the ugly singaporean
Scene. Front car of the MRT train, right behind the driver's door/emergency escape. leaning against the glass panel, Man 1 is standing, leaning casually. The train is packed. it is the rush hour period, commuters of different shapes and sizes stand being swept along by the train as it pulls out of city hall. Young Man sits on one of the double seats, directly behind Man 1. near them, in the middle of the crowd packed tightly together, stands Man 2 and his wife, a pregnant woman. they stand back facing Young Man and side facing Man 1.
Man 1: (turning to Young Man) Excuse me, but could you get up? there's a pregnant woman in front of you and she needs to sit down.
Young Man: (looks up, bewildered) Huh? ... oh ok ...
Young Man gets up and moves aside. the pregnant woman notices what is going on and looks at the Young Man saying 'it's ok.' She sits down anyway, since Young Man has stood up. Young Man nods, and moves to stand in front of the pregnant woman, next to Man 2 and opposite Man 1.
Young Man: (to Man 1) erm. i'm sorry. i didnt see her. her back was facing me.
Man 1: Oh. it's ok. i just thought she looked like she needed the seat.
Young Man: You're not local are you?
Man 1: sorry? oh. yeah i'm not.
Young Man: i can tell.
Man 1: Really? how? is it because of my accent?
Young Man: huh? no lah. it's just that a local wouldnt have done what you just did.
Man 1: really? (lifts eyebrow) ok.
a long conversation continues, and soon Man 2 comes and joins in.
Man 3: Thank you.
Man 1: oh it's nothing. i just thought it was the right thing to do.
Young Man: i was just telling him, he's lucky he asked me to stand up. if it was someone else, he might not have been so nice.
Man 3: yeah. i think what you did was right, but if i were you i wouldnt have done that.
Man 1: really? it's not a norm here?
Man 3: the norm is to mind your own business. have you been here long?
Man 1: Oh yes, 2 months.
Man 3: that's not very long. you still have a long way to go.
the 3 men continue talking, until Man 1 gets off at paya lebar. Man 3 and Young Man continue a conversation until Man 3 and his wife alight at tampines.
amazing isnt it? these 3 men had never known each other before. they just met. in a crowded train. and one incident, the ice is broken and they talk as if they are friends. i saw this. today, on the train home from esplanade, i saw all this unfold right in front of me in the packed train. i listened intently to their conversation. i came to the conclusion that Young Man is right. a local would have just let the pregnant woman stand there hanging on for dear life to a pole and not help her get a seat. this foreign man saw a side of singapore he didnt have to. the other thing that struck me was the beauty of the whole situation. these 3 men were like old friends. anyone who didnt see what happened would have thought this trio went to school together.
amazing isnt it? how the stranger on the train could feel so much closer and warmer to you than the pple you see everyday and the people you love. i marvelled at the way they just talked. i guess men are more open to each other. if 3 women were in this situation, i think it would have been very different. the idiosyncracies of our 2 sexes is in fact more intriguing than those of the 3rd gender. think abt that. why are men so buddy buddy and women so cold? i wonder.
now that i've made my social statement, i shall go and study. think abt it and tag pple!
4 days to go!!!
walk blindly to the light
Scene. Front car of the MRT train, right behind the driver's door/emergency escape. leaning against the glass panel, Man 1 is standing, leaning casually. The train is packed. it is the rush hour period, commuters of different shapes and sizes stand being swept along by the train as it pulls out of city hall. Young Man sits on one of the double seats, directly behind Man 1. near them, in the middle of the crowd packed tightly together, stands Man 2 and his wife, a pregnant woman. they stand back facing Young Man and side facing Man 1.
Man 1: (turning to Young Man) Excuse me, but could you get up? there's a pregnant woman in front of you and she needs to sit down.
Young Man: (looks up, bewildered) Huh? ... oh ok ...
Young Man gets up and moves aside. the pregnant woman notices what is going on and looks at the Young Man saying 'it's ok.' She sits down anyway, since Young Man has stood up. Young Man nods, and moves to stand in front of the pregnant woman, next to Man 2 and opposite Man 1.
Young Man: (to Man 1) erm. i'm sorry. i didnt see her. her back was facing me.
Man 1: Oh. it's ok. i just thought she looked like she needed the seat.
Young Man: You're not local are you?
Man 1: sorry? oh. yeah i'm not.
Young Man: i can tell.
Man 1: Really? how? is it because of my accent?
Young Man: huh? no lah. it's just that a local wouldnt have done what you just did.
Man 1: really? (lifts eyebrow) ok.
a long conversation continues, and soon Man 2 comes and joins in.
Man 3: Thank you.
Man 1: oh it's nothing. i just thought it was the right thing to do.
Young Man: i was just telling him, he's lucky he asked me to stand up. if it was someone else, he might not have been so nice.
Man 3: yeah. i think what you did was right, but if i were you i wouldnt have done that.
Man 1: really? it's not a norm here?
Man 3: the norm is to mind your own business. have you been here long?
Man 1: Oh yes, 2 months.
Man 3: that's not very long. you still have a long way to go.
the 3 men continue talking, until Man 1 gets off at paya lebar. Man 3 and Young Man continue a conversation until Man 3 and his wife alight at tampines.
amazing isnt it? these 3 men had never known each other before. they just met. in a crowded train. and one incident, the ice is broken and they talk as if they are friends. i saw this. today, on the train home from esplanade, i saw all this unfold right in front of me in the packed train. i listened intently to their conversation. i came to the conclusion that Young Man is right. a local would have just let the pregnant woman stand there hanging on for dear life to a pole and not help her get a seat. this foreign man saw a side of singapore he didnt have to. the other thing that struck me was the beauty of the whole situation. these 3 men were like old friends. anyone who didnt see what happened would have thought this trio went to school together.
amazing isnt it? how the stranger on the train could feel so much closer and warmer to you than the pple you see everyday and the people you love. i marvelled at the way they just talked. i guess men are more open to each other. if 3 women were in this situation, i think it would have been very different. the idiosyncracies of our 2 sexes is in fact more intriguing than those of the 3rd gender. think abt that. why are men so buddy buddy and women so cold? i wonder.
now that i've made my social statement, i shall go and study. think abt it and tag pple!
4 days to go!!!
walk blindly to the light
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