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ecureilx
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Post by ecureilx » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:48 pm

nakatago wrote:
zzm9980 wrote:
Segue wrote: Warning - many agents will steer you away because they don't think its 'safe' to be around foreign workers. That's just a local stereotype.
It's definitely not "unsafe", but if you go outside with a foreign female of above-average looks or higher, expect to be gawked at. My wife refuses to even go to ECP without me now due to 'foreign workers' in packs that gawk and try to talk to her.
.
My girlfriend feels really uncomfortable when these workers (from two of the most populous countries on earth) gawk at her.

And she looks local.
You are right .. so am I, sort of in the same boat .. and I not justifying the gawking .. but the the 'try to talk to her' part is a bit more scary ..

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Post by the lynx » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:50 pm

zzm9980 wrote:It's definitely not "unsafe", but if you go outside with a foreign female of above-average looks or higher, expect to be gawked at. My wife refuses to even go to ECP without me now due to 'foreign workers' in packs that gawk and try to talk to her.
They do?! Now that's freakier than freak! :o

So far I get wolf-whistles from these 'gawkers' but that's the furthest that has happened (fortunately).

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Post by zzm9980 » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:54 pm

ecureilx wrote: did they try to talk to her ? well, are you serious ?
Yes, they occasionally talk. Last time while pushing a stroller and our daughter, she said 6-10 Indians (probably Banglas, she won't know) all walked around very close and started asking her name, if she was a maid (she looks young and our baby looks a lot more caucasian than asian), and where she lived. Similar things happened at least two times before. She generally just walks away and they leave her alone. Always at ECP. I honestly didn't realize this was "report" worthy, but now she just doesn't go there alone.

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Post by zzm9980 » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 12:57 pm

Definitely freaky for me. She used to gawking and being hit on in Vietnam. But yeah as mentioned, I suspect it's mostly due to her 'Asian discount' (looks 10 years younger than she is) and that our daughter doesn't look Asian at all. So we assume they probably think she might really just be a very attractive maid taking care of a kid.

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Post by the lynx » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 1:00 pm

zzm9980 wrote:
ecureilx wrote: did they try to talk to her ? well, are you serious ?
Yes, they occasionally talk. Last time while pushing a stroller and our daughter, she said 6-10 Indians (probably Banglas, she won't know) all walked around very close and started asking her name, if she was a maid (she looks young and our baby looks a lot more caucasian than asian), and where she lived. Similar things happened at least two times before. She generally just walks away and they leave her alone. Always at ECP. I honestly didn't realize this was "report" worthy, but now she just doesn't go there alone.
Ah now I understand. Those workers are usually on prowl on maids. I wouldn't be surprised if they pull that to maids actually. Maybe (no offence) they think that your wife is a maid pushing a stroller with employer's baby inside, hence the come-on.

I have heard about Filipino maids who shared that they sometimes find phone numbers stashed by the Bangladeshi workers inside their grocery bags or shopping bags after their trips to markets or shopping malls.

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Post by nakatago » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 1:02 pm

zzm9980 wrote: I honestly didn't realize this was "report" worthy, but now she just doesn't go there alone.
I should tell my girlfriend this; maybe have the number in her phone.
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."

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Post by ecureilx » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 1:15 pm

zzm9980 wrote:.. Always at ECP. I honestly didn't realize this was "report" worthy..
if reported, the cops round up whoever is there, and do a show-and-tell to the workers, and their contractor - who gets ticked off for not keeping the new workers aware of the dos- and don'ts .. it is the contractors / agent who gets reprimanded ..

Nobody gets arrested, unless somebody persists ..

Well, that's one of the reasons that the NGOs here are fighting for change of work permit rules to allow workers to be here longer, as the new workers are not fully aware of the local rules and customs and all ..

In Any case, since we are on City Square area - didn't somebody write that the only place that she was not even close to bumping her baby pram was in Little India ? she meant within the whole of Singapore ... that was the only place where people gave way when they saw the stroller ..

City Square ain't bad .. and it is not a no-go zone, on Sundays .. considering the crowd that swells around Orchard and other malls, it is becoming one of the least crowded areas, no kidding.

I know a guy who lives there, and he, a Brit, had nothing bad to say about the place ..
Last edited by ecureilx on Wed, 11 Apr 2012 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by the lynx » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 1:18 pm

ecureilx wrote:you should write up to the authorities if that really is true .. as they do post roving patrols and they don't condone such harassment .. seen it enough when people report, for the forces to move in ..
Is there such patrols? What is their number? Should have it in hand when that happens to me.

Have I shared how a construction worker forced his head under my umbrella to get a good look of my face when I used the umbrella to shield my face away from them?

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Post by ecureilx » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 1:27 pm

the lynx wrote:
ecureilx wrote:you should write up to the authorities if that really is true .. as they do post roving patrols and they don't condone such harassment .. seen it enough when people report, for the forces to move in ..
Is there such patrols? What is their number? Should have it in hand when that happens to me.

