We can change the world

This story that you are about to read is something I witnessed two years ago. You might have had such experiences before or you might be able to relate. These incidences can be avoided if everyone paid a little more attention and respect to other cultures within our society.

Instead of stating the characters involved, I have decided to name them for easy reference. Tim is the young punk involved, who looked no more than 18 years old. Amy is his girlfriend. Encik Rizal is the uncle from the Halal Mee Goreng stall and Mr. Chan is the uncle from the drinks stall.

After a busy morning of grocery shopping, my parents and I decided to head over to the hawker centre at Bukit Merah Central for lunch. Two tables to my right, Tim and Amy were also having their lunch. Amy had ordered Hainanese Chicken Rice while Tim was still waiting for his food.

A short while later, Encik Rizal came with two plates of Mee Goreng. One plate belonged to Tim and the other belonged to a man at the table next to his. Encik Rizal delivered Tim’s order to him first before heading over to the next table. When he turned around, he saw Amy who was about to dig her fork into Tim’s plate of Mee Goreng. Encik Rizal walked over to tell the youths to be careful to not use the utensils from non-halal food stalls to eat the halal food.

Instead of taking things calmly, Tim got annoyed by what Encik Rizal said and brushed him off. Encik Rizal tried to re-emphasize his point that by doing so they are not respecting the Muslims. Tim then started yelling at the poor Encik.
“What I do is my business! My girlfriend wants to eat with her fork, so she eats with her fork! Go away!” 

Encik Rizal replied, “But Boy, the chicken rice is not halal. If you do that, you are contaminating my utensils. Show some respect for my religion please!”

Tim got up from his seat and started insulting Encik Rizal in Mandarin. Amy tried to stop Tim from causing the commotion but to no avail. Encik Rizal was patient with Tim until this was said, “You terrorist! Go back to your own country and don’t come back!”

Encik Rizal was furious and was so close to slapping Tim on the face but he was stopped by Mr. Chan from the drinks stall. Mr. Chan reprimanded Tim for his lack of respect for other cultures and asked him to leave. Tim showed no remorse. He glared at the two older men, slammed his hand on the table and walked off. Poor Amy was apologetic and rushed to join her boyfriend.

This whole incident was appalling. I never knew there were such people in Singapore who would behave as Tim did, rude and disrespectful. Tim does not represent how the rest of the population might react, but it does show of a general lack of understanding towards other cultures and their customs among some individuals in our society.

Singapore is a multi-racial society and there is a need to be more conscious of the cultural difference present. Greater respect and understanding towards the different cultural groups in Singapore can be instilled into the young through education. And a heightened level of awareness can be advocated among the youths. This might help to avoid cultural conflicts. It doesn’t take too much effort to do so, and it causes us no harm. This would help to create a peaceful and harmonious multicultural society. So, why not?

Blog # 4, 2nd draft: Right Here Waiting. - edited as of 8th Feb

Details of the job I am applying for can be found here: http://sg.dimension.jobsdb.com/career/Default.asp?PID=3&AC=SGH&EC=007&GC=&JobID=4741&FR=JOBSDB&CC=SG

7^th February 2010

Dear Sir/Madam

POST OF CLINICAL RESEARCH CO-ORDINATOR

I am writing in response to your JobsDB advertisement posted on 21st January 2010 for the position of Clinical Research Co-ordinator.

I am a graduate from National University of Singapore (NUS) with a Degree in Life Sciences with Specialization in Biomedical Science. Although I do not have any clinical trial experience, I am willing to put in the extra time and effort to learn. I am confident that my education and my eagerness to learn have prepared me for the position that you have available. My unique abilities will enable me to contribute significantly toward your objectives.

The opportunity presented in this listing is very interesting and I believe that my ability to work well with others and my dedication qualify me to handle the responsibilities of the position. During my course of study in NUS, I have consistently managed to deliver engagements within time constraints. I strive for continued excellence.  I also display strong leadership talents, “team player” attitude and spirit, and the natural ability to establish consensus among cross-functional lines. My leadership skills and commitment entitled me to be a Gold award recipient for the National Youth Achievement Award Scheme in 2009. My exemplary character also led to my selection as a representative for Catholic Junior College in a dialogue session with officials from the Ministry of Education concerning character development in 2006. These qualities combined with my dedication should enable me to make a positive impact in your organization.

Enclosed is a copy of my resume for your review. I would welcome a personal interview at your earliest convenience to discuss your needs and objectives and the possibility of working together to meet them. I can be contacted at the number and email address indicated below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you for your time.

Best Regards


Tang An Ting Nicole
(here you are meant to see my address and contact details;

but omitted due to the lack of privacy on the World Wide Web.)

When all is said and done...

I would like to thank those who commented on my previous post for your time and useful comments. It has indeed helped me in formulating a potential solution to resolve this conflict.

What would I have done if I was in Becky’s shoes? 

I would keep the friendship with Andy and that of with Carl separately, ensuring that the two realms of friendship do not accidentally overlap and cause any further cross-fires. 

I would allow ample time for Carl to calm down and come to terms with what has happened. I am willing to give it as long as it takes. It is not easy to have a friendship with people for such a long time and I do not want it to end just like that.

When I feel the time is right, I will softly sound Carl about his opinion of Andy’s decision and how much does he value the friendship that the three of us have shared for so long. Also, I would approach Andy and ask of his opinion on how he would perceive the friendship the three of us after all this. I feel it is important to hear what both of them think about what is left of this friendship and work from there.

If I receive positive feedback from the both of them, I would then arrange for a meet-up for all to gather and talk when I feel is most appropriate. Should things go accordingly, I strongly believe that the bond the three of us share would be stronger than it was before.

Back to reality, that conflict has not been resolved yet. It is currently in the “cooling off” phase. Maybe if that last meeting had not been arranged, things might have played out differently. Who knows? What’s done is done. We can’t turn back the clock to undo our actions now.

These things take time and it cannot be rushed. I do hope for the best for Andy, Becky and Carl. The friendship they had was a really beautiful one and it is a pity to see it break just like that.