Singapore’s hawker centres are great for many things: cheap meals, convenient access, even cultural cachet. It did, after all, earn Singapore its first inscription on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Date at hawker centre ? 'A bit tricky to have quality time if you need to find a table, line up for food'But first dates? Not so much, according to a survey published by online dating application Bumble earlier in 2024. It found that only around 16 per cent of Singaporeans went to a hawker centre on a first date, while just 30 per cent have been there at all with a partner.
According to Bumble, this could signal that Gen Zers place more emphasis on the importance of first impressions. The definition of dating depends on whom you ask. For retirees Jeffrey Goh, 77, and Alice Seow, 69, it simply refers to the period of courtship before marriage. “I asked him, what’s this energy, this vibe between us? Do you want to try this out?” recalls Ms Nadiya. He did, and their first outing was a study date at McDonald’s in Woodlands Civic Centre, a casual joint befitting the casual status of their relationship.Ms Nadiya recalls: “I thought we could meet other people while dating. I was still talking to other guys, but he had the perception that once you start dating, you’re stuck with that person.
Mr Shahrukh popped the question in the carpark of HDB Hub in Toa Payoh, shortly after the couple had officially booked their Build-To-Order flat. Dating apps might now be commonplace, but 30-year-old Holly Matthews Way, who met Mr Matthew Way, 33, on Bumble in 2018, remembers when online matches were still novel and unfamiliar. Even scarier was the fact that she was required to start the conversation, which she did with a line about video games.
She wanted somewhere familiar with good food and the right atmosphere. “That felt like a safe space to take someone into,” she remembers. Relationship coach Ms Tan agrees. “For first dates, there’s a certain build-up. You want to be able to feel nice while on a date, which helps to establish that mental and emotional connection. Some people also want options that are more Instagram-friendly.”
“Food has a very strong cultural and psychological place in Singapore. It’s a common language, a safe topic that can create a buffer against awkwardness on the first date.” As education levels improved and tradition gave way to a Westernised form of romance, Singaporeans started to take charge of their own love lives.
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