Why this American chose to spend his entire life in Singapore

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Күн бұрын

Meet Jim, an American citizen who taught at the Singapore American School since the 1970s. He is also the author of two books about the history and economy of Singapore and Malaysia. He shared with me his memories of Singapore in the 1950s, why he never applied for Singaporean citizenship, and what makes food the integral part of the nation. Enjoy!
Jim on LinkedIn: / jim-baker-6ab4a721
TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 INTRO
00:29 Food in Singapore
02:16 What did Singapore lose
03:57 About Singlish
05:03 Singaporean citizenship
05:50 Singapore in the 20th century
09:27 Malaysia and Singapore
10:21 What was it like to be an American in Singapore earlier
WATCH NEXT:
► What is it like to live in Singapore since 1989: • What is it like to liv...
► Why this American decided to live in Singapore: • Why this American deci...
► Chinese-speaking American about his 40 years in Asia: • Chinese-speaking Ameri...
LET'S BE FRIENDS:
► My Instagram (use the translate button to read the posts 😇): / chernov_networking
► Sponsorship-related requests: maxim.chernov.msc@gmail.com
Hey! This channel bridges the gap between locals and foreigners in Singapore. Join Max as he interviews expats, unraveling their unique stories and providing valuable insights into their lives in this vibrant city-state. Through engaging conversations, Max fosters understanding and appreciation between Singaporeans and the global community with a focus on cultural exchange.
If you're a company seeking sponsorship opportunities to engage our upscale audience, contact us at maxim.chernov.msc@gmail.com. With over 50% Singaporean viewers and a substantial number of foreign professionals (US, EU, Australia), our mature audience (35-54 years) boasts strong purchasing power and interests in an above-average lifestyle, travel, investment, and personal finance.
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#ExpatLife #MaxChernov #Singapore

Пікірлер: 403

@MaxChernov 11 ай бұрын

Watch the SECOND PART of the interview with Jim Baker here - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nZN1qtxnsra7n58.html

@frostyphish7149 Жыл бұрын

I went to Singapore American School and Mr. Baker was my teacher!! What a great guy

@chua2237 Жыл бұрын

Here we worship white man

@vorlon81 Жыл бұрын

Do you miss the Food 😉

@SiaanLala Жыл бұрын

@@vorlon81He wouldn’t 😂

@frostyphish7149 Жыл бұрын

@@SiaanLala Mr. Ho’s fried rice was 👌🏻

@cyndimoring9389 Жыл бұрын

he was my teacher when I went there too. Class of '73.

@snow8888 11 ай бұрын

My father was a British Air Force pilot posted in Singapore in 1953. Much of what Mr Baker described was also what my father experienced. After Singapore declared independence in 1965, my dad was a pilot for Singapore Airlines and became a Singaporean. He also could speak Malay and later Mandarin. It's wonderful to listen to the various experiences of expatriates in Singapore, especially those who have lived there for decades..

@alemmat1750 Жыл бұрын

Please more interviews with Mr. Baker, a living history book.

@stephen2429 Жыл бұрын

Good watch. I was a young British soldier serving in Singapore. Nee Soon camp between 1973- 75. Loved my time there, been back a couple of times over the years.

@panda63725 Жыл бұрын

Stephen, thank you for your service and to be part of Singapore's critical time in history. ❤

@limbehh8494 Жыл бұрын

Welcome u back.. thanks for your service. Greeting from a Singaporean

@esther2355 Жыл бұрын

I was staying in Nee Soon, near Transit Road. There was a camp there.

@georgepereira1277 Жыл бұрын

My father worked at Nee Soon camp with the British Army. If I remember correctly the British pulled out of Singapore in 1972. After that there were the combined forces of Australia, New Zealand & UK called ANZUK

@CaptKenneth Жыл бұрын

Hope to see you back here in Singapore soon 😊

@yut576 Жыл бұрын

Mr Baker is indeed a Singapore treasure as the witness to the history and insight into SG society then and now. I am quite surprised by how his insight on the little things such as : 1) The use of Malay as a common language between the races including with white people too. Despite being SG's national language, this is not actively encouraged among Singaporeans. 2) The effects of the EIP in the public housing system on minorities preserving the culture and norms on top of difficulties in resale. 3) The fact that SG was already quite a modern and wealthy city/state as far back as in the thirties and not solely due to LKY and PAP - was another interesting fact that was rarely mentioned. 4) Term he used such as "colour bar" is not commonly used today in SG to describe racial attitudes and segregationist practices. Great work, Max, for interviewing a living witness (an objective one) to SG history.

