Terence Yap

A privileged life is what most of us lead here in Singapore. We live in relative safety and there’s always enough to eat. Most of us have jobs and some of us own our companies. Life in an affluent society provides for all these privileges. And even with all these benefits, a lot of us still wish we could have more money. Indeed, the insatiable human spirit personifies itself without remorse.

Privileged Appearance

In relation to the size of our country and its population, we have one of the highest number of amenities in the world. Cinemas, food establishments, shopping complexes, sports and recreational facilities, arts and cultural venues, the list goes on and on. There are so many things to enjoy in Singapore.

Living in a privileged society has its demands. Keeping up appearances requires branded clothes, fashion accessories, jewelry and a credit card. But what good would these bare essentials be without a car? One must have a car. And cars are extremely expensive in Singapore. A dilemma to say the least.

A plan begins to form.  A single person would not garner as much credit as would a married couple. Two working adults could easily apply for enough credit to not only buy a car but, also a house. And so the scramble begins to find a suitable finance partner: a spouse. When one is found, marriage would be expedient.

Privileged Lifestyle

Living in a privileged society demands that one keeps up appearances. But it doesn’t stop at designer clothes, fashion accessories, jewelry, credit cards and cars. Since everyone would already have these things, the need for one to upgrade and outdo begins.

A more expensive car would do nicely; two-door coupe, perhaps. And what would be better than a gold class credit card to complete the facade. Where does all this lead to? Does this ever end? No, it doesn’t. For the more one has, the more one covets. Next comes a exclusive condominium or a prestigious service apartment in town with as many amenities as possible.

Privileged Friends

But what good is all this if there’s no one to share it with but your spouse? And whom better to share these things with than others of like mind that live the dream? And so money begets money and birds of a feather flock together. And because money is of vital importance here, friendships are forged and lifestyles are in heated competition.

When one person buys new, trendy clothes, peers must buy new ones to keep up. And when someone gets the latest hand-phone, everyone has to upgrade their hand-phones. And car audio systems; how could anyone aspiring to lead a lifestyle synonymous with the rich and famous neglect that? These systems come in the tens of thousands of dollars, a sure way to impress and keep up with the “in” crowd.

Privileged Membership

The best place to meet and socialize with people of means would be at exclusive clubs. The Tanglin Club and the Singapore Island Country Club remain 2 of the most prestigious private membership clubs in Singapore. Everyone who’s anyone in Singapore can be found within its membership. And if one ever hopes to rub shoulders with society’s elite, one needs to be a member of these 2 premier clubs.

For those that do not meet the criteria in joining the afore-mentioned clubs, there are also the other sports and recreational clubs with easier entry requirements and lower membership fees. These clubs are ideal for young, aspiring individuals to learn the basics of club protocol and etiquette.

Privileged Address

A house in an exclusive district is the dream of every rich and famous, high-profile individual. In Singapore, this would mean the Orchard Road district or somewhere in Thomson or the East Coast. A double story bungalow with gardens in the front and at the back used to suffice, but it has now become the trend renovate such dwellings with Mediterranean or Italian themes.

Yes, there are many who dream of such an opulent and extravagant lifestyle. And as long as the money continues to flow, such dreams can be sustained. But if the money were ever to run out, so would everything else.  When one builds one’s foundation on money, everything revolves around, and depends upon money.

Such is the way of a privileged life in Singapore, no different from anywhere else, where money begets money.

This entry was posted on 3 August, 2008 at 7:05 am and is filed under Rising Costs of Living. Tagged: lifestyle, privileged life, singapore. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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