Wah, nak throw tantrum but I end up laughing watching a comedy on Channel 8. Give me some time to get back into the mood. =x
--- after a few while ---*still laughing* opps! wait arr...
--- after a few more while ---*coughs* 10 mins! 10 mins!
--- after a long while... ---okok... can dee can edi... =X
*takes deep breath*---
Okay... So today was an okay day, went out with my parents... and I got myself a new bracelet, replacing the old one that broke while I went out to drool on the current laptop models at the NP orientation day early this year.
So, while hanging about window shopping, I saw this nice bag that I think I'll forgive myself if iI succumbed into the temptation. I don't really go for some expensive bag since I'm a student, and heck. ONE expensive bag can cost me MORE bags for me to drag around.
I went around to find the shopkeeper. A fairly young
auntie amoy came around to tend to me. Okay... so I went to ask for the price. A thick accent sprouted out, "?? dollar". Then she went on and on speaking to me and my mom in Chinese. Mandarin. I can understand what she's trying to say lah. Cheap, Pretty, Try, "Nice nice" with thumbs up approving while I slumped it over my shoulder. But it's all spoken in chinese/mandarin. My mom said, "Er, I don't know what you saying lah" (
in english). Of course, I'd have to agree I wouldn't know as well if I never had myself stuck around people speaking of that language.
I was quite appalled.
I wonder, how can a person at her age not even know simple English? I mean, we tried asking her in simple English, in Singlish as well, even in Malay, (
and if we could we'd probably ask in Tamil too) and she had no clue on what we were trying to converse with her. I even hear her say, "I don't know what you're telling me" and "That one, not I sell" in a pretty alien language to my mom who went about looking at items next to her stall. I told what I understood to mom and I suddenly feel pretty awkward being exposed in this language barrier. I'm sure mom was too.
I guess I'm just far off more displeased with the idea that I can't converse to a person who's trying to gain my money. Even if I understood all the words she told me like the ones I mentioned above, she don't understand me at all. It's overwhelming in some sort.
I know I'm quite thankful that I know a bit more or less of the language but I couldn't converse it. Even so, I think I am more proud to say my country understands English even no matter how old they are. But for me to have such a language barrier, it's horrifying.
Judging from that, I think she's not Singaporean either. Honestly, I think, everyone is able to converse to each other in this country, despite their mother tongue.
This isn't the only appalling things I've seen/experienced.
---
When I wanted to go apply for a part time job, in desperate measures, I went off to ask a good friend to offer find me one. He did, that was really nice of him.
So, he passed the message to his friend, which offered me the job and asked for my details, i.e
My Name, Age, School, all that basic stuff. She agreed and I was given the address to go to. I went, with another friend who got the job as well, gleaming with the thoughts of having some extra pocket money.
What I didn't expect is what I'd be facing in a few hours later being there.
She saw me and she went frantic. She brought us into the working area. Either she was very busy, or she was pretty much trying to run away from the whole scenario. She went about saying there isn't any room for us to work with. (
fyi - I was supposed to be working in customer-related job. On the counter sort.)
Honestly, it feels like a horrific scene playing in my head.
She ended up giving me a data entry work from home job. As I sat there, waiting for her to brief us, I desperately feel the need to throw a huge tantrum there and then (
which I, of course, didn't). I sms-ed my friend asking for a reason why am I in this situation and he was the one apologising to me profusely (
at least, albeit more sincerely) I was partly spoken to and briefed over the work in Mandarin. And she apologetically reasoned out with me that she didn't know I (
as in me being whatever I'm grouped at in my I.C.) was coming and her boss doesn't like people like me. She also blamed her friend for not informing earlier. (
Er, didn't I even tell her my name before hand? It was my full name, in fact.)
I told her seriously, that if she "
really don't want me to work for her, by all means." Just say it. Honestly, you don't need to go all frantic and make me look (
and feel) like an alien in your workplace, being stared at by ur
minions colleagues working at the counter.
In my head I was like...
"What? Why do people like me deserve to be treated this way?"---
Lastly, I wonder why I feel at a disadvantage when I saw the entry requirement for
Biomedical Sciences & Chinese Medicine.

*ponders*
That is one of the few double degrees offered.-------*
I, in by any chance, wasn't directly referring to anyone, or any organisation for that matter. This is a personal view, and it wasn't directed to any fragments of un-patriotic-ism. I love my country, and by that, whatever comes with it. It wasn't meant to be done in spite at all.
Whereever we go, we are bound to experience something along the lines written above.