Whenever we saw some ang moh's historical artifacts, they make us wonder if we have a culture? Maybe Singlish, we say, which is half dampen by the government's eagerness for us to speak like Americans. Our government says chicken rice is our culture, but we think its more like one of our favorite food.
It takes us a while to realize how different we are. When we come to weekend we think that our life is so dull and boring. There is nothing much to do other than shopping, eating, and movies. But when a Singaporean come to America, you know what is boring, without shopping, eating, and few movie goers. Of which the former two are much higher rated by a true blood Singaporean. Shopping, our favorite past time! But come to an American mall, you wonder why is it open air? Why is it so cold outside and there is no building to keep you warm? Where are the cute cute shops where you can catch an ornament for a few dollars? And why are shop so spaced that you find it so tiring to walk? Hey, and where is the electronics for the weary men? Where is the food court that keep you going?
Talking about food, my hypothesis is that evolution of many ang mohs, other than french and italians perhaps, has effects on their taste bud. Look at the customers of any restaurant, if you do not see any Chinese, its a sign equivalent to danger. Enter at high risk! If there are some Chinese, well a warning. If its all Chinese and almost full, its green light! No wonder we seek refuge in Pho 99 where its mostly Chinese, and some ang mohs with better taste. You may also try the Americanized Chinese food which you will see general Sao Chicken, Kun Pao Chicken, and orange chicken. You wonder who is General Sao or Kun Pao? And why there are only chicken? Oh there is beef, which by the way many of us do not eat. No wonder some ang mohs think Chinese food are boring.
Some of us make very good friends with the TV. So maybe we can watch the TV, which hollywood makes lots of money from. There are 60 channels, which you will probably stick to 5, and the rests you don't sense what they are showing. You are watching an old 90s action show, and then in 5 mins, its commercial. Maybe you are just unlucky, so you flip channels until commercial is over, 5 mins later, another commercial. You wonder where is HBO. You checked, and oh, you need to pay more money. So much about the great American shows. You ended up watching Discovery, National geographic channels, and if you lucky, maybe can find one Asian movie.
You made friends with some ang mohs and you went out dinner with them. But you do not know why they are talking about things you do, where to go, future plans, and work. You wanted to tell them that you didn't do anything and like to idle. You wanted to say you have no future plans and what will be will be. You wanted to ask if their food taste better. But on second thought, that may make you feel stupid. So you try to conjure something interesting or what they may like to hear. But eventually, you can't do it anymore and slide into the background and focus on the food. Its bad, and you wonder again if they are eating something better.
At night, you were driving on a stretch of main road onto a highway and it went dark at a turn. You wonder why there wasn't street light. You slow down. Then comes 2 oncoming vehicles that blind your sight. You kept to the right curb guiding you through while speeding up to the highway speed. Then you realized, everyone is on high beams!
You attended a class, and the lecturer was talking about social subject. 15 minutes into the lecture, he starts flashing recent news and ask for opinion, this went on for 10 minutes, 20 minutes, and half an hour. You wonder what is he trying to teach. You wonder if there is a syllabus. You wonder why is he here when he only wants your opinion? Why don't you teach?
At the end of the year, you were graded average for participation. You studied hard, and for long hours. You try your best in writing the assignments. You hand them on time. You come to lecture on time. But you were silent in class. You were here to listen, and you hardly catch their accent. You wonder why Americans like to talk, and like people who talk? It doesn't matter what they talk about, but just talk.
On second thoughts, I still like the things we cook, I like to go to hawker center wondering what I should eat, I like to shop after I eat even if I do not know what I want to buy, I shop and look at people who do and have fun doing so, I don't watch TV that much but its interesting to look at what people are watching, I like to drive in brightened streets and not to blind other drivers, I like to listen and learn from others than to pollute the environment, and work hard but prefers other to see and not for myself to say. Maybe we are too humble, maybe we are too critical to ourselves, but who says we have no culture?
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