“How do you say ‘shut up’ in Mandarin?” he asks, eager to know. I wouldn’t tell him. “I know it’s ‘ba’ something….” I remained mum.
“Once I’ve learnt how to say ‘shut up’ in Mandarin, I’ll tell the Singaporeans to shut up and cross the road in anyway they want.**” This, over dried, red chilli frogs’ legs in claypot and rice.
**There’s another story linked to this.
He’s a newish “foreign talent” in Singapore so it’s right that he’s thirsting to know more about Singapore and Singaporeans in general.
Earlier in the day, we were heading out from his apartment. I pushed him aside as we walked, crossing across the entrance of his condominium, right onto the driveway. “Why did you push me?” I explained that it was the driveway and that cars are coming in. “Yes, but they should either slow down or give me space – they can’t knock me down. I’m a pedestrian.” I argued saying that sure, they can slow down but that’s a risk you are taking. He said that the pedestrian has a right of way as no drivers should knock a pedestrian down. It’s true what he said but I wouldn’t leave it to fate.
True enough, when we went back to take his Ezylink farecard (that he had forgotten), he had a close encounter. He crossed the driveway while 2 cars were turning in. One went very close to him, almost running into him. The driver turned in and got out of his car. He was German. He was very upset and accused my foreign talent of having hit the rooftop of his car. He further said that my foreign talent should not have crossed the driveway. “It’s for cars to turn in!”
“But you could have slowed down or given me some space. There was no need for you to come so close to me. There was plenty of space for your car to move.”
“It’s a driveway, cars turn in there. Driveways are for cars.”
“But there’s no other way to get out – except by crossing the driveway and cars should slow down.”
“Then you can go to the road and see if the cars slow down.”
“Ahh…but that’s the road and this is a driveway.”
Foreign talent argued and said that he hit the side of the car, not the rooftop.
As for me, I stood aside and watched the drama unfold. I couldn’t defend or take any sides as I didn’t see what really happened. All I knew was that my foreign talent did not hit the rooftop of the German guy. I would have seen it otherwise because he would have had to lift his hand above his shoulders to do that. They went back and forth.
I can’t even remember how it came about but this came out - “Where do you come from?” German said, Germany. My foreign talent then said that in Germany, he wouldn’t dare do such a thing because he would either have slowed down or given the pedestrian space to walk. German than asked “Where are you from?” “U.S.A” “No...cannot be. You are not from the U.S.”
So this is it. Does the U.S have different laws pertaining to the road? Is it alright to knock down a pedestrian in any country? Or is it because my friend didn’t sound American or is not the correct colour? Would it have been different if he looked or sounded American? From his reaction, one could tell that he had a preconceived idea of where my foreign talent came from. In his tone of disbelief, he's indirectly accusing of him of lying. As far as I could see – it was more than crossing the driveway. It didn’t have to be more but it came down to being a certain nationality and (the right) colour.
German was red in the face but backed down when he realised that foreign talent had a point. But he did say, “Next time, I will not give you a chance. I will hit you.”
Threatening someone in front of a witness…Ahhh…stupidity does transcend all nationalities, colours, etc etc.... In Mandarin, we call it “ben dan”. Kalau Bahasa Melayu, “bodoh” dan Bahasa Indonesia, “goblok”.
“Once I’ve learnt how to say ‘shut up’ in Mandarin, I’ll tell the Singaporeans to shut up and cross the road in anyway they want.**” This, over dried, red chilli frogs’ legs in claypot and rice.
**There’s another story linked to this.
He’s a newish “foreign talent” in Singapore so it’s right that he’s thirsting to know more about Singapore and Singaporeans in general.
Earlier in the day, we were heading out from his apartment. I pushed him aside as we walked, crossing across the entrance of his condominium, right onto the driveway. “Why did you push me?” I explained that it was the driveway and that cars are coming in. “Yes, but they should either slow down or give me space – they can’t knock me down. I’m a pedestrian.” I argued saying that sure, they can slow down but that’s a risk you are taking. He said that the pedestrian has a right of way as no drivers should knock a pedestrian down. It’s true what he said but I wouldn’t leave it to fate.
True enough, when we went back to take his Ezylink farecard (that he had forgotten), he had a close encounter. He crossed the driveway while 2 cars were turning in. One went very close to him, almost running into him. The driver turned in and got out of his car. He was German. He was very upset and accused my foreign talent of having hit the rooftop of his car. He further said that my foreign talent should not have crossed the driveway. “It’s for cars to turn in!”
“But you could have slowed down or given me some space. There was no need for you to come so close to me. There was plenty of space for your car to move.”
“It’s a driveway, cars turn in there. Driveways are for cars.”
“But there’s no other way to get out – except by crossing the driveway and cars should slow down.”
“Then you can go to the road and see if the cars slow down.”
“Ahh…but that’s the road and this is a driveway.”
Foreign talent argued and said that he hit the side of the car, not the rooftop.
As for me, I stood aside and watched the drama unfold. I couldn’t defend or take any sides as I didn’t see what really happened. All I knew was that my foreign talent did not hit the rooftop of the German guy. I would have seen it otherwise because he would have had to lift his hand above his shoulders to do that. They went back and forth.
I can’t even remember how it came about but this came out - “Where do you come from?” German said, Germany. My foreign talent then said that in Germany, he wouldn’t dare do such a thing because he would either have slowed down or given the pedestrian space to walk. German than asked “Where are you from?” “U.S.A” “No...cannot be. You are not from the U.S.”
So this is it. Does the U.S have different laws pertaining to the road? Is it alright to knock down a pedestrian in any country? Or is it because my friend didn’t sound American or is not the correct colour? Would it have been different if he looked or sounded American? From his reaction, one could tell that he had a preconceived idea of where my foreign talent came from. In his tone of disbelief, he's indirectly accusing of him of lying. As far as I could see – it was more than crossing the driveway. It didn’t have to be more but it came down to being a certain nationality and (the right) colour.
German was red in the face but backed down when he realised that foreign talent had a point. But he did say, “Next time, I will not give you a chance. I will hit you.”
Threatening someone in front of a witness…Ahhh…stupidity does transcend all nationalities, colours, etc etc.... In Mandarin, we call it “ben dan”. Kalau Bahasa Melayu, “bodoh” dan Bahasa Indonesia, “goblok”.
So, foreign talent – I do agree with you, up to a certain point. I will not bi zhui – I abhor being silent and staying oppressed. I have a voice but I choose my battles wisely. I will not cross the road willy-nilly, silly. I don’t want to leave it to fate. I have more to give than what I have given and I need to stay alive for this.
Hugs,
Petal P.Rose
1 comment:
you told lah!... what's that your telling me now? bi zhui?. mokay. hehe
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