This Russian Car Dealer Has Spent Half His Life In Singapore | Singapore Hour

[music] I was a private car driver. I remember I was picking up this uncle. Good morning sir. He got in the car. He look at me. He says, "Hey, why are you driving this? This job only for Singaporean." I look at him and say, "Sir, I am a Singaporean." Oh, okay then. Good. >> [music] [music] >> Hi everyone. Uh my name is Vas also known as Amo car dealer on social media and after doing many many things throughout my life now I'm a car dealer with V automotive. Funny thing is even though I'm a car dealer I don't have a personal car but I do have a lot of cars. So, these are some of the coolest ones from our collection. This right here, super fast, a little bit too fast. This right here, super rare, one of nine in Singapore. However, the coolest and the most special car in this collection is definitely that only one in Singapore. What do car dealers do? Well, obviously we buy cars, we sell cars, and [music] we also help other people sell cars through consignment. So now we are going to my customer's place to pick up his car. So of course I need to bring my things. My phone, extra pen, clipboard with a hoam. >> Hi, good morning. >> Hi B. >> Hey, thanks for accommodating the today's viewing. So as usual, I'll be picking up your car then return to you after we are done. >> Okay, no problem. [music] >> Drop me sign. >> Okay, here you go. >> We try to differentiate ourselves from other car dealers by providing a more customer service. A lot of people find it very troublesome to sell car especially through consignment. Uh because you know you need to arrange schedules for the buyer for the seller. I want my buyer to be happy with what they buy. So I try not to be too pushy. Some people might say I'm a lousy salesman, but then we do have quite a few repeat customers. So I'm not too sure about that. Another thing I like about being a car dealer is that I get to interact with a lot a lot of different cars. Wow. Since uh young age, I always had a cars partly due to my parents. I they always used to buy me these matchbox cars to play with. So uh I always liked cars, but somehow my work life never brought me to here until uh until recently. And even a lot of my friends were saying like, "How come it took you so long to become a car dealer? This is so natural for you. So I guess I'm happy I finally arrived where I supposed to be. Yo, >> we do marketing Tik Tok for the cars we sell. I know a little bit of Chinese. I learned it in school and I did one Tik Tok in Chinese >> also for I did one Tik Tok in my job I sometimes do have to speak [music] in Chinese because some of my vendors totally zero English. This Aun, our reliable spray shop, because Aun does not speak English over here, I get to practice my Chinese a little bit. >> So, I'll just tell him. I think in Singapore, it's actually quite easy to overcome language barrier challenges because nobody really judges you on [music] uh on your accent. People genuinely want to understand you. >> [laughter] >> This [music] is my hood. So, I've lived in Queenstown ever since I came to Singapore more than 20 years ago. I really like this area. Unlike a lot of other central areas, this place is very quiet and peaceful at night. One whole chicken roasted. Okay. Right. Two packet. Chicken rice. In Russia, I come from a very small town called Nodka. Only 150,000 people. In terms of entertainment, we get one cinema with one screen for the whole city. >> So, first time I came to Singapore is in 2000. But for business trip like 1 month and he brought a camcorder. Yeah. And then [music] he showed us the video of Singapore and then brought all these fruits. This is Rambutan. This is how you eat. This is long. This is how you eat. My first visit to Singapore was in the year [music] 2003. Mom and I, we came to visit him in Singapore and it was uh he was like traveling to the future quite literally. Escalators everywhere double decker buses never seen them before. Then uh in 2004 then Singapore my previous company offer me employment. So company pay for education it was very good condition compared with Russia that time life level and most important safety was much higher but in Singapore all this English I was worried about this >> in Russia I did learn English but it was at a very basic [music] level I guess I'm fortunate enough to be quick to adapt and in school they had intensive English program so managed to catch Okay, so today I'm catching up with my army friends and we are going to Capitan where you can get the most authentic Eastern European food. >> Oh, this is my friend Vadim. He's owner of this restaurant, Capitan. >> Oh, I know [music] him for quite a while. So I know when he was like 14 years old four or five years ago he used to work with us. So how was my performance as a employee? So pretty helpful. We like him to stay but he decided to go. [music] >> How are you man? Long time no see. We see you. >> Okay. Okay, so these are my army friends uh Fami and Kai and we met during our national service the time where I felt the least like outsider cuz I guess really cuz once you wear a green there is no question I I didn't think I would see a more BMT [music] and then when we started talking as someone who had come back from overseas I was like wow this person is more Singaporean than >> firstly he knows the pledge [laughter] he knows the national anthem he knows all the local areas that sometimes I do not even know. >> So anyway, I got my citizenship during national service. During our time, there was accelerated citizenship program. You can only use it while you are in national service. So straight away I fill up, send the paperwork and then when we were doing overseas training, my mother calls me and says, "Uh, you received a letter." Well, congrats, you're now Singaporean. Now being a new Singaporean, I went to jungle to fight the mission with new motivation for >> friend. Long time no see. How are you? >> What time? >> Hi. So this is my friend Fabian. He's my car kaki. Yeah, we met each other through a common car group. My very first time going to road trip to Thailand was with Fabian. >> Why am I here? >> Okay, we are here to check out Singapore car vending machine. Lan, hello. >> Hey, how are you? >> Good, good. >> My name is Gary. Here are all the cars that we have for sale. So, you can choose cars that you like. >> Well, obviously, let's go for something fancy. You got Tesster Rosa? >> Yes. >> Okay. Can I have a look? >> Wow. This was very cool experience. I mean, uh, feels a little bit like a team pack, you know, like especially when the castle's going up. Quite fun. [music] Yeah. So, we were in a in a group. Then after a few meetups, we found we had some common interests, common um points of view on terms of like cars and things like that. >> When I met him, he was not so Singaporean yet, a little bit of Russian. Oh, it's a hotaded now. He's more calm and we are all surprised by the achievements that he has gotten so far. So, [music] I truly congratulate you. >> Thank you. >> Bring to future. >> Yep. My half glass there. Fire [music] during my very first trip to Singapore. I love this place very much and I still remembered how I was with my mother on the way to airport on this Benjamin Shir bridge and I made a wish to one day actually live here. So uh wishes do come true as you can see I'm here and spend more than half of my life here. About me going back to Russia I don't think anywhere in the near future. I mean I'm Singaporean. I wish to have my children here as well because I think Singapore is a perfect place to have a family. Now this is my home.

When Vasily Chuply’s father showed him a video of Singapore in 2000, he immediately knew he wanted to live there one day. From serving National Service to ordering chicken rice like a pro, discover how this “angmoh car dealer” has become as Singaporean as anyone else. WATCH MORE Singapore Hour: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkMf14VQEvTZ3qsadQ4fa_GEgmB8wblj9 0:00 Intro 2:59 Putting His Mandarin Skills To Good Use 4:56 Moving From A Small Russian Town To Singapore 7:03 Catching Up With Friends From National Service 8:13 Finding A Community In Fellow Car Enthusiasts 10:14 Does Vas Want To Move Back To Russia? ==================== About the show: From street food to smart tech, traditions to trending lifestyles, Singapore Hour is your ultimate insider’s guide to travel, work, and play in the Lion City. ==================== #cna #singaporehourcna #athomewith #singapore #russian #expatlife #cars #cardealership #tiktok #food For more, SUBSCRIBE to CNA INSIDER! https://cna.asia/insideryoutubesub Follow CNA INSIDER on: Telegram: https://t.me/CNAInsiderSG Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnainsider/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cnainsider/ Website: https://cna.asia/cnainsider