@yip2454 Жыл бұрын

yup back the south cbd today stretching to siglap was already well planned modern city of that time. its only the west north and mostly east were fishing villages and villages.

@jameslim3850 Жыл бұрын

So the Politicians in Singapore LIED and claim Singapore was just a fishing village when PAP took over in 1959 when in reality it was already a modern city since the British colonial days.

@yip2454 Жыл бұрын

@@jameslim3850 there were fishing villages, rubber plantation, but there were well built sea ports air ports and a cbd of that era. Singapore was a well equipped colony of that time compared to others because of the importance to the brits. To solely put as a fishing village is false. But the PAP did modernize us to a global level especially when sg hit the 80s.

@LDK447 9 ай бұрын

I don’t think anyone says Singapore was a fishing village in 1959. They say it was a fishing village in 1819, when Stamford Raffles came. This saying was never about the PAP or whatever. I think we all know Singapore was an established trading hub ever since the British came in the 1800s, since that’s exactly what they came for. They do however often quote than Singapore was a third world country, which the PAP rapidly transformed to a first world one. This is technically true, but yes Singapore was definitely on the upper end of the ‘third world’ countries. It’s not a very descriptive way to categorize countries anyway.

@jameslim3850 9 ай бұрын

It was the PAP politicians who created that fairy tale story from fishing village to so called vibrant city when it was already a metropolis back in the 1950s. this is called political narrative and brainwashing by PAP@@LDK447

@erickoo9554 Жыл бұрын

I now know why my Chinese-educated mother could speak Malay. It’s probably because living in a kampung then and being Chinese-educated, the only way she could converse with other races is Malay, the lingua franca. In fact, I notice most of the Singaporeans (including Indians) in the older generations, especially those who had lived in kampungs, are able to speak in Malay.

@marcservos3790 Жыл бұрын

I'm an American who's been in Singapore since 2000 with the exception of three years back in the States during that time. Jim Baker wrote The American Journey in Singapore to commemorate the American Association's Centennial in 2017, which I have a copy of. In an article I wrote for the AAS periodical a year and a half ago, I cited Mr. Baker and that book. He gives a lot of interesting information in this video about Singapore life since the 1950s, which I appreciate. My thanks to Jim and Max.

@chenyinmei6466 Жыл бұрын

he is Singaporean..he is not wearing shoes or slippers at home..love this conversation..thank you

@SethyTan Жыл бұрын

he has a sandal tan, can't get anymore boomer singaporean 🤣

@anchored555 Жыл бұрын

Takes more than going barefoot at home to make one Singaporean.

@blue-xb1cq Жыл бұрын

@@anchored555- he lived in Singapore longer than 3/4 of the "Singaporians"

@anchored555 11 ай бұрын

Maybe, but he’s still very American in his speech and thinking. Surprising considering he came here at age 2. As they say, you can take an American out of America but you can’t take America out of him.

@alvinkoh5556 Жыл бұрын

Among the many Ang Moh expats and permanent residents you have interviewed , I find this elderly American man to be the most genuine and non pretentious. Many of the Ang Mohs you have interviewed in the past, their views and perspectives of Singapore were borderline bullshit! Sometimes they gave me the goosebumps when they spill their BS. But this elderly American guy in this episode is one of the few exception. I like him, as I find him to be sincere and respectable.

@richmondang1591 5 ай бұрын

Yes! I very much agree too!

@samraj3179 Жыл бұрын

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Jim Baker is living history of Singapore. I loved how he has noticed the loss of past structures with modernization that has changed almost everything except food. Thank you Max for your great find.

@MuhammadDanial-mo9ts Жыл бұрын

Wow, from your eyes Mr Baker there is sadness, as if you are missing part of yourself. Yes, i remember my time studying in Singapore and learned that my primary and secondary school are no longer there. Demolished and replaced! As if its all in your mind, not your history, deleted, gone! Sunken feeling! I never want to go back to Singapore again, i feel totally lost...now even Jurong Birdpark wil be gone.😢 Stay save Mr Baker! May you live a happy life.

