SINGAPORE: A Singaporean woman now living in Canada recently highlighted in a video on TikTok the differences she has noticed when it comes to dating in Singapore versus other countries.
The woman, who goes by @rohinislm on the platform, is a Tamil Singaporean, and she opens her video by saying that, for a brown-skinned woman, dating in her home country is “so hard.”
@rohinislm some differences I’ve notice
“Let’s be honest. The majority of Singaporean men only go for one type,” she said, adding that there are many women with the same skin tone as she does who can relate to her experiences, and “have felt boxed out before.”
In contrast, people overseas are “way more open to dating other skin tones.”
She wasn’t done with airing her opinions, however, as she also said that in Singapore, dating is at times “only tied to practicality” rather than love. For example, some people pair up in order to afford BTO (Built-To-Order public housing) and move out of their parents’ home.
“Once you reach a certain age, you just crave that independence, and the fastest way to do that is to find a partner,” she said.
She also observed that Singaporeans in their teens are not encouraged to date, but once they get into their 20s, their parents start pressuring them to get married. This puts Singaporeans at a disadvantage, she added, especially emotionally.
In the West, again in contrast, people begin dating when they’re much younger, so when they reach adulthood, “they are much more comfortable in relationship dynamics.”
Her video sparked a debate among TikTok users, with some loudly agreeing with her opinions and others decidedly disagreeing.
“She’s right! You ask 70% of SG guys other than Indian Singaporeans, because they’re the most open-minded… the rest always say they only date Chinese or Eurasian women,” one wrote.
“Dude, if someone this pretty can complain bout the SG dating scene.. Something’s defo wrong,” another observed.
“In Singapore, a super hot darker-skinned woman will still get passed over,” added a commenter.
One woman shared her experiences, writing, “As a brown girl, I find it hard to date in SG too.”
However, the post author’s experience doesn’t seem to be limited to Singaporean women, as commenters from Sri Lanka, India, and Africa said they’ve gone through the same thing./TISG
