17 dumb questions Singaporeans get asked all the time

Even though Singapore was recently named the second richest city in Asia, not every Singaporean is walking around making it rain. Many of us are just average people trying to get by, we promise.

Yes, we have many rules and fines for the weirdest things. But for the most part, we’re pretty chill. Visit our hawkers and you’ll see people sharing tables and laughing over $2 carrot cake.

Is it? But in case you wanted to hunt this half-fish half-lion creature down, here are six spots on the island where you can.

I don't know, maybe years of colonial rule helped strengthen our prowess in the language? Jokes aside, English is the most common language used at home and in schools. Most Singaporeans are multilingual or bilingual at least.

Wah, you think Singlish very easy is it? You don’t anyhow lah and suka suka. It’s sibei chim okay! (Translation: probably not, but we appreciate the effort!) Also, just because you add 'lah' after every sentence doesn't mean you're fluent in Singlish.

We think of it as character-building. If we can't wait a bit for something good, then what does it say about our attitude to life? And then sometimes, the end benefits seem to outweigh the cost of lining up. 

Surprise, it’s not English. Our national language is Malay and we have four official languages spoken here: English, Malay, Tamil and Mandarin.

For the love of nasi lemak, the answer is no. We've been asked this one too many times in our lives that we’re starting to question if anyone out there studied geography – or seen a map. Simply put, no we’re not part of China. Never have been. Never will be. We recommend investing in an atlas.

Well, we used to be, but not anymore. Here's a quick history lesson – Singapore merged with Malaysia (then known as Malaya) in September 1963 before the bittersweet separation in 1965, where we officially became independent.

Singaporeans love to complain about even the smallest of things and this culture of complaining is only allowed for them, and no one else. It probably boils down to how things are based on meritocracy here. We get what we deserve – and when we don't, you'll be hearing it for days. 

Sigh, poke fun at this all you want but it’s really one of those questions we’re tired of being asked. Let’s make it clear: there's a ban on importing chewing gum into Singapore but it’s not illegal to chew gum here. 

No, we're a divine city. Have you seen our stunning city skyline? *Whistles*

Living in one of the most expensive countries really takes a toll on our bank account. But we’re known (and proud) for being highly-skilled cheapskates so that’s how we’ve managed to thrive in this costly city. All Singaporeans live by this mantra: cheap must buy, free must take.

It’s summer here all year-round with an average temperature of 27°C, but we do have our cooler days ­­­– especially during the monsoon period. Once, it dipped to 21°C and Singaporeans were practically calling it winter and a "miracle". Frankly, we call it global warming.

This isn’t a dumb question at all. We love getting asked this and we have the best answer for it too. Hawker centres! Check out our list of the best hawker centres in Singapore and what to eat there. Although during the 'circuit breaker' period you can only enjoy food via takeaway and delivery.

For a good reason. Sure, we love the fruit – we even built a landmark inspired by it for god’s sake – but you gotta admit, the durian one helluva strong smelling fruit that might offend some. See, we're pretty polite people.

You know the saying, don’t let a bunch of rotten apples spoil the whole barrel? Well, here’s where it fits. We think we’re generally nice and kind people (albeit sarcastic), but come on, you’re always going to encounter a couple of rude folks anywhere you go.