@sohfihamid4164 Жыл бұрын

Thanks for featuring Jim Baker. I know him as an educator at Singapore American School. I was hoping you featured his wife, Junia Baker. She is one of the best writers / editors I have worked with.

@MaxChernov Жыл бұрын

She passed away 3 years ago unfortunately…

@sohfihamid4164 Жыл бұрын

@@MaxChernov that is very sad. I know her more in person when I was working at SAS a decade now. Thanks for sharing.

@syarifahnajwa5491 Жыл бұрын

@@MaxChernov😢

@trickysicky Жыл бұрын

Mr. Baker is awesome. He was my Track and Field coach at SAS around 2007

@eslgurucalif Жыл бұрын

This fellow clearly has a sharp mind and invaluable perspective on the evolution of a singular country. I've visited Singapore many times but feel as though I understand it better today. Nice interview, Max.

@tanchye1720 Жыл бұрын

I am 74 now myself. Hmm..your observations through the years are pretty accurate. Hope your years ahead will happy & be a blessed one. 🙏

@azfarissirafza Жыл бұрын

One of your best interviews yet! 👏🏼

@MaxChernov Жыл бұрын

🙏

@marimo66666 Жыл бұрын

love the questions!

@nulnoh219 11 ай бұрын

2:57 That was deliberate. The point was to tear down those distinct Cultural Identities and forge a new one. One that is more "Singaporean". The alternative will look more like Malaysia right now. You have Chinese Kampongs, Malay Kampongs, etc...

@Fiat-kl6lt Жыл бұрын

Despite having lived in SG for so long, he still retains the American accent n he sounds very articulate. Well done Mr Baker!

@multimj691 Жыл бұрын

Wow I'm so amazed with the point Jim made regarding cultural values. When you have finite resources but still inspire to achieve economical growth, it will come at the expense of diminishing cultural values. I have been enjoying your content Max, every videos have been insightful. Thanks Max!

@vincenttravelsg Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the interview. It's insightful to learnt from someone living here for 70 years and sharing on the transformation of Singapore.

@graham263cox Жыл бұрын

Hey Max, as a British person living in SG with a local wife for the past 12 years, I have really been enjoying your videos. Great content please keep up the good work :)

@MaxChernov Жыл бұрын

🙏

@janabertkau1621 Жыл бұрын

I remember Jim in high school. He generally had a huge grin and was very friendly. Jim and I were voted most athletic in 1965. 😊 Jana Svoboda Bertkau , class of 1965

@retroworldnews Жыл бұрын

His table and chair is retro , last time Singapore coffeeshop the tables and chairs are like that. Nice and cool.

@icten123 Жыл бұрын

My husband graduated SAS in 1982. .Jim baker was his teacher. My husband is also missing old Singapore.

@dschia2 Жыл бұрын

Hopefully there is a part 2 interview with Jim.. Love the way he articulates about the past Singapore and his perspective.

@gera.w Жыл бұрын

agree with @ragsoh- Mr Baker’s impression of sg in 60s 70s are not quite the same as the memories recounted by my parents growing up in sg. my mom’s adopted mother worked for a wealthy chinese family, her house was small. no modern plumbing, showers are from cold large ceramic jar pouring buckets over oneself. my father only ate roti prata as the only meal on most days, no chicken or meat except on special days. so I would say Mr Baker’s perspective of sg as wealthy before lky? quite a bit different from what my parents’ stories. 😅 But the part about lingua franca being malay back then is true I guess, my parents especially my dad, can speak malay.

@anchored555 Жыл бұрын

SG being wealthy even before LKY came to power was probably true of the elite minority in society ie white people, wealthy merchants, the ruling class, the British colonial government etc. Not the masses living in squalid atap hut villages with poor sanitation, poor power and water supplies. Yes, there was a time when Malay was the lingua franca in the streets. That was a time when few locals (Chinese, Malays and Indians) could speak English, so Malay became the common language of communication among them. With the rise of education in English, English gradually replaced Malay as the common language for communication.

@bell-xk5dd Жыл бұрын

Jim speaks from the perspective of a privileged minority..he doesn’t know what was being poor like in the 60s.

