Things Koreans Ask

North Korean conducts an orchestra in Singapore!

North Korean conducts an orchestra in Singapore!

Bringing North Koreans abroad is never easy, especially for those with limited experience living abroad independently. They have so many questions. Their questions reflect the different system they come from, and the limited international immersion they have. Because of their ‘alien’ perspective, their questions force me to think deeply about why things are the way they are. Here is a small sample: 

1.     Why does your government allow all these shops to give discounts? How do they calculate the tax revenue if shops are giving all these discounts?

Because a Singapore without discounts is not Singapore?

2. How can the audit companies regulate their own industry?

Beats me! Ask Arthur Andersen?

3. Who does one go to to get permission to talk to foreigners in your country?

Yo mama!

4. I don’t understand how Singapore became a medical hub. Did you have to go to war to acquire the technology?

Paying your bills helps too.

5. Singaporeans are too international. They study abroad, travel everywhere and work overseas. Their relationship to their country is so weak. How does Singapore keep its people in Singapore?

Parental pressure.