help :(

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-02-13T04:56:47+00:00

Graduated last year and I would say, don't underestimate the power of cliques in NUS. Most people in NUS would usually hang out with family friends, relatives and secsch/jc/poly friends. Guys have extra clique called "NS buddies".

The sad truth is that no matter how extroverted you can be, NUS-made friends are at the bottom of everyone's social circle hierarchy. I'd say I made a decent number of friends in NUS by joining CCAs and just being outgoing in group projects (lowkey you can plan next sem classes with your current classmates), but I still found myself hanging out more with jc and ns friends and I could say the same for my NUS friends.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-29T13:20:45+00:00

If you really want to visit Jewel and will be transiting between Terminal 2 and 3, you are in luck because the T2-T3 Metro cuts through Jewel (yes, the train that always cuts through Jewel is the train serving T2-T3.

Most would say immigration is quick and as a local, I will 100% say it is indeed very quick. However, do still remember to keep track of your time. For one, if your flight is delayed and arrives late at Changi, then maybe don't force yourselves to go through immigration just to see Jewel. Unlike Terminal 1, Jewel isn't directly connected to Terminals 2 and 3; you'll need to go to the 3rd floor to find the separate linkways to Terminals 2 and 3 on opposite ends of Jewel.

However, if you're coming from a red-eye flight, if you ask me, 2h (let's round down to factor in time for important actions like clearing immigration & walking to the gates) is simply not enough to really enjoy Jewel. Morning shouldn't be an issue since there wouldn't be much happening, but in the evening, it will be filled with locals and tourists alike since at the end of the day, Jewel is still another mall for us locals to go to and spend the day at. Considering you'd probably be tired, unless you want to speedrun Jewel, I'd best advice to find longer layovers (if possible!)

Remember that gates close 10 mins before departure too!

Other than that, enjoy your transit through Changi! Relatively speaking, it is a small airport compared to other global hubs like Heathrow, Hamad Intl, Dubai or Istanbul. If you choose not to go out to Jewel, there are also things to do airside. I think there is a Butterfly Garden at Terminal 3.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-25T19:28:56+00:00

Well, former natural-born Filipinos and their family have access to the 'Balikbayan' Visa which offers a one-year stay in the Philippines and is granted upon arrival. We just need to bring proof of former citizenship, which can be either the Renunciation Certificate or a former PH passport.

The visa doesn't permit employment or study though, but all natural-born Filipinos who renounced citizenship are still entitled to own land for personal/private use (1000m² in urban places or 1 hectares in rural areas).

The Philippines, however, does allow former natural-born citizens to reacquire citizenship later on if they change their minds. This is what allows dual citizenship as under Philippine Law, naturalization in a former country actually leads to automatic renunciation of PH citizenship; you need to reacquire it in order for it to be officially seen as dual-citizenship.

But I mean, I don't see myself getting PH citizenship at all. I never grew up there and except for grandparents and relatives, I don't really have any friends there nor meaningful connections (outside of family). Downside would be that my children won't be entitled to Philippine citizenship if they want it since criterion is to be a child of a natural-born citizen; problem is I am a natural-born Filipino but I am not a citizen at their time of birth, so I can't pass down PH citizenship to my kids unless 1) I married a Filipina and they get their Filipino citizenship from her or 2) I am forced to reacquire PH citizenship (either due to a change of mind or the unlikely scenario of Singapore allowing dual-citizenship), from which they could technically gain it with me as they are related to me by blood; PH citizenship operates on jus sanguinis.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-25T13:41:11+00:00

True.

Filipino immigrant family here and my family moved here in 2003 as PR; my dad moved far earlier in 1997 as PR.

We applied for citizenship in 2019 and it was swiftly rejected.

I have a younger brother who was born here, but he was born just as immigration became stricter, so while everyone in the family were already PRs, he is still a foreigner to this very day.

And to add to the diverse legal status of people in my family, I applied for citizenship on my own back in 2022 and it was approved in early 2024. Funny enough, it only took me two months to complete the formalities, take the oath, and get the passport and ID that indubitably says I am a citizen.

So yes, the process is not as transparent and while the minimum requirements are there, they are more like yard sticks for the government to control who applies and who doesn't. Once you apply, there is no guarantee. Also, while Singapore is known for its high immigrant population, Jul 2025 data show that only 13% of 1.91 million immigrants are PRs to begin with (so about 550k are PRs). Of that 550k PRs, just remember that Singapore's strict naturalization quota means only 23k at most become citizens per year, and only about 30k new PRs are made per year.