@duffvader6731 Жыл бұрын

What he didn't tell you is if he had returned to the US in the 60s, he would probably be drafted and sent to vietnam to fight. That's what he meant by doing american NS.

@foureyeswonder Жыл бұрын

Good point

@christan286 Жыл бұрын

Spot on.

@bell-xk5dd Жыл бұрын

He’ll probably be the first to “siam” back to the US if there’s trouble in Singapore.

@IzwanRahman Жыл бұрын

man this is wayy better than what I expect. I want more of this interview

@panda63725 Жыл бұрын

Yet another interview that tells thenuntold stories that was never ever told. Thank you Max! ❤

@AndorranStairway Жыл бұрын

Yeah he’s pretty much completely right about the history of Singapore. Not surprising considering he lived through the rapid modernisation. I may not be as old as him, but many of the old buildings and grassy fields that I remember are now gone as well. For better or worse, Singapore will continue to develop. PS: Jim may not look or sound like your average Singaporean, but he’s certainly dressed like one!

@AppleMacGeek 11 ай бұрын

He's a true "Ang Mo Ah Pek" in the most respected sense! 😜

@jcloiseau Жыл бұрын

One of your most interesting interesting interviews recently!

@tanjoseph8922 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Max. Your work helps me better understand Singapore and Mr Barker insights were most insightful!

@grandcharm Жыл бұрын

Lovely interview, Max. Congratulations on what seems to be a snowballing network of leads for more and more interesting interviewees! Keep up the good work! :)

@Towkeeyoh Жыл бұрын

What an excellent find for an interview! ❤ very insightful and you can see his love for his experience here! He’s such a gold mine of history of Singapore, I could watch a much longer or perhaps a more specific topic interview!

@jpbweb2023 Жыл бұрын

Truly excellent interview ! Jim Baker provides a much appreciated testimony of the early days of Singapore, that helps understand what we see today.

@mhmnmy 11 ай бұрын

this is the kind of video that we long waited for. Living history talks with unbiased view. Please do more interview like this. subbed

@azrinaz8993 Жыл бұрын

What a great insight and perspective of the early days of Singapore from the eyes and memories of a foreigner. Hope you can do more of the interviews with the pioneer and older generation folks, to listen to their stories and experience of Singapore.

@capy222b Жыл бұрын

Studying racial relations when I was in university, I do notice that many academics prefer social and cultural enclaves, instead of the hdb racial quota policy used. This is because it's too interventionist, and smacks of social engineering, which has negative connotations. Those in the older generation prefers living within an enclave due to same culture, language and religion. I too felt it was very social engineered when I studied these academics' works in uni, until I ventured out of Singapore, and saw the divisiveness that race has created in other countries. I'm glad I am able to live beside another race, and smell the curries floating across the corridor. Singapore's society is by no means an organic occurrence. It is very engineered, but I think, it is a well thought through engineering project.

@anchored555 Жыл бұрын

Well said. Remember we had race riots several times in our history, and as recently as 1969. So our government realised long ago that racial harmony isn’t a given and needs to be actively cultivated and protected. Racial enclaves develop easily because it’s natural for people to seek out others just like themselves. But the danger of allowing this to happen without controls is that people become less tolerant of those who are different from themselves, because of limited exposure to other racial groups, and this feeds misunderstanding and communal strife. So our government was very wise in trying to promote racial harmony in the schools, NS and even in HDB housing to ensure that all Singaporeans get used to racial diversity and learn to co-exist peacefully and harmoniously with each other. This is the opposite of the position during British colonial rule where their policy was to keep ethnic groups divided so the British could “divide and rule” them with ease. Maintaining the communal divide is great for the coloniser but bad for nation building, where your aim is to unify, not divide, the people, to promote social unity and harmony. The loss of strong racial enclaves may have diluted a culture slightly, but if the trade off is more racial harmony and social stability, I think this social engineering was worth it. Just look at the long history of systemic racism and ethnic segregation in the U.S. that has kept ethnic differences alive in a negative way which has divided the people and country.

@AppleMacGeek 11 ай бұрын

Everything in Singapore is social-engineered to within an inch of its life. Nothing has changed. Not even now.

@devinkay1329 Жыл бұрын

So glad that you and Jim did indeed link up for an interview. Love the fact that some people are asking for a Part II video and recognize what insight Jim brings to your channel and audience.

@MaxChernov Жыл бұрын

Hey buddy, thanks so much for your help organizing it! 🙏

@applehead7942 Жыл бұрын

Omg max! Another amazing interview! I hope you’d find more gems like Mr Baker.

@gilchristhaas9865 Жыл бұрын

Great interview. Very insightful.

@boonluitang7727 Жыл бұрын

Impressive + genuine interview 👍❤ Thank you very much for sharing.

@StarrySunnie Жыл бұрын

Amazing insight. Thank you, Mr. max 🙏🏽🙇🏻‍♀️

@balisaani Жыл бұрын

Excellent interview/video (even cut down). Having the personal perspective of someone who lived through those times is illuminating. Thanks to both of you.

@lemontree9787 Жыл бұрын

Impressive that you can find such a gem to interview with.

@NileBowie Жыл бұрын

Fascinating conversation, thanks Max.

@NileBowie Жыл бұрын

I think he meant "Tuan" complex, as is "lord" or "master" in Malay. That's a fascinating anecdote. Makes you think of the Michael Fay case in a slightly different light, in a sense that no one is above our rules.

@colinfoo2856 Жыл бұрын

This man is a living treasure... wish he write a book about his life in SG. His POV of the history of Singapore is very interesting coming from an American who has adopted a way of life here.

@envitech02 Жыл бұрын

Great video Max! Do interview my boss Herr Andreas J. Walther, a German national who's been in Malaysia since the 80s. Most days you can see him at Subang Airport. Very friendly gentleman, boleh cakap Melayu.

@MaxChernov Жыл бұрын

Can you make an intro for me with him?

@SuccessforLifester Жыл бұрын

One of the more interesting video as the gentleman has a wealth of experience to share

@sps6 Жыл бұрын

He is absolutely true on the food..thumbs up

@jennifergargiulo4526 Жыл бұрын

Insightful interview!

@morganf963 Жыл бұрын

We need more videos with Mr. Baker!!! A city walk would be awesome. Tour of the old districts (whats left) !!!

@cukcan Жыл бұрын

educational video. I always enjoy listening elder people's story. They give information that you can't find in books. greetings from Turkey.

@ragsoh Жыл бұрын

Good interview with Mr Baker. As a kid in the 1960s, I lived in poverty. The Singapore I know was a third world country. Maybe he stayed in the expat area and his view of Singapore was that it was a modern country. We lived in small houses and it often leaked when it rained. There was no modern sanitation and human waste went into buckets and would be collected every 2 days or so. I remembered eating chicken and meats only on special occasions. Life was tough then. His view on culture and demolished buildings were spot on. I can agree with him on most of the things he said. And yes, white people were treated differently in those days. Not anymore - among my generation, we treat them as equals now. They are not greater than us and we do not think we are inferior to them.

@chaotiongsai Жыл бұрын

I don’t think any race is superior but as an Asian, who’s born and raised in Singapore I can sense an over compensation among many Asians regarding white people, they have inferiority complex you talked about that Instead causes them to over compensate and project racism and try to project that they are superior to white people. It is quite pathetic to be honest.

@christan286 Жыл бұрын

I agree with you, my birth certificate says Colony of Singapore so you can guess my age. Singapore in the 50s & 60s was a third world country. My parent rented a small room along Armenian Street and we had a small kerosene lamp for light and yes I use the night soil bucket system. My late mother used to tell me to study hard or end up as one of those worker carrying the buckets for disposal haha. Mr.Baker mentioned the "Tuan complex" which kind of meant white superiority or privilege which is true at that time.

@riorx9999 Жыл бұрын

He knows Singapore better than most Singaporeans. I learned a lot here.

@narutokun5765 Жыл бұрын

Local people now very well about singapura especially from name temasik again during melaka kingdom before portugis come here....

@zanm7407 Жыл бұрын

That's a sweeping statement to make. How many Singaporeans have you spoken to, especially those whose family have been here for generations?

@riorx9999 Жыл бұрын

Ok chill..

@mholtebeck Жыл бұрын

You got a lot of hate from people who don't know, but that's an understatement. He is a historian who witnessed modern Singapore history first hand, and Singapore doesn't emphasize in its education, so he might be the best expert on Singaporean history.

