that.
I Am Not Procrastinating Notebook
The next time someone calls you a procrastinator, put this notebook in his/her face. Carry this statement notebook around and write about what you want to do later on, or maybe tomorrow.
Be Free Be Happy Be You Tote Bag
Being the free-spirited person that you are, you will agree with what the bag says – "Be Free, Be Happy, Be You". Forget about how people look at you. Staying true to what you believe defines who you are.
5. The Hipster Type
Always in search of new obscure places to be seen, latest indie music before everyone starts raving about them, or a brand new trendy hobby that no one seems to be doing in Singapore? Welcome, Hipster!
Ah Kong Is Watching You T-Shirt
Keeping your humour intact with a local reference, this t-shirt will be a great addition to your hipster getup. Throw on a denim jacket, put on your skinny jeans and trusty boots, and you are ready to paint the town red. But remember, “Ah Kong is watching you.” So be good, you hipsters.
Sure, you can make do with a plain brown cover notebook but why that when you can get the oohs and aahs with this reindeer anatomy sketchbook? The attractive illustration will keep yours glued to it and you will come to realise the beauty of it. Don’t be offended if that stranger at the next table can't take his/her eyes off this. Hold it up like this, and take a naiise, hipster shot of your notebook for Instagram, don't say we didn't give you ideas!
If you look closely at the illustration on this tote bag, you will understand how the name “Pak Raoh” comes about. Dressed up in black rim glasses and moustache, “Pak Raoh” is a hipster version of Pharaoh. Apt for your personality, this tote bag will be a great one for school, work, and play.
6. The Clubber Type
Every club nights, you are out there, drinking and boogieing to the heavily mixes that are spinned. Partying is always at the back of your head. Whenever there is a big holiday coming up, you will be Whatsapp-ing your friends and setting when to meet for a great night out. And yes, you are "The Clubber Type".
Why Is It Not Friday Yet T-shirt
“Why is it not Friday yet?” That is the question you always have when Sundays end and Mondays begin. We hope that when you wear this, it will halve your agony and bring the weekends closer to you.
Alcohol is usually part of the equation when it comes to clubbing. We are unsure of your alcohol tolerance but whatever it is, we are pretty certain you are truly happy when you are on the dance floor with your friends to your favourite track. Declare your happiness with this notebook while you are at work or in school!
Drink-That-Beer Canvas Tote Bag
Life is short, definitely. So do what you want while you can, even if it involves drinking that beer you crave for every other day. Be your own devil's advocate by toting this bag around. But just a little word of advice: Don’t over-drink. We don't want you to shorten your life while you are having a ball.
7. The Patriotic Type
Proud of being a Singaporean and contented with the lifestyle and safety you have here, you make the cut as "The Patriotic Type". You also make it a point to catch the parade every 9 August and support all local efforts in various industries, simply because you love Singapore.
Most Singaporeans know and use their local slangs everyday, helping them to bring across messages effectively. Be it excitement, disappointment or surprise, this Eh Sia La T-shirt will translate those moments niftily, Singaporean style.
One of the many traits that defines someone as a Singaporean is the use of Singlish (i.e. English, Singapore style). Nowhere else can you find such heartwarming use of lah, leh, lor, hor, ah, sia. Celebrate the Singaporean experience with this notebook!
1960s National Museum Tote Bag
Back in the 1960s, many locals used paper bags, instead of plastic bags, to hold their groceries. This brown paper bag nostalgia is remade into a canvas tote bag style, making it a more lasting and versatile bag for grocery shopping, school or even work.
8. The Kan Cheong Spider Type
The littlest thing will make a typical Kan Cheong Spider (local slang for "worrier") rushing to solve a problem, no matter of its importance. They might seem too worrisome for some but they are actually efficient and get problems solved as soon as possible to prevent repercussions in the future.
Professional Kan Cheong Spider T-shirt
Warn your friends about your Kan Cheong tendency with this tee. It involves a lot of effort and skills to be a professional Kan Cheong Spider.
Every episode of your Kan Cheong happenings should be recorded in this notebook. You can also use this to write down all the problems you need to solve before it is too late. There is no better notebook to write all these on than this statement-making one!
Being the worrisome person that you are, you are always in a rush, usually at the unexpected hour. This Chapalang (local slang for “a mix of everything”) Tote Bag will be a great bag to hold everything you need before you dash out to fix something again.
9. The Humourous Type
Always drawn to things and conversations that never fail to tickle them, "The Humourous Type" will make sure every single moment in his/her life will be filled with laughter. They repel seriousness and usually, they will inject humour into almost all matters. They just want to know they can still laugh, every moment, every day, amidst the stressful environment they are in.
Easily piquing the interest of "The Humourous Type", this tee will be great for those who always manage to locate the cheeky and witty side of things. Putting this on him/her is like them trying to say, “Don’t come near me, I’m dangerous. You might get electrocuted by the high voltage of my charm.”
Simply looking at the cover of this notebook will send the "The Humourous Types" giggling silly to themselves.
Remember those days when pagers will the one communication tool you need to have? This “Siang-kah Pager” tote bag (“Who paged me?” in Hokkien) will not only brighten up your day, it will probably also bring some smiles onto faces of those who see and understand it.
10. The Swearing Type
Although we don’t support swearing, we understand how easy and common it is that a swear word or two bounce off our tongues every now and then. Be it jokingly or out of anger, swearing, when done correctly, can be socially acceptable and expressive.
“SMLJ” is an acronym of a phrase in Hokkien that translates simply and in a non-vulgar way into “What?”. Concealing the vulgarity while making sure the humour is still intact, this t-shirt will be a great way to let people know that they don't have to be taken seriously all the time.
The next time someone says that you are a fierce and aggressive person, shove this notebook, with a smile, in his/her faces and tell them assertion does not equate to aggression.
Chao-Cheese-Pie Canvas Tote Bag
A different way of saying the commonly used Hokkien vulgarity that is usually for exclaiming or scolding someone, this tote bag tones down the actual phrase with a literal illustration of the muted vulgarity. Be half a badass and we won't be surprised if more people are willing to chat you up.
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