Wham wrote:Earthfriendly,
Your description is a little TOO kind. Using a "total lack of spacial awareness" as an excuse for a lack of proper awareness of those around them is silly. Are we dealing with two year olds or adults? Rude behavior that results from what you describe is called SELFISH, RUDE, and SELF-CENTERED in most other places in the world.
Yeah, perhaps too indulgent towards my fella SGeans. You know what, this kind of "cluelessness", don't know if it is the right term SMS please help with my English please, is not unique to SGeans but is common with Chinese of different nationalities in USA. As one of my American (self-professed white on outside but yellow on the inside which is opposite of banana) friend who grows up with many Chinese in SF puts it, Chinese have poor social skills. Generally awkard in large gatherings, not knowing what to say or do in such events. A lot of which is due to our upbringing about not bringing attention to ourselves and being humble.
That said, it does not help being born into a very young nation which achieves rapid economic progress at the expense of social development. Yes, hot-bloodedness, impatience and brashness has to do with this general lack of common courtesy. Two days ago, a reader in Straits Times lamented how SGeans could take lessons from China. Yes, of all countries the Third World China, where he witnessed over 80 % of passengers giving up seats for the elderly. Same in Taiwan too, people more polite and not so rushy in the MRT. As for HK, that is another matter.
However, I have been very touched by the kindness shown to me by many SGeans during this vacation trip. From the amicable taxi-driver who invited me to lunch to the taxi-driver who refused the fare overpayment. I lived very close to the airport and cabfaire only came up to $9. I have been instructed twice by my sister to offer $20 regardless of actual fare. Reason, poor cab drivers have to wait in long line for a long time in order to pick up the passengers in the airport. The very "cheap" me try to negotiate and asks my sis if $15 is OK but she said "no" because to her those cab drivers are very "poor thing". Yes, SGeans may lack common courtesy and civility but when it comes to having a BIG HEART, there is no shortage of it. I have informed my hubby that tipping is not usual in SG. Being a person who loved and absorbed facts like a sponge, he was puzzled by my overpayment and I had to explain this exception. You know what, now my hubby has learnt to tip with a "heart" instead of social protocal. Don't get me wrong, he is a very kind gentleman himself, but his concept of money management is different from mine or my family or my SGean friends. So you see, many things in life are a matter of perspective. It is not about who is right or wrong or more superior. It is just different.
sapphire wrote:Wham, its not considered selfish, rude and self centred in over crowded countries like India and China.
Sapphire, no disrespect intended but this is not the first time I have heard of overcrowdedness being used as an excuse for rude and uncivil behaviours. However, I think we as humans can do better than that. Here's linky that list out the 15 most populous cities in the world in 1980. I know data is old but believe Tokyo still the most populous as we speak.
http://www.aag.org/HDGC/www/urban/suppo ... mat11a.doc
Tokyo 21.9 million
Shanghai 11.7 million
Osaka 10 million
Calcutta 9 million
Beijing 9 mil
Bombay 8.1 mil
Visit the above cities and you will notice the stark difference of a very organized, disciplines, polite Tokyoites and Osakan against the Chinese and Indian cities. In my heart I believe that if the Japanese can do it, so can the mainland Chinese and the Indians.