Englishman praises Singaporean's kindness

[night86mare]

no leh, then i tried the second time, but i say nothing. just face at them, and smile.

but they still all got of at the next floor.

hmph, singaporeans just can't take smiling.

Maybe you look like a serial killer.

Or were you in Sion style Afghan girl garb? =D

 

[Sniper ShutterBug]

I don't believe the money was returned for honesty must be for other reasons, like make up for some bad deeds.

A few days ago, I started a thread about a hit and run woman driver and one of the responses was from someone from Hawaii who sounded (maybe quite rightly) quite disillusioned about the Singapore character of not wanting to help others in need, and only willing to stand around and pass comments while waiting for official help to arrive.

Just the other day, an Englishman wrote to the Straits Times about an encounter of his with an extraordinary act of kindness from a Singaporean.

He had just arrived from KL and had withdrawn S$500 from an ATM at the airport.

It was only when he was in a taxi heading towards the city that he realised that he had not taken his money.

Now, where on earth would someone finding cash return it to the rightful owner?

Give it to the authorities anywhere in this region and it will disappear straight away into the government official's (police, airport staff etc.) pocket in a flash.

However, he called the airport and would you believe it, someone had returned the money.

So, Hawaiisg, maybe we are not all rotten like the woman driver.

Have a nice day

 

[contaxable]

I had this incident in the Sengkang LRT a couple of months ago: this girl was standing in between a guy and me and suddenly collapsed! I tried to hold the girl with my hands, but she was already sitting on the floor, luckily she was ok, I think low blood sugar levels or so, anyway, asking people to stand up someone stood up, and she could sit.

What I found strange is that the guy next to this girl, was still looking straight ahead, as if nothing has happended, and that during the whole episode, as I was looking at the guy for some help......but no reaction...:-(. Mind you, this guy was stading just next to the girl like 30cm away!

I do find some people here in lifts and such quite timid, when they go inside people normally don't look to each other or stares at the walls, why is that? It seems to me that many guys are like this? Are you so shy?

HS

Good samaritans are always around us. You are a very kind person indeed. Sometimes, people dont want to get involved because they either cant afford the time or dunno how or are just dazed what had happened. Some people needs to be directed during a situation. Different people, different reaction perhaps.

I once drove along a single path road at Suntec city area, it was at the exit lane that joins up ECP entry. It was a long chain of vehicles during a peak hour, all waiting for their turn to exit the merge lane and into ECP. Suddenly, the car in front of me broke down. It was a small capacity car filled with 4 aunties. Cars behind me started hammering their horn unceassingly. I put on the hazzard light, walked out of my car, plugged off my tie, and went to the small red car in front. I told the lady driver to put to neutral and start steering the car as I push. With all my strength, I pushed the little car over the curb and up onto the pavement with the four ladies inside looking awed. Waved at them to indicate they are safe, got back to my car and drove off. I never thought it was a heroic act at all. It was just something I could do to help and I did not expect a praise for it from the four ladies.

As for the lift experience, I do find the culture here conservative sometimes. In the western countries, people greet each other in the lift and even ask where I would be going. A smile or just a word thank you for those who hold the door open button is just a norm. In Singapore, I wouldnt try saying hi in the lift to strangers. (ok, I did try when I just got back to Singapore, but the people just remained emotionless usually). Perhaps the culture here can get a little more conservative sometimes. The poor lady in the lift would be thinking I have an interest in her for that brief few seconds.

It does gets a little hostile sometimes in the lift cell and the relief comes right after we step out of the lift door. But I always smile as I enter the lift because I believe every day can be a pleasant day if we make it happen.

Oh, another human behavior in lift is people tend to spread out evenly in the four corners of the lift when another person enters the cell. Is that a sub-conscience gesture of welcoming the next person to share the lift?

 

[eel]

no leh, then i tried the second time, but i say nothing. just face at them, and smile.

but they still all got of at the next floor.

hmph, singaporeans just can't take smiling.

Maybe its not you but who/what is behind you...*cue twilight zone music*

 

[BBTM]

The world is round, a coin has two sides, there are left n right etc.... So, whatever we saw someone who is bad, there are also someone who is good but we didn't happened to see it. Therefore, just ignore whatever is happening around you, don't hurt other, the world will be at peace.

Have a nice day.

 

[Hawaiisg]

A few days ago, I started a thread about a hit and run woman driver and one of the responses was from someone from Hawaii who sounded (maybe quite rightly) quite disillusioned about the Singapore character of not wanting to help others in need, and only willing to stand around and pass comments while waiting for official help to arrive.

Just the other day, an Englishman wrote to the Straits Times about an encounter of his with an extraordinary act of kindness from a Singaporean.

He had just arrived from KL and had withdrawn S$500 from an ATM at the airport.

