at lunch time today, i felt like i was in some strange land.
for once, i ordered nasi padang (after few week's of abstinence) when a malay auntie served me and spoke to me in english. i smiled and spoke to her in malay instead (as i really have not been speaking much of it at all while working and just felt like conversing it in good and polite standard malay). after which, she smiled and apologised -- because she thought that i might be a Filipino or a Thai instead. i replied its ok and informed her that i am a Singaporean and spoke in malay because i wanted to ask her about the name of a dish which i wanted to know what is it called in malay...anyhow, that was not the point....
that incident has bothered me even more, ever since when i later realised that i am a minority in my office too. no, not a minority because of my race, but as a minority because I am a Singaporean, working in a Singapore office.
you see, in my office today, there were only 2 singaporeans, 4 malaysians, 3 indians, 1 filipino, 1 indonesian, 1 canadian and 1 french. we are not the majority in total headcount too, although we are a regional office based in Singapore.
i have never really been bothered about the issue of being a minority (ie: malay) all my life.
i am comfortable with my race and have wonderful and everlasting friends from many chinese, indians, caucasians, japanese, asians and in other words, people from all walks of life and background.
i respect diverse people for who they are, and them, the same. if not, too bad, you ain't gonna be my friend, y'know!
i am not going to get deeper into the issue of nationality here, as i might be considered 'offensive' to some people, so i will stop it right now.
however, today, for once, i am feeling like a strange man in my own country which has left a rather heavy baggage on my shoulder right now...no wonder, the grass is always greener on the other side.
and it even got worse when i realised the truth about this post : regarding the decision to impose the high entrance and annual fees for Singaporeans before they can even enter the casinos when it is finally built in 2009.
""The first thought that comes to mind is what and how am I going to tell my foreign friends in explanation when they ask me why I as a Singaporean am not allowed into a casino on Singapore soil unless I pay while they as foreigners have free entry.more...
Do I reply that it is because the majority of Singaporeans are such imbeciles who lack the maturity, self-control and better judgment to refrain from becoming gambling addicts hence the need for the government to restrict the entry rights of Singaporeans? Which at least in my mind does not make sense because as rightfully pointed out, 30 years ago it may be right to not allow a casino in Singapore but 30 years later today where Singaporeans make some 4 million trips overseas annually and are well exposed to casinos and gambling worldwide, we are not a country of uneducated illiterate mountain turtle pheasants who will self-destruct once stepping into the casino""
we still need our government to tell us how to behave and control ourselves, isn't it just pathetic?
Tripleperiod also has a similar sense to this issue, so is mr miyagi and mrbrown
Guess i will have to spend my money and my vices elsewhere too...
photo credits : abbyladybug
3 comments:
well said, bro, well said.
I can perfectly understand what you mean being a minority. I may not be one in Spore, but I'm one here in Canada.
That said, I have friends and neighbours who are in diff ethnic community in Spore. I'm also mistaken to be one most of the time!
MM - can donate, but got 'prizes' like NFK charity drive?
ahmad - you know what i meant...
anna - be yourself and that's all what matters....
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