@anchored555 11 ай бұрын

@@mholtebeckAt best, he can only represent the views of a tiny elite white minority, but not the masses who did not enjoy his privileged “Tuan” lifestyle.

@peacenowar6920 Жыл бұрын

Should continue part 2 pls .

@msct8116 Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this video. It is nice to hear Jim's perspective of Singapore. It is spot on!

@jeslyny9692 Жыл бұрын

So interesting and really thankful for these people who stay on🎉🎉.It doesn't matter if you are a foreigner or Singaporean as long as you love Singapore Thatz the most important thing

@dlmhdlmh Жыл бұрын

So interesting to see that they both do not have shoes on indoors.😊

@MaxChernov Жыл бұрын

Ofc 😊

@EricK-mj7kr Жыл бұрын

Great sharing & content. I served my national service at the former NZ army camp. Its quite an experience to stay in the airconditioned bunks.

@veekwok5611 Жыл бұрын

Good interview but I disagree that Singapore was already middle-class back in the 50's and 60's. The majority of the population then were quite poor. Maybe we had a better infrastructure in the city area back then, as compared with neighbouring countries. Outside the city area were mostly kampungs with no electricity and proper sanitation. Most of the people living in these kampungs are farmers, odd jobs laborers, artisans or hawkers. Surely, these people living in such conditions cannot be considered middle-class. Like it or not, it was our first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew and his team of capable ministers who painstakingly developed the nation after its independence in 1965. It was only by the 1970s that Singapore start to become a thriving economy. I am as old as Jim to testify the true situations of Singapore during the 50's and 60's.

@rxdocteur 5 ай бұрын

interesting interview. My wife is Singaporean, and we travel back to Singapore every few years to visit family and notice the changes each time.

@kimyong7031 Жыл бұрын

He is totally correct..every corner in Singapore northern part yishun , sembawang, marsiling and woodlands, south, kampng glam, beach road, arab street, rochor and little india east coast, katong, marine parade , siglap, bedok, kallang airport and central orchard, holland , bukit timah , river valley , carnhill, thomson, newton , shenton way. All is unique with its own identity and thats Singapore.

@mrechbreger Жыл бұрын

it's somewhat so interesting, especially the end where he speaks about ASEAN that they will increase their wealthiness and improve. I left Germany because within 15 years all I saw was a horizontal line of development within the country - nothing really improved for the people, no things even got worse during that time. All the government did is refining their income source by establishing more cost and obstacles for people in economy. Now I'm in Taiwan myself I'm blown away by the freedom people have, during the building up stage no one bothers and puts obstacles into your way. Getting around in the world seems to be really important. There's no such country as a one fits all but things can turn out to be close in some situations.

@garamgarum4898 Жыл бұрын

Very good interview!! Interesting and insightful. I don't know about other things but there was one thing that directly adversely affected on us because of racial quota when we tried to sell our HDB unit (for some personal reasons), we couldn't sell to a specific ethnic group (they could give a matching offer to our asking price) and ended up accepting eligible ones at a reduced price than we initially inteneded resulting in a negative sale. And we suffered a net loss.

@alvintan2970 Жыл бұрын

Wow… what insights… thank you!

@doodlemecrzy8075 Жыл бұрын

Yes, my grandparents and my Mum used to live by Beach Road and it was by the sea. Today you go to Beach Road and its hotels , malls & office buildings. The landscape changes often in Singapore that even if you come back to certain areas in 5 years time it looks very different. Re-development is a key component of Singapore's economic growth; but the re-development is always purposeful unlike the bubble property developments in Cambodia or some parts of China.

@anchored555 Жыл бұрын

Yes, SG doesn’t have the luxury of keeping all old buildings just for sentimental reasons because we have so little land. Unlike some places in America where nothing changes much over 20-30 years. Land use needs to be constantly reviewed to keep up with changing needs eg the recent decision to shut down the Turf Club to free up 120 hectares of land for housing etc. Yes, we need to review decisions to tear down old buildings carefully and some decisions have been questionable, but bottom line, it’s a necessary evil because our usable land is limited.

@SuccessforLifester Жыл бұрын

It was only last year that I discovered that Shaw Towers had disappeared

@danielintheantipodes6741 Жыл бұрын

A really interesting interview. Thank you for creating it.

@sonant_bwolfe Жыл бұрын

I've been enjoying the trend of old guys with sagely life advice.

@kris_tan Жыл бұрын

🫡 Mr Jim Baker who shared with us the history of S’pore. This is another great video I will save to my playlist. I’m a proud specialist who serve our country for 10 years❤❤❤

@TheMadAfrican1 Жыл бұрын

Because Singapore is freaking amazing, that's why! Our country has issues, but compared to a lot of the rest of the world, we are actually trying to fix them.

@mayfoo7258 Жыл бұрын

Love this!!!

@heidi-hu1tv Жыл бұрын

This guy was very insightful.

@kevina2907 Жыл бұрын

This man deservea a National award. He is the one walking on Singapore land withnessing the progress of Singapore even before LKY time. He is a more Singaporean American. How Irony?

@pinkymoon5039 Жыл бұрын

So do all the other singaporeans who witnessed it that are still living.

@pinkymoon5039 Жыл бұрын

Award for just living? 😅

@kevina2907 Жыл бұрын

@@pinkymoon5039well..is a fact, the ones that withness the progress of Singapore are limited . You should be grateful this man still share with us what he see. Irony, he is not local.

@anchored555 11 ай бұрын

National award? Let’s not get carried away. At most he can speak only on behalf of the tiny segment of SG society ie the tiny minority white elite, that enjoyed privileges the vast majority did not. If someone took the trouble to interview others from the masses, we would have a more accurate picture of what SG was like back then.

@Ianlee1977 Жыл бұрын

I love his perspective of Singapore then and now and how much has changed. Being 47, i totally understand about seeing the changes in Singapore and how fast that change seemed. But wow, he was around when NS was implemented, that would have been when the Israeli army was here to assist in starting it. That was some tough training ( my uncles and dad went through that) as for the racial riots , yeah, my mum would tell me about that. Jim's knowledge is fascinating and amazing.

@whybotherha1021 Жыл бұрын

This is good finding Max, This is what we afraid in Malaysia.. Losing our cultural value.. but here it is we still strong and love our culture.

@yvonnescully5037 11 ай бұрын

Thank you for sharing. Love my country, my home Singapore. Mr. Baker blends in well with Singapore. I'm Singaporean Eurasian and have uncles on both sides of the family with very Caucasian skin colour. So no problems for him as an Eurasian/Singaporean. God bless n thank you again🙏🙏🇸🇬🇸🇬

@allansargeant3454 Жыл бұрын

Now that was 13.32 minutes of my time well spent, very interesting

@chocolatejellybean2820 Жыл бұрын

need more of this guy

@shta12 Жыл бұрын

even the food is disappearing.. it's getting harder and harder to find food like char kway teow. they still do exist, but not as easy as it used to be to find

@jamescarmody6467 Жыл бұрын

Really interesting.

@weijunshiow3657 Жыл бұрын

Good stuff mate

@MaxChernov Жыл бұрын

Much appreciated

@kaurinaj 11 ай бұрын

He hit the nail on the head. Everything has changed in singapore, except the food. Nevermind showing your grandchildren anything, I can’t even show my children a single place from my childhood memories. It’s heartbreaking. Not a single house I’ve lived in, not a single school, all my favourite places I used to visit as a child or teenager, the place i met my husband, all the culture, everything is destroyed by the government. Even pulau ubin. Everything is torn down and rebuilt. It’s disgusting. Soulless.

@alukardFE Жыл бұрын

What a treasure of a video

@leewn2319 Жыл бұрын

Prior to HDB & even after HDB was formed, Hougang from 4 mile stone (where current NEX Shopping Mall is located) all the way to Punggol was predominantly Teochew enclave. When the kampongs made way for HDB, the Teochews are still the majority. In the old days even the Malays in Hougang, Punggol and Upper Changi Rd near Tanah Merah areas could speak Teochew. Election rallies at Hougang Constituency were fought in Teochew dialects and of course Workers’ Party Low Thia Khiang’s superior command of Teochew gotten the upper hand and won Hougang.

