Culture.
Met my cousins… and I dunno. A culture clash or something. L calls her mom by her first name, and to me, I just find it completely disrespectful. I’m sure she loves her mother - there are photos of her mom and dad everywhere in her room - but it’s just so disconcerting.
My cousins’ way of showing affection is to insult each other every second of the day. K cracks jokes that aren’t even funny.
Despite the fact that they know and understand Chinese pretty well, it’s just strange how their mom talks to them in Chinese and they respond in English. I mean, I’m bilingual, and when someone talks to me in Chinese, I respond in Chinese. Same goes for English. Most of the time I speak to my aunt (their mom) in Chinese, since she talks to me in Chinese. Both cousins are kinda surprised (as Americans are) by how well someone from ‘ZOMG backward ASIA’ can speak English so well when I talk to them.
Does Singapore even exist anymore?
And it’s quite new to know that the people I’ve experienced so far like to talk. A lot. It’s like whatever comes to their head they just have to spout it out. Having trouble? Say something. Don’t like someone? Say she’s a trampslutwhorebitch! Music on the radio sucks! The mirror on the wall isn’t properly placed! The dustbin stinks! My butt hurts! The sunroof’s open!
I think the one that takes the cake is their treatment of grandma. It’s like she doesn’t exist at all to them. Don’t blame everything on Chinese culture how ‘we must respect our elders etc’ and I grew up that way. I live in Singapore. I didn’t grow up that way. I mean… the fear of death has gotten to me. And I’ve learnt to respect life a lot more, and everyone is simply a walking talking human who has a mind of their own. Everyone should be talked to and treated like equals.
Just because she’s old doesn’t mean she’s not human… and it gets to me how their just ignore her. I’ve attempted talking to her, and well, half the time she’s pretty senile, but still I make the attempt to let her know she’s appreciated.
Then again, I’ve only been here a day, so I shouldn’t presume.
I wish I could do the same for my paternal grandmother. I don’t speak any Cantonese, and it winds up becoming a barrier between my grandmother and I. I do hug her and try talking to her in Chinese though. ^__^
I feel so much better after talking to my sister. Woke up at 2 am in the morning, couldn’t get back to sleep so I went downstairs and chatted with her until 4. Cruised around Disney Dreams for a while. It’s so comforting to have something familiar to look forward to. Thank God for technology. Now it’s time to invent a teleportation system.
2.20 pm. I’m exhausted. Good night.
u’re safe!