Singapore Expats

At the food mall today at Plaza Singapura, I was seated at a 'table for 4' on my own. There was no other option.
I had my bag of shopping on one chair, my backpack on another and myself on a third. I do this routinely like many people do because I don't wany a complete stranger sitting with me. I noticed a man approach a young boy who was sitting at a similar table nearby, The man asked him if anyone else was sitting there and the boy explained that his mum was coming back. So the man moved off and I'm thinking"PLEASE don't come over here. I just want to be alone"....He went elsewhere thankfully and sat with someone else.
Now before anyone says what a prized bitch I am, I know that MOST people don't want strangers at their table. And yet it's not right to be taking an entire 4 seats just for me.
Reflecting on this later I decided that there were a number of reasons why I dodn't want to share. Valid reasons too.
1. The person might try to strike up a conversation since it's somehow awkward to be sitting so close without speaking- BUT I don't want to speak. I'm in my quiet space. I want /need peace.
2. The person might start talking on the phone. That would really piss me off!
3. The person might burp, cough,sniff, fart or sneeze. Nah....not good....
Can't think of any other reasons - but there must be lots!

Happened to me once. I was alone when I ate in a food court...and I ended up being surrounded by French dudes who all know each other.

I had my earphones on so I tried to ignore them.

ozchick wrote: I had my bag of shopping on one chair, my backpack on another and myself on a third.

I do this always.

I do this routinely like many people do because I don't wany a complete stranger sitting with me.

I do this too but to keep my backpack & other bags from being kicked around.

Now before anyone says what a prized bitch I am, I know that MOST people don't want strangers at their table. And yet it's not right to be taking an entire 4 seats just for me.

Yes its not right too !! but you can be a little accomodating . Just answer them with one word replies, they would understand that you are not interested in the conversation. I do this always at the fast food centres/ food courts/taxi's etc.

Reflecting on this later I decided that there were a number of reasons why I dodn't want to share. Valid reasons too.
1. The person might try to strike up a conversation since it's somehow awkward to be sitting so close without speaking- BUT I don't want to speak. I'm in my quiet space. I want /need peace.

Well then you should be having your food at a restaurant lah...as the food court is open for publik , any one can sit as long as the seat is empty.

2. The person might start talking on the phone. That would really piss me off!

You wont talk and you don't want the person to talk on the phone as well ...too bad lah you

3. The person might burp, cough,sniff, fart or sneeze. Nah....not good....

As a human being everyone does these..cant help it ..

Next time if you are alone, then buzz me as I m juzt a stone throw away from plaza singapura & i would keep you away from STRANGERS !!

blue_thunder wrote:
Well then you should be having your food at a restaurant lah...as the food court is open for publik , any one can sit as long as the seat is empty.

2. The person might start talking on the phone. That would really piss me off!

You wont talk and you don't want the person to talk on the phone as well ...too bad lah you



Next time if you are alone, then buzz me as I m juzt a stone throw away from plaza singapura & i would keep you away from STRANGERS !!

I thought that if I waited until after 2.00pm then they'd all be finished their lunches and I'd have space. Do Singaporeans eat all day or what?!

And imagine if we're both trying to talk on the phone!And SOME people are so loud when they talk on the phone that you'd think that the other party must be on the moon!
OK next time I'm there I'll call you and you can give me good ideas on what to eat cos I can't ever find anything that's not fattening in those places. And we can sit together yeah?! But you better not talk to me!!Or use your phone. or................

I thought that if I waited until after 2.00pm then they'd all be finished their lunches and I'd have space. Do Singaporeans eat all day or what?!

In the land of lah lah , locals are good at one thing ' eat all day long' . Once in a week i go either to the food court or the fast food joints to get some lunch & I see the places are buzzing with people.

And imagine if we're both trying to talk on the phone!And SOME people are so loud when they talk on the phone that you'd think that the other party must be on the moon!

This but mostly with the older folks & not with the Gen X & Y .

OK next time I'm there I'll call you and you can give me good ideas on what to eat cos I can't ever find anything that's not fattening in those places.

I seldom eat outside except if it a recommended place by friends & colleagues. Even the veggies sold in the food court will be shining with oil as if it was polished a while ago. I cook my own lunch and get them to office . I usually go to the food court to get some fresh juices / fruits and this too will cease by this end of this month.
Cos there will be a fresh fruit vending machine in office by end Oct . I wonder what other stuffs can a vending machine do . It started off will soft drinks , coffee, candies , money(ATM) , condoms , umbrellas , sandwiches etc. It reminds me of an old commercial where a man sits inside a ATM and delivers money. I think there must an aunty inside the vending machine to cut and deliver the fruits.

And we can sit together yeah?! But you better not talk to me!!Or use your phone. or................

Sure , I wont talk or use my phone. I will keep staring at you . Its the most annoying thing ever which I usually get to see everyday.