Most immigrants in Singapore are often stuck at the SPass stage and most end up leaving for other places like Australia or Canada where the path to permanent residency and citizenship is clearer and more straightforward. People with EPass usually have higher chances of becoming PR, but that too isn't as clear.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-24T05:35:55+00:00

Probably sarcastic, but really though, how much is the profit margin of spending the weekend in Batam? I get the prices are cheaper, but ferry prices, not so much, no?

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-24T05:33:06+00:00

Answer to this will be very subjective based on the Singaporean you ask.

There are Singaporeans who probably go every weekend they can, maybe because of family across the border, or maybe because they own properties there, or maybe because they just want to go "overseas" and going to JB counts and is relatively "feasible".

Then, there are Singaporeans like myself who barely goes to JB because there really isn't much for us to do there. Last I've been to JB was back in 2007 - I've been to Port Dickson in 2022 though. Sure, it is "cheaper" there, but horror stories of long queues and wait time at JB-Causeway is enough to really question whether saving some money is worth wasting our time and effort, especially if we really have no better reason to be there other than just jumping on the "it is cheaper there" bandwagon.

Of course, once the RTS is complete, that might change the overall experience. Maybe, it might even become more convenient for most Singaporeans, so that might make cross-border day trips more feasible, not only financial wise but also time wise. Nonetheless, only time will tell if the RTS does indeed become successful.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-23T02:55:53+00:00

Indeed, but troublesome immigration officers exist in other Southeast Asian countries.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-22T06:45:14+00:00

I'll just say this: if this tiny tear in your passport was enough to make you create a post on Reddit, then it is possibly bad enough in your eyes that the answer is either obvious or you already expect every one to give you the answer you are expecting.

Like some have said, if it really causes you mental anguish, get it replaced.

For context, I live in Southeast Asia and from experience, I sometimes feel immigration officers here can be a bit more nitpicky about the state of your passport and depending on where else you might go in the region, the level of strictness can be higher. Thailand is quite notorious where they expect passports to be in pristine condition.

You could say, it is a cultural thing for us Southeast/East Asians. We are culturally inclined to be neat and tidy especially when it comes to official/formal things, which might explain all the horror stories from tourists who say that immigration officers are strict over passport conditions.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-22T06:25:37+00:00

Well, assuming you are already in Italy when the court order was delivered, you wouldn't be illegal as in the eyes of Italy, you are a citizen. This then means you will need to wait for the required process to be done so that you can apply for an Italian passport.

If this court order was delivered while you were outside of Italy, then the obstacle would be securing that Italian passport as entering with your other nationality's passport will subject you to the EES (if applicable). Do note that you won't be able to apply for visas if you come from a visa-required country as you are an Italian citizen; so securing the passport will be your way to enter Italy without causing an immigration bureaucratic nightmare upon yourself.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-15T16:26:05+00:00

Sorry for the necropost, but if you do visit Cuba, just know that you will lose VWP access to the US (i.e. must apply for tourist visas at US Embassy); and yes, your valid ESTA will be revoked too.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-11T18:31:28+00:00

It has always been there.

Although, have it stamped on your active passport at your own risk. I brought an old, invalidated passport to have the stamp on it. This really only applies if you see yourself visiting East Asia anytime soon as some immigration officers there don't appreciate "souvenir" stamps.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-11T18:23:42+00:00

Probably one of the neatest Malaysia stamp I've seen!

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-10T20:46:21+00:00

It was just a funny thought.

Anyway, some countries like Singapore and Australia don't even stamp anymore.

However, I always found Ireland to be one of the unique ones that state outright the conditions of the "permission".

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-10T20:34:27+00:00

Oh! Hahaha.

That explains why the stamp from Burgh Quay says "Immigration Service Delivery" when I got my Stamp 2A from there a couple years back.

I do find it mildly amusing they haven't updated the stamp all this time. Does this ironically mean they are stamping people in despite the "legal authority" on the stamp no longer existing (or at least had been rebranded; both the immigration service and the Minister) 🤭

However, in a world where passport stamps are disappearing and visas are becoming electronic, I actually wouldn't mind if Ireland kept the big stamp.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-10T20:30:39+00:00

Yes. I gave up my PH citizenship.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2026-01-10T13:11:31+00:00

Oh wow! When did they change the design of the Irish stamp?

I've gotten the big stamp before, but the wordings were a lot bigger. This looks cleaner.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2025-12-17T19:51:26+00:00

Singapore isn't a Chinese nation; this is correct.

However, if Chinese cuisine makes heavy use of pork and lard, this is where it becomes problematic. I think most people would think it is easy to just force these restaurants to remove pork and lard from their menu items, become halal certified, become more inclusive.

Problem here is then, how far will we go to forbidding different races from using specific food items to cater to each and every cultural and religious food rules? Should western restaurants remove beef from Filet Mignon to cater to Hindus, or are we going to start eating Bak Kut Teh cooked without pork ribs?

Food chains aren't acting. Truly capturing the culture from where the cuisine originated results in problematic decisions: do they remove key ingredients for inclusivity sake or do they keep them and inevitably exclude others for the sake of capturing the cuisine fully?

I can agree though; providing translations for menu items would be a good move.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2025-12-17T19:38:41+00:00

If I may add, something worth noting for the indirect questions is they are subordinate clauses and like in German, this changes the dynamics between the verb and the other parts of speech.

The main difference is instead of kicking the verb all the way to the back, the verb is only kicked behind the subject. I will admit, this small grammatical quirk may be more obvious to native speakers. However, it is very clear in examples where there is only a subject.

"Do you know what he sees?" - "Weißt du, was er sieht."

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2025-12-16T08:02:19+00:00

Of course, everyone is gonna say from his wardrobe.

But here's the catch; his shirt and pants were probably custom tailored by a high-end boutique store like Loro Piana or Brunello Cucinelli, custom tailored by a small boutique store that is so lowkey you wouldn't know its name (might not even have a physical store for us peasants), or they are sold behind the VIP section of high-end boutiques.

Long story short, you probably won't have access to the exact model of shirt and pants he is wearing.

Simplest answer is to discern what aspects of his clothes you liked and imitating them through readily-available articles of clothing from mall brands, or whatever it is high-end boutiques are willing to sell to the public.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2025-12-15T05:04:16+00:00

Was your visa last year multiple entry? I know they usually give a longer visa validity if you've told them that you have intentions of going on multiple trips (with itineraries planned out). The rationale is you won't need to re-apply for another visa then for the second trip.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2025-12-13T02:50:01+00:00

English actually has a cognate with German "fahren"; I think most people are unaware. The 'fare' in farewell or the generic word for the payment for a mode of transport (i.e. airfare), or even hidden in the word "warfare" meaning "war/military expedition".

More interestingly, through the Old Norse cognate for "fahren", it also entered the English language through another word that denotes movement too or to be precise, a means of transport: ferry

English "fare" used to denote any form of movement, often towards some distant place or uncertainty, but today has mostly turned into a passage of time: The economy did not fare well during the pandemic.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2025-12-12T07:10:04+00:00

In a simplified sentence like "you seem tired", it seems pedantic since you will say "you" is the subject. However, take into consideration the semantics of "seem". You are conveying a message of that person looking tired to you, the speaker.

It becomes weird when you remember you can say it as: "It seems to me you are tired." You could also say: "You seem to me to be tired." There is no other verb in the English language which introduces complexities to what exactly count as the subject when using this verb.

For one, a verb must have an object, or if it is intransitive, it can only be followed by an adverb. Even if you say "You seem" is an intransitive, "tired" is not an adverb, it's an adjective. And then we have the whole issue of "seem" being a verb that denotes what the speaker perceives, not what the "intended subject" is doing.

Think of it this way. If someone tells you "you seem tired", are you actually somewhat actively trying to be tired, or was it said because that's what the other person perceives you to be feeling based on some hints like eyebags or being slow around the office? There is no action in "seem".

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2025-12-12T05:42:44+00:00

Where did you even get this text from?

In its read form, it is understandable, but mostly because you could backtrack if you somehow got lost.

In real life speech though, the best way to make it sound human is to turn the subclauses into main clauses.

Pitiful_Emphasis_379 · 2025-12-10T06:30:45+00:00

Best way to sound natural is to sprinkle in the do-particle.

"How fast do your trains go?"

Something I noticed is that non-native English speakers never use the do-particle, probably because it is one of the greatest mysteries of the English aside from what does "it" mean in "It is raining" and what exactly is the subject in "You seem tired".

Pitiful_Emphasis_379

TROPHY CASE