I can’t ever understand why the people in this country seem to be in a perpetual foul mood. I’ve given it multiple chances, hoping for a salvation somewhere, one day, but as optimistic as I’ve been trying to be or have been… at the end of the day, I just want to get the hell out of this shithole and breathe in a country other than here.
I recently came back from Japan – the land of proper, and maybe more so for a Singaporean like me, a land filled with people with unusually great, FANTASTIC manners. What can I say, go book a ticket there and you’ll never wanna head back home. One has to experience Japan first hand to know, understand and feel what Japan is all about and one of the amazing traits of the country is its people’s natural sense to be courteous, and kind. It’s like a the Be Kind, Be Polite, Be Nice microchip is embedded in their brains. You can ask the simpliest questions like directions to Point A and a Japanese will make damn sure you know how to get there and even if he/she has no conversational English skills, he/she goes all out to explain to you even to the extent of printing out the map for you. Without making any form of why-the-fuck-should-I-help-you face. Without a hesitant pause. It feels like love sometimes, a love for mankind and all you want to do is hug the world and be nice.
Anyway, I came back to Singapore and it was back from such a good vacation and it being a new year… I planted that Japanese microchip in me but it proved to be no mean feat to behave as I should. On the way to mum’s place, I decided to take the bus located at the nearby shopping centre. Braving the sun (who wouldn’t after two weeks of 8 degrees), I waited for the bus to arrive and suddenly gastric pains hit me and made me puke. I puked several times before reaching the ladies and even then, rushed out so as not to miss my bus (which came at 15-minutes intervals) but of course, when I was 30 seconds away from the bus stop, I saw my bus! I ran after it and though it was obvious the driver saw my flailing arms, he closed his doors and drove off.
Fine.
My fault.
He was under no obligation to wait for me but he could have. It would have been nice. It would have been alright since it wasn’t even during peak hours The bus barely had any passengers on board.
But fine, I can deal with this.
I sat down, fiddled with my phone and waited for the next bus to arrive. When it finally did and I stood up, the entire contents of my handbag fell out from its unzipped zipper. Scrambling to collect everything off the ground, fearing that I might again miss the bus which was already parked right in front of me, I ran to the front of the bus and guess what, the driver closed his damn door on me. AGAIN. He was about to FUCKING drive off, when I banged against the door – insistent that he give way and open its doors.
He did.
But not without me making a scene like some mad woman.
Is it so hard to be nice, and wait? I understand that they must have a time schedule but it is it that awful to have to wait that extra 10 seconds for a passenger especially when it’s not even a busy part of the day?
You see, when a person is mean to me, I become a meanie. The cycle has to stop somewhere.
Kindness, people. When did it fly out of the window?
