19 October 2007

Wednesday's little things

We make countless observations as we go about our daily business, but because we tend to mind our own business, we don't give much thought to what we see. Yet, little things can point to larger social trends. Full essay.

5 comments:

HanSolo said...

If he could learn what "kopi see" is, he could jolly learn which drink "coca-cola" refers to.

I feel you underestimate the degree to which the foreigners are influenced by Singaporeans.

Anonymous said...

It is ingrained in me to switch to mandarin in the coffee shop/ food court which was attended by "aunties" and ah sohs- but they do understand coca cola!( but that was few years back). I have been away for awhile and read with interest about PRCs taking over the ah sohs in these places. Well, no harm done.. i am wondering, without the influx of PRCs, would Mandarin decline at all? With Singlish being the lingua franca . hmmmm

Anonymous said...

I know it's a little inappropriate to laugh, but I can't help it since it is a little funny... heheh. The way you described "thighs as wide as mop pails" haha. And the cashier who couldn't help but crush things!

Well, to put those silly comments aside, I have an answer as to why the winners of the idol contents are always men. It's a very simple answer, "FANGIRLS!"

Anonymous said...

I came across the same situation.

At a coffee shop, a chinese woman in her late 20's or early 30's asked me in Mandarin "He Shen Mo?" (What drinks do you want?) I replied, "Hundred plus." She answered, "Ha?" Quickly, I changed into Mandarin "Yi Bai" (One hundred.). She quickly walked away and returned with 100 plus.

So, instead of her adjusting to the host environment; the host has to do it the other way round.

Anonymous said...

CHINA IS A country of billions of people and many of them are coming to Singapore to work. You can be sure of an endless supplies, they will keep coming. Sg is too small a place to absorb uncontrolled migration of people into its land.
These "migrant workers" are taking over the ordinary jobs of Singaporeans.
The goverment do not seems to see this as a problem. Is this the open door policy to attract foreign talents to take roots in Singapore????

What the Singaporean is getting paid on these jobs is already a meagre amount the China worker is paid even lower.
If this is to go on, god bless and help those average/poor Singaporeans and their children. How are the Singaporeans going to retire if this is what those wayang ruling party politicians so seems to be worried about recently? Whats to become of their children?...all become MPs, ministers, managers, CEOs, businessman because ordinary jobs are taken over by "migrant workers"?
Surely not all can be MPs, ministers, managers, CEOs, businessman.

Some jobs where you find China people taking over:
>Food court cleaners.
>Food court counter staff
>Factory workers.
>Outsource support/factory workers
>Sales person.
>Coffee shop assistants
>Freelance hourly paid house cleaner.
>Garang kuni man and women
>Beauty parlour staff
>Contract cleaners
>Office/building cleaners

AND THERE are also those other English speaking foreign nationalities that are also here as well who are also working in jobs (office workers, receptionist, call centre staff, etc)held by the average Singaporeans.

Seems like life will not be easy and will indeed kick the average locals in the BALLS.
Is this the golden period of Singapore: tough competition even for normal and simple jobs, ageing population who need to continue working longer because the CPF scheme had failed. Pity the old folk who now do not have enough CPF to retire and has to compete with foreigners for even a simple retirement jobs.
This is not the golden period but doomsday no wonder one old man's wishful thinking of rejoining Malaysia but is then told to Fxxk off and dream on.