On Cultural Integration

"7 is a good age to be," by Eliot (last day as a 7yr old)

Lately, I've been asked a lot about the differences between Singapore and Italy; and in particular, about cultural integration. As usual, it's the kids who have the best answers.

1) Eliot, what do you think is the best thing about being an expat kid?
"I forgot, what does expat mean again?"

2) What is the best thing about living in Singapore?
"My friends and my family."

3) What is Singapore like?
"It rains there."

4) What is Italy like?
"It snows there."

5) Have you seen the snow there?
"No."

6) Are the people different in Singapore compared to those in Italy?
"Yes. They wear short-sleeves because it is hot. But in Italy they wear long sleeves."

7) Do you do different things in Italy compared to Singapore?
"Yes. In Italy, I don't do swimming. In Singapore, I do swimming."

8) Finish this sentence to an Italian friend: You should come to Singapore because...
"Because it's fun, you can have a big pool, and there are so much fun places to go to...like Legoland in Malaysia."

9) Have you gone to Legoland in Malaysia? "No."

10) Finish this sentence to a Singaporean friend: You should come to Italy because...
"Because it's fun...you can do stuff and there's a beach. Verona is nice because it snows and you can see the mountains from there."

11) Do you prefer the food in Italy or in Singapore?
"In Singapore because they have curry noodles."

12) And finally, is it easier to be Italian or Singaporean?
"Singaporean, because you get to speak English."