It was only when he was in a taxi heading towards the city that he realised that he had not taken his money.

Now, where on earth would someone finding cash return it to the rightful owner?

Give it to the authorities anywhere in this region and it will disappear straight away into the government official's (police, airport staff etc.) pocket in a flash.

However, he called the airport and would you believe it, someone had returned the money.

So, Hawaiisg, maybe we are not all rotten like the woman driver.

Have a nice day

didn't i say it was my first impression, then didn't i say things things changed? just give me a yes or no. umm, i believe there are honest people all over the world :dunno:

anything else you want to add or misrepresent me on?

why don't you read eveything again. regarding your "research" about the englishman what if you heard someone say..."singaporeans are sh*t holes, i left a cel phone in a cab and no one returned it?"...now what, cancel out the englishman story?

you see where this is going...read things through and if people say something you don't like i got news for you...welcome to the world.

don't be numb, i tried to save or help one of your contrymen while ushers stopped me because what, i was not a doctor? regarding that incident, i feel that they have blood on their hands because they were too "scared" or too "systematic" to what, follow a procedure perhaps? sometimes it is important to realise not everytihing works in a planned out way because life does not present itself that way. i would have taken on anyone that wanted to sue me if the man died because perhaps i did something wrong. what i know is that this man may have died because no one did what was right. this man might have died because no one got involved and sought to see what is greater and balance the gift of a precious life over any embarrasment, any lawsuit, or any status regarding saving face.

you think of it this way, imagine that man being your father where he is surrounded by hundreds of people, and not a soul helps him. how would you feel? would you just feel "it's ok that no one from the 300 of you in church did not do anything...or would you have wondered why did't anyone do anything? or, does none of it matter because an englishman got his wallet back?

life does not lay itself out in a planned way and even if someone says something you don't like, how miniscule is it in the bigger picture such as this? people will always have different opinons and opinions are like a*sholes...everyone has them, so why waste your time.
yeah, i did wonder why i could not help and to this day it still pisses me off that i folllowed the "rules" when i know, and we all know what is more important.

your englishman statment? the only reason i'm giving it airtime is for you to see how little your beggish remark is when i can rubuke it with something as simple as a cel phone-taxi story and this stupid fiasco can go on and on. what pisses me off is someone like you being more worried about their own hurt feelings instead of realising when it is time to help, step up to the plate and help!

you want to prove me wrong, then go and help someone. go and tell your friends to help people in whatever way they can. but for pitty sakes don't throw out the englishman story at me...i'm upset, but laughing at it. if you have that much pride in your country which i see you have, then go out of your way to make it better. and don't make it better for foreigners like me, you make it better for yourself and for your countrymen. foreigners like me will come and go, but you and your countrymen, this is your home so do it for each of you. and for the record, i don't think all singaporeans are rotten, but they sure grumble a lot and it's freekin made me a grumbler, haha

nah seriously bro, take care of yourself and the things and people around you because that's where it starts. if we all did that at least 2 more people might be alive today and imagine how their families would then feel...now does that englishman story matter that much still?
peace...

 

[hongsien]

Good samaritans are always around us. You are a very kind person indeed. Sometimes, people dont want to get involved because they either cant afford the time or dunno how or are just dazed what had happened. Some people needs to be directed during a situation. Different people, different reaction perhaps.

I once drove along a single path road at Suntec city area, it was at the exit lane that joins up ECP entry. It was a long chain of vehicles during a peak hour, all waiting for their turn to exit the merge lane and into ECP. Suddenly, the car in front of me broke down. It was a small capacity car filled with 4 aunties. Cars behind me started hammering their horn unceassingly. I put on the hazzard light, walked out of my car, plugged off my tie, and went to the small red car in front. I told the lady driver to put to neutral and start steering the car as I push. With all my strength, I pushed the little car over the curb and up onto the pavement with the four ladies inside looking awed. Waved at them to indicate they are safe, got back to my car and drove off. I never thought it was a heroic act at all. It was just something I could do to help and I did not expect a praise for it from the four ladies.

As for the lift experience, I do find the culture here conservative sometimes. In the western countries, people greet each other in the lift and even ask where I would be going. A smile or just a word thank you for those who hold the door open button is just a norm. In Singapore, I wouldnt try saying hi in the lift to strangers. (ok, I did try when I just got back to Singapore, but the people just remained emotionless usually). Perhaps the culture here can get a little more conservative sometimes. The poor lady in the lift would be thinking I have an interest in her for that brief few seconds.

It does gets a little hostile sometimes in the lift cell and the relief comes right after we step out of the lift door. But I always smile as I enter the lift because I believe every day can be a pleasant day if we make it happen.