Have I shared how a construction worker forced his head under my umbrella to get a good look of my face when I used the umbrella to shield my face away from them?
if somebody had tried to duck under your umbrella, you should have screamed and made a scene .. well, .. no comments.

.. for patrol, and if you write in they will engage regular visits, or pay a visit to see what's the ground situation like ..

Like near my former work place .. the neighborhood had some construction going on, till a NPP car was a regular visitor to remind people to keep the peace .. when a few residents complained of 'staring'

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Post by carteki » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 2:32 pm

In some respects I'm horrified at some of the responses on the board about the racial charactisations in this post. I've lived near Farrer Park MRT for 4 1/2 years now and never have had any incidents of staring or unpleasantness at all.

My 2 c:
1) Crowds - The Sunday cruch at Mustafa doesn't make its way much further up the road. I completely forget about how crowded it can be and am always surprised as to how many people there are when I go down / how much traffic there is
2) I've a number of friends who live in City Square itself. It is a big condo and the pool area is usually very busy over the weekends (and can get noisy).
3) There is traffic congestion over the weekends with cars blocking the road trying to get into the mall. It can get quite noisy with people hooting.
4) Not much construction in the area atm (although there is a huge pile of scaffolding outside and I'm not sure what its going ot be used for
5) Kids - don't know - personally I've never felt any issues and see a 10 yo kid take himself to the Australian school every day
6) There is a large expat community at City Square
7) I like the food and the culture in the area and the fact that it is "real" as opposed to pristine - but that is my preference.

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Post by ecureilx » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 2:40 pm

carteki wrote:In some respects I'm horrified at some of the responses on the board about the racial charactisations in this post. I've lived near Farrer Park MRT for 4 1/2 years now and never have had any incidents of staring or unpleasantness at all.

My 2 c:
1) Crowds - The Sunday cruch at Mustafa doesn't make its way much further up the road. I completely forget about how crowded it can be and am always surprised as to how many people there are when I go down / how much traffic there is
2) I've a number of friends who live in City Square itself. It is a big condo and the pool area is usually very busy over the weekends (and can get noisy).
3) There is traffic congestion over the weekends with cars blocking the road trying to get into the mall. It can get quite noisy with people hooting.
4) Not much construction in the area atm (although there is a huge pile of scaffolding outside and I'm not sure what its going ot be used for
5) Kids - don't know - personally I've never felt any issues and see a 10 yo kid take himself to the Australian school every day
6) There is a large expat community at City Square
7) I like the food and the culture in the area and the fact that it is "real" as opposed to pristine - but that is my preference.
^^^^ +1 :)

So back to my previous words, City Square ain't bad ..

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Post by x9200 » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 2:57 pm

Sorry but I think I miss some important bit ... why the "foreign workers" are not allowed to talk to a (different race?) women? I understand this may be not that comfortable for some but there is a long way from talking and a harassment... actually I took ecureilx's comment as sarcastic.
Putting somebody's head under the umbrella already crosses the line but talking?

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Post by ecureilx » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 3:16 pm

x9200 wrote:Sorry but I think I miss some important bit ... why the "foreign workers" are not allowed to talk to a (different race?) women? I understand this may be not that comfortable for some but there is a long way from talking and a harassment... actually I took ecureilx's comment as sarcastic.
Putting somebody's head under the umbrella already crosses the line but talking?
They can talk, but if they insist on talking to somebody who don't want to .. it is a case of harassment ..

Again, as I said, the cops are not going to throw them into jail, all I have seen is the workers getting a pep talk and it's their agent/contractor who gets a reprimand for not 'teaching' manners ..

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Post by nakatago » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 3:18 pm

ecureilx wrote:
x9200 wrote:Sorry but I think I miss some important bit ... why the "foreign workers" are not allowed to talk to a (different race?) women? I understand this may be not that comfortable for some but there is a long way from talking and a harassment... actually I took ecureilx's comment as sarcastic.
Putting somebody's head under the umbrella already crosses the line but talking?
They can talk, but if they insist on talking to somebody who don't want to .. it is a case of harassment ..
Ah, I was trying to articulate this. :)
"A quokka is what would happen if there was an anime about kangaroos."

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Post by sundaymorningstaple » Wed, 11 Apr 2012 3:54 pm

Is this what is making some nervous?

http://www.mycarforum.com/index.php?showtopic=2671099

Frankly, I don't blame you one bit if it does.



Edited to change the link (didn't think sammyboy was so nice)!
SOME PEOPLE TRY TO TURN BACK THEIR ODOMETERS. NOT ME. I WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHY I LOOK THIS WAY. I'VE TRAVELED A LONG WAY, AND SOME OF THE ROADS WEREN'T PAVED. ~ Will Rogers

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