Happy sunday

Cheers~

aiyo... table for one not romantic mah.

ozchick wrote:At the food mall today at Plaza Singapura, I was seated at a 'table for 4' on my own. There was no other option.
I had my bag of shopping on one chair, my backpack on another and myself on a third. I do this routinely like many people do because I don't wany a complete stranger sitting with me. I noticed a man approach a young boy who was sitting at a similar table nearby, The man asked him if anyone else was sitting there and the boy explained that his mum was coming back. So the man moved off and I'm thinking"PLEASE don't come over here. I just want to be alone"....He went elsewhere thankfully and sat with someone else.
Now before anyone says what a prized bitch I am, I know that MOST people don't want strangers at their table. And yet it's not right to be taking an entire 4 seats just for me.
Reflecting on this later I decided that there were a number of reasons why I dodn't want to share. Valid reasons too.
1. The person might try to strike up a conversation since it's somehow awkward to be sitting so close without speaking- BUT I don't want to speak. I'm in my quiet space. I want /need peace.
2. The person might start talking on the phone. That would really piss me off!
3. The person might burp, cough,sniff, fart or sneeze. Nah....not good....
Can't think of any other reasons - but there must be lots!

When you decide to have lunch in a food mall ~ you forfeit the right to privacy. If you want a table for four all to yourself then eat in a posher restaurant with table service, or at home.

couldnt agree with you more Road.

Table for 4, taken by one person who doesnt want to share. How selfish is that?

aargon wrote:couldnt agree with you more Road.

Table for 4, taken by one person who doesnt want to share. How selfish is that?

Well its as selfish as the locals who hog the tables for hours by ordering one drink / choping tables with tissues / parking space with plastic chairs and the list goes on.

So what ozchick does is not different from any other in Sg.

I think ozchick is bcoming more n more of a Singaporean .

Cheers~

oh god, sounds like singaporeans dont know much about common manners and courtesy....

so when in rome, do as the romans? aye yah

Unfortunately, unless you like eating your lunch at your desk, and you don't have the leisure of taking 90 minutes for lunch, it's sad, but you almost have to do the 'when in Rome' thingy. If a table has unused eating space I just escuse myself and sit down as they only paid for the seat they are occupying. Same as on the bus when an auntie is putting her small plastic bag on the seat beside her to "keep" others from sitting down. I just ask, did you pay two fares?

Sorry to say, I sit down at a table even if it's "choped". I just thrown the offending tissues away and sit down. If they complain, I just tell them I figured as usual the Singaporeans who were there before, as usual, did not have the courtesy to throw their garbage away. And if you "choped the table, then you didn't have much courtesy either. Then, I tell them they are welcome to join me, but don't give up my own. Causes lots of angry stares but if they do, I just stare back.

But frankly, I would never stop anybody from joining me at a table. If I wanted peace & quiet I would by my lunch as a take away and eat it elsewhere like a park or back in my office.

aargon wrote:oh god, sounds like singaporeans dont know much about common manners and courtesy....

so when in rome, do as the romans? aye yah

If they did, they wouldn't be needing to run courtesy campaigns for 30 years. It's had little effect even after all this time, which leads me to believe it's a genetic defect and probably a side effect of LKY genetic engineering schemes of 40 years ago. They are mathematically astute but courtesy just does not compute!

sundaymorningstaple wrote:

aargon wrote:oh god, sounds like singaporeans dont know much about common manners and courtesy....

so when in rome, do as the romans? aye yah

If they did, they wouldn't be needing to run courtesy campaigns for 30 years. It's had little effect even after all this time, which leads me to believe it's a genetic defect and probably a side effect of LKY genetic engineering schemes of 40 years ago. They are mathematically astute but courtesy just does not compute!

Not to mention the awful advertisements on the MRT ..not sure who came up with the idea/models & their costumes.

Cheers~

ozchick wrote: 1. The person might try to strike up a conversation since it's somehow awkward to be sitting so close without speaking- BUT I don't want to speak. I'm in my quiet space. I want /need peace.
2. The person might start talking on the phone. That would really piss me off!
3. The person might burp, cough,sniff, fart or sneeze. Nah....not good....
Can't think of any other reasons - but there must be lots!

If you asking for opinions on whether you behavious is acceptable or not my opinion would be if they aint no seats left, which you freely admit, then yes your being rude.

You assume the other person will speak to you / burp / use the phone which I have found not to be true from my own experiences. Secondly you assume if they dont speak to you it will be awkward, but thats your own mind putting up barriers because your being rude and trying to justify it to yourself. If you look at from a psychological perspective because you cant handle a conversation (or thought of a conversation) you decide be rude. Wanting peace and quiet in a hawker market is a strange concept. Most people eat quitely when they are by themselves anyway so from a chances perspective your unlikely to get a conversation in my book. But I think the fact that you saw this man asking other people for a seat when there werent many around makes that poor form.

Yes, Ozchick . . . quite selfish of you. Would you do that in Australia? Hardly.
(Though it is unappetising having someone with different table manners to one's own sitting at the same table as you)

It is a food court, simple as that.

So, you would not object to a pregnant woman with one or two children in tow standing around with their food in hand or walking around looking for a table while you are happily occupying three seats?

One can only hope they are thinking 'The Ugly American' to themselves