@tedlai6624 Жыл бұрын

Punggol end was a small fishery and fishermen wore only undies 😂

@mrtransmogrify Жыл бұрын

1:57 That's a vry good theory... I believe its partly true... I supported (technical) the SAS (S'pore American School) in the early 2000... Mr Baker probably has seen & experienced Sgpore change more than I ...

@mholtebeck Жыл бұрын

First of all, he was my Asian Studies teacher way back in 1988, and this how he talked back then. The class was Modern Asian Problems (which was his design) and it is still one of the best classes I've taken. BTW- the guy is a political genius because the last time I saw him was in 2016 (right before the US released the Kragen in November 2016) and even back then he knew what was happening.

@AppleMacGeek 11 ай бұрын

Did you mean "the Kraken" (a.k.a. "The Manchurian Cantaloupe" or "The Cheetolini")? 😆

@zurinayahya Жыл бұрын

Max, I say this with love 😊 - it’s “Tuan” complex not ‘Twan’ as you spelled it in your subtitles. 😊 I’ve seen quite a bit of misspelling to Malay words also from your other videos. Nevertheless, I enjoy your videos. Thanks!

@MaxChernov Жыл бұрын

Hiring a new subtitles editor now

@mr3111 Жыл бұрын

i was wondering about that. Tuan as in "master complex" . Meaning caucasians are often seen as the "Master" race. Fascinating.

@zurinayahya Жыл бұрын

Yes, it was or is perceived so by perhaps some whites but not necessarily so by the natives of Nusantara - especially in this day and age. 😊

@lorrainevlambert Жыл бұрын

This is such an interesting interview, I so wish Singapore had held onto more of the old architecture and look.

@sngs9565 Жыл бұрын

Oh yes! Jim really got that one RIGHT about Indonesia...! It is a MAJOR POWER in the making! AMAZING!

@chycahaya Жыл бұрын

11:36 ‘Twan Complex’ which I think should be ‘Tuan’ - in Malay it means ‘sir’. First time I heard of this terminology & it answered a lot of questions why locals behaved the way we did towards caucasians/white people back then. As ‘tuan’ meant ‘sir’, locals were serving the British & thus we developed such a servitude complex. Nothing wrong, just helps me understand ourselves better. 🙏🏼

@AppleMacGeek 11 ай бұрын

The "Tuan Complex" is still alive and hasn't gone away, unfortunately. At least in the minds of some expat Westerners. Remember Anton Casey? And Olivier Desbarres? They were the worst examples but I remember being a guest at parties which had expat Westerners in them and I overheard some discussing their "LBFM" and whether to "upgrade" them to "LYFM" on their next posting to Hong Kong. I later found out to my horror that "LBFM" was their acronym for "Little Brown Fucking Machine" (i.e., their Malay girlfriends) and "LYFM" was the acronym for "Little Yellow Fucking Machines" (i.e., their anticipated Chinese girlfriends upon posting to Hong Kong). Can you say "objectification"???

@chycahaya 11 ай бұрын

@@AppleMacGeek thank you for sharing your experiences, it is beyond appalling to know my community is being called LBFM. I want to be respectful & not scorn at colonists’ mindset, but it becomes a moral historical lesson for us now. To strive beyond our subjugated past. This video inadvertently became a reflection point, thanks for sharing the perspectives.

@itsjustmax5208 Жыл бұрын

Jim Baker the living legend !

@bell-xk5dd Жыл бұрын

There are many living legends in Singapore too...not necessarily white..

@richmondang1591 5 ай бұрын

@@bell-xk5ddBesides kopi-O, we also have kopi & kopi-C. Likewise for the local teh (tea) too! Isn't these mixes of beverages all accepted by all individuals here?

@Photojouralist123 Жыл бұрын

My sister Tobey and Bret Anderson taught with him at SAS

@fatpunk Жыл бұрын

Such an interesting interview. I totally enjoyed every minute of it

@beverlyhills7883 Жыл бұрын

More interviews with old timers like this please.

@prasadsv2238 11 ай бұрын

Sir, nice to hear the old history of S'pore

@sleepandrelaxation3395 Жыл бұрын

Thoroughly enjoyed this interview with Mr. Baker ! His understanding, insights and perspective based on Singapore's history and culture. The only complain is that the interview is really too short, hope to see him again!