At the ferry terminal, I observed this incident. Two Chinese ladies were speaking in English and Teochew. One of them asked in Teochew about a local dish. A Malay lady, sitting in front and wearing a tudong overhead them and told them the name of the dish. She was a Singaporean and shyly told me that she knew a little bit of Teochew, having mixed with the Chinese in the daily life.
This is multi-racialism in spirit; where every one can understand a little about the language, food and culture of the other communities. This is one positive aspect of life in Singapore that should be preserved. It may be a simple incident, but it is quite meaningful.
1 comment:
When I was doing my Secondary and Pre-U in a Convent school, some classmates were devout Malay Muslim girls.
Christian prayers were part of the school curriculum, remembered these girls still stood up out of respect while prayers were said.
Needless to say, they dun attend Bible studies nor attended Mass at the adjacent church.
But we mixed well together, and during the 2 Hari Rayas, got invited to their homes and plied generously with fattening goodies.
Those were the good old days when the various races studied, laughed and played together, irrespective of religions.
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