That seems to be the way to do things here in Singapore. What do I mean? Well I will give you some examples that happened to our family just this week.
While browsing in China Town I stopped by a booth to look at some hand painted shirts that were for sale, they were really cool, very "artsy" I loved them.
The sales lady came out to meet me and talk about the shirts, she said here take this one and held up one that in no way would fit me. I said "oh, no, I think I am too big for that one, it won't work." She smiled, walked all the way around me looking at me and then smiled bigger to say " I think it will be OK, your back is flat, it is just the front of you that is fat, this one should work." She then went on to explain to me that people loose weight when they fly so if I was flying soon I would be skinny enough to wear her shirt.
As an American this is crazy, you would never use as a sales pitch the words fat, or loose weight but here it is just another day. They just say it.
Keegan had a lady talk to a little boy while with him this week and the lady said to the little boy, "look someday you will be chubby just like Keegan"
I had a man tell me once that I needed to drink water to loose more weight, just at a hawker center....
As impolite as we think this kind of conversation is, they mean no disrespect to the person they are talking to. Weight and body size over here is just a simple fact. Like Caleb said, everyone can see the person it is just that they say it out loud.
Now mind you this kind of conversation could be offensive if we would let it get to us but as a person Scott works with this week told him "you're OK for an American."
We are American and I must add very proud to be American but we are also loved by the King, we are created in God's image and when you choose to listen to that kind of conversation and just go with it, it makes for a better day.
I did buy a shirt by the way, just not the one that was too small, glad to know..... my back is flat..... just saying.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Potluck
I put some candles and some lotus flowers on our table just to brighten it up a bit. Little did I know that a major topic of conversation would be those candles.
I encouraged the ladies to ask each other questions, this is English class after all, we can not just sit there and not say anything.
One student said "teacher, why do you have candles on the table?". I told her it was because this was a special lunch so the candles are there to signify that it is special.
I learned today that in Japan, you NEVER, NEVER, NEVER burn a candle during the day it is only for night time.
I learned today that in Korea, candles really are only used in the temples to appease the gods.
The students were very intrigued by the fact that we had candles on our lunch table but they said "thank you for putting candles on the table to make it special."
We talked about New Year celebrations in all the different countries. In Japan the monks will hit a big bell exactly 108 times on New Years Eve. He hits the bell 108 times because they believe that each person had exactly 108 bad emotions the hitting of the bell clears the bad emotions out of the way before the New Year. I asked when the bad emotions return my class told me immediately they return.
We talked about fireworks and many other topics ranging from hamsters to the fact that in the U.S. you would kiss your husband right at Midnight, they were shocked that we do that and they were especially shocked that we would do that even at a party with other people around to see it.
Much English was practiced today, much laughter was had, relationships were built and my students now understand what a casserole is and they now know how to play hang man, (they drew their man with slanty eyes \ / )
It was a potluck kind of day.
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