slowly becoming singapore..

I have been here for nearly 5 weeks now, and I am finding myself suddenly becoming more and more Singaporean every day. For instance, on the MRT, I always used to approach the location where the doors are to open, stand behind all the people that are already there, and wait patiently for the MRT, wait for people to alight then slowly and politely enter the train and go to the centre of the train, or as far in as I possible can. However, after having missed so many trains while people pushed in front of me and found myself watching the train go by and seeing people cramming in like cattle at the entrance and then the middle of the train either totally empty in the aisle or have only one or two people, I have decided to take the Singapore approach. Now, when I approach the MRT doors I stand right in the middle of the path at the entrance, or at least as close to the entrance to get in the doors. Elbows are my best friend since I can use them to push people out of the way quite easily. Going to the middle of the train is a thing of the past because it is always so hard to get out, so I usually stand right in the middle of the doorway and wait til the door is almost closed then I move to another spot. I can see why Singaporeans do this as it does serve a very valuable function. By blocking the door, less people can get in, less people getting in means more room for those fortunate enough to get in. So, by standing in the door and blocking it, I am providing a good service for those in this great country by lessening the capacity of the train, giving them more room.

Also, the other day I found out that I was becoming more and more relaxed and sympathetic, like all Singaporeans. I have heard my wife and sister in law mention many a time that the jaywalkers should 'just hurry up and get hit and die' and it would be their own fault cause they are looking for death. The other day I saw a man running for the train and just as the door was closing he thrust his hand in the path of the door. I guess he thought it was like a lift door where there is a safety catch where if someone was in the door the door wouldnt crush him. However, what he didnt realize is that unlike an elevator, the train has a set time to come and go and therefore if there was a safety catch the train would never leave because there would always be some rushing Singaporean thrusting their hand into the door to catch the train. There the man was, hand in the door, waiting for it to open and it wasnt going to. He then jerked his hand back out of the door and we took off and he was left at the station. As I past by him my first thought was "too bad he wasnt dragged to his death, be his own damn fault." I then had to catch myself as the last remaining flame of Canadian sympathy flared up in a desperate hope to save my soul for Singaporean apathy and say "dont say that, the doors are dangerous as you will remember from many of those videos that show baby strollers or people with arms caught in it being dragged." I guess in a country where you read constantly in the papers that "if convicted he will be hanged" or "he was ordered 24 strokes of the cane", you have to develop some form of resiliance agains the barbarism of murder and assault as a form of punishment. You jay walk, you should get hit and die; you stick your hand in a MRT, you should be dragged to your death or at least wounded horribly; you stay too long in the country, you will be beaten.

I just hope that I dont lose all my Canadian manners and upbringing and still continue to say please, thank you, your welcome and actually try to think of the well being of my fellow man and not go for the 'kill or be killed' mental attitude of the East.