Oh, another human behavior in lift is people tend to spread out evenly in the four corners of the lift when another person enters the cell. Is that a sub-conscience gesture of welcoming the next person to share the lift?

That was very kind of you! I remember this news article in the straits times a few years ago (could be 8-9 years ago) about this old (Indian) cyclist who fell on the roadside and the cars kept driving pass him slowly (there was a traffic jam I believe), and no one helped him......Singapore is lsowly changing, but do people have to go overseas to see what is going on around them? There are good and bad things going on in the west, but there are good things that we can learn from, this doesn't mean that because it is from the west and we are not, we shouldn't learn from it. There is always a way to improve.........

Anyway, I noticed that the older Singaporeans are kinder, more helpful, and greet each other more than young ones.......perhaps the society is getting more individualistic? I noticed this too in Holland in the cities (not in the villages where people are generally nicer) whenever I go home, the society there is changing for the worst (?)........

HS

 

[contaxable]

Anyway, I noticed that the older Singaporeans are kinder, more helpful, and greet each other more than young ones.......perhaps the society is getting more individualistic? I noticed this too in Holland in the cities (not in the villages where people are generally nicer) whenever I go home, the society there is changing for the worst (?)........

HS

The society is always changing, but human behavior always stays the same. I travelled extensively when I was a young adult. I could drive from Texas city to Québec, Canada for a sightseeing trip. On other ski trips, I went past town to town. I realised one thing being very unique. The larger the city, the less time people have to chat or smile. Nothing being rude; its purely work pressure and pace of living so I thought.

When I did the same along the NS stretch of Malaysia, its also the same. People in the village are more relaxed and an open smile is not an uncommon sight.

Likewise for Canada and certain countries in Europe that I been to.

My own conclusion is, as a society becomes more fast pace, people tend to become more tense and they dont have much time to chit chat much. Life primarily becomes a routine and we live to pay bills.

Singapore is a city and not a village anymore. Life is complex and layered with joy, materialism, norms, uncertainties and fear. Its all woven in a fine mesh and we press on day to day hoping to hit retirement. But when one is at it (retirement), he/she unwind his/her thoughts to only find it was a sily chase after all.

 

[centuryegg]

very simple..... with rising costs, every single min is impt to make more money.

No money means no education, no way to attract a good mate, no way to buy house, car and to show that you have made it.

End of the day, money talks in modern society, no money no talk. So why would people want to waste their precious money making time to help anyone....

As for me, I have learnt to depend on myself and not whine and ask for help cos I expect none.

 

[Hawaiisg]

very simple..... with rising costs, every single min is impt to make more money.

No money means no education, no way to attract a good mate, no way to buy house, car and to show that you have made it.

End of the day, money talks in modern society, no money no talk. So why would people want to waste their precious money making time to help anyone....

As for me, I have learnt to depend on myself and not whine and ask for help cos I expect none.

my primary/secondary education was free, and college education was free as well, i only paid for my school books. i did that by joining the air force reserves. serve a little bit of time, one weekend a month, and in return get tuition waivers from the government that paid uni costs. when i was in uni i had tons of girlfriends, money did not matter, trust and companionship and having a good time mattered. my house came from a plan we had as friends where we collectively buy a foreclosure, fix it up...because we were all tradesmen, roofers, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, then sale it. we repeated this cycle and within 4 years of doing it all 6 of us had bought our own home...we did it by helping each other. my first car came from helping people, mostly helping old folks with fixing up their homes and things for free in a program called christmas in april. every april we pick a couple needy families and help repair their house by doing minor/major work or simply making thier home wheelchair friendly. when i fixed up an old man's house and removed the rubbish from construction, he told me if i wanted his car i could take it...granted the car did not work. i took it to my mechanic friend and did some electrical work for him, installed air cons in his house and while i did that, he fixed the car and ...vroom vroom, it worked.

you see, in all of these we worked together as family, as friends and we barter and trade services instead money. so i have to argue your points...no money does not mean no education...maybe in singapore, i dunno, you tell me? no money does not mean no girls and no money does not mean your life has no value where as you say "no talk."...again, i dunno, maybe in singapore, you tell me? i was able to get cars, girls, i'm married now, and buy a home with minimal money because we helped each other. it might be hard for you to believe, but all of it is true.

karma?

 

[Yatlapball]

What you have described is a classic example of what used to be. The "kampung spirit" or in a more correct sociological form, community self-help.

In Singapore now? Nope. At least not in any of the places I've stayed. Neighbours seem more intent on complaining about each other to the management, town councils, etc, than anything else. :bsmilie:

 

[Yatlapball]

Oh.. and lifts? Heh. They have a whole sub-culture of their own.

You should come experience some of the other "elevator culture" in our neighbouring countries. :bsmilie: