Monday, June 23, 2008

Back into Action

I know something has changed, but I don't know what it is.

After my Europe trip, I can feel my perspectives on the world have changed, but though as clear as they seem, I fail to pin-point them.

These two weeks could have been spent like usual in office and doing things repetitively and hence, gaining zero information. I am glad I made the decision to poke my head out to see the world and feel the entropy, with added benefit of spending time with my parents.

You may be curious on what exactly I mean. Allow me to give you some details I observed in this trip. Here I can't give you a whole lot of earth-breaking observations, but I am confident those pieces of information are integral parts of a bigger picture, which I strive to decipher.

On Dealing with People:
People in different parts of world tend to interact in a specific way. I found that in front of Americans, you better don't smile or laugh for no reason, or they will think they have screwed up some how and you are laughing at them. However British people are similar to Chinese, using smiles to signify friendliness, and 'that-is-okay'ness.

Minor technicalities aside, everybody likes to be treated with dignity and fairness. A little bit of consideration and politeness do help a lot no matter where you go (but make sure your gestures are being interpreted correctly!!) If in doubt, lay low and observe how others behave. Although sometimes what everybody does may not be the correct thing, it is a very good first step. Once you have started, let your intuition and common sense guide you.

Behaviors in Subways:
I will compare and contrast three places: Paris, London, and Singapore

Parisians: they like to read and therefore the train tends to be more quiet. They dress in the most presentable way also. This is subjective, of course.

Londoners: A lot of them dress in a more casual way and some of them border on shabbiness. A lot of people read newspaper (because a lot of those papers are free anyway). The trains are dirty with a lot of trashes which shows they are not the most civic-minded. Some people just talk loudly or/and let their children to be nuisances.

Singaporeans: The trains are clean, which most probably due to the stiff fine in place. People tend to read, but not a lot, and I suspect most of them not Singaporeans. Inside the trains usually it is relatively quiet and Singapore train is the place I see a lot of PSPs (Playstation Portable).

Just some random thoughts so far :)

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